Ministry Time

You may be asking yourself, "Who is this Thai girl that Mason is taking a picture with?" and I would say that I am asking myself the same thing. She thought he was so cute and he liked her sunglasses, so the two of them played for a while - taking pictures and him strutting around with the glasses on. In the background is the university cafeteria where we have lunch each day. We walk a few hundred feet to the entrance of Mae Fah Luang University, then there are song taews (trucks with seats in the back) waiting that will take you into the university (it is 2 km just to the first part of the university). Then we walk up a few flights of stairs to the food court cafeteria. We have a routine. Mason and Selah get meatballs and sticky rice - 10 meatballs each, cut in half, on separate plates. Then we go to the vendor next door and get 4 hard boiled eggs in a bowl (2 for Kiera, 1 for Mason, 1 for Selah, the bowl is for the peel), then Ross goes to another vendor to get our food. Sometimes Kiera gets noodles too. Then once everyone is done eating, we see how much money we have left and usually get some fruit (watermelon and pineapple are the favorites) and possibly a treat (today was a "milk shake", that was really milk, a little sugar and ice blended). Our families entire lunch costs about $6.50 US. 

In the midst of the eating and getting food, we try to sit at a table with someone we don't know. We usually invite them to an event and/or to @Peace Coffee Shop to hang out and practice English. At this point, we know a lot of people in the cafeteria, so often we eat with our friends. We pray before each lunch time that we will have meaningful conversations and that God will lead us to talk to the people He wants us to. Some days and conversations are really great, some are awkward :-)

This picture is the @Peace Coffee Shop (before the Christmas decorations came down). Most of our team is gathered in there, we were probably having a worship time or planning an event.

Some of our guys and a bunch of the kids from the elementary school close to where we are staying. The kids are so loving and kind. They like to play and wrestle, but also to give high fives and hugs.

Selah with two Thai girls that really liked her. They played all the games holding hands.

Ross teaching an "English" game to a first grade class. If you look close, you will see Kiera and Selah in the circle.

We've had the chance to go back to this school for a variety of things - a show (music, skit, games), then teaching English to different classes, then this week we did 2 hours of activities - 1 day with first graders, then today with 2nd graders. Each time we go, it gets more fun. The kids are more and more open and loving and they also pay attention better. Many people talk about how they were told about Jesus in elementary school and then later (high school or university) they learn more about Jesus and give their lives to them. It is neat to be part of planting seeds.

Tomorrow our team gets to give a 40 minute presentation to one of the classes that has 350 students. The topic is peace / world peace / Jesus' peace. A really cool story about how this came to be. Please pray for the words our leaders speak and the hearts of the students and teacher in the class.