Back in the Saddle Again

As requested, here is an update on the last 9 months of my 1^st year in Thailand. (I actually started this post in December, I just never quite finished it hahaha!) I just picked random pictures, way to many to choose from for each event that happened!!


Hello there!!!
I must first apologize for such a long break from blogging. I am really going to try to be better at doing it on a somewhat regular basis. Don't give up on me yet! The last blog that I did was in September and A LOT has happened since then! I will update you on the big things that happened.


October: Mission trip to Japan.

First Japanese meal using chopsticks!!!

Our Team with the Pastor & Youth Pastor 

(and their wives)

Samaritan's Purse Team from Australia!

Decorating hot water bottles to give away :-)

Repainting Nativity Scene.

 I had the incredible opportunity to do a mission trip for 2 weeks in Japan. Words cannot describe how amazing this trip was. It was so neat to see God working in the hearts of the Japanese people and using so many different people from all over the world to work alongside each other.Our team was made of 5 people and we all attend Evangelical Church of Bangkok, the church that sent us. We meet with an amazing missionary couple (Tony and Marsha) once we got there and they were basically our life line. They were amazing!!! From picking us up at the airport 5 hours away from the church that was hosting us, to making sure we had food every day, to making sure we had ways to serve Saitome Baptist Church and the Japanese people. We were able to go out into the community around Saitome Baptist Church to bring in new people to the church as well as go out into other towns to help people struggling with the aftermath of the tsunami. We help a Fall festival both in Sendai and on the peninsula for tsunami victims, we did an English camp for the kids, Repainted an old nativity set that people from all around Sendai come to see at Christmas time, and also partnered with Samaritan’s Purse to help with the rebuilding and clean-up process of homes that were ruined by the tsunami. This is just a very brief overview of how God used us there in Japan. Again, words cannot describe how incredible this trip was. I feel blessed to have been a part of it.






November/December: Nam-tum (Thai word for flooding) and home for Christmas.
After returning home from Japan, we were faced with a national crisis within Thailand: flooding. With having so much rain during the rainy season, the river climbed to dangerous levels and flooded many parts of Thailand. Our school is within walking distance of the river. The community on the other side of the river from us was completely flooded. By the grace of God, the dikes and sandbags held the water back and we were not flooded. We still had to deal with the issues of shelves being completely empty at the stores, school being cancelled for 5 weeks, and then school being extended for an hour each day to make up for the cancelled time.  On a brighter note, we had our Christmas program in December as well. We had two programs, the indoor program and outdoor program. Our amazing music teacher put together the indoor program for all of the grades. All of the class performed selected music and the elementary program included acting and speaking parts! It was amazing! Each teacher was in charge of creating something for their class to perform for the outdoor program and the teachers also did a performance of the “12 Days of Christmas” GES style. I also sang in a quartet! So much fun!
The last big event of December was spending Christmas at home in America :-) 

Picture of some of the flooding in Nonthaburi (courtesy of Eunice) 

My roommates and I all dressed up at the Christmas Program

Jamison and I rockin' our Christmas headbands!

January/ February: Sick as a dog!!
Biggest event for these two months was getting sick. Yuck! I was sick for a total of 2 ½ weeks. I was hospitalized for 4 days of those days. It went from being a bladder infection and cold to having dengue fever to being a virus that had to run its course. The latter was the correct diagnosis. Oh the joys of being in a hospital where there is a language barrier. Thankfully, God provided excellent doctors at Bumrungrad International Hospital. My hospital of choice now for everything!

Waiting to be admitted to the hospital :-(

March/April: Summer School
School was extended until the end of March because of the flooding. We were done with school on Friday, March 30, I went to the beach Saturday and Sunday, then started teaching summer school on Monday. Summer school went well. I taught a more intensive version of what I normally teach during the school year. I only saw 7 students total (an hour at a time) but I really enjoyed it. I also had my first experience of  Song Kran, the Thai New Year. Basically, people go around throwing water on each other for 3 days. I am not kidding! If you are on any type of vehicle that is open or on foot, you are fair game! Brittney and I went to Kho Chang and by the time we reached our hotel (we were in a sungtow, which is a truck that has benches built into the back with a cover over the bed of the truck) we were completely soaked! We were sitting ducks, with no way of defending ourselves. I swear the driver was stopping on purpose! Hahahaha!  It was a fun experience though.  :-) (I didn't take any pictures during Song Kran, darn!)

Enjoying the view :-)

Eunice and I enjoying our new hats :-)

May: Home to America!!