Snorkeling

Hello!!

Wow, two posts in less than a week, I'm doing pretty good...ha ha!! Well, I went snorkeling on Saturday and it was amazing! We drove about 10 km past our guesthouse to this national park where local thais can camp on the beach. It was beautiful! We took a speedboat about 20 minutes from the shore where we stopped in the middle of two islands. Between the two islands was an incredible reef.

The drive there was a mixture of excitement and terror because I wasn't sure what creatures I would see when in the middle of the ocean. I was a little nervous to know that there could be sharks...yikes!! One of the guys that went along prayed for us before we went out, which calmed all my nerves!! It still amazes me that God would listen to those little prayers and have grace upon me!!

The exploration of the deep was fascinating. I kept repeating to myself, "The fool says in his heart, 'there is no God'." How could that be? I couldn't fathom anyone believing that there was no God after looking at the bottom of the ocean filled with perfectly scalloped clams, mulit-colored/shaped fish, and iridescent coral.

"O LORD God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them." Psalm 89:8-9

Prachuab!!!

Greetings from Prachuab!!

This is my first holiday, so I decided that it must be spent at the ocean. I have been craving waves and the smell of salt water for three months and now everyday is wasted away on the sandy shore of the Gulf of Thailand.

Prachuab is about 4-5 hours south of Bangkok. I flew with my friend Hanni (we work together) to Bangkok where we met her parents who are missionaries in Laos. We are staying at the OMF Guesthouse that sits just steps away from the ocean. My days have been filled with swimming in the ocean, playing volleyball in the pool, reading on the hammock, and playing games with everyone in the evenings. 2 days ago, I went with one of the families to feed wild monkeys! They were very gentle and were so cute!!!

There are about 7 missionary families that are retreating here as well and it has been so neat to hear their stories of how they came to Thailand and the ways they are adding to the Kingdom!

Saturday, I will be going snorkeling at one of the local coral reef spots! I am so excited! I have never snorkeled before! I will post pictures of this experience soon!!!

Chiang Mai Women's Retreat

Hello!!

Last weekend I attended a Women's Retreat here in Chiang Mai. There were over 100 women who came. We had 2 amazing speakers. These ladies had shared their traumatic experiences that they had over the years, but ended with the hope that we have in Christ. The theme of the weekend was being, "Deeply Rooted" in Christ and His grace! Some thought it was depressing to hear about the suffering that these missionary ladies had gone through, but to know that they were here to tell us the hope they have in Christ was so encouraging.

The highlight of my weekend came when I was able to sit down with Karen Eubanks and share with her about the Karen in San Diego. Karen and her husband David have to be the most influential people who work with the Free Burma Rangers and the Karen. So, meeting her and being able to hear her story and then tell her about our story in San Diego was unbelievable.

I was humbled because while I was telling her about the Karen she kept thanking me and telling me to thank you all at Grace for loving the Karen. I was so humbled because this woman and her husband and children have risked their lives and continue to risk their lives in the hills of Burma to train the Karen and share the gospel. Back home, we do not have that threat. We may have the inconvenience of getting a phone call to take a family to the store or take them to a doctor's appointment, but nothing like risking our lives. I was shocked that she would be thanking us. Instead, I was thanking her for giving the Karen hope; the hope of Christ.

Karen is very thankful for all that you (Grace Church) has done for the Karen. Giving them a chance to succeed and to begin a new life. What a blessing to work together with other believers, whom you may never meet, but knowing that we are working together to share the gospel with these refugees and help improve their living conditions.

Karen was truly an inspiration to me of a woman who radiates with the joy of Lord and is so excited to live a life on the edge for the sake of the Gospel.

I hope you at Grace Church are encouraged to know you are part of a global mission field!!!