Moving?

So, it seems as if my desire to live in Thailand is becoming more and more of a reality everyday. Just on Friday I got a phone call from someone in leadership in MBMSI (mennonite brethren mission services international), and we talked about my trip and about where I want to be and when I want to go, and they then proceeded to give me a tentative schedule.

He is pushing to have me accepted within the next two weeks, and then in May I will have to go to Abbotsford for team building and for getting to know the organization a bit better. I will also have to undergo a "missionary assessment". Am I crazy? Am I healthy? Am I going to cause damage to people in Thailand? In June, I will finished working at the church and then will spend the summer raising support. Come fall, I will have to move to Abbotsford and take some courses to become more familiar with MBMSI, and then hopefully I will be heading out to Thailand in January.

This is of course, not set in stone. Anything could happen. Heck, I could even be rejected by the organization, but it really seems as if God is in this and is leading the way forward. The next 10 months of my life seem filled with upheaval, goodbyes, and lots and lots of other things.

I'm so excited. This has been a dream of mine for about 5 years!!! But I also have a sadness about this time of my life being over...about leaving my friends and my family and about leaving everything I know behind. Excited about the adventure that this will be, but saddened by the loss.

Snow Storm? Seriously?

So, I'm back in Canada now and I'm really beginning to think that God has this funny sort of sense of humor. I had so been looking forward to a more mild, warm winter when I came home, but it was as if as soon as I got off the plane the weather changed and became unbearably cold. Yes, unbearably. I have not left the house yet today, and I don't really plan on it. I can't bring myself to do it. Plus, I'm struggling with a terrible bout of jet lag, so it might just be best that I stay in. Speaking does not come easy to me at the moment.

I have much debriefing and processing to do in the next few days. It's strange being back, and yet not strange at all. Maybe that's why it's so strange. Driving on the right hand side of the road really throws me off though. I just can't reconcile it in my mind. Everytime we turn a corner I become incredibly confused. Maybe I'm not road worthy yet. Watch out for me!! If you see some big, white car stalled in the middle of the road it's me, and I'm thinking. "Am I on the appropriate side of the road?".

I hope to see everyone soon...it will be great to catch up and hear how you are doing, and what's been going on in your lives in the last month. Let's do coffee, ok? And rice. I love rice. And anything else warm because my body is rejecting me. Seriously, what's up with this weather?

Male or Female?

There is this growing and common "trend", I guess you could say, sweeping it's way through the nation of Thailand. That is the trend of the 'gutoy'. At first glance you are deceived by their beauty, their long, dark hair, their meticulously done make-up, their feminine movements...and then you begin to notice things that just aren't right...adam's apples, 5 o'clock shadows and the like. You have just had a run-in with a lady boy.

This was my experience the other day. I decided that I best do something rather than mope around my hotel feeling sorry for myself, so I bartered with the neirest motosai driver, hopped on the back of his bike and braved the wild streets of Bangkok. We ended up at a very large mall. I began sauntering through, looking at this and at that, questioning the shop attendant on prices and such...then it happened! I picked up a lip gloss and began looking at it...perhaps my first mistake. It was then that this beautiful girl approached me and rambled off a confusing mix between English and Thai, I assume trying to convince me that I need to buy it. It was then that I realised not all was right with this person. She was a lady boy selling make-up in the cosmetics department! Somehow between me picking up the lip gloss and her approaching me, I got tricked into the make-up chair and she/he started doing my make-up. Now, I must say, she/he did a fantastic job and I later ran into some friends and they complimented me on a face well done. It was just one of those moments of uncertainty though..."where do I look?", "does she/he know that I'm looking at her/his whiskers?", "does she/he know that I know that she/he is not a girl?".

I am now on my last few remaining hours in Thailand. I have been saying my goodbyes...going for lunch, coffee and the like. I guess in the end, it is not goodbye. I'll be back. It's simply a 'see you later'.

Returning Shortly...

Well, I am no longer in the south...I am officially, as of 5:30am this morning, in Bangkok. Noisy, stinky, busy Bangkok. I am here alone seeking solitude, seeking rest, seeking God. My last few days shall be days of processing. There is so much to think and pray about.

I shall be home on Monday evening sometime. I can't really remember when I get in, thankfully my folks do. If you guys could be praying for me that would be great. I am experiencing some serious sadness right now...I am constantly on the verge of tears...I think I am just mourning leaving this place.

So, two more days and shall board a plane to begin my long journey back to Canada. 6 hour flight to Korea with a 12 hour lay over there, then a 9 or 10 hour flight to Seattle with a 5 hour lay over there, and then I fly into Calgary. I shall be tired and emotionally spent.

Anyway, a HUGE thank you to everyone for keeping up with my adventures...for reading my blog, for praying for me, and for being so encouraging. I have really appreciated it, and really needed it! Bless you all...see you in a few days!

Switzerland's Best

Cheers for all your thoughts and prayers through these days. I'm doing much better and have talked out this motorcycle accident thing, and I agree Paula...perhaps God had me there to pray. And pray I did.

Anyway, things have gotten underway. I picked my friend Kyle up from the Phuket (pronounced 'pooh-ket') airport on Monday and began the oh-so-familiar work of mixing cement and carrying buckets. The Thai people were impressed with my know-how, and I am impressed with how my body is standing up under such strenuous work. Now, you must know, as I work I am brushing shoulders with Switzerland's best. When I first met this team, I simply knew them as a soccer team, but the more I get to know them, the more I find out that they truly are famous people. One of them is Miss Switzerland 2003/2004 (she is also half canadian...maybe you can google her...Bianca is her first name), one of the guys is Swizerland's boxing champion and I doubled him on my motorbike (he's so big and heavy...I was afraid), and the rest of the guys are semi-pro football players. They are getting loads of publicity for this, and are going to be on tv all over the place for coming here and working. I spend my days with these people. It's kind of strange, in an absolutely not strange way at all.

I don't know if I said anything about this before, but I was able to make my way to Thapthawan (where our team worked last year), and was able to spend a bit of time with my old friends. It was such a great reunion! I am going to go back and bring photos for them to have from last year...it has been so good to see them, and to reconnect with people.

Anyway, my time seems to be coming to a rapid close. Only 10 more days to go. It makes me incredibly sad to be leaving here, but I also know that I will be coming back. This is simply a "see you later".