Exploring...

I didn't think I'd post so much so soon after arriving, but the atmosphere is very relaxed and it's a nice way to journal the adventure and wind down after a long day. Today was a fantastic introduction to Thailand as we set out on a private day tour that included elephant riding, tiger temple, river rafting, and an orchid and butterfly farm.

I was so excited about the elephants, but found it really challenging to watch them perform on demand in a show for the tourists. Most of the keepers were very gentle, but one kept using a hook implement to hit his elephant on the head, leaving large wounds. I wonder what the poor creatures were thinking as we all clapped and fed them bamboo shoots. They seem to enjoy performing but it's hard to tell.

The elephant riding was less demanding on the elephants and was a wonderful opportunity to explore some Thai forest. I loved the way local people would stand on their balconies along the path and try to sell us food for the elephants which they would have picked from the banana tree right next door. Tara and I had a very friendly guide who sang songs to us, chanted Aussie Aussie Aussie, and took lots of photos. Ricky and Hayley weren't so enthused by their guide who wore his leather jacket accompanied by a rather rock star attitude.

After a lovely buffet lunch we hopped on bamboo river rafts and took a 40 minute journey downstream. It was pretty relaxing and lots of fun to wear traditional bamboo hats for the trip.

Tiger temple was the next stop and I was tossing up whether to go in with the cubs or fully grown, but both had a 1 hr wait and I honestly didn't trust the big ones to refrain from eating me! (Hayley was more brave than I). Ricky and I opted for the juniors who were about 8 months old and fairly playful, though it was early afternoon and aparently siesta time. I felt sorry for them as the keepers kept trying to make them lie down for photos when all they wanted to do was walk around and be left alone - must be a strange life. We basically got our photos and left them to it.

Orchid and butterfly farm was a bit of a non-event and I'm sure our tour operators only took us there under some agreement they have with the local businesses. The butterflies were pretty but there weren't many as apparently it isn't the season.

Before dinner some of us went to the local massage parlour and enjoyed a 1 hr oil massage - so relaxing, though a little more confronting than a western massage (apparently no part of the body is off limits!). When we were walking to the massage we notice lots of people with bags of stuff lined along the footpath and we assumed it was people waiting to be picked up and travel somewhere for new years, but when we came out the street was closed an hundreds of market stalls had sprung up!

I ate from market stalls for the first time tonight - authentic Pad Tahi and I'm sorry Sings, but you've got nothing on the real deal. And at 30 baht it's a bargain (AUD$1).

I had a great time with Joelle and Tara exploring the newly established markets and learning to barter with my few Thai words. I can't believe how cheap everything is over here ($9 for a Mombasa style dress, 75c for fabric earrings, 65c for fresh OJ). I'm also becoming more confident in negotiating song tao rides which means not only saving money, but getting to my destination surprisingly faster.

New Years Eve tomorrow is supposed to be a fireworks extravaganza ith all of the hotels doing their own display, though I've booked myself in for babysitting duties so mightbe watching from the Brewer's apartment balcony.

The adventure begins...

What a HUGE 24 hrs it's been! 11.45 last night I flew Brisbane - Singapore which was a familiar experience. i made friends with a lovely young famiy sitting next to me and had their 14 month old daughter Millie in giggles. But this sleep princess was not impressed by maybe 1 hr of broken sleep in the whole journey - was glad when the lights were back on and breakfast was served - Gluten free meals have their benefits and pitfalls. I got fed first but instead of bacon and eggs, I had a much more asian inspired breakfast of omlette, spinach, and potato.

Changi airport stopover was when exhaustion first hit and I found a comfy bit of floor by my gate and slept as much as I could. I offered to watch a gentleman's bags while he went to the bathroom and we got chatting. His name was Chris and he was soon joined by wife Sue and 11 yr old son Isaac who were off on a holiday to Thailand. It's so fascintaing hearing people's stories and they were really inspired by the work I'm doing. It was also just nice to have chatty people to help pass the time and fill out arrival cards :)

Breakfast served again on the Singapore - Chiang Mai leg, this time poached eggs with peas, mushrooms and some nice salsa. Caught a few more winks of sleep but once we got over Thailand I couldn't pull myself away from the window - the sky was clear and the landscape breathtaking! I can't believe how many amazing mountain ranges there are. Descending into CM I really enjoyed spotting the temples and statues that glisten in the sunlight.
Everything beyond arrival feels like a blur as I was ushered through checkpoints, put into a taxi and sent off to my accommodation. I literally walked in the door, sat on my bed and cried! I felt so alone and underprepared in a totally foreign city. Things got worse before they got better as I realised none of my wall plug converters fitted the plugs, I couldn't reach joelle on her mobile, my laptop was nearly out of power... but as mum advised me to do, I stopped, dropped, and prayed. God is soooo good! I raced to 7eleven down the street (gotta love western comforts) and spoke very broken Thai/ english to the non-english speaking shop assistant who eventually sold me credit for my phone. I used the remaining laptop power to google the phone number of Joelle and Sam's accommodation and praise God got a hold of them! It's amazing how exhaustion can blow simple dilemmas right out of proportion but I'm thankful God guided my thinking.

So this afternoon I took my first Sang Tao (hailed with a little help from the lady at reception who seems to feel sorry for the tall foreign girl) and met up with Joelle, Sam, Owen, Ricky, Hayley, Tara (Sam's sister) and Joelle's parents. It was nice just to be able to follow people who knew where they were going. I soon mastered "khop kun kah" (thankyou) as we engaged with the locals and had some fishy fun as we got or feet nibbled at the fish spa! Quite the experience, especially seeing as the staff moved me from a nice placid tank to one that seemed to be full of piranahs!
Funnily enough my first meal in CM was Lebanese as the rest of the mob has been eating authentic Thai in small towns for the past 3 weeks and were ready for a change. It was strange to order a salad when I was so strictly told not to eat fresh veges due to water contamination risk, but it was completely safe an a real treat. Everyone else headed to the Night Bazaar but I decided to head home for a good nights sleep as we're going elelphant trekking tomorrow. Should be fun!

2 sleeps...

I haven't done very well in keeping the preparations for my trip updated here. It's been such a hectic time but I've enjoyed every moment of contemplation, list-making, panic, and of course prayer. I feel such peace about the journey even though I'm not quite sure what it will entail. I spoke to Doug, my contact in Tahiland on Skype a few days ago and he informed me that the English classes I was supposed to teach aren't going to be happening, so who knows what I might end up doing!

I've enjoyed having a few relaxing days with my family over christmas, but as soon as the celebrations were all over I was bac to packing and more list-making!

I've never travelled with so much luggage - suitcase, laptop, carry-on case, backpack..... it's hard to keep track of what needs to go where.

I was really blessed by my workmates with lots of great travel products including this lovely cushy travel pillow which I'm sure I'll appreciate on my red-eye flights!

With only 9 days to go until I leave for Thailand, I'm starting to feel the reality of my trip sinking in. I am not at all organised in terms of packing and paperwork but trust that it will all begin to come together this week.
I finished up at work on Friday which was a huge emotional challenge as I farewelled my amazing colleagues and the beautiful children who have become like family to me. This new season has officially begun. I'm trusting God for my next paycheque (and the one after that...and after that again...)
I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my family this week and Fi arrives from Melbourne on Monday for a fleeting Christmas visit. This time next week it'll be time to pack the bags and say my goodbyes.

So exciting. So challenging. So good.

There's still hope

This is a bit belated, but still valuable all the same. The release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. Post written by a member of the Partners USA team...

We had been waiting for this day for years.
by: Admin— Partners USA @ 3:36 am
Prayed for it, talked about it. Now the day was here. Aung San Suu Kyi walked out of her house arrest. It seemed too good to be true. Maybe it is too good to be true.

On Saturday November 13th the Burmese junta released Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from her illegal house arrest. The junta has detained Suu Kyi for 15 of the last 21 years, and continuously since May 30, 2003.

While thousands rejoiced in the streets of Rangoon and millions joined around the world, the military junta continued its offenses in the ethnic areas around the country. For the thousands who were forced to flee from their homes, the day was far from happy.

While the world is hoping, and believing, that this may be the beginning of change in Burma, we must not forget this: The government just conducted an election that they labeled democratic. It’s no secret that those elections guaranteed the military junta continuous power. While Aung San Suu Kyi walked out of her house arrest, more than 2200 were still sitting in Burma’s notorious prisons—imprisoned for their political views. While we sighed and let our shoulders down, feeling relieved that The Lady was free, tens of thousands of child soldiers carried weapons and burdens no child should have to carry. While we watched the news of a hero set free, hundreds of thousands were on the run—away from the brutal army.

Let’s not be fooled into thinking that the struggle is over; let’s not be fooled into thinking the children of Burma can now live free, full lives. Let’s be realistic and admit that the strong men of Naypyidaw still have an agenda, and it is not an agenda that includes freedom for the people of Burma.

Partners is pleased that Aung San Suu Kyi finally is released from her house arrest. But we also recognise that her release is almost meaningless unless there is a more substantial change in Burma. Unless the junta enters into dialogue with the National League for Democracy, with the ethnic groups in the country, and promises to restore democracy, life will go on as it has for more than 50 years for the people in the nation.

Please pray for a change. Please pray for Aung San Suu Kyi’s safety and health. Please pray for the more than 20,000 new refugees whose future is uncertain since their villages were attacked last week. Please pray for the political prisoners. Please pray for the thousands of child soldiers.

Aung San Suu Kyi said: “We have to work together. One person alone can’t do anything as important as bringing change and democracy to a country.” And this is what we believe too. That is why Burma needs you. This is why we at Partners need you.

- Oddny Gumaer, Partners Relief & Development

Political unrest

You may have seen in the media that Burma held it's national election on the 11th of November. This was predicted to be a rather meaningless event in termsof the outcome as the Burmese Army has been known to abuse its power to force locals to vote for particular political parties against their free will. But noone really expected the Burma Army rebels to launch a revenge attack on the Burma Army, forcing thousands of residents out of their homes and across the border into Thailand. Alhough most of these people will be able to return home safely once the conflict has died down, it is a reminder of just how dangerous their living conditions are and how violent the Burma Army is prepared to be in order to maintain power.

I cried as I saw these imagies taken by some of the Partners staff who were in Mae Sot to help out with the relief effort. My heart breaks for these people and the injustice they have, and continue to experience. It's scenarios like these that make me realise why I need to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus.

To market, to market...

I enjoyed a most delightful day at the KGUrbanVillage markets this past Saturday. Joined by my beautiful friend Lisa, we set out to sell a stack of pre-loved clothes donated by my generous friends as a fundraiser for my trip.

There's something wonderful about getting up with the sun and preparing for an exciting day. It was even more wonderful to have live acoustic worship playing courtesy of the local market busker.

I really sensed the favour of God upon my stall throughout the day. My prayer: "If you want me to do this thing, you have to provide every step of the way". And He did.

We were blessed with a gorgeous sunny day that also brought the slightest touch of sunburn, but was also the complete opposite of the predicted thunderstorms (I should mention God and I had stern words during the 24 hours prior).

We made more than any other stall in the vicinity and seemed to somehow draw people who seemed blind to the stalls around us. I had some amazing conversations with people who wanted to know why I was doing this and felt so priveleged to share the heart and mission my God has given me to fulfill.

A huge thanks to all of my beautiful friends who helped out:

*Trihn, Steph, Kimmie, MJ, Anna, Bec, Lisa, Sara, Jess HS, and Jess W for prying clothes from their wardrobes and getting them to me in time;

*Housemate Bec who sacrificed her Friday night to meticulously tag, size, and hang every item, plus being the Sing's runner;

*Lisa for giving up her Saturday sleep-in to help run the stall and being an irresistable 'date' for the Columbian stallholder next to us.

*Dad for going on wild goose chases to find elusive, invisible bags of clothes.

Mustard seed faith

God continues to pour out His grace upon me as I step out in faith on this journey.

I am someone who tends to be rather anxious when it comes to money. I try to be generous and trust that God will provide all that I need, but i often find myself crunching the numbers to see if I have enough for whatever the need. Recently God has been challenging me to be bold in my giving and fervently trust Him for financial provision.

Friends of mine who are in full-time ministry needed money for Visas to allow them to come back to Australia. I had money stashed away in a high interest account that I was intending to add to and use for expenses in Thailand. It wasn't much, but I felt God say "You need to give every cent you have". I wondered how I would pay for my accommodation and vaccinations, but believed I needed to wholeheartedly TRUST my God to provide. He promises in his Word that He will give me all I need.

And provide He has. Last week I got a cheque in the mail from my elderly Pop for almost ten times what I had given!




What a magnificent reward for my minute, mustard seed-sized faith. I pray that it continues to grow as I live in the fuit of God's faithfulness.

"I tell you the truth. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move. Nothing will be imposible for you."

[Matthew 17:20]

Micah 6:8

"...The Lord has told you what he wants from you:

to do what is right to other people,

love being kind to others,

and live humbly, obeying your God.

Micah 6:8

What maketh the man?

Do you ever find that the times when you need the most strength are when you feel you're at your weakest? Or you believe you're doing something great for God and suddenly you're confronted by Satan who tries to steal you away from all of that?

I can definitely resonate with both of these experiences and have found in the past month or so that I have come under attack as I prepare logistically and emotionally for my trip. I don't believe that attack is something to be feared - look how Jesus dealt with temptation from Satan (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). The Word of God cuts through Satan's grip if only we remember to utilise its strength. Ephesians 6:17 says "Take the helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God"

That kind of reminds me of those superhero cartoons - where would they be if they didn't access the powers they had been given to do the work required?

"Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105

More big steps towards Thailand this week as I handed in my resignation at work. This was a significant step as it meant surrendering next year completely to God, knowing on my return I have no job. It's also extremely emotional to say goodbye to the colleagues and families I have worked so closely with over the past two years. By returning in February I'm also accepting that I won't be teaching, but instead will be attending Theological College - a huge diversion from where I thought I would be. But I'm acting in obedience to God's call - as crazy as it seems sometimes.

Eccelesiastes has been teaching me a lot lately. I listen to it on CD in the car driving to and from work. Being fed on the Word is such a nourishing experience. Having handed in my resignation and then facing some big challenges at work, I have been leaning on the words of Ecclesiastes 10:4 "If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post; for conciliation pacifies offence."

It was a strong reminder to me that whatever task I set myself to, I need to be prepared for attack but armed to respond with God's grace.

Reality bites...

It's been an emotional day as I have completed some vital steps on the journey to Thailand. This morning consisted of my first visit to the the travel doctor, which proved quite an overwhelming experience. I know I'm not the most knowledgeable person, but i didn't realise just quite how many diseases and risks I would need to be aware of. Today was Rabies shot #1, plus Influenza - an injection I've never had before as I don't particularly like getting injections that aren't deemed completely necessary. But suddenly going from first world medical facilities to less-than, the neccessity has become apparent. As a Christian I find it a really challenging line between trusting God for my safety and just been logical about the risks I'll be surrounded by.

I also got the fun job of carrying waaay too many $100 notes from the bank to the travel agent to book my flights. That's when I started to feel a little overwhelmed - I was actually committing to this journey financially and there's no going back. Again, insurance was a challenge of trust vs logic (I don't think I even like phrasing it as a versus statement) but I decided that having the finances to get me home if something were to happen to my family was the most important thing.

It was so nice to have contact with multiple people who inquired about my journey and were so thrilled to hear that i was going for purposes other than lazing on a pristine beach all day (nt that there's anything wrong with that). It's like an evangelical opportunity that carries from prior, right through to long after I come home - what a privilege!

A step of faith...

I've been determined that this blog is doesn't become a whole lot of hot air. I desire for it to be purposeful and meaningful. Only problem is, that can often mean rather large breaks between posts and a loss of forward momentum.
So this is a slightly non-purposeful catch-up post...
This past month has been pretty quiet in terms of planning my trip. Work has demanded a lot of my time and energy and I have just been praying out the details of when to arrive/ depart as this has a pretty big impact on what I end up doing next year. Actually booking my airfare is a huge hurdle for me as it is a commitment that I won't be taking a teaching position next year (I'll still be away when school starts back), and will most probably study theology - another can of Holy worms!
So it's time to go visit my friend Sarah Grainger at Flight Centre and book my flights. But something is holding me back - Do I have enough money? Is this really what I'm supposed to be doing? Am I committed to seeing out God's plan completely from start to finish?

Lord, I pray for your strength and guidance as I take this leap of faith and commit financially to the journey you have to me.

A divine friendship

Friends are such a blessing.
This weekend has reminded me of that once again. I am particularly grateful for the friendship I am building with a young family at church. I have gotten to know them over the past few months as we chat away in Creche and I discovered a few weeks ago that they will be in Thailand overlapping the time that I'll be there. Today Joelle (the mum) told me they've changed their schedule to include a few days in Chiang Mai, which wasn't their original intention, but will mean I have friendly faces (who have good knowledge of Thailand and Thai pronunciation) to help me settle in on arrival. God is amazing in the simple ways he provides for my every need. Yet another piece of the puzzle falls into place. All anxiety is gone.

Ask, Seek, Knock.

Ask and it will be given to you...

...seek and you will find...

...knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

So I've just had a moment of realising that I'm crazy. Maybe not for the first time in my life, or in this journey, for that matter. But I really don't know what's coming as I follow obediently the path that God has laid out for me.

I am quitting a wonderful job, will have no income while I'm away, will come back after school returns and have to find a new job (which is tricky being a teacher), plus I'm still looking at the possibility of attending Theological College next year. You'd probably be right in thinking I sound rather disorganised and uncertain, but that's far from the truth. I'm totally certain that this is the journey I'm supposed to be on, I just don't know what's around the next corner!

A place to call 'home'

I just got emailed info on the 'suggested' accommodation. My housemate reckons I'll think our little unit is a palace after going to Thailand, but this place looks more like a palace than anywhere I've ever stayed....

and only 500 baht/night which is about 15 AUD...

I may never want to come home!

Only a child

I have been reading Jeremiah. I read chapter 1 across 3 days last week as I just couldn't move past it. God clearly wanted to speak to me through that passage. I've been grappling with the realities of what lies ahead of me now that my trip to Thailand has been confirmed. I felt overwhelmed and totally unequipped for the work I will be doing. And honestly, I just felt young and silly for thinking I was going to be of any use. I kept reverting back to verse 6-8 of Jeremiah 1 which reads
"O Sovereign LORD," I said, "I can't speak for you, I'm too young."
The LORD replied, "Don't say, 'I am too young', for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people for I will be with you and will protect you. I the LORD have spoken!"
His promise is so great and my obedience is what is required. Learning to walk in obedience is the tricky part.....

If nothing else, Pray.

I just realised I haven't specified the fact that my upcoming trip will be based at the Thai/ Burma border on the Thailand side. At bit south of Burma itself, but its working mostly with Burmese refugees and displaced people, so the heart for Burma is still getting its fix. Apparently working from inside Burma is very tricky - I would have to leave the country and re-enter every 21 days and living is VERY expensive (a bomby old car would cost about 10 thousand dollars). That's why most aid and mission organisations work out of the surrounding areas. Also the Burmese government is in a rather messy state at present and there is serious genocide going on, though we don't really hear about it in the Western news. please take time to pray for the people of Burma, particular the karen people who are suffering greatly.

A closed door or the enemy?

As a requirement of working in a voluntary capacity with Partners, I was required to complete a lengthy application form that would then be submitted to the national board of Partners for consideration. I found this such a challenging process as I attempted to explain my journey of faith so far and why on earth I wanted to go to the middle of nowhere in the first place. But the hardest question of all was "what are you future short-term and long-term goals?" The reality is that God has me in a time of transition and my goals are getting a good shake up as I am repositioned for a new work. I found it so scary to write that I see mission as a long-term goal. What on earth was I committing myself to? I know it's a goal and not a fully-blown contract,but I felt that it was a contract with God - accepting the role that he has prepared for me, and accepting the sacrifices that role may require. Would I ever be called to get married? And could I kiss a modest life in Australia goodbye? Give me 20 years and i might know more clearly...

Back to the application, I completed it all quite hurridly as Doug from Partners had emailed me the application, informing me there was a board meeting in a couple of days and he wanted to put it forward at that meeting. So I spent an evening filling it all out, saved the file, then went to upload it as an email attachent only to discover I couldn't find it! I searched everywhere I could imagine but it was nowhere to be found. I tried dowloading the file again to see where it was being stored and it put it in a funnny folder with a name made of jumbled letters and numbers "HJsomething". Problem is, everytime it was downloaded, it saved in a different folder. I prayed and prayed but still no file. The anxiety rose immensely and I wondered if this was a closing door to confirm the feelings I had as I wrote the application - "I'm not what they're looking for. Why on earth would they choose me?" Maybe this was an easier letdown than having my application rejected.

I shared these feelings with my dad over bacon and eggs at Vinnies and he was quick to suggest that maybe it was the work of Satan. That was enough motivation to get myself back on the computer, writing my aplication from scratch. No way was the devil going to steal an opportunity like this away from me.
The application was rushed, my answers way less eloquent, but I submitted it that night and waited....
About a week later I got an email from Doug. It read...
"The National Leadership team met at the end of last week and I am happy to say that they are pleased to accept your application.

Thanks for your last email it’s always great when people come with a servant heart willing to do whatever is needed.

I think at the moment the most likely option is English teaching here in Chiang Mai. At the moment this is run on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening from 6-8 pm and covers basic conversational English. The students are all working here in Chiang Mai and are between 19 and 27 years old. However we will see what else comes up a bit closer to the time as there may be other opportunities as well."

My journey has begun.
God is good.

Making connections...

After following up the offer Rob gave me, he put me in contact with a lady named Kathryn who works as a nurse for Partners in northern Thailand. She was an immense help in guiding my thinking at a time when my brain was so full of thoughts and ideas that I didn't know where to start. She answered a lot of questions and got me in contact with a prayer team based at Partners Australian office who are planning a trip to Burma.

I then started researching Partners and the work they do, stumbling across a blog by a volunteer. I've really enjoyed reading this particular volunteer's blog as her journey is similar to what I envisage myself doing.

Where in the world?

So geography isn't my forte by any means. In fact there's a well know story that circulates about the time G asked me to go to Laos with him and I responded with, "Sure, I love South America" (you have to admit it has a rather South American feel to it when pronounced lay-oss). Ok, maybe I'm not the best at knowing where exactly I'm headed in the world (I was sure Bangkok was the capital of China...) but let that not be a limiter in how God can use me. I'll just leave the names to people like the guy in my year 4 class, Craig, who read the atlas during free time.

But I'm proud to say I now know that Laos is in South East Asia and is in fact a neighbour to Thailand and Burma - my future stomping ground.

A heart's desire and a Godly man

I'm on a journey. One which I didn't ever think I would be on, though I always hoped that I might. To give a little bit of background, about 4 years ago, God gave me a real heart for the people of Burma (Myanmar) in South East Asia. I didn't really do anythng with these feelings and just liked talking to people about my passion for 'Myanmar' to which they often responded with intrigued looks as if to say "Where on earth are you talking about?". Over time, busy with study, graduating, starting my teaching career, this heart seemed to get lost somewhere under the piles of uni texts and social commitments. Until...

In February this year Rob Kilpatrick of World Vision spoke at my church and I had a chat with him about someof the similarities and differences between World Vision and Compassion (being a Compassion Sponsor and Advocate myself). We had a good informative chat and that was that. But about an hour later as I sat with my friends in the cafe playing that funny game where you put marbles in holes, Rob called me over to his table, handed me his business card and said, "You need to come to Burma." Sometimes God is so unsubtle. It was such a powerful moment and we both felt it as he realised the message he had delivered and I comprehended the mission I was being called to. I was to go to Burma.