Jacob or Edward?

Well... it's been quite a while, hasn't it?  I apologize for the delayed posts.  No news is good news, right?

I'm pretty certain that I speak for the whole team when I say: we really love it here.  This past week we were blessed with a chance to go to Krabi #themostbeautifulplaceihaveeverseen.  It was just what we needed.  The break was so good and allowed us time to rest.  So fun!  Near the end of our journey we found ourselves missing Bangkok.  We were really excited to return to our "sweet home sweet" (as the Thais say). And... on the way home we got to ride in a VIP bus.  Yeah, I know.  It was awesome.  

After returning to Bangkok, we have found ourselves becoming very comfortable with the culture.  Now, this is both good and bad... really more bad than good.  haha The more comfortable we get, the more we start reverting back to our American ways.  We tend to laugh a lot, talk loudly, and sometimes we kick each other (this is not good in Thailand).  People on the bus are starting to stare.  On our way home from Krabi, a Thai woman on the bus asked (right in front of our faces), "What are all these Americans doing here.  They're so loud."  Then (this is so great), the stewardess informed her the we all knew Thai.  hahahaha... So, we don't all know Thai, BUT Ann knows Thai and she told us what the lady said.  The woman became very quiet, very quickly.  Situations like this are very funny, but they also remind us to calm it down.  *Please pray that we don't kill our ministry by becoming too comfortable.

This week we have all become teachers!  Yes, it's slightly intimidating to know that people are paying money to learn English from us, but God is with us always.  At the BSC, we are paired up and have a schedule of who is teaching what when.  You like that sentence?  Yeah, I am teaching English.  Matt and I actually got our first opportunity to teach with the set curriculum yesterday.  I really like teaching.  *Pray that our classes will go smoothly.  In addition to teaching curriculum based classes, we offer a free Bible English class twice each day.  We cover simple, yet powerful, stories from the Bible while practicing English... it's so great.  *Pray that Thai non-Christians would come to the class desiring to practice their English skills and leave curious to know more about Jesus.  

As I mentioned before, during the day we spend our time visiting universities.  On Tuesdays we'll be on Sripatum's campus and Fridays on Chula's.  During this time we are meeting students and sharing the Gospel.  Sometimes we have chances to straight up tell students what we believe and other times (like when they don't know English--hehe) we are able to invite them to free Bible English classes or other events that are going on at the church.  Building relationships and then connecting students with the church is very important.  Sometimes relationships are built over the strangest things.  Yesterday, it was the question "Edward or Jacob" that brought giggles and laughter.  *Thank-you Jesus for working in ways that we don't understand.  Pray that our team is bold when meeting students.  We are given tons of opportunities, pray that we use those.  Pray that we would remember that we cannot bring people to Christ on our own.  If we were trying to do things on our own-- we would fail every time.  Pray that we will rely fully on the Lord, knowing that he can use all things for His glory... even a conversation about Twilight.  

I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am to be here.  I am learning and trusting more than I ever expected.  I have seen God work in more so many ways!  It reminds me of how good our God is.  *Continue to pray for our Thai friends.

Love you all.  Thank you for praying for us.

leigha  

Team Jacob for life.

"Come to Me."

Headed to Krabi Phi Phi Island!  We are going on vacation.  Pray that we will use this time to draw near the Lord.  It is so easy to waste time on a beach. I don't want to do that. Pray that we will take this time to re-focus and reflect. God is good.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Matthew 11:28-30

God of this City

We're still kicking it in Thailand.  Our days are going well, but there is a heaviness that has been developing in our hearts.  The more people we meet, the more we see that people don't know the Lord.  It's heart breaking to know that people following Budda are living without Hope.  Please pray for these people that we encounter.  Pray that the Lord would work in their hearts.  Pray that they would become interested in Christianity.  I believe in prayer.  I believe that God answers prayers. 

The team is doing really well.  We're basically family.  Pray that we can continue to communicate well with each other.  Pray that we will pick out battles and have patience with each other.  We have to let go of our selfish desires and straight up seek the Lord together.  We must function as a team.  It is important that each of us are focusing on the Lord.  Spending time in the word and in prayer. 

This past week we have spent time teaching english at the BSC (Baptist Student Center).  The BSC is an organization for people of all ages to come and pay to study english.  At the BSC there is an eating area where we go about 4:00 p.m.  We are there to hang out with students, help them with their english, and have an opportunity to share Jesus with the students.  During this time we also have a chance to teach english classes.  We pair up and take turns teaching free Bible english classes and other english classes.  I really enjoy the teaching, however, I need to brush up on my english skills... seriously.  After our time at the BSC we head to Victory Monument to eat.  There are many different little places to eat in that area.  So much fun.

We've also done some university visits in Bangkok.  There are really many universities here, filled with students who like to hang out with Americans.  I had no idea it would be this easy to make Thai friends.  They are so great at accepting us and helping us.  It's such a blessing.  Some days I am absolutely covered in sweat... I'm gonna be real, it's gross.  It amazes me how much the Thais don't care.  Sweat cannot stop their hugs.  I am thankful for Thai hugs.

I do love it here.  Times are going to be more difficult, but man... things are going well right now.  I cannot stress how much of a blessing my team has been to me.  So many different personalities... but it works.  Thank-you, Jesus. 

Pray:
1. Pray that we would be bold.  Pray that the boldness will not come from ourselves, but from God. 
2. Pray for chances to share the gospel.  There are some friendships we have that are so great.  We love hanging out, but it's difficult to get real with them.  Pray for that, please.
3. Pray that our team would continue to be unified.  Pray that we will desire to seek the Father.  That we can be patience with one another and continually speak in love. 
4. Pray for our safety.  Yeah, Bangkok is pretty safe, but the traffic can be a little sketch at times. 
5. Pray that we would continually focus on Christ.  That when we share the gospel, we would simply be sharing our hearts.  That is my prayer.

Love you, dear friends!
leigha


     

thai sty

I have been in Thailand for four days and it already feels like home.  It's amazes me how quickly everything seems so familar.  When we arrived on day one I never would have thought that I would know how to go to 7/11 and purchase a snack or known how to wave down a "tuk tuk" driver and know how many baht would be a reasonable price! 

The culture in Bangkok is something that will be difficult to fully get used to, but I believe we are all learning at a reasonable pace.  After arriving in Bangkok, we sat down with leaders, Ann and Eric, to learn about the rules of Thai culture.  Often refered to as Thai Sty.  Things are very different (not weird) in Thailand, so in order to help you better understand, here is a list.  A list of rules, if you will, to serve as ones guide when in Thailand.  Here we go:

1. Do not flush toilet paper down the toilet. 
I know... it seems a little gross to us, but in Thailand, people don't even use toilet paper.  They have spray hoses. Real life.  If you would prefer American Sty... carry tissues with you.

2. Watch where you're going.
Most places in Bangkok are very safe.  There are low crime rates and people are typically nice, however; transportation is where it gets challenging.  Most Thais don't drive a car.  They travel by bus, sky train, or foot.  Here is the tricky part: when walking, you will never have the right of way.  One must always, always, always look both left... and right before crossing any sort of street.  Traffic is moving at very high speeds in one direction and then motocycles are moving at an even faster pace in the other.  That's right, motocycles drive against traffic. Also, Ann informed us that if a vehicle flashes their lights at us... it doesn't mean "go ahead," it means "I am about to hit you."  Words of wisdom.

3. Just don't touch.
In Thai culture, a person's head is seen as being the best part of their body.  It is almost sacred.  Touching someone's head is not something you want to do.  It is seen as very offensive and disrespectful and will probably make for a few seconds of awkward silence.  Now, if the head is seen as the best part of the body, what do you think is the worst?  That's right! The feet.  It is very rude to point with you feet, touch your feet, draw attention to you feet, pick something up with your feet, touch your feet to someone else's feet... yeah, just don't do anything, but walk with your feet.  Yes, this is the culture, but I have been blessed wtih some really kind Thai friends that know we're not from Thailand.  We are expected to follow these rules, but they do give us a little slack. 

4. Respect the Royal Family.
The King and Queen of Thailand are adored by their country.  The King is on every baht (I think) and his picture can be found all throughout the city.  He and his family means to much to the Thai people!  This means that we must be very careful not to speak about the royal family because our comments, though not intending to be rude, may come off as, well... rude.  I just don't bring it up and if I drop a coin, I DO NOT stop it with my foot.  I could actually be arrested.

5. 'Y'ing is best.
When greeting someone it is important to "Y" them.  This includes putting your hands together, as if you were praying, hold by your bottom lip, and nod your head.  This is a greating, a thank-you, a goodbye... I think. haha It really works for everything.  It is also good to add a little Thai language along with it if you're feeling confident.  Also, a rule that I think goes along with this one is to put say the letter 'P' before the name of anyone older than you.  For example: P'Leck and P'Pom.

Things are really going well.  I enjoy my team and the work that we are doing.  It is still the beginning and we haven't done much enlish teaching quite yet, but we are building relationships with Thai students in the area.  We were able to go to Ayutthaya and see the Floating Market.  It was a great fun and I made a lot of new friends!

How you can pray:
1. Pray for my Thai friends that are Buddist.  They all know the stories of Jesus and some believe they are true, but they don't all believe that Jesus is the only Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Pray that God will work in their lives.  Pray that they will listen and then follow. 
2. Pray for the missionaries here in Bangkok we are working with and for my team from Arkansas.  Pray that we will be spending time with the Lord and applying the scripture to our lives.  Pray that we will rest at night to have energy to make it through the day. 

View from porch in hotel room.

Precious new friends: Tik, Jay, and Nan

Umbrellas are a must.  "Oh no... I think my skin got darker"

Yuuuuuum!

I love this woman!  She is the sweetest.

Riding elephants!

Sommer, Matt, Daniel, and Amy... looking good.

Ham Bone

Love

Ancient city

Beautiful!

"Sawa dii kah" Manchester United

Matching hats!  (p.s. mine is not... it has flowers)

I hope you feel updated.  Love you, friends.
leigha



THAILAND

Friends and family!  Thanks so much for your prayers.  We arrived at the Bangkok airport this morning (Friday morning) at 1:00 am.  Our day starts tomorrow at 11:00!  Everything went so well, thank-you Jesus!

More updates to soon... right now I'm running to the shower!

leigha

Same God

Welp.  All the bags are packs.  This is real.  I am driving to Little Rock tomorrow.  Wednesday at 4:45 a.m.  I will meet my team in the airport and be in the air at 6:00.  It's crazy to think that I will be spending 2 months in a place I've never even visited.  Usually, before deciding to stay somewhere for a solid amount of time-- you go on a trial run, you test it out to see if you can make it... to see if you'll feel good about being there.  Even camps have a week of training.  This is a very unique situation that requires my team and I to just jump right on in.  Oh, I have no doubt that it's going to be a great experience and I believe whole heartedly that the Lord is going to work... but right now... it all seems a little scary.  New place. New people. New culture. Same God. Yes!  He is the same God.  There is so much comfort in that. 

Psalm 102:26-27
They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."

Hebrews 13:6-8
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence,“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Please pray for safe travels and good attitudes. 
This is real.  I'm going to Thailand!
New place. Same God.

God Knows What's Up

As some of you might have noticed, I'm not in Thailand.
They're have been a few delays, but I have full confidence that someday soon I will arrive in Thailand.  Though the delays were not part of my plan, God's been so faithful to give me peace about it all.  He knows what's up.  Thank you for your prayers!  It's not like me to be calm when my plans change.  God truly does hear our prayers and he answers them.  Please continue to pray for me and the rest of the Thailand team. To view more information about the team/program I'll be working with click on the following link: Cultural Exchange: Amercan- Thai

Kari Jobe says it best...

I know that You are for me.  Thank-you, Jesus.

Keep up those prayers.

leigha

reflecting > dwelling

This school year at Ouachita was really great for me.  The root of all the success, if you will, was (and continues to be) Jesus.  I began to comprehend how crucial it is to maintain contact with the Lord each day.  Consistency is necessary, however, God give us grace when we fail.  What?!  Like, I did nothing to deserve this grace... but I still get it?  What?!  I've got to praise Him for this.  It's as if something just clicked.  Ugh, I hate when people say that, but that's what it was like.  Things just became real.  This has been a season of growth.  Praise God.

Other really great and encouraging things that took place:
1. Friendships
This year the friendships that formed were totally unexpected, but incredibly appreciated.  The Lord seriously blessed me with relationships that were centered around Him!  I was able to see friends care about me and fill me with encouragement like never before.  ResLife was at the root of a ton of those friendships.  Living together and serving together creates bonds!  #livingthereslife

2. Fellowship
I became a part of Fellowship Church.  Woah. THANK YOU, JESUS!  I can't even explain the importance of this group of people in my life.  I was able to join a K-Group and get to know the Ms. Shirley McMillen (we walk Tuesdays and Thursdays together and I love her).  I was able to help teach 3 year old Sunday School with Allison Grigsby (great bonding time).  I was able to go to church on Sunday and know that I would be challenged by the messages and I would be able to worship with my brothers and sisters!  Community at it's best.  So great.  Check out Fellowship online: http://www.fellowshipchurcharkadelphia.com/ You can listen to the sermons online!

3. Gallbladder Out
Yes, the GB is out (out).  PTL!  This truly improved my life.  You've gotta watch this: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1856521685858&comments&set=t.1294290014&type=1

Reflection is good.  I believe in it!  I sometimes struggle to deal with new things in life.  I want to hold onto the things that I know, things that I've seen as good.  I sometimes dwell on the past.  I cling to it because it's nice and comfy.  I am thankful for this year.  I praise God for this year!  ... but I will not live for the past and am praying that I won't worry about the future.  I will live for today-- trusting in the Lord. 

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:34

So much truth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4efAWEImaI

Speaking of not worrying about the future... I'm leaving for Thailand this Thursday!  Like... when did that happen?  haha It's still hard for me to believe.  Please pray that I will continue to trust in the Lord as I come across new and unfamilar situations.  Pray that the Lord would give me confidence unlike I've had before! Hopfully I'll be able to keep you updated on my journey in Thailand through this blog. 

Love you, friends!

    

Details in the Fabric

Why?
At the beginning of any adventure, it's always good to ask yourself why.  Why exactly am I doing this?  What are my motives?  Are those motives actually good?  So, in this very moment I am questioning why this blog is being started.

So...
My heart behind this blog is to share things in my life that I deem important.  Things that might not really mean anything to you personally (or they might), but because you are my friend (well, I hope), you chose to continue reading.  From this I hope that friends near and far that I often struggle to communicate with can find out what is new in my life on their own time-- no, that's not always ideal for real relationships, but we've got to do the best we can during busy summers like these!

Warning!
If you are going to keep up with me you must know that grammar and spelling are not my forte.  Sometimes I word things funny or uninterestingly or... I just say things that a normal person wouldn't say. Just wanted to make sure you knew that I was aware of it.

Picture of the day:

Jessica, Courtney, and Becca

RAs/HD of Frances Crawford West

 

Let the blogging begin!  Oh, I know you're excited.

leigha