Yeah... I miss it.

Check out our update video from the last few weeks we were in Thailand!

Saying I miss this place is an understatement...

CCP Thailand: The Last Update from Matt & Erin Francisco on Vimeo.

Please keep Thailand and the students at Khon Kaen University in your prayers. Pray for open hearts and a desire to learn about the awesome God we serve! Thank you!

Until next time...

So... what now?

It has been almost exactly 2 weeks (at 9 pm tonight) since we have been back in the States. I have been putting off this post because I honestly do not even know where to begin. How do you talk about 2 life-changing months in 1 written post on the internet? Yeah, it's hard people, but here I go. (More posts to come... I can't fit it in.)

Students at the "Farewell Party" for our CCP team...
These are the faces of the girls we spent so much time with all summer!

As I sit here in a sweet little coffee shop with the musical serenade of "Stand By Me" playing in the background sipping on my hot coffee, I can't help but remember how "uncomfortable" Thailand was at times. The food was sometimes hard to digest (or even eat....) [refer to my hospital post]. The beds weren't quite up to par with my cushiony bed here. The language was a little different (ok, a lot different). And there was very little air conditioning... anywhere. However, as I am sitting here laughing to myself about each of these things, I can't help but praise the Lord for these discomforts. 

I learned that I too often run to the comforts of America to satisfy me, when ultimately the satisfaction I should be seeking can only be given from the Lord. So, my challenge to you.... try being uncomfortable sometime and see what the Lord has to show.

Kathryn, P' Fone, and I at the "Farewell Party"
(Yes, I am throwing random pics from the party to split up this post,
visual effects add so much!)

Something else I learned was how to do ministry. Granted I am not a professional by any means, but I do feel a lot better about going about sharing my faith. The entire summer was based on doing life-on-life ministry. At times, to be honest, I was frustrated. I wanted to come in with my guns-a-blazin' preachin' the Gospel, but this ministry couldn't have been any farther from that mindset. Throughout the entire summer, our purpose as the CCP was to love the Thai students. That was it. We were there to love the students and help connect them to the Campus Outreach Thai staff members. Yes, we did get to share our faith at times (some more than others), and yes, there were a few students that came to Christ. However, those times would not have even happened without us showing the students how much we loved them.

So, what does that mean for ministry in America? It means that we are called to love people. It means we are called to be intentional. It means that people need to know how much you do care before they will be receptive to anything you say, especially something as huge as the Gospel. I know this is a "lesson" that Campus Outreach has probably been trying to teach me for the last 3 years, but it was finally made clear this summer. 

[Disclaimer: I believe that the Lord calls all of us to preach the gospel; however, I also believe that He gives all of us different talents in how to share that sweet message. This "life-on-life ministry" is truly what I feel like I am supposed to do; however, if you feel like you need to go out and preach it guns-a-blazin'.... then so be it! In the end, it's the gospel. And someone may need to hear it that exact way.]

I miss this girl so much! Beer!

Some more students we spent time with... most of these students
are Sophomores...

And now lastly, here it comes... how can you, yes you, help Thailand. I know that not all of us are blessed with 2 months to move overseas and do ministry, but there are still ways you can make an impact. First of all, if you are wanting to physically do something, there are ways to give money to support the Thai staff. Remember the stats? 97% of Thais are Buddhist and only 0.7% are Christian. This means that the Thai staff really do not have the resources for support from people in their own country, thus making them rely heavily on Americans to support them. 

Here's the deal though, a single Thai staff person lives on about 9,000 baht a month, which is about $300 US dollars. That's it. So, a US dollar goes a long way! If you are interested in giving, contact me, and I can get you in touch with the right people. [e-mail: cmcalist@samford.edu]

I realize that this is a hard time for our country financially and not everyone is able to give, and that is completely okay. This is what I would like to challenge you to do.... Pray. It's that simple. Pray. Pray. Pray. So many times, I know I forget the power of prayer, but it's one of the easiest and probably most effective ways of ministry that gets overlooked way too often. So, that's it. Pray for the students we have met. Pray that their relationships continue to deepen with the CO Thai staff, and that their hearts are open and receptive to the gospel.

P'Bo and I... She's absolutely amazing.
This is her second year on staff...

Thank you for all your prayers and support from this summer!

Until next time...

Back to where it all started...

First off, I am so very sorry for not blogging these last several weeks. However, as I begin to tell you about them, you will understand more of why I couldn't. Thanks for sticking with me though! This will be my last post from Thailand.

These past few weeks have literally been non-stop. We jumped head first into "Freshy Games" in which our nights became filled with watching and cheering on hours of badminton, volleyball, and field hockey all while wearing balloon hats!

Cheering for the Freshy Badminton team!

Just a night under the stars watching some volleyball...

We spent hours in this "warehouse gym" type thing watching
Badminton... I bet it topped 100 degrees in there at times...

When Freshy games ended, there was no stopping there. Our days and nights were filled with activities with the Freshman (who now could have a life since it was no longer ruled by these intramural type activities every day... some games were even at 6 am. We didn't make those...). We also got a lot of time to spend with the older Christian girls who had actually been in charge of the Freshy games, so they too had been busy.

Some of the activities included slumber parties at P'Fone's house, complete with brownies and cookies of course, and a trip to the dam. The trip to the dam was so much fun. Kathryn, PFone, and I, joined by 2 of the Christian girls, Daow and Jelly took a day to go explore the dam, take tons and tons of pictures, and then go eat in a hut by the lake. Here are the pictures to prove it...

Me, P'Fone, Daow, Kahryn, and Jelly at the dam! So beautiful!

The dam! Ha, the sign says "Don't get in the water..." or
something like that... (That just made me want to get in
the water that much more!)

The huts we ate lunch in right down from the dam!

Our little spot... you can't see here, but it was about to storm.
It was awesome! God's power was so evident. I love me some storms...
Plus, that food was AWESOME.

This past week our team took a little R&R. We headed up to Khao Yai, a little town in the mountains, to a resort where we spent the next 3 days sightseeing some temple ruins, relaxing at the pool, eating, reflecting about the summer, riding ELEPHANTS!, and riding dune buggys and such.... You know, just another vacay right?? Ha.

Taylor and I in front of the temple ruins in Pi Mai
on the way to Khao Yai.

Our view from the lobby of the Greenery Resort in Khao Yai.
Gorgeous.

Me with a 110 year old elephant that this conservation
program rescued.

Yes, it's true, I am riding on the head of the elephant. Also,
another truth about this picture is that the elephant keeper
is on the ground, and Milcah and I are on top of this 2 ton
animal by ourselves.

So talented!

August and I after riding dune buggys at the "Life Park" (think of
The Track at the beach) that was at our resort.

After we got back from our trip, we hit the ground running one more time for a final push. We had 3 Freshy girls come to church with us that next Sunday (we got back late Saturday night and immediately headed to P'Fone's for a slumber party... I mean what else would we do?? When in Thailand...). This past Monday, our team had lunch with all of the CO Thailand staff. It was a wonderful time of encouragement for both our team and for the COT team.

Yesterday was our last full day here on campus. We had lunch in the Complex... ha of course! And several of the girls we have been hanging out with all summer came. It was so great to be able to laugh and make a few more memories with them before we head out. 

And, now, the tough one... last night was our "Farewell Party." Students that we had met throughout the summer came to see us off. It was a night full of games, tears, food, and lots and lots of pictures. Wow. And as I am sitting here writing this, I am about to go to lunch for the last time with students and then board a plane...

Ah! I am sorry this is so choppy and brief. There is literally no way I can pack what all the Lord has shown/taught/broken/encouraged me of these past 2 months, let alone these past 2 weeks. I am excited to be headed home; however, a part of my heart will stay here in KhonKaen, Thailand forever. 

To all my supporters and prayer warriors at home. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I cannot wait to sit down and share with you what the Lord has done. Please pray for safe travel as we are about to head out on another 50 hour journey.

But, more importantly, please pray for the relationships we have made here this summer. For them to continue to grow through the Thai staff here and that the Lord will work in their hearts.

Ok, I'm tearing up. I must go. I love you all.

Over and out... all the way from Thailand...

Until next time...

Week 5: Team Video Update!

Watch and enjoy! Prayers are being answered here...

"For greater things are yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this City"
- "God of this City" by Chris Tomlin

Until next time...

When in Thailand...

So, this past weekend while everyone (ok, the South) was celebrating the 4th of July at the lake, we were in Thailand, and as we all know, Thais do not celebrate this great holiday, even though we tried to convince them it's a really fun one to celebrate [fireworks, the lake, hamburgers, desserts galore, I mean come on people!]. However, the CO Thailand staff did a wonderful job in making us feel at home while we were away from friends and family.

Ahhh. The lake. Where I have spent most of my 4th of Julys...
Love this place.

On Saturday, we had a pool day at a local "country club" (ha, the only way I could think to describe it). It was a great day filled with food, fun and fellowship. We did have Thai food, but the wonderful staff wives/female staff made some very American desserts... and plenty of them at that! (No worries Mom, I am eating well! And thank you staff for the desserts!) The CO Lexington CCP team (they are working with Northeastern University right down the road from KKU) also joined us at the pool. It was so good to hear about their experiences and be encouraged through their ministry.

Our pool day! Yes, there are big tarps over us protecting us
from the sun... no worries, we moved our chairs outta there pronto.
And, yes, I wore a ton of sunscreen. We are basically on the equator here.

After our pool day, our team headed to downtown KhonKaen to stay at the Pullman Hotel. Ok, so we splurged a little. When in Thailand... It was an awesome night, though, for rest and rejuvenation, as well as, a wonderful time for some good ole team bonding.

The lobby of the Pullman... (Refer to my last post for a picture of the
view from my room. Breathtaking.)

The wonderful room! The beds were a little bigger than a twin...
So, very comfortable. It was a nice break from the door like bed we
sleep on, which, sidenote, I am oddly getting used to and might, (just might),
miss one day...

We had dinner at the hotel. It was hilarious. It looked like an Irish pub, with old wood walls, large wooden tables, and old pictures on the wall. We could order German, American, Italian, Chinese, or Thai food. So there you have it. We were Americans in Thailand eating German and Italian food in an Irish pub listening to British pop music.

My chicken caesar salad... tasted a little different (the dressing) but
still delicious. And, I split a plate of lasagna with Shelly. Very good!
It was a nice break from rice...

As you can see, we were a little out of place when we pulled up to
the Pullman in our Carryboy, especially next to this lime green Mercedes.
No big deal.

All in all, it was a wonderful 4th of July. I can honestly say I am blown away by each and every member of our team, by the way that every single person is learning so, so much and handling the experience so well. I am so encouraged by them and thankful for what each member has brought to this trip. 

Please pray that as we continue to hit the campus hard, that the Lord will provide an energy that can only be from Him. An energy to keep pursuing the Lord. An energy to keep pursuing these students. And an energy to keep encouraging one another. Please pray for the students that we have formed relationships with. Pray that whether we have the chance to share the gospel or not, that the Lord will be at work in their hearts so that one day when the gospel is presented there will be no question whether or not to accept Christ as their Savior. Thank you!

Until next time...

You're the God of this City....

"So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy." - Romans 9:16

Romans 9 is quite a powerful passage about evangelism. In one sense, I couldn't help but stop and think "why Lord, do you have us going across the world preaching your name when You have already chosen those you will have mercy on?" On the other hand (the one I should be lookin' at), I couldn't help but be consumed with pure joy on being one of the "ones" He has had mercy on and is allowing to preach His name. 

The city of KhonKaen from our hotel room
(that post will come soon, promise)

Ministry has looked different here than I thought when going in. I didn't really have much expectations with this being my first "mission trip" and all (yeah, I know 8 weeks in Thailand, go big huh??). However, I did expect to go deeper each time I was with a student and then maybe, just maybe, get to share my faith in several weeks time. Ha, wow. Little did I know that my "checklist" plan isn't THE plan.

It is truly a blessing, though, to be reminded of Romans 9, especially verse 16 at the top of this page. This whole evangelism thing, well, it's out of my hands. And when I say out of my hands, I mean completely. As we begin our last few weeks here in Thailand, it is a great reminder that every time I ask "what do you like to do?" or "what will you do today?" that it is in God's hands. That it is His will. 

Here is some very encouraging news, though, of how God does know what He is doing even when we are blinded by our own motives. This week one of my teammates has had the privilege, yes, privilege, to help lead 2 girls to Christ (yes, you read that right. It's Tuesday night and already this week 2 girls have come to Christ). One girl, she had met only once before, and the other, she had formed a decent friendship with over the last month. In Thai terms, this is truly unbelievable. To see 2 people come to Christ in this short amount of time is nothing other than a miracle. 

So, I wrote this post to try and give you a picture of ministry here, but more so, try and give you encouragement that wherever you are in the world, whether on a "mission trip" or at home, that it is not by any means, human exertion that can bring people to Christ. That it is God alone that can bring people to himself. And that even though "mission trips" are wonderful, they are not a dream world in which for 2 months I can step in to a different culture, lead a few people to Christ and go home. It requires life on life. It requires them seeing Christ through you. And most importantly, it requires God's mercy upon them. And when these things happen, it's then, and only then that Christ can be received. 

There it is. The nitty gritty. Thank you so much for your prayers. Please pray for Markay and GiGi (the 2 girls) as they are beginning to learn about our sweet Lord. Also, please pray for our team as we are getting worn down. Pray for these last 2 weeks, that we are able to push through barriers and break down walls to truly dig deeper with the students we have made relationships with. And lastly, pray for yourselves, pray that each and every person will know the awesome power of our Lord. That He has given us everything, and more and that it is out of our hands. 

Until next time...

"Om"

["Om" means "hold me" in Thai. (And check out the Thai Karaoke link as well. It's from my birthday!)]



First off, I apologize for the lack of blogging lately; however, I'd say it's a good sign that I'm keeping busy over here! 

The kiddos! These were the young'ns. I'd say ages 2-3.

If you cannot tell by the Facebook explosion of pictures, we went to the orphanage here in KhonKaen this past Friday. This trip has been something our team has been looking forward since day 1 of arriving in Thailand, so excited was an understatement as we piled in the cars to head to the Baan Luuk Rak Orphanage. We were told we would be helping with breakfast time and playing with kids ages 2 - 6 years old; however, we were not told we would absolutely fall in love with each and every face. 

Before we left, though, Moe (the CO Thai staff guy who is taking care of us this summer...) led us through a little devotion and time to truly reflect on what it means to have a heavenly Father like we do. He said this quote that really hit home...

"God is not the reflection of our earthly fathers, He is the perfection of our earthly fathers." - Louie Giglio

Meet "Yee Wah" Once she latched onto my neck,
she never let go.

Ha, that smile! Oh my goodness. Melt your heart.

Bill's little girl who also would NOT let him go.

Abby with a sweet precious child of God.

Richie's little girl... watch the video from above.

Pictures do not do this day justice. It was amazing to play with these children, who had no fathers, mothers, or family, but they still had joy. They smiled. They laughed. And they hugged, really tight. I couldn't help but sit there with precious little "Yee Wah" in my lap and think of how she has never known her parents. She has never been held close with an unconditional love. I just wanted to be able to give that to her. All I could do, though, was hug her as tight as I could and whisper that "God loves her" over and over in her ear, praying that one day soon the Lord will send a family to adopt her and teach her of the perfect love of Christ.

The video of Richie and that sweet little girl just really depicts what we have the freedom to do with our Father in Heaven. We can look up to God and say "hold me," and He will. Anytime we need Him. No one has to come across the world for a 2 hour visit and hold us. He is here. At all times. We can beg him, and He will. What a love that is! 

(Photo courtesy of Abby Cunningham)
Precious "Yee Wah" who, too, yelled "Om"
everytime I put her down. If I could just take
 her home... 

Pray for continued opportunities to start deepening relationships with the students that we have become friends with. Pray for these children. Pray that even though they may never have the opportunity to experience an earthly father, that they will one day know a Heavenly Father that is perfect in every. single. way. And lastly, please pray for our team. For energy as we are on the downhill slide. Pray that we continue to soak in every single moment we have been given here in Thailand.

Until next time...

Suksan Wangut Kha!!

[The title of this post means "Happy Birthday" just in case you want to tell a friend Happy Birthday in Thai...]

Oh where to begin?? These past 2 days have been absolutely wonderful in so many ways! Let me just dive right in and tell you all about it! (Sorry for the length! I sprinkled in some videos and pictures though!)

On Sunday nights, we always have team time. It usually consists of dinner and some sort of activity like a movie or what not. This week, though, the boys of the Faculty of Science ministry team asked us Faculty of Science girls on a group date (no worries, the boys of the other ministries asked the other girls on a group date as well...). So I pile into the carryboy like any other night, thinking we are going to dinner and meeting up with the team later, but it was when Bill handed me a note, or rather Clue #1, when I realized I had no idea what was going on. The next series of clues took about an hour and a half to get, and included a trip around the entire campus. We made pit stops at Jay Pawn for dinner, Pigazzo (a coffee shop near our apartment that we frequent, a lot), the church gym, the pool, and the final destination Central!

All my clues! So very clever. Thank you Abby and Milcah!

As we pulled into Central, I was told to close my eyes, and thanks to Luke's undershirt, my eyes were closed for me. 

We spent about 15 min. wandering through Central, in which I was told I was getting a ton of stares. Ha, I decided to just wave at everyone... plus that lessened the suspicion of me being abducted in broad daylight and needing a Thai to rescue me (hey, you can never be too careful!). We finally reached the destination, I was sat down in a chair and was told to take off my blindfold only to to see the entire team surrounding me in a circle singing "Happy Birthday" as loud as they could [reminder: we are in the middle of a gigantic mall and there is 19 Americans yelling.... yes, hilarious is an understatement]. It was truly awesome (and here's a little vulnerability, I just teared up writing this), and to make it even better, a hot cinnamon sugar Auntie Anne's pretzel was waiting for me!

The night wasn't done though! We then went bowling! So. MUCH. Fun! The night ended back at the good ole Great Diamond where Milcah and Abby had one last surprise for me. A homemade coconut cake (well 2 actually)!

(Photo courtesy of Abby) The team bowling! Such a fun night,
I am so thankful for every single one of these people! Wow,
love them so much!

Monday morning, I woke up early to Skype my ENTIRE family who was at my house celebrating Father's Day. It was seriously the best birthday present I could have asked for! They even had a cake for me to blow out candles via the internet! 

Then, another surprise! Kathryn walks in with her computer and this gem below is playing. Please watch this. Wow, is all I can say. It was made by a girl that I have become close to here! She also did a serious one, but this one truly won over my heart. Watch and enjoy. [the serious video is so sweet and can be found on my Facebook wall as well as YouTube... ha]

The rest of the day was equally awesome. We had lunch at the Complex as usual, but seriously every single Thai girl we had ever met came up and wished me a happy birthday (thank you P'Fone!). I even was given some Thai ice cream with this surprise at the bottom....

Thai dessert and the SNOWGLOBE!!!

We ended the night with dinner at Jay Pawn (of course!) and some Thai Karaoke!! It was a ton of fun! And a huge blessing was that we had the most girls come to this event than we have had all summer! What a great birthday present!

Thank you so much for making my birthday so special! I love you two!
(P'Fone gave me a card signed by all the students and staff I had met and also
a t-shirt that says Nursing in Thai and English! I. Love. It.)

(Photo courtesy of P'Fone) Thank you to all you girls!
You made my birthday so special!

I am so thankful for this wonderful birthday. I want to thank the team for making my birthday special while away from home. I want to thank my family for making feel so very special halfway across the world. And I want to thank my new friends here in Thailand for making me feel so special even when you barely know me! 

Keep praying that God will open up the hearts of the students we have met, especially the girls above. Pray for continued health and healing for our team members, both physically and spiritually. And please pray for energy and perseverance as we are hitting week 4 here! 

Until next time....

Kinda like Mexican food in America?

Wow, there is so much I want to write about today that it's ridiculous, but I know that y'all don't have all day to read this post, so I'll just highlight a few things... Here we go, people.

First off, the other day we had Vietnamese food... yes, Vietnamese food in Thailand. [Question for the Thai's is: Where is the Mexican food? I've been missin' it for sure...] It was a sweet time though for some team bonding with my fellow ministry partners and the other girls who are also focusing on the Faculty of Science (P'Bo, Laura Ruth, and Christine). The food was good... it took a few tries to get the hang of how to eat it, but no worries, when it comes to food, we, Americans, seem to get the hang of things pretty fast!

Our spread of food... they kept bringing out more and more
when we had finished one plate. 

They had chicken wings... I pretended like I was at
Buffalo Wild Wings. Definitely my favorite dish of the night...

We've spent so much time together, we now
share the same brain waves regarding clothing...
I love it though.

The next night, we grabbed a bite to eat at our beloved Night Market and then headed to the Faculty of Science building to meet up with some freshman. They were working on this project called a "Pahn." It is basically a big, flower display that they make to give a girl and a guy professor in order to honor them. It takes forever to make, so it was a really awesome time to sit and talk to some new girls.

The completed "Pahn" (well one of many that
were made that night...)

I ended up meeting two sophomores that I talked to for at least 2 or so hours. It was seriously one of the funniest nights since being here. They both spoke English; however, it wasn't a ton, and since my Thai is a little slacking, it took a long time to communicate, with a lot of laughs in between. I was so moved and encouraged, though, by their actions. Here I am this foreigner who randomly came to their event, plopped down in the middle of them, and asked question after question, and yet, they were so receptive, so willing to try and talk to me and learn about me. They even showed me how to make the things they were making for the "Pahn" in an effort to include me. 

I couldn't help but wonder the whole time if I would react the same way if a foreigner came to Samford and tried to make conversation with me as I was preparing for something like "Rush." Yeah, conviction number 487 since being here, I probably would not show that foreigner the same amount of respect, love, and excitement as these girls showed me. 

My new friends! Mo (L) and Look Mai (R).

So, there it is. A little tiny, itsy bitsy bit of what is going on in Thailand. I honestly wish I could sit down with every single reader and explain to you what the Lord is doing in my heart, in the hearts of the Thais, and in the hearts of every single team member, but I'll guess that'll just have to wait. 

Pray that these types of encounters continue to happen. Pray that the hearts of these Thai students would continued to be opened. Pray that Gospel centered conversations would continue to occur, and praise the Lord for the 2 opportunities that team members have had just this week to share the Gospel of Christ. And lastly, please pray for our team. Pray that the Lord continues to work in each of hearts revealing sin and bringing us up in His likeness. Thank you so very much!

I just had to represent the Nursing School!

[Shout out to my nursing buddies: The Thai's react in awe when I tell them I am a nursing major. I was even called an angel... Friends, it's worth it. The schooling is so worth it! Even the Thai's think so...]

Until next time...

Team Update Video!

Here's a chance to hear how the team is doing and meet our ministry partners! Enjoy!

CCP Thailand: Team Update Week 3 from Matt & Erin Francisco on Vimeo.

Please pray this week for the Freshy's. They are super, super busy with practicing for the Freshy cheers [we would call it hazing, i.e. sitting in a room for hours practicing a song while being yelled at.] Pray that they have endurance and perseverance, but also pray that it can be a time where we will be able to form some relationships!


Until next time...

Moments like these...

Yesterday [Sunday, June 12] was the start of week 3 for us here in Thailand. It's starting to feel normalish. As normal as a completely new culture can feel, I mean, I've had about 22 years of practice at being an American so it's kind of hard to break that habit, but hey, things are coming easier here! A few facts that have finally hit home are: Rice will be eaten with most every meal. Sweat will come when you step outside. Laughter will erupt when we try to pronounce ngoh.

So, as we are here, it is my goal to grasp moments like these and reel them in to make such memories that will last a lifetime. Like the old saying "Laughter is the best medicine..." I have found that to be true here in Thailand. Here are a few of those moments...

I just like the picture to be honest... could go along with the
whole "sweating" idea though...

Cookie:
[Disclaimer: this story has nothing to do with me; however, it is hilarious and I hope I can do it justice by retelling it]
It was 5 am in the morning, and Abby and Kathryn [the girls in the room next to mine] were awoken by someone flushing their toilet. Confused they stared at each other and at the bathroom door trying to figure out who could be in their room since both of them were still in bed. At that moment, a Thai girl steps out of the bathroom and walks towards Kathryn's bed in which she proceeds to get in, yes, Kathryn was in the bed as well. Kathryn decides that she is going to yell "Sawadeecah" [hello!] at the girl until she wakes up. Well, it worked.

The girl wakes up, but bad news, she doesn't speak a lick of English. Abby and Kathryn then try to describe that she is in the wrong room, all the while their new Thai friend (who introduced herself as Cookie) is walking around looking in all of Abby and Kathryn's belongings in amazement. The bulb finally clicked when Kathryn pointed to the numbers outside the room.... Turns out their friend lived in 501, not 301. Lessons of the story: make doubly sure your door is locked before going to bed and learn how to say "wrong room" in Thai.

We are still crackin' up from that one... I only wish we got it on video...

Sports, sports, and hey, let's play some more sports:
So, Thai people love, love, love sports. However, these sports are a little different. I play badminton here like it is my job... I'm improving but hey, some doors definitely open for conversation when I whiff for the hundredth time and the Thais take pity on me. Let's just say susu [keep fighting] is said a lot on the court...

Another sport they play is called Takraw. It is a mixture between volleyball and soccer... I unfortunately do not have the video of me attempting this, but I will try and get one by the end of the summer. I would like to thank the 10 years of trying, and trying to juggle to the soccer ball in the front yard for my VERY tiny ability to juggle a takraw ball (a small wooden ball that was woven like a basket).

Takraw from Courtney McAlister on Vimeo.

Ngoh:
So, I decided one night at the U-center that is was my goal to learn how to pronounce the word ngoh. [Say song to yourself, and then try to start a word with the last ng sound from song... Yeah, HARD. I end up making a honking noise like geese make. Ha, that's when they say I get the closest...] So, I was sitting in the U-center honking like a goose over, and over, and over, until finally a girl from the table behind us tapped me on the shoulder and in broken English said "he want to give you this" pointing to a Thai boy... the "this" was a ngoh... Whether a sign of pity or a way to say, "congrats, you mastered the word, pretty girl," I am not sure, but it sure gave P'Fone and Kathryn a good laugh when I blushed and said cah - pun - cah [thank you].

Just a reminder what ngoh is.. the spiky one. The other one,
well, that's just a banana. 

Those are just a few of many, many stories... but, the Cookie one still takes the cake, I think.

Thank you for the prayers, keep them up! These may be just stories, but with each of these stories, a relationship is formed or strengthened, and that's what we are all about here!

Until next time...

Break my heart for what breaks Yours...

Yesterday we had the privilege to go see the Wat Nong Wang Buddhist temple here in downtown KhonKaen. It was interesting/beautiful/mindblowing/challenging all at the same time. We were able to walk through the entire temple... yes, all 9 floors of it. We took some students we had met, as well. They helped explain the temple and what things meant. It was really neat to get an "inside look" on the Buddhist religion... Check it out...

Katy and I outside the temple... Yes, these
colors are all the real ones... Beautiful day.

One of the areas that people come to
"earn good merit" by putting coins in these jars.

Our new friend Beer who joined us on the trip!

Another huge area people can come to
worship Buddha. This was in the center of the temple.

A picture of life of the the Isaan people [Isaan is the region
we are in right now in Thailand]

Gorgeous view... that's a lake right beyond the trees...
I think this was the 6th floor or so?

P'Fone and I at the top overlooking KhonKaen!

Abby and I at the top... there's the lake again. Seriously so
very beautiful...

The trip was eye-opening to say the least... It made the Buddhist religion something more than a foreign idea that we try and talk about. It made it real. The Lord is working through every single little thing we are doing here in Thailand. He definitely used that trip yesterday to open my eyes....

My prayer is that the Lord will break my heart for what breaks His... Please pray that while in Thailand that occurs, but more than that, pray that in each and every one of our lives whether in America or Thailand or anywhere in the world and at any moment in time, that our hearts break for what breaks HIS heart.