wrapping up

I first wanted to start out by saying thanks for all of the prayers and contacts while wwe have been in Thailand.  I wish that there was more time for updates to the blog, there have been plenty of stories to tell, but due to the many great stories, we have also been really busy.  Also, to be really honest, my main priorities have been being with the people who we have met, and also prayer and of course family.  I have often thought of blogging but then would see an opportunity for one of the other three things above, and chose them.  I can not wait to see everyone to talk about how great our time has been. 

We have learned many things about ministry and Thailand.  There are many needs, ands we are deeply in prayers and discussion as a family about what it all means for us.  As we start packing for our trip home, we ask that you continue to pray for us that we will find Gods will for us in this season.  We have met many great people and have Been able to make many small contributions while we have been here.  

We are scheduled to arrive home at 3:30 Monday afternoon, someone light a fire or something, I hear it is 80 degrees colder there!

Phang Nya

We had a great time last week in a place just outside of Phuket called Phang Nga,  where we visited another orphanage and had a great time with our friends the Ford family (we talk more about their ministry I other posts).  When we were planning our trip to Thailand, we wanted to have some time with the Fords to just spend time together, since we have had little time like that with them in our friendship.  So we offered to take them somewhere on a vacation, but what they planned was really awesome.

When we walked about getting away somewhere, Jesse and Uab said that there was an orphanage that they would like to visit, and we would stay in a guest house at a church, and that we could get a a chance to go to The beach while there.  That was all true, but again, like often happens when i try to go out of my way to do something nice to bless someone else, it all seems to bless me.

We had an excellent place to stay, it was built by volunteers for the church, but is as nice as any place I have ever stayed.  Not too much roughing it there.

The orphanage that we visited gave us several opportunities to spend time with the kids, and that just leaves you feeling good.  Although there are many needs,  to just simply spend time with one of them and seem them smile lets you know how much the ministry is doing for the kids there.

We also had our time at the beach, some just as families and some with the kids.  A couple of things stood out about our beach time, one was that in that heavily populated tourist area, where we were sent to the beach, we were mostly alone, on one of the most beautiful beaches  I have ever seen (I guess missionaries are really good travel agents).  But the other thing, was that the beaches were in Muslim fishing villages,  which would make many people not want to be there, but the people who live there were very kind and even went out of their way to make sure we stayed safe o n a day that there was a strong current.

We left Phang Nga very worn out, and I (Troy) am a little beaten up from a rib injury while on a body board, but what a great time we had, trying to Take care of others!

Lots to share

Merry Christmas everyone!

It is dec 26 in the morning here and we are recovering from a late night of a Chirstmas Party with our friends Jesse and Uab Ford, with their ministry staff, students and some friends.  We have had many full days, and even on our down days we are having a great time with friends and exploring all over Chiang Rai.

We were at the Eden House until 3 days ago and loved our time there.  It is such an awesome thing to do life with the girls that live there.  Our daughters made great friends, with the language barrier being such a small detail, as the kids found a way to make things work.  There is so much that could be share from our time there, but what stood out most is that the girls there are not only being raised in a great environment, but that they are so excited about life and do so much to share with others the importance of living for Jesus.  They did skits and songs at their church, had regular devotions where they could learn and share' which some of the girls led, and brightened their neighborhood while caroling one night, bringing smiles to many of othe people in the area.  The girls coming out of Eden House will definitely make the world a better place and we were blessed to just be able to contribute in the time that we're were there.

For those who contributed to the projects that we wanted to do for Eden House, we saw the beginning of the library that they were putting together for the girls and were able to meet and spent time with the girls who we contributed to the cost of preparing them for college.  Every bit of contribution was well spent, as a seed to help these girls make huge changes to the world that they live in as they continue their education and be a light through Thailand.  When we were able to spend time with college students recently, it was clear that many of them are seeking answers to many questions that they have about life and the girls from Eden House have been well prepared to lead some of them and can change some lives of their friends when they head off to school.

We also were able to attend a gathering at the @peace cafe where we also contributed to putting in an air conditioner.  The need was clear as they gathered students and friends for a Christmas gathering' the place was full wall to wall, with many people gathering outside also.  Jesse and Uab are leading many students through tough years of deciding what to do with their lives' and it will be great for them to be able to have the gatherings without it being so hot that it is hard to stay long.   It was hot that night, and it is cold season right now!

We have taken a couple of days on our own this week where we could regroup and rest as a family.  Even in our rest though we have had a great time with the people.  We are staying close to a market, a place that is simply covered and has many stands where you can shop for food and some other items.  It has been fun to just be in the middle of the people and share life as much as we can.  There is a huge difference in Thailand between being at a market and visiting a regular store, we had to run to the one big mall in Thailand one day, and it felt so sterile, and without life, despite all of the flashing lights and signs that were there to make you feel excited, I missed the people who were just as happy to talk to you as ring you up.  Funny thing that it felt so much happier being around people filleting fresh live fish and gettin splashed by the fish flopping around on the table waiting their turn.

Today is our last day of rest in our own place and we head south tomorrow to an orphanage with children who lost their parents in a recent tsunami.  It will be good time with our friends helping out for a few days.  Then we will get a chance to visit with the Eden House again for 2 days before heading Bach to Chiang Mai for the remainder of our trip.

Thanks for all of the prayers and support!

What a week this haas been,  we have been at Eden House for 4 days and are having a great time getting to know the staff and the girls.  We have had many great moments here but this evening was one of the best. Each Wednesday there is a prayer service with the girls from all of the houses and we had achanceto share.  As part of what're did, Charli, Anya and Aria lead the whole group in a worship dance that we had learned just a few months ago. All of the Eden House girls were having a great time and asked to be taught the dance more later so that they could doit for their Christmas party this weekend.

We have much more planned while here and will be busy but we wanted to let you all know how awesome things are coming together and that we are doing well.  Pictures and more stories will come later when we have more time.

Troy

We are on the ground in Thailand.  All is well!

Settling in our place in Chiang Mai beforeheadingto Eden House Saturday.

Good night!

We are getting packed for another adventure in Thailand and are really excited about what God has been doing in our lives during this season.  Our departure date is December 9, 2015 and we will get to spend over 5 weeks in Thailand, in several locations, reconnecting with friends and exploring new opportunities to serve and live out the calling that God has placed on our lives.

Would you like to get involved in what we do?  Visit our web site by clicking here Get Involved.   

We truly value all of those who have partnered with us on all of our journeys.  As we are becoming accustomed to, our trip has once again come together in awesome fashion, with God’s hand clearly present in so much of it.  Our plans for this trip began with a request from Anya and Aria to go serve in Thailand.  Since that time we have schedule to visit a group home in Chiang Rai, spend some time with Jesse and Uab Ford (long time friends who are missionaries on Chiang Rai) who we will accompany to visit an orphanage in Phuket, and finally wrap up our trip in Chiang Mai where we will get to see our friend Orn and also visit a couple of ministries that we know of in that city.  We have not spent too much time planning this, it has come together beautifully, and we only pray that we are able to impact each and every person that we come across as much as we are impacted by them.

There are so many stories that have already come out of this trip that have shown how God’s hand is upon it, we are excited to share those, but for now we are getting packed and ready to go, so will share more as we go.  

Love has great power

We are in our week of debrief at YWAM in Colorado Springs after 2 months of outreach in Thailand, and it is great to play back all of the great things that happened during that time.  Tomorrow we graduate and will all head out to what we have planned next.  So I was thinking about the things that I learned through this time and wanted to share.


When we look at the ministry that we did in Thailand, and the most significant moments of the outreach, they all surrounded one main point, loving people the way that Jesus teaches us to love.  No special formula or great amount of resources needed, just authentic love.  This love that we gave was enough to bring 2 ladies out of a bar to meet with the people who are there to help them find a lifestyle other than prostitution to support them, and most amazing was that one of them was the owner of the bar.

 We also were able to put smiles on the faces of many people in a slum neighborhood simply by showing up to talk to them and throwing 2 small carnivals in their neighborhood to play with their kids.

The same love gave the opportunity talk about the love of Christ to a Buddhist college professor on the campus of the college in Chiang Rai that we were reaching out to, and have the professor, in response, offer to help with the coffee shop that the ministry is running. These are just a few of the examples of how simply showing love provided for change in huge ways.

Time and time again we were amazed at the opportunities for ministry that were created just by showing love to the people around us.  It was great to see how simple it is to make a change in someones life just by caring for them and showing interest.  The great thing about loving is it cost us very little to do, more time than anything, but the results on the faces of those that we were reaching out to was more reward than any of the cost of giving it.

We really loved this time in our lives during our discipleship training and outreach.  We will me sharing many stories as we settle back into Cincinnati.  Thank you to all who have been praying for us and supporting us.  Keep praying that our next steps will be clear and we can use what we have learned to continue to pour out this love on all of those around us.
--Troy