 |
| Shirley, Joy, and Matt having way too much fun during out staff retreat! |
Audrey tells me that given the heaviness of my past few blogs, the time has come for a light-hearted and fun update. We really enjoy a good amount of laughter these days and it's always fun to share fun moments. We just finished our annual staff retreat---one of our favorite experiences from last year. We put on the 3-day event for our houseparents as a thank you for all of their hard work and a time for us all to laugh and learn together. We were all shot after three days in 108 degree heat, but we laughed more than we sweated and that is saying something!
 |
| Some lovely ladies with beautiful hearts (Baby Pound is sort of photo-bombing this all girl crew). |
 |
| Some of our House Parents doing during a team building game. |
 |
| Another example of quality team work! |
 |
| Audrey teaching photography basics. |
 |
| Serious interest from moms and dads about how to fix leaky sinks in the home--Kevin Kennedy did a great job! |
 |
| Not so fun, but much needed: how to recognize predatory loans and bad debt...Thailand needs Christian Banking as a ministry. |
After all that excitement we had a few days off for the Songkran holiday (Thai New Year). It's fun to see the whole city engage in a squirt gun fight, but this year we laid a little lower with a pregnant mama.
 |
| Everyone at the office was ready for a holiday. |
 |
| Our new ride! And the cutest pregnant lady ever. |
One of the small things that has really been a blessing for Audrey and I in our new home, has been walking/jogging each morning around 6:30. We meet so many of our neighbors and everyone is so excited about the baby. An old man has become Audrey's friend and talks with her every day (in Thai) and yesterday he gave her mangoes from his yard. We love our neighbors in heart and pray for creative ways to love them in practice. I tried baking bread for our Yaiy ("Grandma" and landlord) but she seemed unsure what to do with such a large loaf--Thai people aren't really bread eaters, they're all about the rice. :)
 |
| Part of the New Year is to gather all the elders in the community and ask for their blessing, We love how the Thai people show honor to their elders---we could definitely learn some things from them. This was our neighborhood block party :) |
 |
| Some translations are better left unknown...anyone need some more entrails in their soup? In case you can't quite read that: "pig's blood clear soup with mix entrails" |
 |
| I transferred my fish to some large ponds at Yea's house--apparently the fish are getting bigger there! |
Please pray for Dave and Shirley as they get ready to go to the U.S. in May for several months, leaving us "in charge." There's so much change coming in the next few months, but it makes all the difference in the world when our hearts are joyful. We thank God for His constant kindness to us and we thank YOU!
Also, please pray for two possible interns who might come to serve with us at Faithful Heart this summer. I love helping those who are seeking how they can use their lives to serve others! So many people helped Audrey and me in our own journey; it's fun to pay it forward!
I'll leave you with a fun video from our neighborhood block party---Thai karaoke until midnight! The lady in red on the left is our Yaiy. I had to help her down the steps, but no one could stop her from dancing!
With love from Thailand---Matt, Audrey, & Baby Pound
