Week 15

As I said last blog, I was visiting Thailand last week for a visa run.  Whoo, boy!  It sure was a fun visit!  I learned much for my job back in my designated country.  I met a few national Thai Deaf people and other workers from America at the same job as I am now.  I also got to sight-see a little of Thailand as well.  In all, last week sure was enjoyable!

On Sunday we flew there at 10pm, but landed there at 2am Monday.  We sure were tired, but that didn't stop us from waking up at 8am for breakfast!  I wanted to protest, but I did not.  After breakfast was done, we headed to the canal for a boat taxi.  Yep, a boat taxi!  The canal sure was wide and long.  I enjoyed feeling the air whipping in my face as we sped down the canal to our location.  The location was my designated country's embassy.  I filled out the paperwork and got confirmation from a bank about payment, and went on my merry way.  Oh wait, except the whole ordeal of finding the bank that is!  Thai people sure give weird directions.  We went the roundabout way, and walked.  We were very tired when we arrived at the bank.  On the way back, we found a shorter way!  That was quite a laugh when we found out we could have saved so much walking.  Anyways, we went back to the guest house to meet a Deaf worker and a couple that does the same work in northern Thailand.  We went out to eat for a very late lunch and that's about it for Monday!

The next day, breakfast at 8am again.  This time I made sure to have plenty of night rest unlike Monday!  After that, we went to the embassy around 10am via boat taxi again.  When we arrived there, we found out we could only pick up visas between 3pm to 5pm!  Can anyone say "wasted trip?"  Anyways, we went back to the guest house to rest just a little longer before heading out.  We headed out in the afternoon to go to a coffee shop run by workers just like me situated in Thailand.  We ate there, and we signed to each other.  It was quite a fun experience and I learned just a little more about what my work meant to Deaf people wherever the Father may place me.  We finished talking around late afternoon.  We all decided to go to the Deaf worker's place of residence.  This is when I got to ride the SKY TRAIN!  Of course, this is just a normal metro that Americans would see as well in our urban cities such as New York or Atlanta.  However, that did not stop my glee as I had a good view of Thailand as we sped across the sky!  I noticed Thailand has many malls and places to eat.  This is, of course, one of the popular tourist spots.  We were planning on hanging out with Deaf nationals that the Deaf worker knows, but we waited too late at the residence and they left.  Oh well.  We simply went back to the guest house and slept for the next day.

Wednesday, we had breakfast again at 8am (sensing a pattern yet?).  For the day, the Deaf workers and us decided to go sight-seeing.  We went to one of their favorite malls.  They had cars on the fourth floor!  And I do mean the WHOLE fourth floor was filled with cars.  That is a typical mall in Thailand, each floor focusing on one aspect of shopping.  One floor could be clothes, the other makeup, and another books, and so on.  However, each floor was HUGE!  Each floor took about 10 minutes to walk the length of it.  It was quite a sight, but my legs and feet hurt after that experience!  We took a break for lunch.  It was at this time that I continued learning about what my future could be in this line of work as well as my current work and how to do more effectively at it.  This was a great learning discussion for me and I'm grateful to the Deaf worker for imparting his knowledge to me.  Afterwards, we looked around the mall some more until it was close to 3pm.  We went back to the embassy and successfully picked up my visa with no hassle at all!  I honestly don't remember the rest of the day from this point, so on to Thursday!

Thursday, breakfast 8am.  Moving on!  This was the day the couple was going back to northern Thailand, so we hung out at their favorite mall.  They left around the afternoon after we had lunch.  I had Krispy Kreme for desert that lunch!  MMMM!  Anyways, we sorta shopped a little.  I didn't buy anything, but my supervisors did.  Not much to say about this day, except we did a lot of sight seeing in just one particular mall.  My legs and feet hurt a lot this day, so I was glad to get home.

Friday, the day we leave.  We shopped some more.  We had a Thai massage this day as well.  I didn't really like it as it hurt constantly, oh well.  Then we went back to our designated country for a well-deserved rest from the whole week.

Saturday, Sunday and today there's not much to tell since I'm stuck indoors due to some circumstances.  I hope this journal of my experiences last week prove to be entertaining!  Don't be afraid to ask me any questions if you can get in touch with me!  Love you all!

Week 14

I bet you're wondering why I'm posting my weekly blog a day early.  Well, read until the end to find out!  Anyways, the Colorado team left Friday, meaning my supervisors and I finally had a chance to relax after non-stop moving around the whole week.  We were very thankful for the help of the Colorado team the whole week in sharing with Deaf people.

Tuesday, we went to a Deaf person's city and shared with two houses.  The first house was my Deaf friend's family's house.  I'm sure I mentioned this same house in an earlier blog.  The family loved meeting the Colorado team.  They shared using pictures and the colored beads representing the good news.  The second house belonged to a family who was friends with my Deaf friend.  Two of the family members were Deaf.  We did not really share at this house, but we had fun socializing with them.

Wednesday was a Muslim holiday.  The team and I witnessed butchers slitting the neck of two cows and bleeding them out.  That was a sight I'd like to forget.  However, the following sight of them masterfully cutting up the meat and arranging it in third portions to give away to family, mosque and the poor people.  Overall, this was a good experience regardless of the beginning of the process.  After that, it was just more relaxing and I crafted one story.

Thursday was mostly quiet.  This day was the day before the team left to go back to the States.  So this day we shared what we learned the entire team's stay.  I also helped film their individual narratives of what they learned during their stay here.  Inclusive within the interviews were two of my Deaf friends and students, and also an interpreter who lives here.  We tried to go shopping, but the holidays were still mostly active, and so the majority of material shops were closed.  Only the food shops were open.  I and three other team members visited a house of someone they met on the plane here.  We ended up staying until nearly midnight.  We were exhausted that day!  It didn't help matters that they had to get up at 4am to go to the airport.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday (today) were mostly resting days.  So nothing really happened on these days.

Now for the finale of this blog, the very reason I am posting a day early.  I am going to... drumroll please... Thailand!  This is supposed to be for a visa run, but incidentally we will be staying there for a whole week as the embassy prepares my visa.  So this also doubles as a vacation!  Whoo!  However, I would also like to share with some Deaf people there as well.  So please ask Him for Deaf people that we can share with.  You all will be hearing of my adventures in Thailand when I return.  So look for that.  Bye y'all and see you on here when I get back!

Week 13

What a busy week and weekend!  A lot of this week was spent planning for a visiting team this weekend.  Right now, there is a team from Colorado staying with us to help us reach out to the Deaf community.  My supervisors and I couldn't be any happier!

Tuesday was spent planning for the weekend's events plus that of next week (this week).  My supervisors and I had the help of two Deaf friends, one of whose house we will visit tomorrow.  We already visited the town of the other friend.  We visited at a coffee shop, and boy we had some good coffee and a good chat!  We laid out a good plan for the Colorado team.

Wednesday was my normal mentoring time with my supervisors and I, so we went over what the Father had planned for us.  We also went over what will happen with the Colorado team.  A very brief meeting.

Thursday, the Colorado team came in the morning.  I met them at lunch time.  They're a good bunch, and I love them!  They've already shown they are really capable of reaching out to Deaf people.  We had orientation and devotional time at my supervisors' house.  That was fun.

Friday, the Colorado team, my supervisors and I went to the usual Friday Deaf believers gathering.  The Colorado team had a skit ready and a message as well.  An invitation was offered and I lead three Deaf men in petition to JC!  Praise the Father!  There were women as well, but I don't know the exact number.

Saturday, we went to the Deaf federation to meet their members and learn of what they do to help Deaf people.  We also visited the sewing training center that I visited just last week.  After that, we went to lunch and the same Deaf person with a message yesterday witnessed.  Once again, I was asked to lead in petition for three men to JC.  Wow, I see a trend going!  So that made a total of six people secured eternally!

Yesterday, Sunday, we went to one of my Deaf friend's house to see his family and another family with Deaf in it.  We made the story beads that are so popular worldwide to use, the one with the black, red, white, green, blue, green and yellow colored beads.

Today, Monday, I taught the Colorado team how to craft stories.  That is, how to draw stories from the Word in order to better sign them to the Deaf people.  We didn't finish a single story, but they had fun learning a new trade in the mission to reach out to Deaf people.  After that, I started my usual lesson with my two Deaf friends.  Both are doing pretty well in learning stories!  After that, all of us had a really long, fun conversation for three hours until we all had to go to our respective lodgings.  This week was really fun, and I can't wait to see what this week has in store for us!

Please lift us up that the rest of the week will go smoothly for the Colorado team.  And also please lift up the people that we are supposed to lead to eternal security.  These are exciting times!

Week 12

This week has been really busy!  There will be a team coming from Colorado here the 10th for a week, also doing what I've been doing for a few months now.  Last week I've been traveling a lot more than normal.  I've gone to a few different places and met new deaf people.  Exciting!  Today's Word lesson with my two deaf friends has also been successful.

Tuesday I had a spectacular mentoring time, talking about calling and how to recognize our calling from the Father.  I also videotaped yet another story I crafted from the Word.  If I haven't told you guys, I now know how to put the stories into mobile format and transfer them to Deaf peoples' phones so they can view it themselves whenever they want on their mobile devices.  Nifty!  Wednesday was unspectacular though due to protests keeping me inside.

Thursday I went to a different sector to buy a shirt that I custom ordered a week ago.  I love my new, blue, handmade shirt!  A Deaf person made it, by the way.  That Deaf person does not know sign language, so communicating with him was difficult.  But he enjoyed my presence as I observed him sewing a few clothing items for different customers.  He can sew like a pro!  You should have seen him on the machine: going really fast, snipping here and there, and all with no hesitation.  I can tell he's been doing this for years.

Friday, I went to the Deaf gathering as usual, but I did not lead story time.  The regular teacher taught about Abraham and Isaac.  I simply observed the lesson, and found myself understanding her better than before.  We had lunch there as well, and when I think about it, it was the same a month ago.  They must have lunch there the first Friday of every month.  Delicious, and spicy!

Saturday, my supervisors and I went to a different city to attend a Deaf meeting about funding.  I don't remember much about that meeting, because is there any funding meeting anywhere in the world that's memorable or fun?  Anyways after the meeting, the Deaf people led us to a training place where they train Deaf people to sew before sending them off to the factory to work a job.  There were A LOT of eyes on my supervisors and me, probably because we're foreigners.  I enjoyed chatting with the Deaf people there quite a bit.  Sunday was my Sabbath, so... that would be boring for you to read.  Moving on!

Today's Monday, and I taught my two deaf friends a new story yet again and put new videos on their mobile devices.  Once again, I had difficulty keeping the meeting focused on the story as my two deaf friends went off tangent multiple times.  I will learn how to better control the meeting eventually!  We also talked a little bit about the team from Colorado coming.  There are still a few details that need to be finalized before the team comes.

Please lift me up that I would better control the flow of Monday's meeting to focus on the Son, instead of our lives.  Also please lift me and my supervisors up as we plan for the days of the Colorado team.  There are still days that have nothing planned, and we need to fill them up.  Thank you!