Classes have finally started and are going well. It is very strange to be the teacher especially when the students can hardly understand me. Our first class had only two students but it was very good practice for them. Our second class had only one student and Beth and I taught her personally and I felt that she really learned alot (her name is Mai). Our third class which was on Tuesday had about 13 and that class went incredibly well and really got us excited about what we are doing here. Today however was a rollercoaster of classes. Our first class was a lot of freshman and they were very VERY shy. We try to have a lot of interactive activities that will get them to speak and be able to practice but they just didn't want to be involved. I was the one introducing the class and I led the first excercise and I was literally like please nod your head if you understand....no response....raise your hand if you understand...no response just blank stares...ridiculous. They finally did loosen up a little bit but the section I led was excruciating. Then our 2 other classes had 20 to 30 students and they were very active and willing to participate. I even met a girl named Mate that spent a summer in Wyoming which I of course love and we got a chance to talk and get to know each other because of that connection.
God has been really good about bringing about connections that you would never expect. Beth was buying bananas the other day from a street vendor and was having trouble communicating and then BAM the girl started speaking german (she learned German in school) and Beth is a german minor and it was just like the haze lifted and they could understand one another. Beth's dad's response was that only God can bring a girl who is a german minor to Thailand to witness to a Thai woman in German..only God would care that much. Which is so powerful and awesome.
Last Sunday I was in charge of worship which always makes me a little nervous because I am not all that great at playing guitar. On top of that though, I lost my voice recently due to sinus problems and so I couldn't sing and had to rely on Beth who sings beautifully to be my voice and carry the tune. It was really hard to play along without singing, especially when the group started singing in Thai and needless to say I messed up alot. It was ok though I really wasn't embarassed or anything I was more just frustrated that I couldn't play these easy songs that I play perfectly all the time in front of the group. But then, that night about 7 or 8 of our Thai friends came over to our apartment. They told us they would be at worship with us but they never showed up so what did God do...he made rain ;). It started raining really hard and they weren't able to leave for a couple of hours because all they have are motorscooters. During that time we were able to play Christian music with them and also sing in Thai (p.s. at that time I did play perfectly...even through the Thai songs...God is so faithful). We also got to play some games with them and just really bond and grow some closer relationships. We had worship even though they had decided to miss our worship service earlier that day.
Tonight we went with those same friends to a Thai beauty pageant where all the guys and girls that were in the program wore traditional Thai clothing and there were traditional dances. It was really really cool and we really enjoyed some more time to get closer to these students. My prayer is that they would really open up to us while we are here and expose the parts of themselves that are vulnerable and hurting and broken. While people seem ok, almost everyone is hurting in some way and I know that is true of these people who don't even know the one that created them. I hope that we will be able to encourage them in their brokenness and be able to point them to the Lord and show them how he can heal us all. I also want to ask you all to pray for me because on Sunday I am leading the English bible study. I am going to tell the story of the fall of Adam and Eve and lead some discussion and I just want to do a good job and have good questions that will really make people think. I also don't want to be nervous...which I will say, I am not yet. I hoped I would be able to share some more pictures but I can't yet...hopefully I will be able to in the next couple of days. Thank you all for your prayers and encouraging words. ;)
Rachel
God has been really good about bringing about connections that you would never expect. Beth was buying bananas the other day from a street vendor and was having trouble communicating and then BAM the girl started speaking german (she learned German in school) and Beth is a german minor and it was just like the haze lifted and they could understand one another. Beth's dad's response was that only God can bring a girl who is a german minor to Thailand to witness to a Thai woman in German..only God would care that much. Which is so powerful and awesome.
Last Sunday I was in charge of worship which always makes me a little nervous because I am not all that great at playing guitar. On top of that though, I lost my voice recently due to sinus problems and so I couldn't sing and had to rely on Beth who sings beautifully to be my voice and carry the tune. It was really hard to play along without singing, especially when the group started singing in Thai and needless to say I messed up alot. It was ok though I really wasn't embarassed or anything I was more just frustrated that I couldn't play these easy songs that I play perfectly all the time in front of the group. But then, that night about 7 or 8 of our Thai friends came over to our apartment. They told us they would be at worship with us but they never showed up so what did God do...he made rain ;). It started raining really hard and they weren't able to leave for a couple of hours because all they have are motorscooters. During that time we were able to play Christian music with them and also sing in Thai (p.s. at that time I did play perfectly...even through the Thai songs...God is so faithful). We also got to play some games with them and just really bond and grow some closer relationships. We had worship even though they had decided to miss our worship service earlier that day.
Tonight we went with those same friends to a Thai beauty pageant where all the guys and girls that were in the program wore traditional Thai clothing and there were traditional dances. It was really really cool and we really enjoyed some more time to get closer to these students. My prayer is that they would really open up to us while we are here and expose the parts of themselves that are vulnerable and hurting and broken. While people seem ok, almost everyone is hurting in some way and I know that is true of these people who don't even know the one that created them. I hope that we will be able to encourage them in their brokenness and be able to point them to the Lord and show them how he can heal us all. I also want to ask you all to pray for me because on Sunday I am leading the English bible study. I am going to tell the story of the fall of Adam and Eve and lead some discussion and I just want to do a good job and have good questions that will really make people think. I also don't want to be nervous...which I will say, I am not yet. I hoped I would be able to share some more pictures but I can't yet...hopefully I will be able to in the next couple of days. Thank you all for your prayers and encouraging words. ;)
Rachel
3 comments:
Love you and miss you! I am very excited about how God is working in Thailand!!!
Hey so I love you and miss you. I haven't been able to read your blog yet because of work, but I'll read it this weekend I promise. I love you!
I love reading your blogs. You are a wonderful witness all the way from Thailand right here to me in Chattanooga, TN! :) God Bless you little neice!
Love,
Aunt Cathy
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