On my way

A huge Jedi in the town of the volunteer we visited

This morning we got up around 5, got ready, ate breakfast at 6, and were leaving Bangkok by 6:30. My boss Sharon had new bosses that arrived the same day I did, and so they were coming with us. Their names are Barry and Shelly, and within minutes of meeting them, we became friends. They are so sweet. They are going to be in charge of missionaries for the Protestant church in 9 countries in this area (or something like that). Our first stop was the school of another volunteer who has been here about a year I believe. We toured his school, talked to him, and Sharon met with his new school director.

Minion saw this truck of pigs and wanted a
picture with them

We got back in the car and headed to Kanchanaburi where we went to the War museum there and walked through the cemetery. I had been to two other museums in the town, but was still amazed and saddened to read all of the information and what the men went through during WWII building the railroad. I took some pictures of headstones. Read through them and you get just a small glimpse of the age and type of people who lost their lives. It’s so sad.

the cemetery

 

 

 

 

After that, we had lunch at a little restaurant on the water that you can look at the famous Kwai River Bridge. I’ve heard there is a movie about it, but I haven’t seen it yet.

 



the headstones that speak for themselves

minion walking on the bridge

a guy's mask that still has the nose shape,
it made me smile and I hope you do too.



minion on the railbed

a little description

minion on the path

Then, we got back in the car and headed towards the mountains and my new home. Along the way, we stopped at the Hellfire Pass. This was a pass in the railroad that they spent 12 weeks on I believe around the clock, working 18 hour shifts to get through this 450 meter stretch. I can’t explain how magnificent of a feat it must have been. They didn’t have any big construction equipment, many didn’t have clothes, and were sick, undernourished, and overworked. Even after having walked through it, I can’t imagine the number of lives lost in just that one stretch of area and the amount of work it was to blast the pass out of the mountain piece by piece, throwing the rocks over the ledge. Words really can’t describe it at all. The walk we took there was nice and newly built. On the way back, we took a path that went behind the pass and was up and down, uneven steps. While I wanted to complain about the terrain and how hot I was and how uneven the steps were, I had to stop and realize that the path the men took was way worse than that, in the middle of rainy season, after working 18 hours straight. I realized I had little to complain about. It’s amazing how quickly your perspective can change when you think about things.

the path we were on

 

We got back in the car, and drove to Sangklaburi, the bigger town near me that is famous for the Mon Bridge, a wooden bridge that stretches from the town to the Mon village on the other side. The bridge is the longest or second longest, something like that wooden bridge in the world (I think, but I forgot exactly). However, this rainy season a part of it got knocked away by some teak trees in a flood, so they have a bamboo bridge next to it that the built until the water goes down and they can rebuild the wooden bridge.

We got to our resort, and cleaned up, then went out to dinner at a little restaurant that was in a houseboat right on the water. After supper, we went back to the resort and got ready for bed. I was so excited, tomorrow I will finally arrive at my new school!!!!!!!

Packing and traveling...traveling and packing

Here's just a quick update on what the next few days are going to be like for me. I have spent this morning packing and re-adjusting stuff in my bags to prepare for our evening flight to Bangkok. Hopefully, my bags won't weigh too much and everything will be able to go with us. If not, someone will have to ship one of my bags to my new school tomorrow.

I'm traveling with the director and we are flying to Bangkok tonight where we will meet her new regional boss and do some sightseeing things in Bangkok Wednesday. Then, Thursday they will come with us as we do some more sightseeing on the way to my new school. Thursday night we will stop at the bigger town nearby, then go on to my school Friday morning.

Of course, this is Thailand, so things might change. However, this is what I was told yesterday was the plan. The director is going with me so that she can catch me up on what I missed during orientation, and also because my school had so many questions she thought it would just be easier to go there with me rather than talk them all over on the phone.

Please be praying for all of us(I'm not sure how many it will be) as we travel the next few days and for my school as they prepare for my arrival.

Thank you so much,
Love to you all

Orientation

one of the houses built for the lepers to stay in

I arrived just in time for the last two days of orientation.
Thursday, we had worship in the morning, then headed to McKean an island that medical missionaries set up on to help patients with leprosy over 100 years ago. Now, they serve people with leprosy and are moving towards a new program focusing on elderly care. It was amazing to see a medical mission in Thailand. We toured the facility a little, and went to a shop that everything in it was made by the patients at McKean and we also saw some of the people while they were working on their crafts. It was amazing to see how they overcame the physical effects leprosy had on them to be able to make beautiful things to earn an income.

After lunch we had a few hours free time, so I read for a little bit and took a nap. Then, we met and talked about two chapters in a book we are to read called "More than a Native Speaker." For supper afterwards several of us went across the street a little ways to a couples house that serves Spaghetti dinner every Thursday night for anyone who wants to come and join for a meal and fellowship. It was quite the get together, and I had a chance to get to know a few of the volunteers who went.

one of the assisted living rooms in their new facility

Friday was their final day, and so we met in the morning for worship, then talked about two more chapters in the book. Then, a lady showed all of the volunteers how to write their names in Thai. After that the gardener took us outside and told us how the Thais use the entire banana tree, trunk, leaves, bananas, and the banana "flower" for different things. After that we had lunch, then the other volunteers were presented with certificates and after a few quick pictures the first one was off to her new school. After about half an hour a second girl was off to the airport to leave for her new school then a few minutes after that 3 other girls were picked up by a van who would drop each of them off at their schools.

a house in one of the communities where the
 leper patients live. We didn't go in one, but
 they looked cute.

It was a quick 2 days with those people and I didn't have that good of a chance to get to know them. However, two of them couldn't get tickets to leave til Monday so I had the weekend to spend time with them and get to know them. That is one thing I prayed for while I was stuck at home waiting for my visa, that the delay from the visa wouldn't hinder me from making a few close friends to have as a support system. It is so important to have people to support and who will support me. I was blessed over the weekend to form some closer relationships with other volunteers and the best part is they are Christian. I feel like this program has been night and day difference from the PC. I was so quickly accepted and embraced by everyone, our friendships have our Father in common, we are here to not only teach, but to reach out to the lost. I'm just in awe of all that God has provided me in such a short time.

some of the crafts they made to sell

One of my favorite moments was Sunday morning as a group we went to church. The service was in Thai, but they had 2 pews in the back where foreigners could sit and put on headsets to listen to the English translation. I has so much peace and happiness in that moment it was overwhelming. Then, I realized I get to go to church every Sunday while I'm here, I might be able to join a small group, my school will probably have worship a few times a week, and my teachers might have devotions together. What an amazing opportunity we are stepping into. God is so good.

Please pray for each of the volunteers as we go into our new schools, as we figure out the plans God has for us here, as we support and encourage each other, as we do daily life in a foreign country, as we learn and grow spiritually, the list could go on, but what I'm really asking is for your prayers that God would use us to touch the lives of those around us in the Land of Smiles.

even the Christians had to stop next to a
remarkable temple, notice this chedi is square
in the Burmese fashion.

I've Arrived!!!!!!!!!!!





The minion at the airport ready to begin our adventure

A week and a half ago I posted that my visa had arrived after over a month of frustrating events. Now, just a week and a half later I've arrived in the land of smiles again!!!! The last week in America was pretty busy, visiting Corey at SVSU, Casey at Great Lakes for her(and then my) birthday, packing, making last visits, saying see you laters, and trying to fill my suitcases. For some reason after I packed everything I had half a suitcase empty, so Sunday I went out and bought a few more things for teaching, and also snacks and things for my enjoyment in my new village.

Monday morning I woke up and put a few last minute things in my bags and we headed out a little after 8. We drove to the airport where I checked in and after talking to my parents for a little bit and last minute hugs I headed for security. As I passed through the final point I turned and waved at my parents and then I was started on my adventure. I found my gate and waited for the first flight to Chicago. The flight was super quick and I spent the first part just enjoying watching the beautiful fall colors from above. Flying in the fall is amazing. I wish I would have been able to take a picture, but unfortunately they don't allow electronic devices to be turned on during ascent :(

the minion with my first completed paper pieced flower

 

clouds

Upon arriving at Chicago I went through security again and found my next gate. I worked on my paper piecing a little bit and a lady asked me about it and I did my best to explain it to her but I'm not really sure how it works myself yet... It's a learning process for this trip. The flight from Chicago to Hong Kong was almost 16 hours I believe. It seemed like it was taking forever. I sat next to a man who was from Hong Kong but was now an American citizen. He was kind of awkward as he wouldn't really look at me or talk to me the entire time. However, in the middle of the flight when they were having everyone sleep he got up and got an apple and told me to go get one. So, I came back with a bag of peanuts. He then went back and got a bag of peanuts, cookies and

crackers. When those were gone he went back for seconds. It made me smile. I watched several movies, finished stitching together my first paper pieced flower, and took a little nap. I included some cool pictures I took out the window when we were flying above frozen ground, and some other cool pics.

our flight path halfway through

sunset + the wing + cracked ice below= BEAUTIFUL

 When I arrived in Hong Kong I went to the airline desk to see if they could re-route my bags for me. When I checked in in Detroit they told me I would have to get my bags at Hong Kong, go through immigration and customs, then check them back in with the airline. Luckily, I talked to a nice girl and she told me to sit on a bench for 45 minutes and she got my bags re-routed without me having to get my bags and take them through all those points. It worked out perfectly. I then had 18ish hours left of my layover. I made sure to take a walk and drink water, ate something, and then I was fortunate enough to find one of the few lounge chairs at the airport free and sat down and made myself rest/sleep for 7 hours to help get my body onto the new schedule. When I got up I bought a muffin, then did laps around the airport, taking breaks to check facebook/e-mail, read a book, work on my puzzle book, work on paper piecing, etc... Finally they showed which gate I was to leave from about an hour and a half before my flight. I went and waited there and read my book. It wasn't your typical gate, our tickets were scanned, then we were put on a bus and driven about 10 minutes away to where our plane was. I'd never had them do that before. We then had to climb stairs to get onto the plane.



the first dancers

A few hours later I finally arrived in Chiang Mai. Of course everything can't go smoothly, so I had trouble getting through immigration. They asked me the address of where I'm staying, which I didn't have. So, I listened as they talked about me in Thai, that I was a teacher with a special visa but didn't know my address. Finally they had me write the name of the organization I'm with and my e-mail address and I was allowed through. After getting my bags and going through customs I was met by a group of about 10 people from my program. They had a sign and flowers waiting for me in typical Thai fashion. They all introduced themselves in which I immediately forgot all their names. Sorry guys. The guys were gentlemen and loaded my stuff in the van and then we came to where we are staying and they brought my things upstairs. We had about 5 minutes before we had to be back in the van to head out to dinner. We went to a place where you sit and eat dinner, then they have a Northern Thai dance show afterwards. It was really cool and such a good welcome back to Thailand. While we were eating they all asked me a lot of questions about myself, and I was able to ask a few of them. Guess it will take some time to get to know them all. But, I can already tell I'm with an amazing group and I can't wait to get to know them!!!!!



sword dance

After dinner we came back to our rooms and I was very very ready for my head to meet my pillow. After a quick shower and facebook status update I did just that.

deer like creature dance

the deer with our director Sharon

 

 

 

 

IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's what I wrote for my facebook status last night. It's amazing how everyone was able to like my comment and knew what was going on and didn't have to ask. The last month and a half I've been on an emotional rollercoaster as many of you know. There were times I thought I was going to get on here and say I wouldn't be going to Thailand, or about how God was teaching me patience and waiting, at other times I just wanted to post a rant about one thing or another that wasn't going my way. However, after over a month and a half, hours of prayers, a few tears, a new ticket, lots of times where I thought I had decided one way or another about going, IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!!! My 90 day visa is here!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got a call from the Alma post office yesterday saying I could come and get it. After getting it I did the natural thing, opened it before I even left the post office, then went and sat in my car at a nearby park by the river and just sat and looked at the visa sticker while eating pretzels for about an hour. I can't imagine my prayers and thoughts made much sense at that time as I thought about all of the struggles all of the moments of frustration, all of the DAYS and HOURS of waiting for one thing or another. All of the conversations I've had and encouragement I've received through this time.
In one phone call and sticker in a passport God answered over a months worth of questions. As I sat at the park eating my pretzels, I tried to put my passport in the passenger seat... just to find myself picking it up again to look at it. I would pick up my phone to text or call someone, just to put it down again so I could savor the moment with my Father.
Sitting here typing today I'm still in awe and had to pause to think of that time spent in my car with my Father and a visa sticker in a passport. It's amazing the things God uses to speak to us. After a month of questioning and waiting, waiting and questioning, wondering and pondering, with what if after what if going through my head he spoke through a sticker on a page. One thing I had to keep reminding myself of was that the children at my new school shouldn't have to suffer because of the grown-ups decisions and actions. I think God agrees.
When I finally was able to put the passport in the passenger seat I headed to Wal-Mart. I had seen some polo shirts there over the weekend but hadn't felt like getting them because I wasn't sure if I was going. So, after an hour of looking(sometimes at clothes and sometimes at the passport in my purse) I came home with 3 polos and 2 pairs of shoes(the shoes were $3.50 each and PERFECT for teaching!!!! I think that was God's present to me :) )
The next week and a half will be filled with getting ready and saying see you laters. It is going to be a busy whirlwind, but I'm going to do my best to enjoy it. As I was opening my bible this morning I decided to read James instead of continuing in the life of Jesus as I had been doing. I found this little gem and read it over and over and now I'll leave you with it as I close.

Consider it pure JOY, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing if your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4