I leave Chiang Mai today for Bangkok. Please pray for Jennifer, Jenica, Tim, Johanna, Dalheen, P'Gade and me as we travel overnight by train.
The internet has not been working with me lately I will have a long entry next time with many pictures.
Kap Kun Maak Ka!

Our day of Solitude was more than I expected. It was hard at first I slept most of the all morning. After lunch the weather was soo perfect, so beautiful I decided to spend time in prayer outside. I visted the 4 chapels and wrote in my journal. The entire day went with out speaking a word. That night ended at 7:30 so Jenica, a fellow intern, and I enjoyed a coffee and spent time reflecting on our day of solitude. The following morning we all met at Kingdom Books. A Christian oriented book store. We had a huge breakfast with 5 inch thick pancakes. We discussed our solitude day, the things we found hard or easy, things the supreised us and things of that sort. Friday morning we have "experimental equipping", this takes us out of our usualy bible study lessons. We have been to a lake and hospital and other places. This last friday morning didnt go as planned. We went to an orphage home, but were turned away. We then thought to go to a home for the Aged but that didnt work out either. While the drivers drove through town figuring out what to do i just looked out the window of the van admiring Thailand and its many colorful temples. Then I notice we pulled into "School for the Deaf" I let out a sound of glee that scared some people in the van. I was so excited to go inside. I was able to communicate some with the deaf students. I was told they could understand me. Everyone was given a sign name which was a lot of fun. We went to two different classrooms. The second classroom had students that were a little younger than the first. In this classroom. I was able to address the class directly. Our group sang songs while I signed them. I had an incredible time at the deaf school. Yesterday a couple of us went with some Thai friends to a waterfall. We climbed up and down part of the waterfall. At one point while trying to beat the camera timer I slipped on the waterfall but was caught by friends.
Today AFCB (Aggies for Christ in Bangkok) are in Chiang Mai. They will be only be here for a couple of days but have many activites planned. Im looking forward to the next couple of days with the Aggies. Its so great to see some of my AFCO friends again!
Pictures to come :)

น้ำค้าง

My name in Thai

Pronounced "NamKaang"

Hello friends
Yesterday I had church services at Payap. It was nice, there were about 20 us compared to 800 person church that I usually attend back home. I knew almost everyone so it was like having church with my friends. Tim, an ACU intern, gave the sermon. After we all ate lunch together, we then went to a blind school. It was a neat experience. They all sang for us, sort of like a talent show. We played a tradtional thai game. A ball is passed around while music is playing and when the music stops who ever is left holding the ball is made to put baby powder and over their face. Kind of like "Hot Potato"
On Friday, A group of us went to Myanmar, a.k.a Burma, for passport renewals. Its about 3 and half hours to the border. It was nice to spend time with the ACU interns and with Russ and Rebecca. Russ and Rebecca they are 2 year aprentices, who have been here a year and a half. We took pictures, got our passport stamped and bought low priced DVDs.
On Friday we went to a hospital as part of our equipping time. I really didnt mind, one would think after the experience I had a few weeks earlier, I would steer clear of hospitals, but i was ok. We were free to go anywhere we wanted to go. We were to make observations and take in whatever we could and to answer some questions about what we saw, felt, heard, smelt. When our time was up we gathered and made one more stop before we headed back. A friend of Eddie , a thai intern, is diagnosed with leukemia. So to lift her spirits we all went to chat with her. There are about 15 of us. When I first walked in the hall, I looked to my left and I saw a young girl laying on her side. Instantly I thought "That must suck, lying there like that." I later realized that had bothered me so much beacuse when I was in the heigh of my pain or when the pain would came back severly i would lay on my side. We then got to her room and all gathered around her. I sat and just looked at her. Smiled when she turned to me. She spoke mostly to Eddie. All of a sudden i found myself unable to continue to be in the same room. All the memories of being scared, alone and in severe pain came back to me. I had to leave the room before i broke into tears. I sat outside and pulled myself together. I had no idea of how my time in the hospital had traumatized me so much.
We go back and had an open forum for anyone who would like to share anything. After a few interns shared about how being at the hospital reminded them of the last time they were there for sugery and what not. I then shared how terrified i was, how alone i felt with the group gone, my closest friends nor family was there and what an INCREDIBLE amount of pain i was in. I then said that I praise God for that experience, how greatful and more faithful becuase of it. How i am able to rejoice in my suffering. If it had not been for that Kidney Stone I would not be here having the best time of my life in Chiang Mai. The Kidney stone made everything fall into place for me to be able to come back and be an intern here. This trip has been very difficult BUT very rewarding. I then shared my very favorite verse of the bible. Romas 5: 3-5

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

I wasnt able to finish that verse with out crying. I was so happy that God had given me the perfect opportunity to share what I hadnt yet but always wanted to.
That night we had an International Day Party. I,of course, represented Mexico. I made rice and because and I ran out of time I bought refried beans form a can. I made breakfast Tacos that everyone loved. It took me a while to find all the right incredients , we went to 2 different stores. I burned the first batch of rice. Which didnt help time wise. It was the first time I had made rice with out Moms help. :) It came out well. We played games then had a feast. There were many countries represented and everyone brought a little taste of their country. It was a very fun nonstop party. That day had been such a trying day. Nevertheless I really enjoyed it.
Today is our dat off but tonight we are going to have a day of solitude. From evening tonight to early evening tomorrow. I am looking forward to refocusing for my time left here.
Here are a couple of pictures.

Paeng and I. She represented India. Woot and I eating tasty fruit
Russ and Rebecca

Lets help Myanmar

Performance at the blind school

The past days have been great. Saturday we had sports day. We played ultimate frisbee and kickball. Kickball was a little difficult for the Thais to understand. I felt right at home though, i love baseball, kickball softbal ect.. Sunday I had my first church services at Cheung Doi. It was different but very enjoyable. That night we all gathered, Ma Cha and Payap and went to the walking street and played games at Starbucks. That night I spent a night at Payap to watch the World Cup Final with them. A couple of friends at Payap are soccer/football enthusiasts so i thought watching the game with them would be a little more exciting. The next day was the interns day off. Since the game was over at 4 am, I slept in till about 1 or so. The next evening we all went for dinner and a movie. I really enjoy fellowshiping and hanging out with the interns. There are 3 American and 4 Thais interns at Chueng Doi. Payap has 2 american and 4 thai inters. Today we had equiping lead by one of the interns. A couple of us then went to lunch, shopped for journals and visited a fellow intern as this painting studio. It was really nice. Later we are going to exercise at a gym. I am in charge of putting together the english class on thursday this week so i will be working on that.
Thanks for reading :)

Hello Friends
I am currently back in Chiang Mai. I started my intership yesterday. The last days of AFCO were just taking in as much of Thailand as much as one could. I felt a little under the weather at the time so i didnt join in with the shopping and movie watching. 2 days after AFCO ended i leaded back to Chiang Mai from Bangkok. The train ride back was very eventful. Something happened with the train so we were told to gather our things and get on a bus, we then rode to another train station and got on our cars and finished our way back. There were a lot more complications and confusion in that story but i am here. We have "equipping" every morning, which is bible studies at the start of everyday. Then we have different activites depending on the day.
Today was a little different we had a free time at our meeting time, then us girls at Cheung Doi, more commonly known as Ma Cha, cleaned the 4th floor and then we had girls night at a missionaries house. I moved into the room with Jennifer and Jenica, fellow interns, and so now im not all alone in a big room.
Tomorrow we have Sports Day, hopefully it will not rain like it has been the past 4 days. We have a couple of activites scheduled for the next 3 weeks. One of which is a trip to Burma, or Myanmar, to do visa renewals. Im looking forward to that. I will keep updates when those events come.
Kap Kun Ka