Off to a Good Start for 2010

We've already been celebrating a lot this month. There was the new year, which we celebrated at Jay's parents' house. Also present was Jay's sister, Doreen and her husband, Rick as well as Jay's aunt and uncle, Bob and Betty. We had a lot of fun with noise makers, prizes and game playing in addition to a great meal dished out by Grandma.



Last year's New Year's eve we stayed in our hotel, playing "Go Fish" because the US Embassy had sent out a warning to Americans not to go out to large gatherings in Bangkok. Then we cruised down the Chao Praya River on New Year's Day to the high rise apartment of a Japanese woman where we joined other Japanese believers in Jesus for a home worship time.






This year we celebrated one year since bringing Penny home on January 10th. We decided to cook Thai food at home for this celebration. This meant that I (Chandra) spent most of the day in the kitchen. I made a Thai garlic/chili sauce with seafood dish, some sticky rice and Isaan-style baked chicken, as well as some Thai-style "pancakes" with mussels, eggs, vegetables in them. Penny kept thanking me and seemed so happy. What a change from a year ago when she was suffering from jet lag, altitude sickness, homesickness for Udon Thani, culture shock, teenage hormones at that time of the month, etc., etc. There were tears, trouble sleeping, barfing at Walmart while shopping for Daddy's birthday and refusal to eat most things other than eggs and rice.








This year we spread out Jay's birthday celebration. Since his birthday fell on a Wednesday and we all have to get up before or by 7 a.m. on weekdays we didn't want to stay up too late. So, we went out to Red Robin that night where he got a free burger for his b-day. Yesterday, on Saturday we continued to party with an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery and had Jay's parents come over. Last year we opened our Christmas gifts along with Jay's birthday gifts since we had just arrived home from Thailand on the 10th, which was the longest day of our lives. I think we'd been up for about 36 hours straight. This year we chose to stay up late because we were watching our video footage from our fun time we'd had with family in the Black Hills for Christmas.


While 2010 also holds many uncertainties, we are thankful for how far we have come from last year. Here we are with all of us at new schools/jobs. And Jay is wondering if the Lord may have other plans for him in store, as the long commute seems to be getting the best of him. But, we're trusting that we are still resting in the hands of our loving heavenly Father. He's seen us through the last year with it's many changes and trials. I'm certain that He won't abandon us, now. Penny has been growing in her understanding, too, of a heavenly Father who won't leave her nor forsake her. She still struggles with deep fears of abandonment that come out in bad dreams. But learning about the everlasting love of the Lord gives her peace. She had a dream the other night that we had taken her back to the orphanage and left her. But while she was there she was showing all of her friends from the bible that God loves them. We're praying that her trust will continue to grow in this new year.