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Friday, December 30, 2005

Christmas...Roach Motel...Prayer Requests...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Thailand!!!

I can't believe Christmas is over! It was very hard having Christmas for the first time away from home and our family but the team here made it wonderful! We all gathered together over at the Stubenrauchs home and celebrated the birth of Jesus! We had two families come join us - The Hoers from Korat (northern Thailand) and the Pruitts from Ban Nam Khem. The Hoers brought their 4 children and a friend and the Pruitts brought their 4 children!! The house was packed out and the children had a blast!

Josiah especially had a blast playing with Ruthie, Asia and Smith (all 3 year olds). It was kinda hard on him when they went back home. The women of the team got together and made food for the Christmas party - we had gumbo, deviled eggs, potato salad and home made bread! It was delicious! I made my first batch of deviled eggs!

This Christmas John and I had agreed not to buy each other a present until after Christmas due to tight finances but John surprised me on Christmas Eve with a new watch!! (Mine has been lost for 4 months) I was soo surprised and it's a beautiful watch! I'm married to the perfect man for me! He's just wonderful! Anyway, Josiah had a wonderful Christmas - he received great gifts and was is still very thankful!

3 days after Christmas the team went to the beach 30 minutes away in Songkhla to spend some time with the Hoer family before they left and we all got a little burned! We have had non stop rain and cloudy days for well over 2 months but 3 days after Christmas the weather was beautiful. We were talking about how strange it feels to have a sun burn and having just been at the beach 3 days after Christmas!!! Very strange...but that's life in Thailand...

I have a prayer request that is very funny in some ways...but very few... We are officially praying for a new car (not NEW just a different car/van). When we came home from the hospital with baby Jude we had our SECOND small electrical fire in our car on the way home. Our car filled up with chemical smelling smoke and we had to pull over. Something had pushed something together in the back and caused the fire and smoke. It only took a minute of the windows being opened and we were back on the road again on our way home.

Our drivers side door no longer works - you should see the Thai people smile and laugh when they see a farang unable to get into their car without first going into the back door and opening the drivers side door from within! They think it's hilarious - wait...so do I...well, most the time. And the number one reason in my mind that I am praying for a different car......WE HAVE TO HAVE A ROACH MOTEL IN OUR CAR!!! AHH!! Yes...I'm for real. As embarrassing as it is to admit we can not keep the roaches out of our car. There is a open hole somewhere that we can not find and they come in our car - I have personally had 3 experiences with these HUGE roaches in the car. The other day I was driving Katherine home and one clung to my leg for dear life as I swerved and cried out to God...trying to pull over. I got it off only to feel it crawling up my leg again within the next 10 seconds!!! These things are huge! Usually much longer than my middle finger!!!

One of the other times a roach decided to terrify Katherine while we were going out to spend time with our friend Phon. Katherine DOES NOT like...no...IS TERRIFIED of these monsterous creatures to say the least. I pulled the car over after hearing screeching from Katherine and we all jumped out looking for the culprit...but we could not find it anywhere! Katherine VERY cautiously crawled back in the car as did Phon...and with the light on and legs pulled up we drove to Phon's home where she so politely told me that she could smell the roach (thai people believe they can smell roaches...Katherine and I were at a loss because we could smell absolutely nothing)...Phon and her fiance Tohn searched the car over and politely gave me a roach motel to put in my car!!!!!! Katherine and I still laugh about it every time as we cautiously enter my car.

There are more practical reasons for wanting a different car...One extremely important one is: once hot season comes my children will be cooked alive in the back of the car because the air does not reach the back of the car. Hot season feels like the sun is only feet away and the windows being rolled down does no good. The car is increasingly harder and harder to start everyday and it is a gas gussler!! And the poor car just doesn't have much life in it! Anyway, I wanted to share my roach motel story with you so that maybe you will remember to keep this request in your prayers too!

Well, we're getting ready to plunge into the new year and we're very excited because there are many ideas that we are working on together to reach out to the villages surrounding Hat Yai and also in the city itself. The church that has been started is doing very good! Almost 20 children were there last Sunday!!! The flood waters have resided and life is getting back to normal in Hat Yai Nai. Please keep us in your prayers for diligence in the language...I personally seem to have hit a hump and I need God's help to get over it. John has to resume his Thai language classes soon and we both could use some help with motivation and diligence. Also - our little Jude is still not circumcised and we will have to go to Bangkok soon to get his American citizenship and when we go we are planning on meeting with a Dr. about the proceedure - we really need this proceedure to be inexpensive and we need an experienced Dr. to do it.

After a small chat with my sister-in-law I was reminded of a scripture in Philippians that I always go back to when I'm having a hard time:

12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

NLT - v. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.

I just wanted to share that for someone out there - even when you feel far from God and yet you still desire His purpose for your life...remember that the only reason you even feel that desire is because He put that desire within you - because He loves you that much! When you feel like you've strayed too far and God is no longer with you (but your heart yearns to be right before God)...it is because He loves you and desires you to be righteous before Him. So if you feel the desire to obey Him and you desire the power to do what pleases Him...repent before God and take hold of the power that he has given you to do what pleases Him. Know that you are loved by the creator of this universe and that at this moment He is at work in your heart if you have that desire...

Psalms 8:3: When I consider your heavens, the work of your
fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in
place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that
you care for him?

Thank you for reading and for praying for us! I will write again soon!

With love,
Stephanie


Our chubby little baby Jude! He's so adorable!! I've never seen a chubby breast fed baby until now and I think he's the cutest ever!
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John snapped this quick pick of baby Jude and I after getting some sun - I did not mean for baby Jude to get ANY sun but unfortunately he did.
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Josiah on Christmas morning :) He's holding a travel connect four game from Grandmum...
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Our team from all over praying before digging into the food!! As you can see we had a huge group together for christmas and it was wonderful! Amber made Gumbo - it was delicious!!! MaryBeth made bread and some sweets!
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Josiah had 3 other 3 year olds to play with during Christmas time - it was heaven!! Unfortunately Smith (on the right) has returned to Ban Nam Khem and Ruthie (on the left) has returned to Korat with their families. I think Josiah formed a small crush on little Ruthie...when they said goodbye I was told that little Ruthie said "I like him more than candy!" How sweet!!!
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Amber and Clinton Garsee - the parents of Colton and Chase Garsee. This is an couple who has given all to see Thailand come to know the Lord. Clinton is an awesome leader who strives daily to live righteously before the Lord and hear from God about how to more effectively touch lives here in Hat Yai and the surrounding villages. Amber has a huge heart for the children that God has brought her way and goes out with the ladies of our team every Tuesday night to minister to prostitutes, homeschools her two teenage boys and runs a jewelery business that supports reformed prostitutes that come to know the Lord through this team. Check out the jewelery at: http://pulledfromthefire.blogspot.com/ It is absolutly gorgeous!!!!!! And original!!!
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Jude and I posing for our Christmas picture... :) Thanks for the Christmas bib Auntie Christel!
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Jude, me and my incredible friend Katherine. We had both been crying...don't remember why..the night was full of teary eyed moments...in celebration of Jesus and gifts given from the heart...
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Our whole team plus the Hoers from Korat and the Pruitts from Ban Nam Khem joined us for Christmas in Hat Yai. The women got together and made some delicious food! It was incredible...see all those deviled eggs??... Yep...I made them! My first batch ever! It was a great time together over at the Stubenrauch home!
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Josiah got some airplanes from Daddy and Mommy...unfortunately everything in Thailand seems made for destruction (cheap and inexpensive...) and they are already near the end of their existance... :)
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Josiah opening up a gift from the Stubenrauchs - Josiah loves play-doh!!!
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Me and my boys :) :) :)
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John and the boys :)
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Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Pictures of the flood...

The flood waters are receeding a little bit but I was told that it is suppose to begin raining again in a day! I have posted tons of pictures that John brought me from going out today and yesterday. I wish I was free to go out and help too - this team is so incredible. They are all incredibly tired - every time John comes home from going out to do this he is exhausted!! I am so honored to be working with the people you see below - please keep them in your prayers as well.

I have to make this short so please excuse the short entries below each picture...I will update again soon!


Josiah and Jude...
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Josiah and Jude having some brother time...
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View from the bridge...
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Sending up food and water...
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Yesterday...
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Today - check out the kid under the stairs!!
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Amber...Pii Thak and Katherine :)
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Washing dishes!
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Today...
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Today...
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A family making the best of it...
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Another pic of the 7-11 that was looted!
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Playing in the water...(Really not a great idea - safetywise but he's having a good time...)
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Inside a 7-11 that was completely looted!
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Sawatdee krab!
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Today...
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Waiting in line
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Today...
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Pii Thak - passing out food and water...
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Each bag has a book about Jesus along with the food...
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Today
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Today...
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today
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John and Chase on the bike...
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Today...
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Today...
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Yesterday evening...
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Monday, December 19, 2005

The Flood Has Come..../Micheal's Birthday Today!!

Hello Everyone!!!

I have some really exciting/distressing news!!! In September God was moving on the team here and preparing us for something...Brian and MaryBeth felt that God had told them to spend the remaining $1,000 of their tax return to buy rice, water and baby formula. $1,000 buys A TON of rice, water and baby formula here...they brought it to the rest of the team and we prayed about it and God had been speaking to each one of us about preparation and that something was going to happen.

Many of us thought it would be a flood. So, in October they obeyed and we went out and bought $1,000 dollars worth of rice, water and baby formula and started telling the Thai people to prepare because a flood was coming. The typical rainy season came...and we kept waiting and waiting and honestly we had figured nothing was going to happen and maybe we didn't hear correctly - BUT low and behold - at this moment John, Micheal, and Clinton are in the outskirts of Hat Yai - called Hat Yai Nai...with a blow up boat they purchased for the "flood" that is loaded down with rice, water and some baby formula assisting those in need!!!! There are many people who are stranded and have no way to get to food and water!

It is distressing because so many people are suffering from the flooding here but it is exciting and incredible to see what God spoke come to pass! We have flooding in our area too but not anywhere like what they are experiencing in Hat Yai Nai. The flood waters are up to their necks in some parts and all the drainage ditches (some over 30 feet deep) are over flowing. It could get even worse because flood waters are backing up in a city called Sadao which is not far from here and if it keeps backing up as it has been then the waters will reach our already flooded Hat Yai.

Yesterday we had a break in the raining and were told that the road to the grocery store was passable...so we got in the car and when we got to the grocery store we couldn't believe what we saw! HUNDREDS of cars! The parking lot was packed full (and this is a very big parking lot - smiliar to most wal-marts) with people double parked and cars lined even on the streets infront of the grocery store!!! I couldn't believe it - my first assumption was that people were going in droves to the grocery store to stock up on food but I was wrong - the Thai people have been parking their cars there to protect them from the coming flood - which is crazy because that area is not any higher than most areas of Hat Yai.

So we drove on and went to the other grocery store - Carrefour - which was the grocery store that was bombed last May. When we go there we found the same situation but this time it was even more unbelieveable to me because they have a parking garage (this store is new within this past year) and it was packed full with people double parked!! There was no way anyone would be able to get their cars out unless there was a HIGHLY organized effort to do so. Cars lined the roads outside of Carrefour also and every where we went we were asked if our house had flooded yet!

We found a place to park out on the road and we unloaded (which is a chore now with 2 kids... :) and as we walked through the parking garage it was a very eerie feeling because there was no one around and most of the stores inside of Carrefour were closed so many lights were out (mostly because people couldn't make it to work because of transportation or their houses were flooded). We got the necessities we needed - except for a few things because for some reason they were out...either because delieveries were not possible or because people had already bought it all...we were unable to buy bread.

We waited last night in anticipation because it was supposed to rain a lot more...but it didn't really rain that badly although the little rain that fell added to the problem in the already flooded parts of Hat Yai. Today - Dec. 19th is Micheal's Birthday - we were going to take him out to eat at a nice "farang" (foreigner) restaurant for his birthday (they have food that acutally tastes really close to American food!!) but everything is closed and most roads downtown are impassible. So instead of celebrating as usual - Micheal is out on a boat with John and Clinton passing out food to those in need.

Somehow I don't think he's upset about it! :) (if you know Micheal at all you know he's very excited about being able to help and not upset about his birthday...) I don't know if it is on the news there in America but we have international news and it is showing the flooding in all of Southern Thailand.

Keep us in your prayers for the next couple of days as we do our best to meet the needs of the people of Hat Yai in Jesus' name!

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Update...

This morning we were woken up by a phone call that told us most of the city is flooded - although our street isn't flooded!!! I think we're on higher ground - either way, the city is under water by a couple of feet in some places!!! At the moment it has stopped raining but it's supposed to pick back up at any time...rain rain go away....


We received "Grandmum's" presents (my mom) for Josiah in the mail today and there was one in it's own seperate envelope. I figured it was the veggie tales game (Minnesota Cuke) Josiah has been wanting so I wrapped it and we decided to let him open it early this year...He was sooo excited!!! Check out the pic that follows....
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Can you believe this face!!! hehehe...THANK YOU GRANDMUM!
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Jude Andrew - chilling in the nice weather! It's what we call cold here right now because it's been raining so much but it's really an average day in Texas...hehehe...
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4 hours later...NO flood :)

It is officially way after 4 hours later and we are NOT flooded :) Thank God - it has rained really hard a couple of times but it has stopped...unlike the past couple of days. Just wanted to keep you updated so no one is worrying. :) I will update in the morning - your night!

With love,
Steph

Possible Flood...

We just received word that Hat Yai is expected to flood within the next 4 hours...In the year 2000 there was a flood here in Hat Yai that left the city close to 7 feet underwater in some areas. Many are saying that this could reoccur this week because of the amount of water that has been backing up in surrounding cities and here in Hat Yai itself. In Hat Yai Nai (the outskirts of Hat Yai) the klung (which is a big drainage ditch) has overflowed and it is 30 feet deep!

Please keep us and the people of Hat Yai in your prayers. We are fortunate enough to live in a row house that has a second floor so if the waters do come up very high we can go up to the second floor of the house but most people here are not so fortunate! If the waters come up again it will leave many people homeless and do much damage.

We do not fear for our safety at all but for the safety of the Thai people we interact with daily. We'll update as soon as possible. Thanks for your prayers!!!

Here is an article on the flood that happened in 2000 (there are quite a few on the internet):

Waters recede in southern Thailand
On Monday, flood waters receded in Thailand's 10 southern provinces, where at least 600,000 people were affected by the heavy rain over the past week. Thai meteorologists said rains in southern Thailand would continue for the next couple of days, but would not be heavy enough to threaten further flooding.


The waters were fast receding in the key commercial town of Hat Yai, where floods and rain had paralysed life for almost five days. Officials said electricity would be turned on by 1000 GMT in most areas in the rubber producing city with a population of 400,000.

"Tap water will also be back later today," said an official at the
rescue centre in Hat Yai. Prices of consumer goods were rising and a few merchants were hoarding stocks in the flood-hit areas, "but now no shortage of food is seen," said Pachorn at the rescue centre in Bangkok.
Trains to Hat Yai, which were suspended for the past few days, were scheduled to resume from Monday evening, a Hat Yai railway spokeswoman said.

Thai Airways (THAI.BK), which had not suspended its flights to Hat Yai, said people could now commute into town from the airport as the water level had receded.

"All kinds of cars since Sunday evening can move in and out of Hat Yai
as the flood waters have receded," Prasong of the Highways Departnemt said.


The road infront of our street...
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Watching the waters rise...
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A higher area of the road...
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December 16th
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Sunday, December 11, 2005

Pictures for all...

Hello everyone!!!

Today has been a good day! We woke up, went to church - which was packed full because we have a YWAM team of 12 who have come to help and another group of 4 visiting from the states. Afterward we fellowshipped together and then split up into two groups. Well three groups if you count me and Jude going home...hehehe... One group went out to the villages and passed out tracks/prayed for the sick/and spoke to anyone who wanted to hear and John headed up a group to go to Carrefour (a rather large wal-mart type -but not- kind of place) to pass out tracks. Josiah went along with John...

Jude and I went home - caught a cat nap - after being up all hours of the night - and did laundry. WAHOO! hahaha...lots of fun!! (sarcasm)...ehehhehe...no really it was nice to have that time alone with Jude and get some rest. I also tried to pick the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe to finish it but I just can't bring myself to do it because the movie is coming out and I don't know how it is going to end. I'm at the part where Aslan and the Witch have made a deal for Edmund's life...don't know what the deal is yet...I'd rather see the movie for the ending...I think...Yeah...I'm gonna wait. Everyone keeps talking about the analogy the C.S. Lewis created the books for...and how these books have really encouraged people in their walk with God...but so far from reading the book I haven't caught on FULLY to this analogy...I can't wait to see the end and have it all come together...

After seeing the preview John and I are really excited about seeing it and there is a possibility that it will come to a theater near us in English!!! That would be wonderful!!!! Ok...I have to cut this short and leave you with some pictures. I took lots of pictures of baby Jude tonight as requested by many and I've got most of them up! Hope you enjoy!

OK MUST GO....hungry Jude is calling...I'll write again soon - enjoy the pics :) Love you!


Jude Andrew Blake posing for Mommy...
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Jude and Daddy spending some quality time together...
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This is such a cute picture - to bad I cut half of John's head off...
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