more pictures of popphra!

We got a few more pictures uploaded; sorry they are so small. The internet just can't handle anything bigger. Enjoy!

Stephen and Kelli with John, a Christian English teacher at the Thai school. We taught some of his classes, had lunch with him every day, and were invited to his house for dinner one evening. We ask that you pray for him as he is in such a dark place and a very young Christian.

These are all out of order, but this was one of the older kids at Thoo Mweh Khee singing a special song to us as we left. They called us up to the stage, presented us with Karen bags, and said their goodbyes. We were able to thank them and pray for them. It was such an honor to be so warmly treated after just two weeks.

Kelli teaching her third grade class.

Stephen with his fifth grade class.

We were just minutes drive from the Thai-Burma border. The pastor we worked with had connections along the border and was able to get through the checkpoints easily. This is us just along the border (which is formed by the river); we are standing in Thailand and Burma is directly behind us.

This is link to see where we are along the border. We've spend some weekends in Mae Sod (or Mae Sot) to the north and spent the last two weeks in Popphra (or Phop Phra). About an hour south.

http://maps.google.co.th/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Mae+Sod,+Mae+Sot,+Tak,+Thailand&daddr=phop+phra,+thailand&geocode=&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=16.613822,98.674393&sspn=0.316488,0.422974&ie=UTF8&ll=16.599346,98.690186&spn=0.316512,0.422974&t=h&z=11

This is the group of volunteers that were at Popphra (plus the English teacher, John). It was a hard week, but we really feel like God had us there and we were forced to depend on Him.

Thanks for your prayers! Please continue to pray as we are heading out to Noh Bo in an hour.

a couple pictures from popphra (pope-rah)

We've just finished two weeks of teaching at Thoo Mweh Khee Migrant School and a Thai school in Popphra, Thailand. We really loved our classes at the migrant school and everyone was so kind. The Thai school was a much harder environment. There was a very strong Buddhist presence that was difficult. We did meet two Christian teachers that we got to know and were able to encourage. We've included just a couple pictures of us teaching. We'll try to get a better internet connection soon so we can get you more...

Kelli with her "third grade" class, ages 9 to 14.

Stephen teaching English words for family to his "fifth grade" class, ages 13 to 19.

As of tomorrow we will be heading to Noh Bo, where we were originally headed. It is now a safe area for us to be in, so we'll be there for the rest of our time in Thailand. We are really looking forward to this and think it will be a better fit for our gifts. We'll have much more time with the kids personally.

Please keep up your prayers--for energy, selflessness, and love for the kids. We've been praying for a supernatural ability to remember names and learn Karen, too.

quick update.

We wanted to send a quick email to let everyone know that plans have changed. The area we were headed to--Noh Bo--recently underwent some "political changes" so that it was no longer safe for us to be there, nor was it safe for them if foreigners were there. We are now safely working in a migrant school just outside of Popphra (just further south along the border, where political changes aren't taking place...) The situation is similar and we have been working with Karen, but we are still not positive this is where we should be. We really just beg for your prayers--that we would have wisdom, direction, and peace about where we are to be and what we are to be doing. Please also pray for Noh Bo--for safety and God using evil for good. And really just pray for changes in Burma; that's the deeper cry.

Thank you for your prayers; please keep them up. We need them.

half way there...oh,oh, livin on a prayer

We have arrived to Thailand, and we are in Mae Sot for a couple of days getting acclamated to the culture and time difference before driving to Noh Bo Academy and the village where we will be focusing the heart of our ministry.

God has already been doing amazing things and caring for Kelli and I. God blessed us even in a delayed flight. We were going to get into Bangkok at midnight and were nervous about that, but had a peace about the tickets when we bought them. Our plane leaving Los Angeles had mechanical problems and we then had to wait for a another plane to get there. Our new itinerary had us overnight in Toyko, and American Airlines was good to get us two rooms, dinner, and breakfast. This may look like a frustrating couple of days, but being in Tokyo was a great chace to rest in the middle of the trip and allowed us to arrive in Bangkok at 3 in the afternoon.

We are very excited to see what God has in store for us over the next couple of months. We desperately need your prayers and are so blessed that we have so many family and friends that are so diligent and faithful to pray for us.

Some guidance for your prayers...

As we traveled through Tokyo and Bangkok both of us felt a burden for the people there. Tokyo seemed to be dark in an absence of light, where Bangkok seemed to be dark with an active presence of evil. Please be praying for the local church in these areas as they are up against lots of challenges because of Satan's strongholds. Please pray strength, growth, wisdom, protection, and miracles over them.

As for us, pray we would be running with the full armor of God. Pray for us as we fight the darkness that is here. Pray for our health as we adjust to new foods and water. And please lift us up as we adjust to doing ministry together. Pray that our relationship is a way to glorify God more in this trip rather than a window for Satan to come between us. We need to walk in patience, love, grace, and understanding for each other as well as the people we are ministering to.

Please begin to pray for the people at Noh Bo that we will be serving. Pray for open hearts, good conversation, and miracles with the language barriers (either we get Karen, they get English, or something else we can't dream up ourselves).

Thanks for you prayers and support. We are so, so thankful.
We'll get pictures up soon. We know those are more fun to look at.

what if His people prayed?

I heard a song today that challenged this question, and it stuck with me as Stephen and I continued to pack and pull things together to leave in the next few days. What if His people prayed? I thought of the love God has given me for Burma and the ways it has changed so much of my life, yet I may commit an hour to prayer for Burma on a good week. When I look at scripture, prayer and conversation with God encompasses every story and situation, from Adam speaking with God in the garden to Jesus’ last words of prayer to the Father from the cross. Further, I have seen the power of prayer in my own life as the single constant connection to Christ. And yet, how much do I pray? How much do we pray as the Church? Surely it isn’t enough.

As Stephen and I go this summer, we are so thankful for those supporting us through prayer. Thank you, from the very deepest part of us. We long to be effective for the glory of Christ, for hope, and for eternal things—and this is only possible through prayer. Thank you for joining with us faithfully. Thank you for being the body of Christ to us, allowing us the privilege to be His hands and His feet.

We are leaving in just hours--early Tuesday morning, June 9. We’ll be gone for ten weeks, returning to Little Rock on August 19. For those joining with us in prayer, here are some specific requests. Please pray for…

- courage and boldness to walk in whatever Christ has for us

- open hearts of everyone we encounter along the way.

- wisdom and discernment in our decisions as we seek His will

- for energy and patience with one another

- general health and safety

- the unknowns of returning without established plans, jobs, etc.

We'll continue with updates whenever we have the chance. Hopefully pictures will join soon!