Real Life

I’ve been struggling for a few weeks to think of a good topic for a blog post. Life has been pretty “normal” here, and there haven’t been any big events that warrant a post. Here are a few small events that have made it feel less like a vacation and more like our real life:

Last Saturday I drove our car for the first time! You may or may not know that in Thailand, drivers drive on the left-hand side of the road, and the steering wheel is on the right-hand side of the car. Scott has been doing this flawlessly for weeks, but for me driving was a big deal. Granted, I only drove to the local grocery store next to our neighborhood, which required about 30 seconds of driving on the highway. Still, I had to park, back up, merge with traffic, etc, and no one died!

I also caught a pan on fire. We have a gas stove and oven outside our house in what is basically an enclosed porch. I had started to heat the oil and went back inside to grab something else from the kitchen. Big mistake! The oil caught fire and I had to put it out with some flour. Nothing was damaged and no one was hurt, but it definitely reminded me that this is our residence and if something goes wrong, we need to find a solution, not call on someone else to fix it.

Our outdoor kitchen

We had our first doctor visit last Sunday. E had a slight fever for a few days that just wouldn’t totally go away, so we took her to the hospital to make sure she hadn’t contracted some tropical disease. There aren’t really individual doctor’s offices here, everyone just goes to the hospital if they need to see a doctor. We were very impressed with how clean and efficient the hospital was, and how cheap it was to receive good medical care. Everyone we interacted with also spoke English, which was a relief since I didn’t know how to describe her symptoms in Thai. (Or describe anything, really, in Thai.) E just had a basic infection and is feeling much better now!

Waiting area in the pediatric clinic

This week we tried real street food for the first time. There is a market on select days at a plaza that we frequent and we bought food there for dinner. We weren’t super adventurous this time, but we do plan to go back and try some other things (i.e. fried insects) another time. The market has many individual tents and some tables behind the tents where you can sit and eat your food. We had all settled down with our individual food choices and were in the middle of eating when it started to sprinkle. This in itself is not a huge deal, but since it is rainy season we knew that it could quickly become a downpour. We scarfed as much of our food down as we could, then ran for shelter outside a nearby McDonalds. We were all pretty soaked by the time we got to our car, but we did get to see a beautiful rainbow while we waited for the downpour to let up. (Spoiler: it never did.)

Waiting out the rain at Meechok Plaza

These events and many others have helped us learn how to live like residents instead of tourists. We’re looking forward to acclimating more and more to Thai culture!

Deep Grief, Great Hope

The last week or so has been difficult for the IJM community. If you haven't heard, one of the lawyers on IJM Kenya's staff, along with his client and taxi driver, were abducted and killed following a court case at the end of June. The lawyer, Willie Kimani, was working a case of police corruption and brutality, areas which he had spent his whole legal career fighting. He was a dedicated lawyer, husband, and father, and will be dearly missed by all who knew him. The client, Josephat Mwenda, had been a victim of police abuse of power and was trying to receive justice. The taxi driver, Joseph Muiruri, was simply doing his job, which cost him his life.

The people of Kenya and the IJM community have been deeply grieving the lives of these men. This incident has sparked outrage in Nairobi over police abuse of power, which is unfortunately too common for many Kenyans. Thousands of people have come together to make sure that justice is done in this case, and that Willie, Josephat, and Joseph's deaths are not in vain. IJM is asking for people to sign a petition to ask the President of Kenya to take decisive action in this case and to remove the Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police in Kenya, on behalf of every innocent person abused by his police force. If you haven't done so yet, please sign it here.

This case has affected me more than I anticipated. I did not know Willie personally, but I have identified with him in part because he and I are the same age and both have young children. I have been especially grieving for his wife this week as she embarks on a new life that she didn't expect, which will be significantly more difficult without her husband. The IJM family is committed to taking care of her and her children, but it will not be an easy road. There are many full-time staff, whom I do know, who, like Willie, do risky work on behalf of those who have no voice. This incident has been a chilling reminder of the reality of the threat of violence and the importance of IJM's work toward ending injustice against the poor.

Despite this great loss, IJM is not going away; they are committed to this fight because they believe that God desires justice for the world's poor and oppressed. He has called them to this fight, and they will continue in it until it is finished. They have hope that this incident will be a turning point in Kenya and that it will forever end police impunity in Nairobi.

Isaiah 61:3 says, "To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory." This verse really struck me this week as we prayed for IJM Kenya and the global IJM community. The LORD sees our grief, but He wants to give us hope because He intends for us to persevere. He has put us in this situation to bring Him glory. Pray for IJM Kenya; pray for the global IJM community. Pray for all those who are mourning, that they might receive God's joy and see Him glorified.

Settling In

We made it to Thailand!! We arrived last Wednesday and have been settling in to our new house and new job as best we can over the last few days. Many things about our house (and Thailand in general) are different than what we're used to in Indiana, but we are slowly figuring out how to best go about getting things done. We've had some conversations with the kids about using the word "different" instead of "weird" to describe things that are foreign to us, and it's been a good exercise for us all.

Over the last several days we've gotten cell phones, home internet, and a washing machine, and started the process of buying a car. We couldn't have done many of these things without a lot of help from co-workers who are teaching us to navigate Thai culture and translating on our behalf. We quickly realized that we're going to need to learn some Thai if we want to interact meaningfully with those outside of my workplace. We hope to get a tutor to teach us all some Thai soon!

Everyone we've met here has been really wonderful toward us, and we're looking forward to plugging into some community once we get some reliable transportation (hopefully this week!). We also should be able to do Skype/Facetime and email on a regular basis, so if you'd like to connect with us in those ways, just let us know! We miss you all and hope you have a great Independence Day!

Thank You

Big, big news---as of today we are FULLY FUNDED! Between the amounts pledged by supporters and funds received, we have reached our fundraising goal. We cannot say THANK YOU enough to the many, many generous friends and family who have donated on our behalf. We know that there are thousands of organizations to which you could give your money, and we are incredibly humbled that you chose to give to us.

To be perfectly honest, fundraising was the only part of this adventure that I was dreading. I really hate asking people for money, even when it's for a great cause. Even if we were super careful with finances and purchased as little as possible to prepare for the trip, there was just no way that we could self-fund a year abroad with three kids. So, we sent our letters and visited churches and asked lots of people for money. Then our already-large budget had to be significantly increased due to some underestimated costs that we didn't know about until after sending our letters. But you know what? People gave with cheerful hearts and did not bemoan our asking one bit (or at least, didn't do it to our faces ;) ). God has provided us with all the funds we needed, even covering the increased budget! We are overwhelmed with gratitude.

If you had been planning to donate to our family but haven't yet, we suggest donating to International Justice Mission here. Your gift to their organization will go to their global work of fighting oppression of the poor in the form of human trafficking, property grabbing, sexual assault, unlawful arrests, etc. We strongly believe in IJM's work and know that your donation will be used wisely.

Again, THANK YOU to each and every person who donated to our family. God calls some of us to go, and He calls others to give. Thank you for saying "yes" to His leading. We are looking forward to an incredible year, thanks to your generosity!

Amazing Grace

Often, when we read or talk about the 35 million people who are being oppressed in some form of slavery, it becomes overwhelming and seems impossible to do anything about. In these times it is helpful to draw inspiration from those who have gone before and done impossible things. One of our favorite inspirers is William Wilberforce.

William Wilberforce was instrumental in ending the slave trade in England. He was a member of Parliament and campaigned for the abolition of the slave trade for 18 years before seeing it accomplished. His tireless work changed millions of lives for the better, and should be an inspiration to us all.

If you're interested in learning more about his life and work for the abolition of the slave trade, you should check out the book Amazing Grace by Eric Metaxas. It is Wilberforce's biography and gives good insight into his struggle against those who thought the slave trade would never be defeated. A movie, based on the book, was made in 2006, starring Ioan Gruffudd and Benedict Cumberbatch. Both are excellent! The title comes from Wilberforce's relationship with John Newton, the writer of the hymn Amazing Grace. John Newton was a slave ship captain who, after converting to Christianity, gave up his ships and repented of his involvement in the slave trade. He then became a member of the clergy, and Wilberforce was part of his church as a young boy. Newton relayed stories of the atrocities of the slave trade to Wilberforce and helped convince him to continue the fight in Parliament to bring about its abolition. Consequently, the song was a favorite of Wilberforce's.

William Wilberforce also gave one of my very favorite quotes regarding the slave trade: "You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know." This quote really gripped me as I was learning more about the various forms of slavery that exist in the world today. There are steps that can be taken, and are being taken every day by brave abolitionists, to help end modern slavery. We can no longer be neutral about oppression and violence. Our family is choosing to take action by joining the work of an influential organization that is fighting slavery head-on. What will you do?

Happy Birthday, Mom!

A Letter to My Mom on Her Birthday

To my first teacher: Thank you for teaching me that life is bigger than our little town, and that I could be anything and do anything I wanted. For instilling in all of us a passion for learning and a compassion for others. For sharing your sense of adventure and love for other cultures. For pointing me to Jesus through every circumstance, especially the difficult ones that were painful and didn't make any sense to my young mind.

To my biggest supporter and fan: Thank you for coming to every ball game, cheerleading event, track meet, and academic competition to cheer for me, even though my performance was rarely remarkable. For saying yes when I decided, as a teenager, that I wanted to go to Boston and Australia in the same summer, without you. For being excited for me when I chose to study abroad for a semester, and coming to visit me so I could be with family on Thanksgiving. For celebrating me when I got accepted to medical school, and loving me when I decided I didn't want to finish. For hugging me when I finally chose to be a teacher, so that maybe I can influence and encourage students as much as you do.

To the best grandma: Thank you for showing me how to love my kids without condition. For encouraging me as a mom, even when I know I'm messing it up. For baby-sitting so that I can maintain a level of sanity and enjoy some kid-free time with my husband. For adoring my kids and giving them the same love and support that you gave to us (along with a lot of free stuff).

And, above all, thank you for taking on our passion for IJM, even though it wasn't on your radar previously. For saying "I'm so proud of you," when I told you we were moving your grandbabies to the other side of the world. For reading and investigating more about oppression and violence against the poor because you knew it was important to us. For coming to every church we spoke at to hear more about IJM, give emotional support, and help wrangle the children. For hosting a fundraising event at your house on our behalf. For becoming an advocate for our mission and sharing it with all your people, too.

We can't thank you enough for everything that you do for, with, and because of us. I hope I am half the mother you are, and if I am I know it will be because of your example, love, and support. Happy birthday, and may you know how very much you are loved this year!

Immunizations, Packing, and Visas.....Oh My!

Things have been getting real around here (and a bit crazy!) as we're heading into the home stretch in preparations for Thailand. This month we are working on three big things: immunizations, packing up our house, and applying for visas.

We had our first round of immunizations today. Unfortunately, we have to drive to Indianapolis to get most of our vaccines because they are not commonly used and can be rather expensive. The upside is that we got to visit with some friends today, who live near the immunization clinic, that we haven't seen in a long time! We'll make two more trips to Indy to finish up our vaccines before leaving at the end of June.

We have less than one month left in our house! Packing up all our belongings is going slowly, but we are hopeful that the rest of May will be a little slower and will allow us to do more. (Wishful thinking?? Probably.) I'm a pretty organized person and like things to be packed, and boxes labeled, in a logical order. It will likely come down to me just throwing things in boxes the last few days before we move, but until then I am trying to do things in an organized fashion so that when we come back in a year, we don't have to rifle through every box to find the one thing we need.

Finally, it is time to apply for visas. There is a lot of paperwork involved in this, especially since there are five of us and most of us cannot sign for themselves. We have started the process but have not officially mailed in our applications yet. Our goal is to get them sent in by the end of the month, then hopefully receive our visas mid-June.

These may not seem like big things (in fact, as I'm typing this I'm thinking, "Why does all this seem so stressful?"), but in combination with the school year ending, my job wrapping up for the year, and preparing for my orientation in D.C. at the beginning of June, we often have trouble fitting everything in. (Plus, you know, all the normal-life stuff that goes along with raising and feeding three children.) We are trying to rest in the knowledge that everything that needs to happen will happen, one way or the other, and that we just need to keep plugging along. And maybe relax a little, too.