Adventures Continued

If you haven't have heard, I've made it to Thailand! I've actually been here a week now, craziness.

All is going well and the transitions are going rather smoothly, thank you Jesus.  Granted its not the easiest thing ever, since I'm in a complete different time zone, poverty is evident, I'm surrounded by completely new people, and i'm the foreigner (a stinking rich foreigner at that).  I however just can't get caught up in the little details about change and not embrace this wonderful new culture I'm surrounded with.  That would be dumb.

Somethings I've done on this adventure: I rode an elephant on Monday and ate a meal that was prepared in bamboo so that was pretty cool (I was actually pretty skeptical of it at first, cause you know of diseases, but I pulled up my pants and the meal was really good).  I've had my heart stolen my the lil Lahu children that are on the campus of the Lahu school (which is where I'm staying at), even tho we have no idea what we are saying to each other.  I've eaten wonderful dishes.  I've discovered I love Thai iced tea.  I got an hour long Thai massage, which was heavenly.  And attempted to learn something in my classes.  Yup.

Speaking of which, my classes are going good, I've just got a ton of reading.  Our classes are split up into 5 week courses so there's quite a bit of reading.  There interesting though so I won't suffer through them.

All is going well and I can't wait to see what Jesus has in store for me next.  Well I kinda can, cause Jesus has got some big powerful things up His sleeve, which can be a little intimidating.  But at the same time amazing knowing that Jesus is gonna blow up my world while I'm here (positively of course).

Continual Lessons

This summer I thought I would get a sneak peak of God's to do list for tricia, yet that didn't happen.  Instead I was taught to do lists are not what Jesus has for me.  Life isn't about doing this, this and then that and we are going to be good.  Its about daily, even hourly, seeking out opportunities to show God's love to a broken and hurting world.  To be in a constant praise of our Heavenly father that gave everything, while we still turned away.

I look toward the future and what it holds for me and I just make a guess when people ask me what I'm going to do.  I have a few ideas, but in all honesty all I see is God's love and grace ahead of me, nothing else.  I know God has a plan, I just need to wait on Him and see what He has in store.  While in this waiting stage though, I can't just set on my butt and be like la de da and just wait for Jesus to show up.  I still need to be a willing vessel for God's spirit to flow through me everyday.  Willing to give up my wants, desires and comforts and to make a daily turn toward my savior.  Willing to be willing.  So many times I'm like ok I need to do this, but I am never willing to go through with it.  Or if I do, it's not with the greatest attitude, so my efforts I'm barely doing our pointless.

Good Intentions.  A Joyful Heart.  Genuine Love.  Sacrifices.  Vulnerability.  These are a few things that I've learned this summer.  And by learned, I mean things I've seen the beauty of and need to continue to learn.  Learning about love one week doesn't mean I've mastered it, because I am no where close to willing to give my life in order to save a broken world.