Crate

Faith. Today God taught me a good lesson in faith that was undeniable. While we were in the states God provided for us in amazing ways. He provided gifts to help us get our family started, a free crate to put them in, and friends that provided free shipping for that crate. Yet for some reason it was so easy for me to look at the situation and worry about whether or not the crate would be delivered in one piece or for an affordable customs price. I know what you are thinking...I am thick. Where is my faith? God can do everything except... I find myself in that situation so often here on the mission field. God can get me here...but will He provide for my family. OF COURSE HE WILL! The crate was delivered for an affordable price and very much still in tact. They didn't even open it. It did take 2 months and oh how time tends to weigh in on the quality of my faith but GOD CAN DO IT! GOD WILL DO IT! He got me here. He gave me the friends and family a I would need to do His work here...and now I need to shut my trap and be faithful. God is doing miracles everyday right before our eyes and we choose not to see them. We choose to ignore him. Then we turn around and ask God for a sign that He is with us. Today I learned a valuable lesson. Faith will get me through anything. Faith will make life work here in this country doing what we are doing. Please learn from my mistakes, let my life be a testimony to you. Don't make my mistake, trust that God will provide...trust that He wants to you enjoy the life He has given you. Trust that God Loves you and died for you. This daring faith is what gets us out of our comfort zone and puts us in a position to take risks, if we take risks miracles happen, if miracles happen people see the light we are trying to show them. Be daring! Take risks! Enjoy life! Love your maker! Enjoy the benefits of such a "risky" life. :)

Mac n' Cheese and Shoe Strings

Shoe strings are fairly replaceable right? I guess not. I am in
desperate need of shoe strings for a pair of nice shoes that I have and
they don't seem to sell replacements here in Thailand. I love living
here, but next to missing family the hardest thing to deal with in a
different culture are these little "inconveniences." I have spent 22
years getting used to having mac and cheese and replacement shoelaces
and now I can't have either. TV I have learned to live without
(probably for the better) and I have learned to read books in stead. I
have given up Mac n' Cheese and now I eat cow pot and chicken and
sticky rice. I was ok with these changes, but I didn't think I would
have to give up shoe laces. So I guess tomorrow I will continue my
quest to find some sort of replacement as mine are about 12 inches
shorter then they need to be from various breakages.



God is good, and really this is just a pain more than anything, but I
thought I would share the odity of the situation. Hopefully somebody
will at least chuckle at the situation and somebodies day will have
been made. I know that even just thinking about it kinda puts a smile
on my face. Ahhh the sacrifices we must make.

Counters, Mubaans, Applications, and Cheap Dr.'s Apts.

So today we get a counter!!! Yeah. Actually they have been working on it for 2 days now and it will be finished tomorrow. It looks pretty good. I am excited to have coffee and toast in my new kitchen and be able to put things on the counter. It will definitely help the nesting process we are in. We went to the Dr. yesterday for Kara and the Baby and everything is fine. Quite a different experience then in the states and they are much more willing to getting business done...alot fewer formalities here and the apt only cost 250 THB!!! that like $7.00 for those of you that haven't memorized the THB/USD conversion rate yet. Much cheaper then our first apt in the states for $1200. Much easier on our finances. Other than that I worked from home today while the counter was being built and learned how to use a new aplication on Excel. It was pretty exciting. Yesterday the Mubaan that we have been trying to put a school in for 6 months rejected our application...so back to square one...but things are looking up. Looks as though GOD is providing us a friend that has what we don't...and cleverly enough...we also have what they don't. I am excited to see what God has in store. :)

That is all for now...almost quitin' time!
Nate

Initial Thoughts

Hello everybody. I am going to be honest. I like to write but writing a blog has never been easy. I am not even good at keeping up with people via email but here is the deal. Our lives are changing so quickly right now I have decided that I am going to get it done. Record it. Share with others the amazing things that are happening in my life and in Kara's. I hope that this blog will be an encouragement to you. I hope that you will see some of the ways God is changing lives all around us and working in ways only He can explain. If you are reading this it is probably because you are a great friend and we love you and want you to be part of our lives, no matter how close or far we are from you.

Nate