Eucharisteo :

Merry Christmas from Colorado

2011-12-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

Suzy's 2011 Highlights:

Journeying with several Lao friends who started their own personal journeys with Christ.

Singing karaoke and eating red ant egg soup on a river boat with CAMA friends.

Continuing through "Search the Scriptures", a helpful Bible study tool.

Having running water again after five months of frustrating water issues. Priceless!

Performing Justin Beiber's "Baby" song as a farewell to my Candlelight friends.

Attending a helpful re-entry seminar for my transition from Laos back to the U.S.

Diversifying my workouts: Lao Aerobics, P90X, Zumba, Wallyball, & climbing a CO 14-er.

Becoming the proud new owner of Toby, the 2000 Toyota Rav4.

Starting a new job as Coordinator for Candidate Development with The Alliance.

Enjoying God's provision of sweet community with friends, old and new.

Eating turkey and putting up the tree with my parents for the first time in several years.

Moving into an adorable, fully furnished home to rent with two great roommates.

A sneak peek into Suzy's 2012 Highlights:

Visiting my two nephews in central Asia in January! Oh, and their parents, too. :)

Beating my brother down the ski slopes, as usual. See photo below.

May you experience His PEACE this season! (Isaiah 26:3)

Love,
Suzy

Beiber Fever?

2011-11-21T19:50:00.000-08:00

Or Bobby Fetherlin?! Yep, that's my dad... with a Justin look-a-like hairdo! I found this in his senior yearbook from Nyack College. How good-looking is he? And as Thanksgiving approaches, I am definitely grateful for my dad. He leads our family with love and wisdom, works hard to protect and provide for us, and is an amazing example to me of a godly man.

And check out the beauty he chose for his bride! This was taken the first year my parents were married. Seriously, my momma is stunning. And she radiates from the inside out. I am so grateful for my mom. She is an awesome helper/completer to my dad, a life-giving mom and nana, and she continuously shows me what it means to be a godly woman.

And who would you say I take after more?! ;)

I am very grateful for the rich blessing of faith-heritage in the Lord!

Sisters

2011-11-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

This is classic- such cute sisters those Hufford girls!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=316282418388833

On the right- my 87 year old grandmother, Judy (dad's mom).
On the left- my 95 year old great-aunt, Katy (dad's aunt).

Provider

2011-11-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

This past week I traveled to Kentucky to assist with a booth to represent our organization at a medical missions conference. Since I flew in on Thursday afternoon and flew back to CO on Saturday afternoon, I really didn't want to spend money on a rental car... Especially since my hotel was only a mile from the conference location. I know money is tight in our organization, and I want to do everything I can... Even if it seems small (like bringing my own breakfast bars... Hey that saved over $20 which the hotel would've charged for breakfast)!

I find that most modes of transportation put me right to sleep if I'm not driving or involved in a conversation. And my flight to KY was no different... I was pretty much unconscious for most of the trip. I woke up as we were about to land, and found out the gal next to me happened to be going to the same conference! After getting to the baggage claim area, I sat down to make a quick phone call... And before I could get a cab to the hotel, the gal who sat next to me asked if I had a ride. She insisted that I go with her rather than pay for a cab. And so I did.

I was really blown away by God's provision. I am so overwhelmed by His love and care... That He pays attention to the little details like a ride from the airport. But as I thought about how blessed I am by the ultimate Provider, I was so aware of how amazing his provision has been during this time of transition. To name a few:

-friends to process life with, play with, laugh with, and pursue God with
-places to live (with my parents from June through November, and 2 great roomies to share a lovely furnished home with starting in December)
-a job I enjoy and a great team of people to work with
-a reliable vehicle in great condition with superb gas mileage

And that list barely skims the surface. In each of those things listed above, I have to admit that my natural default wasn't to trust... I spent some time worrying about those details before even moving back, and spent significant time trying to orchestrate details myself. But over and over again, God provides something that is better than any of the options that I'd considered or worked on. You'd think I'd learn to trust my Provider more... the One who promises to provide everything we need for life and godliness.

How awesome is my Provider? Thank you Lord. I am so undeserving of your love! Teach me greater trust.

Pics

2011-11-06T19:49:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted pictures for a while, so here are a few. No real connections or theme...

Jenny and I are still working on P90X... our workouts aren't as regular as we'd like between our crazy schedules, but we keep at it. One night we were feeling particularly overwhelmed and pleased with our arms. Ha, ha!

My wonderful sister-in-law Debra Joy sent me this really fun top! She's a great shopper and gift-giver- I love it, and her. And I recently made plans to visit Dave & Deb and my cutest red haired nephews in "Green Mountains" this January for my 28th birthday!! :)

I enjoyed catching up with Maria (a girl who was in Jr. High youth group when I was a sponsor and I can't believe she's now a senior in high school)and her family while cleaning up trash on some park trails here in Colorado Springs- a church project to serve our community. I was amazed at how much trash we ended up with!

I could barely breathe on my way to work the other morning- the snow blanketing the mountains was SO glorious. Thank you Lord! I'm spoiled to see this beauty every day (I took this picture on the front steps of the office where I work so I wouldn't wreck Toby).

"Harp"

2011-10-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

I like to change things up in life. Take a different route on the way to work, eat something different than I usually do for breakfast, put together a new clothing ensemble with clothes I already own, etc. Well, I also like to change up my "alarm sounds" with the hope that I won't get so used to a particular sound that it fails to wake me up. So I put my alarm on the "harp" setting. Not my best move to "change things up." It was so calming and did not aid one bit in getting this non-morning person out of bed. Total fail. I do not recommend you try this at home.

Frontier Flight 609

2011-10-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

I recently visited Indiana Wesleyan University for work, and had quite an eventful trip home. Here's the saga:

I boarded my direct flight from Indianapolis to Denver and was a bit bummed to find out my seat was in the last row where the seat doesn't recline, but reminded myself it was just 2 hours. The pilot announced that they had some paperwork to do before we could take off, so I got to know the ladies in the seats on either side of me. Then the pilot announced that there had been a security breech and everyone needed to get off the plane... But we were told to leave our bags because we'd be back on the plane soon.

Sitting in the back row did have its perks... The flight attendant was nearby. She reassured us that security breeches are usually no big deal and that probably someone just walked onto the jet way or something. So we got off the plane.

Then as we stood in the boarding area, we noticed that off to the left, several policemen we're interviewing a very middle eastern looking man. I immediatey started worrying that someone was irrationally accusing this man simply because of his appearance... But didn't have any details of what was going on. Meanwhile, there was another man madly pacing the boarding area, and he just made everyone nervous! So the police started watching him too... But nothing happened with him. The middle eastern looking man was taken somewhere by police.

Finally an announcement was made that we had to go back on the plane and remove all of our carry ons... Because they had to inspect the plane thoroughly, yes, down to every screw, to clear us to go again. So 5 rows at a time, we did just that. Once the federal gov't had searched high and low, it was finally announced that we could board again. But since they'd already scanned our boarding passes, they simply checked our names off a hard copy list as we rebounded. We were told that we all got free TV for the flight as a result of our two hour wait.

People were SO mad and upset because they'd missed their connecting flights in Denver and the airline wasn't promising to pay for a hotel, and their plans were messed up that they just laughed at the announcement about free TV. :) I had a great situation because Denver was my final destination and I didn't have anything major I needed to be at. But still, I felt like the general freak out response and anger towards poor employees of Frontier who were just doing their best to help in a difficult situation totally out of their control... Reflects so poorly on the selfishness of our culture. It's obvious that people not only think the world does and should revolve around their needs and schedule, plus they think they should be able to control everything in their lives. When things all of the sudden are out of their control, it's seriously complete mayhem! Wow- very sad to watch. Especially if there was a real threat... What's a two hour wait versus a plane going down?

Once back on the plane, a passenger a few rows in front of me rang his call button for assistance. He "wasn't feeling well" and his friends thought he might even be having a heart attack. So they all de-planed and the paramedics met them. Again, a man is seriously not doing well, and many passengers were frustrated that our departure was further delayed. Really people?!

So... The flight attendants did their head count, and yep, you guessed it, they were like 3 people off from the manual check list they used when we boarded the second time. A Frontier employee came to the front of the plane and announced that he needed to read off every last name on the list. After he finished, he asked if those who didn't hear their names would ring their call buttons. Shockingly, about HALF the plane reached up to ring their call buttons. And then the entire plane erupted into laughter. That poor man standing there with an entire plane laughing in his face! It was hilarious though. Then after checking his papers, he announces that he totally missed an entire page!

We finally did take off, with a flight attendant still standing in the middle of the aisle when the "flight attendants please prepare for departure" announcement was made... i.e. SIT DOWN... Bless her heart... The plane was off the ground and she was grasping seats on either side desperately trying to sit down.

I'm thankful everyone was ok, and that we had a safe flight. While traveling is a pain with all of the security measures now, I am thankful for those safety precautions.

When I got home, I googled to see if there was any more information, and apparently the passenger interviewed by police had taken a bottle of liquid into the bathroom on the plane before take off, and he didn't come out for 25 minutes... And when he did come out he no longer had the bottle. He told the man next to him that he was doing a ritualistic foot washing. I googled that, and learned that Muslims wash their feet before their prayer times. He may have been only washing his feet... But why wait until on the plane when many airports even have special places for Muslims to wash in preparation for their prayer times?!

Whatever the case, the flight attendant said, "There was a very real threat this evening, and you should be thankful for every minute you had to wait.". Yes, I have much to be thankful for!

(sorry for typos... On iPad)

Church

2011-10-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

I've been processing a lot about church these days... I think that coming back to the U.S. after three years away from the North American worship setting is one cause of that. And the reality of what church looks like in other countries is so incredibly different to what the reality is here. And yet, there are many similar basics. It's hard for me to put words to it. And while I have grown up in church and think I know what it is, I still find myself with lots of questions. In the end, I mostly long for the day when the Bridegroom will come for His church... because until then, it will always be messy because it's made up of people- fallen people.

This week I got caught on a verse in Acts and keep mulling it over in my mind. Seriously, it's really powerful. There is a lot in there, so I encourage you to "mull" it over, too. :) I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

How awesome would it be if this were reality today, and not just when these words were written?

Acts 9:31 (ESV)

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Theft Deterrent System

2011-09-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

So, the car I purchased this summer (2000 Toyota Rav4) came with a Theft Deterrent System. I've known that Toby had this feature all along, but today, I truly experienced it!

4:15

I unlock and open my car door the old fashioned way- with a key. No fancy key fob with buttons or anything. Well, today I go to open the door, and I must have turned the key the wrong way, because all of the sudden Toby freaked out and started blaring a loud alarm sound off and on like a bull horn. I tried to remain calm, but was horrified because I'd come out of work a little early (having worked a 9 hour day yesterday), when most people don't leave work until sometime between 4:30 and 5:00. So I was trying to think fast about how to stop Toby's alarm from disrupting all of my co-workers at the office.

The office windows where I work are tinted, so I couldn't see in, but I was just imagining people gathering to look out at the freak show... seriously felt like I was living an episode of The Office.

I tried pushing different buttons to no avail. So I grabbed all the manuals out of the glove compartment and started flipping through those.

4:19

Then I called my dad on my cell phone (he works at the same office), and he could hear the problem without me saying too much and said he'd be down in a minute. Then I thought I'd call my friend Jenn b/c she also has a Toyota Rav4.

4:20

I left a message on her call phone. Then dad arrived. He tried several things, but the alarm sound continued at high volume.

4:21

Jenn called me back, and told me to just "push the button." Um, I don't have any button to push... she has a newer Rav4 with that key fob thing. Hm... she then looked up a phone number for the Liberty H. Miller Toyota dealership here in the Springs and texted it to me. What would we have done in the days before technology?! Well, probably wouldn't have never-ending alarms go off like this- ha, ha. Thanks Jenn!

4:28

So I called the dealership, and the receptionist who answered politely listened to my problem, and replied that she had never had a call like that before! So she transferred me to a technician. This technician was the most patient man ever. He said alarm systems are installed post manufacturer's production- so they are all a bit different... but most of them have a button on the lower left side of the car by your left foot. So we found one small round nob down there. My dad was in the driver's seat at this point, and Toby seemed to calm down if the door was shut. So my poor father, who is 6 ft. 4 in. tall, was trying to bend over, with the car door shut- to reach this button... while I stood outside the car and held the cell phone on speaker by his head through the rolled down window so we could continue to get instructions from the technician guy... with his right leg all the way over in the passenger's seat to allow for him to bend over.

OH DEAR! I really lost it when my dad says to the technician, "Sir, I have to contort my body here in order to reach this button. This is VERY difficult!" I was laughing so hard but trying to keep my dad from seeing my laughter as he was desperately working to help me. It very well may have been one of the funniest moments of 2011 for me, though.

Oh, but then the technician starts saying, "Hello? Hello? Are you there?" I panicked as if my only lifeline was lost, and then noticed the phone was somehow on mute. With all of the bending craziness, I think my dad's face bumped the mute button my phone. We quickly figured that one out and continued to talk with this most patient man.

Finally, we found a booklet describing the Theft Deterrent System... and on the very back page it reads, "In the event that you lose your securi-key..." with instructions on how to stop the horn with just an old fashioned key. And come to find out, we were not at all working with the correct little nob in the most awkward of places, but simply had to open the door with the key, push a button conveniently placed next to the steering wheel, turn on the ignition, and then hold and push that button again.

4:50

Wow. The technician was on the phone with us for a whopping 22 minutes! That poor man- our call may have been the funniest part of his day- or given him the worst headache. When we got Toby silenced, he told me to have a good rest of my day. I said, "Sir, it can only get better from here!" and thanked him profusely for his kindness and time...

A big shout goes out to my dad who also contorted his body in the heat to help his 27 year old daughter in her moment of crisis. Oh, what a memory!

I'm so thankful I wasn't at a wedding or funeral where the noise would've really been a major interruption and nuisance. I'm grateful I wasn't on my way to the airport or hospital and needed to get there quickly b/c the car wouldn't start! And it wasn't a real thief, and it did finally stop. And there were so many people to help me (and technology did benefit us after all). And hey- now I know how to control the system- and it works!! Oh, and I don't think people could really hear it in The Office b/c no one came out... but I guess I'll know for sure tomorrow. :)

New leaves?!

2011-09-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

So, since coming back to Colorado, I've been working at turning over some new leaves. :) A lot of these are related to physical health, but some of these are related to finance or just plan lifestyle goals. Let me share through a few pictures . . .

I seriously went WILD when my mom and dad gifted me with this adorable lunch bag! I am trying to do less drive-thru runs for lunch, and instead bring leftovers or other stuff from home. It takes a bit more planning ahead, but saves time and money... and I LOVE packing stuff in this stylish bag. For some reason, I hated packing lunches for school and maybe it was b/c I used brown paper bags?! I feel so childishly happy about my new lunch bag. :)

Since coming back, I've been working really hard to eat healthy stuff. My stomach was not too happy the first few weeks I returned from Laos, and as I started changed my diet, I've felt SOOO much better. I love putting good stuff in my body. I've cut out lots of carbs, and do lots of fun salads! Breakfasts are protein fruit shakes these days- and they are SO filling, plus they are great to drink on the way to work in the car. Propel water and CLIF bars- two thumbs up. I've also gotten hooked on a WONDERFUL (and free) app. on my phone (although anyone can use it online) called "MyFitnessPal"... it helps you track your calorie intake and has great features like the ability to look up different restaurants as well as a scan bar that automatically enters calories for you! Several friends have already started using it and everyone loves it.

I am still working to get my hair healthy again. After bleaching it blonde for 10 years, I've gotten some shocked responses to my brown hair... but it really is closer to my natural color now! I'm getting used to it, and am excited to have healthier hair (and hopefully save a bit of $$ too). This picture was taken in Wisconsin after my teammate Sarah Laack's rehearsal dinner: left to right = Linda, Myrna, Sarah, me, and Bethann. Fun to see friends from Laos again!

My friend Jenny has introduced me to "P90X" with trainer TONY! It's a big commitment, meaning getting in to work closer to 7:00 am than 8:00 (still working on that one!) in order to get home and devote 1.5 hours to an intense workout before dinner time. And it's 6/7 days a week, for 90 days! I've just finished week 2 and lots of soreness... but I'm already finding I can do more reps on different exercises and am feeling better all around. It's so great to have the accountability of a friend, too. Sitting all day definitely warrants the need for some exercise each day. Thankful for good health!

Are you turning over any new leaves these days?!

Time Warp

2011-09-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

That's the best way I can describe what it feels like to come back, after a three year absence, to a place I used to live. It's kind of humorous actually, how I automatically assume things are the way they used to be. I mean, a lot of the people I interact with are the same people. The roads I drive on are the same (well, except for the crazy new intersection of Academy and Woodmen). The beautiful mountains and blue sky are just like I remembered. And I'm even back in the same house with my parents that I used to live in. But I've been fooled. Things are not the same as they were three years ago!

One time I drove past my friends' house and asked my mom some question about them, to which I got the response, "They moved to new a new house! Don't you remember?!" Oh, yeah. I knew that they'd moved... I'd even gone to their new house!! But my mind was stuck back in the past.

I've also had several girlfriends get married while I was in SE Asia. I went to some of their weddings. I visited them and their new husbands while back in the U.S. on breaks. I saw pictures on Facebook of the married couples. There was no question in my mind that they were married. But for some weird reason, upon coming back this time, I kept calling them by their maiden names!

The other day at work I wanted to order some business cards. I remembered the process from when I worked there three years ago, and was relieved I didn't have to bother anyone to ask how to go about that. However, upon submitting my request, I was told that what I tried to do was a process they'd changed long ago. I was given the instructions for the new process. Gulp. I'm living in the past.

And then this morning, I suggested to some friends that we meet up at a coffee shop. And, you guessed it, they kindly told me that coffee shop no longer existed... and that we should go to another place, which I'd never heard of!

Change. It's a good thing, I think. ;) If things didn't change, it would mean we never make progress or improve. And how boring would life be?! It's interesting to me to think about change in our hearts and lives, too. I mean, I am SO thankful that God Himself doesn't change! This is one of my favorite things about God. And yet, He is a God of change- continuously working in us to change us more into His image. I'm so glad our God isn't in a time warp. In fact, He already knows the changes to come!

Hoping to come out of my time warp little by little here. Grateful for much grace I've been given in these days of transitions!

Fresh

2011-08-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

Much of life feels "fresh" right now, so I decided my blog should feel that way too. Even though I have returned to many familiar faces and places in Colorado, those faces and places have changed in new ways... as have I. In the first weeks back, in conversations with friends, in books, and in my spirit- this theme kept emerging.

"... they will stay fresh and green ..."

Who, you ask?

Psalm 92 answers: those are planted in the house of the Lord and who proclaim He is their Rock!

Who wouldn't want to be fresh? And not in the racy way... ahem. In the "new, not faded or impaired, bright, healthy, attractive, full of energy, pleasant, cool, and pure" way... thank you Mr. Webster.

Seriously, who wouldn't want that description of their life?! And since I've started defining things, let me explain the fresh title of this blog. It comes from a book I'm reading and thoroughly enjoying and highly recommend: One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp. She explains her journey to discover fullness in life. "Eucharisteo" is the Greek word for thanksgiving. However, "charis" means grace, and "chara" means joy. So grace and joy are wrapped up in giving thanks.

It really comes down to our choices in how we look at life and respond to it.

So in my desire to continue to live a life which is full and fresh, I hope this blog will be an outlet for offering gratitude as I filter life through eyes gazing towards my Rock. And I trust a source of joy to those who happen upon it.

Is it just me...

2011-06-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

... or is it odd that:

everyone wears a seat-belt and stares you down if you don't (or in extreme cases, refuse to go anywhere until you buckle up)?
drivers actually stay in their lanes, drive the correct direction on the roads, and don't drive if they aren't old enough to have a license?
the majority of people riding motorbikes seem to be big bearded men in leather?
people talk really loudly, even if they aren't angry at all?
my hair doesn't poof?
no one crouches real low if they walk between two people having a conversation?
men and women touch each other in public?
there is a LOT of diversity in clothing, hair styles, etc.?
clothes and shoes here fit me?
parties and events are planned super far in advance?
people talk about themselves more than they ask others about their lives?
"half sizes" at restaurants really fill me up beyond what I need?
many talk about things they "need" or "want" when they already have more than most people on this earth will ever have?
there are these devices that give you directions when you drive?!
spiciness, MSG, and toothpicks seem to be lacking at every meal?
people wear shoes in the house... and there isn't a need to wash my feet before bed each night and watch lots of dirt wash away?
playing games is for adults, and not just children?
so many people know Jesus?
the neighbors aren't asking me where I'm going when I leave my house, or where I've been when I return to my house... and in fact, I rarely ever see them?
no one is asking me if I have eaten when we begin a conversation and no one invites me to eat with them if they are eating?
I don't have sweat stains on my clothes each day?
there is so much water that I've cut my shower time in half?
much of the population is fat? Oh, and that "fat" might be a rude word with negative connotation?
I can understand what everyone around me is saying, but they all seem to speak SUPER fast and use BIG words?
the price of everything seems insanely high?
men are not telling me I'm beautiful?
an hour seems like plenty of time to spend visiting with someone?
there are entire sections in the grocery store devoted to different types of cheese, or chips, or salad dressings?
everything in the grocery store is packaged up and there are no signs of the animal related to the meat we buy... like heads, feet, tails, innards, etc?
there are no temples, but churches on every corner?
dads go to the pool or the park and pay attention to their children and play with them?
there is no bargaining (except for those glorious weekend garage sales)?
most of the population reads books in their free time (on a screen no less)?
there was a dead bird in my backyard last night? Oh, wait- that actually doesn't feel so odd. :)

I could go on and on and on, but you get the point. Life is definitely different here- for better and for worse.

Opportunity for THIS FALL!

2011-06-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

There is a need for more English teachers at Candlelight (in Laos) in the immediate future. Do you, or anyone you know, have an interest in this area? See below, and let me know if you'd like more information or want to contact someone about this!

the opportunity:

Teach who and what? Teach Lao students low level English. (mostly young adults, but ages range from 15 to 55)
Teach how much? Fifteen hours in the classroom each week (8:30-10:00 and 10:15-11:45 Mon.-Fri.) as well as appropriate preparation time.
How many students? Enjoy small class sizes with students grouped according to ability level (anywhere from 8-20 students per class). Total English program student numbers range between 80 -130 students, depending on number of teachers and student enrollment.
When? We need teachers for the fall term this year, September 2011. No, this is not very far off! It would be helpful to get here earlier to get acclimated and begin Lao language study.

the requirements:

Bachelors degree
ESL teaching endorsement or TESOL Certification (or equivalent – TOEFL, CELTA).
These certifications can be attained by completing a four to six week training course.
Teaching experience is helpful, but not required. Come with a willingness to be trained, observed and critiqued to help you become a successful English teacher.
A two year commitment to serve in Laos at Candlelight.
Willingness to learn Lao language and culture (if possible for 3 months intensively early on)
Cross-cultural experience

Goodbyes

2011-06-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

My roomies!

The last week or so in Laos was filled with lots of goodbyes. At unexpected moments, I found myself with a big lump in my throat, trying to choke back tears. It's weird what will trigger your emotions!

Writing goodbye notes to teammates and realizing how much I love them and will miss them, having students ask you when you are coming back and seeing their sad reaction when you answer, "I'm not sure", watching the older women (including one of my Lao moms) sing in the church choir for one of the last times, listening to my host mom pray and say, "Lord I don't know if we will ever see each other's faces again on earth, but thank you for the hope we have of being together again in heaven", walking out of Lao church the last Sunday, looking at pictures from the past two years, and seeing my students or friends or roommates or teammates tear up really got me!

I started to think- the physical effects of saying goodbye (that are all too common in my journey, considering this was the fourth continent I was privileged to live on in my 27 years) -with that lump in your throat, nauseous feeling in your stomach, and tears in your eyes- just can't be right. Did God really intend for us to say goodbyes?? I thought back to the garden, and if sin hadn't entered, there wouldn't have been goodbyes. And it really makes me excited for heaven- like my Lao mom said- where those in His family will be together FOREVER... no more goodbyes!!

I'm definitely going to miss my community and friends in Laos. I'm sure I won't even understand or feel the full extent of that for a while as there is a new job to start and other adjustments and distractions initially here in the U.S. However, I think it's good that goodbyes aren't a breeze, because if it didn't hurt to say goodbye- it would mean I didn't truly care about people.

Life in Laos has truly been a wonderful privilege because of the people in Laos.

Thank you, Father!

FYI

2011-06-02T07:20:00.001-07:00

I love these two Lao sayings about food:

"kin kao pu diao, bo saep" = food is not delicious if eaten alone

"kin ahan bo phet, bo saep" = food is not delicious if you don't add spice (hot peppers)

All the time...

2011-05-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

GOD IS GOOD!

I am really, really overwhelmed. In a good way. I am one of those people who thinks a lot about details. And as I prepare to move from my home in Laos (of almost two years) back to Colorado, there are a whole lot of details involved. What to sell? for how much? What to give away? to who? Who to say goodbye to? how to say goodbye? Etc...

Yet, I am two weeks from departure, and I am totally floored at how many details the Father took care of before I could even try on my own! And I am in awe of how much better His plans are than mine. It's as if He's saying, "My daughter, why do you ever spend a minute worrying?! Look at how I am taking care of you. Trust me."

For example, my motorbike is sold. And not only sold for a great price, but the gal buying it will be here in Laos for a while this summer, so I can use it up until I board the plane. AND- the new owner has agreed to continue to call the motorbike "Wanda the Honda"... Sigh. :)

Or, how crazy is it that I spent time going around the house, taking pictures of big items to sell, and making a flyer to e-mail to people in Vientiane with prices and descriptions along with the pictures... when EVERY SINGLE ITEM on my flyer was sold before I could even e-mail it to anyone.

And my teammates, the Ronzheimers, leave tomorrow for a 3 month home assignment. Since they have a family of 5, they can take a total of 10 suitcases (that's 2 suitcases per person for those non-mathematical types reading). However, they don't need to take that much with them, so they are taking two suitcases for me. This way I can really take everything I wanted to take back to the U.S. without paying major fees with airlines for extra baggage.

Best of all, my Lao roommates will stay in our current home and two ELI teachers will move in with them... so we can bless them with lots of stuff around the house (and we're SUPER thankful to not have to pack up our kitchen among other things)!! This means continued LIGHT in this home and neighborhood. My heart is rejoicing.

And the Father has allowed me to see His work in several friend's hearts during these last months. Such a sweet blessing and encouragement!

Those are only a few stories from the "leaving" end of things... but as I look ahead to the "arriving" part, I am also sensing His provision and love going ahead of me. My parents are graciously allowing their 27 year old daughter to once again live with them when I first come back. My brother and sister-in-law (and sister-in-law's parents) are allowing me to use their green Geo Prism when I return. And in carrying on the tradition of naming the vehicles I am blessed with, I would like to call this one "Georgia the Geo" while I drive her... so I will have a way to get to my new job- which starts two weeks after I land. Unbelievable.

Psalm 121:8

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Psalm 126:3

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Psalm 136:1

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.

Saturday Nights

2011-05-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

Life continues to have a random flow to it here... the times you plan an event and work hard to initiate and invite, etc. it always seems to not work out like you planned- people cancel, it pours down rain (which affects attendance as most people drive motorbikes), or some other major event is taking place that you have no idea about. And the times you don't plan ahead, everything seems to beautifully fall into place. Maybe that's because last minute collaboration is the Lao way!

We (my roommates and I) have had a tradition of inviting over some Lao friends/neighbors/students/co-workers on Saturday nights for dinner and fun fellowship. Usually we work ahead, thinking through who to call and invite, what food to make, etc. (and by "ahead" I mean Friday night or Saturday morning- ha, ha). Two weeks ago we weren't really planning on it. And then a few "regulars" called asking if we were going to have it- and offered to bring the food!

Last week, plans came together Saturday afternoon... and I just marvel at how quickly and effortlessly large gatherings can be done here at the last minute! All you really need is a great market (we bought all the stuff for grilled fish wraps for less than $20- not bad for 12 people), and a big mat to eat on. :) My Lao friends and roommates have taught me a lot about working together on stuff like this... everyone helps prepare and clean up- not just the person hosting. It really makes it more fun and less stressful!

Here are some pics. from last week:

I'm gonna miss this food!

And these people!

These two are getting married this week!

Best Answer

2011-05-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today we gave midterm exams. For the speaking part of the test, I like to start with one or two really easy questions that everyone usually answers correctly. This calms the students down and gives them confidence b/c they all get so nervous about the speaking part.

Well, the first question for my lower level class was, "Where do you live?" Every student answered with the name of their specific Village. Except for one gal. Bless her heart. She answered, "I love flowers."

Good Words

2011-05-09T04:34:00.000-07:00

"Our ability to hear God's voice directly and accurately depends on how well we've filled our hearts with the light of Scripture."

"Living by faith is not living by fear. Fear is self-focused -- afraid we will fail, afraid we will make a mistake, afraid we will be wrong. Faith is God-focused, trusting God to lead us, to be with us, to help us, to forgive us and to rescue us. God has not promised us fail-safe projects. He has not promised us freedom from mistakes. But He has promised His constant presence and that is enough.

When we live by faith, we are mainly led by the Spirit's inner peace in our hearts, trusting God to redirect or stop me when needed and to provide everything I need when I need it."

-Darlene Oppel: Oct. 2009 devotional

"In many of us, the fear of not getting what our heart longs for has led us to develop an unconscious pattern of distancing ourselves from our desire in order to avoid the pain of its lack of fulfillment."

"You may not realize it, but your desire for God is the truest and most essential thing about you. It is truer than your sin, it is truer than your woundedness, it is truer than your net worth, your marital status or any role or responsibility you hold. Your desire for God and your capacity to connect with God as a human soul is the essence of who you are."

-Ruth Barton: Invitation to Solitude and Silence

Esther Ruth

2011-05-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

Roses are red

Violets are blue

If I had a choice

I'd for sure choose YOU!

Sweetness

2011-04-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got to dye Easter eggs with some of my little teammates. It was so hot... we had to wipe sweat off the eggs! And after we were finished, we used the leftover dye on some white T-shirts... fun times as an "auntie/teammate."

Today I got to spend almost 5 hours with my Lao family- eating fruit I bought from a sweet old fruit cart man, playing games, eating lunch together, making bracelets with my little sister, and drinking coconut juice... from a coconut chopped down from a tree in their backyard... fun times as an "older sister/daughter."

And tonight I got to hang out with three of my Hmong students/friends (two of whom have been dating for about 8 years now). They brought dinner over to my place and we ate on a mat on the floor and played UNO. They shared the sweet news with me that they would like to have their wedding before I leave in June!!!! ... fun times as a "teacher/friend."

ສຸກ ສັນ ວັນ ປີ ໃຫມ່ ລາວ ເດີ້!

2011-04-09T01:56:00.000-07:00

I hope y'all can see the Lao script above... I am wishing everyone a Happy Lao New Year! This week everyone "blesses" others by pouring water on them... parties, papaya salad, songs, foning (Lao dancing), baby powder, water guns/balloons, BeerLao, and general fun-loving attitudes ABOUND. It really is so great... cheap fun that cools you off the hottest time of year!

This morning we got to celebrate with our Candlelight school and CAMAcrafts staff. SUPER fun, and now I have a sunburn. :) Tomorrow, I'll go to Thailand with my team for some meetings and hopefully some R&R. Would you uplift our time together and ask for His Spirit to unify us, give us His wisdom of the work here, and guide our conversations?

I am thankful to have these next two weeks off of teaching, but I can't believe another 6 week English term is finished already! Yesterday, after handing back my students' final exams, we played a VERY lively dice game. It's really simple, but WAY fun and it's been a huge hit with every Lao gathering I've tried it with:

Each person has their own piece of paper, and there is only one pen for everyone to share. You take turns rolling two die, and if you roll a number 6 and or a number 2, you grab the pen and start writing numbers 1-50 as fast as possible. However, others continue rolling the die, and if they get a 6 or 2, they steal the pen and start their own numbers on their paper, and so on. The first person to reach 50 (or 100) wins! I highly recommend it.

Conclusion: Lao people are SO fun!!!! See for yourself:

Leaves & Light

2011-04-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

I recently read Rev. 22:1-5... and can't get it out of my head! I keep trying to imagine what this future reality will look like in heaven. I think we neglect to dream and hope about our future home with our Father and Savior on their thrones! At least I know I haven't given heaven as much thought as I should because it seems so mysterious. But these five verses alone leave me so intrigued and hopeful. I would love to know if any artists have painted this... although it may ruin my imagination to see it portrayed by man's limited ideas.

What will the crystal clear water look like? Or the great street? Or the thrones where the river starts? Or this amazing tree with HEALING LEAVES for the nations? Seriously- how big are those leaves?! Does healing ointment ooze off of the leaves? Does it give off an amazing fragrance? Will the nations be gathered under its branches at all times?! How does it bring healing? And will the nations also eat the monthly fruit that comes from the tree? And... does that mean time is measured in heaven? With everything going on in the world today, I am really excited about these leaves!

But even more, it says there will be no more night or darkness... and no need for a lamp or light... because God will give light... He is the LIGHT. The darkness that surrounds us on earth can feel overwhelming. Just watching the news and glimpsing the darkness around the world is heart wrenching. It's unfathomable to even consider what the absence of darkness would be like. Oh, to see His face and be in the light of His presence- forever! I can't begin to imagine never-ending light.

And we have the ultimate privilege to live with this hope... all because He rose.

My True Colors

2011-03-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Like the song says, "Don't be afraid to let them show... 'cause they're beautiful!" I've been mostly blonde for 10 or so years and decided it's time to get back to my natural color and give my hair a break for a while. No more blonde jokes y'all. Ha, ha- now what will I blame those moments on?

Cheating 101

2011-03-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

So, today I had an interesting Lao/English conversation with a friend that went something like this: (M= Me, L=Lao friend who will remain anonymous for obvious reasons)

L= Guess what? Today I got a copy of my test from my friend who works at the photocopy shop!! (She could barely get the words out between giggles and smiles and sheer excitement.)

M= WHAT?! How did that happen?

L= My teacher went to the photocopy shop where my friend works to make copies of our upcoming test. My friend knew I was in the class, so she made an extra copy and hid it for me. And I am the only one in my class who has this copy. (Said in a way that communicates she feels like the luckiest person alive.)

M= That is not good! You really should study for your test so you know the information.

L= Hee, hee, hee. Giggle, giggle. (Literally almost jumping up and down.)

M= Are you going to make more copies for your class?

L= Yes, of course. (I'm sure this was a dumb question. Lao people help each other out in every way imaginable- this would be no exception. It would be worse to cheat alone than to not help your classmates cheat too.)

M= That is cheating. Wow, this is really bad. (Not sure how to respond to such a culturally accepted practice accept not condone it.)

L= Can you believe it? I got the answers to the test!!

M= What if your teacher finds out? Aren't you afraid of that? (Desperately looking for SOME way to address this that seems logical to me and her).

L= Oh, yes. I can be punished if she finds out. I am afraid. But it is the teacher's fault. She wasn't more careful when she copied the test.

M= I think you should study for your test and learn the information. (My friend wants to be a pharmacist in the future... and she is SUPER smart and I totally believe she can study and take this test. But now I'm worried I might stumble into her pharmacy some day and get the wrong prescription.)

L= Giggle, Giggle. I got the answers to the test! (Still can't get over her good fortune.)

M= Wow, um, ok, I think I need to go now... (Really at a loss...)

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?! KEEP IN MIND:

*Cheating is considered totally acceptable in this culture.

*I'm not a cultural expert, but I think if you tell someone they are wrong (or make them feel that way)- it would put a big barrier between the two of you. Hm, I guess that probably would happen in most any culture. Would it be better to push the issue and possibly damage our relationship, or keep the door open for future talks about the Father?

Really, I'd like to know some thoughts from you blog readers.

Rainy Season in March?!

2011-03-19T00:55:00.000-07:00

The past four days it has been raining nonstop and in the sixties- which is SUPER unusual for this time of year. It is typically hot season in March. I had already put away all my cold weather stuff- but got out the winter jacket and gloves again! Each morning I wore one set of clothes to drive to school in, and then brought my teaching clothes to change into so I wasn't wet all morning. It was a great opportunity to drink more of those special hot chocolate and apple cider packets friends have sent. :) To stay warm at night, I actually cuddled with my computer charger- cause that is one of the only things that gets hot- ha, ha. And I also bonded even more with Wanda as we boldly drove through portions of our under-construction-road, which literally looked and felt more like a lake than a road at points.

I'll be honest, I often toyed with the idea of having a little pity party for myself. But when I was tempted to focus on the negatives, I remembered that it was at least this cold, if not colder, in Japan- and yet many did not have homes to return to, extra clothes to put on, etc. That definitely put things in perspective!

I am sick at heart to realize we are so much like the Israelites- who were always complaining despite all of God's provisions for them. When the weather is hot, we complain. When the weather is cold, we complain. I want to soak up the positives of each season- not just weather-wise, but in my life as well. I have been thinking about how often kids complain about homework, singles gripe about not being married, marrieds are negative about their spouse, couples without children long to become parents, marrieds with kids reminisce to the freedom of days without kids, parents whose kids have grown up miss having them around, and the cycle goes on and on. Each season is going to have its difficulties- so why not embrace each season fully and focus on the only constant One who is our source of joy and life?!

"Why, in the light of something that isn't here, miss what is here?" - Nancy Leigh DeMoss

In other words, why think about the warmth of the sunshine when He's given the beautiful pitter patter sound of rain to wake up to? Thank you Father for the relief from the heat, and for safety driving back and forth on this road. And thank you for this season of life! You know the desires of my heart, and YOU are more than enough for me.

Help Japan

2011-03-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, you feel devastated when watching the horrific footage of the effects of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan... but you feel far away and so helpless. However, you can get involved. Here's an opportunity to give towards the disaster relief efforts through CAMA.

http://camaservices.org/priority/japan-earthquake-tsunami.php

*I don't know details of what the relief efforts will look like, and I'm sure those plans are being quickly put together right now, but I highly support the way CAMA does relief work. I would assume CAMA will partner with long term workers in Japan so relief efforts are connected to opportunities for future investment and work with people affected in J's name.

24 hrs.

2011-03-07T02:52:00.000-08:00

Here is a 24-hour slice of life here in Laos for you. Keep in mind that what follows is not necessarily typical at all of my Sundays and Mondays, but some parts are typical of my normal routine. However, random is the new typical. :)

Sunday evening: I attended a birthday party for a 20-year old student at our school along with some other co-workers/friends. She is the only believer in her family. She boldly invited the local fellowship leader and other young people from the gathering, and we had a time of worship and reading/teaching from the word. Her 85-year-old devout Buddhist grandmother (who has never been to a school in her lifetime) and her step-dad joined the time with others from the fellowship, but her mother and sisters refused to join and instead prepared food downstairs for the group of about 30-40 people who came to the party. The birthday girl cried as she thanked everyone for coming, and I can only imagine how encouraging it must have been to have some light in her dark home. It was also crazy to think of the incredible changes in just one generation in this household- from a grandmother who never went to school- to a granddaughter who is studying English!

I got home, debriefed a bit with my roomie Heather, and double checked that our "water process" had begun. We turn on two different switches each night- one which is outside our front gate- to fill our tank with water for an hour and a half until it starts to overflow and rush out to turn it off. Then I washed my feet, and oh you wouldn't believe the dirt! I read some more of "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" about a Hmong family's cultural misunderstandings with doctors in America... and got my room cooled off with the air con. Then I used just the fan for the rest of the night.

Monday morning: After eating an omelette breakfast, braiding my hair, choosing the skirt-shirt-earring combo appropriate for the 95 degree weather, and reading the Word, I ventured out as usual with Wanda the Honda just before 8:00 am. After crossing the wooden bridge across the mini-abyss from our house to the road, I noticed the construction workers staring and smiling at me more than they usually do... I started feeling frustrated, but then realized Wanda's front light was on! Oh, the enjoyment we "filang" bring to the people of Laos. What a good reminder to not get frustrated too quickly... there are probably good explanations. :)

I taught my two regular English classes. This morning's attendance was 7/10 in my 8:30-10:00 class (with one student coming fifteen minutes late, and another coming thirty minutes late), and 3/4 in my 10:15-11:45 class. In the first class, we practiced simple present tense (see below) and shopping dialogues between sellers and customers. The verb changes for he/she are incredibly challenging since verbs don't change in the Lao language according to the pronoun- and there is simply one word for he/she... and that word is actually "lao."

Do you have any pets?

Yes, I do.

Does he have any pets?

Yes, he does.

In my second class, we also studied shopping dialogues, and reviewed comparative and superlative adjectives. For example:

China is more developed than Cambodia.

She is the best cook that I know!

I was also given a really fun new purse from one of my students who wanted to wish me a Happy Women's Day (3/8). We don't have school tomorrow for this international holiday. I love living in Asia over Women's Day... how come no one in the U.S. celebrates this day?!

Monday afternoon: After my second class, I quickly changed into what Maria Von Trapp would call "play clothes." Then our entire school staff left for an afternoon outing in honor of Women's Day. We celebrated by eating lunch together on a floating restaurant/house boat. Lunch consisted of:

Sticky Rice

Steamed Rice

Spicy Papaya Salad

Spicy Green Bean Salad

Spicy Fish and Mushroom Soup

Spicy Fish

Minced Meat with Mint

Fried Shrimp

Morning Glory with Garlic

Water/Pepsi

After lunch, we floated up and down the Ta Ngon river and sang karaoke songs. Most songs were in Thai. The Thai and Lao languages are super similar and most television shows and songs here are actually in Thai. I was handed the mic for some "Sha La La La... in the Morning.... Sha La La in the Evening..." English song that I'd never heard before- oh dear. I would guess there were at least 40 of us on that boat? Our CAMA staff from our crafts and silk projects was also on board. I'm thankful we had a roof above us to provide shade!

I rode back in my teammate Calah's car, and got to hold her youngest- Kezia- on my lap and play games with her on the way back. They've taught me songs about the fish that bites your right pinky and the ducks whose father says QUACK QUACK QUACK. I have so much to learn about kids, and so much respect for you moms out there!

On my way back to my house, Wanda's tank was empty so I turned left into a gas station- and at the same time I pulled in- a herd of cows crossed the road and also walked into the gas station. So funny! Then the men at the pump informed me that they were out of gas. I thought to myself, what if this were to happen in America? Does this happen in America? So bizarre for a gas station to run out of gas...

Monday evening: I got home and sat down for a few minutes to take a breather, and heard someone saying my name outside. I went to the side door and saw my former student and neighbor... he wanted to see a picture of one of my current students (I take students' pictures on the first day of class), but I think he just wanted to talk because he was all dressed up and went on talking for a while- but I didn't invite him in. He's also asked me the meaning to some of the words from the song "You're Beautiful" and has asked me again and again why I don't want a Lao husband. Oh, dear.

Glad I had a dinner to go to get me out of that one. Wanda and I took off again to Me Kek's (she's my second Lao mom) for a taco dinner. Usually she makes amazing Lao food, but tonight was the last night for one of the ELIC gals who had stayed with her for a home stay similar to my own when I first came to Laos, and so this gal had made tacos! Me Kek is in her late fifties, and is one of the most joyful, spirit-filled followers I've met in Laos. She has seen horrific things in her lifetime... working and living in caves during the war, hearing bombs and planes flying overhead nearly 24-7 at the age of sixteen, seeing many friends die in front of her and behind her, and she even bears the scars on her arms of multiple gunshots. She didn't have the opportunity for formal schooling, but I believe a relative of hers studied as a monk and taught her how to read- and now she reads the word daily! I love spending time at her home, and tonight was no exception. She has one daughter who is currently studying in the U.S., and her husband died this summer. So she has adopted me as her daughter, and I in turn call her "mom" and continue to visit her along with my host mom. It's interesting how "roles" develop... and I've come to realize that one of my given roles here in Laos is to be a daughter to some widows and love on them.

I'm grateful for a safe ride home on Wanda- especially as I passed by my second accident of the day. Upon returning home, Heather turned on the water pump, and now we start the next 24 hour adventure... with a day off!

*Note: Some people joke that years in Laos are like dog years... which would mean that I've been here about 10 years already- ha, ha. In many ways, I do feel like I've been here more than a year and a half because it's been SO full- but it has been rich- as you can see from the amazing people and experiences I've shared about in the last 24 hours here in Laos.

Long Distance

2011-03-05T22:30:00.000-08:00

Jenn

Bekah

Momma

Maren

I was going through my pictures recently, and found some sweet shots of dear friends. Just wanted to give a shout out to a few of you who are so faithful in keeping in touch long distance... morning or evening Skype calls, long e-mails, postcards, visits, etc. You are amazing, and I am so grateful for your encouragement in the journey! Thank you for blessing me and loving me from afar.

And to the many others not pictured above who read updates, pray, send a note, etc. please know what a great encouragement you are to me!! I'm overwhelmed with thankfulness in His blessings in the people He's placed in my life- you teach me so much about what it means to be His body.

My Asian Self

2011-02-25T20:15:00.000-08:00

Randomly, about two weeks ago, one of my students presented me with a pencil sketch her brother had done after my student showed him a picture we'd taken together. It's a well done drawing, but there are aspects of it that look "Lao" to me! :) Do you see any resemblance?!

Dreaded Mishap

2011-02-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

So, you know that little bridge I wrote about in my last blog? Well... we had more company over tonight, and the last guests to arrive attempted to drive their motorbike across the bridge- but the bike fell, and yes- the guy landed posterior on one of those re-bar posts. EEK! His pants were ripped and there was a little blood, but we didn't have to go to the hospital. Thankfully I still had leftover alcohol cleanser and gauze etc. from my motorbike accident. PTL it wasn't much much worse!!!! Gonna take it SUPER slow across our little bridge.

*Funny language note (keep in mind I've only had about 4 months of language study): This guy's girlfriend came into the house, and I thought she said his posterior was "missing" but... she used another word for injured or something... got some good laughs, oh dear.

Getting Home...

2011-02-17T23:05:00.000-08:00

It's usually an adventure to come home every day. You start to expect the unexpected!

Last night, I drove home and bravely convinced myself to ride Wanda the Honda across this little wooden bridge (due to the road construction- which will probably be going on the next several months). The good news is that a paved road will be a reality sometime in the future...may not be for another year- we'll see. Just hoping they can finish before rainy season hits?! And speaking of seasons, I think HOT season must be officially starting today. I have a fan blowing directly on me as I write.

And then this afternoon- I returned home to find that I couldn't even cross the wooden bridge. So what's a filang (foreigner) to do?! I locked up my bike in the middle of the road- ha, ha. Hope my company coming tonight and tomorrow doesn't mind jumping across to my house. :)

Some days the bulldozers are right in front of our house, or blocking the road so no vehicles can pass... but for the past few days, they've been working further down from our house- so that's been a nice break.

At least there is still a lovely back view. That is still my favorite part about coming home! The cows are eating as I write, and I can hear their bells as they graze.

Blogger's Block

2011-02-15T05:05:00.000-08:00

Yup... I've got a really bad case of "blogger's block" y'all. It's not really a lack of things to say, I think it's the overwhelming choice of topics I could talk about. And there is no way I could possibly cover all of them:

from an amazing two week trip to Ethiopia and the many insights learned there...

to the water drama at our house that has FINALLY calmed down and we now have running water (insert hallelujah dance here)...

to an encouraging, timely, adventure-filled visit from my friend (and former VN roomie) Maren...

to goodbyes and hellos...

to processing and praying through major decisions regarding the future...

to a sweet Valentine's Day hearing "I love you" from my little teammates...

to the amazing pumpkin chocolate chip muffins thanks to allrecipes.com that I just took out the oven while enjoying "Revive our Hearts" podcast by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (ok- so maybe that one wouldn't qualify as an entire blog in and of itself- but I highly recommend both).

I could go on and on and on about so many things that have happened since the start of 2011. Seriously, there have been days I wonder how much more could possibly be happening all at once. Yet, through it all- three big themes are on my heart- and those are probably the best use of my blogging efforts. :)

1) He is faithful. (LOVE Sara Grove's song- "He's always been faithful")

2) My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek. (Ps. 27:8)

3) When I worry about the future, it is the same as thinking about a future without God- because a future with God in it is one I don't have to worry about! (quote from my momma- who heard a speaker on the radio... also Matthew 6:25-34)

Someone Higher

2011-01-03T01:35:00.002-08:00

We have MAJOR water issues at our house- resulting in often not having water when we need it to wash hands, dishes, floors, do laundry, shower, etc. In addition, the problems are causing water to leak onto our bathroom floor, and it’s all just a big pain all around! Oh, and not to mention that even though we often don’t have water to use, our water bill has been OUTRAGEOUSLY high.

I’ve not gotten too worked up about it until now… now that after several attempts to have our landlord come and inspect the problem and fix things- he is claiming that our bill is high because we are “using too much water” and says we should “wait” and watch the problem for a while because he doesn’t believe the water expert who came last week and declared that there is definitely a leak which requires totally smashing our bathroom floor up to fix (and “not believing” should be translated as “he does not currently have the money to fix this”).

Sorry. We’ve already “waited” through this inconvenience for four months now!!!! I’m done waiting. I’ve had enough. I find myself selfishly missing the convenience of reliable contracts, quality built homes and water systems, and quick repair jobs.

I can’t remember the last time I was this bent out of shape. Honestly. My roommate even informed me that I was stomping around the house- and I didn’t even realize it. At the height of everything this week, I went to bed at 10:15 and couldn’t sleep until after 11:30- and if you know me well, you know that I don’t have any problems going to sleep... but my heart was racing as I thought about it all again. I decided I needed to go to someone higher. I mean this in two senses:

1- My Heavenly Father. Two truths came to mind while I was fuming- the reminder to give thanks in all circumstances- and to not be anxious anything but give everything to Him. So I decided I should probably work on that- whether I felt like it or not. My attitude stunk.

Once I did apply these truths, however, I realized a few things. In giving thanks- I realized that perhaps the Father was going to use this for His glory (duh! I know). And He is already using it for His glory in what He’s teaching me, but I also remembered that my roommates are watching how I live and how I respond… as is my landlord.

2- My Team Supervisors. I appealed to “someone higher” on my team and am grateful for Carolyn and Darrell and their willingness to take this matter into their hands. I have been removed from the situation because it’s apparent my landlord isn’t listening to me or my roommates, and if I show my anger- it will cause my landlord to shut his heart door. And it’s definitely how situations are handled culturally- bringing someone higher in. I felt a big burden removed as soon as they responded that they'd talk to the landlord.

However, it really shocked me how ticked I was about this. I’d not felt emotion like this in a long time. And then I realized that my anger is pretty selfish. Why have I not gotten this upset about situations and circumstances and injustices that are going on in my Lao friends’ lives all the time? If I’d heard someone else had a water problem at their house, I’d probably say, “Oh, that’s too bad” and not think much more about it and probably not do anything about it. But now that it affects me, I’m determined. Hm.

Yet, the fact that my teammates are willing to step in for me is speaking volumes to me. Really, it is a beautiful picture of what the Father did for us. He saw our great need, and saw that we were unable to fix our sin problem and get out of our self-created mess on our own, and He didn’t just say, “Oh, that’s too bad” but He got involved sending and even sacrificing his Son because we need Someone Higher to step in for us. And just like when I asked my teammates- we have to ask God and He will lift our sin burden.

This situation also shows me that I still have no understanding of what it means to be helpless or poor. I have connections with people who will support me. I have been blessed with financial resources, and definitely have back up options if my finances run dry. Many have no one to defend them, and there is no back up plan financially. What is my role considering all of this?

The Spirit is teaching me through all of this to get involved. When I see another’s problem, check if there’s a way I can help- just as I’m being helped in this situation- and as I’ve had an incredible debt paid for me that I can never return. Why have I not gotten involved? Fear of the messiness of getting involved and plain old selfishness are the only two answers I’ve come up with. This is the heart of community development work, and yet I’m still learning the basics.

I just had a small opportunity to put this into practice with my roommate this weekend- as I saw her motorbike light was out. I talked with her about fixing it, and because she’d given all of her month’s salary to help pay her dying nephew’s hospital bills, I knew I needed to offer her a little “loan” to fix it. Why not just give her the money? I need to preserve her dignity, and give her opportunity to work it off instead of giving a handout.

Small stuff in the light of eternity, but big heart lessons for me.

Thank you Father for reminding me that you have stepped in and rescued me. Please continue to teach me how to love like you and step in for others- that I might point others to You.

Christmas Highlights

2010-12-27T16:46:00.000-08:00

This was my first Christmas in Laos! Last year my friend Jenny came to visit and we spent Christmas day on the beach in Thailand. The unusual setting made it easier to not feel so homesick. Many people had warned me that Christmas in Laos is really hard... being away from family and traditional celebrations back in the US and snow, etc. And yes, I definitely missed my family, but I honestly had a wonderful Christmas! Truly, it isn't about me anyway. But it really is what you make it. Here are the highlights:

Receiving an early Christmas gift in November- my parent's visit (and some lovely gifts from them- including a Lao nativity set and new curtains for our house)!
Decorating our house with Lao friends while enjoying Christmas tunes right after eating a Thanksgiving meal together... hanging the stockings on a towel rack on our window, and putting lights on our two foot tree!
A Christmas sleepover with some girlfriends and ELF.
A party for our students and staff at Candlelight where the Angel Gabriel forgot his lines when telling Mary the biggest news ever and just kept "flapping" his wings until it got awkward :/
A party for our neighbors who were thrilled to eat pizza and play UNO and "pin the star on the tree" (take-off on pin the tail on the donkey...) and watch part of The Nativity movie.
Competing for the most facebook responses to a question (mine was asking for Christmas music recommendations) and I won by a landslide! :)
Watching my little Lao sister participate in the children's program at the local fellowship... I got tears in my eyes when she volunteered to go up front in front of TONS of people to read the Christmas story from the Word- SO proud of her.
The contest at the fellowship during the children's program to see who was the fattest- adults were running up to the stage to try to win. Talk about cultural differences.
A nativity drama where early teen actor Joseph did not want to touch young actress Mary and kept his arm a perfect 2 inches behind her the entire time- even when walking.
Riding an hour + on my motorbike to visit my friend's Hmong village for Hmong New Year! Her family dressed me up in traditional Hmong clothing, and I got to participate in an ancient courting ritual where guys and girls line up and talk while they "throw the ball" back and forth. (NSAC sponsors gal the left wearing the hat to study at Candlelight.)
Having my little teammates over to my house to decorate sugar cookies. The icing was definitely pink rather than red.
Making my first ever Shepherd's Pie for Christmas Eve. This is a family tradition, and it felt so much more like Christmas with it! Yum.
Talking to close friends and family in America on Skype on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day... and hearing my nephew Sam's new growl talk as he said, "TIA SISI" in a low rumble.
Chai tea sold at JOMA.
Escorting a recently widowed Lao woman who has adopted me as her daughter to the Christmas Eve service decked out with decorations and lights and worshipping with the choirs.
Celebrating my roomie's engagement on Christmas Eve!! I don't have to keep it a secret any more- PHEW. Her fiance and I had been e-mailing back and forth about plans- and he brought me some soup mixes as a thank you- ha, ha. Congrats Jeff & Heather!
Shopping for food for Christmas Day at three different mini-marts with foreign imports plus one Lao market on the motorbike... breaking the bank to buy bacon and sausages and other goodies. I stuffed everything in my backpack.
Christmas Breakfast with sweet friends- PTL for allrecipes.com. Seriously, not sure how people cooked with just cookbooks back in the day.
Gift exchange at our house.
No water at our house and a clogged toilet on Christmas Day when about twenty people came over Christmas evening . . . bad timing, but lots of laughs.
Eating the healthiest Christmas dinner in history- veggies and Ranch and salads... everyone brought something to contribute and everyone must have been so tired of sweets!
Christmas socks, antlers, and pins (ahem, I think there were more than TEN on Kenton).
Playing CatchPhrase and a new game called Signs- hilarious.
BEST OF ALL: the truly undeserved gift of EMMANUEL.

Spelling Winner

2010-12-13T20:11:00.000-08:00

I have seen quite interesting spelling variations of different English words the past two years of teaching English, but I think this one tops them all. In one of the beginner classes this past term, we studied some new vocabulary, and on the test, there were pictures and students had to write the new word next to the picture.

Beside the picture of a CAMERA, I found the following word: Amberenlar.

*Note: I am not making fun. Spelling is probably one of the hardest things for me in Lao- my writing is atrocious! Yet, the fun in language learning is enjoying the errors... and this one brought a big smile to my face. :)

Bike Rides and Trash Cans

2010-12-03T02:23:00.000-08:00

You're probably wondering what in the world those two things have in common. Not much...

You see, Thursday of this week was Lao National Day- and thus a holiday from work for many in Laos. I had talked with some friends about possibly renting bikes and going for a bike ride that day. I decided to invite my Lao roommate to go too, and she was super excited about it. Well, the day before the holiday, one friend wasn't feeling too well and another didn't get back to me about whether she wanted to go or not, so I told my roommate it might just be the two of us. Her expression turned to disappointed and she said, "Two people isn't very fun." I've heard this expressed by multiple Lao friends- the more people you have, the more fun it is. In fact, I've even hosted get-togethers where only four or five people made it and I was told by those who attended, "Next time, please invite more people. Then it will be more fun."

I have to step out of my culture and choose to try to understand this from their cultural viewpoint. Because from my perspective, (maybe I'm too sensitive), those comments almost seem hurtful- as if I am not fun enough to hang out with by myself... or as if the party I put a lot of time and effort into wasn't successful or enjoyable.

So, from her response, I figured she didn't want to go. Then she kept bringing it up- but said things that in my view made it sound like she was rationalizing not going... it was already late Wednesday and I hadn't rented a bike (because I didn't think it was going to happen), by the time a store was open to rent a bike it would be too hot and the sun would darken our skin thus making us less beautiful, we weren't totally sure of the route we wanted to take, etc. So at this point, I was convinced she didn't want to go.

However, I happened to mention that instead of renting a bike, what if I borrowed one from one of my teammates? When I said that, her face totally perked up and she got excited and said, "Ok, let's go! I actually invited a friend already so let me call and confirm with her."

WOAH! I was really not sure what had just happened. I have been here for 1 year and 4 months and obviously still have SO much to learn culturally! All I can figure is that she didn't want me to lose face... so tried to bring up other reasons why it wouldn't be too good for us to go besides the fact that others backed out. And then at the same time, I think she didn't want to lose face with the friend she had invited. I'm not sure I'll ever fully understand this face thing. In the end, my teammate graciously brought the bike over to our house after 10 pm that evening, we left at 6:30 that morning, and enjoyed a 48 km bike ride with lovely weather.

As far as trash cans go, my roommate left for work before me on Friday morning, and a few minutes later, I get a call from her on my cell phone saying the trash truck was coming and we needed to get our trash out. Thursday's holiday kind of threw us off on our days. Anyway, we took out the trash just in time. We carry our trash down the road a ways for pick up in a blue trash basket.

After I got home on Friday afternoon, I walked back down the road to retrieve our trash basket. As I did, I visited with one of our neighbors and noticed her husband coming out of the house. He asked his wife in Lao if she'd talked to me yet, and she said no- he should talk to me. (It's fun to know enough language to catch stuff like this, but not enough so people think maybe you don't understand when they say this in front of you- ha!) So the man asks me if we've paid our garbage fee. That's the first time I'd ever heard we needed to pay for the garbage pick up service. Makes sense- just didn't know. :) I told him I hadn't ever paid the fee, and then we proceeded to count the months and calculate how much our house owed. Then the neighbor across the street comes out of her house and asks the neighbors who just broke the news to me if I knew yet. So we had the whole conversation all over again. Of course, all of this is done with a smile and very graciously. I communicate that I understand and will pay our fee, and thank them for letting me know. Then I get back to my house and the neighbor boy on the other side comes and informs me, well, you guessed it. We need to pay 24,000 Kip per month for our garbage fee (about $3.00 for a month- 4 pick ups). However, he says it wasn't our fault that no one came from the garbage company to ask us for the money- and that the garbage company is in the wrong- so we should only pay for the current month. Then grandma comes out of the house and asks her grandson if he's informed me yet. :)

I think this might have really urked me in the past... but honestly, I love how Lao people, especially Lao neighbors, know each other's business... and take care of each other. So, maybe it's a bit embarrassing that the WHOLE street seemed to know that the clueless foreigners have not been paying for their garbage pick up service. Oh, well. Perhaps I lost face, but I think I also gained some by responding with gratitude and choosing to see the positives in how our neighbors watch out for us. We are blessed.

Whether it be bike rides or trash cans, things like this usually happen daily, if not multiple times a day. I feel like every day there is so much to process about life, and how cultures are different, or similar. I often wonder if and when the learning curve will calm down?! It seems I rarely get around to writing out these thoughts in a blog despite the many blog ideas that run through my head. Now you are blessed. Ha, ha. Especially if your name is Esther Ruth because you are the only person I am positive reads these posts. Thanks for the love, mom. :)

I'm thankful for . . . WATER!

2010-11-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, and with the current water situation at my house, I've become increasingly grateful for water. I'm pretty sure many Thanksgivings have come and gone that I have not given God thanks for water. It's one of those things that I've taken for granted for the majority of my life. Not any more!

It's funny how you become increasingly grateful for something when you have experienced a lack of it... realizing how much you actually need it. It's ironic, because actually, the people who have very little according to the world's standards are probably the most grateful for what they do have. Whereas those who have an abundance of possessions and wealth don't realize how good they have it and are often focused on the next big purchase rather than giving thanks for the many blessings they already have.

Lately, we haven't had water at our house on a regular basis. At first, the water was just going out on Saturdays... which was annoying because when you are not at home Monday through Friday- Saturday is usually laundry and cleaning catch up day. Our house of four girls adjusted and did our laundry on weekday evenings and took our showers Friday night. Not a big deal.

However, in the past few weeks our water tank has mysteriously been empty (after filling all night)... meaning sometimes there is no water all night or all morning. I've purchased two large black buckets to fill up with water when we do have it so that we can use the water for bucket showers if necessary (even dad took a bucket shower during my parents' visit this week)!

We've consulted neighbors about the issue, and we've tried all of their ideas and nothing has worked. Our landlord has come and tried to fix it and no success. My dad and my field director have both taken a look at the situation. No answers seem to come. A big part of me is Lao and says, "Bo Pen Nyang" (whatever- it is how it is). I can get by with bucket showers and random laundry and dishes piled up and life goes on. We do have a spicket outside that always works, plus we do have very affordable drinking water that is delivered each Saturday morning- less than 50 cents for a large jug of water. Yet, where is the community development spirit in me that says- we can work to improve this situation and make it better- a belief ultimately reflecting the work the Father came to do? That is a whole separate blog post! : )

My point in this blog post is to give thanks for water. I am grateful for an abundance of clean, usually easily accessible water. I never realized how much we rely on water until I didn't have it at my fingertips. I use water to:

-wash my hands many times each day

-wash dishes by hand

-wet a rag to wipe the counter or table

-fill a bucket to mop the floor

-wash my clothes

-take a shower

-wash my face/brush my teeth

-fill a pot to boil something

-wash my feet after walking barefoot

-ETC!

It's not rocket science, but I've come to the conclusion that we need water to do life. And how many days do I never give thanks for water?? And how often to do I forget that many all over the world don't have the luxury of an abundance of clean, accessible water to do life?

In the same way that we need water, we need the Father. Many of us have grown up in believing families, in places where we can freely worship, where most of the people we know are also worshippers, and in countries where there are so many gatherings of believers that we actually have a choice of where we want to worship. I know I have experienced an abundance of the Father- and He has been easily accessible for me most of my life. And as a result, it is harder for me to understand my deep need for Him and to truly be grateful for Him... as I've not experienced much of life without Him.

I live in a place where few fellowships are permitted, and access to the Father is extremely limited, if at all available in many areas. Yet, I'm humbled by the strong faith of the followers, their passion, and their gratefulness for Him. Many of my friends are first generation followers- many are the first in their families! I have so much to learn from them. They understand what it means to NOT have living water, and they want to share that water with everyone around them... that others might also have what they need to do life to the fullest!

Each time you use water throughout your day, would you join me in using that as a reminder to give thanks for the gifts of abundant and accessible physical and spiritual water? And then please intercede with me on behalf of those who don't have either of these wonderful blessings around the world- especially where I live!

John 4:14 "... whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Joys

2010-10-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

My fun English students came over to hang out last weekend. They're a blast.

The creatures at my house continue to fascinate me.

I spotted this goat one afternoon near school... I couldn't stop laughing at its amazing bangs!

This is little Atsachan with his proud mama... quite a healthy little boy now. What a miracle!

CAMA gifts

2010-10-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

You can now give directly to CAMA work online!

All CAMA giving options can be seen at:

http://camaservices.org/giving.php

You can give specifically to my support by scrolling down to "Suzy" (worker # 15285) at:

http://camaservices.org/workers.php

Once there, you can designate your gift as:

Support = field costs, monthly salary, housing, etc.
Work = special projects such as English student scholarships, costs of hosting gatherings for building relationships, assistance for Lao people when big needs arise (hospital bills, motorbike accidents, or funerals) in the context of intentional relationships
Outfit = personal purchases (motorbike, bed, house set-up)

How am I doing on support?

I have been blown away by the Father's provision through YOU. My heartfelt thanks goes to all of you who have given sacrificially, generously, and faithfully. There is no need to change how you are currently giving, but for some the links above may be more convenient.

Last year, I was asked to raise 75% of my costs. Your donations totaled over 93% of my costs! The rest was covered by CAMA. This year I have been asked to raise 75% again. Any support given above my total costs will go towards future service or other CAMA work.

If you have any other questions or would like more specific information related to my support, please don't hesitate to ask.

The Bad News... and The Good News

2010-09-17T23:24:00.000-07:00

Text message sent today from me to my teammate:

"The good news is your tools are still at my house, the bad news is... my bed just broke."

Pictures related to this post can be found on Facebook or by copying and pasting this link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=490964&id=905920458&l=8bbc1a80c4

I feel like there has been a theme the past few weeks of things breaking in and around my life. Before leaving Laos for the states, my camera and cell phone both went on the fritz. Both have been replaced. Then since coming back a bunch more has happened. One morning last week I couldn't get my motorbike started, and then went to unlock my front gate so my neighbor could come look at it... and realized someone had broken through my gate lock and it was missing. The gate was open, and someone had tried to steal my motorbike. PTL for a lock on the back wheel that prevented a successful robbery. And as I write my landlord is building a special "security gate" for our motorbikes!

Then my teammates (Kirk and Calah Ronzheimer) graciously came over to help me paint my room and really make it feel like home. Thankfully, they brought their tools... and were able to also fix our broken bathroom light so we don't have to use a little lamp in there anymore. Plus Kirk moved my shower head so that it is now above head-level (because it was previously waist-level... which wasn't so useful for washing hair).

And for some unknown reason, my hot water heater stopped working in my bathroom. I didn't do anything different than usual, so I'm a bit stumped as to why it's broken. It's ok at the moment as it is quite hot, but believe it or not- the weather does cool off in the coming months and hot showers are actually nice at times. My landlord would like me to buy a new one- since it broke under my care- but I feel like it's part of the house. I'm having an electrician come to look at it today to see if he can fix it- that would be the best case scenario (rather than buying a new one for $100).

Oh, and this week I was leaving the house for school one morning, and couldn't get my side door to open. I pushed harder, and even resorted to body slamming that door with all my might- and it wouldn't budge. So with a sore hip, I went to the front door and exited that way instead. However, upon putting my key into the door to lock it, my key broke off in the door. Unbelievable. Thankfully my landlord came that afternoon and got the piece of the key out of the door, I've since made another copy of the key, and he also took a knife and shaved the wood down on my door (which had expanded and closed shut with the humidity of rainy season).

Speaking of rainy season, the road that leads to my house gets quite, shall we say, interesting with all the rain. It's a bumpy dirt road and and it definitely flooded with all the rain. So I put my feet up on the motorbike rather than the foot pedals when driving through to avoid getting soaked. The sun has come out and dried it up though- thank goodness. And according to my next door neighbor, there's a hopeful rumor that there's a plan to pave the road after rainy season. That would be WONDERFUL!

I also got an e-mail a few days ago from a good friend explaining some things in our friendship that have been hurtful. It was humbling to realize that there was brokenness in one of my most valued relationships too. I'm grateful we've had a chance to talk things through and forgive and continue growing.

So this morning I got out of bed, and then sat back down and BOOM. My bed broke. I was shocked! Seriously? I wasn't doing anything unusual (and really haven't put on that much weight- ha ha)... but one side of the bed frame had just had enough I guess!

I'm not trying to complain here- my life is truly blessed... but there is a point to all of this. While it seems like a never ending saga that has taken a lot of time and energy recently (especially when you're communicating in your second language and culture and you are not a natural "fixer-upper" type), I have been encouraged in the end that with each thing that has broken or been problematic, there have been solutions and fixes- not to mention adequate finances and skilled people to help. Things don't have to stay broken.

It made me start thinking about how tiring it is that our world is a fallen, broken one. And that not only things break, but also our relationships (to others and J), and our physical bodies: a sweet friend's dad passed away the day before I left the states to come to the US, one of my supporters was just diagnosed with serious cancer, my neighbor passed away the week before I returned to Laos, and a Lao friend's father passed away the day after I returned. All but my neighbor knew/know the Father.

And yet, there is hope in the midst of the bad news of brokenness. The hope is that there is good news: the ultimate good news is that J came so that we might have LIFE and have it to the fullest. He has the victory over the one who keeps breaking people and things. He is making all things new! He cares deeply about the hurting, the poor, the sick, and all of us messed up people. Just like 'things' don't have to stay broken, He doesn't leave us broken either. He restores and fixes us continuously! I am challenged to constantly remember that people around me don't have to stay "broken" either. How are we allowing Him to use us in His transforming work in people around us?

And all of this definitely renews my longing for the time and place when things and people will be whole through Him. And the best part is that we'll be with Him. FOREVER.

There will be a day . . . (by Jeremy Camp)

Chorus:

"I hold on to this hope: There will be a day with no more suffering. There will be a day with no more tears. No more pain. No more fears. There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more. We'll see J face to face. But until that day, we'll hold onto You always."

New House!

2010-08-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

My favorite part- the view from the kitchen windows in the back (sometimes with cows too)!

The front of the house (forgot to take down the clothes line before taking the picture).

This is the dirt road my house is on... sometimes have to stop for cows & goats that cross :)

I honestly feel like I'm living in my dream home! More pics. soon to come on Facebook. PTL for His awesome provision.

Accident (Part 2)

2010-07-22T23:28:00.000-07:00

So, when we got to the hospital, they checked the Vietnamese girl, and there didn't seem to be anything major except some back pain- so I think they gave her some kind of pain reliever. Then they took me over to lay on a bed next to this "Me Tao" (Old Grandma) who had a deep gaping wound being stitched up. Meanwhile, I was wincing and holding my breath as they cleaned my minor scrapes/burns... I felt like such a baby until Sarah told me they'd numbed Granny!

My very good looking doctor said "Saep" as he cleaned my wounds. That word sounds exactly like the word for delicious, but I thought for sure it couldn't be. Well, turns out the words for "delicious" and "sting" are the same sound- but one word starts with a low S and the other with a high S. I think I'll always remember the word for sting though! I love learning language in real life context :)

Anyway, we gave the girl some money to cover the hospital visit (which she was charged about 30,000 Kip for, or about $3.50) and getting the back of her bike repaired plus some extra. However, when I went to check out, the cashier looked at me and started making comments about how I am a "Filang" (foreigner). Then he scratched out my original total and told me I had to pay something like 160,000 Kip (or closer to $20). Sarah began to talk with him and ask him why my total was so much higher than the other girl's- and he said it was because I am a foreigner. Then she pointed out that the other girl was Vietnamese- technically also a foreigner. He argued that she was more like an "alien" but finally saw the ridiculousness of it all and only made us pay about 40,000 in the end. Crazy- eh?

It's interesting how different our Western concept is of 'going to the hospital.' I would have never gone to the hospital in the States for the road rash on my arm and scraped up knees, but in Laos, people will go to the hospital for a headache it seems. Fascinating.

As far as lessons learned- I am definitely driving a bit more slowly and cautiously. But PTL I was able to drive for the first time the Tuesday following my Sunday accident. He has not allowed fear to overcome.

For as minor as the cuts were, the daily cleaning of them stung horribly! The Monday after the accident, I was tearing up while cleaning them... and looked at how incredibly small the amount of damage was to my body- and really I didn't bleed much at all! And it made me think about J's broken body and blood spilled for me. I couldn't stop thinking about how much pain He went through on our behalf... thank you Father.

I also thought a lot about "healing" in general. There's something amazingly cool about how the body heals. Right now, over a week later, I am walking without pain and my scabs are coming off! But the healing process takes time, and it is painful. Just as it is with our hearts and when the Father chooses to heal us from hurts and issues- it takes time, constant attention, and is usually painful. But the beauty is the newness He brings when He heals us- just like my new skin- gotta love it when that old nasty scab finally comes off :)

Thankful for His healing physically and otherwise, and thankful for your continued thoughts for protection as I drive Wanda the Honda around Vientiane!

(PS- My students have informed me that there most people here don't come to help those in accidents because they are afraid they will then be accused for causing the accident... so everyone stands back to make sure they are not wrongly blamed.)

Accident (Part 1)

2010-07-14T05:57:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday my current roomie Kat and I decided against riding one motorbike together to go to the international fellowship. So we left on our two motos from our house at about 4:50 for the service that started at 5:00. (I almost put on a skirt, but decided to go with more casual with capris.)

I remember passing Kat at one point, thinking we needed to go a bit faster so we wouldn't be too late to the meeting. I also remember singing praise songs on my moto as I drove along. And then as we drove around Patuxay (a major monument in the center of town), I'm not exactly sure if I was looking ahead to the light instead of right in front of me, but all of the sudden- when it was too late- I saw a bicycle RIGHT in front of me.

I tried to swerve to the left but she must have heard my motorbike b/c she looked behind her at the last moment and also swerved to the left. Everything seemed to go in slow motion- as I hit the back of her bike and then the next thing I knew I was looking sideways at the pavement and as I saw sparks flying from my motorbike I remember thinking "this is it" and I closed my eyes as I slid along the road.

I fell to my left, and somehow, the motorbike fell to its right side. Unbelievably, no other cars were around! When I stopped skidding, I opened my eyes, and was surprised to note that my body still seemed in tact. I slowly got up and walked behind me to the girl I'd just hit. I was terrified of what state I'd fine her in- but miraculously- she was sitting there on the road, looking totally stunned, but in one piece. She was only wearing a little hat- and I'm so grateful she didn't hit her head at all. I helped her up and we walked to the side of the road together.

At this point, there was kind of a "hush" around us- and a large crowd of onlookers started to gather across the road. BUT, no one came over to us. They just stared. I'm sure they were quite interested to see what a foreigner would do... but it was so foreign to me that no one came to help.

Thankfully, my friend Kat was riding behind me, and she pulled over and offered a big hug. Meanwhile, I was trying to speak to this girl in Lao and repeatedly asked if she was ok and apologized over and over. However, she didn't respond at all. I thought she was incredibly angry with me and was refusing to answer. Then Kat used my cell phone to call my teammate and friend Sarah. Sarah was just about to go into the fellowship meeting herself (where she would've turned off her phone), but thankfully answered her phone! Sarah left fellowship immediately and drove to where we waited by the side of the road. The girl I'd hit finally looked at me and motioned to use my cell phone to call someone.

Next, one of my students (whom NSAC sponsors to study) randomly walked up to me and was like, "Suzy??!! Are you ok??" I was surprised to see her, but it was comforting to have a Lao friend there as you start to feel like a terrible foreigner who just caused an accident. She tried to speak to the girl also- and again, the girl didn't respond. Soon after that, we somehow figured out that this girl wasn't responding because she was angry, but because she was Vietnamese and didn't speak Lao!

Out of nowhere this guy shows up who spoke Vietnamese and Lao- so he stayed to help us translate. Unfortunately I didn't learn much Vietnamese language last year :( Sarah soon showed up, and my student brought some ice to put on my arm and leg... and I was quite thankful I'd worn capris (although if they can be salvaged they might turn into bermudas since both knees have big holes now :).

Everyone was asking if we wanted to call the police or settle it between us. We decided to settle it between us (as so many advised this was the way to go). So my student took my bike to Sarah's house around the corner, this 16 year old girl and I went to the hospital in Sarah's car, and this girl's friend whom she'd called took her bent bicycle off the road.

(hospital story + pictures + lessons learned: to be continued the next time I have internet)

Lil' Sis

2010-06-27T03:38:00.000-07:00

This is my "Nong Sao" (Little Sister) Kip. We bonded pretty quickly when I lived with her family for six weeks right after arriving in Laos. She'd never had an older sister and followed me around curious about this random foreigner in her house. She also was patient to try to communicate through gestures and very few words!

Since I've moved out, I've tried to visit my Lao family at least once a week. When I visit, I try to do something special for Kip- such as bring her a small gift (like nail polish or candy), bring something fun to do (like a game to play or book to read), or take her somewhere (such as the special "blow up slide" or the swimming pool). It's so fun to see her excited about these things, and I love spoiling her.

However, I have been trying to be careful not to simply become this person who gives her things. I want Kip to know that I care about her and want to spend time with her. Lately, I've found myself frustrated when she isn't satisfied with whatever I give her... for example- taking the time (and sweat) to make cookies and then have her ask for candy which is way cheaper and easier :) Or to have her run up to me at fellowship and instead of giving me a hug, she'll ask for money to buy some ice cream. I want her to love me as her older sister; I don't want her to just love the gifts I give her.

And then I realized this feeling must be in some way similar to a parent's heart, or our Father's heart. How must He feel when we don't enjoy His gifts, or wish for things other than what He's given? Or even worse, what do we do to His heart when we come to Him and ask Him for things, and don't even take the time to be with Him and enjoy His presence and offer love in worship?

Home

2010-06-13T22:50:00.000-07:00

I must make a confession. The past few weeks I've really had a "woe-is-me" attitude regarding my housing situation. You see, before coming to Laos, I had a strong desire to "settle in" here... having moved from CO to Vietnam and back to CO before coming to Laos all in just over one year's time. I was ready to be done moving around and be in one place for a while- a place I could call home. I should have remembered some wisdom passed on to me re: expectations- LET THEM GO- because the realities of life that don't meet our expectations are often the most frustrating.

This week it hit me that I was really wallowing in my own little pity party about the fact that I have lived in four different homes with 6 + different people (and at times with no one) in less than a year.

G has been using Abraham's story to change my heart. In Heb. 11:8-10, it says that Abraham didn't know where He was going, lived in tents, but BY FAITH MADE HIS HOME. It seems that living life constantly "on the go" so to speak made him long even more for a home with foundations- whose architect is the Father Himself.

Why then have I had such a negative attitude? The Father has shown me three specific reasons that have led me to this place- my expectations not meeting reality, my failure to give thanks in all things, and my belief that I have a "right" to a stable place to call home.

In coming to earth, J gave up so many rights as G... including His "right" to have a place to lay his head. He left His heavenly home. And if the Son of G gave up his rights, why do I believe I have "rights"?? Anything I have is a gift from the Father- nothing I have is something I have a right to or deserve in any way! So as He convicted me about this and has been changing my heart attitude, He's shown me so many things to be thankful for:

- He has provided for me: I have never been without a good bed to sleep in, a roof over my head, and a fan or air-con! And none of my housing situations have been a stress on the budget.

- He has protected me: I have never had issues with safety (no thieves or break-ins).

- He has given me many new friends in different roommates and blessed me through each of them in different ways.

- He understands b/c He experienced life on earth, and left His "home" in heaven

- He has given me a renewed desire for my future home with foundations!

- He has taught me in a deep sense that He truly is all I need, and that He is always with me.

- He has given me the opportunity to sort through my stuff several times so as not to collect too much stuff- making quick moves possible :)

- He has taught me invaluable lessons about "home" and "rights" and "expectations"! Most of all, that home is something you make by faith. Apart from Him, we will never feel at home.

Oatmeal anyone?

2010-05-06T07:10:00.002-07:00

You may not realize it until you are away of your own culture, but food is such a HUGE part of culture- what you eat, how you prepare it, how you eat it, who you eat it with, when you eat it, where you eat it, and so much more! I could probably write a new blog about food culture in Laos each week... but here's something that continuously stands out to me.

In Laos, whenever you have food and are eating, you must invite everyone who sees you and your food to eat with you. Just about every morning at our school, I am offered some sticky rice, fish, noodles, corn, you name it! I've realized how selfish I am even in this very little thing, usually purchasing food or bringing some kind of snack only planning to enjoy it myself. And then when you remember that this nation often goes without and definitely does not have plenty, it is quite impressively unselfish indeed. To share one's food when you're not sure where your next meal may come from- wow. And yet perhaps it's only in that mindset that one realizes the true necessity of sharing with others who may be in the same boat. Even in this simple act, I'm often really touched by it and am so blessed to be learning from my Lao friends what my momma always said when I was a little girl, "J taught us all to share, spreading gladness everywhere!"

In language class I also learned that giving thanks before a meal in Lao often includes a sentence asking the Father to provide for those who don't have rice to eat, those who are "poor" (literal translation of that word in Lao= everything + difficult). I'm humbled to admit that often my thanks before meals doesn't go beyond remembering His blessing to me.

I've been trying to remember to offer my food whenever I have any- including my instant oatmeal I often have at school in the mornings before teaching (thanks to amazing packages from y'all back home)... and while several have tried it- most of my Lao friends think it's a strange baby-like food for breakfast- ha, ha. :) Anyway, on the topic of food, let me share some photos of my most common meals here in Laos with YOU!

Fried Rice- a lunch time favorite for about $1.00.

Some typical dinner stuff purchased just around the corner from my house (clockwise from bottom left: sticky rice, chicken, fish, and papaya salad- eaten by hand).

Pho- a different taste that rivals Pho in Vietnam- with different add-ins... like green beans and peanut sauce!

Future

2010-05-03T02:44:00.000-07:00

Q: "How long do you plan to stay in Laos?"

A: "My commitment is for two years, and I'm open to staying longer if that's how the Father leads."

Recently I've been struggling with the above dialogue (that I usually have multiple times a week here)- mostly because I feel like I should be able to give a more definite answer.

At this moment though, I honestly can't give a clearer answer. It wasn't until about this point last year that the Father clearly led me to this current opportunity to teach in Laos... a lot can happen in a year's time! I have no idea what His plans are for the future. I do know His ways are higher than mine (Is. 55:8-9), He is good (1 Chron. 16:34) and that I need to be focused on seeking Him first, not on what tomorrow holds (Matt. 6:33-34).

I'm growing into a place of freedom in regards to answering this question and holding the future with open hands. It is a daily journey of trust and surrender though. One of the ways the Father has spoken to me in this area has been through some words from Francis Chan's book Forgotten God. I've read and re-read the words below (I bolded what really struck me) and trust you'll find them just as challenging and encouraging:

There are very few people in the Scriptures who received their life plan from God in advance (or even their five year plan, for that matter). Consider Abraham, who was told to pack up his family and all his possessions and start walking. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know if he would ever be back. He didn't know any of the details we consider vital (e.g. his destination, how long the venture would take, what the costs/rewards would be, whether he'd receive a 401(k) or health insurance). God said to go and he went, and that's pretty much all he knew.

I think a lot of us need to forget about God's will for my life. God cares more about our response to His Spirit's leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today's decisions.

It is easy to use the phrase "God's will for my life" as an excuse for inaction or even disobedience. It's much less demanding to think about God's will for your future than it is to ask Him what He wants to do in the next ten minutes. It's safer to commit to following Him someday instead of this day.

To be honest, I believe part of the desire to "know God's will for my life" is birthed in fear and results in paralysis. We are scared to make mistakes, so we fret over figuring out God's will. We wonder what living according to His will would actually look and feel like, and we are scared to find out. We forget that we were never promised a twenty-year plan of action; instead, God promises multiple times in Scripture never to leave or forsake us.

God wants us to listen to His Spirit on a daily basis, and even throughout the day, as difficult and stretching moments arise, and in the midst of the mundane. My hope is that instead of searching for "God's will for my life," each of us would learn to seek hard after "the Spirit's leading in my life today." May we learn to pray for an open and willing heart, to surrender to the Spirit's leading with that friend, child, spouse, circumstance, or decision in our lives right now.

To say that we are not called to figure out "God's will for my life" does not mean God doesn't have purposes and plan for each of our lives or that He doesn't care what we do with our lives. He does. In both the Old and New Testaments He tells us that this is true. The key is that He never promises to reveal these purposes all at once, in advance.

We do know that we are called to keep in step with the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25)...

Like I said earlier, I think dwelling on God's plan for the future often excuses us from faithful and sacrificial living now. It tends to create a safe zone of sorts, where we can sit around and have "spiritual" conversations about what God "might" have planned for our lives. Thinking, questioning, and talking can take the place of letting the Spirit affect our immediate actions in radical ways. God wants to see his children stake everything on His power and presence in their lives.

Yiam Yam

2010-04-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

This is the way we say "to visit" someone in Lao. My most recent language teacher taught me how to use this vocabulary... and interestingly, she's my first Lao friend that I've been able to really "yiam yam" in the sense of visiting brothers and sisters here to encourage and uplift them. She is currently about 6-months pregnant, and has had some bleeding recently. The doctors have ordered bed rest for now. The baby is still active and has a strong heartbeat as of last weekend at the hospital. Would you ask for His protection over mother and baby? And for peace in her heart amidst the unknowns, and sweet times with the Father while she rests?

A few of her favorite things . . .

2010-04-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

It's unreal to think my grandma has been in the presence of her Savior for three years now! I've been thinking about her lots recently, and there's a strange comfort in thinking about things she loved:

ICE CREAM

FACE RUBS

SLEEPOVERS

I miss her, but I'm so happy she's home. I'm thankful for little reminders of her life... like using her wooden clothespins to hang my clothes to dry in Laos, making her famous cookie recipes, or playing "Like a River Glorious" on the piano. Most of all, I'm grateful for the spiritual legacy she blessed our family with- a priceless gift.

35 cents

2010-03-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

I have recently reconnected with an old love- AEROBICS! For any of you who've followed this blog for a while- you might remember that I used to attend morning aerobics with middle-aged Vietnamese women. Well, on a motorbike ride about 2 weeks ago, I saw something that looked like aerobics out of the corner of my eye. I came to find out that a few gals go from time to time- so I've been twice now and really enjoy it. It's a definite work out... one hour for just 35 cents!

Some stretching at first:

It's pretty much non-stop fast-paced movements for the first 40 minutes, and then a mat workout. Seriously, the man in the AX shirt is my all time favorite. I try to stand behind him b/c he knows the moves so well, and I can't always see the instructor. Ha, ha. In case you can't hear the sound too well on the video- I was trying to say that he reminds me of a Lao "Richard Simmons." Sometimes he even looks likes he's in "fast forward"... he is so into it!!!!

Some fruit shakes to cool off after :)

Annual Burn

2010-03-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last year in Vietnam, I stepped off a motorbike taxi on the wrong side and burned my leg on the super hot engine. I felt pretty stupid, until everyone I talked to started telling me their similar burn stories, and I soon learned that this circular burn on the inside of your right calf is pretty common and is even known among the foreign community as your "Vietnamese birthmark." Now I only have a very light scar to show for it.

This year (ahem- today) I got my first burn in Laos. I went to a funeral this afternoon- the father of one of Sarah's English students. This was my first funeral in Laos, and it was a very interesting cultural experience. I have lots of questions about different parts of the ceremony- and want to know what different things meant. Here's a summary for you:

The entire family of the deceased man had become "monks/nuns" for the day (to show honor I believe?)- the men all shaved their heads and wore the orange robes. The women wore all white- except for the widow- who was dressed in black. When I arrived at the temple area, the family was all seated together and some monks were leading some readings, chants, etc (I guess they'd already given a history of his life before I arrived). There was a long piece of white material strung from the decorated stand that held the casket to the place where the family was sitting. Sarah explained that they were giving directions and blessings to the dead man's spirit- so it wouldn't get lost as it journeyed from this life into the next.

After the chanting was over, they took down the white material. Then everyone present picked up a white paper flower, some incense, and something (food?) wrapped in a banana leaf and set it by the casket and "nopped" (bowed with hands pressed together) the deceased man and his family members (like a greeting line). There was a nice picture of the man sitting in front of the casket, as well as lots of flowers. After people had placed gifts by the casket and greeted the family, they washed their hands in buckets of water (I believe that is also related to the spirits somehow).

Lots of family pictures were taken in front of the casket stand- which was quite decorated. After that, men poured gasoline all of over the casket and the stand. I honestly can't imagine watching a loved one be cremated. I kept remembering funerals I've been at- and it seems the moment the casket is lowered into the grave is one of the hardest ever- so final. I couldn't believe it when the sons were the ones who actually lit the fire. Wow.

Just after the casket was lit, the strangest thing happened. Candy was randomly being thrown everywhere, and everyone was running around excitedly scrambling to grab pieces of candy all over the ground. It just seemed SOOOO out of place to me. The only thing I can figure is that so little emotion was shown (Lao people amaze me at concealing emotion)- and I wonder if it wasn't a safe outlet/distraction from such an emotionally heavy occassion? I honestly have no idea.

All of this took about one hour in pretty extreme heat (between 90 and 100 degrees). People were leaving. We were standing a good distance from the burning casket. At one point, we heard the mother of the dead man say she thought she saw his body through the flames, and she said, "He's sleeping comfortably." Oh, man- can you imagine?

Well, all this leads me to say that all of the sudden, something hit my chest and stung. Yep, the wind had carried a spark from the fire, and I now have a new burn for the year. It was honestly so random, and in so many ways, quite hilarious. Oh, my. I hope it doesn't leave a scar! But whatever the case, I'm thankful it didn't burn my eye, or hair, or clothes- it really could've been much worse (as I heard a story of a girl who badly burned her head at a funeral recently). Moral of the story? Funerals are dangerous- bring an umbrella.

"Garments"

2010-03-13T20:46:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought about this question?

What things could have given Adam and Eve victory over temptation?

I had never really thought about that before. As I re-read this familiar story and thought about it recently, two big things emerged in my thinking:

First off, it seems like they could've avoided temptation had they gone back to the Father, and talked to Him about the serpent's persuasive temptation to eat the fruit. Had they done so, I imagine the Father would've shed light on the situation- reminding them of His command and showing them that the serpent's words were different.
Secondly, it seems like they could've avoided falling had they talked to each other. If Eve had talked to Adam first about what the serpent said, he may have been able to remind her of the Father's command or ask her what might happen if they did eat it, etc.

We were created and designed for community with Him and with each other. I was able to get a whole new perspective on those truths during the CAMA retreat in Thailand. The times of worship and teaching were so incredibly refreshing. I felt like a dry sponge just soaking it all in. I didn't realize how much I missed those things until then! Stepping out of daily life gave me renewed perspective that our struggle isn't against flesh and blood, and that I cannot survive or thrive here- without soaking in Him daily...

... or connecting with others. In the same way, the times with family and familiar friends were so wonderful! I realized how much I've missed and need the body more than ever. I can't do life without teammates and friends He's given me. I am weak alone, but stronger when I am in fellowship and doing life with brothers and sisters. So many people spoke such powerful truth into my life during the conference- I am praising Him for His good gifts in other people.

So why is this blog called "Garments"? Because another truth struck me in a totally new way. After Adam and Eve had sinned, the Father still pursued them in the Garden, called them out on their sin and gave them the consequences of their sin, and then:

"He made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."

Seriously, if I were the Father, I think I would've said, "Figure it out. You created this problem, you figure out a way to deal with your nakedness." Yikes! I've got a lot to learn about grace. I'm just blown away with how Father turned around and cared for Adam and Eve who had just sinned against Him. Yes, he had given them pretty harsh curses, but He didn't stop there. So I'm thinking about "garments" these days- ways the Father graciously pursues me and cares for me even though I don't deserve it. One of those things was the CAMA retreat. I am grateful and blessed for all he did in my heart and life through it. Thanks to those of you who uplifted the time in Thailand.

What are some "garments" in your life?!

Dti Dto

2010-03-10T07:36:00.000-08:00

Dti Dto... today in Lao class I learned the Lao pronunciation of "Titus"

... the name of my 5 day old nephew!!!!

I've been far away for the birth of both of my precious red-haired nephews :( But when I'm sad about missing out on their early days, I remember that they are in His hands (and I am thankful for Skype). Right around the time both of them were born, I sang the following song in worship times and couldn't get them off my mind.

So this song has sort of become my prayer for Samuel David and Titus Jack... may you both come to know and love your Maker who is crazy about you! Love, Tia.

I have a Maker

He formed my heart

Before even time began

My life was in his hands

He knows my name

He knows my every thought

He sees each tear that falls

and He hears me when I call

I have a Father

He calls me His own

He'll never leave me

No matter where I go

He knows my name

He knows my every thought

He sees each tear that falls

and He hears me when I call

PS- Pictures of my mom's visit here in Laos and of the CAMA retreat in Thailand are on Facebook... although I'm taking a break from Facebook until April :)

Off to Thailand!

2010-02-26T09:03:00.001-08:00

It's been SO great to have my mom here visiting this past week. We've had lots of adventures together! Tomorrow we'll leave for Thailand for a week-long conference- and look forward to seeing my dad and cousins and many other friends and co-workers. We'd appreciate your thoughts for the retreat- that it would be emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually refreshing.

Hope to blog some fun updates after the retreat :)

Some highlights . . .

2010-02-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

My little sister created yet another wild hair-do!

Some teammates and friends enjoyed a special dinner out.

Time with students at a "Coffee House."

Water

2010-02-11T05:36:00.000-08:00

Today was a pretty low day... nothing major happened, but lots of little things going on in my heart and head that began to overwhelm me. I returned home from a run tonight- very emotionally overwhelmed already, only to remember that we were out of water... when I was very hot and in definite need of some cool refreshing water. I really wanted to cry. Actually- I did. We order big jugs of water here since tap water isn't drinkable. I had tried to order water with the help of my Lao auntie over the weekend as I knew we were getting low, and the company had stopped delivering for the day- and I forgot about it once the week started.

I thought I'd go in the kitchen and check one more time to see if there was even a little bit left in the fridge before going out again to buy water, and I was shocked to find more water than I've ever seen before in this house! There were FOUR totally full jugs of water in our kitchen (the most we've ever had has been two), plus two bottles in the fridge which were actually COLD! It may not sound like a big deal, but I really cried after finding that water. Not sure how it got here. I was so overwhelmed at His loving kindness in telling me so clearly and powerfully at that moment, "I am here. I love you. I care about your every need. Trust me." Wow.

Then I just so happened to read about the 5 loaves and 2 fish tonight... unbelievable timing as I just had my own little multiplication miracle. I am so blessed to be His daughter.

5-month thoughts . . .

2010-01-29T07:59:00.000-08:00

January. Wow- it's been a really full month, and I have a lot on my heart to process. I have now been in Laos for a whopping FIVE MONTHS :) It's definitely been an interesting transition process with many ups and downs, and I've been humbled again and again at my inability to do live and work apart from the Father. He has been so incredibly faithful through every detail of life.

During this month, a senior university student from Washington named Emily interned for about 3 weeks here with CAMA. While I don't have much to offer as far as a guest room in my house, there is an extra room (used for some storage) with a mattress on the floor- so it worked out for her to stay with me for about half of her time here, and she stayed with a Lao family for the other half. We borrowed some sheets and towels and voila :) In some ways, I felt inadequate to show her around- as I still feel "new" myself. In other ways, it was encouraging to realize the process I've made in learning the roads, places to eat, the culture and language, and just "doing life" here. I'm excited to see how He leads Emily in the future- very gifted lady who is celebrating a birthday today- SUK SAN VAN KUD Emily!

It was very encouraging to have Emily here- as I had a new friend to "do life with." Many times I can get discouraged by coming home to an empty house, eating dinner alone, going to fellowship alone, etc. In those times I often think to myself, "It would be so nice to have a husband"... which it would :) However, the Father really spoke to my heart recently about this. He is calling me to draw closer to Him, and draw closer to others. He reminded me of our family verse- Is. 41:10... and of His own journey on earth which must've been so lonely at times away from His heavenly home and Father. Yesterday I read in Lk. 6:12-16 and was struck again by his example- of drawing close to the Father and to others. And when I get the urge to have a pity party, I need to think about whom I might be able to encourage or invite over... and also have been using the lonely times as an opportunity to ask the Father for a heart Lao friend. Will you ask for this with me?

Of course, I also would love for you to ask for a husband, too. However, as my Lao teacher told me, it would be strange in Lao to "ask for a husband"... instead, when you pr. in Lao, the literal translation that would be appropriate is to "ask for a blessed match"... basically a pair that is approved and ordained by the Father. I love that! I don't just want to be married- but want to be with someone who He has planned- that together we can be more effective for Him. Will you ask that for me too?

Some people that I have been blessed to draw close to when I feel alone have been my Lao family. I wanted Emily to meet these special friends while she was here, so I took her with me to visit one night. Usually when I go, Kip (my 8 yr. old little sister) runs out to meet me before I can even turn off my motorbike or get my helmet off. However, she didn't run out. We went inside the house, and heard that she wasn't home yet- which was late- but I figured she was running an errand with her mom or older brother. A few minutes later, a man came to the door and spoke to Kip's uncle. Her uncle turned to us and calmly said there had been an accident, and then put on his shoes and left on his motorbike. Their family lives on a main street, so I figured there was an accident nearby and people had come to their home for help.

Things got a bit more complicated- when my Lao mom came in and said there were foreigners outside and asked if I could talk to them. I went out, and there were three men from Turkey- all of whom spoke English and one who spoke amazing Lao. They explained to me that a young boy had been driving quite fast and ran into the back of their car at a stop light. His leg was hurt, but his little sister was OK. I was shocked- as Emily and I began to piece everything together- that it was my host brother and sister who were in the accident.

Maybe I should've pieced this together earlier, but from such a lack a emotion from Kip's uncle or my Lao mom, I just didn't think the accident happened with anyone in the family. Back to Lao Cultural Basics 101- Lao people are experts at concealing their emotion! When Kip walked in the door, I ran to meet her and just hug her, ask if she was ok, if she was hurt, etc... showing more emotion that anyone all night probably. I realized in that moment how much I really love her. My mind was racing thinking about how differently that night could've played out, and I was beyond grateful. Yet I also pondered the fact that if things had tragically turned out worse that night, the Father would still be sovereign, in control, loving, and good. I cried out for the people in Haiti who have experienced major tragedy upon tragedy.

Kop returned home with his leg in a cast, but miraculously had no other problems. Neither were wearing helmets :( I'm sure once we left, there were some stronger emotions in the home, but it blew me away to see the composure of an 8-year-old who was in a motorbike accident... the only sign of emotion were her big eyes and somewhat reserved and still nature rather than her normal spunky self. Emily suggested we play a game of UNO to take her mind off things- and I'm glad she did- I totally forget we brought the game with us! PTL for His protection and ask for continued safety on the roads.

On another note, I went to a wedding reception on Friday night. I took my Lao mom on the back of my motorbike- and it was a really encouraging evening. I felt that I didn't have to depend on other foreigners for lack of knowing people, or lack of language. Conversations seemed to flow, and I felt elated to understand maybe 70% of what was being said around me! Maybe that's a high estimate, but that's how I felt :) And the past two Sundays at fellowship, I felt I could truly worship with a few of the songs in Lao, and even listened and took notes on the teaching (without the use of translation headphones)!!!! After hours of study and hours of sitting through teaching and conversations with VERY little understanding (which is very exhausting)- these are HUGE breakthroughs. THANK YOU for continuing to uplift language study.

The feeling of being new and not knowing people and always having initial conversations gets old for me at times, and Friday night I didn't feel so "new." There were multiple people to greet and catch up with a bit. Ahhh... relationships are starting to go deeper! It's an exciting time. There will be another wedding next weekend for my Lao teacher Kham (pictured in a previous post), and I already have plans to meet with some gals to do hair and make-up before the wedding... so I won't go alone :) Would you continue to ask for divine appointments and relationships with followers and non alike?

I was talking with my friend and teammate Lindsey today about how grateful I am for all of you back home. I know I couldn't be here without your thoughts and encouragement. He so faithfully uses you in big ways in His work here and in my life. Thank you for journeying with me!

Deep life lessons...

2010-01-21T01:42:00.000-08:00

... learned from 3 recent flat tires and an oil change this past week:

1- Change is a good thing in our lives... throw off the old, put on the new. Sometimes it's a pain and sometimes it's painful and sometimes it takes time and sometimes we must work to change the same thing over and over again, but it's all part of the continuing sanctification journey and makes for a smoother ride.

2- A seemingly very small thing can cause a lot of damage. (Ahem, a little something in your tire... or your heart).

3- Giving immediate attention to problems/issues in our lives is better for us in the long run than letting them linger and get worse before dealing with them.

4- Maintenance of our bodies and especially our souls (continually caring for, assessing, and putting good things into them) is essential to functioning well, usability, and not falling apart all the time.

5- Daddy knows best! (If my earthly father were here, he'd have helped me and given advice about these matters... but one of our Lao teachers, who is of similar age to my dad and has four kids of his own- helped me get the oil changed near our school)... but my heavenly Father ultimately guides and provides above all.

Today's deep thoughts and challenges inspired by:

MAX THE MOTO!

First Day!

2010-01-11T04:18:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day of teaching :) I am teaching students who have studied for at least two 6-week terms previously- so they have some basic English and are familiar with the school and foreign teaching styles and each other. Eight out of 16 students on the list showed up, but that is pretty normal here. There were 5 men, and 3 women... and 3 older students (in 40's or 50's) and 5 younger students- in their 20's or younger. I took pictures of each of them to learn their names tonight! Seeing the students every day, and having a smaller class size will definitely help in this process.

Overall, it went well... it's an adjustment to new curriculum, and figuring out the students' level- (blank stares and zero response to a question is a good indication) but I'm excited to grow into this new teaching setting. My classroom has air conditioning and overhead fans, and the students requested to turn on the air this morning. I asked if they would like the fan or the air, and they responded in unison quite energetically- AIR!! The funny moment of the day was talking about family members- mother, father, husband, wife, etc.- singular and plural forms. I asked one man how many wives he had- and we enjoyed a good laugh together. However, when I asked one woman how many husbands she had- she answered that she has one now, but maybe she will change in the future :) Just kidding of course- but good for her for attempting a creative answer- love it!

I'm so grateful for an office staff who assists us with copies and overheads and class lists and homework lists and all kinds of teaching resources. And my room had a white board and overhead projector and CD player- wow, I feel quite spoiled! It's also a huge bonus to have lots of resources from people who have taught these courses in the past.

I studied Lao again this afternoon after teaching... so it was a full language day, but good. I think continuing to faithfully study Lao is going to be essential for so many reasons, but I think it will make me a better teacher as I am constantly aware of what is helpful for me as a student- and reminded of how much repetition is necessary in the language learning process. Looking forward to tomorrow!

PS- Many of you have asked if I have chosen a name for the temporary motorbike I'm borrowing from some friends who plan to return this fall (as I requested name suggestions in a previous post)... and the winning name- submitted by Miss Jennifer Byham who got to know this vehicle quite well over her Christmas visit- is.... drumroll please...

MAX the MOTO!

Wait a minute. . .

2010-01-04T02:29:00.000-08:00

Seriously, where did December go? Actually, where did 2009 go?? Wow. I usually like to reflect on the past year and think ahead about the new year- and this year my reflection seemed quite short and simple. I grouped the past year into three big highlights:

VTF (Vietnam Teaching Fellowship)- teaching English to University students and living in community on a team in Vietnam and growing in loving and sharing Him
Healing- the Father has been gracious through visits to Bumrungrad and sinus surgery in allowing me to BREATHE again
Laos- moving to Vientiane and learning culture, language, and life here

There's much to be thankful for, and I'm excited for 2010! As I've looked more into the story of J's birth, I've been really inspired by Mary's response... when she could've chosen a negative attitude about her new circumstances- that her reputation would be in question, that people would think she was crazy, that her plans and dreams were interrupted with morning sickness and a growing belly, etc... she chose praise that she was chosen to be used in His grand plan- and obeyed with great faith- NOTHING is impossible for Him.

The more I learn about this place, the more I wonder about how hearts will come to understand His truth, and how I can be of use here. And sometimes I find myself focusing on the negative obstacles. Yet, it's when my focus is on the circumstances around me, or myself, that my heart becomes doubtful or my attitude gets funky. Mary's focus was on the Father, and that's evident in how she chose to believe and praise. I know the Father works outside of my boxes, and loves Laos so much more than I do! And how awesome that I get to be a part of what He's doing here.

My personal hope as I look ahead to 2010 is to keep my focus on Him, and to choose to praise!

And...

2009-12-14T00:43:00.000-08:00

While pictures are loading quite nicely, I'm going to post 2x today :)

This is our NEW road which goes to Candlelight Language Center where I study now and will soon teach. In an earlier post, I showed a picture of half of the road paved- and now both sides are done with a spiffy median with little trees! Every day I drive on this road I get a big smile and am thankful to have a smooth ride, as it was a bumpy dirt road just before I came. Thank you Laos (and SEA Games)!

Here's my little sister playing on my motorbike. She wanted to wear my helmet too, but it was HUGE on her head- too cute. I can't get enough of her...

My little sister LOVES to do funky hairdos on me, and she LOVES to take pictures with my camera. So here you can see some of her work :) I don't remember what was so funny that night, but my Lao mom and I really got the giggles. Kip took this picture in the little motorbike repair shop in front of their home.

This is my new friend, and Lao tutor, Bee. We've been meeting a few times a week in the afternoons to practice additional conversation. She's very sweet and gracious. We decided to go check out the stadium for the SEA games... you can see track athletes practicing behind us.

This is my handsome nephew Sam! We got to hang out this summer. He will be a year and half soon, and he is going to be a big brother to my second nephew- coming this March :) I love and miss my family lots while living in Laos, especially over the holidays...

But this year, I have a wonderful gift. Miss Jenny B. is comin' to spend the holidays with me, and that is going to really help with homesickness!! I am bursting with excitement to take the night train to Bangkok tomorrow with my teammate Calah (who is also picking up her parents for the holidays). AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! This will be a one-of-a-kind Christmas to remember!

Trust you have a WONDERFUL Christmas celebrating the best gift of all- our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty G, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

May I introduce...

2009-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

...my language class!!

Actually, since I have started studying Lao, I have studied with 11 different people and 5 different teachers, but for the past month or so, I have studied pretty consistently with these folks and these 2 teachers (pictures taken from my seat in class to show you my "daily view"):

This is Tik! She has taught me "conversation" class from day 1, and she is an excellent teacher. She has been teaching us from 8:30- 10:00 each morning, Monday through Friday. She has an amazing gift of getting people to speak Lao and is so incredibly patient with us.

These are my classmates Craig and Rebecca. They are a married couple with two kids from Australia. I took the pictures from where I sit in class- so they are usually on my right. They make Lao class lots of fun... like the day I thought Craig said his ear hurt because his wife sings poorly- when he actually said he has a hole in his sock and his wife doesn't know how to fix it :)

This is Aajan (Teacher) Khongsy. He has been teaching Lao to foreigners for years and loves to joke in class. We were having our second ice cream party to celebrate another week done. You have to keep celebrating in language study! He is the one who gave me my new Lao name (to come in another blog post). He teaches the "Module" which is reading, writing, and more grammar focused from 10:15-11:45 each day, Monday through Friday.

And on my left sit Kenton (wears glasses) and Kirk. Kenton can make me laugh with anything he says! He has been such a gift to me in language study- laughing is so necessary. Although, some days I've had to leave the classroom because I was laughing so hard I was in tears! Kirk recently joined our class and it's been fun to study with a CAMA teammate :)

Language Blooper from last week: I told someone to take off their feet, instead of telling them to take off their shoes!

Tomorrow (12-15-09) is my last day of official language study before Christmas break . . . I'll start teaching English classes in the mornings in early January, and hope to continue to study Lao during the afternoons- teachers and classmates may change again, but I'm grateful for this opportunity to learn. Off to finish my last homework assignment for the year!

Adjustments

2009-11-19T06:41:00.000-08:00

Since the first day I arrived in Laos, I was struck with how vastly different this country is from its neighbor, Vietnam. It's hard not to compare everything this year to my experience last year. And even though I expected many of the differences (and even looked forward to some of the differences), I've found the adjustment overwhelming at times. I think it's a normal part of transitioning to a new place... and I've been trying to process it a bit.

For many of you who've never stepped foot in either country (both of which I love), let me explain some of the BIG surface differences:

TRAFFIC- Laos has a lot more cars/SUV/truck type vehicles than VN. Beeping is a normal part of traffic in VN to let other drivers know you're coming, but is considered quite serious and a bit rude in Laos. Traffic patterns are WAY different, but that's something you have to experience- tough to explain!

FOOD- I find food in Laos in general to be more spicy than in VN. Both countries serve some common meals, such as pho or fried rice, and fruit for dessert. Sticky rice is a staple here, but steamed rice was the staple in VN... and therefore many meals are eaten by hand in Laos, and chopsticks are more often used in VN.

BARGAINING- In VN, you could expect to be given at least double the normal price of something as a foreigner... and you could bargain your heart out and walk away if you still didn't get the price desired. In Laos, vendors will raise the price a bit at first, and then bargain down a few times (I've never experienced more than two or three price reductions)... and if you walk away after bargaining- it is VERY rude! Starting to bargain means you plan to buy.

DRESS- In VN, the traditional clothing for women was the "ao-dai"... and the "sinh" skirt is the traditional clothing in Laos. Both are very feminine and beautiful.

COST- Overall, I've been surprised at how much more expensive life is in Laos... due mostly to the fact that so much is imported here. Yet, there are a lot more "foreign comforts" here in Vientiane than in Dalat, VN... a nice advantage of living in the capital city which borders Thailand.

LANGUAGE- Both are tonal, but TOTALLY different... VN tones are sharper, and Lao tones sound more rounded to my ears. Vietnamese is written in a romanized alphabet, and Lao uses a Khmer script (aka "squigglies").

FOREIGNERS- There are WAY WAY WAY more foreigners here... which has its pros and cons... but one interesting effect of that is a major decrease in the amount of attention I attract here- I am quite pleased with this difference :)

WEATHER- I was in a mountain town last year that was quite cold- to the point of needing to wear several layers! The weather here has been very hot and humid overall... although we've had some cooler days recently.

POP.- There are 6 million people in Laos compared to 86 million in VN! This just means HUGE differences for so many aspects of life... streets seem empty to me here, housing seems bigger, life seems calmer and quieter, pollution is not as bad, etc.

RELIGION- In VN, I noticed most people had alters set up to honor their ancestors in their homes or shops, and occasionally would see monks walking the streets and pass a Buddhist temple. However, in Laos, I see monks daily, and every 'village' (i.e. neighborhood) has its own temple- and the name of the village is the same as the name of the temple.

I could go on and on about cultural differences too... Needless to say, starting all over in this learning process isn't easy, but an older/wiser friend pointed out to me one of the big differences in my journey this year that seems to encompass a lot of what makes this transition hard- but really worthwhile. She commented to me that last year, I functioned mostly in English... and invited my students into "my world." It was so fun to share my life with them and have them experience my language and culture- which was also comfortable and easy.

My journey in Laos so far has been more focused on stepping out of "my world" and learning how to join the Lao world. I am learning to speak Lao, lived with a Lao family and now in a Lao neighborhood, and life looks and feels a lot different this year! I think this has been one of the biggest adjustments. It is much more stretching and tiring, yet it is (and I believe will continue to be) very rewarding. I feel that I already know more about Laos, in some ways, after a few months than I did about Vietnam after almost a year. At the same time, I am humbled to realize how little I know and how much I have yet to learn. I feel weak and so inadequate for the long road ahead, "but He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness...'"

Honda Wave 100

2009-11-05T01:25:00.000-08:00

Now you can envision me on the Honda Wave 100 motorbike- with the massive Snell brand helmet that says "Legend" on the back and with my green CAMACrafts purse strategically worn across my body and in front of me to make it more difficult to snatch. I'd appreciate your thoughts for safety on the roads, and please ask that the bike won't be stolen (motorbike theft is quite common here). I use a special lock on the wheel every time I stop.

This lovely motorbike is actually not mine. Friends of mine who were teaching in Laos last year went back to the States to get married and have graciously allowed me to use their bike until they return next year. What a blessing from above!! I'm getting more and more comfortable on the bike and in traffic, but definitely ask for His protection daily.

In the past, I have usually named the vehicles I have driven...

"Bonnie Sue" the 1986 Pontiac Bonneville

"Charlie" the 1999 Chevy Cavalier

"________" the Honda Wave 100

Can you help me fill in the blank and name my temporary mode of transportation?! :)

That Luang Festival

2009-11-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

I live about 2 blocks (5 minute walk) from That Luang Stupa- the national symbol of Laos- and today is the final day of the major event of the year- the That Luang Festival. This morning I left my place with some friends at about 6 am to observe thousands giving offerings (food, money, flowers) to monks from all over Laos. Tonight there will be a candle-lit procession. It's an incredible opportunity to learn about values and cultural tradition, etc... As I watch thousands of candles lit around this famous temple, I am going to ask for Light to shine here.

Take a 3 minute peek at this video which gives you a better idea of what's going on today in Vientiane, Laos (and my neighborhood) and please remember this nation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJyXvXtJyfM

Snippets of the past days . . .

2009-10-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

I was at the Honda shop getting my oil changed, and needed to use the restroom. Instead of asking, “Where is the restroom?” I accidentally asked, “Where can I shower?” J

I was so excited to successfully use my language at the market to purchase 10 eggs (they don’t sell them by the dozen here- but by 10). After making my egg purchase, I proceeded to drop my bagful of eggs on the concrete while trying to put on my motorbike helmet… only 3 survived L

The neighborhood I am living in has been super lively… as the Tat Luang Festival is coming up on Nov. 2^nd. There’s like a HUGE carnival nightly 2 blocks from my house… complete with blow up toys and rides for kids, rounds of bingo, ring toss and balloon games, cotton candy and popcorn, and of course, lots and lots of BeerLao. Really, it isn’t too different from the state fair.

There is amazing street food just around the corner from my current house. My new favorite dish is called “tam mak tua”… green beans with tomatoes, peanuts, sugar, fish sauce, 1 chili pepper (more than one pepper is too spicy for me)- YUM.

One of the Lao teachers at Candlelight made it to the top 20 finalists who were trying out to be announcers for the 25^th SEA Games (to be held HERE in Vientiane). Last night there was a MAJOR show at the culture hall downtown for the final tryout- including traditional Lao singing, dancing, and the 20 contestants reading from a script in Lao and English. It was comparable to many elimination reality shows you see on TV. The quality of the show was excellent (although our friend wasn’t chosen), and made me excited for the honor Laos has to host the SEA Games- basically like the Olympics for South East Asia!

The city has been growing with excitement and preparation for the SEA Games- and has even been paving some of the dirt roads on my route to school each day (this particular road is now paved on both sides).

I participated in a 5K run hosted by the ambassador from Singapore… I originally thought it was to benefit those in Southern Laos hit by Typhoon Katsena… but then learned it was to benefit disabled children here? Not quite sure, but it seemed like a good use of time, money, and energy- even though it was at 6 am on Saturday morning. It was quite fun to fill the main streets of Vientiane with so many runners.

I unpacked the last of my bags… and found sweatshirts and scarves and hats for cold weather. Maybe I’ll use them at some point, but at the moment, it just bewilders me and makes me start to perspire just thinking about putting those things on.

I visited my Lao family, and my little sister gave me a funny picture she’d drawn based on the book I’d given her. A sweet pr. reminder!

My language class randomly decided to have an ice cream party just for the fun of it- we each brought something to contribute- ice cream, chocolate syrup, cones, peanuts, and bananas.

“Helmet Hair” is a daily reality. There isn’t much hope for a good hair day when you drive a motorbike in a hot and humid climate… but as I heard someone say this week- I guess safety comes before beauty. However, I did go to my first Lao wedding and had the best up-do of my life for just over $2.00... and wore a traditional Lao outfit for the first time (pictured below with teammates Sarah & Bethann).

I have been stuck on this quote from Mother Theresa, “Fix your eyes on the Crucified and nothing else will be of much importance to you.” I’m also reading biographies of early workers here that are very inspiring and challenging.

I spent a few hours using internet at my ‘regular’ spot (a hotel lobby), and was surprised by the price when I went to pay the worker. So I began to use my market bargaining vocabulary and asked in Lao if he’d be able to lower the price. He was so happy I was speaking Lao that he took $1.00 off of my total and asked me to come again!

I’ve enjoyed going out for fruit shakes with the young people after Sunday morning fellowship. The gal in the middle with the gray flowered top and orangish sinh skirt is my current roommate- Nang, from Thailand.

Poem & Pics.

2009-10-19T04:48:00.001-07:00

Roses are red

Violets are blue

My mind is SO full of Lao

I have no other thoughts for YOU!

Yep. This week I feel like I've hit what they call a language learning "plateau." I've been steadily progressing and adding vocab. and sentences up till now, and all of the sudden my brain feels like it turned off this week- unwilling to accept or remember new information coming its way, and mixing up information that seemed to make sense before.

The studies will go on and my brain will have to catch up :) When it does, maybe I'll have something more entertaining to share. Thanks for uplifting language study!

HOORAY! Pictures uploaded tonight... here are two pictures relating to my last blog :)

1- My little sister smiling from ear to ear right after opening her gift.

2- Modeling my new Sinh material (not yet made into a skirt) with my Lao mom in their living room. Notice how the pattern is the same as her skirt- just different colors.

Goodbye Gifts

2009-10-02T00:14:00.002-07:00

Last night I moved out of the home I'd been living in with my Lao family. It was a bit emotional as we've grown to really care about each other these past weeks. What a wonderful experience and opportunity!

The other day I was reading on my bed, and my little sister came in and wanted to hang out with me (quite common). So I told her she should go get some books and read next to me. She responded that she didn't have any books. The next week, I showed her some books that I was using to learn Lao- books with fun pictures, and she really enjoyed going through them several times.

Another day, Kip was exploring my things in my room, and came across my floss. "What's this?" she asked. I showed her how I used it... and gave her some to use. After that- she would often come into my room to get some floss to try out :)

I decided that I wanted to give her a book as a little thank-you/goodbye gift. When I looked at the children's books available in Lao, there was one about teeth and eating candy and plaque and brushing your teeth! How perfect. I purchased it, had it wrapped in special blue paper, and presented it to her last night as we said goodbye. She was a bit shy to open it, and then giggled a lot when she unwrapped it. I asked her to read and said I would listen- and she was so excited and read almost the whole book to me! Now she has a book to read.

My host mother also presented me with some beautiful, colorful material from a northern province (where she's from) to make a traditional Lao "sinh" skirt! There are rich purple, orange, and green colors in the pattern. It's likely to be my favorite Lao skirt simply because of the special connection and fond memories it will bring me of my Lao family. My Lao mom has a skirt with the same pattern, but different colors.

I got great pictures of all this- but internet isn't strong enough to upload pics :( One day . . .

For nerd eyes only:

2009-09-25T00:18:00.000-07:00

As a full time language student (3 hours in classroom + daily interactions), I need to process a bit of what I'm learning... so the nerds among those who read this blog will enjoy this post :)

I like paa saa lao (language lao)... a lot. It's a fascinating language, and the more I learn, the more I want to learn. The ability to communicate to another people group really is priceless. Language teaches you TONS about culture, too. It's unbelievable how the two are intertwined. And the moments of successful communication are so so so rewarding and exciting. Of course, I am at the very beginning of long journey of learning, but I thought I'd share some interesting aspects of the Lao language with you- from a Western/English speaking perspective.

There are six tones . . . so you better be careful to say the right tone, or you may say the wrong word :) You also have to discern between short and long vowels. Here are some similar sounds I have to be careful with!

--> kai = near, far, chicken, open, fever, egg

--> koowa= bridge, more than, kitchen, right

--> ma= to come, dog, horse

--> suu= name, to buy, to go straight

--> sinh = meat classifier, or traditional lao skirt

--> ko thoot= excuse me, or may I please pass gas

--> mu= friend, or pig

--> bo= no, or question word

--> dai = can, or past tense marker

--> mac = fruit classifier, or to like verb

No need for verb conjugations... HALLELUJAH! For past, simply state the time (last week, yesterday, etc.) and then put dai in front of the verb. For future, you simply add si (like the word "will") in front of the verb. For present continuous, simply add kamlang before the verb (which is the equivalent of "ing" in English).

No feminine or masculine items (like Spanish or French). No plurals. YEE-HAW!!

And many words in Lao have multiple English meanings. Koi means I, me, my, mine, etc. Lao means he, him, his, she, her, hers. Tu means any type of cabinet or item that holds something- SO many English equivalents- like dresser, bookshelf, and so on.

Classifiers really simplify the learning and understanding process. There are SO many- but here are a few for you. Rooms or buildings often have the classifier hong + the specific purpose of room (ex: hong non= room sleep... yep, the bedroom!). Mac is the fruit classifier, pah is the classifier for materials (ex: pah sed muu = material to dry hands = handtowel), anything to do with light/fire has the word fai in its name, con is for people, han is any type of shop, lodt is the classifier for vehicles, nam is anything to do with water... can you guess what hong nam is?

Some literal translations that make me smile:

no stand no sit = to squat

heart good = kind/nice

medicine teeth = toothpaste

cabinet cold = fridge

The word for keys is luuk ka jee (luuk = children) and the word for lock is me ka jee (me = mother). Isn't that great?! So the lock is the mother of her children, the keys. LOVE it.

I am now reading and writing Lao as well- although quite slowly and with many mistakes. Here is a picture of my work from class today :)

I can't get over how in one month, I can now attach meaning to what used to be nonsense squiggly lines. Wow, I love learning. I confess, I'm a nerd!

I appreciate your thoughts for continued desire to learn, ability to hear and speak tones, boldness to communicate and practice, and a willingness to laugh at myself! I want to work at this with all my heart, for Him.

Bo Pen Nyang!

2009-09-22T01:12:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most common phrases used in Laos- I hear it numerous times each day. It means "No Worries", "Never mind", "Forget it", "Oh, well it can't be helped", etc. It's interesting how sometimes you don't feel like saying it, but must! Or sometimes when you say this- it makes you and/or the other person feel better about the situation. It's especially helpful since most of the time- showing emotion is not appropriate in Lao culture.

Three Examples:

1) The first weekend I was here, I joined with a gang of people from our organization (Lao & "Filang" or "Foreigners") to drive an hour or two to visit a waterfall. On the drive back, I was the only foreigner in the vehicle. A cute little white dog with a brown/black spot on its' eye darted in front of our vehicle, and next I heard and felt a THUD. I quickly looked behind me, and there was Fido lying lifeless on the road. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand- my initial shock "Oh, no!" reaction. However, I observed everyone else in the car quickly said, "Bo Pen Nyang" to the driver- many times they repeated this phrase and I could tell she definitely felt better when they said that. We continued as if nothing had happened- and my new Lao friends who'd seen my horror asked me if I was aware that many people eat dog here :)

2) The other day I was using the internet at a nearby hotel. The internet unexpectedly stopped working. I told the gal working at the front desk, and she found another employee to help her. After about 10 minutes, it was clear that they were not having success. I said, "Bo Pen Nyang" with a smile and calmly left... realizing this was the first time I felt a real need to use the phrase, and I really meant it. I could use the internet another time- no biggie. And it definitely made them feel relief- otherwise what were they going to do with this foreign girl waiting for internet that wasn't working?!

3) Yesterday I was walking down the street of our school, and was carrying a coffee maker/pot in one arm and my motorbike helmet in the other. I was right in front of the office where I was delivering the cofee pot when I stepped on a downward slope and watched helplessly (in what felt like slow motion) as the glass pot fell to the concrete where it shattered with a loud noise into many tiny pieces. There were a lot of construction workers standing very close by, and as I stood there in shock looking around, no one flinched- and just continued working! Then I went inside the office and explained very apologetically about what had happened- and everyone re-assured me, "Bo Pen Nyang!" At that moment, I was extremely thankful for this phrase and attitude of Lao people.

As you can see- it goes both ways... you need to give the grace of "Bo Pen Nyang" to others (even when maybe you don't feel like it at all), and then other times you will receive the kindness of "Bo Pen Nyang" from others. It definitely makes potentially awkward or emotion-packed situations quite calm. I still have a LOT to learn about how deeply this idea impacts culture- it's HUGE here. However, I am learning from culture, and seeking to see how it reflects aspects of the Father's character.

(Sorry- I tried to upload 1 picture for over an hour- no success with photos today).

Home Stay

2009-09-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm living with a Lao family! Their home is in a perfect location- a 10-15 minute bicycle ride from most places I need to go- Candlelight (where I take Lao language classes), the mini-mart (think Wal-Mart small scale), foreign food (Joma Bakery!), and teammates' homes.

Their family has been great to get to know. There's an 8 year old girl who I have blast with! She's raised by her grandma (my host mom) as her parents are both working- and only has older boys around- so she's quite the tomboy. Whenever I offer to do her hair or paint her nails, her eyes get SO big and she nods an excited YES. I LOVE loving on her and having "girl" time she doesn't normally get! We giggle lots and she corrects my pronunciation and has been so helpful for my language learning because she'll speak slowly and simply. It must be so strange for her to have a foreigner in her home... I guess she writes stories about me at school.

Her older brother is 13 years old and is quite shy, but very kind- and is a hard worker. He lives next to the house I stay in... his bed is a mat on the floor with a pillow. A cousin (?) also lives there with him. They have a motorcycle washing and repair business. He washes one motorcycle for 5,000 Kip = 60 cents .

Speaking of motorcycles, I had my first "driving lesson" on Saturday. Carolyn explained the basics of how to drive a motorbike, and then I got to practice some in an open area. I have ridden on the BACK of many motos, but was never the driver. I was wobbly starting off, but it wasn't too bad once I got going :) I'm going to practice more the next few weeks- and would appreciate your thoughts as I learn to drive!

So back to my home stay... here are some interesting tidbits for you:

Squatty Potty- YESSSS! Fan in my room- YESSSS! Barefoot in house- YESSSS!
Daily misunderstandings due to language barriers/different cultures= LOTS of laughs.
If you leave something in a common area, it will become a shared item! I left some shampoo packets in the bathroom, and they got used up :) I also left a pair of flip flops (thankfully cheapo ones) on the porch, and those were on the neighbor's feet the other day... haven't seen them since.
I was pleasantly surprised to have a washing machine to use (you just add water manually 2x)... however- upon hanging up my clothes to dry on the line, I noticed only shirts and skirts were visible (no undergarments). So I took mine into my room and hung them there to dry. Later I learned this was a good thing because undergarments are never hung in public places to dry here... PHEW! However, the little girl peeked into my room later that day and saw them hanging there and just laughed her head off :)
My host mom makes sticky rice every morning outside at 5 or 6 for the day's meals. I'm determined to get up one morning to watch and learn how to make it! We eat the same food throughout the day- breakfast, and dinner (I usually eat Pho noodle soup or fried rice Candlelight staff for lunch) are the same- sticky rice, vegetable dish, sometimes soup, and usually a meat dish. We eat lots of fish- which still looks like fish when we eat it. Last night my little sister took the fish head and ate the eye! Oh, and we eat mostly with our hands- sometimes a spoon for the soups.
The phrase I hear the most is "Kin Lai Lai" which means "Eat a LOT!" My host mom wants to fatten me up- and I can never seem to eat :) "Kin Kao" is the expression used for "let's eat"... which is literally translated "eat rice." Language is so fascinating!
It isn't a big priority to have all family members sit down to eat together. From what I can tell, people seem to eat whenever is convenient for them.
Evenings are usually spent watching Thai soap operas. I usually work on Lao language homework or try to start up a game of checkers or UNO since I have no idea what's going on in the show... but it's kind of fun to try to guess. Last night there was this girl and guy on the show who seemed to be having lots of drama- and I just figured it was relationship issues. Then my host brother told me they had different blood types? Wow, I was way off! Ha, ha.
No internet at home- so every once in a while I bike down the street to a hotel which has wifi for less than $1/hour in its lobby... So each blog is an act of love in appreciation for YOU and your thoughts for me!

Seriously, I have sensed many people uplifting me and so thankful for my amazing support team. When I left for Laos three weeks ago, I had no idea if a home stay would even work out and no plans were in place. Now I feel somewhat settled (albeit temporarily) with my Lao family- who will probably be "family" to me from now on in Laos whether or not I'm living with them. WOW! I'm just in awe of His care and His plans... He knew all along where I'd stay- and where I'll be in days to come.

I continue to give Him the unknowns of the days ahead (especially housing), and am asking for daily language learning ability (to hear 6 tones) and creative ways to bless and honor my new family. Thanks again for your thoughts!

Taste and see...

2009-09-04T02:53:00.000-07:00

His goodness has overwhelmed me in my initial days here in Laos! And I am so aware of many people thinking for me, because since I last posted some requests, I have seen so many answers!! Here are a few:

1- A host Laotian family was found for me to live with right away! I moved into a Lao home on Monday and my first week there has been great- full of learning experiences and laughs and sticky rice :) Here is a picture of me with "Me Sida" (Mother Sida) taken on an outing to a waterfall last Saturday. I'm so amazed at how the Father's provided this family for me to live with for the month of September.

2- I'm loving learning Lao! I have fun teachers, and great classmates. Pictured below, you can see all of the consonants I put in order in class- all of which I can say and write and identify when I hear them! We've also learned most of the vowels at this point- quite a bit more difficult than the consonants... plus learning some basic conversations- introductions, bargaining, ordering food at a restaurant, etc. It's really exciting to start communicating in daily life :)

3- He provided a BICYCLE for me to use! I was SOOOO excited when a neighbor lent me Bethann's old bike (Bethann is Sarah's roommate and teaches here in Laos), and was pretty over-the-top excited about the ORANGE color of the bike! I especially love the front basket and back seat for an extra passenger :) Oh, and there's a little bell on it to announce that I'm coming through. Riding a bike is a great way to learn the streets and flow of traffic before riding a motorbike. I've really enjoyed pedaling along on TURBO!

So my life for this month will continue to include bike rides to/from Lao language classes, living with Me Sida and her son and two grandchildren, lots of cultural learning in daily life, as well as some orientation training type stuff with my new teammates who just arrived this week- the Ronzheimer family and Lindsey Nagel.

Thanks for your thoughts for all of us as we continue to adjust!

The beginning of the journey . . .

2009-08-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

COS- almost missed my flight after visiting with family, friends, and saying goodbyes because only 1 out of 3 security lanes were open… but amazingly, my roommate & friend Laura Burmeister’s MOM was in line ahead of me and got me through in time!

DALLAS- my flight out of TX was delayed for over an hour- which gave me (& my two 50 lb. bags) plenty of time. It was great to make calls to family/friends before boarding the flight to…

LAX- transferred to international terminal, where I was told I couldn’t board without a visa or return ticket in hand… so bought a ‘refundable’ ticket to Bangkok J

HONG KONG- Karen, my team leader from last year in VN, was on my flight from LAX to Hong Kong- so we caught up over Starbucks! Love the free wi-fi there, too.

BANGKOK- upon arriving, learned there was space on a flight about 9 hours earlier than my scheduled flight… YES! I ran to buy minutes for $6.00 at an internet café, sent an e-mail to Sarah who’d be picking me up in Laos, and then ran to my gate- arriving in a lather- of course to sit and wait for 10 minutes before boarding the plane- which had bright yellow, purple, and pink seats J

VIENTIANE- just as I was getting to the visa desk, a worker from Candlelight school came to meet me and assist with getting my work visa. I was initially given a Ukrainian woman’s visa, but now things are straightened out! BOTH bags made it- PTL.

MON 24^th- Sarah (CAMA teammate) treated me to lunch at JOMA- a delicious bakery- where I enjoyed taco salad and mint lemonade. Then I got to shower and freshen up before joining several gals for dinner. I was really fighting jet lag during the evening, but didn’t lay down until 8 pm, and slept really well the first night! I’m staying with Carolyn (another CAMA teammate)- actually in the same house I stayed in when I visited in May J

TUES 25^th- Enjoyed a quiet morning at the house. Sarah & Tik picked me up for lunch with the Candlelight staff followed by reading and talking to the Father together. Carolyn spent time with me in the afternoon going over details like transportation, housing, etc. Then we went to an open-air market nearby to purchase some things for dinner- sticky rice, grilled pork, green beans, and other veggies I can’t name each in a separate bag. We brought the goods back to the house for dinner- which always tastes better when you eat with your hands!

WED 26^th- Another quiet morning at the house… discovering that the best shower is a purely cold shower with 2 fans going too (that gives you a hint at the weather situation here)! Yes, I constantly “glow” in Laos.

Successes to celebrate today: finding a little side shop on my own where I bought a notebook for Lao class notes, and a coke to help me fight jet lag in the afternoon, PLUS finding a tuk-tuk and not getting too ripped off as a foreigner (10,000 kip= $1.17) and getting to Candlelight without getting lost.

I enjoyed fried rice for lunch with some Candlelight staff (Lao + Foreigners), and then had my first Lao language lessons from 1:30-4:30. We started with 13 consonant sounds- and I have to practice writing them for homework. The written language is fascinating- with lots of little circles- but all circles go on the left! LOVE that rule J Then we had speaking and practiced basic phrases like “What is your name?/My name is…”, etc. My class has 5 people in it- a married couple from Switzerland who speak French, and two people from the organization I worked with last year. I just got back from a dinner of Chinese dumplings and fried eggplant- DElish!

So, enough with all the details. It is GREAT to be here, but surreal also. I feel like I keep stepping back and reminding myself that I am actually staying here… not visiting. I am actually learning the language. I am actually going to be making this place home. There are feelings of excitement, of being overwhelmed at all there is to learn (especially the MAJOR differences from Vietnam), but also definite peace.

I appreciate your thoughts for:

-this period of adjustment

-a learner’s attitude (Language, Culture, Streets!)

-HIS love for Laos

-wisdom with transportation (Bicycle? Moto?)

-housing provision (Lao family? Roommates?)

-friendships

Love from LAOS!

PS- Not sure how often I’ll have internet- so my apologies if I don’t respond too quickly to communication these days.

Sinus Surgery...

2009-08-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say thanks for uplifting my surgery on Wednesday! Everything went quite smoothly, and I am SO thankful. We started the journey to the hospital around 5:30 a.m., checked in (and to my shock, the woman entering my information asked for my birthplace and then asked how to spell "Africa"), changed into a lovely hospital gown, and the nurse got my IV in pretty painlessly the 1st time!

The nurses were all so nice. My anesthesiologist was like a model with an accent to match her beauty from Lithuania- and she mentioned she'd be using the same stuff that killed Michael Jackson. Oh, dear. One nurse was a believer, and joined my parents and me in talking to the Father before they wheeled me in. She also warned me that I would wake up with the worst head-ache of my life. YIKES. I got a little teary as I went- just a strange feeling of NO control- and wondering what the world you'll feel like when you wake up. But during my readings that morning in Isaiah, I was overwhelmed by the reminders to not fear, because He is with me! My anesthesiologist had barely said, "Ok, it's time for you to go to sleep now" and I was a goner.

The next thing I know, a nurse is wheeling me down the hall saying, "Time to wake up, your surgery is done. You're in recovery now." They immediately asked about my pain level- and I was shocked because I didn't have a headache at all- like everyone had said I would. Strangely- my throat hurt a lot, and I couldn't lift my head at all- weak neck. I think that was due to some breathing tube they stuck down my throat or something?? I kept asking the nurse for ice- that was the best relief.

I realized right away I was able to breathe REALLY well through my nose and just started crying. I think I scared the nurse that I was in horrific pain until I was able to tell her I could breathe! She asked how long it had been since I had breathed clearly- and I told her two years. Those were tears of pure joy. (And I was probably emotionally whacked out from the weird stuff going on in my body). I kind of went in and out of sleeping, and kept waiting for them to bring my parents in. It was also humorous to watch other patients being wheeled in from their surgeries and hear them waking up. The clock was right in front of me, and 45 minutes passed before they wheeled me to another room.

My parents were so happy to finally see me. The doctor had met with them while I was waking up, and shared that the surgery had gone REALLY well. He only found one polyp to remove (although there were lots of polyps in my CT scan in February), a spur to remove from my nasal septum, and TONS of sinusitis junk to remove (yuck)... plus he expanded my sinus areas to increase airflow. He told my parents he's VERY hopeful that nothing will come back because my previous polyps had already disappeared - thanks to steroids and the Father's healing touch!

Oxygen helped with nauseousness... :( This was probably my lowest moment- and I have a much better sense of empathy for people who have ongoing hospital visits- for chemo treatments, etc. I can't imagine how they do it!

My sweet friend Jenn came to visit me and bring me some movies to watch while I recover on the couch. My whole face is puffy and it feels like they botoxed my lips while I was out. Ha, ha- Jenn tried to make me feel better by posing with a similar face :)

My brother Dave, sister-in-law Deb, and nephew Sam sent me these gorgeous flowers! Thanks for the love.

And HAPPY 32nd ANNIVERSARY to my mom and dad (Aug. 6). They were so incredibly UN-selfish to spend their day taking care of me! I am blessed. PTL for His gracious healing and minimal pain in the process. Thanks again for your thoughts.

Summer Lovin'... havin' a BLAST!!

2009-07-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

I am definitely lovin' this summer! I've been back in CO for just over a month, and I'm just blown away by the Father's goodness. Here's a little of what I've been up to :)

--> After hours of flying, I stepped off the plane in Colorado Springs wearing my ao-dai dress and non hat and met over 15 friends at Chick-Fil-A for lunch! Yum... missed those chicken sandwiches and waffle fries.

--> I met my most adorable nephew Sam for the first time in person at 11 months!! He is SO sweet and fun and kissable... wobbly walker, great smiler, pro-door-opener, and smashing red-hair. I had a blast with Sam. Oh, and his mom and dad, too :) I'm blessed with a brother and sister in law who are great friends and encouragers.

--> I celebrated my friend Liz marrying Ben. She may have been more excited to walk down that aisle than any bride I've ever seen! I loved dressing up with fun hair and professional makeup and walked down the aisle with my cousin Chris who was a groomsman. So thankful to be back for her special day.

--> I filled out the extensive application to serve with CAMA (Compassion and Mercy Associates), and then had an interview last week... and am excited to be officially approved to go to Vientiane, Laos for 2 years (hopefully longer) to teach English and share His love!!!! I'll leave at the end of August or early September and spend the first 6 months or so in language study.

--> My good friend and college roomie Rebekah Frazier flew to CO from TX to visit me for a few days. We caught up on life, and enjoyed the great CO outdoors with some gorgeous, worshipful hikes.

--> I'll go to Ohio/Pennsylvania during the last week of July to visit my Grandma Fetherlin, Aunt Katy, and Uncles, Aunts, and cousins in the area.

--> On August 5th, I'll be having sinus surgery... because my allergies are now under control, but I still cannot breathe clearly due to pollyps and a deviated septum... so I am hopeful this procedure will help- but have heard mixed reviews as to its successfulness. Thanks for uplifting this with me!

--> I'll be a bridesmaid in my friend Kristina's wedding on August 15 in Texas. We go way back to high school days- and were dorm sisters. I'm excited to celebrate her big day with her!

Other random highlights of the summer so far: relaxing at the pool, watching dad cut off his leg cast, visiting Celestial Seasonings in Boulder, garage sales, rodeo, Chris & Emily's wedding, chips & salsa, driving a car, worshipping in English, stores with shoes that fit my feet, and of course precious time with so many friends and my great family!!

Chapters. . .

2009-06-03T03:49:00.000-07:00

Just as my senior students are starting a major new chapter in their lives...

I'm about to start a short little chapter called SUMMER :) On Saturday our team begins our journey back to the USA. It's definitely bitter sweet as I will miss this place, and the people I've come to love (such as my new sister pictured above). My pictures haven't been uploading to facebook recently- so I hope next week to have several new albums to share the past few months with you!

The little miracles...

2009-04-20T01:01:00.000-07:00

This is my last week of classes (except for one more next week). It is really surreal. As I have so much I want to do for my last classes in addition to final grades and team commitments and daily life in general, I have worked myself up and gotten stressed with a big TO-DO list constantly running through my mind. I got emotional saying my first goodbyes to a class of freshman this morning, and that was just the beginning.

With all of this on my mind, I got a bit bent out of shape when the printer in our room- shared by all on the team- ran out of ink last night. I remembered the last time we had to get a new ink cartridge, and I think it took a day or two or more?? Well, we are all in the middle of a busy week- needing to print worksheets, lesson plans, final exams, etc... and I started worrying about how this was going to work out- keeping in mind that my thumb drive didn't work when trying to print documents at a place on the street a few weeks ago. In addition, I couldn't really remember where the place was that I went last time, and I didn't feel like I had extra time in my day to care for this and especially not to spend time searching for a place, and I started fretting about communication once at the place if I ever found it... as my Vietnamese language skills are, for lack of a better word, lacking... which then makes me frustrated I haven't studied more, and down and down the spiral I went.

So this afternoon, before going out, I decided I needed some quiet time to get perspective and calm down. Not really a big deal- but with everything pressing all at once, it felt like a bigger deal. You know how it goes! And of course, my team study this week is about work- and making our work worship. I love how He gently and patiently meets me where I'm at and challenges me where I'm "off track." I totally realized how I saw my to-do list this week as a list of work to get done, and not at all considering it as worship to Him to get a new ink cartridge, to grade hundreds of journals, to wash the dishes by hand again, to plan review games, etc. My attitude needed fixing, and He did it! So that is miracle #1 :)

Miracle #2: I left my apartment at 2:30 hoping the ink errand would not take me past 4:00 pm. As I rode my bike down the street from the University, I saw one of my students and stopped to say hello. She asked me where I was going, and I shared with her about the ink cartridge. She offered to help, walked into the photocopy shop two doors down from where we were standing (and where I go each week to make copies for class close to the University), and after about 5 minutes of explanation and a phone call, a new ink cartridge was ordered and will be delivered at 5:15 pm tonight (SAME DAY!!!!) for a reasonable price (less than $5.00 equivalent). I was in shock that this problem I had worked up in my mind was solved that simply. I explained to my helpful student how I had asked the Father to help me with this errand, and it was a neat opportunity to share with her how He provided through her. I was home before 3:00 pm and totally overwhelmed by His goodness!!

Wow, there are so many lessons in this little miracle! Why did I add time to life worrying in the past 24 hours? And why was I getting stressed out and being short with those around me over such a minute thing? I should have thanked Him first, and trusted Him to work it out- as He did in a way that I couldn't have imagined. Also, why hesitate to share our needs with another when they may be able to help? I could go on and on, but wanted to praise my Father for His goodness in each and every part of life and share my excitement with you.

So be encouraged- He cares about the ink cartridges, and even more- your heart!!

(I hope to post some new photos soon :)

Go ALONE?!

2009-04-14T04:35:00.000-07:00

It's been fascinating to observe and learn some things about Vietnamese culture this year. One of the most interesting to me has been the collective society that is so night and day from my American individualistic mindset. I cannot tell you how many times I have had students ask me why I went to the market alone, ran around the lake alone, walked on campus alone, etc. That is SOOO strange to them. "Miss Suzy, you go alone????!!!!" To be alone is like the worst thing ever here! I have explained that I am not upset at my teammates or anything, and that I do not feel sad about going places alone. But it is just not normal here. So it really isn't very relaxing to go places alone because you must prepare for all the questions and stares :)

As introverted as I am though, I completely see the benefits of doing life together. You have another person to share your experience with, to help you make decisions, to face challenges with, to laugh with, to keep you from getting run over by an oncoming moto, to help you bargain for the best price, etc. As I observe life around me, I really think this is how the Father meant for us to live. Yet our American ways seem so far from the ideal community. I feel privileged to have glimpsed and learned from the Vietnamese ways.

Of course, there is always this tension of living in a foreign country because your ways of life no longer fit. But I'm thankful for what He's teaching me about community. It's been stretching for sure. This year I have learned a lot through my team, and especially through my roommate. Maren and I have had to work very hard at learning each other's communication styles this year (even though we are from "the same" cultural background) :) We have had moments of tension, frustration, and tears. Yet despite my natural desires to have my own space, I have learned to share this apartment now called home, and I have seen the benefits of doing life together over and over again. I'm so glad I've experienced true community this year.

A big shout out to my team, and especially my roomie who shares just about everything with me ... ahem :) I can't begin to describe how much of life we do together! It's a risky thing to know and be known- but an amazing thing to be loved even so!

Aerobics Class

2009-03-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

I still want to post some highlights from the Cambodia trip . . . but couldn't wait to post a few pictures of the aerobics class my team leader Karen and I go to! I refer to it as "pilates on steroids." There are about 15? middle-aged Vietnamese women who regularly attend this class from 7-8 a.m. I usually have two mornings a week I don't have a 7 a.m. class- so Karen and I meet outside our apartments and take her motorbike down what we call "the bumpy road" for about 10 minutes before arriving here (note the ripped dude in the photo):

We walk up to the second floor, take off our helmets, get our socks on, and start stretching. For about 10 or 15 minutes, we do a step routine- and it's so fast! Then we exchange our steps for mats and do TONS of various sit-up exercises. These ladies are quite a bit older than us, and we have a hard time keeping up- they are intense!

This is "bar day" where we do lots of leg exercises. Note the fun outfits :) I have not adapted to culture in this aspect- still prefer my yoga pants and t-shirt. The lady in pink on the right is the aerobics leader. At the very end, we usually do some little dance steps- my favorite part by far. And the music selection is truly amazing... including "She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bakini," and "You can kiss me on a Monday, a Monday, a Monday- but not on a Sunday- because that's my day of rest!"

The Vietnamese women though, truly are the highlight! They are always so excited to see us, and ask us why we don't come every day... We've enjoyed many a laugh with them between crunches :) It's definitely been good for learning my numbers in Vietnamese too!

To end our morning routine, Karen and I stop at our favorite "Ban Mi Opla" lady's stand and purchase a delicious bread+egg breakfast sandwich for a little over 50 cents. What a great way to start the day!!

Travel Tale #3: Chiang Mai, Thailand

2009-03-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

I flew from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Thailand for our organization's annual conference. It was a GREAT time of encouragement and refreshment. I arrived a few days before conference started and roomed with my friend from JBU days- Allison Almstrom, and was able to visit a dentist, take care of paperwork stuff with our organization, and do a fun tourist attraction called "Flight of the Gibbon".... a big zip-line course through the jungle. We could hear the Gibbon monkeys calling through the trees as we zipped around!

Our conference was SO great. We heard from Michael Card and Joseph Stowell, had great times adoring Him, seminars to help us improve our teaching, and much needed downtime to do nothing and visit with other teachers and friends in different cities/countries. I'll share more about how He spoke to my heart during ATC (Annual Thailand Conference) in a future blog :)

Ronald has a VN girlfriend??

Riding an elephant!!!!

Travel Tale #2: Bangkok, Thailand

2009-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Tuk-Tuk Adventure with Bob & Es!

I was able to spend a few days with my parents in Bangkok, Thailand at The Alliance Guesthome. It was a sweet time of rest together together. We happened to have a room right next to Dave & Nancy Farnum- the team leaders from Hanoi- who were getting medical needs cared for in Bangkok. It was great to see them again! I had gotten to know them a bit during my month of training in Hanoi.

I've already blogged about my own medical highlight- which took a good bit of our time in Bangkok- but well worth it as I continue to breathe perfectly!! I also was spoiled with a visit to a hair salon there :)

Some things I noticed in Thailand:

-the people are very laid back and friendly

-it's customary to bow when greeting or saying goodbye

-chopsticks are not as frequently used as spoons/forks

-rice is served by the waiter/waitress to each person out of a large bowl, rather than given in a bowl or on a plate like in VN

-roti (similar to crepes) are AMAZING desserts

-they drive on the left side of the road, on the right side of the car

-there were SOOOO many cars- I had a bit of culture shock as I've become accustomed to motos on the roads

-poverty was more evident than in VN (beggars on the streets)

Travel Tale #1: Dalat

2009-03-01T05:33:00.000-08:00

First moment I saw mom and dad come through the airport doors :)

This is the first of several blogs to share about my break between semesters. The day I finished grading Journalism final exams, I went to Saigon on the midnight bus with my team leader Karen to pick up my mom and dad!! Everything about our trip and picking them up went SO smoothly! It was unreal to see them walk out of the airport- I just couldn't believe they were in Vietnam. We spent that first day trying to keep them awake- getting some food and walking around the market in HCM. We got a good nights sleep before taking the bus back to Dalat the next day.

Even after many warnings that it was quite cold in Dalat, my parents were still surprised by the chill they experienced. Yes, there are cold places in Vietnam :) It was SOOO fun to show them around the city of Dalat, spend my 25^th birthday with them, and introduce them to my home, the University campus and classrooms I teach in, my teammates, my teaching colleagues and superiors at the University, the lake in the center of town I run around, a few of my students who did not leave for the TET New Year holiday, my favorite places to eat, the amazing market, and so much more! What a gift to have time together in my new home setting. And a big THANK YOU to all of you who sent things with my parents to bless and encourage me!

On a side note, I had a wonderful 25th birthday. We had some visitors from Hanoi come to Dalat to visit, and my teammates surprised me with a pancake breakfast! It was such a sweet gift of love. They know me well. Then my parents took me for a lovely horse-drawn carriage ride around the lake, followed by a delicious dinner, and then cake and candles (sent from my Grandma).

Crazy Love!

2009-02-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

Props to my cousin Chris who gave me the book, "Crazy Love," by Francis Chan right before I left for Vietnam last summer. Over the the break between semesters, I've finally read it and have been super challenged by it! I have been thinking a lot about the Father's words- to love Him, and to love others. Really, that's all life is about. I get so mixed up in my priorities at times, and have to admit that I really stink at loving Him and others. I am asking Him daily to teach me how to love and change my heart. . . because my heart is so selfish!

On this day we celebrate LOVE, here are a few thoughts from the book to ponder:

"The love for equals is a human thing- of friend for friend, brother for brother. It is to love what is loving and lovely. The world smiles. The love for the less fortunate is a beautiful thing- the love for those who suffer, for those who are poor, the sick, the failures, the unlovely. This is compassion, and it touches the heart of the world. The love for the more fortunate is a rare thing- to love those who succeed where we fail, to rejoice without envy with those who rejoice, the love of the poor for the rich, of the black man for the white man. The world is always bewildered by its saints. And then there is the love for the enemy- love for the one who does not love you but mocks, threatens, and inflicts pain. The tortured's love for the torturer. This is G's love. It conquers the world."

-Frederick Buechner

"The very fact that a holy, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, merciful, fair, and just G loves you and me is nothing short of astonishing.

The wildest part is that J doesn't HAVE to love us. His being is utterly complete and perfect, apart from humanity. He doesn't need me or you. Yet He wants us, chooses us, even considers us His inheritance (Eph. 1:18). The greatest knowledge we can ever have is knowing G treasures us.

That really is amazing beyond description. The holy Creator sees you as His "glorious inheritance."

The irony is that while G doesn't need us but still wants us, we desperately need G but don't really want Him most of the time. He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him- and we wonder, indifferently, how much we have to do for Him to get by."

-Francis Chan

Happy Valentine's Day!!

(pictures and updates to come soon :)

On the road . . .

2009-01-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post from an internet cafe in Chiang Mai Thailand :) The past days have been full and wonderfully refreshing. My parents came to visit me and my team in Dalat for several days, and then we were in Bangkok together, and now I am in Chian Mai for our organization's annual conference. It's been so sweet to have this time with mom and dad, and I will meet up with them after conference in Cambodia to see some work going on there!

And I'm also really thankful for a unique opportunity we had to visit the AMAZING Bumrungrad International (5-star-facility and service) Hospital in Bangkok. We went to seek further help for my allergies... which had gotten much worse recently, and I was starting to get nervous about second semester (not sure how I would teach and breathe so stuffed up all the time :( After blood work and my first MRI, the doctor found no blood issues, but found MAJOR nasal blockage issues from the CT scan- I'll spare you from all the yucky details- but basically, even with allergies under control, I cannot breathe... so I am on intense meds right now- 3 different nasal sprays and 5 different pills- to address and hopefully reduce all the blockage keeping me from air. If those don't work, I will probably seek laser surgery this summer. I have seen over and over why the Father called me to Vietnam this past year- and yet again, I am so thankful for the opportunity to have this quality care. I am overwhelmed to be His daughter, to know that He cares for every detail- big and small- and to trust Him as my divine Healer!

Well, I hope to share more stories and pictures in the next weeks. Our conference officially starts on Wednesday the 28th and goes through February 4th. I'm really looking forward to the speakers, worship times, and fellowship with believers. I'm also seeking the Father's plans for this next year- and would appreciate your thoughts for me in that area. Ok, off to cuddle with the tigers, ride an elephant, and experience "The Flight of the Gibbon" (is that a monkey?!... The Amazing Race season 3 did that)!!

I wish you . . .

2009-01-01T02:01:00.000-08:00

..."1 year of happiness, 12 months of health, 365 days of lucky, 8,760 hours of success, and 525,600 seconds of love!"

Between Christmas and New Year's, my cell phone inbox has been continuously full of text messages like the one above! I can't believe it's 2009. This time last year, I had no idea I would be in Vietnam! I always wonder what might come in the year ahead. Last night we celebrated by making mexican food for dinner, and brownies for dessert! We pulled up some YouTube videos of the ball dropping in previous years... and then did our own countdown as Karen slowly dropped her big blue exercise ball. It was quite something! Of course we also toasted with some sparkling grape juice (another special treat and splurge)... although I almost lost an eye when opening the bottle. Oh, dear.

Christmas was a great time. We had parties galore for neighbors, faculty, and students. It was tiring, but definitely worth it. I got teary a few times, but was so thankful for the opportunities to share about the 1st Christmas with students- and that made it worth being away from family and friends back home. I wrote more about the parties in my next newsletter- but there are also some pictures you can check out by copying and pasting the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=196761&l=1ddf5&id=905920458

We went to a student's village for Christmas Eve (1 hour bus ride away). It was definitely an experience being the 2nd foreigners to ever visit! During the service at their fellowship, our team of 4 sang Silent Night... let's just say I was really relieved when that was over. We had lunch after the morning service, and then visited with our student's family in their home. They gave us gifts of traditional wedding necklaces and rings- so we are thinking this may be the year for the Dalat girls to find someone special... :) Everyone was so kind and hospitable. It was so interesting though because the village was so different from Dalat- very simple lifestyle. Vietnam is an incredibly diverse country, and it's great to see more of it. They sent us home with pineapple, corn, and bananas from their farm!

On Christmas Eve night we went to the service at our fellowship in Dalat. We enjoyed sharing that time with some students who translated into English for us. It was so fascinating to hear their translations... to hear how Vietnamese believers tell the Christmas story, to hear it from someone who is speaking English as their second language, and to hear it from people who are listening to the story for the first time! One student, who had never read or seen the Word before, took my 'book' and started reading it- and couldn't stop. How exciting! I'm anxious to see how the Father works in his heart next semester. He's definitely thirsty for truth.

Christmas day, as you can see from the pictures, was full of special food and gifts and team. I am thankful for my Vietnam family!

Today, the first day of 2009, I continued my reading in the book of Nehemiah- chapter 9. As I read, I made a list of the qualities of our Father- and filled two pages in my journal! You should read it!! Anyway, as I read, I was in awe of who He is. This year has totally blown apart every "box" that I've put Him in. I've seen new parts of His character that floor me. He is truly beyond description, and more powerful and active than I ever realized.

Even though I am a "goal" person, I have given up on New Year's resolutions :) I think I gave up the year I tried to be "perfect" and messed on January 1. Ha, ha. So instead, I made a simple list of some desires of my heart for 2009:

to be a person of the Word and PR.
to hope in Him alone.
to know Him more deeply.
to find worth in Him alone.
to learn to love like Him.

I don't know what this next year holds, but I do know that if in one year, I can look back on 2009 with a sense of growing in each of these areas, 2009 will be the best year yet!

Saboteur!!

2008-12-19T07:56:00.000-08:00

I couldn't think of any other name for this blog but SABOTEUR- which is our team's newest addiction. It's a SUPER fun game- like a mix between Mafia and Settlers- and if you haven't played, you definitely should pick one up for a Christmas gift for a friend or yourself after reading this blog!! :)

Classes are finished for the semester, and I'm now working through grading journals and finishing grades for my senior students. Is it really possible?! I will give final exams on the 27th, 30th, and Jan. 9th... and after grading the last ones, I will be officially finished with my first semester of teaching! Please ask that I'll be motivated to get the grades done.

Our trip to visit other teachers in Quy Nhon with our organization for Thanksgiving was a great time. Here's a silly team photo showing the ocean behind us... we were attempting a fun "jump" picture, and it didn't quite work out... (L to R: Karen, Maren, me, Jenny). Oh, man. I'm really thankful for my teammates!

Since then, we have been enjoying the Christmas season. It's definitely not going to be a white Christmas this year, and even though the song, "I'll be home for Christmas" makes me tear up and get a big lump in my throat, I truly am excited for it. There are many places around town that put up Christmas decorations- so that makes it fun. I don't miss all the shopping and commercialism hoopla- that's for sure. We have added some Christmas touches to our apartments, have been playing Christmas music (thanks to my awesome cousin Chris), have been lighting candles (which are a rare and special here), and are enjoying hot chocolate from care packages!! The joys are simple and sweet this year. I cried the first Sunday I saw this massive and beautiful tree in our local fellowship! So beautiful :)

Tonight we started our Christmas party marathon! We had 16 people over for dinner in Jenny's apartment. It was quite the night :) We didn't expect quite that many as we don't have that many neighbors, but in VN, when you invite someone over, they often bring guests unannounced. We all breathed a sigh of relief when there was enough food- it just seemed to multiply! PTL. Tomorrow night we have our faculty friends coming over for desserts and games, and then Monday and Tuesday we have invited all of the English students to come at different times with their classes. I think over 700 total? Although, not everyone will come because of finals, other commitments, etc. It will be crazy though. Please uplift our time with them as we intentionally share the true joy of the season.

Lots of guests mean lots of dishes :) I do miss the modern convenience of a dishwasher at times- not going to lie. But it is becoming more normal... and I am thankful for HOT water, and music to listen to or a roommate to talk to or quiet time to think while doing dishes, and I could go on- we are so blessed.

I have some really exciting things I want to share and give thanks for!

First, I think I have finally found a possible language tutor. I have met with one gal several times who seems to be a great fit for me. She pushes me, and is organized in how she teaches me. She's also quite honest... sometimes the honesty of this culture still surprises me... after trying to repeat a sentence in our last lesson, she said, "Hm, no, that wasn't good at all." Oh, dear. Gotta laugh a lot when learning a language and making a fool of yourself!!

Second, we have received our class assignments for next semester- and I will be teaching most of the same students next semester! I am so excited about this... selfishly- because I don't want to learn more names (I can't keep up with all of the names from this semester), and I also feel like this will allow me to hopefully go deeper with some. I will be teaching Speaking 2 (two freshman classes), Speaking 4 (one sophomore class), and Journalism 2 (four senior classes).

Third, the Father has done some really neat things on our team. He is working in our hearts and continuing to stretch and grow us together. I am thankful for what He's teaching us, how He's humbling us, and I'm in awe of how He brought four random girls together in Dalat, Vietnam... and it is only in Him that we can be unified and effective for His purposes!!

More to come about our Christmas adventures soon. Enjoy some snow for me ;)

Teacher's Day!

2008-11-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

Vietnam has a wonderful holiday each year on the 20th of November: Teacher's Day! It is a day off for teachers and students... and a day for students to honor their teachers. There is a major sense of honor for teachers in this culture. So it actually began the evening of the 19th- with an evening of performances... traditional dances, not-so-traditional dances, Vietnamese songs, English songs, etc. It was so fun to see our students perform! And of course, we also had to perform... so we sang, ahem, and I'm glad that's over ;) I must admit I kind of just smiled during the song. I tried to sing, but couldn't hear myself, and the students were standing and waving their hands back and forth like it was an Elton John concert or something, and it just was one of those really out-of-body experiences. Ha, ha. They gave all of us teachers flowers and afterwards my students bombarded me for pictures- it's funny sometimes how you start to feel famous as a foreigner. Oh my. We also wore our Ao-Dais (traditional VN dresses) for the first time! Everyone commented on how much more beautiful we looked in our Ao-Dais :)

Then on the 20th, students came by our apartment with flowers, small gifts, words of thanks and well wishes- especially through text messages (such as "I wish you happy, lucky, healthy, and successful in your life always"). During the afternoon I went to a student's one bedroom apartment and learned how to make "sweet soup" with her! Maren and I both taught these gals in the photo below, and they gave us a set of mugs. Their gift couldn't have been more perfect because we only have two mugs, and we are always washing them for hot chocolate and tea on these cold Dalat nights! We felt a lot of love and honor from our sweet students, and definitely chose the right country to teach in :)

The evening of Teacher's Day we were invited to two dinners- one by the Foreign Languages Department and another by the International Relations Department. So we decided to go to both :) Oh, man- we were stuffed by the end to say the least! Here's a photo of the new outfit outside the first place we ate dinner.

The next adventures include a visit from my teammate Jenny's mom and sister this weekend, a very full teaching schedule of 12 hours on Monday and Tuesday, and then a trip to visit our closest neighbors in our organization (9 hour bus ride away) to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with them. We leave Wednesday morning the 26th and come back on Sunday the 30th. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Please know that YOU are definitely on my list of "thankfuls"... I know I wouldn't be here without your thought support, financial generosity, and encouraging notes/packages/e-mails/etc. From the bottom of... Vietnam... and my heart,

Thank You!

What's normal?

2008-11-14T23:28:00.001-08:00

This morning we hosted a little "Thanksgiving" party for the students in one of our Speaking classes. My momma always said that company is good motivation- and that was SO true... last night we totally cleaned our apartment and finally got some art hung on the wall and it's such a great feeling!! About 30 students came to our apartment, and we enjoyed mango bread (just like banana bread- except with mangos- delicious!), dragon fruit, apples, and pomelos (kind of similar to grapegruit). We played games, explained the "Thanksgiving" holiday, and sang "Give Thanks" together. Of course, it isn't a party without some songs in Vietnam. It was really something to hear the students singing, "Give thanks to the Holy One..." I was also blessed by the students each sharing what they were thankful for- although each one said the same thing- their family (parents), their friends, and their teachers- Miss Maren and Miss Suzy :) I think most of them didn't really know what to say- so after one person shared, the rest followed suit. However, it still made me think- how many people back home 'normally' give thanks for material things, and yet the only thing students mentioned were relationships. Very interesting.

Our students continually look puzzled when they see two beds in our home, and ask why we don't sleep in the same bed. That is just mind boggling to them that we would have separate beds :) What's normal? They also are always commenting on our knives and other kitchen utensils- brought from America... it's funny how strange our 'normal' utensils seem to them. Many students have said our 2 room apartment is very large or "high" (because the ceilings are really tall). We are definitely thankful for our cute homes, and it's a privilege to fill it with students! In America, I definitely felt normal- but everyday I am reminded that I am not normal with blonde hair, blue eyes, large feet (size 8.5) that do not fit any shoes in VN, and a gigantic height of 5'5''. It also strikes them as odd if our team walks with our own umbrellas instead of sharing, or if we walk together without our arms around each other's waists. Oh, well :) As we do our best to be culturally appropriate and adapt, we will never be Vietnamese no matter how hard we try. Normal is relative- and for that I am thankful! This morning's party really got me excited about the upcoming holidays and celebrations... I even traced my hand to draw a little Turkey last night!! Gobble Gobble.

My Students!!

2008-11-12T05:02:00.000-08:00

Here are 6 of my Senior Journalism students (we took this photo after class one morning on campus... what a beautiful University we have)!

These are some of my Sophomore speaking students. Our team had a fall party where students came over and carved their first every Jack-O-Lanterns on our front porch! I didn't think we could find pumpkins in Dalat- but lo and behold- the market had short greenish pumpkins :) They were SO creative with them!!

This is another Sophomore student, who is actually about my age... oldest in her class. She just got married to the father of her little baby boy. Maren and I went to her one-room-house for a wedding party... which was dinner on the floor by candlelight since the electricity was out. It's very different here- if someone has a birthday or wedding, they are the party hosts and do all the work... whereas it's the opposite back home (others throw a party in your honor).

So you can picture a few of my students. In all, I have taught about 330 different students. My mind is swimming with names most of the time- I feel badly I can't remember more names :( I have a bad memory as it is... with names in my own culture! Oh, dear.

Here are a few other tidbits about my students...

My senior students have very high level English skills. I am blown away by the words they use sometimes, or the questions they ask me. Just last night I went to grab a bit to eat with a group of girls, and our conversation was very fluid and intelligent. They even use idioms and can make good jokes in English- that's impressive stuff! One topic many students continue to bring up is that of couples living together before getting married. It's definitely a hot issue on campus right now. Traditional Vietnamese values do not allow couples to live together before marriage. But sadly, many VN youth have adopted the ways of the West. Way to go America (ARG!). I was able to share my view with the students in several ways... and use the "Christmas present" analogy- you can only open it once! They seemed to connect with that. I hope I can speak into these girls' lives more and more- they are super sharp!
My sophomore students are all spending these next three weeks in "military training"... learning how to use guns, taking some sort of written exam, etc. Every student in the country, male and female, must complete the training so they will be ready and equipped if ever called upon by their communist country. All regular classes are pushed aside during this time.
My freshman students are definitely at a very different level than my senior students in every way imaginable- maturity, pronunciation and speaking skills, class behavior, etc. I feel bad that some of them are learning the hard way. For example, I have had to give low "marks" on assignments because students didn't follow any of my instructions, handed it in during class rather than the beginning when I asked for it, or copied another's students' work word for word. Today I handed back a bunch of homework and they looked stricken at the low scores. I had to stick to it though, and they will be better students because of it. Those who copied each other's work even came up and apologized to me after class- which was very much appreciated. I'm anxious to see if everyone has their homework done BEFORE class next time :) It's important to train the students well their first year...
During a recent quiz in Journalism class... I walked back to one student who was looking at his neighbor's paper- and made a BIG X on the top... which I had previously warned the students about. If I saw them talking or looking at another paper, I would mark an X on their paper, and that means they get a ZERO. So the entire class watched me walk to the back row, and my heart was beating like crazy, and it was one of the hardest things for me to draw an X on his paper and then walk back to the front of the class. A murmur went through the class of 90 some students. As I stood up in the front for the rest of the quiz with teary eyes, I think I understood for the first time what my parents meant when they spanked me and said, "This hurts me more than it hurts you." I really love my students and want to believe the best in them and see them succeed!

Please ask that the Father will continue to give me wisdom in the classroom, and love for my students. I would also appreciate your thoughts for good health- I think I have had some food poisoning this week :( And I continue to treat the burn blister on my leg that I got after getting off a motorbike taxi this weekend. C'est la vie. The good news is that the medication I needed for my burn was $1.00 over the counter (whereas it requires prescription stateside- as well as several more dollars I would assume). The perks of life in Asia :)

"Life is fast, it doesn't wait nobody."

2008-11-10T04:36:00.000-08:00

This is a quote from a freshman student's short story homework. It caught my eye- how true! The days are flying by and before we know it, we'll be finished with 1/2 of our year in Vietnam. CRAZY! There have been so many moments I've thought about blogging, and then needed to spend time lesson planning, grading, meeting with students, etc. So many stories I've wanted to share, but life is fast... so here are two for you.

1- My Watch

Several weeks ago, I was running around the lake in the center of town for a bit of exercise. To avoid colliding with a man walking towards us, I moved to the left of the sidewalk, but my left arm barely hit a light pole. Actually, my arm didn't hit it, but my watch did- causing a small but important piece (like a little pin) to fall to the ground never to be found again. My watch is a cheapo Wal-Mart one- but I LOVE it- and can't find any like it in Dalat (with a velcro band). Anyway, it was one of those moments where I just wanted to cry. I use my watch every day for class- it's a must. However, after our run I saw a watch shop. I thought I would just look to see if they had any similar ones. While I held my broken watch in my hand- the man at the counter took it, saw the problem, and immediately found a replacement piece and had it fixed within two minutes for just a few thousand Dong (maybe 20 cents). I didn't even think it could be fixed- I was just looking for a new one. I didn't have any Vietnamese words to explain, and yet it all worked out. I wanted to cry for joy this time!! And some things this 'minor' mishap taught me included:

-One small watch part, or one seemingly small/insignificant person, can make such a difference... each member of the body is so important.

-I had no idea the watch could be fixed at all- and there ended up being a simple, quick, cheap, nearby solution. How often do I see no solutions to life's problems, when the Father is above all of that and we cannot comprehend what He might bring about. Ah... I'm overwhelmed with His goodness and love.

-Just like the man at the watch store, how quick the Father is to heal our hearts and mend our brokenness- He continually makes us new.

-The verse that kept playing over in my mind that night was the one about how our Father delights in giving us good gifts... taste and see that He is good. Sometimes it strikes me most through the small things- like watch parts :)

2- The Flame

This past Sunday night our team of four was invited to dine at the home of Momma and Poppa Kim (some prominent Korean teachers here at Dalat University). Poppa Kim has brought several Korean teachers to the school, and has quite a bit of influence in Vietnam and South Korea and has played an important role in building relations between the countries. Both of them speak a good bit of English (their daughter and son-in-law live in Atlanta, GA). Anyway, we had some DELICIOUS Korean food- and it was a very unique experience to say the least. They live in a VERY nice (very non-VN-style) home that they designed and built. Their home was filled with very nice things- a 24 karat gold silverware type of home :) Anyway, the electricity was out that night, so we had dinner by candlelight. After we finished dinner and were enjoying a good conversation, I noticed a candle flame by the window that was getting dangerously high. I debated whether or not to say anything in my mind. I didn't want to offend these very important people, and I wasn't sure what would be appropriate to say or do in Korean culture. I couldn't stop staring at the flame, and yet wasn't sure if I should interrupt? Finally my teammate Maren also noticed and she said something right away, the candle was blown out, and there was a big black mark on the wall. Momma and Poppa were thankful (their backs were to the candle). This little mishap was a great challenge to me:

-How many times do I see something in someone's life that I know isn't healthy or helpful, and yet for fear of offending them or of making the relationship awkward, I keep silent? Afraid I will be viewed as judgmental or prideful?

-This made me think about how harmful it could be if I keep silent... worse case scenario (the beautiful wood home would have burned to the ground).

-And on the other hand, I know how thankful I am when someone speaks into my life to keep me from living in sin, or making poor choices... so why am I not quick to do the same?

-I think sometimes the people-pleasing side of me wins too often.

Well folks, "Life is fast, it doesn't wait nobody." So don't spend time worrying about little watch parts- the Father is bigger than any perceived problem. And don't waste time keeping silent... but in the words of John Mayer- say what you need to say.

Cheers! (A common VN-English ending to e-mail messages)

Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day...

2008-10-30T02:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those. Well, it wasn't THAT bad. It actually started out quite well. I went to aerobics class with Karen- which is always a good way to start the day. And of course on the way home on the moto, we stopped at our favorite ban mi opla place to get a delicious egg sandwich for breakfast. After that we did a few errands- including a very exciting purchase: a three tiered desk shelf/organizer thing. I know it might not sound like a big deal, but let me tell you, the number of paper piles all over our apartment is out of control with two of us teachers sharing an apartment- and I have over 300 students alone (not sure how many Maren has)... so I am PUMPED about my new little three shelf paper organizer thing- to say the least. Although it was a bit more pricey than I had anticipated.

Then we had our weekly team devo meeting... which was great, although some guys were in the back of Karen's apartment fixing her hot water heater... and they were smoking in her bathroom... a bit bothersome while have our meeting... but we managed just fine. However, I had told a few of my students I would meet them at 12 for lunch. At about 11:20 (forty minutes early) there was a knock on the door- and we were not yet finished with our devo meeting. I felt bad for the interruption for our team's sake, and I am definitely still adjusting to these early arrivals- which are normal here. One day I invited some girls over, and they showed up an hour early to find me just out of the shower! Oh, dear.

So Maren came with me, and we began our trek to find some food with these Journalism students. I have honestly enjoyed most of the food in VN, but this lunch was not one I enjoyed so much. On top of my rice, I saw the insides of different animals... even pig intestines... and I couldn't do it (although it wasn't as bad as the hairy pig skin in my soup this weekend). I reasoned with myself that my students hadn't made it- and they weren't eating everything on their plates either, so I just put all meat items to the side and stuck to the veggies! To top it off, one of my students proceeds to tell me that most of the students in the Journalism class cheated on the quiz I gave them last week. Our teachers warned us about this in our "Asia ESL" training... so I had even worked ahead to prepare two different versions of the quiz to prevent cheating. And even though we were warned about it, I couldn't help but feel betrayed and upset that my students cheated. ARG. And I was frustrated that I didn't catch them. What the heck! I was watching SO closely!!!! Hmmm...

Then after lunch one of the gals helped Maren and me with some items that needed repairing- a broken lamp, water kettle, cell phone, etc. She was SO sweet to assist us and give us advice. However, I was bummed because I had to get a new SIM card for my cell phone- which meant a new cell phone number... which is just a big hassle. And none of my contacts carried over. Yadda yadda. Oh well. As my brother Dave says, "It is what it is." Nothing to do about it now.

In the afternoon, I had a question about my class schedule, so I tried to call the office, but no response. So I tried to send an e-mail... but no response- and I was worried they might close and I needed to get an answer yesterday. So I changed into "teacher" clothes, hiked up the hill to the office, and walked in- to find that the answer was being typed into an e-mail right as I walked in. Stink. I could've waited just a bit more and gotten the answer. Oh, well. It was good to say hello in person :) I also found a package slip for my teammate Jenny when I went to the office- so it was worth it! Since Maren also had a package slip, we decided to go for a bike ride to the Post Office in the center of town to pick up the goods. Three foreigners riding bikes :) I think that might have been the highlight of the day! After successfully picking up the packages, we stopped at our beloved Vietnamese "Subway" (where I get 2 sandwiches because they are so small), and then we went to our favorite bakery next door (Lien Hoa) to get a brownie to share for dessert. It was dark by the time we rode back to our apartments.

I had planned to do lesson plans in the evening, but then got distracted by Skype. I connected with my parents briefly, and when I saw them on the webcam, I got a big lump in my throat and was instantly homesick. :( Then I got emotional about all of the people back home that I love and miss. So I went out my back door to process with my team leader Karen . . . which was great . . . except that I totally locked Maren (my roommate) out of the back room of our two room apartment. Our back room has our bathroom, kitchen area, and beds- so she couldn't go to bed. Let's just say that was straw that broke the camel's back. Really, it will probably be funny in a few months... but it wasn't so funny last night.

Of course each day has its ups and downs... culturally, emotionally, etc... in Vietnam or the US or wherever. I am SO thankful for our Father who is constant! And I praise Him for His mercies that are new every morning. I'm not sure how people cope with the ups and downs without Him! No worries, things really are going well and I truly do love life in VN :) After reading about my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, I hope you get an idea of how good things have been (as this was one of my hardest days- and it really wasn't that bad at all). So let me close with one of my favorite quotes related to perspective:

Two women looked through bars.

One saw mud; the other saw stars.

New Friends . . .

2008-10-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

These students came over for apple crisp and a game. Not sure what they really thought of the apple crisp, but they were good sports. I've also gotten to play volleyball with these gals. Fun times :)

This gal is a sister and such an encouragement to spend time with. We were able to sing some hymns together in our different languages- same tune and meaning, but different words. It was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had. A little taste of heaven on earth!

At our first meal in a Vietnamese home, this little girl (a neice of our friend) had quite the personality. She warmed up to us quickly and we laughed a lot. Here we are doing our signature "VTF" (Vietnam Teaching Fellowship) sign... our hands moving like bird's wings to show that we are FREE . . . in more ways than one :)