A new blog site

My husband decided to set me up a wordpress blog...so now you will find me over here.
Hope to see you there :)

The Harvest is Great

Last Sunday night, we went to sleep to the sound of booming music and screaming. A new house in our village was being dedicated to the spirits. Most people here, actually have animism (spirit worship) mixed in with their Buddhism. I was tired enough to drift off to sleep, but later woke up, hearing a drunk neighbor shouting "Hey!" He sounded mad, and I laid there awake for a long time, somewhat scared and praying. This isn't the first time we've heard loud music and drunk people around us, but somehow this night experience really has lingered in my mind. The lostness of these people is continuing to be impressed upon me.

Sometimes I forget, on quiet days when the only sounds I hear are "Grandma" hollering "Bye nye!" (where are you going?) to every person who drives past or Dteep saying "Hi!", calling her cows as she leads them out to pasture in the early morning light. When an old man rides by,  his perfect posture making him look like so respectable even on a bicycle, when children laugh and play in our yard, when neighbor women laugh and turkeys gobble and you can't tell if you heard the turkeys or the women...

Thailand has become synonymous in the tourist world with laughter, smiles, and fun. Yes, you will see many more smiling faces here than in America. But the smiles hide a thousand sorrows. The laughter and "sanook sanook" (fun fun) mentality have become an age old strategy of covering the inner pain.

Go ask the woman whose boyfriend cheated on her, whose father died of alcoholism, now she says to me, "If I searched all over this world, I wonder if I could find a good man."

Go ask the man, covered with tattoos, hooked on sniffing glue, his wife long fled from him, now wandering our streets in search of easy money to get his next high.

Go ask the girl in the bars of Chiang Mai, whose father sold her so he could get a refrigerator, and now her father's god of money has become her own.

Go ask about peace, and hope. Go ask and see the aching void within.

Look up to Jesus, His tears falling gentle upon them, watering the soil of the heart, waiting for someone to go and let His love flow.

"The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send out more workers for His fields."                        Matthew 9:37-38

These are a few of my favorite things...

Something I have always liked to do is read. I remember, as a child,  coming home from the library with a pile of books, and reading until my eyes were tired or my head ached! Now, I enjoy reading to our children. I would rather have less books, with story lines that spark imagination and pictures that capture attention, than scores of books with mediocre pictures and predictable stories.

Here is a few of our favorite children's books.

The American Girl series
Grandma's Attic series
Virginia Lee Burton treasury - The Little House, Mike Mulligan, Katy and the Big Snow, Maybelle the Cable Car
The World of Robert McCloskey - Lentil,  Make Way for the Ducklings, One Morning in Maine, Blueberries for Sal
Holling C. Holling - Paddle to the Sea
Max Lucado - Wemmicks books and All You Ever Need
Elizabeth George - God's Wisdom for Little Girls
Stranger in the Woods by Carl R. Sams & Jean Stoick
James Herriot's Treasury (our boys really like this one!)
Are You There, Baby Bear? by Catherine Walters

I would love to hear your list too!

Where have I been?

Ok, I do not like reading blogs that are as sporadic as mine. My feeble excuse is that I've been very busy (just like all the rest of you!)
Here's one thing that's kept me hoppin'. Our neighbor children were on a school break in October, so we decided to teach the girls a baking class. They wanted to "learn how to make cake". We settled for cupcakes one night, then chocolate chip cookies, brownies, banana bread, and then pizza on the final night. They wanted shrimp on their pizza, so we obliged them on that one. We had a great pizza party, with them heaping their pizza with ketchup. Yes, I said ketchup. I forgot how much they like ketchup on pizza...
We did this on Tues. and Thurs. nights for about 3 weeks. It was very fun, but it was quite draining to me. The preparation and planning, and all the cleanup afterwards. However, I know its worth it to invest some time into these girls now while they're so young.
Last week was Andrew's birthday, so we invited some friends over for that. Each one of these things is a blessing, but it isn't always easy to reach across the cultural lines. People unknowingly say things that hurt me.  I don't sometime know what's proper, and probably offend them. Even here, I find myself looking for a comfort zone...a place to stay "safe".  I'm glad for Martin on that one...he's good at gently nudging me out, but also knows when I've had enough.

Homesick...

I have heard a voice...calling me to Himself through loneliness and homesickness. A place where feelings run deep and the heart seeks.
 A cool evening breeze, palm trees silhouetted against an azure blue sky on a tropical morning - these scenes of beauty thrust forth feelings from within me. A longing, a yearning for home. To belong.

Yet where is home? California, Washington, Ohio, Chiang Mai - all these hold a piece of my heart. However, none can fully satisfy my longing. I go to one place,and I miss another.

I know now why I'm called a pilgrim. I was created for eternity,
for the "land that stretches afar" as Joni E. Tada would say.

Made of dust, but made for more.

I'm learning more of leaning on Him. To be fully resting in my Jesus...that is Home. He is Home.

Its a quiet Sunday afternoon...ahh. Perfect time to re-enter the blogging world :)
Since our website can only be written on from Martin's laptop, I decided I would like to start my own blog, here.
I would like to share with you about our life in Thailand...from a wife/mother perspective. Things I see and think about, new recipes I am trying (that's one of my favorite things to do!), or a funny saying from our children, or the ups and downs of home school.

New Website

Just wanted to let you all know about our new website at www.utmostforchrist.com

We will posting blogs there.

You can save it in your bookmarks, or sign up for RSS feeds. We hope to keep it updated regularly. You will not be able leave comments on the new blog, but you can send them to our email.

thankyou. martin.

May God receive all the Glory and Honor for all that He is doing here in S.E.Asia.

...More on Joop Jang

Last evening as I approached the entrance to our home, I could see Joop Jang just outside our gate squatting down by our fence. I knew what she was doing but I kind of pretended not to see her. But as I pulled up to the gate, she stood up and pulled up her shorts and smiled at me. Later that evening she relieved herself again out by the road while playing hide and seek. That's twice in one night. Later, Dinah burst in the house saying that Jen was crying because of something Joop Jang had done to her. I tried to ignore it hoping that it was no big deal, but as we watched out the window, we could tell the situation was only getting worse. So, I went out there and with my arm on both of their shoulders I tried to find out what was going on. Finding out that there was indeed two sides to the story, I ask them to apologize to each other. I also explained the need for forgiveness and love. Thankfully, last Thursday, Ang had taught them the song, "...Love your neighbor as yourself, for God loves all..." So, the words to that song came in handy as I explained the need to love each other as we love our own self. The situation got better, and for the most part, they continued playing.

It is not easy. It is hard to know what to do in these situations. And yet we believe that if Jesus were here, He would be out there showing them the Father's love.

As you pray for us, please lift up these children also. I believe that someday they will be disciples of Jesus, if we apply ourselves to pray for them. Martin.

Jesus is Lord of all

This morning in church we sang this song, Jesus is Lord of all.

I sobbed as we sang, because the words reflect so well what has been on my heart lately.

All of my conflicts, all my thoughts-

Jesus is Lord of all.

I sure have had a lot of these this week, Lord! So many thoughts and conflicts in my heart.

His love wins the battles I could not have fought;

Jesus is Lord of all.

What words of hope are these! Your love and power wins these spiritual battles that I cannot fight. I often bear more resemblance to a limp dishrag than to Hudson Taylor.

All of my longings, all my dreams -

Jesus is Lord of all.

Longings for our children to have a "normal" childhood. Since I was young, I have dreamed of adopting children from another country. These things may never happen - but I know I can trust my Jesus through it all.

All of my failures, His power redeems;

Jesus is Lord of all.

All of my failures this week have been stamped REDEEMED. O thank You, Jesus, for giving me fresh starts and more opportunities.

All my possessions and all my life,

Jesus is Lord of all.

Suddenly I'm standing outside on a cold, windy day. Listening to the rise and fall of the auctioneer's voice, feeling a twisty something in my stomach and tears in my eyes. Looking at drills, desks, and dolls. Wedding gifts and wood working tools. Plates and pillows, beds, blankets and books all await their turn.

You just don't realize how much your stuff means to you, and even defines you, until its all going away. That day was so hard, Jesus. Its still hard to think about.

This week, I found myself again giving up. Yearning to see the twinkle in my dad's eye and feel his big hug. Longing for the laughter, the warmth of sharing with my sisters in Christ.

Is it worth it? I have pondered this question often lately.

I got my answer today. Jesus is worth it all! Rachel.

Fatherless

She’s only 6. I’m sure we’ve told you about her before. She has caused problems with the other children when they come to our house on Thursday nights, and often ends up crying or putting up a big fuss. She pouts if she doesn’t get her way. What is her deal? Well, she’s hurting. She’s fatherless. No, she’s not an orphan. She’s fatherless. She doesn’t have a Papa in her life, actively caring for her heart and her needs. She craves love and attention from her Papa, but ever since he left her home, and was replaced by another man, those needs aren’t getting met. Her name is Joop Jang.

God said in the Bible that He would be a Father to the Fatherless. That is a promise which He is purposing to fulfill, and we are delighted in hope that we might get to be a part of it.

The other day Thailand had an event called “Children’s Day”. Every year the whole country sets aside a day to bless their children. Near our village they brought in some big toys such a ferris wheel, carousel, train...etc. They let the children ride for free all day. We enjoyed being there, but what stood out to me the most, was how Joop Jang looked to me the same way the other children were looking to their parents. Her parents weren’t there. First, she brought me her water bottles to hold while she got on the carousel. At noon I asked her if she was hungry. She said, “yes”. So, I bought her a sausage. Then later in the day, she came up to me and said. “I’m thirsty”. So I bought her a drink. Then before each ride she would hand me her drink, and the rag that she was using to wipe the sweat from her face, so that I could hold them for her. As she was going around on the carousel, or the ferris wheel she would look at me and smile and wave real big. I smiled and waved back. At 2 PM, I decided it was time to take my daughter and head home. I asked Joop Jang if she had a ride home and she said yes. Then, when she realized that we were leaving she started to pout, and look all around. “Who am I going to be with in this crowd of people?” she thought. Remember, she’s only 6 years old. Then she saw another friend from our village and ran to be with her.

It didn’t sink in until later. I almost wept as I thought about what it was like when I was 5 years old and got lost at church. I was scared, and I was in the safest place possible. What must it be like for her? What must it be like to be 6 years old in a crowd of people without a Papa on “Children’s Day?” I don’t really know the answer to that question, but one thing I do know. I know what it’s like to be loved and cared for by my Heavenly Papa, and I hope by the Grace of God to show the same to her. Please pray for her and her family. Martin.

What do you do?

It was New Year's Eve. about 8:00pm. Showers were over, and we were sitting at the supper table in our p.j's finishing dessert. Someone began knocking on our back door. Our gate had been shut, the doors and windows to the house were shut...who could it be? It was a neighbor lady and two small children. She wanted to invite us to join them at their house to celebrate the new year. What do you do?

So, we got re-dressed and headed over there. We could here the loud music from our house, and we tried to warn our children as we were walking there, that it probably would be loud. As we walked into their compound, the first thing we noticed were four big stage speakers, a stereo mixing board, and an LCD monitor. The speakers were blasting forth a pulsating rhythm of dance music, and the LCD was displaying skimpily dressed music videos. What do you do?

They were arranging some benches for us to sit on, and getting ready to fix some food. They had a big barbeque going, a griddle with shrimp and pork, and a pot of soup. It was quite a feast. She told us that since new years only comes once per year, they would eat seafood. They had invited us to come and share with them, their best. What do you do?

They motioned for us to take a seat on the benches that they had moved over for us. So we did. No sooner had I sat down, another neighbor who had long drunk past his alcohol limit, began offering me some whiskey. I declined. A little while later he offered it to me again. I declined. So, he came around the makeshift table and very loudly and belligerently offered to pour me some red cream soda. Then he wanted to toast the new year. What do you do?

The Barbecued pork was some of the best we have ever had. The grilled pork fat, and a few other items weren't that great. Our children enjoyed the endless supply of Fanta pop. Once their glass was empty of red pop, somehow it was instantly refilled with the green pop. Noise, Lewd Videos, Drunkenness, Food, Sugar, Late at night...what do you do?

Well, we were overwhelmed with gratitude. We have lived in this village for 7 months and that is the first invitation that we have received to come and eat with them at their table. It felt good that they considered us a part of their village enough to invite us to their house. There was no way we could choose to be unsocial.

That is the reason we came here. We came to live among these people. To build relationships with these people. We didn't come to partake of their evil ways, but we did come to sit with them and lead them to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Pray for us as we daily encounter situations that stretch us way beyond our familiar box. We truly do want to give our Utmost For Christ. Martin

Christmas Activities Have Begun

Wow! Life is busy right now. But we wouldn't have it any other way. We just returned from a Christmas party at the IGo English Center. It was quite a time. 7 Children and one dad from our village went with us. We played games. Decorated cookies. Did a little skit to portray what the true meaning of Christmas is. Gave gifts to all who came. Ate snacks. It was a wonderful opportunity to build relationships with people, and show them the love of Jesus.

Jordan Flory giving gifts to children

Ben and his dad

Jean and Neuy enjoying hot chocolate

Plang, Jan, and Som coloring pictures

Yesterday was a Christmas party at my thai school. It was fun. It is good to get to know other students and find out why they are in Thailand. Also, good to be with the teachers in a less formal setting.

CLS Students bobbing for apples

This year Christmas time is quite different for us. We are homesick at times, missing all of our family and friends, and thinking about all the fun activities they are doing. But at the same time, we are in the midst of a million people who have no idea what Christmas is. There are so many opportunities to use this time for building relationships and sharing the love of Jesus. So, pray for us as we experience all of these various emotions.

Affordable Healthcare

I just returned from taking Titus to the hospital. He has had a bad cold/cough which worked up into his nose, and now, down into his ear. So, we decided to take him to see a doctor, especially since I will be leaving for Bangkok tomorrow night. The doctor decided to give him an antibiotic, some ibuprofen, and a decongestant. All that plus the cost of the doctor's visit cost $2.58.

Some things in Thailand are very expensive, but apparently a doctor's visit is not. For which we are Very Thankful! martin.

Long Live the King

There has been a week long celebration of HRH the king's birthday (Dec 5).

The whole country goes into celebration mode. He is 82 years old, and one of the world's longest reigning monarchs. The Thai people revere him as god, and the respect for his royalty is seen and felt throughout the whole country. Negative criticism of this monarchy is never heard on the streets, and any one who publishes anything negative, is put in prison. Even though Thailand is in the rift of political polarism, all parties have the same level of respect for their king. It is a beautiful thing, and I think all countries and kingdoms of this world would do well to take a close look at their respect and loyalty. Customarily he makes a speech on the eve before his birthday, but this year he was not able to because of hospitalization. Please pray for him.

Jordan and I went to a huge celebration here in Chiang Mai, at http://www.tatnews.org/events/events/2009/nov/4589.asp There were perhaps over 10,000 people there to raise a candle to the king, and to watch the fireworks display. I don't think I have ever seen a fireworks display quite like this one. It was phenomenal. Also, I don't think I have seen that many people in one place singing a song of tribute to a person and raising a candle to show there reverence. It was an amazing, and burdening sight.

Below you will see some pictures of the Royal Pavilion built in honor of the king. Inside are many murals of the king and the good things he has done over the years for his people.

Just remember, this is one location in Chiang Mai, which is one city in all of thailand. Every where in every city, this praise and worship is taking place right now. martin.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is certainly a different Thanksgiving for us...

the neighbor's turkeys are gobbling when they should be roasting, we will be wearing short sleeves and sandals to the Thanksgiving table, everyone around us is going on with daily life.

The only thing familiar is the smell of pumpkin pie in the oven.

What am I thankful for on this Thanksgiving day?

• God's faithfulness - tears come just now to my eyes as I reflect on how God has brought us through this year. How often I fail. I get upset, I get lonely, I get tired of cultural changes. But there is a beautiful golden thread running through this crazy quilt of mine, and that is God's faithfulness. I am finding more power and grace than I ever dreamed. Not because of my performance, but because I can't perform.
• Family - our two sets of parents who partner with us through their love, support, prayers and good advice. A husband who loves me and cares about my heart. Our children who are growing, learning, exploring life.
• Luke & Anna Deaton are here just now - what a blessing to share this special day with them. We are making good memories, laughing and talking together. Its so fun to share with them what makes up our daily life.
• I am thankful for this "broadening of my horizons", this stretching of my comfort zone. Diversity is not a curse, its a blessing.
• Tonight we are invited to a Thanksgiving dinner at IGo. I will just be honest, I am thankful for a yummy traditional dinner that only required pumpkin pies from me! IGo is such a blessing in our lives just now. We enjoy going there for church and also getting to know our brothers and sisters there.

God's blessings to you, dear friends. May your eyes be lifted up above the turkey and trimmings to Jesus, the only One who fully satisfies.

learning swoop de doos and curlicues

Well, its been too long since I have wrote on our blog! Now on a quiet hot Sunday afternoon, I have some time to catch you up a bit on what I've been doing.
My days fill up fast with laundry, washing dishes, home school, fixing meals, and taking care of the children. I do have a helper who comes two days a week, and she cleans and does other things for me.
One thing I have recently added to my plate, is Thai language learning. It is so difficult, and for every "rule" I learn, it seems there is five exceptions! Often I feel very tired and my brain fried after my hour long class. However, I just started learning the Thai script, and it is exciting to see a bunch of swoop de doos and curlicues turned into real sounds and words in my mind. I praise God, because I dreaded language learning. I felt defeated before I even started, and Martin & I prayed often about it. I am slowly learning how much my Father cares about me!
D. is also learning Thai, and we are excited to see how well she's doing. Our teacher, Ang, comes during the boys' nap time, so it usually works well. Ang is a Christian, and I have been so blessed by her. She gives God all the glory for her ability to teach and thanks Him for the little things, like a cup of water not spilling over our school work. We have so much to learn from these first generation Christians!

Children's Ministry

We just experienced another children's ministry night. It was such a blessing! Our friend Ang, came again this friday night and played with children, then taught them a couple of Christian songs. This time the boys were less interested, but the girls were very involved, and seemed to enjoy it very much. Just before it was time to go home, she had them all stand in a circle and join hands. Then said a prayer. She had them shut their eyes. She taught them that they need to talk to God just like a normal conversation, and to ask that God would listen in Jesus' Name. She taught them that they need to believe what they are saying or asking to God. she taught them to say "amen" when they were finished. I don't think any of them have ever prayed before. I am so exited about this opportunity. I also feel burdened about it. They are hearing these Truths for the first time in their life. We are praying that God would provide someone ( a thai christian) to come and help us in this ministry. We are also praying that God would not only continue working in these children's lives, that they might be saved, but also in their parent's lives as well.
One little boy named June (age 10) opposed the work almost all evening. He kept calling the other boys especially his younger friend to not join in the singing, and especially the prayer. We are praying for him. He comes from a very hurtful home. Would you like to join us in praying for these dear children?

Two Roosters and a Grandma

The other morning Rachel and I were enjoying our quiet time when all of a sudden a couple of roosters flew over our fence and began exploring our yard. To us it was no big deal. It is pretty common for chickens to come over for a while to scratch around for something good. They usually leave after a while. Well, this morning was different. The grandma living directly behind us poked her head over the fence and made gestures like she wanted us to catch the roosters and give them back. Our dog was tied up, so we weren't too worried about it. Rachel didn't quite understand them. So she just smiled, then went back to putting breakfast on the table. Then another grandma showed up, and did the same thing. They were very nice about it, but felt quite sure that the roosters were in danger or something. Maybe they thought we were in danger. Maybe they thought...well, we're not sure what all they were thinking. Except that it became obvious that they wanted them back. So, with breakfast on the table...we began our chase. These roosters are big! They have long legs and run not a little like a small ostrich. Picture if you will, Rachel and I trying to corner these big guys, then pounce on them, not loosing a feather. All the while both grandmas are watching. One is wringing her hands and the other is clapping and cheering us on. Finally, the bantams ran under some bushes and I was able to slide an arm under and grab for a drumstick. Squawk!!! Success! One down. One to go. Around the house, up on the porch, over by the dog... back up... dart this way, that way. Finally, it tried to squeeze into our garden. Squawk!!! Mission Accomplished. Grandma 1 thanked us and bowed very honorably. Grandma 2 smiled and basically thanked us for the entertainment. We sat down to breakfast. Such is cross-cultural ministry. Our days are full of experiences like this. We never know if we are doing it quite right. We just pray that as we interact with our neighbors that we will learn their culture, and obey the promptings of God's Spirit. God is at work here, and we are always looking for ways to join Him. Even if it means catching a phantom bantam. martin.

genuine love

Yesterday I was treated to a "foot treatment" by my 5 year old daughter. She went all out with a cool wet rag first, then 2-3 different ointments which she tenderly rubbed in to my feet. She looked up at me and said, "I have been wanting to do this for a long time Papa. Do you know why I want to do this Papa?" "Why?" I said

"Because I love you so much, Papa." A hot tear began to roll down my cheek as I thought about her unconditional, unfeigned love for me, and compared that with my love for Jesus. Do I love Him that much. Do I love Him in word only, or am I constantly begging Him to let me "massage His feet" so that I can express my love to Him. I confess that as I searched my heart, I found I was coming up short of that kind of love. It made me weep inside, all the while she kept lovingly soothing my feet. It humbled me that she took the lowest part of my being, my feet, and confidently took them into her hands to cheerfully show me how much she loved me. How dirty am I willing to get to show my Lord and Saviour how much I love Him? Somehow it made me feel like I was the child, and she was the adult ministering love and grace to me. How is this possible? Father, I pray that You will inspire me, and fill my heart with more love to Thee. I have come up so short, and I pray that no earthly affection would ever steal the love I owe to Thee. Thank you for saving me. Now, enable me to love Thee and Serve Thee in any place, condition or circumstance. Your Son, Martin.

family trip to the south

We took a two week trip to the south of Thailand. We had basically 4 objectives for this trip, and it seems that we reached all of them.

1. See more of Thailand, and get more of a burden for the millions who live here.
2. Visit Dave K. and Michael S. who are living in Ranong, and working amoung the sea gypsy people.
3. Meet up with Rachel's brother Jon and his wife Chris in Bangkok.
4. Get away and relax. Rejuvenate from the stress of the last 6 months.
We had such a wonderful trip. God blessed us with health and travelling safety. We drove the whole way. Bangkok was interesting driving, but not as horrific as I imagined. We spent 1 week on an island called Payam. It was very beautiful. We were dissappointed about a few things like the expense of things on the island, the abundant mosquitoes, and a few other things, but over all the weather was gorgeous. We were basically the only tourists in our whole bay, so it was very very quiet and private. Praise the Lord! We had much time to think, pray and meditate. Oh, and play in the water too. The work that Dave and Michael are doing is so inspiring! The Mokan people's villages were destroyed in the tsunami of 2004, and has left them very open to the gospel. What better way could a couple of single guys live life, than working amoung a people group like this. God bless them! It was so good to be with family again. Even if it was for only one evening. We could feel their love and support for us which meant so much. By driving all over Thailand like that, we were able to see so much of the country and people that we wouldn't have seen from the window of a bus or airplane. As we drove through city after city, we kept commenting how MANY people there are without knowledge of God. May God move our hearts with His Heart. So, we are praising God for a good trip, and now we are so thankful to be home again! Praise the Lord for His wonderful works along with us. martin.