Ramos coming to a city near you...

Friday Night English Class

Certainly going to miss our Friday night English class.  We had over 30 adults and around 10 kids...so in total we had about 40 people at our house!!!  This Friday night ministry is really taking off with some good traction!  It's a shame we need to leave at this point...but there's never a good or perfect time to return stateside.  Make no mistake...we certainly are looking forward to coming to the states.  You know the best part about last Friday was P'Nook's--who recently decided to give her life to Jesus--son decided to give his life to Christ as well.  His picture is at the bottom.

Continue to pray for Friday Night English class...it is baring amazing fruit.

Walking with the fellas

So there are many different things that I am looking forward to when I come back to Thailand next year, this group is one of them.  I am planning on being part of a discipleship group with these guys, and others who weren't able to be here,  I am not going to be the only leader/mentor of this group, I am planning on having a small team of leaders to help me encourage these guys with their walk with Jesus.  I personally know times in these past 14 years of following Jesus where I have had guys pour into me, and other times I felt alone, facing lives struggles and temptations by myself.  I want these guys to know that I love and care about them with all my soul, I have a strong burden for young men to walk faithfully with Jesus so that they become strong Fathers and Husbands some day.  Tonight was a fun night of sharing testimonies, good food, wrestling, watching Germany vs. Italy, and prayer.  Keep lifting these guys up in prayer.

Jesus Heals!

So if you haven't heard Ahm's story be prepared to be inspired.  Ahm was living in Bangkok with her 8 year old son Ott.  She found herself desperate without a place to go.  She looked on the Internet and found the Abundant Life Home, a property that Karen Sanchez started about 10 years ago that house several different houses with children with HIV and with House mom's in each house.  Even though Ahm nor her son met the qualifications they invited her to come and live at ALH.  She was exposed to a community of people who loved and worshipped Jesus.  It didn't take long till she decided to follow the LORD as well.  As months passed she became increasingly sick, and the scary thing was she was pregnant as well.  She delivered her baby girl but after a week of health complications her baby girl didn't survive the week.  At this point she was grieving the death of her baby girl and was faced with the reality that she had cancerous tumors on her liver.  She decided to have a very dangerous surgery, as it was the only option of survival.  As the surgery approached she was encouraged to write up a will and decided what would happen to her son Ott as the chances of surviving the surgery was very little.  She was in the hospital for several days doing tests and prepping her for surgery.  Her son was very scared as he told me he couldn't keep food down and he just wanted his mom back home.  Weeks leading up to the admission to the hospital people all over the world were praying for her, the day before she went into the hospital Tracy and I drove into town to talk and pray over her as well...then we waited.  After several days of being in the hospital she received word from the Doctors and staff that the cancerous tumors were totally gone!!!  She didn't need the surgery.  Thank you Jesus for your healing power!!!  Please continue to pray for her as she grows in JESUS.

Cecil  

                       

The joys of packing?

When I opened my pajama drawer tonight, I thought about how many sets I'll pack for our 5 months back in the States.  And I thought... you know.... I'm gonna pack light.  Just one set.  Maybe two.

And I thought about everything that is overflowing out of my drawer.  And how I can live on just one or two sets of pjs.  So why do I have so many others?
I've been giving away so much.  Folding it all nice and giving it to our friends who will give it to others or sell it for some change.
There are SO many parts to prepare for to go to the states for those 5 months.  Right now we have about 60 items on our To-Do list.  Besides our everyday normal routine-meeting with our Thai tutors, homeschooling our two boys, eating, getting out, cultivating friendships, meetings, worship, etc.
Life now definitely feels like we're rolling down the snowy hill, unto the anticipated pure joy of seeing you all again.

Crazy how transition sometimes means saying goodbye, even when the thing you're saying goodbye to is good.

In 3 short weeks, you'll see us.  But you won't know how much time it took to pack our bags.  Or how I went to the market to get a few suitcases of Thai souvenirs, that was an all-day trip.  Or that I locked  away my grandmother's canvases and quilts, so that nothing happens to them.  Or that we had to figure out a way for a Thai-speaking doctor to fill out an English medical form for public school in California.  Or that we entrust all our belongings to our teammates as they continue to use our home for a weekly outreach.  Or that your sons and daughters may be the first American-English-Speaking friends Solas and Judah have HAD.   Or that we imagine our first interaction with you,  Cecil, I'm sure, imagines himself running up to you and tackling you all to the ground while screaming his Mexican grito.  Or that I imagine my kids being really energized to see you and know that you're probably not going to pinch Judah's face, and they boys are going to be amazed you probably don't want to take a selfie with them.
You'll see us on stage, but you won't know that we went to training especially for sharing our stories with you, or that maybe... I've spent so much time in survival mode here, these last 3 years, that I'm not even sure what to share.
Its amazing what it feels like to be the missionary on the stage, rather than the congregant.  This is a first for us, in that respect.
I know you all may think we have some of life's answers now.  But it feels like I only have what God has taught me.  And I may need you to listen for awhile, even if I'm silent, before I've reflected enough to share.
~Trace