facebook instagram
Powered by Blogger.
  • Home
  • Give
  • Faithful Heart Foundation
  • About
  • Contact

Matt and Audrey Pound

Ben & Chat after getting a new kidney for Ben!

Sheer joy: A Toilet sprayer

Greetings from Thailand!

I am becoming more convinced that of the importance of happiness and humor in our lives.

If I am happy, everything I see or experience is filtered through an optimistic point of view.

The opposite is also true, if I am unhappy, depressed, or irritable, 
then everything I see or experience is filtered through a pessimistic point of view.

Living in a new culture is hilarious (really).

The daily provision of comic relief is sometimes staggering.

And if I am happy, it provides a welcome laugh to my day.

But if I am not, it feels like the universe itself has conspired against me.

We need to laugh, and most of us need to laugh more (myself included).

I think God laughs a lot.

For many that may be a strange image, but the closer we look at life, the more I think we see the humor in God, and all around us.

And, if I may be so bold, the closer we come to Him, the more I think we will laugh too.

Laughter, like joy is contagious.

Let me see if we can share some with you.

Becky learning to sew!


Concert goers!
Mother's Day!


Rainy Season has just started in Thailand.

We love rainy season, but there is a small tin awning just outside our bedroom that sounds like a snare drum every time it rains, which is not fun when you are trying to sleep.

A Thai friend told us of a simple solution, cover the awning with some material which deadens the sound.

Easy enough, Mr. Fix-it to the rescue!

It seemed like a good idea to stand on the fence and try to reach up to the awning.

But the Pound's are not blessed with height.

So I decided I would get on the roof and work down to the awning.

But it was raining.

Thankfully, I have a sensible wife who suggested rain and roof was probably not a good combination.

But unfortunately, I am a man, and therefore subject to fits of ignoring good advice.

I managed to shimmy up onto the roof, and quickly realized my wife's wisdom.  It was not only slick and steeply angled, but there were several suspicious creaking sounds and spots that felt not as strong as I would like.

I acknowledged defeat, and then tried to get back down.

And that was when I realized it is often easier to get up than down.

Thankfully, the fence around our house, just below the roof, has nice sharp, steel spikes sticking up.

I imagine it is usually a safety feature, but it felt like something very different at this moment.

Looking like something between a beached whale and a kid whose legs are too short to reach the ground, I awkwardly slide over the edge and searched desperately for something not spiky to put my bare feett on.

After this less than graceful decent, I gave my wife that smile husbands are so good at.

It says so much without even a word.

Something between, "Yeah, you were right, that was stupid" and "But you know that's just how I am and you love me anyway."

But then I caught someone else's eyes--the stunned, bewildered eyes of our gradma landlord next door.

She didn't say anything, but her look said a lot too.

I was embarrassed, but the humor of the whole thing eventually got to me.

This is how most cross cultural interactions go, whether we realize it or not.

Two sensible, intelligent people thoroughly convinced that the other person sees how sensible and intelligent they are, when in reality both are thinking:

"This guy's nuts!"

Ez is not sure about tree climbing yet...

Putting in work at the gym with Nathan

One of our house fathers killed this snake in his front yard---pretty and a bit scary...
Humor is healing because it takes what is potentially frustrating, and turns into something at least endurable, and possibly even enjoyable. 

Humor sometimes seems like a shallow thing,  not really touching the deepest parts of us. 

Hard to think of the 3 stooges as profound, but perhaps, in a way, they were. 

Humor is chiefly about how we see and think about ourselves, and then others. 

This is where humor gets close to home.

I am terribly afraid of not being taken seriously. 

No one wants to be a joke, even if they love joking.

But if we don''t learn to laugh at ourselves, we are destined for a lonely, unhappy existence. 

We will either learn to laugh at ourselves or we will become more and more isolated. 

A good friend described two different ways of growing older.  

We either open up, or close up.  

He pointed out that when we open up, we can receive more.  

We actually cut off our ability to receive when we close up.  

Humor has a blessed way of opening us up, pushing back fear, and enabling us to enjoy the moment we have.  

Computer Training at Faithful Heart--thank you to our friendly volunteers!

Ben was pretty excited about his special gift from Pastor Dave and Sher!

Phillip and Peter were also excited about the special gift to Faithful Heart from Jay & Heidi, Liesl and Evelyn Pound
Thank you!!

Faithful Heart News:

Wow!  Has this been a full, fun season of life so far in 2018!

For 2 years Ben has had kidney dialysis 4-6 times per day, and been on a very restricted diet.

Just two weeks ago, he finally received a new kidney transplant.  

When I talked with him in the hospital, it was the happiest I have seen him in 2 years.  

He proudly showed me his scar saying, "Look how big it is!  Was your Dad's this big after his kidney problem?"

I assured him that he had my Dad beat for the biggest scar.  

But it is sheer joy to see this young man's life restored to him!  

We are also really excited about a couple who are preparing on coming to work at Faithful Heart this October.  He is a 3rd generation farmer, and the timing seems perfect to come help us develop the new land.  We are already dreaming of the possibilities.  

We are interviewing house parents for a new children's home and so far, just have not felt the right connection yet.  Please keep us in your prayers.  

And we are getting more excited to come visit all our friends and family in the US.  

Here is a rough travel schedule:


June 14-19             Ohio
June 19-23             Pennsylvania 
June 23-27             South Carolina
June 27-July 25     Colorado 


If you want to catch up in any of those places, please let Audrey or I know by email.  
We would love to see you.  

Thank you for your love and prayers.  

Lots of Love from Matt Audrey, Ezra, and Baby #2

Micah 6:8 The Message

 "But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, 

what God is looking for in men and women. 

It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, 

And don't take yourself too seriously - take God seriously."

We love our Mien Church Friends!

Personality tests, and college majors...they grow up fast!


Mom, can I get one of these??!!











11:45 PM No comments
Staff Retreat Fun


The competition was fierce...

Pen getting low to help the team!


Greetings from Thailand!

I love to hike.  I just love being in the mountains.  But in the midst of even the most breath-taking scenery, we can miss the glory because of a tiny, unimpressive pebble in our shoe.

Life is sometimes like hiking with a pebble in your shoe.

There is glory all around us, but we can't see it because of some small, irritating annoyance.

And if we are not careful, the stone can blot out the sun.

There are seasons of life where it feels like we are walking through a gravel pit.

There is always something hindering us from being able to just enjoy the day, the moment, the present; whatever circumstance we may be in.

And as soon as one pebble is expelled, a new one takes its place.

This is an incredibly exciting, and fun season of life for us in Thailand.

We love this country and the people.

We love Faithful Heart, and the people we are blessed to work alongside.

We love our children and seeing them grow and develop.

We love being parents and having a son.

And when we step back and survey the last few years, we can see God's fingerprints all around us---even on us.

And that is a great feeling.

Most of us lose that feeling somewhere along the way, usually about midway through childhood.

The exhilaration of being alive, and being excited for the future fades into the harsh realities and pressures we experience as adults.

Most of my adult life I have struggle with that loss.

And even now, all those good things can be overshadowed by one small stone.

One little thing which worries or annoys or frustrates me.

My whole focus turns to this small, insignificant thing in my life and I miss the glory around me.

We take our games very seriously at Faithful Heart

These girls were excited to get custom made dresses from a kind woman in the US!
10 Year Anniversary at Faithful Heart!
One of my regrets is that I did not enjoy the different seasons of my life more as I was in them.

And I let the small rocks in my shoes keep me from enjoying what was good, unique, and fun about that season of life.

It is rule of life in general, that we will always have something which bothers us.

Something will not be the way we would like it to be.

But this is the secret of the Christian idea of self-denial.

You let go in order to have.

You deny in order to receive.

Despite all the crazy abuses and wild ideas about self-denial, at the heart of it is happiness and freedom.

Anyone who has ever set a goal, then achieved it, knows this truth.

Sometimes you must look past the stone in your shoe (read: those small, annoying, not-really-that important, things) and just enjoy the gory of life going on all around you.


Pastor Steve talking about loving teenagers!

Ezra and Mom working with clay
Audrey's cool Crossfit shirts may be a copyright violation...
 To be sure sometimes, we should just stop and remove the stone(s).

But other times, it may not be possible to remove it, so we need to learn to enjoy life with it.

Nothing is more dangerous to our happiness than requiring everything to go our way before we will be happy.

Life in another country often means we face some daily frustrations, misunderstandings, and bewildering circumstances.

One of the keys to enjoying living here, is that we learn to live in the big picture, not among the small stones.

But it is true wherever you live.

Turn off the news, log off facebook, and experience the glory of the life all around you.

It is a change in perspective, and a secret of many people who have very little, but posses great happiness.

Don't let the bad spoil the good.  

There is good around us.

We have to determine to find it and enjoy it.

Iron Bridge at night

Home of Faith Girls came to say goodbye to Dave & Shirley before they head to America

Joshua finally has his diploma in hand---4 years of hard work!
Contrary to what passes for a lot of religion and Christianity, Jesus proclaimed a message of incredible optimism.

Despite living in a culture at least as violent, (often much more) than ours, he announced good news for all who would hear him:

A different life is possible, right in the midst of your present life.

No matter where you are.

No matter who you are.

And the key to that optimism was a confidence that God liked people, and was ever and always working to make them whole, happy, and flourishing.

Life was not a random blend of good and bad befalling us by chance, but the conscious effort of a kind Father to give a good life to His children.

If we believe that, we begin to take good for granted, and that is the way it should be.

We begin to expect good.

This is the often unsaid conviction of anyone who works to improve life for others:

Life ought to be a good thing.

And it is right that we think so.

We cannot control the stones in life, but we can control where we fix our attention.

There are times to focus on the stones, but never only on the stones.

We grieve orphaned children, but we rejoice in the potential of every human life.

We despise cancer, but we celebrate relationship, and love.

We get irritated by circumstances or people at work, but we delight in the sunrise and a good laugh with friends.

And we never let the stone in our shoe, blot out the glory all around us.

Thank you for walking with us, supporting us, praying for us, and sharing the glory of life!

Swimming lessons from Tiida!

Not sure who is in there...

Fun times with our staff


QUICK UPDATE:

Please keep these things in your prayers:

1.  We are submitting paperwork to purchase the land for Faithful Heart!  There is so much potential and so many decisions to be made.  Pray we would use it to bless many lives here.

2.  Our directors, Dave and Shirley, are headed to the US for several months.  Pray for Matt as he gives leadership here.

3.  Pray for new house parents!  We are interviewing several couples and eager to open a new home for girls.

4.  Pray for opportunities to help some widows keep and care for their own children in our community.  Single Mom's are amazing, but it is hard work!

5.  Pray for our time in America this summer!  We will be in Ohio June 14-18th, then to Pennsylvania, then to visit First Baptist Church in South Carolina, then to Colorado for most of July.

Early morning banana at the staff retreat. 


One cool crew!

This adorableness barely got past the censors

Love to all from your Pounds in Thailand! 


2:36 AM 1 comments
Newer Posts
Older Posts

The Pounds

About Me


Matt, Audrey, Ezra & Sienna Pound
Faithful Heart Foundation
Chiang Mai, Thailand

RESCUE A CHILD. BUILD A FAMILY.

Follow Us

recent posts

Blog Archive

  • ►  2025 (3)
    • ►  July (1)
    • ►  March (1)
    • ►  February (1)
  • ►  2024 (7)
    • ►  November (2)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  July (1)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  February (1)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2023 (6)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  July (1)
    • ►  March (1)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2022 (7)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  July (1)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  February (1)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2021 (5)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  March (1)
    • ►  February (1)
  • ►  2020 (11)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  July (1)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (1)
    • ►  February (1)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2019 (10)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  August (2)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (1)
    • ►  February (1)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ▼  2018 (13)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  July (1)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ▼  May (2)
      • Humor & Healing
      • The Stone in Your Shoe, The Glory All Around You
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (1)
    • ►  February (1)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2017 (14)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (2)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (2)
    • ►  July (2)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (1)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2016 (18)
    • ►  December (3)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  July (2)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  April (2)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2015 (28)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (2)
    • ►  September (2)
    • ►  August (2)
    • ►  July (3)
    • ►  June (4)
    • ►  May (2)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  March (3)
    • ►  February (4)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2014 (3)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  April (1)
  • ►  2013 (16)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (2)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (5)
    • ►  July (1)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  March (1)
    • ►  February (1)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2012 (8)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  February (6)
FOLLOW ME @INSTAGRAM

Created with by ThemeXpose | Distributed By Gooyaabi Templates