Sending some love :)

Sawadeekah! Some of you have been asking me about sending packages. I wanted to give you an update on the best way to send things, if you want to, and what to send. The easiest thing to send is definitely money. The main necessities for the orphanage are rice and vegetables (food for the children), gasoline for the vehicles, and funds to pay the utility bills. If you are wanting to send packages for me or for the children, the best things to send are candy, stickers, books, food, children's learning DVD's/DVD's for entertainment, any materials you think will help teach English, etc. The children love American candy, and stickers are a big hit for prizes. One thing that you should not send are toys, stuffed animals, large items, clothes, or anything like that. If you send large packages with toys in it and you write toys anywhere on the package, Thailand customs charges me a tax on it, and I end up paying more than the items are worth. Please do not send items that are very expensive. Things are way cheaper here in Thailand, and if there is something you are wanting to give to the children I might be able to buy it cheaper in Thailand. The children, the orphanage, and I are so blessed with all your willing and giving hearts. I know you all want to help, so I hope this helps you help :) Thank you so much for all your prayers, love and encouraging words. I love you all!
Today I am leaving for Chiang Mai for the weekend! Noah, May, Poopah, and I are driving the 6 hour drive today. We are picking up Angela, an American missionary who lives in Chiang Mai. She is going to hang out with us Friday in Noah's village. I'm so excited to meet her! I have been talking to her through email and on the phone and now I finally get to meet her! Yay! Monday is another Buddhist holiday, so we will be coming back from Chiang Mai on Monday (so check for an update on my "vacation" to Chiang Mai Monday night).
You can definitely be lifting up my health this weekend in your prayers. I spent a little bit of this morning throwing up over the side of the wall. My stomach is still a little uneasy, so I'm praying the 6 hour drive is comfortable. Also, I'm praying I get better so I can enjoy the weekend in Noah's village. We will be staying in Noah's mom's hut and enjoying the village life.
You can also be praying for Pastor Winai's health. On top of teaching I have taken on sending and checking Pastor Winai's emails, sending monthly updates about the hostel to our contacts, and any other computer things that need to be done, because it is a huge help to Pastor Winai and I speak English a lot better than he does :) He has been telling me it is very difficult for him to sleep at night because his heart hurts him so bad, his whole right side feels like it has a fever at night, he can't see very well out of his left eye because it has become so cloudy, and God has given him so many responsibilities and it's awesome God brought me here to help relieve him of some of those responsibilities. Through all this Pastor Winai is still ministering in the villages, taking care of all the children, and reminding us what it's like to be a man of God. His whole entire life is devoted to God and how God wants to use him. He's an incredible man and definitely needs prayer for his physical and spiritual health. Being so far away from my own father, it's so wonderful to have a man who is just as amazing as my dad to still mentor me and guide me to be the woman God is calling me to be!