So... She Emptied Her Piggy Bank!

Yep, I'm in Chiang Mai Thailand about to write to you about my time in Chicago last month! I'm a little behind, but this story HAS to be told!

The Convoy of Hope interns were invited to minister at a kid's conference in Hammond Indiana (right outside of Chicago!)  The theme of the conference was set to be, "Tell the World."  It was pretty much a mission's convention for kiddos!

We went to challenge them and expose them to missions.  We played the parts of not so super heros.

 They laughed, but somehow along the way they got the message that there are people all over the world that need food and clean water, and most of all need to know Jesus.  They were challenged, they got it, they understood.  How do I know?

I watched the tiniest of them all lift her hands in worship to God and pray that she could be a better sister.  (What if we adults prayed this prayer?!)

I watched them write letters to the children of Thailand sharing the love of Christ in each note! (What if WE all wrote letters of love to those we know need Jesus?)

Top part the Hammond kids making their message in a bottle for the Thai kids, bottom the Thai kids writing them back

I watched them write the names of their friends and family on little pieces of paper and commit to pray for them and share Christ with them.  A couple of them came and asked for more paper. Then I watched them kneel and pray. (What if everyone in our church made this commitment?)

I watched Parker on her 10th birthday get up and share the gospel and about how bad the nations need Jesus.  (What if we ALL had this boldness?)

And then during the last service they were challenged to give to missions, to Convoy of Hope.  They were told about the opportunity to give the day before.  I watched a 5 year old make her way to the offering basket with her piggy bank and shake it till every last penny was out.  We told her of the need so she emptied her piggy bank?!  (What if every Christian gave this sacrificially to missions?!)  All my missionary friends just said, Yes and Amen to that one!  Evidently the secret to a successful mission's convention is down the hall in kid's church! :)

We went to challenge them and in turn they challenged US, in their worship, their prayer, their commitment, their help, and their giving! Needless to say they have a great children's pastor in Debbie Wells, who had them primed and ready to receive from God!  If you have a great children's pastor, show them some love today!

This blog doesn't do the sweet children of Hammond, Indiana justice, but if you want to be challenged I can introduce you to some inner city & suburbanite kiddos that just plain GET IT!

"I tell you the Truth, unless we come to Him like these little children...."

Here are some of the sweet Buddhist kiddos who got the messages in a bottle from the conference. I KNOW the kids in Hammond Indiana are praying for these guys and I'm excited to be their missionary representative, their hands extended here in Thailand!

I Freed the Birds

Outside the ornate temples we've found ladies selling flowers & trinkets & renting shawls,  (wouldn't want to be scantily clad when you go in to worship the idols.)  In our 2 weeks here we've seen dozens of Wats (Buddhist temples); Sara thinks she's pretty funny with her new favorite phrase, "If you've seen Wat you've seen'em all!"

At each wat we see worshippers purchase these things & drop money into the baskets of the many monks in an effort to earn merit.  
However, today as I exited the wat and went about putting my shoes back on, a woman approached me with a different offer.  At her feet were several enclosed baskets filled with tiny, chirping birds.



 She began to use the universal language of "human video" (or "charades," for you non AG folk) to let me know that for 100 baht (about $3.25) I could untie the cords holding the basket together and free the birds.  While her human video of the birds flying away lacked the necessary lusture & allure I'd have hoped for, she does get bonus points for her English attempt, "You have good luck!"  In other words, if I gave her 100 baht I could free the birds and "I have good luck." DONE! Who passes up that kind of deal?!

Before you stop sending me mission's dollars, which if you'd like to here's a brand new link plus if you DO donate then "you have good luck!" My account is about $1,000 short this month with only a couple more days on my October statement to give!!! Don't miss out! Birds will fly free! Click Here to GIVE

But seriously, before I proceed, I must tell you:
#1)  I do not believe freeing these birds would give me any good luck, but possibly bird flu.
#2)  I realize 100 baht is highway robbery as my team just had lunch for 185 baht (about $1.05 per person)
#3)  I've seen Brokedown Palace & I know that when Claire Daines freed those birds that they flew right back to the hand that fed them until the next Farang (foreigner) pays their ransom!

So why release the birds you ask?

Same reason my brother and SIL give to & serving with F.R.E.E. International- a really cool anti-human trafficking organization to FREE women & children. Check out FREE International 

Same reason your mama paid the bail bondsman!

Same reason we honor our military men & women & why they're willing to go!

Same reason my therapy friends help addicted clients get FREE!

Same reasons kids bolt out of their desks at the final bell of the day!

Same reason Dave Ramsey created Financial Peace University.  So we can call in and scream, "I'm debt FREE!"

Same reason you take your kid to Sunday school & pray for the prodigal son!

Same reason you adopted those children!

Same reason you give to missionaries & why we missionaries GO!

Freedom is our heart's cry because it's in our DNA, we have our Father's heart.  It is for FREEDOM that He set us FREE! Much more than 100 baht was paid for my freedom & it is my mission that other's will know that freedom as well! So, I freed the birds!

The Puzzle: The Mystery of the Missing Piece

I write this blog risking my reputation of being exciting, adventuresome,  and highly intelligent!

Between my summer ventures abroad & my current venture abroad, I was stateside 9 weeks! In which I traveled to Tennessee, Alabama, Illinois, & Oklahoma, but it placed me in Missouri for nearly 3weeks solid, it was a weird time for me.

While shopping at Wal-Mart, I bought a thousand piece puzzle, a Coca-Cola one of course. I took it to my Kickapoo home and set up shop.  I pulled out all the edge pieces and went to work. Of course I missed a few and had to go thru the pieces a couple of times, but after my edging was NEARLY complete, myself and my BFF had both searched through the remaining pieces about 4 times, which would total up close to an hour and a half of searching. I was more than frustrated. I was angry, I was anxious, it nearly drove me crazy.  I continued to search and search and search. It's just one small piece of 1,000.  It appeared I had all the other 999 pieces, but you can't have a puzzle missing 1 piece, it's just maddening, it's incomplete, it's NOT OKAY! If you'd been in my home, you'd have seen a frenzy of emotion from me & possibly learned some new words! I considered cutting off parts of another piece and forcing it fit in the vacant spot, I considered making a counterfeit piece all together out of cardboard, I considered throwing the whole stupid thing away!!!

Even writing about it gives me anxiety.  It just wasn't going to work without that one piece! I'll stop here and solve the missing piece! Upon Sara's closer examination of my work, I had put a couple of pieces together wrong and once she remedied that, all the pieces went together appropriately, I was never missing a piece of the puzzle.

 Some people ARE missing a piece of the puzzle though.  "I still haven't found what I'm looking for," is the far too familiar life song of many.  Along the way I've heard several celebrities who seemingly have it all, fame, fortune, family, etc. quoted to say, "There's still just something missing!"  I see former classmates & co-workers, & just run into all kinds of people with good jobs, good health, beautiful families, cycle through many of the emotions & near actions I went through with my puzzling situation above. Frustration, anger, wanting to throw the towel in, trying to fabricate a piece to fill the 1,000th slot often times disturbing & destroying the neatly placed 999.  Trying to fill the void with something other than the only piece that will fit, the only piece that will complete the puzzle, and in the end the only piece that really matters.

My Englewood students used to really hate it that every movie, game, outing, & puzzle would turn into a spiritual illustration for me, however, I am grateful.  Having never NOT known about Jesus, that He is the only way, that He is always available and willing to help me, I can't fully appreciate the scrambling emotions & actions of one who doesn't know Him.  I know my missing puzzle piece  is trivial & laughable, but I think I get that He is the Way, the Truth, & the Life a little better today. I also have a greater sense of urgency for those that are missing the only piece of the puzzle that matters.

Watch your tone! Things I've learned from traveling to Thailand!

I have several blogs that should come before this one, but this is the one I want to publish tonight! We left Springfield, Missouri @8:05am 10/10/12 & arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand @10:55pm 10/11/12. There's a 12 hour time difference & it's currently Friday, 10/12/12 at 8:21pm although my computer says 8:21am. I'm tired to say the least- I am jet-lagging as I type!

Some things I've learned from traveling:

1. No matter how great my intentions or how long that flight is I will NOT organize the pictures on my laptop.
2.  It's good to sit by your best friend, then you're not falling asleep on a random stranger's shoulder & if you've got a good one like mine they won't let your head do that bobbing thing like it does in church or statistics class in school. She propped it up with two fingers!
3.  Don't make eye contact with the toddler in front you, they can play peek a boo for hours & they're hard to escape when you're all buckled in.  Also, if you make eye contact or smile children could mistake that as friendliness so when their mom sleeps the rest of the flight you end up with a kid in your lap wanting to play on YOUR game console & be taken to the potty!
4.  It's not likely that the person next to you is watching the same movie you are, therefore when when you laugh out loud or gesture wildly with your eyes, brows, and gaping mouth  silently exclaiming"can you believe that just happened?" They don't really know & might think you're choking & attempt the heimlich.
5.  The bathroom is a cool place to go hangout when you need some alone time, but if you sit there too long it will eventually automatically flush and you may suffer PTSD- Post Traumatic Seat (I haven't decided what the D should stand for!)) Also, prepare for angry stares upon your exit as the longer you've stayed, the longer the line has gotten!
6.  The first day of jet lagging is NOT the day to attempt to learn a TONAL language.
- The Thai Language has 5 tones. (Hi, Mid, Low, Rising, & Falling)  Just like blue jeans! Hi Rise, Mid rise, Low Rise, Rising (Wedgie), Falling (also known as sagging, however, it sounds nothing like Ebonics!)
7. Watch your tone. The Thai word for POOP and the Thai word for RIDE are the same word, your tone tells the listener which word you're intending to use, the missionary accidentally told someone this week that she pooped her motorcycle rather than rode it! The possibilities of ways to really mess up this interchange are endless. If you've ever seen the FRIENDS episode where Phoebe tries to teach Joey French.  Well, I'm Joey. I can't hear the tone differences and I sure can't repeat them back to you!
8.  You are not allowed to pack chainsaws in your carryon OR your checked luggage!?! That's outrageous!