One month on...

Well, we left Australia with our hearts full.  Dave was a tad exhausted after a busy 6 weeks, but it is always such a blessing to have time with family and good friends.  After years of missing different things, there is only one thing that I really wish I could bring back to Thailand with me; the very precious people in my life.

~

Unfortunately I experienced travel sickness on the way home so I was very glad when the plane finally hit the runway and I was standing on solid ground again.  As we exited customs, our wonderful friend Laura and her girls greeted us. It was a joyous reunion with lots of laughter and chatter as we lugged suitcases and joked about how hot we all were, still dressed in our winter clothes. We were really looking forward to showers and bed by this stage.

It was only as we were preparing to leave in Laura’s car that our spirits were suddenly dampened. We realized that her bag containing her wallet, phone, passport, bankbook and i-pad had been stolen from the front seat of her car while we’d been loading the suitcases into the back.

Dave, Laura and I took turns to stay at the car with the children and rotated who would go off praying and searching nearby bushes, in the backs of trucks and rubbish piles.  Laura managed to get the attention of the police and we searched anywhere and everywhere in the hope that the thieves would just take the cash and then dump the rest of the contents.

… 3 and a half hours after arriving at the airport, sweaty, tired and thirsty, we began thanking God for His faithfulness. The phone ‘find me’ service was able to help police to locate her bag, which, as we had prayed, was dumped with everything still in it, apart from the money and the i-pad.

With mixed emotions of thankfulness and shock, Laura finally dropped us off.  After a sleepless night on the plane, the travel sickness and the strain of the airport incident, I can assure you, my head was very happy to hit the pillow that night!

The past few weeks have not been quite so dramatic, thankfully.

After finding the adjustment back a little more difficult this time, I feel like we are finally settling into a good routine now.  Our children are back at school and are enjoying their new teachers, classes and being around their friends.

Rock climbing at a friend's party.

I recently posted on Facebook:

I love seeing how God faithfully answers my prayers and continues to provide and supply all my needs but when He answers my children’s big, important requests with abundance… it makes my heart so very, very happy!

I was reminded recently that the way God can show us He’s in control is when we are in situations that we can’t control.

When I see the way my children’s faith is growing; I praise God for his presence in their lives.

~

Shortly after arriving home, one of the young ladies who was living with us at the transitional house was preparing to move to her university dorm.  We know that we will not see her as often now because her university is a long way away so it was with both excitement and sadness that we had to farewell such a wonderful girl.  It was fun to celebrate her out, encourage her with our words and pray blessing on her. We look forward to seeing how she blossoms, grows and changes even more this year.  We believe she has an amazing future ahead of her.

~

With the children back at school, I thought about all the many things that I have wanted to do but somehow the first 2 weeks of school just slipped by very quickly.

I am learning some new cooking skills at the moment, trying to incorporate wheat free, dairy free and low sugar alongside some homemade probiotics to help a few members of our family. Just think a few months ago, I’d never even heard of kefir, fermenting SCOBYs or kombucha, let alone thought about making bone both soup.  And my friend’s text message the other day as we chatted about our soups read something like, “and the more chicken feet the better”.

When did my life start incorporating chicken feet conversations relating to food?

Hmmm!

~

We feel ready for this next season. We know there will be obstacles and trials but we know our God is good. He is able and He is in control.

Visiting the zoo with friends from Australia here.

As you sit and read this, please take a moment to pray for the precious children at ZOE Children’s Home, for our family, the other volunteers and for your family too… for all us… that we will continue to acknowledge when God faithfully answers our prayers and provides with His amazing abundance.

From our home (of fermenting SCOBYs and chicken feet) to yours with love!!

Choosing bones for our soup!

A Tiny Spark

My family had an open fire place when I was growing up, so learning how to make a fire was all part of living in our home - collecting twigs and smaller logs, learning how to build up to the larger logs and keeping the fire alive.

This winter, whilst visiting Australia, we were blessed to be able to stay in a little cottage with a potbelly fireplace and I loved seeing our three children also creating memories collecting kindling, carrying big logs for firewood and learning how to start a fire.

Seven and a half years ago when we heard about ZOE for the first time, something definitely ‘sparked’ in us. 

And, a bit like a fire, we hypothetically, started down a path of collecting kindling, blowing the small sparks of the fire, fueling it as it grew and tending it, waiting and watching to see what would happen until … eventually all these years later, we are at a stage where it looks like there are some deep burning coals.

One night in Australia, Dave was due to be leaving as he was sharing at a young adult’s group but since it was so cold, he tried to light a fire for us before he left.  It really didn’t take off and he had to leave before there was really anything but a few small flickers.  After putting the children to bed, I had began to try… actually I had several tries but, for some reason, I couldn’t get it to start. I huffed and I puffed and I nearly blew the house down trying all my old tricks but it was not until about ten o’clock, that I could honestly say there was a fire that looked like it would finally give off some decent heat.  Eventually, once it got going, it was hot and fierce… unquenchable you might say.

There’s a quote, “A mighty flame follows a tiny spark”

Sometimes our little sparks seem like they’ll never come to be much. They may fizzle for a while and then die out. They may burn quickly like paper and then just as quickly turn to ash.  I was reminded recently though how sometimes these small sparks, catch onto something that starts another spark and then that spark, starts another… pretty soon there are small fires burning all over the place.

This year, we were invited to share about ZOE’s work, fighting modern day slavery, at 9 church services, 12 schools, trivia nights, young adults groups, youth groups, a craft group, injustice group, men’s group, a breakfast and various other casual meet-ups.  

What was also neat to see on this trip was all the little sparks that were lit. People coming up to us and saying, “I want to help”, “What can I do?” Some people purchased colouring books and gave them away to their friends and colleagues; others bought cookbooks to “cook for a cause”.

We now have a small team of volunteers who have offered to help us with various tasks and we know we can call on them. They now also have this burning desire to stop trafficking and make a difference in the lives of children.

It’s been so exciting to read the emails that have started trickling in from teachers whose students have already ‘fired up’ to make change happen and not just accept that slavery still exists.  I love reading about their choices to ‘do one thing’ whatever that it… it could just be that spark that starts a mighty flame!

  

Your Beautiful Hands Can...

“All ‘hands’ on deck!” is what one of our kid’s church pastors shouts when it’s time to pray.  It’s a good reminder for the children to stop what they’re doing, clasp their hands and focus on God.

Hands are so amazing aren’t they? The fact that they can do so many different things as well as communicate so much about how we’re feeling. 

They can show others when we’re nervous, tired, appreciative, mad, hurting, thoughtful… and so many other emotions!

They can also do so many things too.  They help us to swim, hug, cook, drive, write… this list goes on and on!!

Our hands also tell others information about us like whether we are married or single, our taste in jewelry, our age group and whether or not we bite our nails!!

But have you ever considered that your hands could also help fight child trafficking?  We know that most of you don’t have too much time on your “hands” but we’ve found a way that you can help without having to feel like time is slipping through your fingers.

We have produced an intricate colouring book called “Your Beautiful Hands Can” and in the right “hands” this book can do amazing things!

On one “hand” you can be having fun and doing something relaxing but on the other “hand” you will be helping kids in Thailand.

“But I’ve never tried my ‘hand’ at coloring or doodling,” I hear you say. 

Well this book would also make a lovely gift for someone or can be used as a fundraising activity for youth groups, churches and schools.

We’ll leave it in your “hands” to think creatively about the many other ways that this book can assist with the business at “hand” which is rescuing and caring for children.

I personally will not sit on my hands, or twiddle my thumbs, waiting for the right time.  The issue of modern day slavery is already out of “hand”!!!

The time is NOW! 

Wouldn’t it feel great to say that you had a “hand” in helping to fight child trafficking? 

I say, let’s use whatever we have at “hand” and make slavery disappear forever.

Will you lend a “hand”?  Watch the short video below!!

Email andrea@gozoe.org for quotes and expressions of interest for bulk ordering in packs of 50 or 100.  Books will be ready in June 2016!

7-ELEVEN

As I drove around doing errands, my mind wandered from thought to thought. 

My to-do lists. 

What to cook for dinner. 

Things to remember.
And then I saw it.
Another one. A new one, which had just been built.
A brand spanking new … 7- ELEVEN store.

My daughter and my husband like to play this game in the car called “7-Eleven”. It’s basically just spot the 7-Eleven store and the person who spots the most during the trip is the winner or the game can be carried on from one trip to another, depending on what they decide {sigh}.
It drives me crazy because I might be mid-sentence, saying something really important {a-hem} when all of a sudden “7-Eleven!” erupts, followed by lots of excitable screaming and yelling about who’s winning and who saw it first … yadda-yadda … hence, my important sentence gets lost. You get the picture.
But, in case you’re wondering how I could let this simple game drive me crazy, I just want to point out that in Thailand, there are over eight thousand 

7-Eleven stores! Yep! As Suzy Strutner said in the Chiangmai Times,

"Your life in general comes from 7-Eleven. It's where you pay your bills. 

And re-load your phone. And shop for groceries. 

And most importantly, it's where you get toasties. 

7-Eleven IS LIFE."

We used to pass at least 10 just on the way to school. You might understand now how it might, kind-of, just a little bit, get annoying after a while {nod here}.

And then my thoughts trail away to other things. Things I’ve been reading. 

Strangely enough an article from Family Education talks about what to expect in the second grade, and helping your child aged 7-11 to successfully face challenges that the school year may bring. My youngest is now 7 and I am trying to think ahead and be prepared (as much as possible) in relation to the social and emotional issues that this age group generally face.
And then my mind races once more, this time to the ‘other’ kids in this age group, the ones who don’t have a mum or dad reading up on all the latest educational advice. Whose mums or dads never had the chance to learn to read. Whose parents are no longer alive. Whose parents, for whatever reason, couldn’t protect them. This is the group we came here to help: the orphans and the little ones who cannot fight for themselves.
And while I sit in my car noticing the 8001st 

7-Eleven to be built, I think of the many little 7-11 year olds who still need rescuing. 

 At ZOE Children’s Homes we have at least ten children who fall into this age group who have been rescued and are now safe in the care of a new family. [There are also many children who are both younger and older than this].
The team at ZOE not only works hard to prevent child trafficking from occurring, but we will intervene when a child is in danger of being sold or has been sold into prostitution or slavery. But it doesn’t finish there, we commit to caring for these children from then on.
Did you know that there are more than 58,000 

7-ELEVEN outlets worldwide? You see them too.
As you drive home from work.
As you race to pick up your kids from school.
As you rush to that meeting.
As you dash out to go to the gym.
On your way to church.
But what can you possibly do? Right?

Well here’s a really easy thing. Every time you see a 7-Eleven store, let it remind you about what you have just read.
I’m not going to give you a bunch of statistics to remember. If there is one child who has been trafficked, it’s one too many.
You’re valuable to us!
You have the potential to share what ZOE is doing with an audience that we cannot reach – your friends, family, work colleagues, sports team, mothers' group, church, school and neighborhood.
You can create awareness about the atrocities of human trafficking, child trafficking and modern day slavery.
You can address these issues through your Facebook page, your blog, your local newspapers or any other link to mass media that you have.
If you've been touched by the work going on at ZOE or if you've seen or read or heard or experienced something that affected you, then go on and share THIS with others. 

Will you?

What's the Plan?

I'm not sure if you have someone in your family that continuously asks the question, "What's the plan?"  But I must admit, I like knowing what the plan is too!!

The other day, I was getting nervous and trying not to stress-out about it, but misplacing my diary (planner) felt like half my brain had just been wiped. Thankfully, after turning a few rooms upside down, and praying about it (ashamedly, in that order) the diary appeared tucked under a basketful of sewing things! Sigh.

Well now that it's back, I am looking at the calendar with disbelief... there's only 37 days till we're back on Australian soil!! What? How? Okay, that means I have a lot of planning still to do in a very small amount of time. But apart from all that, we are all very excited.  Our children haven't been back since September 2014 so they are SUPER excited!

In the mean time, I thought that I’d share with you a bit about what we’ve been up to lately.

Back in April, we enjoyed having David’s sister, our brother-in-law and our 2 nephews visit us. Especially for the week when our three kids were on school holidays, it was such a joy to have “cousin” time. There was a lot of laughter and fun that occurred and we made some great memories.

Also in April we had some of the children from ZOE come for a play-date as it was also their school break. We had fun Zentangling, making creations out of Paddle pop (popsicle) sticks as well as playing Lego.

The rest of the break included water, water and more water. The Thai New Year, also known as Songkran is a three-day celebration/ water fight.  As some of you may know, Thailand has had a big heat wave this past month so three days of throwing water and being wet is a welcome relief from the scorching heat. 

After Songkran, our kids went back to finish their final quarter/ term for the year feeling kind-of exhausted after so much fun. School finishes in June for them so they’re very much on the home stretch now.

I have been working on a project called “Family Baskets”. It’s a fairly new initiative to bring a basket of new ideas to the parents at ZOE every three months. It’s a way of encouraging family bonding, good memories and strengthen the family units.  It empowers the parents with new ideas and activities to try.  I try to provide activities based around these three areas:

1. Some sort of family bonding task or challenge or goal to work on.
2. Some type of craft/ something to learn/do e.g. make something/music related/arty/ fun etc
3. Something relaxing/stress relieving/ fun or a new game/activity.  

I love trying to fit within the budget and think of new and exciting things to do.

Dave and I are also working towards a big event this Saturday night where we are organising a project for ZFA. I am really looking forward to being able to share all about this soon… keep a look out! This is going to be COOL!

Aside from all that, there’s been LOTS happening here in the Transitional Home aka The Nest.

We are learning to keep handing the big and little issues over to God whilst continuing to love and reach out to these precious young people.

I shared with friends this week how I have struggled personally these past couple of months, often times feeling very disheartened. Praise God though as I have felt the fog lift. Whilst we feel like so much of this is unchartered waters and we don’t know what the next week looks like or how things will pan out; with our trust in God, we do not need to be afraid or discouraged. We need only to keep our eyes focused on Him. God is so good. He is faithful time and time again.
Within our little family, I am really enjoying watching our three as they grow and change. I really want to freeze them at their current ages but I am also excited to see each new step they take in becoming ‘themselves’; their beautiful, unique selves!  I love seeing them try new things and find the areas that they love to participate in.

Other than that, I have really valued the opportunity to be a part of the leadership team for the PTG (parent-teacher-group) at our children's school this year. I gained a lot of insight into the school and the annual events etc. I met some lovely people too and I will continue on being a part of this group in future.

Here are some pictures from the past month or so:

One of the young adults at The Nest bought 2 rabbits home the other day. Needless to say, there is always someone around to cuddle them!

ANZAC Day Dawn Service.

A particularly smokey day...

April in Thailand is typically hot and sweaty, but this year's scorching weather has set a record for the longest heat wave in at least 65 years. The average peak temperature each day this month has been above 40 degrees celsius.

Growing up so fast: healthy and strong.

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

Not Perfect, Still Beautiful

Okay, I admit it... I love it when things go perfectly.  Whether it be a cake I’m baking, an event I’m helping to plan, even a family holiday.

Many of you know that I have struggled with speaking in Thai but did you know that I also struggle speaking in English too… okay, so maybe just in front of large crowds!! 

It’s all because I want it to sound perfect and if I think it’s not going to be then fear kicks in. Erg!

So anyway, last week, we had the opportunity to take a much-needed getaway with just us five. I was super-excited to have planned the PERFECT trip away.

 The plan was to have no plan.  Just stay at the beach and relax and hang out together. We were all looking forward to some serious “Crossie” time together.

We have lived in the ZOE Transitional Home for exactly 12 months now.  It’s been a rollercoaster ride of emotions and craziness. It has stretched us in ways that we didn’t realize we could be stretched and challenged us tremendously.  My heart has broken, once again, for the precious children that ZOE rescues.

It cries out for the healing transformation that brings life back to hearts that ache to feel loved and accepted, and longs for moments when they get to know who they are and to accept that they’re precious and worthy.

~

Well, our holiday location was perfect.  All the “bits” that I was able to control and organise worked out really well.

But despite the “perfect” setting, and many wonderful bonding moments and laughter… our beautiful holiday also included an ugly side of bouts of diarrhea, sunstroke, vomiting, an ear infection and five people who all desperately needed time and space to unwind, process and relax in their own individual ways!!

You get the picture…

As the holiday drew to a close, we decided to take one last leisurely stroll along the beach at sunset.  A few nights prior, I had found a really nice, big shell that some other people passing by had even stopped to comment on.

So, on this final night, I had just one more opportunity to scout the beach while the tide was out and I was determined to find another “perfect” shell for my collection.

Tobi and I were walking together, eyes both scouring the sand when we began to chat about various things.  “Isn’t it amazing?” I said, “How we all have such different taste about what beauty is?  Like I might pick up this shell and think it is so pretty, but you might be thinking it’s average and then you see a shell that you really like, and I might not think it’s very special at all.” He agreed.

Moments later, he produced a shell for me, “Is this what you’re looking for Mum? You can have it.”

“Aww thanks” I replied, at first glance it looked good but then I noticed something and my perfectionist side dominated, “but actually I won’t keep this one. See, it’s broken.”

His next words left me speechless.

“Yes Mum it is, but even broken shells are beautiful.”

His words stuck in my mind and began playing over and over.  He was so right.

Later that night after finishing a movie we’d starting watching the day before, Dave and I were just about to give the instruction for the kids to head off to bed, when Eliana spoke up suggesting we have a time of prayer as a family, thanking God for this wonderful time away we’d had together.  We all agreed, it was a great idea.  I love hearing my children pray. It gives me such insight into their hearts and minds.

After we’d prayed she suggested that we also have a time of encouragement for one another- isn’t it awesome when you see your children take the lead on the things that you, as the parent, usually instigate?

Towards the end of the time of encouragement, I decided to share the conversation that Tobi and I had had on the beach earlier.  I spoke about how it had reminded me that we are all imperfect.

We are all broken in some way and we each have so many things that God is working through in our lives, but that indeed we are still beautiful to Him.  And with the realisation that that is how God sees us, and other people, we are able to try to see others in the same way - broken yet beautiful!

After we’d talked about this, Eliana came to whisper closely. “At the start of the week, I used to only collect the perfect shells too, Mum” she said quietly, “But then Tobi explained to me how when a shell is broken, you can see right inside the shell, which you can’t normally see. He said that some shells aren’t that nice to look at on the outside but on the inside they’re beautiful.”

Our holiday ended faster than I would’ve liked (why is that?) and it was time to trade wading through warm salty water, for the long list of emails that awaited me.  As I skim read, one email jumped off the screen, “Would I share at a meeting on Tuesday about the Transitional Home?”

Despite the fact that this request made me feel physically sick and, after I'd read it, my heart started racing faster than a Japanese bullet train, I must remember that I may not ever be a perfect public speaker but what I can share is what God is doing beautifully in, and through, this transitional home… the progress in the lives of the young adults who come in and out… and what God is doing in my own family too.  It can be messy at times to strip away masks and expose inner fears but through God’s grace and love we can experience hope, healing, authenticity and love. 

Please know this week, there is beauty in your brokenness!!