Writer's Block

I feel like I should post something since it has been over a week but I can't think of anything to write about this week. I guess I will tell you about chicken feet. One of the things that Thai people eat (and some say it is delicious) is chicken feet. I have been to a lot of countries and seen and tasted some really strange things but I have never seen anyone eat chicken feet. It is a very common food here. The other day I was at the University and one of the girls that I was eating with had 4 chicken feet in her bowl. I asked her if she was going to eat them and she said yes. I took a picture of it before she ate it which is above. She offered to share the chicken feet with me but I politely declined. I don't plan on eating chicken feet!! There are quite a few other things that they eat here also that I don't care to ever try if I can avoid it. After viewing the picture of the chicken feet do I have any takers?????

God never ceases to Amaze me!!

O.k. so just yesterday I gave you some updates on my life/work here in Thailand. One of my heartbreaks is for a student (Kwang), who became a believer this past summer but has recently cut off communication and I can't ever find her on campus. I decided a week ago that I can't keep trying to figure out why she has cut me off and just began praying for her and the situation.

I could usually always find Kwang on Monday sitting in the cold canteen (cafeteria) on campus sitting with her friend Yui. They always sat in the same place every Monday but for the last 3 weeks they have not been there. I was so disappointed when I went this Monday and yet again no Kwang, so last night (Monday night the 13th) I just prayed and asked God if it was His will for me to see her that He would cross our paths on the campus.

Today I went to SPU to follow my usual routine. Every Tuesday I eat lunch in the hot canteen (cafeteria) with a group of girls who are not believers, but they love spending time with me. I usually always meet them by 10:30 but was running late because I was talking to someone else on campus so May-one of the students in this group called me to ask me if I was coming so I hurried along the way to meet them. I sat there for a few minutes talking to them while they ate and decided I wanted something to drink so I went to get a glass of strawberry juice at one of the stands in the hot canteen. I walked up to order my drink and didn't see at first the student standing next to me paying for her drink and then as I looked up and she looked at me I realized it was KWANG! She politely said hello and I greeted her also for a minute and then we parted ways because she had friends waiting and I had friends waiting.

I hurried back to the table of girls that I was sitting with and thankfully today was a day where Jill (one of my co-workers) was there also and told Jill that I saw Kwang sitting on the other side and sent Jill over to talk to her. Jill is my supervisor's wife (she has 8 children) so she is like a mom figure to Kwang and other SPU students. I needed to stay with May and this group because I had an appointment with them so I sent Jill. I sat with the group of girls until 11:30 when they had to go to class and then I walked over to join Jill and Kwang and Kwang's friends.

Not only did I see Kwang today and her roommate Yui (whom I already knew) I also got to meet 3 more friends of Kwang's. What an amazing answer to prayer and ever above and beyond what I ever could have imagined.

We serve a God who crosses the paths of 2 people buying drinks when it is His will. nothing happens by chance--it is all by purpose. It was also another reminder of sometimes we have not because we ask not. Keep praying for Kwang- today was just the first step in the right direction to restoring a relationship with her!

The countdown to my visit to America!!!

I have been terrible at updating my blog lately. I should be better at it because I can't tell about everything that has happened since I last wrote or you would be reading a novel. I guess I could include some highlights :)

1. We have another new believer at Canaan Baptist Church. A lady named Poon became a believer about 3 weeks ago. She is being discipled every Sunday morning before church starts.

2. 1 University student who became a believer in the summer of 2008 has recently been coming back to church faithfully. I am discipling her every Tuesday and watching her grow--it is exciting!

3. 1 believer at Canaan (who was once a leader at the church/before I arrived) has recently come back to church after being away for almost 2 or more years. I have been blessed with building a friendship with her and watching God work in her life. There is still a long road ahead but Praise the Lord for the first few steps she has taken in the right direction.

4. I am continually meeting new students at Sripatum University every week. On an average I meet about 7-10 new students per week and most of them are through my current contacts which makes it easier to meet up with them again.

5. I just recently started a Bible study at church on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 for all of the girls at my church who don't have a cell group/Bible study group. The first study had 4 girls (which is pretty good considering the church as a whole only has about 20-30 people).

6. I am helping to disciple Aajaan (professor) Lek at SPU every Thursday morning and am loving it. Jill and I are training her how to share her faith with others and she is doing it! A. Lek has been sharing with family, neighbors, and some of her students.

There are always some discouraging things too that need prayer.

1. Kwang ( a new believer at SPU) started studying the Bible weekly with P'Pom and me for about 1 month and then told P'Pom that she couldn't study this month and now she has no contact with us. She stopped coming to church and has cut off all communication. Please be in prayer for Kwang. It is heartbreaking. Pray also for Kwang's roommate Yui who is not a believer. Pray that Kwang will share the Good News with Yui and that Yui will have an open heart to receive it.

2. Pray for Canaan Baptist Church. I love my little church here but we definitely need a lot of prayer. We average about 20-30 people on a weekly basis (about 10-15 of them faithful believers and the rest are floaters. It seems like we have about the same number of people every week but other than the few faithfuls the faces change. Pray for the believers to desire to have fellowship with other believers weekly.

3. Pray for my Thai language!!! I understand a lot more but can speak very little. I am working on memorizing Bible verses in Thai also so I can share the Good News with others in their Heart Language. I often think of all of the things I could do if I only spoke the language fluently or at least almost fluently.

Now I will finally write about what the title of this blog post means!!! I will be going to America for 2 weeks next month to see my family and can't wait!!! Since time flies here in Bangkok I am sure it will be here quickly. I am looking forward to so many things about coming back to America even if it is just for 2 short weeks.