Ahh...the glamorous life of missions!

No need worrying about becoming a slave to the latest fashion trends!

There is plenty of "cutting" edge security on the fields!

Water conscious, low flush facilities available for the "environmentally friendly"

There is usually a "Farmers Market" right around the corner!

Fresh produce is always available

You can count on being well looked after, even the food keeps it's eyes on you!

Postal service known for it's personal touch!

In Search of My Ankles and Bananas!

I got to bed last night, had a good sleep and woke up ready to go! Stepping out of bed I glanced down to see my feet….look mom, no ankles! Any of you who have traveled in a plane for more that 7 hours understand how puffy you can get. I thought I would be clever this time and select the low sodium meals while in flight. With in-flight meals carefully selected, lots of water and getting up and moving around a lot, I figured there would be much swelling. WRONG.

Oh well, today will be full of new adventures, all of which involve lots of stairs! That should be good for circulation and swelling. My room is on the fourth floor, so there is plenty of opportunity for exercise!

Today’s goals are simple:

1. Rest
2. Try to send communications back to the States
3. Find my way around this massive Resort
4. Locate possible PIONEERS members
5. Find drinking water and locate some food.

Our stay here includes a wonderful breakfast, but we are on our own for the rest of the meals. Wish me luck. Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Conference and the meeting of new friends!

Long live the King!

This is what greets you as you walk off the plane and into the airport in Bangkok! This GIANT statue represents the protective forces that guard the King of Thailand

I have finally arrived in Thailand. My travel adventures began 5:00 pm on Monday and ended on Wednesday 7:30 pm. (That’s when I entered my Hotel room!) Considering I only slept an hour or two solid, I felt relatively alert and in good spirits, at least I thought so until I arrived at the front desk of the Hotel and couldn’t remember the simplest details... sleep depravation will do that to you!

My flight was exciting to say the least. We hit a major wind turbulence while over the ocean which caused our giant jet to be tossed around like a toy for hours. We used up so much fuel fighting the wind that we had to do an unexpected refueling along the way. I have new appreciation for the song by Jeremy Camp(?) “I Will Praise You in the Storm”. Eighteen hours of that trip was spent seated next to the Senior Pastor at Walnut Creek Church. We had great conversations about the post Christian generation and how to reach them. He also was a great navigator for me as we RAN through the corridors and up and down escalators so as not to miss our Hong Kong connection. It's always fun to meet new people!

When I finally arrived in Bangkok I was very excited! One of the first things I noticed as our plane taxied around, were huge painted signs at every point of entrance. These banners read (in English) Long Live The King. Those were my sentiments as well!

On my trip from Bangkok to Pattaya, I met up with two new aquaintances from India. They flew in for the conference and we decided to travel together to Pattaya. Along the way, they were thrilled to see a McDonalds! They do not have them where they live and had been craving cheese burgers. "Aroy dee" delicious cheese burgers and fries made them smile from ear to ear! "Sawatdee kaa" Ronald, I had no idea you knew Thai.

For the next few days I will be in Pattaya at the largest Resort in Thailand. It is cheaper to stay here than at a Hotel 6 in California. It is very nice here, and must have been unbelievably beautiful when it was in its prime! We are on the beach and the surroundings feel very much like Maui, including the weather. However, it only takes a closer look behind the scenes to quickly remind me that I am in another land! There is so much to learn, I just take one step at a time! Even with my connectors, adaptors, and travel books, communications and language are challenging! Today I did well; I made it here in one piece, got to the Hotel and send this short note to you before becoming unconscious from exhaustion!

Funny Story #1 – Getting from Bangkok to Pattaya compliments of “Mr. Taxi” a local transportation service. Our driver was so helpful that we wanted others know how to find him! He could speak a little English, so we asked if we could have another business card to give to friends. I also asked, “What is your name?” He smiled and said, “Koom Ponee”. Okay, that’s great…I wrote his name on the back of his business card. Thank you Mr. Koom Ponee, I said in Thai. Then he started laughing which made me start laughing… “What is so funny Koom?” He smiled some more, still laughing while shaking his head as if to say no, no. After we all had a good laugh I realized his name was not Koom Ponee. He was trying to tell us about his “Company!”

Well, here I am before climbing into bed. It's been many, many hours of travel. All my essentials for travel are piled next to my bed. B-E-D that sounds so wonderful right about now. I actually made it to thailand! Long live the KING JESUS, good night...

It's like reading noodles!

สวัสดีค่ะ ยินดีที่ได้พบคุณ Could you please repeat that? Well, then maybe you could just read it to me? Oh, you can't make out the sounds because there are no letters to pronounce... What was that?... It's like reading noodles? Well, keep practicing!

Thai script is beautiful and loopy and has a melodious "sing-song" sound to it, all of which is totally foreign to me! This is their heart language. Luckily, what I lack in natural ability I hope to make up for in sheer determination and tons of prayer. This is my goal, learn the language well enough to communicate effectively with the people. This will not be an easy task, but I just keep telling myself if millions of little Thai children can do it, so can I. So for now, ฉันก็เช่นกันค่ะ

สวัสดีค่ะ ยินดีที่ได้พบคุณ = Hello, it is very nice to meet you

ฉันก็เช่นกันค่ะ = It is nice to meet you too!

Wasted Day?

“Charles Francis Adams, the 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: Went fishing with my son today,

a day wasted...

His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: Went fishing with my father,

the most wonderful day of my life!"

Illustration from www.crosswalk .com, Silas Shotwell, in September, 1987.

I think it is true, what we value as a priority in our life will ultimately determine if we have invested or wasted our time. Jesus was all about relationships; never did He consider loving people as a waste of His time. Considering His short human life on planet earth, that is significant! The God-Man, Jesus didn’t have 80 years to recruit, develop and train His leaders. He only had a few short years to accomplish this enormous task, and yet never did He become so focused on a strategy, that He lost touch with humanity.

As I begin 2008, I pray my life becomes a greater reflection of Jesus and His priorities.

Giant Fish!

Thai fishermen show a 293-kilogram (646-pound) giant catfish they caught from the Mekong River in Chiang Khong district of Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, May 2005 (AP Photo/World Wildlife Fund-National Geographic, Suthep Kritsanavarin, File

I look forward to becoming a Thai fisher-of-men.

Matthew 4:18..."and Jesus said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."