My First Pizza...and humungo breakfast...Jame...

Hey guys...

I know this might not interest most of the people who check out our blog but...for mom and those who care...I made my first Pizza from SCRATCH! I tell you what...if living on the mission field doesn't turn you into Betty Crocker I don't know what does! No...LOL! I am not anywhere near Betty Crocker but I can now cook more than hamburger helper and simple Prego and meat speghetti. WAHOO!

I do have to say that it has been forced upon me...no farang food to buy and if I were in America I would have run to Wal-Mart and bought my crust instead of making my own from scratch. We had an awesome team in and I made breafast for all 24 of us and it was quite the ordeal! We had homemade pancakes, eggs, fruit, ham, biscuits, gravy and hash browns with chocolate milk. The credit for the biscuits and gravy go to Amber :) And I had extra hands helping me in the kitchen - thanks to Colton and Chase - they peeled and shredded all 24 potatos.

Anyway, here are a few pics. Oh and Josiah's first frog book catch. Josiah LOVES to catch frogs and so we told him that when he catches one we will take a picture of it and when he has a bunch we'll make a book of them.

We just had a Thai guy come by and visit us yesterday evening out of the blue. John gave him a tract over a year ago in a small village and then last week he passed John passing out tracts in a market with a team and recognized him. They sat and talked for a little bit and he said he was going to come by and visit.

And he actually did! Thai's will say they will stop by but very rarely do. But he came by and we talked for about 2 and a half hours! It was awesome. He says he is a Christian but he does not know Jesus...it's just religion to him...and he is still buddhist from what I can tell. So anyway, his name is Jame...please pray for him. He is coming over tomorrow evening to go out with John to show the Jesus film.

He is 22 years old and a university student in Bangkok but he is here for 2 months for his break...he wants to study and practice speaking English! What an open door! I just pray that he is radically saved before 1 month is up so we can at least disciple him for one month!!! I claim JAME for our GOD in JESUS NAME!!!!

Welp, I hope you enjoy the pics! Thanks for stopping in!

The PIZZA!


The Breakfast...

The Team...

The Jude...

The cutie pies...

The Frog...

No wonder our idea of beauty is distorted...

http://view.break.com/171268 - Watch more free videos

Wordless Wednesday

A new area that John just found. We're showing the Jesus Film here tomorrow.

Child at home in the dump site...

A man reading a tract....

Daddy went crazy with some markers...

What a week!...Kill that plant?...21 Day Rise with God Quest

It has been quite a week! There has been a wonderful team here from Antioch church in Texas. Most of them are Baylor students - but they are an awesome group...it's been a blessing to get to know each one of them. This week John and I have been staying busy going out with this team and just taking care of business :)

I took a group of 8 women out to minister to the prostitutes the day before yesterday and it was good. I would say it was awesome but no one came to know Jesus...although there was a LOT of seeds planted. These women are so hardened up - we really have to depend on God's working power to move in their hearts.


John has been going out throughout the week passing out tracts and spending time with the team and studying language. God has really been opening up doors...it seems like everytime John turns around he has someone wanting to "hang out" with him and get to know him better. I know you would think that that happens all the time but the Thai's don't hardly ever go past the cordial hello and normal questions. When it comes to having Thai friends it has been a hard thing. John's language is picking up so much that it is really helping! Thank you GOD!





One of the members of the team snapped this shot of John with some of the kids from tin shack village in Hat Yai. The children were following them while they tracted in the city. The children in Thailand just steal my heart. There is such a need for Christian orphanages here...there are so many children who need love.

Most of the children are taken in by someone (besides the Burmese who are left to fend for themselves) in there family or village but they are not loved. Most of them are given enough money for some snacks and sent to the game shop.



These children are so hungry for someone to show them love. When we were out ministering to the prostitutes a little boy came running out and I asked her if it was her child and she said yes...he came out of the "kareoke bar/prostitution house" and I then asked her how old he was and she could not remember!

I also saw to adorable children that I saw last time I was there...their mother works there and they sell flowers while their mother works all hours of the night. They carry around little roses and sell them for 10 baht a piece.



The little boy, Nawng Swooaywat, was so excited to see us and he started rummaging through the tracts in our hands to see if we had any that he had not collected as if they were trading cards! He then continued to ask if we had any more VCD's about Jesus.

His little sister was so shy...one of the girls on the team bought flowers from her and then tried to give her one back...and I translated and told her that "She is beautiful to Jesus...Jesus loves you..." and she didn't know what to do when that kindness was shown to her.



What a precious girl...speaking of precious...the other day our electricity went out for a while and Josiah comes in the door and says "Mommy, can we just find that plant and kill it?" I asked him what plant he was talking about...and he said "The plant that takes away your power.." I assumed he was talking about some thing on Veggie Tales...like the Rumer Weed...and continued to tell him it wasn't real.



He then got very frustrated and said "But momma, it is real! I know it is...you told me about it and I know it's real...it takes the power away...that bad plant..." I was at loss for words...I had NO CLUE what he was talking about and he so desperately wanted me to find this plant and kill it so we could have our power back...and then it hit me like a ton of bricks!!



A POWER PLANT! The electricity comes from a power plant...when I talked to him about it he said..."YEAH MOmmy! I told you already...the plant that takes the power" I love him so much! I just LOVE MY CHILDREN! Not because they do cute things like that or are so HANDSOME but just because they ARE. They are our children and are wonderful blessings.



I'm reading a book right now called "Keeping our Children's Hearts" and it is really rocking my world. I got to the part about whether not our hearts are turned toward our children and what that statement really means and I had to just stop reading for a while and let that soak in.

Are your hearts turned toward your children? Of course, your heart is turned toward God first but in the bible it says that He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and turn the hearts of the children to the fathers.



This is a huge deal in parenting. God had really been speaking to me about my heart and I'm really excited. Another thing I am excited about is a neat thing that God put on my heart. I was emailing with my NEW found most AWESOMEST friend through email ever...and we were just emailing back and forth about discipline and she shared how she desired so much to get up in the morning and spend time with God.



I usually spend my time with the Lord at night but I've always wanted to do it in the morning so...I challenged her to a 21 Day Rise with God Quest! We are holding each other accountable to rise in the morning and meet with God.

We want to extend this Quest to everyone...so:



I hereby challenge you...to a 21 Day Rise With God Quest. Your quest, should you choose to accept it, would be that we rise at a predetermined set time to meet with our God without FAIL and without COMPROMISE to see change in our lives and the lives of our families.

So...do you accept? Why 21 days you ask? Well...someone once told me (don't know if it's true) that it takes 21 days to break or make a habit...so there it is. My wonderful hubby has made an awesome graphic for this and if you choose to join in you can display this logo on your blog or website to get the news out.

We are officially starting this for everyone on Monday, August the 6th. I hope you join in! I will soon have a Mr. Linky up so that everyone can put up a link if you are going to go on this quest with us!



I pray you accept the challenge and draw closer to Him!

Thanks for reading!

Great books for Moms...and quick update...

Hi everyone!

I was just over at Joy's blog and she had asked everyone to post what their best resource or mom/wife books were and she got a huge response. I started drooling over these books on Amazon.com and thought I would share the list I compiled of "Really want these someday" books:


* The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace

* Created to Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl

* Keeping Our Childrens Hearts by Steve and Terri Maxwell

* Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by the Maxwells (found at titus2.com)

* Sacred Marriage - Gary Thomas

* Mommy Manual - Barbara Curtis

* CAPTIVATING by John and Staci Eldredge.

* The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson.

* Anything from Nancy Campbell at Aboverubies.org (A magazine subscription from them would be a wonderful gift to any mother or grandmother)

* Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

* A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George

* The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian

My personal recommendations are as follows:

* Shepherding Your Child's Heart by Ted Tripp (a must have for parents...I refer back to this book sooo much - it's used almost as much as my bible)

$4.00 on Amazon right now...

* For Better or for Best - Understanding your husband - Gary Smalley
There is also a book that is for the husbands to read - "If Only He Knew" - Understanding your wife. These books have been such a blessing to John and I. I believe Gary Smalley knows more about women than any one man on earth should know! These books are full of insight and I HIGHLY recommend them.

$5.99 on Amazon.com

I have not made much time for blogging this past week. I've been staying very busy. One of the newest things that keep me busy is my new God given ability to be disciplined enough to exercise!!!!!!! I can't believe it but I'm really doing it. I have been for almost 3 weeks now and I can feel such a difference. I pop in my Kathy Smith interval training DVD and go at it for about 45 minutes and follow it up with some crunches and stretches.

I have been consistant now doing this every other day and I can not tell you how good it feels. I have struggled with this for so long...wanting to exercise but never wanting to get sweaty and lacking the will power to do it. The words at the end of Kathy Smith's video just kept coming back to me "And if you do this workout 3 times a week you'll have the greatest body and FEEL GREAT!"...I kept thinking...oh to feel great....

To not feel worn out and to have energy...what a wonderful thought. So...I chose to trust her and tried to start doing it at least 3 times a week and I FAILED! I was so frustrated with myself. I started asking the Lord to help me because it seemed beyond myself to be disciplined enough...

And He did...I don't know exactly when or how but...wait...yes I do. It just everyday...CHOOSING to do it. Just like everything else in life. WE have to choose to do the right thing. And when I'm sitting there...already hot because of the weather and no air conditioning...I just had to take the steps. I still remember sitting there going "oh God help me get up...I don't want to do it. I don't feel like doing it...and if I do do it and then don't do it again in 2 days then it will have been for nothing..."

I then take a deep breath...try not to think about the fact that in 30 minutes I'm going to be sweating like crazy...walk over to the DVD player...grab the Kathy Smith DVD and stick it in as quickly as I can before I change my mind. I hit play and let myself think that I'm only going to do the first few exercises...The really great thing about this interval training is that it allows me to feel like I can do it. I know that probably sounds funny but you're not pushing through the whole video. It's just in spirts to get your heart rate up and then you slow down to get it back down.

It's supposed to boost your metabolism and it does! My metabolism is officially boosted and I am loosing inches...although I can not report that I have lost any weight. I'm just going to keep going...day by day...and continue to pray that God continues to help me have the discipline.

It feels so good and it's not as hard as I thought it would be to find the time. I just take the 45 minutes during naptime that I would noramlly be doing some form of cleaning or preparing and use it for that and somehow...there is still time for everything!

So! Maybe I'll be able to post some before and after pictures? We'll see. OK...as far as everything else goes. John is doing wonderful in language (ผุคภาษาไทยได) and is almost finished with Module 3 and will be heading up north to Korat to work with a wonderful family up there for a week. Clinton and John will be taking the ministry vehicle (this vehicle can bring the Jesus film anywhere...no electricity needed...has it's own generator) up there.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I can't wait to see all the kids. I have more to write but am really exhausted and it just hit me ever so suddenly. :) Please keep praying for us! We are currently raising money for Josiah's homeschool curriculum that we wish to purchase from Sonlight ($575) and we've received $250 dollars!!!! Isn't that awesome! God is so good!

Please check back to our prayer request page and please pray for Nawng Noon and Candy. They really need our continued prayer...

Thank you for stopping in!

Incredible video...

I wanted to share this video with you guys...You have to wait until the finish...absolutly beautiful....

Woodside Bible Church

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Our Round Table...

Ok guys...for those who have been reading for a long time...You've got to be thinking..."What in the world is all this Wordless Wednesday stuff and a post about her dining table???" Well, I've found a whole new world out there in cyberspace that has thoroughly encouraged me. It's a whole slew of women out there blogging their lives and journey with God.

It has been so encouraging reading the struggles and triumph so many of these women are facing. I also absolutly love that they are always posting! They are always posting because it seems like in cyberspace...everyday of the week is a special day.

Whether it be Menu Plan-it Monday, Tackle it Tuesday or Wordless Wednesday there is always something going on. My hope is that getting involved let's more people know about what God has us doing here and hopefully - doubling or tripling our prayer coverage!!! So, since I only post once or twice a week normally I thought it would be fun to take a little out of each day to really get involved and meet these wonderful women.

So...here there it is. :) Lori over at "Glass Half Full" was curious about what other people do at dinner time and where they eat dinner. So the way it works is that you make a post on your blog about the subject and then you go to her page and put a link up to your site and the fun part is taking the time to see where the other links lead you.

Every night our family joins around our round table to eat. Please do not confuse this round table with the famous one from Camelot...unfortunatly the only serious talk is usually about our new turtle named "Vern" and swords are NOT allowed. To be honest we're usually begging for a moment of silence out of my oldest son who is HIGHLY COMMUNICATIVE. After cooking in the smoldering heat a moment to catch one's breath is required. no air conditioning + gas stove equals = "I'm melting...I'm melting..."

Our little Round Table came to us when we first arrived in Thailand from a family that just moved into a new home that came with a table (yeah Thailand is weird...homes that come with TABLES???...but they don't come with cabinets??? WHY? and no it wasn't a furnished house).

It's a great table except for the fact...no matter how many times we fix that leg it still wobbles. Today my oldest son had our new turtle "Vern" on the table and was shaking it rapidly while screaming (quietly of course) "It's an EARTHQUAKE VERN! EARTHQUAKE....AHHH!!! What are you going to do VERN??? It's an EARTHQUAKE!" I quickly informed him that Vern didn't appreciate his creativness and that he should give Vern 5 minutes to recooperate from the "earthquake". He complied.

Yes...That IS the bathroom in the background there. The idea of having the bathroom right next to our dining table really grossed me out for a while but there have been no problems with it. We just keep a strict "bowl movement" schedule and everything is just fine! NO! I'm just kidding there is no schedule...It's really fine...Oh and there is my beloved Wycliff International cookbook that has brought me into a whole new world of cooking.

I've never been Betty Crocker...I was more like Hamburger Helper Lady...until I moved to the mission field and well, there is no Hamburger Helper to be found. So, we got REAL tired of eating stir fried rice and eggs all the time so we ventured out and came to LOVE the Thai food (which is a miracle because I'm married to an ex-pickiest eater in the whole wide huge world)...but then, well, after 2 1/2 years you just miss AMERICAN FOOD! AHHH!!

So a dear friend of mine let me borrow this book and I haven't given it back! I love it. It tells you how to make everything without calling for things missionaries can't get. It's a heaven send for us and it's really gotten me into cooking. My hubby is REAL happy!! Ok...moving on...

We usually gather together every night here before the sun goes down so we can keep the windows open (and have a breeze). After the sun goes down the windows have to be closed or we are forced into a full on war with the native bugs. My youngest Jude gets the seat of royalty...it's the most expensive item in our kitchen!!! High chairs in Thailand cost a TON!!! But we caught a sale at a store in the city - this baby was normally 9,000 baht but we got it for 3,000 baht. Let me put that into dollars for you: $272 normally and $90 when we bought it.

And that is the cheapest I've ever seen here! My poor flowers are finally dying...my husband brought those home for me about a week ago - they've done wonderful! I put a little bit of sugar in the water and they last days longer. I've got the best husband ever...he also brought me home a very special treat tonight. There is a store here called Swensons.

It's an ice cream shop. It's a very rare and special treat if we go there because it is EXPENSIVE and anyway he brought me home an Ebony and Ivory...which looks a little like this:

Yeah...it was delicious! Anyway, dinner is a very special time for our family. Once we've (me mainly) cooled off...taken a deep breath...and prayed together it is a real blessing. It's really fun watching my son learn table manners too! He still doesn't understand that he can't ask to be excused with his mouth stuffed full of food. He's always ready to go play! :)

Thanks for stopping in!

Wordless Wednesday

Jude and I...isn't he the greatest!!!

PRECIOUS Nawng Fun...!

I know I already posted these once below my last post but they were just too cute. Had to share again on wonderful Wordless Wednesday! Have fun!

A busy Sunday...

Hello Everyone!

FIRST let me say: I am sorry about not having spaces between my paragraphs...can't fix it!! I know it's an eye sore...try to make it through...

Thanks for stopping in to check in on us! I'm having some problems with accessing our main website so I thought I'd spruce up the "OLD" blogger account and put up some pics for old times sake. We are winding down after a long day. John and I have started taking the children to our home for children's church during church on Sunday mornings and it is truly a blessing.

I can't say it's easy teaching in two languages and it is rough sometimes but John and I have really found joy in pouring into these kids lives. John was talking about how you can see it in their faces that they don't have anyone at home who interacts with them. Their faces light up if you show them the littlest bit of attention. They are so adorable...as you can see in the pictures below. Please keep these children in your prayers.

Matt 18:14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little
ones should perish."

John also went back to the hospital today to go with Clinton to bring a bible to a guy who they prayed for yesterday. He had been in a motorcycle accident and has tents sticking out of his leg...but as the he heard the gospel he never looked away. John said he looked "gripped". So they came back today to give him a bible.

They were at that muslim hospital praying for people for about 4 hours yesterday. John prayed for a guy with malaria and got bit by a mosquito directly afterward...AHH! Good thing John doesn't live in fear and he trusts God right? HA! Every person in that hospital received a tract and met them face to face.

I was at home helping a dear friend...Candy who is in desperate need of your prayers right now. She has two children - Nathan (boy, 3 yrs) and BrehWah (girl, 7mos.). She is so much pain right now and is leaning on God to do a miracle in her marriage. Please pray for Candy.

Today John and Clinton went to a huge event that was going on in Hat Yai and passed out tracts with one of the churches involved with the Bless Hat Yai project. It was very encouraging because by the time John and Clinton got there (they came late because of the hospital visit) the group had already passed out tracts to everyone!!! Why is this an encouragment you ask??

Because they did it out of their own inititive!!! This is something that the Thai church struggles with...the Thai people are such a laid back people that they rarely do what is "outside of the box". But their hearts were moved and they acted!!! PRAISE GOD! That is what we are here to inspire and bring about. That in the body of Christ that is here...that they would take initiative and reach out to their own people.

We were specifically asked to be apart of the Bless Hat Yai project for that exact reason. To encourage, teach and equip the churches that are involved to evangelize their own areas...to help them catch the vision and burn for the lost.

There has been a lot going on here. We are experiencing persecution on a different level. We are being labeled as "the farangs" in a definitely negative way. When a Thai comes to know the Lord and truely gives their life to God and they start making changes in their lives their families don't know what to think except that "the farangs" are changing them. We are being accused of many things that have no foundation of truth at all and some that do...helping them leave their gods. Please pray for us and our protection.

On a different note...we had a Ngaan Booaht in front of our house yesterday. This is a celebration when a young boy of the family makes a vow and becomes a novice monk for a few days up to a year...they want their sons to do this because if the son does this the mother is allowed into heaven and it helps the family. There is nothing like waking up to a huge band parading infront of your home at 6:30am walking the "novice monks" down your road so they can collect food from you.

Monks usually walk down many roads every morning to receive food and "bless" the people who give it to them. It was very disturbing...while I couldn't understand what they were saying it felt very bad. When I spoke to Che Ann about it and asked why they played the music so early and did that he simply stated "because they are worshipping false gods."

At times I don't know what to feel...sad because of their deception, angry because of their unwillingness to think beyond tradition...or just plain grieved that they live in a culture where they truely believe if a young boy does goes into a monestary, shaves his head, chants some chants, listens to the monks, and goes home in a few days that a whole life time of sin can be washed away forever.

Well, I've definitly typed enough and there are tons of pics for you to veiw! Hope you enjoy! For old times sake...leave me a comment!!! :)

John, Nawng Ga, Nawng, Whewe, Nawng Fun and Josiah taking a short play break to take a pic. Nawng Fun LOVES to see the photo in the camera!!

John out with a team passing out tracts at a big event in Hat Yai.

Jude doing what he's not supposed to do...and he thought he was getting away with it too...

until this moment...Caught in the act....

Nawng Fi and Nawng Fun...

A young man reading a tract that he received. John and a team went out to a big event called Music in the Park and canvased the area with tracts...

The kids playing ball with John...

Nawng Whewe...Yes she is always that cute...

John teaching Nawng Fun how to throw the frisbee...

Jude showin some sweet love to mommy...

Me teaching the kids...

Che Ann leading worship...

Nawng Fun being as cute as can be...

Remember...New Blog...Come check it out...

Hey everyone!

A few of you are still coming here to find out what's going on...but as you can see there have been no new updates. And that's because I've moved our blog to our website. I really love Blogger.com but it was so much fun to create this website and it's given me a lot more freedom.

Please stop by and check it out - we even have a Prayer Needs page so that you can know what to pray for us for...and lots of new pics.

www.dead2sin.com/our_blog

Thanks for stopping in...please keep us in your prayers.

With tons of love from the other side of the world...
Steph

Meet Sam...So you've read about him - well, here's a picture to go with the name. Isn't he a cutie? I don't know who taught all the Thai kids to do this pose but they ALL do it...it's the I'm COOL pose. Please keep praying for Sam and for us also...we need your prayers! All pictures have been brought to you via the kindness of Naomi - she let me borrow her camera to snap a few shots to update you guys! Thanks Naomi! LOVE YOU FUNNY GIRL!
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What a grin!!
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Sam learning the cup game...
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Sam being goofy :)
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John - our rock...
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This is me teaching Clinton and Bang the cup game...ever played it? You tap a nice little ditty on the cup and pass it to the person next to you...until someone goes out. It's fun! They picked it up fast!!
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John joking around with a freshly cooked fish...
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John in a 'full on' laugh - I love my husband!!
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Josiah being his normal cutie pie self!!
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Pii Thak and I with our kids from the Buudthai night market. Most of these kids have been coming to hear about Jesus every Friday night for over a year now.
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This is Ta (pronounced with a hard T - not a t as in Tent but more closer to th in thing), who I have written about before, and her younger brother that she watches over. She has been coming to meet us on Friday nights at the market for about 2 months now. I LOVE THIS GIRL!
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Nawng Bow is one of the young girls that meets us every Friday night to learn about Jesus and have fun!
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Jude Andrew relaxing in the water on Children's Day! It's a huge deal in Thailand and all the kids go out and play. We took the boys to swim for half price = 10 baht a child ($0.29)
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Jude and I ontop of the mountain...What a serious face Jude has!
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One of the many alters...
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An alter to their gods and ancestors...