Scars of Thailand

Dirt brown feet from the Sunday floor, bruised ankles from a barefoot game of soccer, scraped calf from climbing the kids' tree, small welts from my arch enemy (code name MOSQUITO), sore back from countless piggy back rides, moon shaped stick on earings attached to my lobes from the teenage girls and sticky hair from the humid salt air of Coral beach...

so this is what it feels like to be one of the happiest and most blessed women on the planet! :)

Our God is good!

The past couple of days (as predicted) were jam-packed: filled with activities, wanna-be-stresses, and unprecedented joy!

Yesterday began with an errand run for us two American girls into Khao Lok. Hop and a skip later, add on a couple hours, and a quick jot out to see a secret beach and you've got my Saturday morning.

11:30- We're back at the CDC, loading up the truck full of free food. 150 kids meals to be exact (God bless our Burmese cooks)...all given away to the kids of Nam Kem in 2 hours flat!

1:30- Youth group met in much the same manner as that of Faith or Harbor's: complete with crazy youth pastor (P'Lek), hilarious/ pointless games of ping pong relays, followed by markered mustache punishment, and some good ol' gospel presentation!

5:30- ASC orientation- got to meet the kids I'll be working with for the rest of my stay, as well as their parents...cant wait to hold those little munchkins!
A couple more hours of swinging and running...interupted by a couple games of sapak and random ballet lessons from yours truly...then out for dinner with some kids.

We went to the noodle shop for a starter (parked outside the 711...it's basically the McDonalds of Thailand), followed by a stroll through the night market, which landed me with a tasty treat of some type of fried bannana sugar concoction made by the Muslims.

Then sleep! Yay!

Woke up this morning with a head stopped up FULL of allergies (Thank you Mom for making me pack the Benedryll). Sunday school pickup was at 9:30 ( I dont know how these people do this 24/7, 365 days a year!)...again I stuck with the younger youth...I think Im really starting to make a connection with several of the girls (even despite the language barrier), so just some time alone, playing with them and building up our budding relationships has been a super-awesome-God-blessed thing for me.

Later we had adult worship, followed by a truck ride to the beach for one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen for quite a while (see above).

Sorry to make this such a cut and dry post...I think if I ellaborated on it...I could very well make this last a couple hundred pages long, and Im sure Im not nearly as interesting as I think I am half the time.

Bottom line: God's doing some awesome things here in Thailand.

Despite still missing our leaders and launching a few programs in such chaotic midst...things are running relatively smoothy (prayers are working-keep em coming!). And despite my language barrier, I AM able to connect with the students via play, mime, my little Thai combined with their little English, and some shared smiles. Its just been an awesome weekend that reassured me that this is where Im supposed to be- Im here with purpose, Im here for His glory.

All good stuff. All praises.

Our God is an awesome God.

More to come tomorrow (first day of ASC- prayers needed for organization, leadership, and open/obedient chillins!).

Love you all!

PS- Check out that photo link (posted under the blog: My Coke Can Says Land of Smiles) again...Ill continue to post more and more pictures day by day!