They all gather around Brian's truck to visit
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Asia (Josiah's best friend) helping pass out tracks...She's such a doll!
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Thai people don't use diapers and their kids are usually potty trained by 1 year old!!! I just couldn't believe it! If I had to I suppose I could...but I THANK GOD that they have cheap diapers here for 170 baht ($4). Who wants to be pee'd and pooped on for a year!!! Think about if you didn't have an option?!?!?
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Isn't she beautiful!!!!
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Those eyes!
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Some young village girls with Mercy (MaryBeth and Brian's youngest)
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Clinton setting up to show the film...
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Isn't she sweet!!!
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John, Brian and MaryBeth is in there too! :)
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John being silly on his bike! And that is a toothpick in his mouth...someone said it looked like a cigarette...hehehe. He's a true blue TEXAN huh? In America I don't think you'd ever see John in a cowboy hat but being here some how makes you appreciate where your from and makes you want to embrace it...so John saw this hat in Bangkok when he went to Chaing Rai and figured it would be a good sun blocker...I think he looks handsome with it on!!! Go get 'em cowboy!!
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Valentine's / English Camp

HAPPY LATE VALENTINE’S DAY!!

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day – I know I did!  John did so GOOD  this year!!  I woke up to beautiful wildflowers on my side of the bed and a hand made card!  It just means so much more when things are hand made doesn’t it???  Then later that evening John had asked Katherine to watch the boys so we could go out together.  That explained why Katherine so gracefully avoided answering my question “Are you busy on Valentine’s Day??”  

Anyway, we were able to go out on our first real date in FOREVER!  It was wonderful – we brought Katherine home 2 roses and some ice cream (she’s sweets freak!)  We had to show her how much we appreciate her – it’s really hard not having family and friends to call on to have a night out every once in a while.  Don’t get me wrong though…this team is like family but we are always SOO BUSY!!!  

Anyway, today is the last day of the 3 day English Camp – Yesterday went wonderful!  It’s so much fun…but at the same time it’s sooo much work.  By the time me and the boys got home I was BEAT!  Josiah had taken a good hard fall to the rocky ground and was having a hard time getting over it and was badly in need of nap…Jude was hungry, hot and sweaty!!!  My feet were aching and my head was pounding but all in all it was so much fun!!!!  

It’s not easy teaching English and helping out with activities while watching two boys.  John was out passing out tracks in the village we were in.  Micheal was there so he helped some.  One really funny thing is that the Thai people do not let their children cry…the need is met at the exact moment that the child cries out…NO JOKE!  So…when it was just Katherine and I…baby Jude started to fuss…that’s all it was…just fussing softly….and all the kids stopped the game calling out…. “Luk ronghigh, Luk ronghigh” which means the baby is crying.  

I told them it was ok and tried to continue but they weren’t really satisfied until I walked back patted him and then said “Mai ben rai ka…Luk mii sabaii jai”…meaning “don’t worry…baby has comfortable heart…”  Which means to them…he’s ok.  Although it is against Thai culture to not stop everything for the crying baby.  No matter what it is.  

The school is about 45 minutes away and deep into the country.  I took some pictures and will be posting them soon.  It’s very peaceful out there.  Last night we were going to show the film in that village but it was raining so we could not.  So today Katherine, Brian and I are going out to the school to teach and share again – then I will return home with my boys and get food and then John and I have Thai language class…after that John will go out to meet up with Brian and Katherine to setup everything for showing the video.  

Well, I don’t want to make this a super long post so I’ll try to cut it short here.  Plus there is breakfast to be made, a 3 year old to wake up and an English lesson to be prepared.  I will post again soon with pictures from the school.  Thank you for praying…caring and reading!!!  If you happen to read this before 4am your time…then pray for me..I’m going to be teaching the children about real beauty and that they are a masterpiece designed by the one and only true God and that His son came to make a way for us.  Pray that the message is clear and that it finds good soil in the hearts of these children so they will remember it always.  

May you be blessed!!!

Steph

The day that we left we had to get Jude's passport picture taken and while we were waiting for it to develop - I said to John "We have NEVER had a family picture taken...why don't we just do it...we don't have to be dressed up or all pretty looking...let's just do it a la natural?" Of course John was cool with it so we had this shot snapped...it was only about $5 for Jude's photos and these...crazy huh! Pretty good compared to the $35-100 you might spend in America...We just happened to all be wearing navy blue too!!
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Josiah in our hotel at Bangkok - isn't that hat adorable!!
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Does this shock you? Brian was taking Asia and Mercy to the park and he asked if Josiah could come too...and this is how they went. If the park wasn't very close he would not have done this...but this is absolutly normal here in Thai culture...although we do this VERY VERY RARELY and they ALWAYS wear helments.
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Believe it or not...these to seats fold down to make a surprisingly comfortable bed...
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Posing infront of the train
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Josiah checking out the view...
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John and Josiah infront of the train...note the arm leash...absolutely necessary...Thai people love to pick up your kid and take him to show their friends...without asking...and without thinking a second thought about it...VERY VERY SCARY for us!
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Us riding the sky train
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Waiting for the sky train after a VERY VERY long morning!
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