God is so smart

Tonight, as we were wrapping up our worship service, Teep asked me to pray for the children. I prayed over all the children and after I finished they all began to pray. At that moment I realized God is so smart. Here I am struggling to learn Thai, and even sometimes my English isn’t perfect, but God….He can speak and understand every language in the whole world and He does it perfectly. As I pray in English, He hears, as the children pray in Thai, He hears, as Germans pray in German, He hears. He’s such an incredible God! He speaks to and hears every single one of us. Whether we can speak or we can’t, He hears us. Have you ever really thought about how smart and incredible our God is? I think people who can speak two languages are great, but God speaks every single language you could ever think of. He understands everything I ever say to Him, whether it’s gibberish, just my heart being flown at Him, or plain ol’ English. It doesn’t matter where I am, God hears me. His ears are never, ever closed to me. Anytime I need Him, He’s there with an ear to listen and a shoulder to lean on! It’s pretty incredible if you ask me! I don’t know anyone else who even compares to God! “…..his ears are open to their prayers” 1 Peter 3:12.
I taught my English lessons at the Huai Bong School a little bit different today. With 7th and 8th grade I made a large board game for the children to play. I had many different spaces that I set up in the assembly hall and then I had a large dice for each student. Each space had English sentences and commands written on them and the children had to read them and do what they said. It was really fun!! We had a lot of laughs from that game. Some children had to keep going back to start, or losing a turn, and some never rolled anything but nung (one). When it was time to teach 9th grade, KruSookit (Teacher Sookit) had bicycles all lined up for me and the students. Our English lesson today was going to be out in nature. They gave me a tour around Huai Bong School and we went to a beautiful resort that was nearby the school. Along the way I taught them what certain things were and had English conversations with them. Krusookit is so nice to me. It’s amazing how kind, peaceful, and grateful Thai people are. He always brings me a gift, usually food, when he brings his son to learn English at the orphanage. He’s so very nice! I had told them that I love riding bikes, so he gave me one of his bicycles to use for the year that I live here and he set it up so we all went bike riding today. It was wonderful!
My English class is really growing. Many of the students come from the Huai Bong School in the evenings. There are about 20 children who come from the school, on top of the 60 that I already teach. I definitely have my hands full, but I love it! All the kids are wonderful! I don’t know what I’ll do when they are not in my life every day! Not only is my English class growing with children, but many more teachers are beginning to come. Tonight I had a teacher named Lori (this is her English nickname). She is an English teacher and she brought 3 of her students. They are older, all between 18-20. She is going to be bringing them to learn English every night. She also has asked me if she could come once a week and learn my teaching methods from me. I told her of course!! So I will be teaching her as well! Please keep that in your prayers. Pray that I am not only teaching her my teaching methods, but about God. Pray she sees something different in me, and that she realizes it is Jesus!
God is definitely working! So many people are beginning to come to learn English at night, and when they come to learn English we teach them a worship song in English. They all are praising God! They also are involved in all our prayer!! Praise the Lord! He is doing some mighty things through this orphanage! As Pastor Winai sat in the back of the room as I taught English, one of the teachers went and sat with him and began speaking with him. She asked him how he was able to be so happy all the time and always be smiling when he had such a large burden with taking care of all the children in the orphanage. He was able to explain to her that the Bible tells us to give our burdens unto Jesus, so his burden is light and his joy is overflowing! Through an English lesson, we were able to share the gospel. If only that one teacher finds Jesus, every hour put into teaching these children would be worth it!
Not only am I being able to have an impact on all the teachers, students, and everyone who steps foot in my English lessons, but they are having an even greater impact on me! I’m learning more from them then they could ever learn from me. Krudam (the English teacher at Huai Bong School), told me today that I am like her daughter. She loves me as if I was her own. This touched my heart, and I had to hold back the tears. She told me that all the teachers in the school love me. I am showered with more love than I know what to do with! From the children, the teachers, Pastor Winai and his family, and everyone else! One of the girls came up to me and asked me if I think about my family and if I miss them. I explained to her that although I am so far away from family, I have family surrounding me every day, so it makes it very easy being away from my family!
Speaking of this wonderful family, I will be joining my Huai Bong family to Mae Jaroung tomorrow. They are having a music competition between the schools and I have been asked by the leaders of the competition to be a judge. I feel like Paula Abdul, except on Thailand Idol. I’m very excited to judge these children, but it’s going to be very difficult because they all are so talented. I don’t get it, there isn’t one of them who isn’t talented! After I get home from Mae Jaroung, it’s time to pack because it’s off to Bangkok. The teachers and the 8th-9th graders are traveling to Bangkok for the weekend. It is a field trip for the children, and they have asked me to come along to talk with and teach the teachers and students! I’m really excited because Bangkok is a lot of fun!! I will come home Sunday, so I’ll update everyone on Monday with a new blog and pictures!!
Please pray for the trip to Bangkok. Pray for safety and opportunities for God to use me! Also, please pray for my voice. It is starting to become really raspy again, so I think the nodules on my vocal chords are growing, but I know God is greater than any nodule that could form. I know He’s called me to teach, so please be praying for a complete healing over my voice!! I love you all and thank you for reading my blog and keeping up with me!