Hello! The packing has begun! We have already sent 3 pretty big plastic boxes to Arm's parents' house and we have 3 or 4 cardboard boxes here waiting to be filled. I'm actually not sure if we'll fill all of them up or not, but we'll see how many we get in the end. As usual, I'm waiting until the very end to take the few pictures off the walls that we have since I HATE bare walls. Once we get a house, I don't want ANY white walls hahaha. Things have been going fairly smoothly and it's caused me to start thinking of how our lives are going to change when we're in the states and I've come up with some pretty funny reverse culture shock aspects of American culture that I'm going to have to get used to. I'll share some of them with you for a funny note on this blog.
1) Grocery Shopping: You have NO idea how easy it is to get good, healthy food on the street in Bangkok, especially around our apartment, plus, it's all cheap! There's a restaurant on the first floor of our apartment, one at the top of our street, and two more one street over from us. If we get tired of that, there's several places in the grocery store where our church is. Plus, if we need any toiletries, etc. Arm is at church every day which is in a store that carries all of that, so he just picks it up on his way home. I think my mom's going to have some teaching to do as far as the basics to keep in a refridgerator as well as saving money techniques and websites. If you have any great coupon websites or any money saving techniques, please share them!
2) 13 million to 10,863: That's quite a jump in population! We're used to having 7-11s, public transportation, walking everywhere, movie theaters and a large variety of restaurants within 20 minutes of us and lights on all the time. That's definitely going to be an adjustment! Arm really enjoys the country life, but also really enjoys the convenience of city life, and ever since college, I've been a city girl, so it's going to take us a little while to adjust, but I think it will be a breathe of fresh air at the same time.
3) Spirit Houses to Crosses: A change that I feel will be very welcome is we will be leaving behind living in a Buddhist culture and moving to one where Christianity is well known. While I know churches, etc. have their problems and no one's perfect, I'm not dreading the fact that we won't have to attend anymore Buddhist ceremonies or funerals because I can't think of anything more depressing. There's also other aspects of Budhist culture that will be nice to leave behind as well.
4) Left to Right: In Thailand, we drive on the left side of the road and in the USA, we drive on the right side of the road. Since I don't really drive in Thailand, I'm always sitting in the same seat. I remember the last time I was in the states in May 2007, I drove on the wrong side of the road 3 times, but never got in an accident (Praise God!). It's a little confusing when turning hahaha. This will be more of a battle for Arm, however, he might do better than I will. hahaha.
5) 1 to 4: While there are slight changes in the weather from burning hot, to wet, to bearable, it's not quite as much of a change as we have in the states, however, even though I'm not a fan of cold weather, I'm looking forward to some more changes in the weather, because many days it seems like every day is the same here, even if it really is Christmas or Easter, etc.
6) Apartment to house: Currently, Arm and I are living in a one room apartment and to be honest, the walls are closing in hahaha. It will be nice when we get to my parents' house and eventually in our own apartment/house and be able to go to another room if Arm wants to watch a movie I don't want to watch or not trip over cords that stretches from our "living room" to our washing machine or to have to pick everything up all the time or else we can't walk easily. We love spending time together and it's not horrible, but it will be nice to have some extra space and a kitchen to cook in!
7) Selection: Shopping will definitely be more fun in the states because although there is a wide selection in Bangkok of many things, there's only so many that I can wear or buy. At least half of the lotion here is whitening lotion, which I really don't need, my feet are about 1/2" too big for the shoes even in high scale department stores, and even though I'm a size 6 now, clothing is still a challenge. Oddly enough, it seems as if I'm either too big or too small for all the clothes here now as well as it's all a bubbly style that isn't even slightly form fitting, which just doesn't flatter me. I'm SO excited to hit the clearance racks and Payless Shoes!
I hope you've enjoyed a little windown into our world as you see how our lives are going to change. Please pray for us as we're going through all of these changes and even more than we can see right now. We know God is walking through us in all of this and we trust Him and we covet your prayers and thoughts as well. Please pray for us to sell a few things that we're trying to sell. May God bless you and keep you in His ways.
1/27/10
1/18/10
1 month to go!!!
Hello! I can't believe it's almost one month before Arm and I will be starting a new chapter of our lives. As you can imagine, we have SO many mixed emotions, and yes, some surprises are still coming up. The biggest one is that Duke's hip became dislocated and while we THOUGHT he wouldn't need surgery, Arm talked to 2 more veterinarians who say he DOES need surgery. We know God provided for us once, and we know He will again. We have saved up a good amount of money in Thailand so that we can have a pretty good start in the states, but all of the surprises are causing a bit of extra stress. Please pray for Arm and I that we will trust God and (especially me) just calm down. I think I'm the one who gets more stressed then Arm does, but we both have our moments.
However, enough talk about stress and problems! Time for some fun!!!! I thought I would share some things Arm and I have both enjoyed from being married.
1) Having a friend with us at all times.
2) Having someone accept us for the good and the bad.
3) Having someone to challenge us to be better.
4) Having someone to be nerdy and silly with.
5) Having someone to walk into a new, exciting, and scary adventure with :D.
Well, those are a few things about us for something fun :D.
Finally, some prayer requests. Obviously, please keep praying for Arm and I, however, there are a few other things I would like you to pray for.
1) Jan has seemed to find a church that she likes! Thanks to the recommendation of a friend of ours, she has found a church which is younger and they do a LOT of singing. Jan is an amazing singer, so it fits her well. Please pray that she will continue to find friends there and that she will be plugged in. She really needs a community to support her, especially since I'm leaving. It's been hard on her, but if she can get plugged in at this church, it could be like having 10 people like me, which would be amazing for her to grow!
2) A lot of the students in Arm's group at church are having various problems, but thankfully not personal problems within the group. Please keep Kat, Nicky, Bun, Oo-m, and Dang in your prayers.
3) One of the major problems within the church is the desire to be married. Thais already think about getting married late (around 28-32) and your options are significantly reduced, so a lot of them think a lot about getting married. Please pray they will entrust that to God and focus on getting to know Him rather than figuring out how to get to know other guys/girls in the church. Even singles in the states struggle with this, but there are less than 1% Christian, so Thai Christians sacrifice when they become Christians and it is on their minds.
4) Pray for the church. They are having to move out of their current location and the mission organization made a good decision and decided it's time for the church to stand on their own, so all the support money has been slowly phasing out over the last 2 years and they just recently recieved their last check. They only have about 2 months left in their current location and they're still not in agreement. There's a lot of feelings going on right now and it's kind of stressful for them. Pray that God will use this to strengthen them as a team and they will be refined as gold.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. Arm and I really appreciate it! Please send us e-mails and prayer requests so that we may know better how to pray for you all as well. I miss you and can't wait to reconnect and Arm is very anxious to meet everyone. May God bless you all!
However, enough talk about stress and problems! Time for some fun!!!! I thought I would share some things Arm and I have both enjoyed from being married.
1) Having a friend with us at all times.
2) Having someone accept us for the good and the bad.
3) Having someone to challenge us to be better.
4) Having someone to be nerdy and silly with.
5) Having someone to walk into a new, exciting, and scary adventure with :D.
Well, those are a few things about us for something fun :D.
Finally, some prayer requests. Obviously, please keep praying for Arm and I, however, there are a few other things I would like you to pray for.
1) Jan has seemed to find a church that she likes! Thanks to the recommendation of a friend of ours, she has found a church which is younger and they do a LOT of singing. Jan is an amazing singer, so it fits her well. Please pray that she will continue to find friends there and that she will be plugged in. She really needs a community to support her, especially since I'm leaving. It's been hard on her, but if she can get plugged in at this church, it could be like having 10 people like me, which would be amazing for her to grow!
2) A lot of the students in Arm's group at church are having various problems, but thankfully not personal problems within the group. Please keep Kat, Nicky, Bun, Oo-m, and Dang in your prayers.
3) One of the major problems within the church is the desire to be married. Thais already think about getting married late (around 28-32) and your options are significantly reduced, so a lot of them think a lot about getting married. Please pray they will entrust that to God and focus on getting to know Him rather than figuring out how to get to know other guys/girls in the church. Even singles in the states struggle with this, but there are less than 1% Christian, so Thai Christians sacrifice when they become Christians and it is on their minds.
4) Pray for the church. They are having to move out of their current location and the mission organization made a good decision and decided it's time for the church to stand on their own, so all the support money has been slowly phasing out over the last 2 years and they just recently recieved their last check. They only have about 2 months left in their current location and they're still not in agreement. There's a lot of feelings going on right now and it's kind of stressful for them. Pray that God will use this to strengthen them as a team and they will be refined as gold.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. Arm and I really appreciate it! Please send us e-mails and prayer requests so that we may know better how to pray for you all as well. I miss you and can't wait to reconnect and Arm is very anxious to meet everyone. May God bless you all!
1/12/10
2010. . . What a doozie!
Hello to everyone! Well, 2010 has been qquite a doozie for Arm and I. I hope it has been better for you. We've had quite a few surprises pertaining to our dogs. First, Arm's favorite dog, Duke, the one we've had the longest, got out of the gate and was hit by a car and broke his femur bone and needed surgery. Praise God that a guy that Arm knew from college helped us out a lot and gave us a discounted rate! It was SUCH a blessing.
A few days after that, we got a call from Arm's dad. Arm had a red Thai dog that was a very good breed and we bred her. She was supposed to have her puppies this past week. However, when Arm's dad called, we found out someone had poisoned her and she died. This hit Arm and his family pretty hard since they really loved this dog. We were also planning to sell her puppies and one of them was already promised to someone.
Our third surprise is Duke again. This past Sunday, we noticed the leg he had surgery on was hurting him again and so we took him to the same vet as before. We found out he dislocated his femur bone, but his previous surgery was fine. We didn't think he would need surgery again, but Arm talked with another vet and he said he should have surgery. We really don't want to put him through surgery again, however we will talk to a few more doctors and see what the majority say.
Through all of this God has been gracious and continually providing for us through friends, encouragement, and each other. We definitely know it could be much worse and we're thankful for everything God has given us. God is also preparing the way for us in the states, which is a wonderful confirmation that we are following His lead. If you've ever moved even in the USA, generally as time moves closer, you wonder if you're doing the right thing. Well, moving to the other side of the world is an even bigger jump and God has continually confirmed us over and over again that this is what He wants us to do.
Things to pray for:
1) Moving schdule: I'm a planner, but most Thai people are not. Please pray that things will go according to plan so that it will be as low stress as possible. For those of you who have moved, you know moving is anything but low stress. If we can stay on target, it will make everything easier on Arm and I and we will be able to enjoy our time here.
2) Jobs: My mom has been wonderful and is looking for starter jobs for us in different places and things look good, but also pray for that God will provide more permanent jobs with insurance, etc. for us.
3) Housing situation: My parents have graciously allowed us to stay with them, which is more than we could've asked for. They're even turning an upstairs bedroom into a living room for us, which is so sweet of them! Please pray that everything will work out. Arm and I are hoping to stay there for 6 months to a year. Pray that this will strengthen all of our relationships and our marriage.
4) Arm: Changing cultures is a huge change and Arm's never been away from home more than 2 months when he stayed in the USA. I'm so thankful that Arm has gotten to know my parents, especially my mom since she was able to come here for a month before our wedding, as well as a couple of my family members through e-mail and skype and 2 of my parents close friends. I'm also happy that we're living with my parents so that he won't be home alone if I get a job first. However, continue to pray for him. It will be a big adjustment for him, but we're both ready for the new adventure God is bringing our way.
God has continually provided for us thus far and we have confidence and faith in Him that He will continue to do so and we are so thankful and encouraged by knowing all of you will be lifting us up before His throne. May God bless you all and continually provide for all of your needs.
A few days after that, we got a call from Arm's dad. Arm had a red Thai dog that was a very good breed and we bred her. She was supposed to have her puppies this past week. However, when Arm's dad called, we found out someone had poisoned her and she died. This hit Arm and his family pretty hard since they really loved this dog. We were also planning to sell her puppies and one of them was already promised to someone.
Our third surprise is Duke again. This past Sunday, we noticed the leg he had surgery on was hurting him again and so we took him to the same vet as before. We found out he dislocated his femur bone, but his previous surgery was fine. We didn't think he would need surgery again, but Arm talked with another vet and he said he should have surgery. We really don't want to put him through surgery again, however we will talk to a few more doctors and see what the majority say.
Through all of this God has been gracious and continually providing for us through friends, encouragement, and each other. We definitely know it could be much worse and we're thankful for everything God has given us. God is also preparing the way for us in the states, which is a wonderful confirmation that we are following His lead. If you've ever moved even in the USA, generally as time moves closer, you wonder if you're doing the right thing. Well, moving to the other side of the world is an even bigger jump and God has continually confirmed us over and over again that this is what He wants us to do.
Things to pray for:
1) Moving schdule: I'm a planner, but most Thai people are not. Please pray that things will go according to plan so that it will be as low stress as possible. For those of you who have moved, you know moving is anything but low stress. If we can stay on target, it will make everything easier on Arm and I and we will be able to enjoy our time here.
2) Jobs: My mom has been wonderful and is looking for starter jobs for us in different places and things look good, but also pray for that God will provide more permanent jobs with insurance, etc. for us.
3) Housing situation: My parents have graciously allowed us to stay with them, which is more than we could've asked for. They're even turning an upstairs bedroom into a living room for us, which is so sweet of them! Please pray that everything will work out. Arm and I are hoping to stay there for 6 months to a year. Pray that this will strengthen all of our relationships and our marriage.
4) Arm: Changing cultures is a huge change and Arm's never been away from home more than 2 months when he stayed in the USA. I'm so thankful that Arm has gotten to know my parents, especially my mom since she was able to come here for a month before our wedding, as well as a couple of my family members through e-mail and skype and 2 of my parents close friends. I'm also happy that we're living with my parents so that he won't be home alone if I get a job first. However, continue to pray for him. It will be a big adjustment for him, but we're both ready for the new adventure God is bringing our way.
God has continually provided for us thus far and we have confidence and faith in Him that He will continue to do so and we are so thankful and encouraged by knowing all of you will be lifting us up before His throne. May God bless you all and continually provide for all of your needs.
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