The clock is ticking — just a few days until we leave for Thailand. I am in the middle of the “suitcase hokey-pokey.” Put some clothes in, take some clothes out. Squeeze in a book and shake it all about. I keep finding things I’m sure I can’t live without for three months. Between us we have four suitcases and a couple of carry-ons. Keeping them under weight limits has been a challenge.
But soon they will be packed and the last tearful goodbyes said. It will be hard to leave the folks we love — especially the children. We will be able to be in contact via Skype, so we can see them. There just isn’t a “hug” function yet!
Paul is homesick for the church folks already and worries about leaving the ones who are sick and/or due for surgery while we are gone. Sherwood folks can rest assured that your pastor will be praying for you every day — just as he has for years!
And then, on Thursday, we leave for Thailand. We both love it there and we are excited about the opportunities. We’ve been there several times, but this is our longest trip. We plan to be there for three months. We hope to accomplish so much more than we’ve been able to do on our short trips.
Paul will be teaching the pastors — something he is so well equipped to do. Besides being a wonderful pastor himself, he is a counselor to his friends. Phone calls from other pastors seeking counsel and encouragement are regular occurrences here. He has a great rapport with the men at the Bible school. I know he will be a blessing to them.
And I have Bible studies ready for the ladies. I’ll be meeting with them on Mondays, if all goes as planned. We’ll be doing character studies of the women of the Bible, using those as a springboard to study how to be a woman who is pleasing to God. I’ll be posting those on this blog, in case you are interested.
Teaching English is also on the agenda — although preparing for that has been difficult since I’m not sure what group I’ll be teaching or how many students I’ll have. Guess I’ll practice learning flexibility.
I’ll also be practicing physical flexibility — as in sitting on the floor. I should have been doing exercises to get ready for that, but somehow never did.
We are getting ready for a great change, a great adventure, and a great mission. We wish you could come with us, but, failing that, we hope you will join us by way of this blog. I’ll be posting regularly and attempting to give you a glimpse of the Thailand work and our lives here. We want you to “see” the work and the people we will be serving. That’s my goal in writing the blog for you.
So, we hope you will subscribe to the blog and follow us regularly!
Susan