Headaches For All

Three of my classes had their Ten Week Exams two past week (We give tests every ten weeks to make sure everyone is understanding). I prepared the tests prior to the exams. On each of the test days, I watched the students concentrate extremely hard on their exams. I did not think that the tests were very hard when preparing them. However, the students looked as if they were "racking their brains" during the exam. I felt bad as I thought, "Have I become that teacher who gives impossible exams?" As the students left the classroom, they were all talking "in Thai" about how the exam was VERY challenging (I don't think that they realize that I understand Thai better than I can speak it...lol).

For your amusement, my students call me "Principal" instead of "Teacher"...Do you think they are trying to tell me something? =)

This week I had to grade the exams that I created. It took me two hours to grade five exams! Now I had a headache!! I did not realize the time and energy that went into grading. So, all you teachers out there...I highly admire your endurance. Please give your self a pat on the back and take yourself out for your favorite treat!!

With all this said, my students were very excited when they all received A's and B's on their exams. Now the Question is, "Was this outcome worth all the headaches across the board?"

Scare of My Life!

Each Saturday Morning I get up around 5:00am and I leave the house by 5:30am to go and catch a bus to Bible Study Fellowship. This past Saturday at 5:20am I was all ready to go, except I needed to get a bowl of cereal for breakfast. So, I turned on the light and went into my kitchen. I opened the cabinet and took out a bowl and a spoon, turned around to walk out of the kitchen, and a HUGE Lizard hurriedly crossed the top of the kitchen wall into the hole in the corner. Now I am not kidding, this Lizard was approximately ONE Foot LONG and FIVE INCHES Thick! And when it went into the hole, its whole body moved in a creepy lizard way of body rolling!! Of course I screamed and then quickly ran out of the kitchen to eat my cereal. As I ate, I kept an eye on the door to make sure that the lizard did not come out of the hole...out of the kitchen...and towards me. Thank goodness He did not, I would have been MORE terrified (If that is possible).

To help me describe what this lizard thing looked like--some say it could be a Dookehh, I tried to find an image on the Internet. However, I could not find exactly what I saw. So I found three pictures that will help me visually explain.

The first shows you how the lizard was placed as it ran across the top of the wall into the corner hole.










The Second shows you how the body was movable-so it could do that creepy body rolling as it hurriedly went into the hole.












The third picture shows the bumps, color, and texture.




After I finished eating I stood up to go back into the kitchen (I had to wash my bowl and spoon). When I reached the door this loud sound, "OOHHHAA, OOHHHAA, OOHHAA..." came from the hole until I left the doorway. So, now I am SUPER Terrified. So, I rinsed my bowl and spoon in the bathroom nearby and left it on the table.

Later on Saturday I told Tang about my scary experience and she said (in all seriousness) that she would kill it for me and we can eat it tonight (YUCK!). Then Kieow entered the conversation and said that we cannot kill it because it eats the Cockroaches and I quote "That is good for our house."...I don't know, I think that having Cockroaches is better than this lizard type of thing.

When I got home Saturday evening, I would not step into the kitchen. And this fear of going into the kitchen lasted until Last Night. Now, I have not overcome this fear...Remember when I was preparing to come out here to Thailand, I shared with you that I was scared of the big bugs...well, this is a big reptile and I was scared...in fact I know that if I see it again, I would be even more scared.

I have to remember that David, in God's Word says, "I sought the LORD and He answered me; HE delivered me from all my fears."-Psalm 34:4. I pray this each day now, "Lord Help me over come this fear of this scary lizard. I cannot live in fear, I have to trust You and I am asking you for courage. Please give me strength and courage in the future months, as there most likely will be more, maybe even larger reptiles and bugs that will come across my path. Thank you for taking care of me-Amen."

Thai Brothers And Sisters in Christ

Below are my amazing teammates who are preparing to go to different areas of Thailand and spread the Word of God. The long term goal: continuing as a team each individual/couple will go and plant new churches;continuing our ministries in different areas of Thailand. As a part of our team, you can be praying for them individually!

From the top to the bottom: Charin,Fon, Chai and Pawn (and kids),Yu, Natee and Bee, Pat, Goh, Pramot and Tang, and Kieow.









Pic of Now...soon to be added to this post...

The Art of Singing Worshipfully

In Church, Prayer Time, Staff Meetings, Small Groups, we worship God in song. Sometimes, the songs are well known hymns/praise songs that can be translated in Thai and English. At these times, I praise the Lord in English and it is wonderful to worship. However, there are also many songs in Thai that are not known songs in English. At church we have the phonetic sounds of the songs on the projector---so us non-Thai readers can sing along. It was a fun challenge to sing along for awhile. But, the reality was I was just babbling (God does not like babbling...that is as bad as thinking one can speak in tongues without a translator/purpose for God's glory...thinking that the Holy Spirit wants to sing interceding for me to God...without my heart saying anything and my mind thinking nothing...but babbling phonetics to fit in...this does not glorify God). Yes, I am convicted! I too desire to truly worship in song with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. With this conviction, I took it to my friend and Thai tutor, P'Yu. Now, from here on out she is teaching me a song a week-teaching me the literal meaning of the songs-so that I too can truly worship God during these times!! When I do not know a song's meaning...I now choose to pray during the music...Tell God how wonderful He is and Thank Him in words. There is no more babbling for me!

Now what is also neat-is that there are words in Thai that one only uses when referring to the King or God-in no other setting. So, Now I am learning words that I would never have know before! It is wonderful! I would now like to share with you a song that I learned and love to Praise God through:

Oong Pra-Jao Poo song Pra Choon (The Lord Who Dwells With Us)
Oong Pra-Japo poo song pra-choon lee song yai ying (The Lord who dwells with us is great almighty/powerful)
Puu song pra taap poon bun-laang gan-san-sern, Pen Khawm-chuan-baan niran (Who stays upon the throne as we praise in joyful ejoice forever and ever)
Chai...raw jung-mii chai thaalawd pen need song chuay rao pracern sudthruu moo-maan, rao grab na-ma-sa-gan. (Yes, Victory in Him we have Victory forever! He helps us to face the evil enemy, we bow to worship You (God))
Raw jung-yaak ja san sern pra naam Pra oong, lah yaak-ja khob-pra-khon thii song mee rach cha gid aun ying yai, rao ja wang-jai nai khawm rak mai rooy raa, praasong pen oong Pra-Jao poo ying-yai, nua phaa lee loogaa sub-bai (We want to praise His name (God) and we want to thank You as we see Your works-so great! We will trust in the love that never fails, cause God is the Lord who is Almighty, above the sky and the world forever and ever).
A gift from me to you! A Thai Praise Song-Praising Him for His Almighty Hand, His Works; Thanking Him for being above all, showing us a love that will never leave us, and giving us victory in Him as He dwells in us forever! So, learn it in Thai or learn it in English! This is a wonderful praise song to sing to our Amazing God!! (I will get a video up on this post of some of us singing this worship song on Thursday...Then you too will know the tune as you also learn this worship song).
I pray you realize that you have a God that loves you with a deeper love ever known to man and If you have accepted this love-He happily dweels within You! Oh So Blessed are We =)