sometimes it seems like all i blog about is serious things. its just that this weird mindset comes over me when i sit down to type and i can't help but let me heart pour out through my typing! but, not today! i will resist the temptation and simply update you on the sahnook (fun) that we have been having around here! i never want to leave!
i dont know how to accurately explain what is going on in the picture below. all i can say is that it in NO WAY does it justice. here at KKU and really just in Thailand in general, the freshies (freshman) get hazed. bad. there is an entire 2 week period blocked off for it. there really is no way for me to explain it. but, in the picture below the HUSO students (my ministry group's focus) has been sitting indian style, backs completely straight, getting yelled at and having to sing at the top of their lungs for almost 3 hours now. they have ambulances and nurses on site because so many students pass out or begin to hyperventilate. one girl told me that KKU has it easy and that at some colleges in Bangkok its not unusual to hear of deaths during hazing weeks. this, ladies and gentleman, is The Freshie Cheers
another thing that the freshies have to do is show gratitude to their teachers. below are two pictures from when Pbaan and i went and hung out with the freshies while they made them.. they elaborately decorate these flower arrangement things that have to do with their specific faculty and such... its takes them hours and is a huge deal
"helping" ann maker her arrangement!
dong, me, yohjo, and pbaan
this was such a fun day! Pbaan and P'Rung planned out a day trip to Udorn (pronounced oo-dahn) for the day with some freshies we are trying to get close with. it was an absolutely incredible day! we got to play lots of games on the train ride up there, see some beautiful farm lands, and just spend quality time hanging with the students, answering questions for them, and getting to know them better. the bus ride back... thats another story. im in no way a claustrophobic- by NO means and all i wanted to do was get off that bus. there was about a 5-10 min span where i literally thought i was about to start hyperventilating. it was miserable and thats putting it mildly.
(L to R: Mark, me, Ann, Angie, Fang, Dong
Pete, P'Rung, Pbaan)
love these students so much! they have taught me SO much!
when we were walking to the bus to leave udorn, i look over and this is what i see. the Thai's here hate the sun. they all wear pants, long sleeves, jackets, carry sweaters... anything to keep the sun off their skin. they constantly reapply sunscreen and everything. it is so funny to me. this is what my sweet friends look like walking down the road... trying to explain a tanning bed and its purposes to them was HILARIOUS
This, below, is one of my favorite things here. Walking Street. it is about a mile long strip blocked off for small vendors and live music with great food. the lights make for some fun photography too! at each little break in vendors there are usually dancers... and if you know me at all- you know i LOVE this part!
milk and i have made it a tradition to jump in every saturday night.. we are becoming quite the regulars! the crew thinks its hilarious and everyone just laughs at us. it is so. much. fun.
this is milk and i with the crew...
this is no ammeter crew either. they are actually really good!
this one is the ring leader... he is really funny to watch. my personal favorite!
also this sunday was baptism sunday. when this sweet man got baptized, i dont think there were many dry eyes in the church. he has such an incredible testimony of Gods faithfulness. his daughter, Aw, is milcahs ministry partner who Pbaan and i are with and it has been amazing seeing her faithfulness in praying for her fathers salvation and then hearing of how the Lord answered her prayers... i wish so badly that each of you reading all this could know these people. that you could hear their stories, see the passion in their eyes, and listen to them talk about their vision for ministry. it really is life changing.
this is Arm (pronounced ah-m) and he is incredible. he, like Aw's father, has an amazing testimony of God's faithfulness in redeeming his life. he is one of the most passionate people i have ever come in contact with. and the joy that he had sunday when he was baptized was really just a beautiful thing!
this just shows the effects of true discipleship. P'Rung (the one with long brownish hair kind of in the middle) she led Pbaan, my ministry partner, Aw, and Earn to Christ. She now disciples the 3 of them. those 3 girls each disciple girls (only Preoul is in the picture) and Aw, Pbaan, and Earn also now meet with milk and i, teaching us more of the Lord. 5-4 students in this picture, it was their first time at church on sunday and the others are believing students, one of which was baptized sunday. and when milk and i go and begin meeting with girls, this chain will be carried cross-culturally. its amazing how the Lord can use the faithfulness of 1 woman to impact so many more.
this monday was court nay nay's 22nd birthday! our team got to throw her an amazing birthday party that was fun for all of us! the guys ministry groups were so nice and broke up and took the 4 ministry girls groups out on group dates! little did court know that her group would embark on a scavenger hunt all over KKU only to end up at, the ever so treasured Annie Anns at the mall! the lead her in, sat her down, and when she took off her blind fold we all were surrounding her SCREAMING the happy birthday song as loud as we could. the Thai's just stared at us... its was great!
we love you so much bud!
from there we surprised her again and had some team bonding time while bowling! (fam, we are going to have to have more bowling nights... i bowled a 54. i was fighting my competitive nature the whole night trying to remind myself, 'abby, it is JUST a game')
we are all having SO much fun here. i cannot even begin to tell you about all that the Lord is teaching us and growing us in. God is so good. a couple of us have gotten to share the gospel with students and most of us have in some way gotten to share our testimonies with the students as well.
prayer request:
-People are still sick. Christine is at the hospital right now, and a few people still aren't feeling 100%. pray that the Lord would calm every ones stomachs and give us all energy to continue on.
-we counted and we only have 15 days left on campus. WHAT IN THE WORLD?! where has the time gone? i cannot believe it. please pray that God would continue to open doors for conversation and questions. we have built some incredible relationships so pray that the Lord would enable us to take them a little deeper.
- Pray for the students who have had the Gospel shared with them. Pray that the Lord would keep the wheels turning in their heads and that as questions come to mind, we would be able to answer them and help them to understand the freedom that comes from the Lord in a greater way.
*A huge praise: we have been keeping up with project and found out today that around 8 students have prayed to receive Christ! this is such an encouragement to all of us here. knowing that the Lord is working in college students hearts literally world-wide is incredible. Praise the Lord for redeeming their hearts and pray for all of us, that as we return to our campuses, we would not lose sight of what God has done in our lives and that we would be a light in a lost world.
until next time...
abc.
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