Old Jeans, New Life

A few weeks ago, I met with Jess, the Children’s Ministry Director. She asked me to help her with a project and so we sat down to brainstorm ideas for a bag design needing to hold a drink bottle, notebook, pen and highlighter for the upcoming holiday program. It needed to fit in with a “Life is a Highway” theme.

Well, if you know me, you know that I love a theme! And after some discussion, I suggested making the bags out of old jeans. I knew a second hand shop where they sold jeans, some for as little as 10 baht a pair.

Her approval was all I needed to be off on my way, a new project to get excited about- I was one happy girl!

It was only as I started sewing the jean-bags that I began to ponder about how amazing it was that an old pair of jeans, previously cast into the cheapest pile in a second-hand shop, seemingly unwanted and discarded, could actually be transformed into something totally different… something with a new use and a new purpose.

After making a practice-bag first, my daughter quickly swung it over her shoulder and took it to school the next day. “Can you make all my friends one?” she asked after school. “They all really liked my bag”. Well, that was a good sign!

With each new bag that was created, I marveled at the change that took place. Each pair of jeans was different in its own way and yet with each one, the transformation was amazing as the old denim was recreated and made into something new.

The ‘new beginning’ that these jeans now had, reminded me of the very children for whom I was making the bags for. Children, who may've once been “used” but were now rescued, restored and repurposed.

In Psalm 139 it reads that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Unfortunately in life, too many children are not valued and loved in the way that God intended when He fashioned them together in their mother's womb.

Thankfully though when you and I do our bit to help save these precious little ones from slavery, abuse and abandonment, their lives can be transformed.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

In Chiangmai We Play Hide and Squeak!

(Thanks for the photo Laura- too funny). 

Poor Tobi is not feeling well today.  I wonder if it could be from all the mice that are lurking around- living in MICE City and all!  No, no, no it really is squeaky clean here.  Maybe we should've had a mouse-warming party when we moved here. 

No seriously, I hope you're have a mice day.  It really was mice to meet you... What mice weather we're having at the moment... hahaha.  I crack myself up.  Okay, I'll stop now!!

Anyway, instead of going to church this morning, the children watched a dvd of the Bible Read and Share stories.  

I had to smile as the older two explained to Spencer that "Potiphar's wife was trying to get Joseph and kiss him."

It's been a quiet few days with a week off school and Dave away since early Friday morning in the village.  

We enjoyed a fun day playing at a new water park on Wednesday as well as 5km walk around a bush track with friends on Friday.  

Yesterday was a lazy day at home for the children as I continued trying to get my planning for next term completed.  We are looking forward to Dave getting home around 7pm tonight.  

Today is Spencer's "official" birthday (although we celebrated with school friends on Monday) so I was woken up to an excited, squishy face pressed against mine informing me that he was really 5 now!  Love that boy. 

Here's a few pics from Monday's Curious George party:

There has been lots of activity at ZOE as usual.  David is away with both the youth group and a small team from Hawaii who are here helping ZOE out with some videography and photography projects.  I am keen to hear about his trip when he returns later today.  

There have been a couple of emergency hospital visits lately within the ZOE family so please keep them in your prayers.  One girl had to have an emergency operation to remove her appendix and one of our key staff members has broken her leg in several places. 

The ZOE kid's camp program is always loads of fun as well as a special time of growth and develop for the children personally.

You can check out more about the recent camp here.   

Below are some photos taken a a month or so ago at ZOE.

And to finish off, a picture of our very own Rapunzel {aka Eliana} after her hair had been in braids for three days (me being slack on the school holidays and not doing it).  She was very excited with how curly it came out and Tobi liked it too. 

Well from our home to yours (mice and all) I hope you're having a blessed day,

Andie :)

From Vegemite to Pig's Blood

I know, right? Gross title for a blog post but let me explain.  I have written about Spencer and his eating habits several times on this blog, but the other day, when he announced, "I don't like Vegemite anymore" it left me speechless... what? I mean what Australian-born child would ever say that?  Seriously?  
I had no reply.
A week later as we sat around with our various Thai lunch dishes in front of us, Dave points and says to Spencer, 
"Oh just letting you know that pig's blood there.  You don't have to eat it.  Just push it to the side".
"Where?" Spencer quickly responds... spots it... and then gobbles it up!!!
Okay enough said!!

Speaking of pigs.  
Recently Dave had the privilege of helping with the 8 newly-delivered piglets in the ZOE pig farm.  Ahhh so cute.  
He even got to tie their umbilical cords!

Well some of you may've seen some of the ZOE camp photos on Facebook, but for those of you who haven't, you can check out Jessica Dodd's page for the updates. 
Below are a couple of pics here too:

We hope that you had a good Easter. Despite David being a bit unwell, we still managed to have a nice few days.
On Sunday after lunch, we all snuggled in bed (with the air on!!) to watch the kid's version of the Passion.

This year, we used our Easter-egg molds (from my brother) to make our own chocolate eggs and I made my own recipe up for some hot crossed scones (in our new oven).

Dave has had a week off this past week.  It has been so nice to have all my besties at home for part of the school holidays.  It's been eventful and fun.  We've certainly packed a lot in to the past few days.

One of the highlights was having some of the ZOE kids over for a play on Tuesday afternoon.  We had so many laughs decorating gingerbread cookies, playing games and pulling out the Barbies, Lego and blocks.  This was a memory we will cherish for a long time to come.

Dave is back at work tomorrow while the rest of us enjoy one more week at home before school goes back for the last 4 weeks of the year!!! What?? I can't believe that the older two will soon be finishing Grade 1 and Grade 2... yikes!

David is heading away with the ZOE youth at the end of next week for a trip to the village.  He is very much looking forward to this as he both loves spending time with the ZOE teenagers and loves going to the villages.  

Well it is currently Songkran here.  A crazy (dangerous) and fun time of the year.  Songkran is the celebration of the Thai New Year.

According to the Bangkok Post, in the first three days of the holiday there were 1,447 road accidents which caused 173 deaths and 1,526 injuries.  There are still a couple of days to go!  We have been out and about a few times this year with much of the action happening right around our house.  We had a blast yesterday going out with friends in the back of a truck armed with water guns and icy water.  It proved to be a lot of fun. 

Well there is so much more to tell. {I'm sorry my updates have been few and far between!} BUT, I will save the rest of the news for another time... seriously, the story about our cockroach infestation will just have to wait for another day- when the trauma of has become a fading memory. Ewww!  I know you must be really disappointed about that LOL!

I'll leave you know with a few pictures from this first week of school holidays.  We enjoyed going to our aquarium, visiting several waterfalls and just hanging out as a family.

And, in closing, Dave and I are working hard to keep "encouraging" Spencer back to a diet inclusive of the great Aussie icon Vegemite... we will never give up!!

Feelin' Artsy

In Thailand we only have three seasons: hot, rainy-and-hot or VERY hot!  It's currently in the VERY hot part of the year.
It's been sitting on about 38-39 degrees all week. 
What a pity the Songkran water fights are over now.
Or was that just a suggestion?  Dave seems to think so!

Well, while the ZOE kids are still on their summer break, our children are currently off school on their "spring break" after just finishing the "third quarter".  (The international schools follow the American school year).  

And while it's moving in to the second month of the summer holidays, the ZOE kids are enjoying their camp holiday program tremendously (photos to come).
In another part of town, the Cross children are having some holiday activities of their own.

My children love to play "home-school" during the holidays where I am the teacher and they are the students.  We've had fun this week doing lots of artistic drawings and painting as well as reading, counting and (for Spencer) cutting practice.

These activities have enabled the children many opportunities to problem-solve and persist through set-backs and challenges.  

It's so wonderful, for me, to see each of the children developing.  I love being able to celebrate their individual achievements with them.

I love seeing how proud they are when they've accomplished something that they first deemed as being "too hard".

It's been such a joy to listen to Tobi reading longer stories to the younger two and observe his growing vocabulary.  To see Eliana discovering spelling patterns and express so much excitement as she learns to read. And to listen as Spencer clearly articulates the meaning behind his 'art work' (usually something about flames or a fire!!).

The kids have also been learning to memorize some more bible verses and understand more about God's love and plan for them.

One of the highlights this week has been setting up an art display of all our finished work.  This has made the living area look bright and cheerful.  It's also been a great opportunity to sit around and observe each other's work, analyze it, describe it and feel pride in each of the artistic creations.

An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.

Edwin Land

It always does me good to be able to identify the challenges and the successes that my children are experiencing.  

It's often when I hear myself telling them, "never give up", "keep practicing" or cheering "you can do it" that I realize that I need to take a bit of my own advice and apply God's word to my own issues more often! 

Never give up... Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up Galatians 6:9 .

Keep practicing... Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me -everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you Phillipians 4:9.

You can do it... I can do all things through Him who gives me strength Phillipians 4:13.

And so I hope as this week draws to a close that you can look back and know that you've given your tasks your best shot and remember in the wise words of Helen Keller,

"l long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble".

Thanks for stopping by!

A TASTE of HOME

There have been some highlights for our family this week in the form of a few little reminders of home.

Firstly on Tuesday, Dave and I went in to ZOE to complete the final “sports” session in the Around the World camp.  This week, camp was focused on none other than AUSTRALIA! Yay.  We were very excited to have this opportunity to share a bit of Aussie goodness!

As we arrived the kids, who had all been learning about Australian greetings that morning, shouted “G’day mate… Where are ya?” instead of “How are ya?” ha ha, too funny.

Given that Dave picked the sport for Tuesday’s session, what do you think he chose? AFL football, of course!  

He even had me wear my Bombers jumper in the heat!  

Dave started by explaining the basic rules of the game and drew a diagram depicting the size of the footy field etc.

We then headed to the undercover dining area for some hand-balling practice, bouncing drills and some very funny races.  Of course the kids loved seeing the leaders race against each other!  And the teenage boys took on Dave in a footy bouncing race.  Even with a broken toe, Dave came out victorious and the kids learned that controlling the Aussie football is not as easy as it looks!

After that we ventured across to the grass area and the kids were most eager to finally have a go kicking the odd shaped ball and enjoyed this activity for quite some time.

~

This afternoon as I left to pick up our children, I was surprised to see Cissy, one of the other missionaries, standing at our door.  Cissy has had the job of teaching the ZOE kids how to cook various foods from around the world.  In her past life (before ZOE) she had a background in the catering industry so what a wonderful sight it was to see, as she stood there holding a container full of freshly made lamingtons!  

Unfortunately I didn’t get to take a photo of our family digging in to these but they were honestly soooooo good and I might add, all gone in a matter of seconds!!

We are definitely the minority amongst the American missionaries here, so it was a treat to have a few moments where we could almost taste home… 

PS Only 70 days to go!  Whoa!