Another School Year

The kids arrived a few days ago to get ready for the new school year, which will start this wednesday. They've been cleaning their rooms, and I've been helping pick the lice from the girls' heads. Also, we just had what we call "Relative Work days." This is where the students relatives come from the villages and help clean up the compound and clear the rice patties so they are ready to be planted.
Today, we had a game day, teaching the students about team work and getting them in a mind set to work together throughout the year.

Akha Delicacy: termites

Around this time of the year, here in Thailand we have termites that grow wings and fly around happy as can be. They are attracted to light and so when night falls, you must be sure your door is closed and all the cracks are sealed because once you turn the light on inside, they will crawl through trying to get in. It takes but a day for them to die and then as you walk out in the morning, there are just piles of them everywhere. So the Akha pick them up and pluck off their wings, fry and eat them as a treat. Oh, doesn't that just sound lovely; makes ya hungry, mmm!  

Village Life

Recently, I spent some time in a few of the Akha villages and was privileged to take part in their daily happenings. As you might assume, life is pretty simplistic yet raw. Their mode is survival and unfortunately, this brings out the harsh temperaments of the Akha, to the point where they don't even have the phrases "I love you," I'm sorry," "Hello, how are you?" in their original language. When the first missionaries came to the Akha, they incorporated those phrases borrowing from the surrounding languages.
Their days are spent in the fields (rice, coffee, or tea) working early morning to evening. They are very hard working people, in fact, when women have babies, they are given but a few days rest and it's back out to the fields with their babies tied to their backs. Because the Akha are the lowest of the low in Thailand, they do not have the best of opportunities to enhance their situation so they heavily depend on this lifestyle. Many of the older generation cannot read or write which poses a problem when it comes to disciple those who have chosen to follow Christ. Even then, those who have claimed to be a follower leave it at that, a declaration of no further value. It is difficult for those who have become believers because they are first generation Christians and they come with a lot of baggage; spiritual strongholds that need breaking, emotional strongholds, etc.. In addition to the negative pressure of their fellow village members.  Not too long ago, one Sunday I went up to the villages and saw about four families turn their lives over to Christ. Although, the entire family converts when the husband, the head of the family, decides to, so I am not sure how much in agreement the family members were in each of the families. When they make this decision, we go into their house, pray and worship with them, then take down their household gods and cut their spirit bracelets which they have always worn. It is truly a powerful moment.
There are a lot of superstitions and fears that flow within the community, such as distrust of doctors. So they have their own and I was able to witness some of their 'practices'. I was sitting chatting with a staff member here at AOF in her house with her mom, who happened to be one of the doctors. A boy walks in explaining how his ankle was injured during his playing football (soccer). (I didn't even see a scratch) but, the lady took out a stick with a piece of broken glass on one end and started tapping the sore ankle until blood came up. She then flipped the stick to the flat end and patted the area, in the meantime, she was melting lead to which she put on his ankle and let dry. Then, a girl walks in and says her neck hurts, so the lady takes a tennis ball with which a side is cut off and before she suctions it on to the area, she does the same step she did on the boys ankle with the glass stick (she just rinsed the blood of the glass). After about ten minutes she takes the tennis ball off and shows me the amount of blood in it. I do not understand how this seems to work but I do believe it is more of a mind issue.
There is so much more I wish to write, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I will gladly respond.

I have included a video of some of the Akha students here on campus singing.

Intercultural fellowship

Today is Sunday the 19th of March and normally there would be a lot of hustling and bustling at 5am but this morning, no such thing occurred. Summer break is upon us and 90% of the Akha orphans have gone home to their villages for summer break. Therefore, it is rather quite and dead throughout the compound. Of course, I bless God for the break especially since worship was altered due to the few members of bodies. When 8:30 rolled around, I headed over to A-Je and Nancy's house along with one other staff member to gather for a personal and revised church service. All those in attendance where A-Je, Nancy, their two sons Zion and Silas, myself, Ameh- the staff member, A-Je's niece Buti, and a friend from China. We started out with a few songs, and then went around the circle explaining our "life verse" to the group. A-Je took the leadership initiative and had each of us, once stating our verses, give three bullet points in following up with our statements. He then proceeded to ask us to give verses to back up those points we were making. It was rather interesting, the whole study which lasted three hours, because at one point Nancy leaned over to me and pointed out that there were four different languages present: Akha, Thai, Chinese, and English. Along with this, we each had our Bibles in our own language! Who would have thought that you could have such an in-depth time of study with that many languages! God is amazing, is He not!? Towards the closing of the self-made service, Buti- A-Je's niece, said that when we as Followers of Christ gather together for fellowship, it should always be based from the Bible. She did not mean when we come together just for specific Bible Study but whenever we are among each other, we converse with the Bible as our main focus, with Christ as our main focus. What is the point of idle time spent together? What eternal value is there in that? We need to have a Kingdom focused mindset when we speak as Paul refers to several times in Ephesians 4:29/ 5:4-5/ 5:19-20.

There's something bigger going on...

Greetings everyone-my sincerest apologies for the delay in update. Though I cannot say it was so much due to a randomly busy schedule as it is to the fact that God has been working on that good work He promised each of us, in myself. To add- my lack of communication is tied in with not knowing how to relay of all that has happened.
As each day dawns afresh the sun birthing a panoramic masterpiece for the eye to behold challenging the moon to follow suit in it's splendor as the dusk curtain falls to a weary world, truly I am astounded at the place God has called me to sojourn. My thoughts swirl within my mind, "Who am I that the Lord would care so much for me to have sent me to Thailand?" But then He speaks, "My ways are not your ways, My thoughts are not your thoughts." One moon has passed the date of arrival yet it seems the author must have stumbled upon a time warp for it relates longer personally.
The title of this specific post correlates with the events that have happened thus far since my last report. Take a journey with me a few months in the past-as I was praying about this trip the Lord stated there was something bigger going on than just an internship. I didn't know fully what He meant but I stored it in my pocket as hope for the future. Jump back to the present- in this former month, God has very much blown my mind at the swift wielding of His sword in my life. The healing and deliverance I would have expected to take at least a year, He has accomplished in four weeks-now that's the Lord for ya! The revelations and longingly passionate pursuit of Him has overtaken my soul. I can not explain or put in to words how Papa has taken hold of me. I suppose you can picture it a little like this: A gardener is walking along down a street in a deserted little, old town and he notices to his right a plot of land. Now this tiny piece of earth was sadly pathetic in appearence with trash littered across and dead, brown grass overlaying in patches. Although, there was life of a small pond grasping for space amidst the debrie. This, the sower took to note as he continued his stroll home. The next morning the laborer arrives at the same spread with all his equipment ready for a hard days work. Section by section the alloted acreage begins to bloom under the harvester's hands. Hours later as the skyline appears low on the horizen the reaper stands up, wipes his dirt stained hands on his pants as he exhales a low whistle of pride gazing upon the trodden down patch turned amazon. That, my friends, is our relationship with the Lord, woudn't you say? Of course, one's day may be another's year but in the end He still stands gazing upon the amazon we have become. Understand though, I am not stating that I have now become perfect- far from it. This illustration was merely to paint a picture in your minds of what it has felt like for me.
Now that I have used up your time, I best let you go about your day.

Until next time...

Missions

If someone were to have asked me before I left for this trip, "Natasha, what is missions, what does it mean to you and why do you want to be a missionary?" I am most sure I would have responded along the lines of, "Well, missions is not only limited to overseas, it includes our very own communities. To me, it is telling others about the Gospel, ushering in the Kingdom of Christ and I want to be a missionary because God's Son was one."  I guess you could say there isn't anything too wrong with that answer...right? Though I have only been here one week, it has truly been one of the the longest weeks I've yet had to endure. Who would have thought that in such short a time, God would have completely wiped out my hardrive of all I knew and started remodeling His own! That is what He is well known for! Now, my view on missions is shifting. Ask me again that former question and I would begin (notice I said begin for I am not ready to complete it) to say missions is the purpose of the Church and God's very heart beats missions! The title "Missionary" is not subjected to a list of specific requirenments that are only able to be done while on the field. A missionary is one who has wholeheartedly surrenedered every fiber of their being to God's will and use. So when God says go there, stay here, preach that, build this, they cannot help but respond in utter joy that the Lord has trusted them enough to use them! Continuing my answer I would state my reasons to be a missionry are because #1. The Lord has placed it heavily upon my heart to give everything up, my life, my thoughts, what I thought I knew, my comforts, so that He can give me everything, His life, His thoughts, what He knows, His comforts etc. #2. If God's heart beats missions, I want my heart to follow suit. #3. This is where I cannot complete my answer for God is still working in me. Oh of course, it's not a perfect answer compared to those who have written books on missions, preached on the subject, and are even missionaries themselves, but It is what is on my heart from Him.
That is all I am going to say for this post, thanks for reading and may the Lord rewire your hardrive:)

In the dust of His feet, Natasha

2 Days in Thailand already!

Right now, it is currently 8:33pm Saturday night here in Chiang Rai, Thailand with a temperature of 81degrees. I have just taken a cold shower, or at least, it's like a shower. Much different than the States, here on the compound of AOF, you have a hose attached to the wall next to the toilet with a big bucket you fill with cold water (no hot water) and pour on yourself with a cup. It is a great way to wake up feeling refreshed!
I arrived at AOF yesterday afternoon around 3pm to see the Bible students (the Akha people who come to learn the Bible and how to be a pastor) pouring cement into a sidewalk. On the compound, everything is done manually with no outside paid help. The Akha orphans have daily chores, school (with which they have a month left) and as of late they have been rehearsing a dance for the 10th anniversary celebration of the Organization. AOF has its own rice fields which is worked by the Bible students, orphans, and staff when they have the free time. The campus is located conveniantly within walking distance of the town, in fact, just today I walked down the street with a 40 year old Akha lady-her name is Achu, (she is a cook here for the kids) to buy some food she was going to prepare for her husband, son, and mother-in-law. It was an open market with fresh vegetables, fruit, poultry, pork, and fish. It was interesting to walk through, almost like a farmer's market but ten times better since it was in its traditional setting. Her english is very broken thus making communicating rather difficult but still possible. She has asked me to help her speak English and in the process, she is helping me speak Akha. The Akha are considered the lowest of the low in Thailand, like in India the 'untouchables' are at the bottom of the caste system. They are very poor and have very little personal items but a beautiful strength of theirs is hospitality. They would kill their last chicken for you to have something eat.
The first evening I was here, I got up in front of the Bible students and orphans (who are all Akha, the only white people are myself, Nancy, and Juliana-who is from Georga and has been at AOF for 3 years now) and introduced myself. Well, I found out that my name was too long for them to say and so they gave me a new Akha name- Aba (it sounds the same as if you are saying the Hebrew name for daddy, Abba) which means 'White Skin.' I then proceeded to explain how I too was an orphan and therefore could relate with them.
Previously this day, I ate dinner with Achu and a few other Akha. We sat on a tarp outside on the ground and laid on the tarp were dishes with Cabbage, cut pieces of lime, cut pork and hot dog bits, very spicy pepper sauce, white noodles, and fish (which still was in it's original form). I learned that you break off a peice of cabbage, and take a little peice of each item or whatever you want to eat, and you put that in the cabbage, roll it up and eat it. The variety of flavor was surprisingly tasty! I challenge all of you to try eating a meal like that!
Though my experience will be one of many different culture differences, it is also going to be one of many challenges set by the Lord to overcome along with falling more in love with Him and growing deeper in the walk of faith. I have seen these Akha kids worship and it is so moving and heart warming to see their joy! When they sing, you can hear it from a distance for it is so loud! When they pray, they all pray out loud and their prayers are earnest and sincere! When they do their daily chores, they do it with joy! They are such beautiful people and they have inspired me greatly and I have only been here 2 days!

I better go now and get some rest for a new day. May the Lord walk with you in your day and may you listen to His prodding:)

Until next time....

Departure day just around the corner...

There is a quote by Hudson Taylor that goes something like this: "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply." I have found this to be so very true as I have taken these past six months to prepare. Coming home from the Honor Academy in August, my departure date for Thailand just didn't seem very real or that it would ever truly happen. Sure, I wanted and planned to go but you know how that is completely different from the actual verb "going".  Now, as my suitcase has been packed, along with my carry on and the 6am Wednesday departure date approaches, the realization of the whole trip is falling upon me at a rather fast head on pace. I know that the Lord has many wonderful challenges ahead for me, and it isn't that I am worried He won't do the best for me, it is how painful His best is going to be. If you ever want Him to shake your world upside down, tell Him you'll do whatever He wants no questions asked! I was sitting in my room this morning, staring at its emptiness from packing, and I was pondering over the relationships the Lord takes us through. There will always be those He places in our lives for a season just so we can learn something for an upcoming challenge. Then He takes them out of our lives physcially but they will always be there in our memories. Yes, that is one of the hardest things about leaving on this trip, because I know He will do it again with the Akha. Secretly, I am very anxious at meeting everyone over there. You know how it is, new environment, new schedule, new people, new everything! I suppose it is like that quote, "If you want to move a mountain, you must begin by removing the small stones." The mountain in my situation happens to be fear of change and as these two years pass by the Lord will help me to erase it day by day as He sets before my feet obstacles to overcome which will, in the end, refine and mold me to be more like Him! Thank you for all your prayers, keep 'em coming and stay tuned for I shall update this when I arrive in Thailand!

In case you wanted to know my flight plans:

Depart Minneapolis Airport: 8am Wednesday Morning Jan.26
Arrive in Chicago: 9:35am Jan. 26
Depart to Seoul, South Korea: 11:30am, Jan. 26
Arrive in Seol, South Korea: 4:20pm, Jan. 27
Depart to Bangkok: 5:25p Jan. 27
Arrive in Bangkok: 9:10pm Jan. 27
Depart to Chiang Rai: 1:40p Jan. 28
Arrive in Chiang Rai: 3:00p Jan. 28

From the airport in Chiang Rai, Thailand, Nancy will be picking Don and I up to bring us to the Akha Outreach Foundation (AOF) Compound!

Until Next time...

In the dust of His feet,

Natasha