We are leaving thailand tomorrow!! Im and so bitter sweet, i wanne see all you guys but then again, it is so amazing here!
i layed by the pool for alomost 2 hours today with em and it felt so good :)
And, i cant beleave i am saying this...but...i am shopped out! kinda...
well, see you soon and please pray for the plane ride home! Itle be a longggg one!
LOVES!
~Loryn
Monday, February 25, 2008
The Past Two Weeks by heather
Hello. This is Heather.
It is kind of funny that I am writing now since the trip is almost over, but at least a can give a brief summery of the whole trip. I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Thailand. I have gotten the chance to experience the culture there first hand through fun shopping excursions in the market, riding in cool red trucks, and riding elephants! We have have a blast, but I think we would all agree that the best time we have had on this trip was getting to know the awesome kids at the missionary conference. The kids in all of our groups were so lovable and it was easy to make great friends with them (with very few exceptions). We even made good friends with the kids our age. The hardest part of the trip is knowing chances are I will never see those kids again. Young Pieter-Philip, Enrica, Hendrick, Alfred, Toby, etc. will all go back to China but will stay in our prayers. I am looking forward to telling you all about this trip! See you soon:)
Heather
It is kind of funny that I am writing now since the trip is almost over, but at least a can give a brief summery of the whole trip. I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Thailand. I have gotten the chance to experience the culture there first hand through fun shopping excursions in the market, riding in cool red trucks, and riding elephants! We have have a blast, but I think we would all agree that the best time we have had on this trip was getting to know the awesome kids at the missionary conference. The kids in all of our groups were so lovable and it was easy to make great friends with them (with very few exceptions). We even made good friends with the kids our age. The hardest part of the trip is knowing chances are I will never see those kids again. Young Pieter-Philip, Enrica, Hendrick, Alfred, Toby, etc. will all go back to China but will stay in our prayers. I am looking forward to telling you all about this trip! See you soon:)
Heather
Hi from Kathy
It is hard to believe that this is our last day and night in Thailand! We had fun going to the Maesa Elephant Camp this morning, and it was especially fun for me because my godson Jason and his family joined us, including 10-day-old Hudson. Natasha told me that it is the custom in Asia for women to stay confined in their homes [and even their beds!] for one month after their baby is born, so it is very unusual for people to see a baby as young as Hudson out-and-about. People were quite interested in him . . . and quite amazed that he took an elephant ride at such a young age.
The elephants at this camp put on a show for us that included playing soccer, and they also paint amazing pictures. We didn't learn how they are trained to do so, but each of seven or eight elephants painted a different and very clear picture which we could then buy as postcards or - if we had been a bit richer - an orginal. My favorite was the elephant who painted a self-portrait! The rest of them painted lovely flowers and trees!
Our tour guide then took us to an orchid farm where we had a wonderful lunch surrounded by beautiful orchids. However, you can tell it is time to go home because all of us are so done with tours and could hardly wait to go back to the hotel to swim, rest . . . and shop! There is a most interesting mall connected to our hotel that has everything from a store that reminds us of Macy's to a traditional Thai market where food is prepared in open stalls and all sorts of handicrafts are sold. It also has a beautiful Starbucks! We have all enjoyed mingling with the Thai people in this mall and learning about the mysteries of the Thai currency, Baht. The exchange rate today is 32.09 baht to one American dollar, so it feels a bit like spending play money. It's a good thing we set a limit on the amount of spending money each of us could bring!
We shared our tour bus today with a couple from England who are here for a conference with Christians who all work in Afghanistan but through all kinds of Christian organizations. It has been a surprise and a blessing to connect with so many believers from all over the world who are doing some kind of kingdom work for Jesus in Asia. Also, the tour guide today is a Thai Christian who has "In God We Trust" on the side of his vans and a cross prominently placed inside. In a primarily Buddhist country, this is a bold witness.
This is most likely my last chance to post anything on the blog as we will be traveling starting tomorrow morning. Let me say once again how proud I am of this team as a whole and of each person individually. They have each held up well under pressure and have behaved in ways that give honor to Jesus. It has been a pleasure to be together . . . and fun to think of the unique bond we will always share because of what we have done together in Thailand!
We're off to Taipei tomorrow where my longtime friend, Jeff DeHaven, who works for Boeing managing the maintenance of all the Boeing planes in the China Air Southest Asian fleet, will meet us at the airport and take us into Taipei to have dinner in a Chinese restaurant with his family.
Love in Jesus,
Kathy
The elephants at this camp put on a show for us that included playing soccer, and they also paint amazing pictures. We didn't learn how they are trained to do so, but each of seven or eight elephants painted a different and very clear picture which we could then buy as postcards or - if we had been a bit richer - an orginal. My favorite was the elephant who painted a self-portrait! The rest of them painted lovely flowers and trees!
Our tour guide then took us to an orchid farm where we had a wonderful lunch surrounded by beautiful orchids. However, you can tell it is time to go home because all of us are so done with tours and could hardly wait to go back to the hotel to swim, rest . . . and shop! There is a most interesting mall connected to our hotel that has everything from a store that reminds us of Macy's to a traditional Thai market where food is prepared in open stalls and all sorts of handicrafts are sold. It also has a beautiful Starbucks! We have all enjoyed mingling with the Thai people in this mall and learning about the mysteries of the Thai currency, Baht. The exchange rate today is 32.09 baht to one American dollar, so it feels a bit like spending play money. It's a good thing we set a limit on the amount of spending money each of us could bring!
We shared our tour bus today with a couple from England who are here for a conference with Christians who all work in Afghanistan but through all kinds of Christian organizations. It has been a surprise and a blessing to connect with so many believers from all over the world who are doing some kind of kingdom work for Jesus in Asia. Also, the tour guide today is a Thai Christian who has "In God We Trust" on the side of his vans and a cross prominently placed inside. In a primarily Buddhist country, this is a bold witness.
This is most likely my last chance to post anything on the blog as we will be traveling starting tomorrow morning. Let me say once again how proud I am of this team as a whole and of each person individually. They have each held up well under pressure and have behaved in ways that give honor to Jesus. It has been a pleasure to be together . . . and fun to think of the unique bond we will always share because of what we have done together in Thailand!
We're off to Taipei tomorrow where my longtime friend, Jeff DeHaven, who works for Boeing managing the maintenance of all the Boeing planes in the China Air Southest Asian fleet, will meet us at the airport and take us into Taipei to have dinner in a Chinese restaurant with his family.
Love in Jesus,
Kathy
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Kathy again!
I just finished reading the comments from my blog entry last night and was touched to hear about the tears of joy and gratitude that flowed as you read my entry! It has been a really wonderful trip . . . and so far without any conflict or difficulty that has been bigger than a momentary blip on the radar screen.
I was personally so blessed to learn more about JHF and the amazing variety of work that those associated with JHF do throughout China. Each person we had the privilege to talk with was inspiring and encouraging as God has led them with his amazing creativity to serve Him in China as a Christian professional. Besides doctors and teachers, we met a civil engineer who is helping to bring water to a village where people have had to walk up a mountain many times a day to get water, a couple who are seeking to save the lives of babies that are abandoned by their parents, a man who runs a cheese factory, and we learned about a woman who works with a deaf Chinese man repairing and refurbishing wheelchairs, which are hard to come by in China especially for children. We all feel privileged to be part of supporting this vast array of creative kingdom work in China.
Today we worshipped at an international church called The Gathering that meets in our hotel, the Lotus PSK. My godson and his family, Jason, Natasha, Clinton, Peter and 10-day old Hudson, joined us. The worship was wonderful and so was the sermon. It was based on Proverbs 4:23 about guarding our hearts with all diligence and was very meaningful.
This afternoon we went on a tour to a parasol factory, a silk factory, a silver factory, and a celedon china factory. There was a mix-up in the beginning because we waited and waited for our tour van to show up. Finally we discovered that because Cherrie Takenaka had given her name as the contact person, the hotel desk people and the tour guide were looking for a group of 12 Japanese people! Even though we were standing right there, they didn't realize we were the group they were looking for. They eventually came back around to get us and we all had a good laugh about the mix up.
Tomorrow we are going to spend the day at the Maesa Elephant Camp, and Jason and Natasha and boys are going to join us for the day. We also got to ride elephants on the last day of our children's ministry as part of the theme of the day which was God's creation of animals and learning about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Our money has stretched farther than we thought it might, so it was a joy for us to pay for elephant rides for all the children - a luxury most of them otherwise would not have been able to afford.
During our elephant riding time at the Belle Villa Resort, we saw God answer one of Lisa Foster's very specific prayer requests: to ride bare back on an elephant! We didn't think this would be possible, but all of a sudden there was an elephant at the loading station with no chair on its back and they were trying to get me to get on it! Lisa was standing not too far away, and I suddenly realized that this elephant was for her. She quickly came and got on. As she did, her sun glasses fell off and her elephant calmly reached down and picked them up with the two fingers at the end of his trunk and handed them to her! God is faithful to hear the desires of our hearts!
It is evening here and time to head back to the hotel. Thank you for all of your prayers and love for us as we minister and travel.
Love in Jesus,
Kathy
I was personally so blessed to learn more about JHF and the amazing variety of work that those associated with JHF do throughout China. Each person we had the privilege to talk with was inspiring and encouraging as God has led them with his amazing creativity to serve Him in China as a Christian professional. Besides doctors and teachers, we met a civil engineer who is helping to bring water to a village where people have had to walk up a mountain many times a day to get water, a couple who are seeking to save the lives of babies that are abandoned by their parents, a man who runs a cheese factory, and we learned about a woman who works with a deaf Chinese man repairing and refurbishing wheelchairs, which are hard to come by in China especially for children. We all feel privileged to be part of supporting this vast array of creative kingdom work in China.
Today we worshipped at an international church called The Gathering that meets in our hotel, the Lotus PSK. My godson and his family, Jason, Natasha, Clinton, Peter and 10-day old Hudson, joined us. The worship was wonderful and so was the sermon. It was based on Proverbs 4:23 about guarding our hearts with all diligence and was very meaningful.
This afternoon we went on a tour to a parasol factory, a silk factory, a silver factory, and a celedon china factory. There was a mix-up in the beginning because we waited and waited for our tour van to show up. Finally we discovered that because Cherrie Takenaka had given her name as the contact person, the hotel desk people and the tour guide were looking for a group of 12 Japanese people! Even though we were standing right there, they didn't realize we were the group they were looking for. They eventually came back around to get us and we all had a good laugh about the mix up.
Tomorrow we are going to spend the day at the Maesa Elephant Camp, and Jason and Natasha and boys are going to join us for the day. We also got to ride elephants on the last day of our children's ministry as part of the theme of the day which was God's creation of animals and learning about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Our money has stretched farther than we thought it might, so it was a joy for us to pay for elephant rides for all the children - a luxury most of them otherwise would not have been able to afford.
During our elephant riding time at the Belle Villa Resort, we saw God answer one of Lisa Foster's very specific prayer requests: to ride bare back on an elephant! We didn't think this would be possible, but all of a sudden there was an elephant at the loading station with no chair on its back and they were trying to get me to get on it! Lisa was standing not too far away, and I suddenly realized that this elephant was for her. She quickly came and got on. As she did, her sun glasses fell off and her elephant calmly reached down and picked them up with the two fingers at the end of his trunk and handed them to her! God is faithful to hear the desires of our hearts!
It is evening here and time to head back to the hotel. Thank you for all of your prayers and love for us as we minister and travel.
Love in Jesus,
Kathy
Saturday, February 23, 2008
hello from loryn
oh wow, what a time, what a time!!!
this has been the most amazing experience ever! I have met the most amazing people here at the JHF conference!!!
I can not wait to tell everyone back at home all about this experience!
I am ok, and doing wellm, i did feel sick for about 2 days but i am up and runnin! So continue to pray for several other people on the team that were very sick at the conference!
lovee to allllll
:)
loryn
this has been the most amazing experience ever! I have met the most amazing people here at the JHF conference!!!
I can not wait to tell everyone back at home all about this experience!
I am ok, and doing wellm, i did feel sick for about 2 days but i am up and runnin! So continue to pray for several other people on the team that were very sick at the conference!
lovee to allllll
:)
loryn
Hello from Kathy
Our week of ministry is over - already! In some ways it seems like we have been here for months and in other ways it feels unbelievable that we are within a couple days of getting on the plane to come home.
Our team did an awesome job during our week of ministry - and every single person was needed! We now see more clearly why the Lord spoke to the hearts of so many of Garland's teens to come on this trip. The seven teens who live in China who were part of the teen program this week are quite isolated from any peers in each of the cities they live in throughout China, so with our six and their seven - we had quite a respectable youth group for the week. The JHF teens were six boys and a girl, and we brought six girls, and they became wonderful friends in our four and a half short days together.
The teens also did a great job serving as our drama team and music team each morning. The skits Paul Tapp wrote and rehearsed with our team over the last couple of months were a great hit. The kids LOVED Dr. Pearl the Science Girl (Heather Weitz), Marvelous Marlena (Gracie Jorgens), and her Assistants (Loryn Butters, Emily Roberts and Lauren Cosgrove). I'm guessing most of the kids had never seen goofy skits like this, but once they caught on, they couldn't wait until Dr. Pearl showed up each morning. They were also quite releaved when Marvelous Marlena saw the Light and gave her life to Jesus at the end of the week! Being the music and drama team put an extra burden of responsibility on the teens as we met every morning about 7:15 to practice the skit and music for that day. I am very proud of how each of them rose to the occasion of what was needed of them.
I could go on telling you how we saw that God had ordained a special role for each person on the team to meet certain needs. All the parents said this was the BEST children's ministry that any team has brought JHF and that they had the best conference ever because their children were so happy and so eager to come be part of all the activities we had planned throughout the day. We worked very hard each day from early in the morning until late at night, but it was well worth the effort as we saw the children respond so eagerly. Most kids in JHF are in traditional Chinese schools that emphasize rote learning, so hands-on, creative learning experiences were receivied with anabashed enthusiasm.
As the week went on, we realized that many of the JHF people at the conference were either home schooling their kids or teaching Chinese kids with very few resources, so for the last night Christin set up a "store" for any JHF workers to come select resources out of our ministry supplies that we did not need to take back with us. Quite a few families were overjoyed by our generosity and the luxury of having some things that we think nothing of having and can get more of easily.
I believe that what our team was able to do truly furthered the work of Christ throughout China and also in Afghanistan, as one of the women staffing the nursery is married to a Mission Aviation Fellowship pilot who serves in Afghanistan. She was thrilled to be able to take things from our preschool supplies for her church in Afghanistan.
Tomorrow we are going to worship at The Gathering, a church that meets at the Lotus Hotel and the one that my godson, Jason Tompkins, who is a doctor in China with the C&MA, is worshipping with while he and his wife are here in Chiang Mai for the birth of their third son, Hudson, who was born in the hospital next to our hotel the morning we arrived in Chiang Mai! God's timing is amazing! After church, we will have lunch with Jason and his family, and then we are going to go to a factory that makes the colorful silk parasols that Chiang Mai is famous for.
Well, it is late, and I am being too wordy as usual! Love to you all, Kathy C.
P.S. When we got back to Chiang Mai today, we had lunch at The Sizzler . . . and an American-style meal was a welcome treat for us all!
Our team did an awesome job during our week of ministry - and every single person was needed! We now see more clearly why the Lord spoke to the hearts of so many of Garland's teens to come on this trip. The seven teens who live in China who were part of the teen program this week are quite isolated from any peers in each of the cities they live in throughout China, so with our six and their seven - we had quite a respectable youth group for the week. The JHF teens were six boys and a girl, and we brought six girls, and they became wonderful friends in our four and a half short days together.
The teens also did a great job serving as our drama team and music team each morning. The skits Paul Tapp wrote and rehearsed with our team over the last couple of months were a great hit. The kids LOVED Dr. Pearl the Science Girl (Heather Weitz), Marvelous Marlena (Gracie Jorgens), and her Assistants (Loryn Butters, Emily Roberts and Lauren Cosgrove). I'm guessing most of the kids had never seen goofy skits like this, but once they caught on, they couldn't wait until Dr. Pearl showed up each morning. They were also quite releaved when Marvelous Marlena saw the Light and gave her life to Jesus at the end of the week! Being the music and drama team put an extra burden of responsibility on the teens as we met every morning about 7:15 to practice the skit and music for that day. I am very proud of how each of them rose to the occasion of what was needed of them.
I could go on telling you how we saw that God had ordained a special role for each person on the team to meet certain needs. All the parents said this was the BEST children's ministry that any team has brought JHF and that they had the best conference ever because their children were so happy and so eager to come be part of all the activities we had planned throughout the day. We worked very hard each day from early in the morning until late at night, but it was well worth the effort as we saw the children respond so eagerly. Most kids in JHF are in traditional Chinese schools that emphasize rote learning, so hands-on, creative learning experiences were receivied with anabashed enthusiasm.
As the week went on, we realized that many of the JHF people at the conference were either home schooling their kids or teaching Chinese kids with very few resources, so for the last night Christin set up a "store" for any JHF workers to come select resources out of our ministry supplies that we did not need to take back with us. Quite a few families were overjoyed by our generosity and the luxury of having some things that we think nothing of having and can get more of easily.
I believe that what our team was able to do truly furthered the work of Christ throughout China and also in Afghanistan, as one of the women staffing the nursery is married to a Mission Aviation Fellowship pilot who serves in Afghanistan. She was thrilled to be able to take things from our preschool supplies for her church in Afghanistan.
Tomorrow we are going to worship at The Gathering, a church that meets at the Lotus Hotel and the one that my godson, Jason Tompkins, who is a doctor in China with the C&MA, is worshipping with while he and his wife are here in Chiang Mai for the birth of their third son, Hudson, who was born in the hospital next to our hotel the morning we arrived in Chiang Mai! God's timing is amazing! After church, we will have lunch with Jason and his family, and then we are going to go to a factory that makes the colorful silk parasols that Chiang Mai is famous for.
Well, it is late, and I am being too wordy as usual! Love to you all, Kathy C.
P.S. When we got back to Chiang Mai today, we had lunch at The Sizzler . . . and an American-style meal was a welcome treat for us all!
=]
Hey ya'll
it's very late here... and we have had a very very long day! I, gracie jorgens, am no longer sick... and feel alot better!!! I loved the belle villa, and even though i was really busy, had ana amazing time serving the most amazing little kids i we\ill ever meet...
It was so sad to leave them... but some how we did! i can't wait to tell you all more!!!
Loves
Gracie!
it's very late here... and we have had a very very long day! I, gracie jorgens, am no longer sick... and feel alot better!!! I loved the belle villa, and even though i was really busy, had ana amazing time serving the most amazing little kids i we\ill ever meet...
It was so sad to leave them... but some how we did! i can't wait to tell you all more!!!
Loves
Gracie!
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