I’m now in Bangkok at an internet café. I have a little time to write, so I will tell you about my trip so far!
The plane ride was so sweet. I love flying internationally! Noelle and I were so spoiled, we had the best seats and the food was really good... haha :) and there was free TV! It’s so weird that it’s the middle of the night in Florida and 3:30 pm here! I have some intense culture shock! After getting off the plane, we piled into an open-bed truck and went to the YWAM base in Bangkok. It’s considered nice to most Thai homes, but to us it’s very, very poor. It breaks my heart seeing dogs get kicked and yelled at. Dogs are considered gross to the Thai people and they never touch them. The food is not that great to me, but everyone else loves it...im starving! But, I eat it anyways and thank God I don’t have to eat it at home!
We are relaxing so far and enjoying the city. I love the prices and bartering. It’s really fun, even though I’m horrible at it, because it makes me feel guilty! But without my friends, people would take advantage of me! Everyone is very nice and loves trying to speak English. They also love it when you speak their language and acknowledge them. It’s so fun trying to talk to people who don’t speak English. Very challenging! I’m always confused.
Hmmm…what else? Oh, I ran into the corner of a metal door and smacked the whole right side of my face. It knocked me out, and when I came to everyone was freaking out because my wound was really deep. When they cleaned it out I was balling, it hurt so bad! My right eye, cheek, and forehead are all cut up and swollen! I look like I was abused...it's pretty funny, except it really hurts.
I love the weather here! Everyone else hates it, but I love it, 90 degrees and a little windy! Everything is very dirty, but it’s a new adventure everyday!
I feel like a celebrity here. They love American girls, especially blondes. It’s hilarious; they think we’re so beautiful because we look so different. In the stores, they even sell whitening cream to make their skin light...the lighter the better to them. Even though they’re very poor, they dress very nice all the time, and they are all so quiet--I love it! :)
I can’t wait to tell you more, but I don’t know when I’ll be at a computer again!
Chan Raqoon (I love you)
Dana :)
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Leaving Soon!
Hi everyone!
This Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009, I will be flying out to serve God and experience the Thai culture! The lecture phase has been amazing. I have been growing and learning so much about God's heart for his people and the injustices in the world.
During my time in school, a guest speaker would cover one topic a week. My personal favorites and what I learned were:
Father—heart of God (Talking about how your relationship with your earthly father correlates with your heavenly father).
Relationships (Knowing that before you can truly love someone correctly/fully you have to only want and need Jesus to fulfill your heart's desires).
Spiritual Warfare (God doesn't promise us an easy road in life. He does promise to be with us in our struggles—even when we can't feel his presence. He is there and cares, knowing you have full authority through Jesus against Satan and any attacks he tries to bring into your life)
Fear of the Lord (This always seemed so intimidating to me before! However, reading scripture about it, and being taught the meaning of it, showed me it’s about respect for our Lord and obedience to him. Many people wanted to have more of that fear (respect), but didn't understand how to go about getting it; some ways to start are by listening to what God asks us to do and obeying it, caring what he thinks and no one else. This tested me when I knew God was asking me to do something and not wanting to be judged by it. But when I let go of my pride and did it, I had a lot of people share with me how much it helped them with their faith and growth...you never know how you can effect someone in such a positive way by obeying what God asks you to do!)
During training the teams did outreach preparation two or three times a week. There is a team going to Thailand and a team going to Colombia. My team, which is going to Thailand, learned about the culture and how to respect it. We learned some of the language and the curriculums we will be teaching kids and teenagers. We also learned dances and skits that would minister to the lost, and a lot about sex-trafficking. I am very excited to work with children and woman who have been freed from the sex-trade, but still need food and a job. We will be building friendships, showing them God's love and helping them get back on their feet. We will also be living in the hill tribes helping them with their daily chores and working in the rice patties!
I am very excited to see God move through Thailand now and in the future after we leave.
I hope you have enjoyed reading a little about what God has been teaching me here in Denver, CO and what I will be doing in Thailand! Thank you so much for all your prayers and support, it means the world to me!
Love,
Dana Keith :)
This Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009, I will be flying out to serve God and experience the Thai culture! The lecture phase has been amazing. I have been growing and learning so much about God's heart for his people and the injustices in the world.
During my time in school, a guest speaker would cover one topic a week. My personal favorites and what I learned were:
Father—heart of God (Talking about how your relationship with your earthly father correlates with your heavenly father).
Relationships (Knowing that before you can truly love someone correctly/fully you have to only want and need Jesus to fulfill your heart's desires).
Spiritual Warfare (God doesn't promise us an easy road in life. He does promise to be with us in our struggles—even when we can't feel his presence. He is there and cares, knowing you have full authority through Jesus against Satan and any attacks he tries to bring into your life)
Fear of the Lord (This always seemed so intimidating to me before! However, reading scripture about it, and being taught the meaning of it, showed me it’s about respect for our Lord and obedience to him. Many people wanted to have more of that fear (respect), but didn't understand how to go about getting it; some ways to start are by listening to what God asks us to do and obeying it, caring what he thinks and no one else. This tested me when I knew God was asking me to do something and not wanting to be judged by it. But when I let go of my pride and did it, I had a lot of people share with me how much it helped them with their faith and growth...you never know how you can effect someone in such a positive way by obeying what God asks you to do!)
During training the teams did outreach preparation two or three times a week. There is a team going to Thailand and a team going to Colombia. My team, which is going to Thailand, learned about the culture and how to respect it. We learned some of the language and the curriculums we will be teaching kids and teenagers. We also learned dances and skits that would minister to the lost, and a lot about sex-trafficking. I am very excited to work with children and woman who have been freed from the sex-trade, but still need food and a job. We will be building friendships, showing them God's love and helping them get back on their feet. We will also be living in the hill tribes helping them with their daily chores and working in the rice patties!
I am very excited to see God move through Thailand now and in the future after we leave.
I hope you have enjoyed reading a little about what God has been teaching me here in Denver, CO and what I will be doing in Thailand! Thank you so much for all your prayers and support, it means the world to me!
Love,
Dana Keith :)
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