Return to ChiangDao

Muse:
This update was supposed to have posted when I first wrote it almost a month ago, but with a combination of it being deleted before I could save it (twice), my frustration that followed, the busyness of other things in life being added, the multitude of ducks I had to get in a row before this week...and a little procrastination on my part, it is finally now being posted...again.
So hit the rewind button on your memory and go back to the second week of October:

Set:
-back when time was a little slower, rains were still coming regularly, and the morning mists were only JUST enough to make you second guess your decision to attempt a day without taking a second shirt with you (at least in this part of the world).

-most of the girls from BHJ were back in the villages visiting remaining relatives during their school break.

-I was ending teaching English to the staff for a little while to prepare for time spent elsewhere.

-a team from America had just arrived....

Scene 1

The team came mostly from the mountains of Colorado and my native city of Woodland Park with a ministry called E3/SportReach. After spending a few days in ChiangMai, getting acquainted with the city, the culture, and the heat; we headed out to BHJ and did a small work project, only to be interrupted by monsoonal torrent that turned most of our efforts into a soggy sandbox - much to the enjoyment of the girls who were only too eager to start burying each other and building sand castles like they were at the beach.
The following day we packed up from ChiangMai and headed North. Winding through the mountains on curves that still make me more than a little car sick thinking about it, past military checkpoints intent on halting the traffic of opium from the hidden plantations to the cities until we reached the small municipality of ChiangDao; a central location to the multitudes of smaller villages surrounding it, each with their own people group residing in it.

Scene 2

Sunday through Wednesday we split the team of 8 recently arrived Americans into 3 groups adding myself, the Jessen family and several locals, each going off to different villages that we were going to be working in. I led a team of 4 into a Lisu village called HuaNaLin, where I knew the pastor already and where four of the BHJ girls had come from. We spent the afternoon on Sunday prayer walking through the village and inviting anybody we met to come to the church that evening to a special program we were going to have where I gave a small teaching on the mission that God has called every Christ-follower to; not just pastors or "great white missionaries."

Our main goal was to be an encouragement to the already established church and help motivate them to reach the remaining families in the surrounding area and not remain stagnant and legalistic in their faith. We spent time with pastor John Bee and the elders of the church asking where their needs for prayer were and where we might be of service. The next few days we spent the mornings playing with the kids of the village who were too young to work in the fields, and then during lunch going out into the fields where the majority of the villagers were working the harvest.

We would meet with them in their homes or their fields sharing with them about the Good News and explaining the gospel to them, praying with them and discipling those who God had created cultivated hearts. Then in the afternoons having sports camps for the youth and then in the evenings holding small bible study groups at the church or returning to the houses of people we met that invited us to come back and meet with their entire families.

It's hard to explain the spectrum of people we would meet when going out with the pastor or other church members; but these three examples give an idea of what we encountered:

1. Cultivated heart - I went with one other American, a Thai translator and a local church member and met a young man of about 21 who when we asked if we could share with him about the Bible, he was immediately excited and asked us to come in! We sat down and shared with him the story of the Bible from Creation through to Jesus' death, highlighting the points of our original design to be with God, our fall and separation and the effects of that, and the master plan God had already put into effect with Jesus. After hearing, he was already eager to pray and commit his life to Jesus. We spent nearly an hour or so with him and left him a Bible and invited him to join us at church that evening, to which he came. Later that week I went back with the local church member and visited with him again to encourage him and his walk.

2. Open, but non convicted - We met with a family of 3, the father, mother and their daughter who all listened very intently to what we were sharing and then after asking very motivated questions the father ultimately said that they were still deciding what was the best way to act, but when we asked what we could pray for them for, he said, "please pray for us that we may be able to discern what is the true path and way to live life."

3. Closed - An elderly woman we met with was sitting on her porch outside of her home, working on weaving a basket when we asked if we could spend some time with her, she was very polite and listened to what we were saying. But after sharing with her, she told us that Buddha already took care of her sin and the pendant around her neck was what kept evil spirits away and brought her good fortune. Despite the fact that she said that the Bible was true and how it says that God's biggest commandment is worshipping him alone, meaning believing in Jesus, she said that it was more logical to believe in many things.

After spending most of the week with a similar routine, and having the opportunity spend some real one-on-one time with John Bee and one of the elders, Daniel - spending several hours just hanging out in his house and communicating between my Thai and his English we were able to have a very fruitful time surfacing things from both of our lives and what God was doing in both of them. Daniel, who was about 28, was chosen to be an elder 2 years previous on the premise that he was one of the few men in the village who "knew how to pray."

We regrouped with the rest of the team in the evenings to eat dinner around 8:30 or 9pm, debrief, pray and go to bed.

Scene 3

Once Thursday rolled around we all regrouped and went to a different village that our friend and pastor Kamsen had been involved with over the past several years - this village, consisting of Karen, Shan and Northern Thai peoples, had only 3 professing Christians and only 1 young couple actively attempting to spread the Good News to their neighbors. We spent the entire day with all of the team going out to the families and inviting them to a youth soccer game in the afternoon and then a church meeting in the evening.
The soccer game was a great hit (as always is when Soccer is involved), we played with a group of about 20 youth from the village and we were able to share with them and I spent some time with a few of the guys and hanging out with them. Then in the evening, the church was packed out with people from all over the area to hear the message that Kamsen taught and to see a video geared towards helping explain the Gospel to those of their background. It was awesome to see God bring a full crowd to a village that God had been working on in the previous years.

Final Scene:

The next day we packed up and came back to ChiangMai where I spent most of the next day saying goodbye to my girlfriend as she was leaving for the States after her 2 year commitment in SE Asia, and then met back up with the team afterward for debriefing and helping them get onto their plane the next day to go back to the snow and cold of Colorado (and Washington).

Sequel:
One week later, after the team had gone, I went back with Pastor Kamsen to the same village for the dedication of their church building and saw many of the same people we had met the previous week, including several of the guys I had played soccer with. I'm already excited to see them again in the months to come!

Coming attractions:

-My mom visits me in Thailand for her maiden voyage across foreign soil. (Single day trips into Canada and Mexico don't count).

-I visit friends and family in the USA to cultivate relationships, spend the holidays and do some fund-raising.

Location:ChiangDao, nearby villages, Thailand

On God and Church Planting in villages to the North.

I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty awesome to be able to be a part of what God is doing in Thailand!

Sure, there are times when it's extremely difficult and the many clashes of culture and distance from things that are familiar weed their pricking thorns into what were my otherwise comfortable feelings of peace with where God has me...and believe me, they are not fun. But that happens to everybody regardless of their physical location, current vocation or heart status. I'm just glad for the incredible opportunities He's deemed me worthy enough to take part in; most recently a trip to Chiang Dao with Kelly Jessen and Pastor Kamsen.

We got a late start heading the 2 hours North from Chiang Mai to the small municipality surrounded by countless smaller villages, each distinguished by the minority people group that inhabits it. We made our way up the curving mountainsides, rain splashing the windshield, whipping around corners that still make me a more than a little carsick thinking about it, and passing police checkpoints intent on discovering smugglers from transporting their loads of opium. Eventually reaching our destination just next door to the Lisu Bible Institute, where Kelly would be teaching the next 3 days.

The mornings and afternoons consisted mostly of Kelly, teaching in English which was then translated into Lisu, with me following along in the Thai copy of the notes. (Got a headache yet?) The students, who are mostly aged 17-20 with a few village pastors mixed in there, sat on hard benches scribbling notes in their all-capital handwriting that when read out loud sounded like trying to talk with a kazoo in their mouth, making buzzing sounds as they formed words.

Kelly was busy teaching them all sorts of tools that most Americans would have understood since they were young growing up in the church; how to pray, how to share the gospel, how to make disciples versus converts, leading small groups and Bible studies, developing leaders and expanding their own personal ministries so not to just become stagnant and filled with the same people.
Because honestly, after the last hundred or so years of Christian influence and ministry in Thailand, the 1% Christ-following population isn't exactly something to brag about. We've gotten so focused on coming in with money and the importance to build a church BUILDING rather than expand the actual church of believers. Fund-raising and filling seats is far less important than really meeting with people and discipling them where they're at. Forget the pews, the stage, the podium and musical equipment; those are nice, and blessings, but they're so WESTERN and ultimately unnecessary. Many pastors and church leaders in Thailand have the mindset that if ONLY they could get those things, then they would have a successful church. (Wonder where they got that mindset from?)

It was awesome to see them break into small groups and tentatively begin reading through a passage of scripture with a set of questions to get them diving into the word of God. At first with many awkward glances and unsure comments to those around them, afraid of getting the answers wrong. Then an hour later seeing them come back into the big group and when asked if they liked the time, responded with a very loud "KAZOO!" ('Yes', for those of you who didn't pick up on the earlier comment).

During the evenings, after a quick shower and dinner, the three of us headed about 30 minutes into the jungle to a Lahu village, which several of the girls from BHJ are from. Met with the pastor and the congregation there along with swarms of children riding their bicycles barefooted and skidding to a halt and peeking around each other why large, shy eyes. (The second night...not so shy; instead we were tackled.) We had come to lead a shorter version of all that was being taught at the Lisu Bible Institute.





With Kamsen translating this time into Thai, I was able to be a lot more of use and helped teach some parts of it and participated in smaller groups as long as we kept speaking Thai instead of Lahu (another tonal buzzing dialect). We practiced with praying and discipling, and especially with explaining the Gospel, because this village is one of the several we'll be coming back to next month with a short-term team with the intent of creating more house churches and spreading the word to the Hmong, Karen, Yao and Northern Thai peoples - with the current church members as the ones doing most of the evangelism rather than our own translators.






So, now back in Chiang Mai, I'm already looking forward to seeing those at the Lisu Bible Institute and the Lahu village of Godbodbong in a few weeks and seeing what God will have done and what is going to be done in the future!

P.S. I was told that Lisu and Lahu could each be learned proficiently in 6 months...could be useful in Thailand, Laos, Burma, India and China!

A year of God

Usually reflections on the recent year-gone-by happen under an inky sky illuminated by bright flashes of colored sparks and the sound of clinking drinking glasses harmonizing with the booming of far-off explosions that muffle the otherwise noisy party. However, right now the booming I hear is instead from electrodes doing whatever they do to produce the lightning that is accompanying the sheets of rain inundating everything it can touch, what was otherwise previously dry and more than likely, hot to the touch.

Nevertheless, I can't help but reflect on the past year -

the long plane ride that I was miraculously able to sleep all but an hour of...

the first impression of hot, sticky Chiang Mai as I confusedly tried to find the correct side of the van to enter...

the awkward first time I met the brown-faced girls that I now call my "little sisters"...

the many different travels around the city and Thailand as a whole, seeing the beauty of God in stark contrast to the stomach-wrenching sight of Satan's grip on the lives of so many...

the unsure trip to a neighboring communist country in hopes of obtaining at least a few more weeks allowed to stay in Thailand...

the exhausting weeks of feeling like a 4 year old trying to sound out the alphabet and the headaches that followed...

the moments of sheer frustration when a trip to town for a quick errand turned into a week-long ordeal...

the joy and excitement of participating in a country-wide water fight that left everybody sunburned, sore and exhausted...

the feeling of accomplishment once having a house to call my own and roommates to live life with...

the new friends made from a short-term team from WA and the excitement of seeing my little sisters enjoy the attention from people who had come simply to show them the love of an all-powerful and loving Father...

the many many many mistakes with language and cultural differences and being able to laugh about it through red cheeks and sometimes gritted teeth...

the growing of relationships back in the states despite the time differences and long distance between us...

the lives changed by the grace of God and them moving of His Spirit through those who follow his leading...

the love and acceptance of a family of believers, young and old, tall and short, dark and pale; brought together through the mutual joy of the love that we all received individually and can't help but share with those around.

Through the past 12 months, despite times of joy, anger, frustration, contentment and so many other emotions - God was/is ever-presently showering me with over-abundant gifts. So I thank those of you have been with me through this crazy upside-down year, whether I've known you for many many years, or just last week. I give thanks to God for the life we've been able to share one way or another.

Be blessed in the Gospel alone, and take everything else as our Dad winning you back to himself.

(Photo: Loi Krathong Festival, November 2010)

A lazy, rainy Friday afternoon

Its a monsoon outside right now.

So all plans and endeavors to finish volleyball games or get that one last round of hop-scotch in were abandoned as 41 girls scurried into the dorm in a mad dash of such dark-skinned pigment that most western models would kill for. They slid into the main room and dragged the few peices of furniture together, the little ones stacking plastic chairs on top of each other to see over the heads of those in front in desperate attempts to be able to see the television.









Dark eyes peek over my shoudler as they watch my pen trace marks along the page, curiously trying to decipher their meaing.
This is my life currently, The television trying to drown out the roar of cascading water outside, while I sit surrounded by little girls staring intently at the color-changing glass in front of them. A lazy Friday afternoon spent among the least of these, a million miles away from what I might've ever thought my life would look like.
God is probably still chuckling at the idea of me trying to make plans of my own.
I'd like to think I've given God a few good belly laughs in the nearly 23 years I've been alive; and hopefully I'll give Him a few more before I go and listen to one of His own.

I'm not paying attention to the show, and my thoughts linger elsewhere....

...to the conversation in broken English and Thai I had with Mama Leah, smiling as she leans over the massive wok, a freshly picked flower pinned proudly on her shoulder that was given her today for Mother's Day.

...to the round smiling face of Supansa peeking through the doorway for the 3rd time asking if I'm finished with what I'm working on and can come play, only 45 seconds between intervals.









...to the date I took a girl on last night, that I think went pretty well. (Hopefully she'll smile to herself if she reads this.) It was the first time I'd ever taken a girl out on a date with her on the back of a motorcycle - something I'll admit I'd been wanting to do ever since seeing how cool Tom Cruise looked in Top Gun when I was a kid. Smiling to myself a little as she gripped a little tighter as we leaned a little further into a turn. (Don't worry mom, we both had helmets and I was careful...in case you read this...or her mom does....)

It's a relaxing afternoon which is best spent giving God thanks for the random smiles and all that he's done and is continuing to do.

And then the sun breaks the clouds.

The Friend Dilemma

It sucks. (I apologize for the cable TV language).
But it really does; when you can't find real friends.
Friends that actually stick within a decent proximity to you.
People that are intent on staying close by for longer than a few weeks, or several months at the most.

I'd be lying is I said it doesn't aggravate me when I meet a seemingly-cool guy or girl at church or a random café or restaurant; go through the pleasantries and introductions, realize that they could really be a cool person to get to know - beneficial for both of us...and then the next question is asked and answered....

"How long are you here for?"


And would-be friendships immediately divert into a new facebook acquaintance...at the most. These awesome, God-loving, brothers and sisters go into a category with even less depth than the returning customers I used to have while working at Starbucks.
And it sucks.

Don't get me wrong, I have friends here. Deep, meaningful relationships that I'm excited to see grow in the future, but gosh darn it I wish it were easier to make more!

This was kind of a long intro in the real update I was planning to post, but please if you wouldn't mind praying for the opportunity to make more deep and lasting friendships while here.

Another big request I am asking for is this: after being here for just under a full year, and having just about everything settled to be here as long as God would like me to, the big question still remains: what has God REALLY sent me here for?
I am still working at the Breanna's House, still loving being with my little sisters and "family" out there. Still enjoy helping where I can with TheLight and the other small ministries I've been a part of.
Yet, as I continue to work myself out of a job at BHJ, the more time I have to spend seeking God in His direction for my ministry. I don't want to be here coasting in the midst of so much potential and need. So I ask for your prayers and petitions to our amazing God and Father who sent me here in the first place.
That He would lead me into the exact fit that He has for me, a place that will challenge and grow me, but ultimately where His FAME will be most spread and His GLORY be most admired.

P.S. I am still attempting to raise my support level to allow for a modest budget enabling me to plan for the future and the occasional trip back to the states. If you or anyone you know would like to partner with what God has brought me here to do, please contact me or donate online via
https://www.newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&task=authorizenetonce&Itemid=5&pid=0
with "Joy to the World - Ben Watson" highlighted in OPERATING PROJECT.

Missionary Season

The locals call it "Reedu Missionary" (insert falling tone on last syllable).
It's the time when teams come and visit and do building projects, VBSes, Bible studies, and retreats. And while most come and go with a good impact, I still had my doubts about what this month was going to be all about. But yet again, God has shown Himself more than capable of using whatever willingness is offered and producing great things from it.

I'm not against short-term missions. I mean, without it I would never have ended up where I am now had I not gone on that fateful week-long trip to Shiprock, NM back when I was 15. But with my progression into longer and longer termed commitments, my view for myself has changed into being one to hardly consider myself going to a place unless I have ample time to really meet the people and understand some of their language and make real friendships. But that's not for everybody. Some people are used as quick booster shots and encouragements for those staying long-term. However, some come as more of a hinderance than a help, using the opportunity to see the world or to just build their own faith rather than give it. Thankfully, God saw it necessary to bless us with a team that deeply intended to bless others rather than be built up in their own hearts. 

We just had a team of 19 High School students and Chaperones come from Washington state for just under 2 weeks; and even though the work projects they blessed us with weren't extremely essential, the reminder of a larger family of God and plan can never be re-emphasized enough. The girls ADORED the attention they got from the team who came prepared to give themselves out completely until they went home exhausted from the heat, sweat and many tears spent on the last night that everybody had been dreading since day one.

I saw God's love open the hearts of the younger ones who have come from such broken stories I don't think anything but a God who is love could fix. Witnessing Him use the games of volleyball, tag or even paper, rock, scissors to encourage the hearts of both parties involved was evidence enough even had I not been acquainted with both cultures. The team left after days of sweating, painting, building, gardening, more sweating and ultimately loving on the hearts of 41 precious girls and 6 Thai staff who wont't be quick to forget the joy that came with the "super cool Americans."

Thank you very much, Bellevue team for blessing us out here in Doi Saket, the girls already miss you guys a ton and continually ask if I've had word whether or not some of you are coming back again soon.

P.S. If you would like more information on Breanna's House of Joy or sponsoring a girl/local staff for $50/mo. please visit www.breannashouseofjoy.com or email me at onegirlsponsor@gmail.com

P.S.S. If you'd like to contribute to my personal funding please visit www.newhorizonsfoundation.net and select "Joy to the World Thailand - Ben Watson" for Operating Project under the DONATE tab.

9 เดือนแล้วและการนับ 9 Months and counting!

สวัสดีทูกคน
Hey Everybody

The 9 month mark came without much pomp and circumstance; mostly it just came with a lot of hot weather mixed with rain and enough sweat to create it's own rainstorm.
(That's actually kinda gross....)
But I've moved again; finally settled into a house that, so far, is exactly what I'd been praying for since November!
Close to everything; 20 minute drive out to Doi Saket, walking distance to Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai Baptist church, WonGen Cafe (Where we host TheLight), the soccer field we play on Mon/Fri nights, and a multitude of cheap market food stalls!

It's already turned into the hangout spot for all sorts of people; chilling on our couches/rug/plastic chairs and playing board games, darts or even the wii that one of my roommates has.

I have a lot to be grateful for!

In 9 months I've gone from knowing about 3 phrases to being able to explain to a phone technician that the DSL cable was installed by the previous tenant or interpret to a police officer that my friend's computer and passport were stolen from his house without breaking and entering. (Long story).

I've gone from a kid who wasn't sure exactly what would happen several weeks out to having roots and a home set up and ready for any new assignments/tasks sent my way.

At BHJ the staff are speaking much better English, the girls are healthier, more energetic and in better communication with their sponsor parents. The girls never let me leave without attempting to stow away on my back with lots of squeals of "Mai bpai pee chai" (Don't go, older brother). The family I have out there always makes me late for any sort of plans I might've foolishly tried to make in the evenings. (Including skype meetings).

I have a good group of friends, both Thai and farang that hang out regularly whether playing soccer or frisbee, hanging out at TheLight or at home, having deep discussions or just making fun of each others' accents and ideas of what's "normal."

TheLight is EXPLODING! We first had our meetings on Saturday nights, but due to the amount of people and partnering with the cafe that we borrowed, we switched to Sundays; and now are already filling to capacity. The bi-weekly soccer games are now so full that we're considering renting a larger field, (or even 2 or 3). What started as a dozen guys from TheLight only 2 months ago is now topping 30-40 guys on a small field usually meant for teams of 5-6!
And in a side note, I took a long-weekend to go play in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament on the beach in Cha-Am a few days ago; came back sunburned, sore and tired as all get-out, but had a blast and already back at it with things here in Chiang Mai.

I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everybody who is praying and supporting me here. I am SO grateful for all of you helping me get set up here, and even more importantly; keeping me here!

พระเจ้าอวยพร
God Bless

Location:Nimmana Haeminda Lane 15,Mueang Chiang Mai,Thailand

Contract

I just signed a Contract.

For just an 8 letter word, it sure has some heavy connotations! Similar to the weight of words like
'subpoena'
or
'pregnant'.
(Ok, maybe that's a little over-dramatic, but you get the point.)

The contract I signed was a lease on a house for a year. Not such a big deal, but considering I've been living out of piles of clothes stuffed into one little cabinet and a hanging rack suspended between two window sills, it's like I finally signed my heart into the place I'll call home.

Granted, I've been here over 8 months already and I'm a lot more used to what is "normal" over here, but I never had anything "permanent." (If you can call a one-year lease that.)

For 3 months I lived out of a backpack as we traveled all over Thailand, then I spent 3 months in a small room filled with 3 bunkbeds and a bathroom, about 10 km from the nearest English-Speaker. And the last 2 months I've been living in a 2 bedroom townhouse with two other roommates with the intention of moving again by the end of May.

And now all of a sudden there's something grounding me. The cursive writing in blue ink surrounded by articles and conditions in a different kind of "cursive." I have a place to sleep, to relax, to have friends over and a place to escape when the ickyness that is lurking just below eye-level attempts to squeeze my heart of the last few drops and force me to give up or search airline ticket prices.

This is home. Not because I'll soon have a room filled with things I put there, or because we'll have friends hanging out on the couch (once we buy one), but it'll be home because God brought me here.

But this has already been home. It has been ever since God stepped off the plane with me back in September. But now the difference is that I have a legal document testifying what my heart feels - it just took me awhile to let it have a pen.

God Juggling

I used to love writing.
I guess I just loved the way I could mold words to fit my purpose and there wasn't any space of time allotted for my response like in a standard conversation. If you pause for too long it can be misread as lack of focus, or boredom, or even downright rude.
Not in writing. The punctuation speaks for itself and gets the point across.

Ask anybody and they'll say their lives are busy; and rightly so, with work, kids, bills and whatever else you're involved in. We're all warned of this from infancy; "enjoy your freedom before you have a job/family/mortgage."
But writing still allows for a break occasionally. The same as reading a good book that actually takes more than an hour to read. Engaging with what is typed as the story progresses. Much the same way a movie can stir emotions and leave you pondering the plot for hours or days after the fact.

I guess what I'm really trying to say, is that I don't know how to live this "missionary life." Taking a day to chill at a coffee shop and write, or read a book hardly counts for "ministry" in my mind. I'm having difficulty allowing myself to have fun that isn't directly related the work I'm being supported to do. When I worked a 9-5, the paycheck that I got bi-weekly was in direct correlation with the amount of time spent obtaining said finances. Therefore the effort invested in the job allowed for life outside work to be lived without troubling the mind. But how do you clock-in and out of ministry?

How do you juggle friends, fun, and God time?

Songkran Festival

This week was the biggest holiday of the year; Songkran, which is originally a Buddhist holiday meant for spiritual cleansing and a sort of "spring cleaning" for the traditional new year; has now become a huge excuse to take to the streets and enjoy cooling each other off. Everyone is fair game, (farang = bonus points), and regardless of if you're on foot, in the back of a truck or on a scooter just going to work; you're a target of this good-natured (albeit otherwise extremely rude) festival.

I went downtown on Thursday with some friends; here's some photos of what I saw during the 7 hours of water craziness:




Middle of the crowd of "Songkraners"







 
It's absolutely impossible to stay dry.







This holiday spans all social class separations; poor, rich, young, old, Thai, farang; everybody just enjoys a great deal of fun thoroughly drenching each other.

Location:Old City, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Over the hump?

According to most expats and missionaries in Thailand, the first 6-9 months are the hardest to get past. The initial honeymoon stage followed by the roller coaster of emotions that follow.
I just made it to my 7 month benchmark and things are looking like they might be smoothing out from the rocky first 6 month climb.

This last month I moved into a house on the Southern side of the city. Although the location of the house is farther away than I wished to be from BHJ, it's been working out despite the longer commute (especially on rainy days). The move allowed me to set up a home base and live with 2 awesome Christian roommates, both guys similar in age. Although I miss being so close to all the smiling, cute faces out in Doi Saket, it was never the long-term plan to live out there 24/7; and not exactly healthy on the whole. Now having a steady community of fellow believers close by and guys my age is a nice breath of fresh air and a major booster shot to help get through the disgustingly hot and sticky "Hot Season."

Also this month I've been helping out with a church planting and college-age ministry called The Light every weekend, improving my Thai with anyone and everyone I can and building better community through our meetings, and our new bi-weekly soccer games. Reminds me of the gang ministry we used to do in Lima, Peru but with less Spanish.

Breanna's girls have mostly all been back in the villages these last few weeks, staying with remaining relatives or family friends while the major bathhouse project has been underway. Giving the 6 Thai staff the opportunity to take some vacation, which they deserve more than anyone has ever needed it. And thanks to the relationships we've been making with the village pastors and elders we've been able to keep much better accountability with the girls while they're home compared to previous years. It's only been a few weeks but I'm very excited to see all my "little sisters" again next week when they come back right before the biggest holiday of the year - Songkran. (Basically a 3 day country-wide water fight!)

Guess who's excited?!
THIS GUY!

Location:Mu Ban Kunlaphan Village,Mae Hia,Thailand

Unorthodox Joy

A few days ago a question was posed to me: "When are you the most joyful?"

I thought about it for a few moments, and the answer I responded with was a little less than orthodox:

-I'm snowshoeing somewhere deep in the outdoors of the Colorado wilderness. I've just come into a secluded but open area surrounded by trees and mountains. It's snowing, but not so hard that I can't see. Rays of sunlight peek through the snow clouds blanketing most of the sky. I'm standing still and listening to the silence, the falling snow canceling all noise from the otherwise busy world. The elements freeze time and all is in an awed hush...and that's when I hear Him whisper, "I love you. I love you. I love you!""

-Or I'm sitting in a coffee shop near a window with a half-finished cup of coffee. The place isn't crowded but isn't completely empty either. My Bible is laying open next to my journal and I have my headphones in listening to songs by Hillsong United and Desperation Band. There's an unfinished sentence on the freshest page of my journal as I take a moment to look out the window and notice the rain splashing against the pane. And that's when I hear His praises being sung, electronically transmitted from a heart that matches my own; "You hold it all...together. You hold it all...forever. You hold it all. You started it all. You are my all in all!"
And my heart begins thumping, not because of the bass drum or the beat of the song, but because if I don't worship with my emotions; hands trembling, tears rolling and spirit weeping, I'm almost positive that the rocks and trees outside are going to start screaming His glory!

God forbid we should ever forget these moments! Rather, may we only add more and more to them until the day they become the daily norm; yet far from mundane!

What awesome moments of experiencing His presence and joy have you been given the privilege of participating in lately? Not so recently?

(Song: You Hold It All - Desperation Band)

Location:Huai Kaeo Rd,Chang Phuak,Thailand

Six Months!

It's been just barely over 6 months since I left the states; since the first blog was written about the beginning of the "Thai Adventures" upon landing in Los Angeles. So here's a quick re-cap of the initial time spent here with a little more detail on the most recent month.

September-November: Arrived in Chiang Mai on September 2nd, met up with the Parkers and the 6 other "interns" who had just flown in from the States in the previous few days. I spent a lot of time teaching English to the staff and working on different work projects: (ie. wall painting, gravel spreading, planting, etc.). We did a lot of different games and discipleship things with the girls in the evenings and on Saturdays. Had time on Fridays to take a day off and explore Chiang Mai via hopping a Songtaew or TukTuk to get us around town, meet friends, eat American food, etc. Also took time to visit the Northern villages near Chiang Rai, explore a little bit of Bangkok, and finally debrief with a week of respite in Phuket and Koh Phi Phi. It was an awesome time for reflection, exploring and seeing what God really had for me/us as far as where in the wide world I/we fit.

December - After a quick run across the border to Vientiane, Laos (12 hour busride one way), and coming back with a new Thai visa I got to work on setting some roots. I was able to purchase a scooter instead of just renting one monthly, got all the stacks and stacks of paperwork for the work permit accomplished. (Thanks largely to the awesome translating skills of Chat Chai). And then was able to help with different projects around the Christmas season.

January - School. This month sticks out in my mind as the hardest one so far. Mostly because if it weren't for the girls' free Saturdays, soccer with friends from church on Sunday mornings and an random invitation to an Ultimate Frisbee tournament I wouldn't have had any life at all outside of school. Every weekday morning from 9-12 was dedicated to studying and mastering the "art" of reading and writing the Thai language. Once that was finished for the day I'd "scoot" (pun intended) back to BHJ, have lunch, and then teach English to the staff for the next 2 hours. Once finished with class I'd have just a bit of time to get stuff done before the girls came home and things like homework or bible study would begin after dinner. January was a good month setting roots and making good friends with Thais and Farang through church, soccer, and a Thai campus ministry called The Light. Also after just having gone through the hassle of getting my Work Permit, I helped several other people get theirs with a lot less brain damage and much more quickly. This in itself might turn into a big ministry asset in the future of being able to help other missionaries stay in the country and not always having to leave for new visas every 3 months.

February - This last month was a little more even paced with days beginning to see a good rolling average of routine. I've set up a structured teaching schedule so that its not too fast for me or the staff, having a day in between English classes where I can go to Thai tutoring and they can do their own work related activities in the mornings. This schedule has allowed me to manage teaching/learning at a more reasonable pace for everybody, and then thus opening up slots of time devoted to the liaison part of my job description. I've been working on keeping the sponsors in better contact with their girl(s) and vice versa; therefore uploading more recent photographs and bios of the girls as some of our sponsors haven't heard new information since they began supporting them several years ago. Big problem in our mind. So I've been working on making things run a little more smoothly and less of the "well I hope they're using the money I'm sending them."

So there's a quick 6 months in a nutshell. As always, I'm extremely grateful for those who have helped get me here and who continuing to keep me in this part of the world. Now that I'm past the initial 6 months "touristy" phase, really excited about the long-term fruit that is only viewable from the extended stay!

Reading with Yada

Here's a short video taken by Matt on his phone of Yada attempting to test my Thai reading abilities with the Thai Bible...lets just say I still have a ways to go before I'm reading Thai novels for fun. :)

Success Story

This past weekend I got to be a part of a success story...

...Last Satuday morning found Matt, ChatChai, several of the older girls and I crammed into the van heading towards a part of the city that the girls hardly ever travel to; the side where multitudes of young men and women throng the many internet coffee shops, cheap eateries and hang outs wearing their matching uniforms that identifies them as college students.

This side of town isn't secluded, nor is it hard to get to; yet the girls from BHJ rarely see this area solely because its not part of their world...yet.
Amporn was one of the the very first Breanna's girl to come here and live outside the walls she had known for many years previous.
Likewise she was the very first to wear the uniform,

first to walk the procession,

first to bow to the headmaster

and

first to receive the intricately written, stamped and signed DIPLOMA.

And as I watched, trying to pick her out of the large crowd of graduating students, I realized something...
I COULD'N'T!
I truthfully couldn't pick her out from the girls who had come from rich families, decent families, broken familes, or no family at all.

However, later on when I finally did pick her out and the buzz of cameras' clicking started anew, I could see something different; and that was her Smile.

She had the biggest smile of anyone around; and all we could do was smile too. Sharing the happiness and joy of this mile (or kilometer) marker was nothing other than the divine moment that a great God had seen coming long before any of us were involved. And I'll bet that it made Him smile too.

How in the world...?!

It hit me today, as I was sitting in a YWAM coffee shop talking to a Thai friend named Nok Noi (นกน้อย), a thought that caused me to stop conversing mid-sentence.

"How in the WORLD did I get here?!"

Not literally of course, I had just ridden my scooter from the Thai Immigration office after several hours of pure bureaucratic bliss complete with queue lines, crisp documents and finally the satisfying THUD of a stamp on passport pages specifically designed for such purpose.
But as I just described I knew how I got to this conversation with Nok Noi while I waited for photos to upload to the site I was working on.

But I really stopped speaking so abruptly and pretty sure I had the kind of face that makes most people give the sideways cock-of-the-head shock and awe, quizzical look that says "are you ok?" (No exception here, 'cept she did it in a more Thai-ish way adding the phrase "mee aray?")

It took me a second to respond, because first of all I couldn't quite explain it to myself in English much less take the extra step to translate into Thai. But here's what I came up with after a few moments pause:

-About 12 months ago I got an email from a former youth pastor inviting me to come on a 3 month internship/mentorship/decipleship trip. To which I immediately deemed unworthy of a response. (Thanks but no thanks, I'm not interested in short-term...especially in Thailand!!)

-However God wouldn't let me drop it; He continued to bring up the issue and keep my attention from random people talking about different ministries in SE Asia and how they could use a guy like me, or God tugging on my heart whenever mention came up of trafficking or prostitution. He just wouldn't quit bugging me!

-after 3 months of stubbornness on my part, I finally consented and responded to the email with words along the lines of "I'm mostly doing this to get God off my back and I doubt the offer is still open but...if it is I'm open to explore what God's up to. But one question: if I come, can I stay long-term?"

-To which God of course had already known Matt would reply "Yes. Let's talk". After a several hour meeting with him I went to my parents' house and told them about all that was starting to unfold. I took another month to pray/seek/whine/give in and tell Matt that I was in.

-Then the fun part began! I began researching tickets for flights to the last place on Earth I had ever seen myself going and really curious how God was going to make this all happen...because as I forgot to mention, with all my seeking/praying/whining I really felt an uneasiness about raising support for the first 3 months that seemed more of a vacation/respite with missions mixed in rather than full-on gritty missions. Long story short; God is God and I most certainly am not...because when I found an amazing deal on a one-way flight ($600 talked down from $1200), He sent me the work bonus and extra pay period the exact day (and for the exact price) I had to book the flight; essentially allowing me to still pay all my bills at the end of the month.

-Summer came and I worked at Camp Kivu in Durango, Colorado as a counselor, rock climbing guide, backpacking guide and just about anything else they needed. As my third and final summer with them I had a blast with great friends and resting in the Lord while hanging out with kids from all over the world just trying to show them how awesome our God is. (Not hard to do when you are playing in Colorado and Moab).

-August came quickly and the last month to get all my money together was drawing to a close quickly. Problem: Camp ended early and so my paycheck wasn't as large as I had expected, so after several very uncertain days of what was going to happen God allowed me to sell my car for the exact amount I needed to pay for the initial 3 months.

-Now 5 months and a whole lot of stories/memories/passport stamps later I found myself in a coffee shop a complete world away from my original plan...whatever that was anyway!

I didn't explain it to her in that many words of course, English Major she is, but she got the idea. I can't speak for certain for her but I sure left that cafe with the freshest feeling of "God is absolutely God and I am absolutely not!"

I'll never get tired of that feeling.

Location:Mueng Chiang Mai, Thailand

So...Yeah

Many of my friends and family hear me say the words "so...yeah." When I can't think of what else to say at the time. That's the phrase I usually employ to break the awkward silence.
And since I haven't written a new blog update in so long I feel like there has been an awkward silence between us. (Between whoever is reading this blog and I)

So...yeah.... I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up to date as much as we'd both like but here's what the past month has looked like and can give a few clues into why it's been so long; (I promise I'm going to get better at this updating thing)

If I summed up this last month into one word I'd prolly say "SCHOOL." Lots and lots of school! Here's why:

-the last month I've been taking a class called Intensive Thai at Payap University just outside downtown Chiang Mai; so for the last month every Mon-Fri morning I'd wake up around 7, eat some breakfast, have some time with the Lord, hop on the scooter and drive the 20-30 mins to class. Sounds like a typical day of heading to work or college for the most part; except here's the catch...I'm learning how to READ. I still feel like I'm a 5 year-old trying to "sound-out" words and phrases with the teacher standing over me correcting my (many) mistakes. And for 3 hours every day we'd drill over the Thai alphabet; 44 consonants and the 18 vowels. (And you thought 26 letters total was a pain!)
I first described it as "trying to read an art class" because literally the letters ก ข ค ย ะ ๊ ็literally look like squiggles or something you'd doodle when bored in class.
But thanks to God and the perseverance and ability to learn languages he's given me, I can honestly say that after a month of intense studying and lots of homework I can read/write Thai. (We won't go into details of how many words per minute that means.)



The title of the book is "How to read and how to write"

-The other reason is because after Thai class I'd drive back home, eat lunch with the 6 Thai staff (plus Lydia the precious 2 year-old), then teach English classes for 2 hours.



(We're working on commands in the beginner class)

By the time English classes are finished it's usually around 3:30 or 4 o'clock. With the remaining hour or so before the girls get back and dinner happens I'd squeeze in some emails and maybe run a few errands if it were possible.

-After dinner I help out with ChatChai's devotionals by playing guitar every once in awhile and leading worship with a few English songs they know and then we all hit the homework. Its pretty awesome that I have so many Thai experts to help me with my homework and then they come to me with their questions on their English and math homework.

So there's this month, well the weekdays anyway. In between the busy school days and nights God has been blessing me incredibly with community! I've been hanging out with friends I've met on the Southern side of the city and going to their home church on Sundays after playing soccer in the mornings. I've also been able to go to a night of worship that happens once a month and also randomly found out about an annual Ultimate Frisbee tournament in which over 60 people came and had a blast at! God's been blessing me extraordinarily with all these things and allowed me to make friends (both westerners and Thais) and continue to invest in the different relationships and have begun to have real accountability with a few guys.

All in all I can't get over how awesome God has been this month! It's been a lot of work and I'm always exhausted by the time Saturday finally rolls around but always ready to hit it again by the time Monday morning's alarm goes off.

One of the major responsibilities included in my job description is acting liaison for the One Girl sponsorship program we've launched. We're trying to get the sponsors more connected with their "adopted" girls with updated photos, videos, bios, etc. rather than the one photo they received when they first signed up to be a sponsor. This is a major undertaking but seeing real fruit come of it ready.

Well that's it for this month, next month should be a little less fast-paced as far as school goes because I'm done with the Thai class and will start taking private tutoring every other day or so instead of EVERY day. Thus enabling more time to work on the projects going on at BHJ and stuff happening this summer.

As always thanks so much for the prayers and support, one big prayer request that you could life up on my behalf is roommates. I'm looking for a place near BHJ but a little closer to the city as to be able to still go to tutoring and community things. I've found such places at extremely affordable prices, the only problem is roommates. I'm having difficulty finding other guys in the city looking for a place in the same area as me. But I'm not too concerned, just need to be patient.

Location:Nong Pa Krang Soi 3,Nong Pa Khrang,Thailand

Year 2010 Wrap-Up

Alright, here's an attempt at wrapping up all that has happened here in the last month of December which I've hardly written anything about...

I had just gotten back from Vientiane, Laos with another 90 day visa thanks to a lot of prayers, research and filling out the correct forms. I had about a day to unpack from the previous travels and settle in before BHJ's founders Uncle Bill and Auntie Mary Lee flew in for about 10 days. They spent the first few days adjusting to the time change and visiting with the girls, while I did a little scooter shopping. With extreme thanks to very generous supporters I was able to purchase a used Honda iCon scooter with which I am extremely pleased. The price was right and even came with a 1 year full guarantee and free maintenance work. So from then on I was mobile and able to go to meetings, start making and visiting friends and basically stop relying on the staff or Matt to get me into at least Songtaew (local taxi) or TukTuk range of where I had to go. (Imagine the excruciating several months before you turned 16 and got your license when everything REQUIRED you to drive and then the glorious days after your birthday when you were ABLE to go to the grocery store or visit a friend by yourself without bugging your parents or older sibling to take you there.) Hence the feeling of immense accomplishment that soon followed the signing of the dotted line.


Ok, so back to Bill and Mary Lee; they had come to really grind out some big plans and goals for the ministry as a whole in the future and spent a lot of time typing up job descriptions and future aspirations and restructuring the board of directors a bit. This involved me a little because Bill offered me a full-time position rather than just an intern with the ministry and am now "officially" connected with New Horizons Foundation (not like I wasn't beforehand; it just wasn't on paper). The several days with them I continued teaching English to the staff, acted as translator and chauffer for them a few times and eventually said good-bye when they headed back to the States.

One week followed which would have been somewhat of a respite, however with the new visa I had obtained and also thanks to the funding I received, Chat Chai and I met up with a paralegal and began the immense task of filling out all the required paperwork for getting a Thai Work Permit, which is basically my ticket to staying in the country indefinitely. Without which I would have to be border hopping every 3 months (and losing quite a bit of money with each trip), and never being able to have a set foundation in this country. So fast-forward past all the mundane trips to the office supply store for more printer ink, back and forth emails between previous employers, tedious translating of resumés and trips to passport photo shops (thankfully extremely affordable at 100 Baht ($3) for 4 photo compared to $10-20 for 2 in the States), we finally got the paperwork together and submitted the application to the Government.

By the time this was finished another 8 days had passed, just in time for two long-time and basically co-founders arrived from Washington state. Uncle Scott and Auntie Rosalie came to spend time with the girls and enjoy Christmas with everybody out here. With Matt having his parents staying at his house, I spent most days teaching English in the morning and then enjoying the company of the two visitors. We spent time with the staff and running errands into the city and back; in the end we put together a great celebration for Christmas complete with a new thick blanket for each girl and even a new TV to watch their favorite shows on the weekends! (Imagine the squeals and screams when the secret got out!) Scott and Rosalie went back home on the 26th.

The last week of the month was spent with a little rest for everybody; all the staff took a day to stop all the errands completely and breathe for a minute before the next holiday happened. New Years Eve was spent on the lawn outside cooking over small fire pots and shooting off home-made fireworks. (Literally made out of grass and gun powder!)



Now the holidays are over and this mon
th things are gearing up for a lot of different things but at a slightly slower pace. The Parkers and I are heading for Thai class, I'm continuing to teach English to the staff and helping out with the every-day errands, and all in all its a pretty good start to the year 2554, or 2011 rather.