Our house is right down the street from the pastor of Chiang Klang Baptist Church. His wife and daughter have been in South Thailand for the past 5 weeks visiting with her family. She only gets to see them every couple of years so when she goes, she makes it worth her while. We went to visit her yesterday and to let her know about her new neighbors. She told us that everyone on the street had already told her that there are these foreigners living down there and that the wife and daughter walk to the market and speak with everyone along the way and that they can't believe we actually speak Thai. I thought that was cute.

Here's a look at what we've been doing over the past few weeks. Of course this will all change next month : )

Monday: Blake travels into the villages with some of the other team members. They use chronological Bible Storying to teach stories from the Bible. They also have a time of praise and worship and prayer. They visit people in the hospitals and build relationships along the way. All of these villages have a small group of believers. Shawna works on training with TCT (Thai Country Trim). When Brenda and Brooks go back to the states for their 8 month state-side-assignment, Shawna will take over the Chiang Klang branch of this ministry. http://www.worldcraftsvillage.com/artisan.asp?name=Thai+Country+Trim&country=Thailand If Blake doesn't have to go out of town, then he keeps Aleah so that Shawna can travel around with Brenda to visit with the ladies that are involved in TCT. Shawna and Brenda do devotionals, take prayer requests, and settle TCT accounts.

Tuesday: Every Tuesday without fail is "Fill Your Cup Day". Our helper Baa Jaan keeps Aleah so that I can join the Bible Studies and training that take place in the morning. We all eat lunch together and then we play. It's basically an open afternoon to do whatever you want. Shawna usually comes home and takes a nap with Aleah. Blake usually hangs out with the guys playing ping pong or whatever. Then around 5 pm, we all get together and play ta-kraw. Some play while others help watch Aleah and the other kids- we swap around so that mom's can play too : )

Wednesday: Blake travels with the Mien group to encourage Christians and share with others who are interested in hearing the gospel. Shawna and Aleah join up with some team members to venture into some new villages. There is a new road that is being built and it allows us access to many many new Lua villages. We have been up and down this new road 4 times and haven't found any believers. We are doing surveys and other small things to build relationships in the villagers. Offering health care classes, giving out blankets, visiting with the older people who can't get around very good and sharing lots and lots of smiles are just a few things we do. We spend alot of time praying. Last Wednesday Shawna drove a vehicle because we needed two vehicles to get all the blankets hauled up the mountain. It's a tough drive! 2 hours in 1st or 2nd gear with hairpin curves that require backing up in order to make it up and fallen rocks and big cranes and bulldozers (4 wheel drive is a must have!). It's very exciting. Here's some pictures from the village:


Notice all the animistic charms tied around the house posts

Beautiful views

Brother and sister stay home with grandma while parents work in the fields. The youngest daughter of the village chief (good friends with Aleah) was scared and cried the first time we met her

Phrapa handing out blankets

School children worshipping the spirits

Lunch

Some fun in the river


Thursday: Blake either goes to Mien or Hmong villages where they use chronological bible storing and encourage the believers and share with others who are interested. It makes for a long day when it takes 2 grueling hours just to get to your destination. But it's always worth the trip because God is at work in these villages and people are coming to know Him every week!! Shawna and Aleah hang out at the house in the morning and either do some light visiting around our own village in the afternoon or work on more TCT training.

Friday: Blake keeps Aleah while Shawna goes on house visits to Soi Prau or does TCT training with Brenda. The "community development compound" is located in Soi Prau and there are no believers in this village. A few weeks ago a met a young girl who is trying to give up her addiction to alcohol because she is pregnant. She also showed me her arm where she cuts herself. Pray for her health as she cares for this little one growing inside her and battles her addiction. Above all she needs the Father!!

Saturday: Any number of things can happen on Saturday! But for the most part we are together as a family and run errands and visit friends. In the future, we are planning to have a play date with moms and kids from our village. Not sure what day we are going to have this, but thought I'd mention it here as a prayer request. Work days are different here than in the States. Saturday is just a normal run- of -the -mill day (kids go to school and praents go to work). Everyone is beginning to figure out that Saturday nights are always movie nights at the Arrington's. So we usually draw a crowd to watch a movie, drink kool-aid and eat Blake's delicious home made popcorn.

Sunday: Chiang Klang Church starts around 10:30 am. Next month I will begin teaching an English class to the children from Soi Prau. In the past the class was on Sunday's at 9 am, but there is talk about actually being able to teach the class one day a week at the school during the normal English sessions. So, we'll see what happens with that. The first Sunday of each month we eat lunch at church (Blake and I provide the dessert). We try to squeeze in a nap, but mostly end up preparing dinner and studying for the evening church service. At 4:30 we travel to Montipruek Two to lead a worship service, Blake uses chronological Bible Storying to teach the lessons and we have a children's type church while the adults go deeper into the Bible story (this all takes place inside a different house each week, which usually only has one room). I pack Aleah's dinner with us and she eats on the way to the village. Because once her feet hit the ground, she's gone! She loves running and playing with all the other kids. The rest of us eat sandwiches and snacks on the way back home. We return home sometime around 10 pm eat a more heavier dinner and crash into bed.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? I choose to put my hope in You, O God, for I will yet praise You, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I remember You! (Ps. 42: 5-6) In all my distress, You too are distressed, and the angel of Your presence saves me. In Your love and mercy You redeem me. You lift me up and carry me as You have done for Your children through all the days of old. (Isa 45:3) Lord, help me not to fear, for You are with me; I need not be dismayed, for You are my God. You will strengthen me and help me. You will uphold me with Your righteous right hand. (Isa. 41:10)

I love the way God meets us right where we are!! When I was a journeyman, my motto was "fear not." That motto got me places. It got me out of the bed and out of my room when I wanted to hide and not face another person that didn't speak English. it got me on the plane over and over again and into a country torn apart by war and oppression. It got food into my stomach. It flooded my head and heart with scripture verses, promises, and comfort. Well, He's reminding me of that again. Except this time, it's not just about me. It's about a family.

I can get so uptight about stuff and boy does Satan know it!! My "Fear Not" verses remind me to let go and let God. So what Aleah just ate out of the trash can. So what as soon as I dust and mop the house, it's dusty and needs mopping again. So what Aleah just threw my tennis shoes into the mop water. So what everyone is staring at me. So what I can see through the walls and ceiling of my house. So what. .. So what. . .So what. . .You've got your list too. It takes the joy out of us. Pretty soon we go days without laughing. We only see the negative in everything and Satan begins to get a foothold.

And so, I reminded once again, to Fear Not. . . let go .. let God. . .and live.



Aleah has a sneaky little habit of getting out of the house and running straight for the dirt and rocks. . .