Traveling Shoes

Wedded Bliss....

2011-11-17T21:40:00.000-05:00

Number 17: A Lineage of Successful Marriages

Today is my parents 27th Wedding Anniversary!!! To say I'm impressed and proud is an understatement. My parents married young and their success is probably considered a rarity in the world we know today. I was so excited to see the 27 red roses delivered to my Mom's office today...but better than that, it makes me so happy and excited for my future when I see my parents hold hands, give a little kiss (no PDA in front of the "children"...let's all thank Jesus for that!), and support one another in their goals, efforts, hopes and dreams.

My parents marriage has taught me that you can weather difficult times and share in life's greatest joys...God can throw anything at you, so you may as well take the journey with your best friend and someone you know will still make your heart beat a little faster 27 years from now.

It's not just my parents marriage that has set a good example for me...I'm surrounded by lots of amazing couples. My great grandparents were married over 60 years when my Grandma passed away. November 1st I had dinner with my Gramma Drummond and that would have been her 59th Wedding Anniversary, my best friend has a wonderful marriage, the Young Marrieds class we have (well, not during our construction phase...) at church is made up of various marriages which provide me with an interesting vantage point. Some have been married awhile, others are newlyweds, some are in the middle. Either way, their experiences and advise is invaluable.

I'm so thankful for my parents and for the marriage they have built as an example to me and my siblings. I look forward to years of building my marriage to set the same type of example for our kids...

Oh...and by the way, for all those who ask...Married life is treatin' me just dandy!

P.S. The picture is not indicative of my parents relationship which is actually quite loving...however, it is an accurate representation of pre-dinner antics at the Drummond house.

Falling Off the Wagon

2011-11-16T23:42:00.001-05:00

I know, I know...I'm a terrible blogger. I've only been doing this for a week and I've already skipped several days. So, although I posted my "Thankfulness" on Facebook, but I'll make it official on my blog here :)
So, here goes Numbers 14-16 :)

I'm Thankful for:

14. Quiet Time in my Car - I truly value the time I spend alone in my car. It may seem very simple, but sometimes you just need to be alone and take a little time for yourself. It's necessary to sit in 40 minutes of traffic on the Expressway (Yeah, that's an oxymoron) to make it to work, so I may as well make the best of it. Sometimes, I sit quietly. Sometimes I speak my thoughts out loud. Every now and then, I crank up my music and sing as loud as I want. But, to be honest, I spend a lot of my alone driving time praying :) Don't worry, I always keep my eyes open and at least one hand on the wheel!!!

15. Dinner with Friends - Like I mentioned in a previous post, I love my new home. So, I'm trying to get into the practice of inviting people over. There are a few benefits (1) gives me a reason to clean my house (2) let's me appear friendly (3) forces me to expand my cooking skills (4) gets my Mom to help me rearrange, clean, inspect...whatever! So, last night I had two friends over for dinner and I just really enjoyed myself and decided I'm going to do this more often. No reason not to, right? I have to eat, they have to eat, and when I cook lots of food, I feel like making dinner was a worthwhile effort. So, if you'd like to be on the Musial's dinner rotation, hit me up :)

16. My Church Family - My Dad was teaching at church tonight and first of all, he was hilarious! But, he was talking about the story of Joseph and how Joseph suffered through many disasters, tribulations and just terribly discouraging circumstances. The purpose? To save Joseph's family from a time of great famine. God did all of that to save ONE family. My Dad said that's what Pastoring is...standing in the gap for other families, and although Pastoring comes with its trials, pains and heartache for our whole family, it was worth every bit. He would relive every moment, every struggle, every broken heart to meet the individual families in our church...I absolutely agree!!

My life is so much better because of the people in my church. Some incredible people have walked through the doors of our church with talents, dreams, visions, and the biggest hearts I think I've ever seen. They really are a family to me - from the oldest to the newest. When I go to church I feel loved, welcomed and supported and I get more than just a relationship with God - I get a family to lift me up and make me a better person. Every day I pray for the families in our church that God will provide for them, bless them, prosper them.

When I see my church family grow in numbers, grow in spirituality, or even grow in the strength of our relationships, I realize how blessed I am. God promised my church an ABUNDANCE...and that's what my church family is - the abundance we've prayed for, the one we were promised and the one I intend to cherish for as long as I can.

We are growing, becoming better, and changing the World we know...little by little...one backpack, Missions offering, Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas gift at a time!

I would sacrifice anything for my Church Family...any of them. I am blessed beyond measure!

Just Your Average Nerd

2011-11-13T23:20:00.001-05:00

Number 13: Education

Yes, I'm your classic nerd who reads for fun, enjoys writing and LOVES school. I have an embarrassing amount of student loan debt and were I independently wealthy with unlimited funds, I would go to school forever and be everything I've ever dreamed of...a Pediatrician, a Psychologist, Forensic Expert, Writing Professor...whatever, the sky would be the limit.

Now, I know most people don't enjoy school, and there were some things I didn't like...art, economics, and Organic Chemistry classes to be exact. But, I loved stepping back into time in History classes and reliving the eras in an English class. I loved learning about nasty little critters in Biology & Parasitology, and thoroughly enjoyed the equations and experiments in Chemistry.

High School was just a means to an end for me, but College, that was amazing. My Undergrad in Creative Writing was eye-opening, inspiring and just flat out fun. What's not fun about writing papers about yourself, your family, your spirituality?? Basically, writing about yourself! It's not like they can tell you you're wrong!

I went back for my Master's for two reasons: (1) I realized I wasn't going to be a teacher and a Creative Writing degree can only do so much for you and (2) you don't have to pay back your Student Loans if you're still enrolled full-time in school, so on to a Graduate degree I went.

I am a firm believer that education opens doors of opportunity and that God desires people to be well-educated and able to stand on their own in many arenas - academic, corporate, political and social. Someday, I plan on having a closet full of graduation caps & gowns, robes and all the garb. I LOVE to learn...you're never too old, never too accomplished and you should NEVER be too satisfied that you can't learn more and achieve more!

Plus, you have forever to pay those student loans back and they're very quick to lower your payments if you promise to make them on time :)

Just Lounging Around

2011-11-12T22:15:00.000-05:00

Number 12 - Lazy Days

Today I'm thankful for Saturdays where I have nothing planned and get to lounge around and do nothing. I assume in the future once I have a puppy or children, these days will be few and far between. But, I spent the majority of my day watching movies in bed, having lunch delivered and snoozing a bit.

The only thing that could make lazy days better is if it was raining. I LOVE rainy days where you can justify staying in bed all day. So today, with our mildly cold Florida weather, I just cuddled under my covers all morning and enjoyed the concept of nothingness.

You never realize how wonderful doing nothing is until you're in the middle of a jam packed week where all you can think about is sitting down and doing nothing. Today, I soaked up every minute of it and can't wait until my next "lazy" morning :)

So, sorry this blog is short today, but as I said...I spent the majority of my day doing nothing!

To Those Who Fight For My Freedom....

2011-11-12T00:11:00.000-05:00

Number 11 - American Military Servicemen/Women & Veterans

It is Veterans Day 2011 and I'm sitting in bed with the TV on, laptop in hand, blogging and exercising my First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech...Sunday, when I go to church, I will exercise Freedom of Religion and next week, I will publish an article in FOCUS magazine and exercise Freedom of Press. Tomorrow morning when I wake up, it will be to a free America, where I can come and go as I please, work and earn wages, live a good, full life, receive health care and own my Home.

I realize, that none of these things would be possible without the men and women of the United States Military who so bravely and dutifully sacrifice their lives (both in death and life). I know that because I maintain the right to be free, a Daddy will miss the birth of his child, a Mommy will leave her babies behind and a Husband or Wife will spend nights alone just waiting.

I am so proud when I see a Soldiers in fatigues at the airport reporting to MacDill Air Force Base...maybe it's just another stop on the journey, or maybe they are new recruits, but either way, they wear my country's name on their uniform and for that I owe them thanks.

So, to the Veterans & Active Military in my life and those I have never met, thank you for protecting my Home, giving me the opportunity to live a blessed life, and for defending the Freedoms, Hopes and Dreams known only in a place as wonderful as America. My prayers are with you...may you and your families be blessed!

Thank You!!!

**I took this photo on my Honeymoon at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

It's Been a Rough One Folks...

2011-11-10T19:29:00.004-05:00

Well, Ladies & Gentlemen, it has been one heck of a rough day! I woke up late, got to work and started walking into the office and left the car running, my least favorite issue at work popped up again, I had an argument with my Husband, and the only thing I could make for dinner tonight was Sloppy Joe's...which I HATE!!!

So, I guess the trick to true character building is to give thanks for something even though you have had a bummer of a day. In an effort to lighten my mood, I'm going to be thankful for something silly which I enjoy with my whole heart...

Number 10: I'm thankful for FOOD

I am aware that gluttony is both sinful and unhealthy, which is why I like to walk a fine line with my love of food. I'm not quite sure how I developed this intense passion for food. My Dad routinely forgets to eat lunch (this has NEVER happened to me...) and my Mom doesn't even like food...eating is an inconvenience to her.

So, how do I learn to love food?? No clue. But I love all kinds. If I were stranded on a desert island and could have 3 things, I would choose Tacos, Chili Cheese Dogs, and Root Beer Floats. I'm assuming there would be plenty of apples, pineapples and other fruit on the island, but really, they have very little appeal to me.

My favorites, just to name a few are Candy Apples, Creme Brulee, Spaghetti, Burritos, Chicken Fried Rice, Cupcakes, Jambalaya, Potato Soup, Taco Dip, Chili, Mac & Cheese, Corn Casserole, Popeye's Chicken (it's so bad...but soooo good), Quesadillas, Peanut Butter, Buffalo Wings...and the list goes on and on and on :)

My sister told me once that God made a mistake and put me in a little person's body and I really should be fat. I'm fairly positive she's right. And all I can say is I'm thankful that God may have made a mistake with me. While I'm eating Breakfast, I'm thinking about what I'm going to eat for Snack, while I'm eating Snack, I'm thinking about Lunch, while eating lunch, I'm thinking about Afternoon Snack, and ALWAYS thinking about dinner.

Now, I should be honest and say I'm not a pro cook or anything, so a lot of these items I get when I eat out, but I have perfected a few dishes...Spaghetti, Tacos, Sausage, Enchiladas & Crunchy Chicken. But, my real passion is dessert. I LOVE cupcakes, cakes, creme brulee and cookies...and I make everything from scratch. No boxed mix for me. Someday, I will be famous for this love of food....and when November is over, you should expect to read a lot about it.

Sorry for the length of this post, but FOOD has a very high importance ranking in my life. I have NO friends who don't like to eat. Keep this in mind Friends :) Now, I must get to dinner...I'm about an hour behind in my feeding schedule and I'm beginning to get grouchy :)

Give Thanks...preferably by bringing me food!!

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives.”- Oscar Wilde

Home is Where the Heart Is

2011-11-09T21:48:00.004-05:00

Number 9: My Home

While it may seem awfully materialistic after my introspective posts the last few days, I am very thankful to have my little home. We have beautiful colors on the walls and every room is painted and decorated to fit our tastes (ok, let's be honest...Mike didn't choose anything but the TV). I have a Guest Room for any friends or family members who find themselves in Tampa with no place to stay.

I have a beautiful kitchen counter graciously installed by a church friend and I have a "Cambodian" bathroom with my little elephants and water color paints on the walls/shelf. Family pictures are in the foyer and hallway.

To be honest, when Mike picked this house before we were even engaged, I was most excited about the large Master Bedroom closet that would someday be mine. But, now, I'm proud of so much in this home. It took months of adjustment, but it really has become a home I'm proud to invite people to. I also have to confess that we didn't do it all alone. Our siblings and parents made some paint strokes, installed crown molding and hardwood floors, stocked cabinets and built a pantry...all under the guise of a "Painting Party". Much to their chagrin, there was no party :)

I'm also so incredibly thankful because I haven't always lived in a nice home. Now, I'm not complaining...I have been raised well and with much compared to others. But, the majority of my childhood I lived in the back of the church and it took a full-fledged miracle to get my family the home they live in today and I thank God for that every day. I am no stranger to small places housing a large family and I know the sense of dread and fear when my parents asked "God - where are we going to live?"

But there they are with a beautiful home that was a blessing straight from heaven and my Husband loved me enough to consider my future and stability BEFORE he married me and gave me this beautiful shell of a house we've made a home. My parents house will always be home, but this house, mine and Mike's...that's HOME!

No...I'm NOT Pregnant :)

2011-11-08T18:49:00.002-05:00

Number 8 - I'm thankful for the Kiddos in my life. Kayla, Christian, Eva - Jordan - Ava. These little characters have brought so much joy to my life. It's been so amazing to reflect on how tiny they all used to be, marvel at the personalities they've developed and hope great things for what they will become!

If you haven't met these 5 little children you should...

Kayla - 7 year old twin...she's going to be a Veterenarian when she grows up. She cried when we had to leave the stray kitty in the mountains while we were on vacation. She gives the best hugs and tells me I'm beautiful...How great is she???

Christian - 7 year old twin - I have never met a funnier, wittier kid. He definitely inherited that from his mother. He has theories, jokes, and amazing insight. I mean, he even calmed my fears about being married! Who can say that for the kids in their life??? Oh, and I love buying him presents...He loves Legos as much as I do.

Eva - 6 year old - What to say about this one? She's hilarious...always the life of the party and has an intense love of quarters (say that word with a Boston accent and you'll hear Eva in your head). She has a crush on my husband and says she's going on a date with "Mikie"...guess I'm glad she loves him. Life would be rough for him if she didn't.

Jordan - 10/11 year old - He has the kindest heart and is just a lovable teddy bear. I told him if he'd read Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I'd take him to the movies. He finished it before I could! And, he sure suits up nice...always smiling and making everyone love him! Boy's got a birthday coming up!

Ava - 2 year old - I am so proud to finally have a Niece! This one is a riot! She just chatters on and on about anything, loves candy, and spies ghosts in my house (I'm going with she has an excellent imagination). She can't quite decide what to call me, but as long as she's excited to see me, she could call me Gertrude and I'd be fine...

Not only do these little humans bring me lots of joy and fun, they give me a little glimpse into my future when I someday have little monsters - I mean children of my own. Now, I title my post the way I did because the second my feet retreated from the wedding ceremony, people started asking if I was pregnant. I HAVE gained some weight, but NO, I am NOT pregnant...

Just enjoying the little people I can love and send home all in the same day :) Thanks Rebekah, Aaron, Adam & Michelle for letting me love your kiddos!

Month of Thanks...

2011-11-07T20:11:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm a little late to the "Give Thanks for Something Every Day of November" party...but they say it's better late than never, right? So here it goes - my first 7 THANKS of the month.

1. That I serve a loving and faithful God who is my provider, my strength and the peace in my heart. I can't imagine living without His hand in my life and without the joy of salvation. It's such an amazing gift, one I'm so undeserving of, but so incredibly thankful for.

2. My wonderful Husband Michael - I am so lucky to love a man with such a kind heart who sees the good in everyone and everything (although that is sometimes irritating)! He loves me more than I ever thought was possible and I'm looking forward to the long life we have ahead of us.

3. My Parents - I'm so grateful they raised me to believe in faithfulness, servant hood and longsuffering. They are definitely amazing, hilarious, young, good-looking people who have so far survived parenting 4 children into adulthood. I think they get a little crazier with each passing day, but I wouldn't know what to do without them!

4. My Siblings - What is there to say about these 3 obnoxious beings who ruined my chances at life as a single child?? They have definitely made life interesting. I know Nick loves me if he's mean, teasing and buys me nice gifts, but has an alright heart in there. Benjamin is eclectic, talented and his own person...cowboying it up. Rachel - well, she's gorgeous, smart and absolutely hilarious - I'm jealous of her. She loves herself, loves others...and loves Jesus :)

5. Amy Townsend - Although we have the worst communication skills of any two women on the planet, she is my Best Friend. We've weathered 10 years (I think!) of friendship with only one fight. She has been there for me every step of the way with no judgment and a lot of love. I'm so proud of her as a Mommy and Wife and I'm so blessed she let me be a part of her life - all of it :) Oh - and I'm thankful for Darrell who lets me highjack their weekends and Case who is super cute and didn't steal my bedroom!

6. My Health - Over the past several weeks, I've been given many opportunities to be thankful that I am healthy and am able to live life fully every day. I often take it for granted and moan and groan about eating better and exercising, but it's all part of remaining in good health and my resolution is to ensure I take care of myself this year.

7. My Job - Well, it's Monday and the weekend was way too short, as usual, but I went to work thankful that I had a job to get to. It may not always be fun and exciting and people sure can drive me crazy, but I'm so blessed to work with great people, a great boss and have so many wonderful opportunities. Most of the time, I don't mind "working hard for my money" :)

I'm thankful for so much...I am so blessed and can't wait to come up with at least 23 more reasons :)

Jumping Back In

2011-08-27T17:24:00.001-04:00

Well, it's been an awfully long time since I wrote down my thoughts/experiences and based on the advise of a mentor, I'm going to get back to my hobby :) It costs me no money, causes me no stress and can be picked up and dropped away based on my moods. Not quite sure what to blog on yet, but I'm working on this.

My long term goal is to write a book - again, lacking direction and thought process, but I'd like to make millions of dollars. Suggestions are welcome :)

Hope you read my posts and I hope they're more interesting than this one!

Seriously????????

2009-06-16T05:50:00.002-04:00

Well, the day started off ok. We made it to the Bangkok airport about 3:00am and got on our way right at 5:30 headed to Tokyo.

Then, none of the tv's on the airplane worked, so I got a nice 5 hour nap. We were really excited that we had a quick little layover in Tokyo and booked it to the Gate.

Unfortunately, we're still sitting in that gate. Our flight has been delayed 6 hours and we won't leave until 9:15 tonight (Tokyo time...not sure what that is in Tampa). Fortunately for us, they gave us a few coupons, like an in-flight cocktail or beer...I don't even drink!!!

Then, we'll go to New York City where we will have missed our connecting flight and we're HOPING to get a red-eye, but the Northwest rep said we will most likely have to stay in a hotel and get a flight home Wednesday morning.

So, all of my wonderful ideas of being home Tuesday night at 10:30 are DONE!!!! I had a lot of fun and saw some wonderful things, but to be honest, Gate #14 at Narita Airport in Tokyo isn't that great. I'm ready to come home. So, please send up a prayer and some good thoughts that we get a flight home tonight. I would like to spend some time by myself soon :)

Jungle of Cambodia

2009-06-13T07:41:00.002-04:00

Today was our first day off this week and we're wrapping up our trip with some very exhuasting sightseeing.

Mr. Thay, our driver, took us up into the mountains of Cambodia. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the mountains and the country, then it took an additional 45 minutes to get to the top of hte mountain. We had to buy tickets to drive on the road. Apparently a rich man cleaned all the landmines out so tourists can go up the mountain. Then he charges them to drive on the road so he can build hospitals and schools for the people out there. Very nice of him :)

The problem with this country is, they haven't all caught on to indoor plumbing. So, I needed to use the restroom and had to use an outhouse :) There is tile in the ground surrounding a little sunken toilet. It is not pretty. They also don't use toilet paper, so thank goodness for Wet Wipes. Too much information, I know, but if I had to see you, you have to hear about it :)

Then, we met a tour guide at the top of the mountain and he shoed us the Lingas in the river. They are carvings of stone in the water from the 9th century. Apparently a Hindu King commissioned his people to carve images of their gods into the stone. Then, the spring started to bubble over and create rivers and waterfalls that now cover the carvings. The water is clean and clear though, so we can still see them.

Then we hiked up the mountain to see the beautiful Kulen mountain waterfalls. The spring was clean, so we went swimming and hung out on the rocks for a long time. It was beautiful. Then, we hiked back up hte mountain and bought some pineapple from the village people for lunch.

Now we're back at the hotel resting before dinner. Tomorrow, we go to Angkor Wat and prepare to come home!!!

Last Day of Church

2009-06-13T07:21:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, we finished the conference in KomPong Thom iwth teaching and goodbyes. Dad spoke in the morning about water baptism in Jesus name. Then, Nick and I said our goodbyes telling the people how much we had enjoyed our trip and that we can't wait to come back. It was awesome. Bro Frizzell taught as well before we headed to the Lake for baptisms.

We went to a lake just a few kilometers (????) from the church to baptize. There was a little shop and some huts with hammocks. People were out there taking naps. Must have been their equivelant of a park.

Dad had enough faith to go into the lake to baptize. Dad, Pastor Sarun and one other person did the baptizing. Yesterday, they baptized 140 people in Jesus Name. We baptized one woman's entire church.

Over the last few days, 35 people received the Holy Ghost speaking in other tongues. It was awesome!!! It was wonderful to listen to the teaching about Oneness and see it received with a hunger by people who just want more and more of it. It was a very liberating exciting feeling.

I took hundreds of pictures, but here are a few of the baptisms. We will have plenty to tell you about when we get home. The funny part is, they were truly rejoicing and having fun when we were finished. The Pastors were in the water splashing the kids and then they some of them joined hands, prayed with thanksgiving and then sang a song. It was awesome.

They brought us little parting gifts. We all got Khmer scarves and shirts and I received a pretty hairclip. They came in Walt Disney World bags :)

Another busy day

2009-06-10T10:53:00.003-04:00

You have to take your shoes off to enter the church

Nick & Mowgli (she doesn't speak English, so not sure of her name)

Me teaching this morning...men and women...Amazing :)

Today was another busy day in Cambodia. We were up and in the car by 6:30 headed to the KomPong Thom province to preach and teach. Nicholas and I did a little bit of that today.

We both stressed that we are only here for a few days and we don't speak the language and have very little influence here in this country. So, it is the obligation of those people we are teaching to share their new found faith with others. They are very excited to be taught and they hang on every word imaginable. There is a pastor here who is very excited we are here and she is bringing some of her chruch members to the service on Friday so they can be baptized. She beleives what she is being taught is important and she needs to teach it to her church.

There is a beautiful little girl at the church. She kind of reminds me of Mowgli from the Jungle Book because she walks around barefoot with her hair all tousled. She normally won't talk to us, but we gave her some candy today, so she smiled at us all day long.

Our driver pcicked us up around 3:00 this afternoon and drove us past this old bridge. It was beautiful. Cars are no longer able to drive on it because it's protected. While standing there, I felt like I was in the early 1900's...aside from the motorbikes everywhere. A man went past in a horse drawn cart carrying hay. The whole ride home, we passed bikes with giant pigs tied to the bacg. Our driver said "Pig today...pork at my house tomorrow". His English is very good so he tells us a little bit about everything. Almost to the hotel, they stopped traffic with AK47's because their equivelant of the "Secretary of Homeland Security" was coming through. The police just held their rifles out and ushered you to the side. It was crazy!

We had KFC for dinner again tonight. One thing is for sure...at KFC, you know you're getting enough food! Then, we headed to the Angkor Nightmarket to buy some souveneirs. You have to dodge some booths though because they will follow you all around.

Tomorrow we have church again, so hopefully I will have more pictures. Have a great day...I miss everyone and am almost ready to come home. Now, I'm going to work on some homework...Cambodia or no Cambodia, the Master's program goes on :)

Cambodia...

2009-06-09T06:02:00.004-04:00

Well yesterday we arrived in Cambodia on our little two propeller airplane with about 50 other people. I tried to post last night, but we're really in hte boonies here in Cambodia :)

We were only flying around 15,000 feet, so I could see the ground the whole time and got some great pictures of the land and the clouds. The airport here in Siam Reap is a little tiny place, probably smaller than Target. I checked in the quickest so I piled up everyone's luggage. Bro Frizzell took a picture of me because he said it's a shame they brought me along to handle their paperwork, passports and luggage. Once an assistant always an assistant I guess :)

After settling in to the hotel, we went to KFC for dinner and stopped at a convenience store for some water and lunch for the trip to the country today.

Today we left the hotel at 6:30am and met up with our driver for the 2-hour trip into the Khom Pong Thom province. Along the way, we passed cows in the middle of the road, a temple he called the "Angelina Jolie Temple"...he drove her and Maddox once when she was here...he was very excited about it. He was a talker, so we learned everything there was to know about "his" country.

We got to the church around 8:30 and sang some songs in Khmer, then Bro. Frizzell preached for awhile. Dad spoke for about an hour and we broke for lunch. They laid out mats on the floor so everyone could take naps after eating. The room was probably 100 degrees with a few ceiling fans to circulate the air. But, that didn't stop them. They worshipped and sang and just had a good time. After lunch, Dad preached again. We broke a little early today. Tomorrow Nick and I will speak to the young people.

We're headed to get some dinner now...we were going to the Angkor Wat, but I think that might wait for another day! I took some pictures and will post those a little later.

Headed to Cambodia

2009-06-08T03:25:00.002-04:00

Last night, we met up with "O" and she took us on the sky train to a mall across town in Bangkok. One thing is for sure, as Americans, we have no idea how to do a mall!! This mall was 5-6 stories high with the biggest food court I have ever seen. Inside, they had Masseratis, a Lotus, Audi. Just cool.

Then, we went back to the hotel, made our phone calls and went to bed early. I was up at 4am to do a chat for school, and woke Dad and Nick up...so we were all up before light.

Now, we're sitting in Bangkok's airport waiting on our flight to Siam Reap, Cambodia. I think it's a little over an hour flight, then we'll set up at the hotel and go over the agenda for the next few days.

Nothing too interesting today, but the conference starts tomorrow and we apparently have a several hour drive to get to the village every morning. Once we get to Cambodia and look around, I'll post some pictures!

Have a good day!!

We had church :)

2009-06-07T05:32:00.004-04:00

Today we went to the Filipino service here in Bangkok. The church services are held in a little conference/ballroom type of room at a hotel across the stree from ours. Bro Frizzell met us at our hotel and took us over there this morning.

It was a small group, probably 10 people at most. About half of them have the Holy Ghost and are rooted, the other half are new to church and to salvation in general. Bro. Frizzell spoke to them for awhile about the importance of learning what the church is all about so that when he is gone to the US on deputation, they will be strong enough to go on. After that, Steve (a member of the church) led them in worship with his guitar. We sang "Here I am to Worship" (the song I was going to sing...) and a song I wasn't familiar with, but it was beautiful. The video is below so you can hear them singing.

After that, Bro. Frizzell asked me to sing something, so we sang "Jesus Messiah". They hadn't heard it before, so it was a new one for them. Afterward, Steve led us in "Friend of God" and "Blessed be the Name of the Lord". They all sang so beautifully and had a wonderful spirit of worhsip. We thoroughly enjoyed the worship service. There were a few young ladies new to the church (one was baptized last week) and they just added a new level of worship. They were exciting to watch!

Nicholas testified before Dad got up to preach. He spoke about how large this city is compared to ours at home. There are 15 million people in the city of Bangkok and he expressed to them his burden for this city and that they HAVE to take the gospel out because this city needs God. He's right, this city is full of people who have lived generations worshipping idols and gods who do not hear them, and they need to hear of a God who does hear and will answer.

Dad spoke to them about the wonderful thought that no matter how big your city is, or how many other people have needs, God will weed through everyone else just to find you. He spoke about how amazing it is that in this city full of noise where it is never quiet, God would quiet things down long enough to hear their cry of hunger and bring them to this place. When Dad was done preaching, they all came to the front and prayed and many of them were very touched and have a sincere desire and hunger. Before leaving, Bro. Frizzell spoke to them about the need to communicate with God at all times. Regardless of the craziness of this world, they need to seek him.

At the top is a picture of the whole group. They were very excited to be a part of the picture we're sending home to America. They wanted everyone to know they are serving God in Bangkok.

Tonight we will go out with Bro. Frizzell and then come back to the hotel to pack for our trip to Cambodia tomorrow. I will hopefully post later. I hope everyone has a great day at church. We miss you!!!!!!!!!

Bangkok - Day 2

2009-06-06T11:15:00.003-04:00

Today was another fun, free day. We start working tomorrow and Monday...just in time for the jetlag to wear off (hopefully). I'm feeling a little under the weather, but think it might be exhaustion, dehydration & starvation...or a mixture :)

Our missionary had some things to do today, so he hired a driver to take us into the country and the "jungle" of Thailand. I'm not 100% positive how long we drove, but we left at 9am and didn't get back to our hotel until 6:30...so the trek was long.

Our first stop was the Damnoensaduak - "Floating Market". We got on a little gondola type boat with a huge engine. We drove down the river that is lined on both sides with houses. One house will be completely gorgeous and the other house is a little tin shack made of all different color tin. It's the oddest image ever. Little canoes are sitting in the water in front of each house. A few houses have little signs in front for either Coke or Pepsi...if you pull up, they'll sell you a drink.

Further down the river, their are Thai people in little boats full of souveneir type merchandise or fruit they're waiting to sell you. As you pass by, they use a hook to pull the boat closer and hassle you into buying something. Some of the little markets are actually on the ground, so you get off theboat and venture over there to look. The deeper you get into the river "neighborhood" the more shops and boats there are. I took plenty of pictures, but I only posted one so you could see how packed it was. My Dad bought some cool hand painted picture and some little spoons, I bought little gifts for the girls at church :) It was probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen. That in itself was worth the trip.

Next, our driver, Panya, took us deep into the country to the Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno Forest Monastery - "Tiger Temple". I'm not sure of the whole story, but a monk travelled to that part of the country and started a monastery where he took in all kinds of wildlife. They've hand-raised all the Tigers that live on the property. So, Nick, Dad and I were able to have our pictures taken with real tigers. I hugged a little cub, Dad shook his paw, and Nick KISSED him!! It was pretty cool. I guess it's something I will never get to do again.

Lastly, we visited the Bride over the River Kwai. The bridge was built at the start of World War II. It was built by prisoners of war and foreign labourers. Now, a train runs across the bridge, however, we were able to walk on the bridge before the train came. Apparently, you have to be careful how you say the name...one way is appropriate, the other is a not very nice word :)

After our 2-3 hour trek back to the hotel, we rode a tuk tuk to the mall to eat at the food court. Since the food wasn't very good, we went to a pizza place. Turned out, that wasn't very good either. So, we're back at the hotel now...Nick and Dad are sleeping and I'm going to start some homework.

Tomorrow Dad preaches at the Phillipino church here in Bangkok, and Monday we fly to Cambodia for the conferene at the Bible School. Should be a busy few days, but hopefully I'll have good pictures and good news...

Talk to you tomorrow :)

Adventure in Bangkok

2009-06-05T11:38:00.008-04:00

So, today we ventured out into Bangkok and had a fantastic time. First we went to a tailor here that my Dad knows and had our measurements done so he can make me a couple pretty skirts. He does them relatively cheap, so I thought I could get a few of those :)

After that, we met up with the missionary and we rode the sky train (couldn't get any pictures, I had to hang on for dear life...) to the Emporium which is their mall with a grocery store. The missionaries were meeting with a travel agent, so we walked around for a bit.

Next, we rented a little boat to travel down the Chao Phraya River and checked out the really nice houses built next door to the tin shacks with laundry haning in the wind. The water is absolutely filthy, so it's definitely not beautiful or anything! We saw a montior slithering through the water and some kids jumping off a really high bridge. The missionary said if I spend one minute in that water, I would probably die...Noted...I'm not going in the water!!!

We made a stop on the river to the Wat Arun Rajwararam (The Temple of Dawn). It is a royal temple dedicated to the 2nd reign of the Chakkri Dynasty. It costs 50 Thai Baht (approx$1.50) to climb the steps and go into one of the temples. Since our boat was waiting, we just climbed the extremely steep steps and took pictures from the top. We found a security guard sleeping, some kittens climbing up the temple, and some really cool gifts.

After that, we continued down the river and saw some Monks in their orange robes reading books on lawn chairs by the river. Interesting sight. Finally, we stopped at the Thonburi Snake Farm. Nick held a pyhton (I touched it, but no holding for me), and I held a monkey. It was soooo cool. We watched a cobra show and watched them feed a Tiger dinner.

Finally, we grabbed some Thai food from a restaurant called the Gallery. I had to take my shoes off to go inside the building. You'd be amazed how clean the floors are :). Now, I've been working on some homework, Nick and Dad are sleeping, and I'm thinking about turning in as well. Hopefully I can figure out how to post some pictures....

Talk to you later!

We Made it!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-04T23:30:00.002-04:00

Well, after a 6.5 hour flight from Tokyo to Bangkok, we made it. Our missionaries picked us up from the airport around 1:30 am and we got all settled by 2ish. They brought us some snacks and water...we have to be really careful about what water we drink.

We're staying at the Ambassador Hotel in Bangkok off of Sukhumvit (apparently the main drag). We went down for breakfast, but haven't ventured out yet. I think today we're going down the river in one of hte banana boats to do some sightseeing.

The weather is about the same it is in Tampa, hot and muggy :)

Jet lag is definitely a bummer. I'm still not quite sure what day it is and just finally figured out the time change. We're 11 hours ahead. A little dizzy and tired, but overall hanging in there. Catching up with my mom and then Mike on Skype, so I'll post some pictures later!!

-Christina

Headed to Tokyo

2009-06-03T13:35:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting in the Detroit airport (very nice by the way...) waiting to board my 14 hour flight to Tokyo, using my internet rights I purchased from the airport. No free interenet in Detroit people...

We're trying to rearrange seats so my Dad, Nick, and I can sit together. Right now, we're a little spread out. We can't very well play UNO if you're in 3 different rows, so we're trying to fix that. The Delta rep told me they will feed me constantly and play movies the whole flight, so I'm thinking these 14 hours will go by quickly.

On the flight from Tampa to Detroit I sat next to this elderly man who had just taken a 70 day cruise around the world and he hit every place I'm going, so I got some great tips from him. The guy on the other side of me just came back from New Zealand...he retired from the MI school district and travels constantly...I'm thinking teaching in Michigan might be a good career....Just sayin'

I should arrive in Tokyo at around 5:00pm tomorrow (4:00 am Tampa time), so I will be in your future :) We have an hour layover, and then will head to our final destination of Bangkok. Hopefully I'll have internet access in Bangkok and can update you about the horrors of a 14 hour plane ride, after my nap of course...

Talk to you soon!!!

Getting Started

2009-05-30T17:59:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!!

Thanks for reading my blog! For the first 2 weeks of my postings, I'll be travelling to Bangkok, Thailand & Siem Reap, Cambodia. I'm hoping to post often to keep everyone updated on my travels.

I will be travelling with my Dad and brother, Nick on a Missions Trip to teach at a Bible School in Cambodia. I'm really excited to travel across the world to serve others and hopefully come back with a wonderful life experience - and be a better person for it.

It's been years since I've travelled, so I'm slightly worried about the 16 hour flight from Detroit to Bangkok. Needless to say, I've purchased several books and plan on taking some NyQuil or Dramamine to force me into sleep. I've done all the important things - called the bank to notify them of my travels, purchased luggage, spruced things up at work...and most importantly, purchased nice, cute new walking shoes!!

If anyone has any tips on what I need to take with me or where I can find a cute little Passport cover, I would appreciate it. Again, thanks for reading, and I hope you find enjoyment in my travels!!

-Christina