PHOTO TIME

We needed some extra money so I got Jackie a job making clothes.

Don't be late for church in Thailand. You may not be able to get through the door because of all the shoes in the way.

Hello from Thailand. I thought we'd give you a break and show you more pictures than writing! We've both been quite busy--it's summer and lots of camps and extras are going on. Jackie began it with a worship dance workshop. She and some ladies got together and spent a morning learning about what it means to dance for God. Jackie's heart isn't just to dance but to dance and honor God. That's just what they did. One morning of practice led to a presentation at the English speaking fellowship, which is made up of mostly western workers and some Thais who speak English. We meet a couple of times a month.

After that it was still Jackie's turn. She got a couple of my students from the university (they are on summer break) and headed off to English camp at Jackie's school.
Another fun thing we got this month is Sheryl. She's a lady we didn't know who came over to Thailand to experience what it meant to work overseas. She only had 2 weeks but she did it! We had her stay with us and we were/are (she's still here) blessed. There's photos of her too!
I did a Bible training week with the church staff and the leaders of the University Christian club. What a good time that was! 3 hours a day, Monday - Friday and we studied the Nicene Creed and the Beatitudes. I know I got a new heart out of it and I think they were also blessed. You can see some of them below.
I got to share at our church again. That's a semi kind of regular thing and I always enjoy it. What blesses me so much about sharing is that Bum is my translator. To think that this girl was a party girl just 2 years ago and is now in full-time Christian service. God's grace is amazing. She's adopted us and we love it. Looks like Nathan won't be the 1st to graduate from university in our family--she beat him by a year and she graduated with honors. We are proud of her and all the Thai staff at our church. They are all in their early- to mid-20s and are leading the way by Godly example. Enjoy the photos. We will be flying to the States in about 3 weeks to get geared up for Nathan's greatest adventure (so far), his wedding. We are so looking forward to seeing our kids and grandkids and to get to welcome Lauren, Nathan's fiance, as a new daughter to the family...doesn't get much better. Hope to see you there. We'll be back in Thailand May 20th and will have to hit the ground on a full run. If you think of us, we would appreciate prayer for this trip, Nathan's wedding and our return to work/ministry. Thank you so much.

No visit to Thailand is complete without running up to the border and shopping. This is one of the small streets with vendors all over the place selling who knows what. Sheryl nearly died from the heat!

Meet Patcharee. I had Patcharee this year as a freshman (they call them "Freshie" here). She met up with us at the border and we spent the day together. What a sweet heart. Pray for her.

Ever been inside a Buddhist Temple? Here's one for you. They had so much stuff jammed in there. It's all very pretty and ornate, but the sad reality is, it doesn't lead them to Jesus.

That's Sheryl with us. Hospitality is something we are commanded to do in Scripture. When you have someone like Sheryl stay with you for 2 weeks, you just want to open up your doors and hope you find a truck load more just like her. We'll miss having her around the house.

The above and below photos are the students that came to the Bible school. Chuck, my surfing/pastor buddy from Florida, taught the Old Testament and Sheryl taught how to teach and develop children. It was such a good time.

In Florida there's a famous guy, the barefoot mailman. I'm trying to imitate him by being the barefoot preacher. That's Bum doing the hard part--making sense of my English and converting it to Thai.

You find almost anything on a motorcycle over here. I guess this dog needed to go to the vet; or maybe they are going on a picnic; or maybe the dog is the picnic lunch.

What a blessing. We now have a car that not only starts up, it doesn't break down and leave Jackie on the road to go walking, looking for help. Here it is filled up with DTS students.

That teeny spot in the back is Sheryl teaching our western kids at church.