Time races on

Thai soap at the street market

Thailand pictures are now posted.  You can see them by clicking on the link at the bottom left.

Thai Language Lessons

Double date night….We got a later start than we probably should have so the dinner parts turned into Subway sandwich rather than a leisurely sit down dinner.  We had been invited to a service that was taking place in a hotel downtown so we had decided to go see what it was about.  An organization was having a conference there.  Most of their workers came from Central Asia and were there for a week long break.  They had finished 3 days of meetings and this service was a time of refreshment and praise and communion.  It was to begin their time of Sabbath where they would have 3 days of down time to rest and relax.  So the focus was on the communion and all the songs and testimonies pointed toward that time.  It was amazing and we basked in the Father’s love.  As I was reflecting on the L_ord’s goodness in my life I was also thinking of the many things he has been showing me and challenging me with on this trip…my faith has grown, deepened and been challenged and I have realized how much I take my relationship with the L_ord for granted so much of the time.  I have been challenged to become more purposeful in sharing this amazing truth of the relationship we can have with the L_ord with others…every day…so right now my new theme is to be purposeful!!  It was such a wonderful time of fellowship and we were all so glad we had gone to it.  At one point a man went to the piano and shared a song he wrote and I thought wow that guy has a good voice and the song was great too...well I found out later that it was Michael Card…that would explain the voice and song :)  We finished up there about 8:30 which left plenty of time to go walking in the market for awhile.  It is always interesting to see what is being sold…stop and have a smoothie…watch a Thai lady dance for awhile…there are always places to get feet massaged as well…one of these days I will go for it!  We got home after 10…way past our bedtime!

P_ray at Buddha (sorry about picture)

Sunday morning we found out poor Emily had been up in the night sick and now had a high fever so Steve stayed home with Emily and Roger and I and Rhoda, Ben and Hannah headed to fellowship. On the way to fellowship I saw one of the saddest things i have seen on this trip. It was a well dressed young lady in p_rayer pose in front of a spirit house which is like  a mini temple.  Even tho we know it is a Buddhist country here it broke my heart to see someone truly p_raying to this object which could not help her at all. 

Rhoda was doing the children’s fellowship so I filled in for Steve as her helper.  She had 23 kids, kindergarten thru 2^nd grade in a room that is the size of average hotel room. The bed had been removed to make more room but it was still cozy.

zAfter fellowship we went to Sizzler for lunch.  I was noticing how we always go out to the American type places rather than the Thai food that we frequented when I first came to Thailand. I think they just get hungry for something familiar.  The Sizzler was very nice tho.  I enjoyed the great salad bar with different salads…  soups…. fruit and hard-boiled quail eggs…. and even had green mango's sliced up (which I love).

Shopping at Street Market

Musicians at Street Market

In the afternoon, about 4 Rhoda and Hannah went to a christening they had been invited to.  It was for a child of one of the moms that has been coming to the playgroup for several yrs.  This couple got married when their first child was christened in the c_atholic fellowship (of which are few and far between in this very Buddhist country) because they had to get married in the fellowship to have them christened…go figure.  It was important to both grandparents they were christened in the c_atholic fellowship…. so Rhoda and Hannah went…Steve stayed home with Hannah and Ben and Roger and I headed to the Sunday night market downtown.  We had a taxi pick us up and the driver agreed to meet us up when we were done at the market when we called him.  He spoke some English so wanted to chat on the way.  I nearly started getting the giggles listening to him as he had a nervous giggle that he did after every sentence or few words…. it just hit my funny bone and made me want to talk to him just to hear it!!  We arrived at the market at about 4:15…people were still setting up their booths to open officially at 4:30.  We found an area that was pretty well set up so started there.  It is hard to put into words how huge this market is.  Aside from the streets it is on there are also parking lots and other areas set up with things to buy…everything you could imagine.  We walked the whole main road that is stalls lined on both sides on about 5-6 city blocks…large city blocks!  Some places there are even stalls set up in the middle of those streets and on little streets off to the side.  In the middle of the area we walked down was an intersection of a main road…down that street for as far the other way were more stalls.  We only made it down the one direction.  

View down at Street Market

Some food at Street Market

We kept walking and looking and walking and looking…. amazed at how so many different products there were and the ones that were the same ….were different from the previous ones we had seen.  Some of the things we saw a lot of were Thai clothing…baggy pants, wrap around skirts…shirts…etc…then silk cloth…table cloths, bedspreads etc…coconut shell lights… jewelry of all sorts…things made out of mango wood (beautiful and fascinating)…carvings…incense…buddies of course…stuffed animals…quilts…purses…street food of all sorts ….you name it…we saw it!  And the best part was …all cheap and negotiable prices!!!

Jan and her Thai baggy pants

The worst part was…we couldn’t really buy stuff …due to travel and luggage limitations.  But it was fun looking and I did buy some Thai baggy pants and roger bought a cheap pr of shorts that are long enough to cover his knees.  (we heard its law where we are going in Dubai that men and women must have their knees covered!)  I bought a couple necklaces…but other than that we resisted the temptation to buy things we really do NOT need!  We got home about 9 quite wiped out.  I told Roger if I were to do it again…I would definitely fit an hour in there for a foot massage before coming home!

Today is Monday…Emily is still running a fever…no other symptoms really, which is good.  Roger and Rhoda ran to the local building supply store and got what was needed for making some shelves for Rhoda in her laundry room and a few other repairs.  He is busy sawing away now as I write and making way too much noise.  But he is happy and busy and enjoying being able to do something tangible to help the Keefers.  I got to stay home with Emily and Ben while they were gone. Ben and I had a nice time reading for over and hour…  one of my favorite things to do! 

We realized last night that we are leaving here a week from tomorrow (Tuesday).  Man, the time goes fast when we are having fun.  Our trip is half over and it saddens me to think about.  It has been such an amazing opportunity.  One thing we are thinking of and asking about us getting visas to Russia.  We will begin the process in just over a week from now while we are in Dubai.  Please ask that we will be lead as we process what we have learned and doors open.  It may very well take a miracle from what we have heard!