Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2014

Well, I hope it is not too late to say this to you:

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!

…Okay, it might be a little late for Christmas but it is still January 2…and I think New Year period goes on until everyone is all back to work or to school, which could be a week after. 😉

Anyway, first things first – I am fully funded for my two-year study in New Zealand! Praise be to the Lord for His provisions and blessings through friends and family. I have both people whom I have known for quite a while and strangers whom I have never met before supporting me, which makes me stand in awe of God’s handiwork. Thank you for your prayers, honesty and encouragement. Your thoughts and words have lifted me up as well as allowed me to see my circumstances from all angles. Thank you.

Christmas was eventful and heart-warming. I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Jesus with my family and friends at church. This year’s celebration involved watching the Hobbit late at night at a theater with my mom and sisters; brewing and drinking my own coffee at home; admiring all the lights and colors of Christmas trees at home and all over the city; eating mom’s cooking; baking a lot of cookies and cakes; spending time with the Word and looking for His presence in everyday’s life.

One thing I had learned over Christmas was being present. In the flurry of Christmas preparation and activities, Jesus stilled my soul with stunning sunset one evening as I rode a truck back from seeing a doctor at a local clinic. I was spent with flu and tired from the visa work. Then I looked out the truck’s window, and the fiery orange sky captivated my attention. God spoke to me, “Be still, my child. And be present. Linger just a little longer, and you will realize how rich an experience with Me you can get…just being present.”

And I prayed,

“Lord, this Christmas, You have taught me how to be present. Thank You for giving me the beautiful glimpse of Yourself through the sunset. And I wanted it to stay just like that. I lingered in the moment, appreciating You. Then I remembered all the fun I usually have when I am all in the present with no other worries in my mind…like when I was working with the world racers for three weeks or traveling in Burma for two weeks. At those times, I realized I could not do anything else regarding work or visa, except to leave everything at Your feet. And I was there – ALL there for the people and the experiences. Those were the best times of my life.

So this Christmas I want to be ALL here with my family and You. I know that many churches are busy with programs and activities. Lead us, Lord, to Your rest…that we would not be caught up in the services and forget to be present before You.”

My prayer is still the same for New Year. To all of us, who love to make resolutions and take matters into our own hands, be present before the Lord each day. Linger long, and press into His presence because of who He is and not because of what we want Him to do for us. We will be amazed at how much He reveals Himself to us if we seek Him for Him.

To end this post, in order to replace my loss for words these days, I am posting some pictures from home for you to enjoy. May your year be blessed! Thank you for following me on this blog. I wanted to post more pictures but it is almost midnight. And I have to see my doctor for a follow-up blood test for my visa application tomorrow morning (which I will come around to tell of the story soon). So I had better go to bed.

Merry Christmas to you!

My first time of baking peanut butter cookies. They turned out quite well. 🙂

Merry Christmas from our family!

My two beautiful sisters – Mai and Mo.

Mom and Mai, my sister, with their Christmas drinks at church

Christmas program at church

Me, my family and one of our friends from church around the Christmas tree

Church members came to sing carols at our house and fellowship over God’s word, warm noodle soup and baked desserts.

My mom and Auntie Pat, our neighbor, who hosted the night.

Before I Go On Another Journey

who said thailand doesn’t get cold?! it may not be as freezing as other european countries or some parts of america and canada but as i’m typing this, i am covered with 2 thick blankets. and this is in chiang-mai city, not any remote villages in the mountains. brrr…

talking about being cold, i am reminded that i need to get another sweatshirt or a hoodie. the area i am going to tonight will be super cold. according to the thai meteorological department, the current weather (dec 28 at 11:40 am) is 17.5C (or 64F). the minimum temperature could get to 13C (55F) in the early morning. for a thai person like me, it is COLD.

since yesterday afternoon, after i got back from the mountains, the homesickness just hit me really hard. i guess looking through my friends’ christmas photo albums made me realize that i had missed out on a lot of their lives. but i can’t cancel the trip tonight and just catch a bus home. so i need to learn contentment and find happiness and blessings from another point of view. i made a choice and i won’t regret it.

anyway, before i go, i still need to sweep the floor (if not mop it), fold my laundry and pack. i also need to run some errands at the mall, which i kinda look forward to before i go off into the jungle again. 🙂 i’m thinking of chilling in a starbucks, sipping a cup of hot cocoa and munching muffin. a christmas present for myself to cheer me up.

Christmas Reflection

my mind has been on a spin. there have been so many things going on since the beginning of the month. and i am sure i have spent more time on the road than at home. to be honest, i am feeling worn out after all the trips and parties i took part of. there is, however, one more left to a village in umpang…to visit the infamous “tee law shoo” waterfall in umpang district, tak province.

this afternoon, after spending 3 days in the mountains with no internet connection, i logged on to facebook and saw people had uploaded their christmas activities over the past week. friends in nonthaburi, america, canada and chiang-mai…we all celebrated Jesus. it was neat to browse through those albums. i saw my sisters and mom singing carols in nonthaburi, p.ja sitting by the beach in melbourne, australia, p.best with freshly cut christmas tree in north carolina, america and sarah with her baby boys in edmonton, canada. the Lord has scattered us so that the seed of love may reach to people and nations.

yet i cannot help feeling sad. this is the time to be with the ones you love…the time for reunion.

this year, God has brought me to another karen village for christmas and blessed me with 4 dear friends whom i traveled with – jason, p.taii, kevin and p.chi. we slept in a villager’s house; took a freezing shower in an outhouse bathroom; walked up the hills under starry sky (and for the guys…trekked in the jungle for 50 km); celebrated christmas under the 12C weather…outside; played with the kids; skinned a hog; walked and talked with God and worshipped Him in the karen language.

although i missed spending time with my family, this christmas was memorable. the Lord has put my worried heart at rest and given me peace. earlier this month, someone asked me what i wanted to give Jesus as a present for this christmas and i wrote down “surrender and trust”. with His unchanging goodness, He has helped me to do so without much struggling. He used people and His words to guide me. there is nothing better than to be in His will.

this christmas may be different from what i used to in the past and what my loved ones did this past week, but it is another experience of a lifetime. though there was no christmas tree with ornaments or turkey or mashed potato or family members, and though i terribly miss my family, my heart is filled with memories of God’s beautiful creation, the villagers’ smile and kindness and new friendship. these, i will not easily forget.

tomorrow, i will be on the road again and may not have internet connection. so merry christmas to you all, dear ones, and have a wonderful new year! may the Lord’s joy and peace be with you. 🙂 

skinning the hog

p.taii, jason and kevin

gathering around the fire. it must've been around 12C that night! brr...

at the church

with p.nootsaba, the host

p.chi with his truck that took us everywhere

everyone 🙂

scenic route

the zion hostel in mae jam, the next stop after the christmas celebration at som-poi village

we worshipped with the children at the hostel and played games together. a small christmas party. 🙂

the town of mae jam

the joy of children

What If Santa Fled Away With His Red-Nosed Reindeer, What Then?

i know that today is thanksgiving. and there must be many other “give-thanks” posts all over the world. but i am thinking of christmas tonight. probably because i have been listening to the third day christmas album for almost a week now. third day is one of my favorite christian band. some of their songs are just not my style at all. but for the christmas album, it still touches my heart the way it did to me 5 years ago.

i was first introduced to this album when i was in my 3rd year of university…i think. it has been a long time. i was introduced to a song from this album, “born in bethlehem”  on a december night when the 1st graders were performing their dance up on the stage. when i heard the song and took the sight of the beautiful angels in, i just stood there and cried.

christmas reminded me that we are broken people in need of God’s grace and love…not just once a year but every day of our lives. far too many people simply forget why we are celebrating christmas at all. the world gives importance on santa claus, snow, presents and saying “happy holiday!”.

but what if these factors disappeared, what then would be the reason for us to celebrate? see, santa claus will fly away with his red-nosed reindeer. snow will melt. presents will be stuffed into a box and shoved into a storage room. and “happy holiday” is just another sentence people carelessly speak to others to appear nice. what’s left after the glittering happiness is just another depressing period of life.

john 15:13 says, “greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends

please…don’t be ignorant to God’s love. whether  you are a christian or not, He is calling you to Him. for you are His. and He is yours too if you will claim it. do not let your work, personal belief and even your loved ones come before Him. .”

let’s prepare ourselves to welcome this month to celebrate Jesus with joy, gladness and thanksgiving. as we remember Him, remember His love and share it…for love is the greatest gift of all.

Musing

i feel like vomiting. i’ve been a slacker for almost a month. i have a 40-page paper about high vulnerable children strategy i need to translate into thai. let me tell you, it’s not a normal everyday language. ‘~’ and that i need to finish it in 2 weeks. talk about “miracle”.

anyway, this past week, i’ve been listening to a song by third day called “born in bethlehem” and it reminded me how much i love christmas and my friend, kristin barr, who shared this album with me. i’ve cried over this song for too many times. the 1st time i heard this was at the school’s christmas program where i was teaching. the 1st grade students were performing a beautiful dance along with this song. something about children worshipping Jesus always gets to me. it seems like they don’t have to rationalize who God is. they just accept and love Him without doubt. such pure faith. 🙂

every single word in this lyrics is a holy utterance to God and reflects the heart of the composer(s). so i want to share with you the song, if you haven’t known it already. i think the opening with the stringed instrument sounds a little off but may be it was intended?  

Baby Jesus, born in a stable, humble Savior’s birth.
You left your throne in Heaven above, to live here on the Earth.

Baby Jesus, lying in a manger, crying for the world.
The Angels told the Shepherds of the Good News for us all.

Halleluiah, the King is here, given for all men.
For today the Holy Son of God, is born in Bethlehem.

Come now Sinners and you Saints, all peasants and all Kings.
And bow before the Earth’s Redeemer, let all voices sing.

Halleluiah, the King is here, given for all men.
For today the Holy Son of God, is born in Bethlehem.

Halleluiah, the King is here, given for all men.
For today the Holy Son of God, is born in Bethlehem.

Baby Jesus, do you know you’ll die for all our sins?
Don’t be afraid, for in 3 days, you will rise again. Cause you will rise again.

Halleluiah, the King is here, given for all men.
For today the Holy Son of God, is born in Bethlehem.

Halleluiah, the King is here, given for all men.
For today the Holy Son of God, is born in Bethlehem.

For today the Holy Son of God, is born in Bethlehem.

Born in Bethlehem.

my life..hmm..i am very busy, just like the rest of compassion staff. 🙂 there’s so much to do at the end of the fiscal year and so much to look forward to in the next one. our tour team is looking at two trips in both july and august right now. we hope to get things done in timely manner and that the tours will turn out to be not only a blessing but something thought-provoking and faith-challenging stuff for the sponsors. time to get on the road again! hooray!

on another note, i was just on the phone with my mom. our family is in a transition moment. mom and my sisters will have to move out of our  current house in a month or two. and we are quite undecided about what to do next. we want to buy a house but aren’t sure if we’re ready for another debt. mom is thinking about moving/ planning to come to chiangmai. both of my sisters are enjoying their work in bangkok. a big decision is to be made. a huge change we need to be prepared for.

that is why knowing that the Lord is in control is so vital for us. at times like this, when we are so weighed down by pressure from banks, our landlord and those who keep asking questions about our decision, we tend to get frustrated. But i learned not to let frustration get in the way of the Lord. ecclesiastes 8:6 says, “for there is a time and a way for everything,…” these words are  overflowing cool water running down my parched throat.

as many people have told me, “God’s timing is perfect and you don’t wanna spoil the fruit until it’s ripe.”

so here i am, Lord, waiting on You.