A Bunch of Burts

This past Sunday our normal routine was changed a bit. My oldest has been taking part in a puppet club at school, and they had a short performance at one of the international churches for thier youth Sunday. (International translates to English services. )

Leah’s puppet is the girl in the middle front. They are singing a country style song about being a Christian called “Ain’t it Grand”

We normally attend a Thai church which is a blessing. I enjoy the ladies there, the kids are making friends (when they break out of their shy-I-don’t-understand-what-they-are-saying-but-can-understand-the-instructions-for-the-game attitude), and I learn new words every week. There is one little girl who I think would like to have Leah for a big sister. She makes sure she sits next to her or me nearly every week.

But there is something about being able to walk into church, make small talk and conversation with the person sitting next to you, understand the announcements, prayer requests and jokes, and best of all for me, to join fully in the corporate worship of singing and praising God.

If I ever had any doubts about why we need to learn Thai and then the regional languages to teach and reach the Thai people, I only need to attend English church to remind me.

The sermon was just what I needed to hear that Sunday (of course, that IS just how God works!) and the chance to sing and concentrate on praising God and not following the words was just delightful.

I was sad to miss our regular church this week as it was my turn to help prepare the lunch meal with some of the other ladies, and I am ready to go back this coming Sunday, but I am thankful for last Sunday, for the worship, for the teaching, for the other people present, for seeing my daughter involved in the service, and having my other children sitting next to me. I enjoy having them listen beside me, and seeing what they are getting from the teaching too.

Leah is the one in the middle with the maroon pony tail holder. The puppets are two-person jobs, she is working the mouth.

Thank you Lord for your Church all over the world. Thank you that no matter where we are, we are one in You, united in Your death, burial and ressurection and our voices all rise to the same unchanging God.

HeavenlyHomeMakers has more things we can all thank God for. What are you thankful for?

If summer has not arrived yet for you, do not fret, it IS coming.

And in the balmy summer days, or hot and humid rainy season as it were, it is important to stay hydrated, is it not?

In the interest of drinking less sugar we enjoy homemade sodas.
Fill a glass 1/4 full with your favorite juice, and fill up the rest of the way with plain soda water. Of course ice cubes make it really chilly and wonderful, and don’t forget the straw!

Loads less sugar than soda or a full glass of juice, fun bubbles to make it more exciting than plain water and stretches the juice too, making this treat easy on your budget.

This works for me, as I am enjoying one right now. Cranberry/grape to be be specific. mmmmm.

I will see you at Shannons for more ideas from the wise women at WFMW,

One of blogs I have been reading, HeavenlyHomeMakers has a weekly theme of gratitude.

I know I can always use practice in being grateful, in cultivating an attitude of thankfulness everyday. I encourage the children towards this, and then find myself griping and sniping, both aloud and inwardly. If participating in this theme will encourage me to verbalize specific things to be thankful for, so be it.

So today I want to delcare my gratitude to my kids. They tend to give me more grace than I give them. They are always eager for a hug and kiss and cuddle, even if I have been short with them. When they can see that I am low on energy or not feeling up to speed, they ask me what they can do.

They are my gifts from God, my precious children whom the Lord has entrusted to me. Notwithstanding their own emerging walk with the Lord and learning to live life in the Spirit as opposed to the flesh, they often choose what is right, just, honorable and kind.

We have moved them all over the US and now across the world, and yet they claim each place as home and trust us for our decisions and encourage us to serve God where He leads. Although they miss ‘home’, they know we are just where the Lord would have us and find things to like, love and enjoy in a country they still feel like strangers in.

I love them very much and am grateful that all three are my kids.

Thank you Lord for them and each day that you give me with them.

Do you remember that scene in Castaway where the Tom Hanks character is desperate enough from a nasty toothache to use an iceskate to knock it out of his head?

I feel his pain.

I have had a bully of a toothache for the past two days, and I am already fantasizing about taking a pair of plier and RIPPING the offending member of my mouth straight out of my head. Too bad Greg took the tools with him to CDM.

The English speaking dentists in the area are of course also the more expensive options. There are much cheaper places, but not likely to be able to understand me as I try to explain what is wrong and the odd condition of this tooth that has already seen some dental work. Work that has clearly been compromised.

Then we have heard a couple of disturbing stories of dentist offices that seem recluctant to use novocaine. Why? Why would you NOT want to give a shot of novocaine to a dental patient? An important question if you ask me.

My Thai teacher has offered to take me to the dentist she just saw, and help me make myself understood. I had been hoping to hold off on the dentist until the last day of the month, when we recieve our vouchers, but I do not think I will make it.

Unless some of you have a tip on how to stave off tooth pain for a couple of days? Do you? Please? Pretty Please?

Greg has now been at CDM (Church Development and Mission School) for two weeks.
He is definitely getting a good workout in Thai every day. He is in class each morning at 7:30 and the day ends at 9:30. Of course there are some breaks for lunch, dinner, work detail and free time, but it is a very full day.

Classes are challenging to keep up with, but from his reports, he is doing OK. His reading assignments are a bit behind, but I am so proud of him for sticking it out every day. It is not easy to be the only one who does not get the jokes and falls behind in the discussions and reading. But God is faithful and gives him His Grace each day, and supplies His strength. Of course some day are more frustrating than others, but praise God, His Merices truly are new every morning.

Some of the extra-curricular lessons Greg has been learning are also interesting.

lizard trapping
shellfish gathering
banana plant maintenance (did you know they are filled with water?)
intense soccer
wild plant gathering
making animal traps from logs and string

Wish we had two camera to have sent with him, but then I guess he would not have any way to get the pictures to me anyway. We will just have to wait until the kids and I get out there.

We both sure do appreciate all who are praying for us. Not only for Greg as he is immersed in Thai and various other languages, but for the both of us while we are separated and miss being together as a family. Sure has made me appreciate the blessing Greg is to us and causes me stop and thank God often for him.

I am a bit concerned for our arrival out there though. It seems rainy season has begun early and that always bring a great deal of bugs. He has commented nearly every night on the vast array of insects and their size. Some unnamed members of our family do not, shall we say, deal well with bugs.
For those of you who are familiar with the Great Spider Incident know just what I am talking about.

Another matter for prayer I am sure.