Chasing You

You know?  Some days are just long, and some feel even longer. Today I retro-published a draft on my blog that I began writing in October, and I realized that since beginning homeschooling in August, I've been on such a learning curve myself, I've not had much time of my own, to put into what I love.  Of course it doesn't mean I don't love what I'm putting time into.  It's just that it's not my own, for me or my interests.  I can't believe how long it's been! 

I got thinking today... and, for whatever reason... perhaps I'm starting to get into a groove with school, or maybe it's that remembered for a minute what I love since I've been missing it for so long... I found myself asking these questions.  "What is it that makes me, ME?  What was I created FOR?  What dream did my Father have in mind when He breathed ME into existence?"  Every time, these are the thoughts which bring me back to the beginning, to my place of origin in the Father. 

It's like this.  The other day as I was standing in my almost finished kitchen, watching Randy work, for the first time I heard a certain song that struck me.  Not sure how I've not yet heard it, but sometimes a song does that.  It has a way of opening up my soul, and in a moment the words mean everything and resonate so deeply with the season of my heart.  Immediately I began dancing around my kitchen island, freely expressing my desire for my Father, remembering.  I've been playing it for days. 

Chasing You
by Jenn Johnson & Bethel Music

..."This life, this love, was always meant to be
A wild, crazy adventure discovering
The thrill, the rush, the more of You I see
The more it leaves me wanting..."

"I’m Chasing You, with all my love
Captivated, I just cant get enough
I’ll spend my days, Running after Your heart
Your heart, Your heart..."

Remembering... the passion of living life in love, adventure which conquers monotony, purity of purpose that inspires me to persist... 

Our house will be built!  Our children will be taught!  We will travel!  A day will come when once again we pursue our passions!  Until then,  and no matter how long the day feels or how impatient I become in the waiting... I remember.  I keep my eyes on Him!  He is my adventure, my prize!  My joy is steady because He is steady in me. 

Stretching or Snapping?

Last evening we went for dinner with friends... kids at a booth nearby.  I don't know, maybe it was the simplicity of such an impromptu gathering at a local Italian diner, and the familiarity of old friends, and the simple food that all came together for an obvious realization that our life is really crazy right now.  Ever been in a season like this?  When you feel like you're pilgrimaging (is that a word?- spellcheck doesn't think so!) through the valley of Baca, where  robbers camp out on every side, waiting for tired ones, whose strength is running low and whose water's almost gone.  When who you've been in a more fertile season has become somewhat blurred to your current circumstances.  When you continue trudging through, though, because you know you can't stop in the valley, as there's no permanent life here in this wasteland, which is a transition of sorts.  Must. Push. Through.

This morning the kids and I were reading Psalm 84.  And then, I was reminded too of how God had taught me three years ago through Isaiah 54:2-3 to believe Him when he said, "Enlarge your house. You are going to need a bigger place; don’t underestimate the amount of room that you’ll need. So build, build, build.  You will increase in every direction to fill the world.  Your offspring will take over the nations; Your people will revitalize long-abandoned towns."

It's funny how, at the outset of an adventure, you never quite realize the extent to which you'll need to stretch to grow into the promise you were given.  Enlarge, I understand... but, stretch out... I'm beginning to get it!  Without the stretching, there's no enlarging, no extending.  Stretching is HOW we expand!  If we're not stretching, we're snapping, and sometimes it's a very thin thread that makes the difference between the two.

In this season we are being expanded.  No kidding!

^{Psalm 84:4-7
4} How blessed are those who make Your house their home,
    who live with You;
-->  they are constantly praising You.
-->

⁵ Blessed are those who make You their strength,
    for they treasure every step of the journey [to Zion].^[c]
6 On their way through the valley of Baca,
    they stop and dig wells to collect the refreshing spring water,
    and the early rains fill the pools.
⁷ They journey from place to place, gaining strength along the way;
    until they meet God in Zion.

 

Treasures

This week my dad's mason crew has been bricking up the chimney.  Brick wasn't even on our radar for the exterior at all, but as the guys were bricking up the interior fireplace, and I noticed how beautiful the red brick looked on the chimney, we realized we wanted to make the switch from stone to brick for the chimney.  When your dad is the mason, making that kind of a change isn't all that difficult, thankfully! So, off we (the kiddos, my mom, who is the ultimate color designer/decorator, and I) went to the brick store, to choose our brick.  The crew laid up a few samples, and then we were able to make our mortar color choice.  Dad says that mortar color can make a HUGE impact on how the overall outcome looks.  A seemingly small detail can obviously make the brick look totally different and change the whole face of the house.  I'm very happy with our choice on this!

On the interior, Randy and his dad have been pouring so much love and time into the wiring of the house.  We've walked through so many times, making sure lights are placed properly, switches are everywhere we want them, and outlets are positioned exactly right. We've googled standard bed dimensions, counter and range hood heights so many times, I can't even keep count!  I finally decided to print out a list of standards, so we can just have it on hand.  

Last week I put out a question to the Facebook family for local woodworkers, and I was not disappointed!  Thank you, Facebook friends... you've come through!  We decided on a local artisan, Redbeard Rustics (amazing!) and have met with him and put in our order for a pine farmhouse table and two single beds made of old barnwood. 

The kiddos have made many batches of iced tea and trips back and forth from the house with water and Gatorade, and they've been helping by sweeping up the drilling shavings after we gather quite a mess of it.  Sam's been helping by sitting patiently in his stroller (most of the time) and watching Youtube toddler tunes.

One more exciting mention... A while back I made a visit to the Chambersburg mall's antique stalls, looking for treasure.  (I like a mix of the old and the new!)  I remember seeing an industrial, canvas laundry cart I really liked, praying in my heart and under my breath that I'd like to have it, though the price was too steep, and then letting it go.  Well, wouldn't you know, the very cart I saw was for sale at a yardsale last week, as the owner was closing down her stall at the mall.  I just happened to drive by the yardsale on Orange Street, in Shippensburg, on a short trip out with my dad?!  It was a much better deal, and one I was thrilled to make!  It's like I heard Daddy God, saying, "Surprise!" 

Under Roof

Oh the sights, sounds, and smells of summer!  THIS summer!!!  School closed out with a bang (Levi and Julia finished up at midnight on a Friday, the eve of the last possible day for completing work for PAVCS - they are SO happy to be moving on from deadlines and assessments to bigger and better things!) as Randy busily prepared the house for framing.  We left for a Musser family beach vacation in North Topsail Island, NC the following Monday, and enjoyed a much needed, timely getaway.  Where we stayed, the beach was a short walk from one side, while the bay was on the other, complete with a pier, a swing, and gorgeous sunsets!  We had a panoramic view of God's natural beauty, and I could go on and on...

We returned on a Monday evening, just as a full moon was rising over the horizon, and quickly explored the wonder of our house under roof!  We were so blessed to have our brother-in-law's crew, at Timberwright Creations, LLC frame the house while we were away!  If the timing had been off even a week, Randy would have been fretting at the beach, antsy to get busy, but as it was, the framing was happening without us being home.  Nothing missing, nothing lost, nothing broken... everything as it should be.  Completeness, wholeness, all in good time!  (Psalm 34:10)

Amidst visits from friends, holidays, and other real life adventures, we've settled back into a sort of routine (ha - it's summer, after all!).  Randy's been preparing the mechanicals (a word I've learned to mean "requiring machines or tools"), which is mainly the plumbing and electrical work, the guts of it all.  Seriously, there is so much that goes into the unseen parts of a house to make it functional; I am in awe of those with such skill that do this work, and so thankful!

For example... before stairs were placed, we had a ladder that went to the second floor, but with a bare space the whole way to the basement, going up and down it was quite treacherous!  Though we allowed the kiddos to do it, I was jittery each time they did.

I've been working on experimenting with floor stain colors, and I've been trying my hand at distressing the hardwood to make it look naturally worn.  (Although I know lots of distressing will take place on its own - and we welcome this - I wanted some of it to happen before staining begins.)  I've tried taking a hammer to the lumber, banging a nail filled sock against it, and punching nail holes into it in certain areas.  It's a fun aggression release! 

This week is full of meetings, with the plumber, cabinet man, and a stop by the shop of a local guy who has some old barn beams!!!  Will keep you posted! :)

Rough Places Smooth

This morning at breakfast Levi shared with us a dream he had last night.  The significance is that he often dreams this or a very similar dream, and it's obviously something near to his heart.  He dreams of discovering hidden treasure; how I love him so!  I didn't think much about it, beyond pondering hope away in my heart, before racing to finish clearing eggs from sweet little cheeks and dirty plates.  

Later on in the day, I was realizing that I've not taken many pictures of the house building project lately, and so I began taking video shots of the backhoe pushing around dark shale pieces and transferring them from heightened areas into other low places that needed "brought up".

I was reminded of the passage in Isaiah 45:2, "I will go before you, and make the rough places smooth. I will break the doors of brass in pieces, and cut apart the bars of iron."  (World English Bible)

When I came inside and listened into the heart of the Father from this passage, I was surprised by the verses preceding and following.  In Isaiah 44 God was wooing his children back to himself, and in Isaiah 45:1, God says of Cyrus the Persian, his chosen agent, "Not by his hand alone, but with his in Mine, nations are vanquished, their leaders conquered; doors and gates open without a fight and will not close." (The Voice Bible)

God chose to use Cyrus, an unlikely character, to free his people and bring about his plans on the earth.  Though God never did, nor ever will cause evil or pain, He did and will continue to use every situation and challenge we find ourselves surrounded by to shape us, to "make the rough places smooth".  He has a noble plan that he works in us and through us, breaking down, and building up, leveling the ground, and maturing us into the sons and daughters we are, as we continually yield ourselves to his Love.  And then, He says in Isaiah 45:3, "I will give you hidden treasures and wealth tucked away in secret places; I will reveal them to you.  Then you will know that I am the Eternal, the God of Israel, who calls you by name."  (The Voice Bible)  


Dreams are coming true, Levi!  Dreams are coming true!  

Building the Foundations

Over this past week, especially, I've been in a place of revisiting foundations, both with the building of the house, and of a more intimate kind.  In the middle of last week, Randy, his dad, and my dad, all worked on forming the footers, into which concrete will be poured that will become the foundation for the block walls that will be built up.  Very important indeed!  The footers were formed, and then on Thursday, dumptruck loads of small gray stone was brought in and placed on the basement ground floor level of the house.  The pressure of the stone pushing against the forms, caused them to lean, and so on Saturday, Randy was outside most all of the day reinforcing the already formed footers.  With a shovel and lots of strong muscle, the stones were removed of their pressure against the footers and were fortified.

On Friday, my brother made a quick trip to PA from his home in Nashville to buy a much needed new car for his family.  It was so wonderful to have even the short time we did with him and to reconnect as a family.  While Randy was outside reinforcing the foundations of our new home to be, my parents, Ryan and I were inside and had a rare foursome moment, that was reminiscent of days gone by, where we'd share together, almost in "family meeting-like" vulnerability.  There's just something about this kind of family discussion that gets me every time!  The raw openness has gotten me thinking about other foundations, of the heart.  I'm realizing a similar trend happening in me as was true of the footers.  Just as the pressure of the stones pushed against the forms took necessary reinforcement to be useful for building a strong foundation for the house to be built upon, so the reality of my identity as a daughter of the King has taken some leaning pressure lately.  I'm sensing the need for some digging and strong muscle to get to the bottom of some of this, and some straightening up within to fortify the truth and to allow it to settle in deep.

Day 2

This morning, when Randy opened the balcony door to our bedroom, we were both reminded so much of Thailand.  The smells and sounds all brought back so much memory.  George, our rooster, was crowing, and the rain was falling gentle and steady.  It felt a bit like a day during rainy season.  The track hoe was here before 7:00, and so the diesel fuel exhaust drifted in, adding to it all.  I wasn't feeling well today, so it took me longer than usual to make my way downstairs to prepare breakfast, where the kiddos already had my coffee brewing.  I so love them!

Being that it was April 1st, Julia had a few pranks planned for her Dad and brothers.  She'd prepared Jello "orange juice" for breakfast, Oreos with mint toothpaste substituted as the filling for after lunch "treats", and a sign on the back of Dad's truck that she'd taken out and placed by 6AM.  It read, "Honk and yell hi, April Fools Day!"  Interestingly, Aaron snuck an Oreo before it was time and ate the whole thing.  He had no idea?!  Obviously this boy doesn't have much experience with Oreos! :)

We had a few visitors stop by; my friend, Rebecca
and her 2 boys brought lunch and we enjoyed ours outside with them, watching the show! It was nice to have company.  

Today the track hoe dug the basement.  This was how the land looked by around 10AM, and by 3PM...  I was being asked by the kiddos for special permission to join Pap Pap in making a trip onto the dirt, and into our basement.  Doesn't it look great?

10AM

Standing in the basement

Oh, one more thing!  At one point today, Levi seriously thought one of the worker's names was Phil.  The man running the track hoe is Jim, but all this talk of fill being brought in, he really thought Phil was joining Jim!

Day 1

Bright and early today, everyone was outside, watching the diggers push and pull dirt and debris, trees and stumps from the land.  I'd been granted the educational field trip I requested for Aden and Aaron, so there we all were, with blankets and lawn chairs and front row seats to a rapid landscape transition.

Earlier this school year Julia wrote a research paper on the life of Susan B. Anthony.  She learned many things about the strong woman suffragist, and today she decided to pull out one of the trivial, fun facts from her life and emulate it!  Once, as a young woman, during a season when Susan's father was building houses for the school teachers and his own family in their New York town, Susan made lemonade and gingerbread cookies for all the helpers.  Today Julia did just that!  First thing this morning, she was up baking the gingerbread she'd prepared last night to share.

Gingerbread cookies and lemonade

As the high lift and track hoe took down trees and pushed them into piles, Randy sawed the timber into logs and piled them for next year's firewood.  What he didn't keep he threw onto a huge bonfire.  I think this building project will definitely enhance his masculine physique with nice muscles!  Levi helped and I tried to keep everyone else from becoming too dirty! (HA!) 

Tomorrow is another day of dirt pushing, finishing the grading, and leveling the plot where the house will be.  Randy heads to work tomorrow, and I'll keep up here!

End of Day 1

Beginning

So, the house is finally happening!  It's been a dream for quite some time, and yesterday, two days earlier than expected, the digger came!  In the morning I ran to the store for birthday supplies, returned and noticed the permit posted by the water hydrant.
I was elated, posted a pic, and later in the day was minding my own business with laundry and such, when I was taken by surprise.  Yes indeed, it was true!  A bright yellow digger was outside, scooping dirt and popping stumps from our land.  As it turns out, the excavator is doing a job nearby and is saving money by bringing the fill to us!  He saves, we save!  Good deal all around; only God can work something like this out!  Sounds kinda supernatural to me. (Hmmm...)

Let me back up...  Three years ago, when we first returned from Thailand, we had no intention of building a house.  But as time went on and we realized we don't, nor will we ever, fit a typical Franklin County mold.  We can't ever settle down into mediocrity, becoming comfortable with doing things as they've always been done just because they have been.  We knew God was putting a dream in our heart to live from a different place... to be completely real, fully us, from the inside out.  Thailand changed us, to say the least.  Or rather, God used Thailand to change us, and who we've become will always be a part of us.  We are different, we know this now, and we're really happy about it!  Our house is only part of what God's building in us, though it will be a beautiful expression of who our family is.

Realizing we had the desire to build a house got us questioning... Why?  What will it be for?  How will we live in it?  The answers to these questions are a grounding place for our family, a foundation of sorts, to build on and grow from.  In days to come, the fruit of our labors will shelter us and continually expand to welcome others in.  We had hopes of beginning the process earlier, but we understand God had a better idea, in Levi's words, "to build our family first."  Know this, we understand that if we build a shell, but have nothing of value to fill it with, there would be no point for the walls to be built.  Without the goodness inside, there would be nothing to protect and fight for.  Pure love is worth the struggle.  We are ready to begin, together. 

Coming home...

It's nearly midnight, and I'm sitting at my computer, feeling the deep urge to return.  A number of years ago, well since I was a young girl really, I had a strong desire to write.  I'm a deep one, and as I often felt misunderstood, I learned to keep my thoughts safe to paper.  It's a loving relationship I have with words.  I really do come alive with a pen in my hand; I am free to make the world what I wish it to be! So here I come, back to the beginning, where it all began, and I hope that my humble musings will find a place in your heart.  

Title?

What?! It's only been a few YEARS since I've written last. Suffice it to say there have been a few ups and downs over this time... Just a few. I hope to get the blog back up and running, though it'll have to wait for a better day when my computer is available. Pecking away on the IPAD makes me half crazy! Lots to share at a later date.

Fireworks

Has it really been longer than a month already? Okay, so I've been busy. The children are out of school for a month, and I am enjoying time with them, to say the least! We've been to the park and the post office... we've cared for a praying manthis... we have plans to plant something soon. I am really thinking hard and praying about what to do when school starts again. Even though I would enjoy some extra time to myself, I know that I will miss them again. The other thing is that Levi seems to put up a fuss nearly everyday before school. I have a few ideas. Maybe if we go later in the day, say, leave at 8:30 instead of 7:30, so as to miss the worst part of his day, "Khao teew". It's when all the classes line up and sing the Thai National Anthem. Then, a teacher gives a "speech" about how the students are doing, they sing a few other songs, and then go into their classrooms. If we arrive when the students are in the classrooms, that could work. Julia might miss the songs (she can already sing the Anthem - of course the Thai words are just a bit different from the original, but...)

Randy almost has his shrimp raised to metamorphisis. Just about 2 more days, he says, then they will flip over from their upside-down position, to the upright one. It's been a very hectic time, but God has really given us grace to get through these intense seasons of craziness! I am thankful for that.

Tonight we watched fireworks. Not quite the same depth of feeling for me as when we see them on the fourth of July, but they were fireworks all the same. Today is the day Thai Buddhists celebrate the "coming out of Buddhist Lent". The children enjoyed them as we parked on a bridge over the river, where they were being put off. Very beautiful.

On Fire!

Hey Friends-

Life is getting exciting! Do you that we are called to live in "such a time as this"? God has been doing some amazing things; drawing me closer to Him and calling me deeper. I don't want anything else. There is nothing that will satisfy me now except for his presence in me. Right now I'm reading a book by James Goll and it's something like, "The Lost art of Practicing His Presence" and it includes writings from Bro. Lawrence's book, "Practicing the Presence of God". It's a simple idea, really... so hard to start to do. But then, after you do, it's like this insatiable desire, to be with Him. I hope you catch the Fire!

As a sidenote, we're all doing well. Levi's praying for his friend, Pung, because "he doesn't know Jesus yet". Julia wants to go to Hill Song church in Austrailia and worship with their kids and "lots of balloons". You can ask me about it sometime ;o . Aden is sleeping and smiling; a very happy baby! This week Randy is attending an aquaculture conference here in Ubon, where he'll be connecting with friends and professors from AIT and experts from neighboring countries. Next weekend he heads to Bangkok for more shrimp. :)

LOL - Jodi

Prayer and Fasting

So, I've read a new book recently. Actually I just borrowed it from a friend last evening and have already finished it. I just couldn't put it down. It's by Mahesh Chavda and it's called, "The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting". Wow! As I read it, I became more and more inspired to remember the Lord's great purpose for us as His followers. We are given authority to tear down strongholds that the enemy uses to keep people in darkness and bondage. In this day and time, it is not enough to have a Holy Spirit annointing alone; we need the POWER of the Holy Spirit! Before Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for a time of testing (during which time he fasted and prayed for 40 days) the Bible says he was filled with the Spirit. When he had completed his time in the desert, he came out of that experience in the power of the Holy Spirit. If Jesus, who is the Son of God needed to be built up spiritually through prayer and fasting, then how much more do we need to recognize that we can only receive this kind of power by ridding ourselves of the junk that we allow to build up in our lives. In faith, by fasting (since Jesus said in speaking to his disciples, "When you fast, not "if" you fast...") we become clean of ourselves and of the selfish, fleshly desires we have. This along with prayer is a powerful tool to use against the enemy.

I don't know about you, but this is exciting to me! Do we know what this means for us? We can change our world!!! We (yes, you and me) can make a huge difference in our generation for the Kingdom of God. What do you say? Let's go!

4.5 years?!

I can't believe it; our oldest is getting older! Yesterday marked the exact day of Levi's 4.5 years. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but to have a child who's almost 5 is like waking up and realizing your life is really going somewhere. And, to think of all the changes we've experienced during these past 4.5 years; this is what really gets me thinking... Let's just say, this year will be the first that we'll celebrate his birthday in the same place as the year before; I like that!

Please pray for Levi. Lately he's really disliking going to school. There could be a number of reasons for this new development.

1. Last year he studied at AIT in English and because his Thai is not "up to speed" with his classmates (who are Thai, of course), he could have negative feelings about entering into friendships.
2. He could have had a painful experience at school that causes him to shy away from people there.
3. His personality is more quiet and reserved around new people and he just wants to be home where it is "safe".

Pray for him, that God would heal whatever is hurting and that he would rise above this "stuff" and step out in boldness. Pray that he would have confidence to open himself up to new friendships. Believe me, he has lots of little boys and girls who want to be friends with him, he is just so shy with them and needs a boost.

This Monday all of the preschoolers will be doing a show for Mother's Day, which is celebrated on the birthday of the Thai Queen. Pray he will have fun and be himself. We love him and know he is precious to God; we want him to know that too! :) Thanks.

Girls Nite Out

Today was good, but a bit interesting. After taking the children to school I returned home to wait for our helper to come. Usually she comes at 9:30 and on Wednesdays I take some time to get away and spend some time alone with God. Well, today her daughter was sick, so she said she'd come at noon, after going to the Dr. ... All is well; she came at 1:30 (this is Thailand :0). I was able to have some time to myself before picking Levi and Julia up at 3:30.

I made a new meatballs recipe and noodles for Randy and the children to eat at supper. Later I hear Julia thinks it was meatloaf. Meatloaf would be easier; maybe next time I'll stick to that! Tonight was a girls nite out on the town! We celebrated Ae's (our Thai language tutor) birthday by going to a favorite, outdoor Thai restaurant by the reseravoir (?), then we topped off our fun by having ice-cream at a new little bakery called "Tea Cake". I had coffee, so I'm still wide awake. Not good, since I will be getting awake in a few hours to feed Aden!

Hey, yesterday Randy had his first shrimp! He has successfully raised a few of his "gung" to Post Larvae stage. This is exciting; a very notable accomplishment for him. Continue to pray for his project to yeild good results. He will probably go on to phase 2 next, and then return to phase 1 to give it another run. Ahhh...

Goodnight for now.

August already?

Whao, I can't believe it's been a whole month since I've written! It's been just a little busy, to say the least. At the beginning of last month Randy's family came for a visit. We had a wonderful time meeting our 1 year old nephew, and the children loved being off school for a while with their little cousin. It was perfect timing, and though we hadn't really planned it this way, their visit was right over the time of the Thai Candle Festival. We also spent a few days of vacation ourselves by visiting some of the waterfalls famous to the Isaan region.

Also during their stay Randy began the first phase of the "fresh water prawn raising project". Let's just say that I'm really glad they were here for that. Randy's dad, sister and brother-in-law helped him count out 600 baby prawns each into 18 tanks. Yeah... that's over 10,000 teensy, tiny baby shrimp, barely visible to the naked eye. It took them a whole day; I can't imagine how long it would have taken if Randy didn't have their help. Randy leaves each morning at 7 and gets home at 5. It makes me realize how I've been spoiled by having so much of his help in the past.

Aden had his 4 mo. check up just the other day. He's about 15 lbs. and 25 in. long. Randy and I marvel that our baby is already 4 months old. He is developing so much too. He can grab things and is beginning to hold his bottle himself. He rolls over sometimes, so I am very careful about where I leave him. He is such a joy to our whole family. When he laughs out loud, it makes us all so happy. :)

Today the children are home from school with me. I'm enjoying them and they like the break from school. All for now...

Just a few pictures...

Back from Bangkok

Ahhh... it's good to get away for a while, but it's always good to get home again! Last Saturday evening we left on the night train and arrived in Bangkok at around 5:30am on Sunday morning. What a blessing to be picked up and to stay at the home of our friend, Pi Puk! We felt like we were at a 5-star resort, as her house is so beautiful and her hospitality so favorable. We were able to reconnect with friends at AIT Christian Fellowship on Sunday morning and then head to our favorite hangout in the area, Future Park. There are lots of shops and a McDonalds!(In Ubon we have a KFC, but no McDonalds, yet.) That evening we rested well, before heading out Monday morning for our appointment at the US Embassy. Everything went smoothly and Aden's birth has now been reported. Soon we will get his paperwork in the mail.

Tuesday we had an appointment with the Dr. for Aden to have a circumcision done. We had checked with many Drs. and clinics here in Ubon, but noone seemed very confident to perform the surgery. This confirmed to us that, this being a very important surgery, it was better for us to have it done in Bangkok! Aden wasn't able to eat or drink anything from 9:30am until after he had awakened from the surgery at 5:30pm! Since he was not a newborn any longer he had to be put to sleep. The Dr. said that if we had had it done at birth, he would have only needed a local. What a procedure. That day was a long one, and we were thankful that Pi Puk and her sister were able to watch the children for us; definitely a God-thing!

Wednesday morning we visited our old neighborhood and met up with our old helper and some other friends before visiting the Dr. again for him to check Aden's recovery. That evening we shared dinner with Jon and Becky W. and Sasipa, our Thai tutor and her sister. We were all ready to sleep that night, for sure.

Thursday was a day for us to rest up. We had fun with the children at Future Park and had a great dinner together with Pi Puk and her sister, Pi Pui, before we got on the train to return to Ubon. Normally the train gets in at 7am. Let's just say, we ate breakfast and almost had lunch on the train too! Yeah, we were glad to be back!

What's With the Fish?

Many of you have been wondering about the fish project. First, you want to know what it is, and perhaps more importantly, how it will be of benefit to the Isaan people.

We as a team believe that it is important to be holistic in our ministry endeavors. This means we want to meet the physical needs as well as the spiritual needs of the people here. Fish are something that make sense to the Isaan people! They raise fish, they catch fish, they buy fish, they eat fish. Fish are a part of the Isaan way of life, and it is our desire to bring the Kingdom of God to this place by working with them in improving their way of life.

We dream about one day having a fish farm, or a fish farming related business. It is very likely we will start a fish hatchery operation here, in Ubon. As we pray for the specifics of our next steps to become clearer, we move forward with our goal being 'to launch a fishing “business” by December of 2009'. This business is not an end goal, but it is one avenue we trust God has chosen for us to utilize as a means of reaching a higher calling...

We believe God will use this project and the aquaculture ministry here in Ubon to help begin a self-sustaining church planting movement among the Isaan people. Jesus often spoke in parables, and once he said to Peter, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” It is our hope that the work with fish would not only be a physical one, though we recognize the importance of this also. We have a bigger vision… to see Isaan believers raised up, discipled, and supported… a ministry supported, flourishing, and sustainable by its own means. We want to see this fish ministry reach many “Peters”, and to see many Isaan men and women knowing Jesus and making Him known!