I did it again! - New ministry opportunities - Missing Everyone

OK…so…I’m almost completely embarrassed to write this down…although it makes me laugh really hard…but…ok…here it goes…. I fell AGAIN! LOL…yes, that’s right I fell for the third time in a month! I was at the night market with a friend – walking along…and we came to some steps…some ancient steps I might add. She was talking about how much she would love to have a Thai bird cage and I was like “ME TOO!” and down I went….plopp. hehehe…actually plop is too graceful of a word to describe what happened to me…it was more like “BAM! POP! SCRAAATCH!”

I sat up on the stairs and prayed with my friend (Tanah) as the pain pounded and all the sudden there came a Thai guy and he started rubbing my ankle and saying something in Thai. I was like “ouch ouch ouch…uhh…Tanah what’s he doing?!?!” She then informed me that he does massage at the local JB hotel and that he was saying that you need to massage it like this to massage the pain out. He seemed innocent enough although I quickly pulled my ankle away… He then went on to ask questions about us in broken English and Thai. Tanah carried on a bit of a conversation with him about “prot yesu” which is The Jesus God and he then proceeded to tell us that he was going to open up his own massage parlor someday and he wanted us to come and visit him and get a massage. Tanah politely declined for us and went on about “prot yesu” to the best of my knowledge.

We told him what church we went to and he ended the conversation soon there after and he proudly left with a quick “God bless you” – very few Thai people know this phrase. He was not interested in knowing more although maybe Tanah was able to plant a seed through my little fall. LOL…I don’t know…

So here I am – with my left knee all bummed up again! I have a wound on my foot this time too and my right ankle is swollen and I can’t walk on it. I put a whole in my only pair of pants during this fall too(Side note: I’ve learned the Thai style of wearing pants…you just fold them up to above your knee and then fold them down a bit and voila – you have Capri pants!!! It’s great!) ARGG!!! I fell on Sunday and it is now Tuesday night. On Monday John went to the hospital and borrowed some crutches for me. You know…I’m really not clumsy…really….LOL…I promise…

So for the past two days I’ve done nothing but be weighted on hand and foot! Poor John….:) I have such a wonderful husband. Josiah hasn’t wanted to go out of the house because I couldn’t go with him. He’s so sweet. John would ask him if he wanted to go to the park and Josiah would be like “Mommy go?” And I’d show him my swollen ankle and explain that I couldn’t go and he’s say to John “No go Daddy…Iwann Mommy”. So he laid in bed with me all Monday! Tuesday when John asked I had to ask him to go to the park and pick me some flowers and then he went. He’s such a good boy!!!

He’s talking so much more now! He comes up with all sorts of cute stuff all the time. The cutest thing recently is John taught him how to do the theme to Jaws…you know…dadum……….dadum…..dadum…dadum.dadum.dadum…faster and faster. Now he will do that and start out far away from you and then as he says it faster he runs up and “gets” you…and that’s your cue to scream like crazy.

He is learning sooo much from his leapster it’s really amazing…he now knows that blue and red make purple!!!?! Isn’t that crazy…he can also do mazes…they’re pretty simple but still take some thought but he does them wonderfully on his leapster. Right now him and John are on the bed coloring together.

Oh…Tanah – the girl I mentioned before – she’s an incredible missionary that I’ve met here who is steadily becoming a very very good friend. She’s so alive and her testimony is incredible! She loves Keith Green too! Anyway, she leads worship at the Bible school that just started (which now has 14 students!!!! Praise God!) and also on Wednesday nights at a home fellowship that meets at the Garsee’s house. She leads mostly in Thai. So, anyway, I’m going to start working with her and learning Thai worship songs. We’re going to be leading worship at a church here in about 2-3 weeks.

The Thai people are so systematic they have a hard time really worshiping God because they’re used to structure – they think that you need to sing a song…say a prayer…sing a song…say a prayer…and so on…until you’ve completed about 4 songs and that’s it. So there isn’t much freedom of the spirit – but Tanah is helping some of the local churches here with that. I’m going to start learning these songs and help her whenever I can. I mean…how incredible is it to be able to minister while you minister to the Lord in worship!

Another thing about Tanah – is that she saved up enough money to buy a motor bike and 2 days after she bought it it was stolen!!!!!!!! It’s not like in America where you might have a chance of getting your bike back – the police here told her that they couldn’t help because they were too busy and that if she saw anyone riding her bike to follow them and then call them. So – she’s back to no bike again!!! It breaks my heart. God has already started to provide for her to get another bike though – although it might be a while!

We will hopefully be making a trip to Baan Nam Khem in about a week to help there before I start working. I think I’ve found the school that I might be working in. I still have to go in for the interview…but today I called the guy that is second in command and told him that I couldn’t bring my application in (3 people and crutches on a motor bike in Thailand is not a good idea) so he said – well, I’ll come by and get it. So he did and he pretty much gave me a mini interview. The wonderful thing about this school is that it’s bilingual so that I can also teach science and math as well as English!!! And the students will have a decent understanding of English which opens up the doors wide open! J

Tomorrow the Fire House is having a Valentines ministry party – which will attract tons of Thai people. It’s going to be great!!!! The Fire House is an incredible ministry to children and I didn’t know it until the other day. When I showed up I came in to see Pii Thak and Tanah sitting there with about 8-9 children and Pii Thak was telling them about “prot yesu” and they were listening so intently. 8 of them has accepted Christ and one still needs prayer. I’m hopefully going to be getting more involved at the Fire House also. I feel like a new woman since I’m done with school. I’m able to do so much more! I just pray that when I get a job that that time will still be there. I know I won’t have as much time but I pray that I’ll be able to continue ministry beyond my job and one night a week at home fellowship. I truly desire to help out at the Fire House and Baan Nam Khem…and all the other ministry opportunities that are here.

Very soon me and a few of the missionaries here are going to start working on dramas to reach the Thai people. I’m sooo incredibly excited about that. I’ve been working on the dramas – it’s amazing because the dramas the Lord has given me are perfect for Thai teenagers specifically because they love the kind of music that most of my dramas are set to. I can’t wait to be able to do outreaches with these dramas mixed with all the other gifts and talents that God has distributed to this team.

Man, reality hit me this week when I found out that one of my very very very good friends is pregnant!! It hurt me that I’m not going to be there for the morning sickness, growing belly and seeing his/her beautiful for the first time!! OUCH! God is giving me peace though…I’m still in shock though…I just think to myself…at different times in the day…I’ll just be sitting there and it’s like “I can’t believe she’s pregnant” It doesn’t seem real because I’m not there.


I really miss everyone – I know I say that all the time but I really do! I miss all the people from LLC and their smiling faces and warm hugs. I miss my mom! AND MICHEAL!!!!!! Lisa – Misty – Guy – Crystal – LORI!! Pastor STAN! CAROLYN—how’s the gift I gave you by the way??? And my students err…ex-students (Betty, Susan, Miranda, Sharon….i could go on all night listing the people I miss….)

It’s been really great getting e-mail from everyone! It’s very refreshing after waiting 10 MINUTES to open up my inbox to find e-mails!!! Thanks Teresa – Epiphany – Chancy – Misty and more!

Ok…well, I’ve probably types soo much that no one in they’re right mind would take the time to read it all – so, I’m going to stop now. I’ll write again later on in the week.

Love you all,
Steph