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We are in Roi-Et

It has finally happened we are now living in the Northeastern side of Thailand. We live about 3 hours from the Loas boarder and 1 hour from Cambodia. It is a very different atmosphere here. In Bangkok we had city, cars, pollution. Here we have fresh air, rice fields, and the sweat smell of manure. It is interesting to see that breakfast is often a great mix of different fried bugs that they caught by using special bug lights the night before. We have yet to get that comfortable with the culture to join in. However the people are very friendly and the kids are adorable, Christine has pointed to a few she would like to keep. We are learning a slightly different language here it is more like Loas then Thai but with our Thai we can get along. We are the first foreigners who can speak Thai that have arrived here and it has helped us get in with the society. Jason has been helping the children read in Thai (which is the language they have to learn at school.) It has been a lot of fun and a great new experience.

Easter, Songkhran and Red Shirts

This month has been filled with activity excitement and celebration. We first said good bye to the students that were living with us. It was a tearful good bye but they are really happy we will be coming to live in their village. We drove up to look at the place where we will be staying. It is a lot different from Bangkok. We are living around dirt roads and houses on stilts. The village we are staying in is more like traditional Thai.

During this time we celebrated Songkhran and Easter. Songkhran is literally a 3 day water fight and a lot of fun but it was short lived because of the riots that broke out in the middle of this celebration. The rioters who called themselves the red shirts blocked transportation and forced the city to close for 3 days. Now Thailand has restored itself to a partial peaceful country but there is still war in the southern regions.

Finally we were able to celebrate Easter. What small portions of Christians there are in Thailand got together and celebrated the death of Jesus which paid for our sins, and the resurrection of Jesus in which he conquered death to give us all hope. The good Friday service was much like a funeral, very solemn. The Easter Sunday was an all out celebration

First Week in Thailand

My (Christine) first week in Thailand I experienced many "firsts."  For example, when I saw my first "y" [official Thai greeting] or when I ate my first Thai dish and when I slept on my first Thai bed, which by the way is as hard as a rock!  I stepped off the airplane not knowing what to expect other than the heat which is another first for me.  One thing that stands out to me is the smell.  Thailand is very fragrant.  There are dozens of stands parked on the sidewalks that cook food for any hungry passer-by.  I myself have been tempted by their yummy smells and wonderful low prices.  However, it is the people that are my mission.  As the song goes, "This is my Father's world," Thailand included.  The Thai people are loved dearly by God, but they do not know Him…yet.  I pray time and time again that the Lord will give me His heart for the Thai people.  I pray the same for you.