Thailand! There are many days when I have to pinch and remind myself that I am REALLY here! I love the people, all the colors, night life when the streets are lit and people are out selling all kinds of meat, rice, fruit, etc. and the fact that is has been quite cool the past couple days. I have gotten quite accustomed to sweating ALL the time tho. :) Just can't get away from that one. I love all my Thai sisters here! Taking language classes five mornings a week is helping me obtain somewhat of a vocabulary and my friends are very gracious in listening and letting me try to speak. Outreaches have been one of the highlights of my time here. Even tho it is such a very spiritually dark atmosphere, I find so much joy in loving in places like this. Constantly I am reminded how much I am dependent on God for His presence to fill me. I want to be so consumed in His love that those I look at and touch are impacted. I want to see heaven come down to earth and transform lives.

During the beginning of the second week I was here, I was tying to go to sleep one night and as I was laying there, I suddenly had this picture come to my mind. I saw myself walking down the streets of Bangkok with Jesus. As we walked on the uneven cement sidewalk surrounded with cars on one side and storefronts on the other, I saw this woman with a little baby begging with a cup in her hand. In this picture I saw myself stoop down to sit beside her and then take her baby and hold him/her in my arms. As the baby was in my arms I started praying over him/her asking that the Holy Spirit would come on this little life to break any curses and bring life. As this picture faded, something inside me came to the surface and lying there on my bed I started to weep uncontrollably. I knew that it was God's heart awakening in me.

The very next day I was walking with one of my friends to go run some errands. (This is in real life now :). There in front of one of the shops sat a young girl with a tiny baby laying on a bed of clothe on the ground in front of her. The only things she had with her were two bottles and a cup for coins. Turning aside, my friend and I knelt down beside her. I pulled out a few coins and dropped them in her cup. In broken Thai, my friend discovered that the baby was only 4 days old. The girl kept glancing up nervously and looking around. As we sat there I put my hand on the infant's tummy and started praying silently. We left shortly after and I haven't seen them since then.

I never know when there will be an encounter with someone that is part of God's bigger plan for me being here. Here is one of those random/fun encounters...One of the first days I was here, I was enjoying some time in the park near my apartment. As I was sitting on a bench, this very cute older Thai woman came walking passed me and on her second time around the fountain, she stopped and reached out her hand. I understood that she wanted me to walk with her. I smiled, stood up and took her hand. A short time later, her daughter and son in law came. They both spoke English and so we talked for a little while. It made me so happy to meet all of them and especially the older woman whom they call "ma". I hadn't seen her since then and then the other day my friends and I walked into one of the pharmacies here. Standing behind the counter I saw the older woman, her daughter and son in law. As my friends were making their purchases, the "daughter" looked at me and said, "Oh, she is friend, I give discount." lol! I never know what kind of contacts I will make here. :). Well I better go, it is near 6:30 and we are going to pray and go on our outreach into the bars. I hope that this has given you a little glimpse into my life here in Thailand. O God, let Your Kingdom come!