our first week in thailand..

Our first week seems to have gone by so fast!

We have been only in Bangkok up until yesterday and have used the time as a family adjusting to the new culture... there's SO much to take in! Bangkok is a very busy city- so much to see and do. Sarah traveled through Thailand with her friend Nicki before we were married, but it sure has been a different experience this time around with Luke and Abby.  We have tried to dedicate large chunks of days to seeing Abby smile and laugh.  She has adjusted very quickly, and was soon settled right in. In fact she has actually become a bit of a star...

The Thai people have adored her.  Culturally here, white = beautiful.  There are even many skin products (including sun tan lotion and body wash) that are actually dedicated to whitening the skin! So that combined with her cuteness (not to mention that she's her daddy's princess) - crowds of faces turn to smile wherever we go, and there have easily been a dozen girls (strangers on the street, mind you) who have asked to hold her and have their picture taken with her.  We wouldn't be surprised if she should become the latest asian You Tube sensation! People just love to talk to her, and she can now say hello and thank you in Thai (also a big hit).

On Thursday the Mullers arrived.  Like we said, it was great to get settled in as a family, but it's really really great to have our friends here with us.  How refreshing it is to pray and worship and relate... in English!  Our girls get along so well (even though they had never met before Thailand).  Eleora is only a few days younger, and we are often asked, "twins?".  Anyway, we are very encouraged to share this journey with our like-minded companions (we'll try to get a link up to their blog so you can read about their family too).



The cost of living in Bangkok had been a lot higher than we would have preferred, so we were ready to move down here to Pattaya, where we'll be for the next six weeks.

We all arrived in Pattaya yesterday (Sunday). We are staying in quite a central location and are trying to figure out how long to be here. Please pray for the right place to become available, or for us to feel certain and at peace about being here. We have a new city to get used to and find our bearings. The girls are doing great, but ideally we need to find things for them to do also.
Yesterday we got to attend the church which we will be involved with here. It was encouraging to be in a congregation with the locals and to hear (through translation) testimonies and sing familiar worship songs.  They expressed their gratitude for us coming,  and to the LORD of the harvest for sending laborers (an answer to prayer for them).

They have a lot planned for this year- GOD seems to be bringing a lot of things together with purpose.  This is a city that is desperately in need of JESUS, and they are ready for Him.  Many many prostitutes have gotten saved through JESUS from their old lives, and in the next month one of them is moving back to her home-town to be a missionary to them.  We pray that the LORD would do this more and more. Satan may be able to bring a desperate Thai girl into prostitution, but JESUS can save an entire village through that same girl!