Teaching English

So Tracy and I met Kim at the coffee shop we go to about every weekday after we drop off our boys at school.  Kim asked Tracy and I if we knew someone who would teach she and her boyfriend English.  So today was the first day of our lesson.  Had so much fun with these two!  Was able to hear a little bit about their life and consequently I was able to share how Jesus changed my life and why I am in Thailand...I think this is the start to a wonderful relationship.  So grateful to The Lord for this opportunity.

The car!!! Here it is!!!!!

Hey guys!!! 

Tracy and I just wanted to express to you all how thankful and grateful we are to have you behind us, thinking about us, praying, and financially giving to help us get this vehicle!!!!  You have no idea how much of a blessing it is!!!  Seriously!!! It has enough seats to bring Thai friends with us different places...AND when The Lord allows and opens the door for the adoption of a future child into our family, we will already be set with with a seat in our car and in our heart for him/her.  So I know words can not do justice to how overwhelmed we feel by your love and support....THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEART!

PS. When you come to Thailand we'll take you on a spin!

Cecil

Language...phase 3 complete

So Tracy and I recently completed our 3rd module and just finished with the exam!  So each module is one book, each book has approximately 20 lessons and each lesson has anywhere from 12-20 vocabulary words.  Recently it has been a struggle to just continue with language on a daily basis.  It feels like we are hitting a wall, and just really trying hard to persevere.  We have been in Thailand for approximately 7 1/2 months and have been studying Thai a little over 6 months.  Tracy and I have recently incorporated into our schedule a morning and afternoon sabbath rest...which has been very life-giving.  We have noticed that we just keep going with little reprieve and have noticed signs that we would head toward "burn-out" unless we paced ourselves and incorporated rest and time to enjoy The Lord during our weekly routine.  I am grateful for friends who encourage us to pace ourselves and whose lives have been very refreshing to Tracy and me.  I must say I am very jazzed about this next season of language as well!  We are finally going to start reading and writing!  I have been studying it on my own and I am so excited to focus in on it full-time.  Please continue to pray for us as we go deeper in language, the culture and our friendships with Thai people..I feel that the more I get to know them the more I have a heart filled with love and compassion toward them.

Cecil

In Thailand as it is in Heaven

Gangee's visit--AKA Jana

So we had Tracy's mom, Jana, come and stay with us recently.  Such a great time of being with her and we certainly were so blessed to have our sons have a wonderful opportunity to spend time with their grandmother.  We are so blessed to be able to stay in contact via technology and how Jana would be able to have the courage to hop on a plane and travel across the world to be with us.  We pray that The Lord would continue to bless her and Bob.  We love and miss you Gangee and we look forward to seeing you again!!!!

Cec

ACTION in Thailand

So Tracy and I had the wonderful opportunity to do a few day orientation with these wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ.  I was able to connect more with the guys since they stayed with us for a few nights.  It's really ironic...up until a few years ago I was the one going on short term mission trips and looking up to the long-term missionaries, now Tracy and I are in the position of a "long-term missionary.  Such a great honor.  I had such a blast hanging out with these guys...their energy and zeal for Jesus and his Gospel was so refreshing and inspiring.  I know every team that comes probably won't be like this team but I look forward to being in a position to encourage and bless future short-term teams with a passion for the things of the LORD.

Cecil

Mi familia

So a few weeks ago we had the great privilege of having my mom and sister stay with us for about a week and a half...it was absolutely amazing!  There are some guests that are helpful, others are generous, while yet others are just super flexible, and still others are loads of fun.  The amazing thing about my mom and sister was that they were all four!  We had such an amazing time together.  It was their first time in Thailand and they fell in love with this country...and who could blame them.

Let me brag about my mom for a little bit.  Not sure if you know this but my parents divorced when I was about 5.  At that time my mom thought it best to move us from Los Angeles to Bakersfield California.  My mother really struggled raising us, many times she would be working two jobs, one of which was throwing the newspaper, I remember this well.  In Jr. high I was perceptive enough to realize that dad was not around and that when my mom would wake me up at 4:00 a.m. to help her I knew it wouldn't make her job any easier if I would whine or complain.  To be honest it was my honor to help out where I could.  My mom worked extremely hard to provide for us and she was always able to create a warm and safe environment for me and my sisters. I really could go on and on.  I would like to say that I am so grateful she met her husband while taking classes at Bakersfield College, they live in a beautiful home in Bakersfield and he is takes great care of my mom, which means the world to me.

My sister is two years you get than me and we certainly have been through a lot together.  I feel very close to her, and whenever we hang out we are bound to have an amazing time.  Since our father wasn't around most of our life I have felt very protective of my sister and it has been a great joy to look after her and take care of her anyway that I was able through out the years.  She has an amazing heart and she has been there for me in some difficult times in my life as well.  After my mom and sister have left it hit me even harder how much I miss just being in there presence.  They are such gifts to us and I am so thankful that The Lord has give such an amazing mom and sister.

Cecil