bauerfamily: January 2009

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Christmas at Khao Yai

Holiday season was very different for us this year. On the one hand it was really great because over the past years we have really been put off by the commercialism of the day celebrating the birth of Christ. Just really feeling like we would like to celebrate in a different way...so in that aspect, it was great. But on the other hand, it was awful being away from our family and friends, ESPECIALLY our children, Brittani and JR and the kids, and Nolan. It was really heartwrenching to be away on the first Christmas that Mia is really aware of the whole Christmas celebration and traditions. We shed some tears and really questioned our decision to make this move but we have learned that it's best to follow God's plan and not your own. So, with that in mind, we know we are supposed to be here, where Maddie is doing so well in school and with volunteer opportunities that will bring her into a closer relationship with God, and with the opportunities for us to grow spiritually. So, even though it was hard to get into the typical "Christmas Spirit", we got away for a few days to Khao Yai, a beautiful mountain area of Thailand, to walk in nature and celebrate our blessings and the birth of Christ. We heard that it was "really cold" there so we should take a light jacket. :) Yes, it's true, it is "cold" there! I guess we have acclimated because we were glad we brought the jackets. We were delighted to discover that, in Khao Yai, the flavor is ranches, cowboys (yes! Thai cowboys!) a good steak, and WINE COUNTRY, lots of Thai wineries believe it or not. Such an interesting place. We stayed the first two nights at "Jungle House" a very rustic cabin in the jungle. It had many hiking paths, great birdwatching spot, elephant trekking, just a really peaceful spot. The last two nights we had prebooked and it wasn't good. Too many falang (foreigners), too far away from the National Park we visited every day, and the room were so tiny we could hardly move. Jeff and I had to share a twin bed, Maddie and Ginger shared the other. Although that might sound romantic, it can get a little uncomfortable after a few hours! :) But the trip was wonderful, relaxing and a great get away for us to celebrate the birth of Christ in the midst of nature.

Friday, January 9, 2009

John and Erin

The day after the Christmas Party at Peter and Deb's we spent the day with John and Erin Macy, a couple from Oregon who quit their jobs and are traveling the world for 10 months! They are an incredible couple we have been emailing with the past couple of months. Our good friends, Tim and Nicole, in Oregon hooked us up and we are so glad they did!

They summed up our day beautifully on their blog (see Dec 23 and a video on Dec 25). Check it out: http://www.johnanderinmacy.com

They are currently in Cambodia, working at a women's shelter for about a month. They will return to Bangkok for a few days at which time we look forward to getting together with them again before they move on to Africa. These are the type of Americans we are proud to call friends. Love these guys! :) You can follow their whole incredible adventure on their blog.

Sunny, Susan and Maddie

Maddie and Sunny.

Maddie and Sunny making the day a little brighter for this beautiful lady. Sunny is an amazing kid. We met Sunny and her father in 2003 when Sunny was about Maddie's age. Unfortunately, Sunny's dad passed away last year when he contracted a deadly disease on a mission in Africa. Sunny continues on in mission work with a heart for Christ. Maddie loves hanging out with Sunny, she is like another big sister to her.

Here's Maddie and Susan cheering another patient. Susan is another amazing woman here in Thailand. She is nicknamed "the Angel of the Bangkok Hilton" which is a really tough prison here in bangkok. She works hard for the Lord, ministering to prisoners there, visiting hospital patients, working at the shelter for abused women and their families. Susan has become a very famous person in Thailand as of late, she is an author of a few books, and has done so much work for the poor and abused. She has become a great friend to us and Maddie is drawn to the work Susan is doing. We all look forward to doing as much as we can to help Susan spread the word and love of God through her ministries.

Delivering gifts, hugs, and kisses

One of the things Maddie misses most about America is the hugging. She was happy to hug all the patients and even give a few pecks on the cheek.

I love this picture!

Maddie has a heart full of love and kindness. We are so thankful to live in a place where she has so many opportunities to share God's love with others.

Christmas Caroling at the Hospital

We were invited to go Christmas caroling at the hospital this year. Unfortunately Jeff and I had to work but Maddie was excited to go. These are all heart, chest, lung issue patients and they were really happy to have Santa and his friends visit them and sing them some songs to cheer their day and they even got a few smiles.

Christmas caroling along with some dancing...

Jamie, Skip, Julia, Sunny, Maddie, Santa (Peter) and Susan.

Really getting into it with the nurses and even some of the people visiting the patients :)

Friday, January 2, 2009

Christmas in Thailand with Santa

Jeff and I are blessed to know missionary friends here in Thailand. On Jeff's first trip here in 2002, he booked a day of birdwatching with Peter, an expert on birds who just happens to be a missionary. We have visited and kept in touch with them over the years, eventually meeting the whole family including Peter, his wife, Debbie, Steven, Kenji, Sunny, Julia and Jamie. Last summer they made their first trip to America and we were blessed to have them stay with us in our home for a few days. We were all amazed to learn that they live about 10 minutes away from where we would be living in Bangkok. We are able to spend a lot of time with them volunteering at the orphanage, women's shelter, etc. We love to see more and more each day, God's hand in our move here to Thailand...

One little girl who may know who this guy is? :)

After the show, Santa shows up to talk with the children from the orphanage. "Santa" is our new friend, Tom. He is actually from Escondido, can you believe what a small world this is? He just met Sunny a few days before this and she invited him and his wife to come to the Christmas party. When asked if he would be Santa, he was happy to volunteer. Tom called Jeff this past weekend and told him the strangest thing happened after this party. He was at a hotel for business here in Bangkok (he lives FAR out of Bangkok and only comes in on business when he has to) and happened to be wearing a santa hat at the time. At the hotel that night, these SAME kids from the orphanage were performing at the hotel and they recognized "Santa" from the party! They ran up to him and hugged him and swarmed him, sitting on his lap and talking to him. He ended up staying with them for over an hour and missed his flight back to his home and stayed an extra night in Bangkok. He said is was really a powerful moment where God spoke to him and it really moved him. Tom has not been to church in a long time and only this Christmas is regaining his relationship with God. Isn't that exciting? :)

These kids did a really good job perfoming their skits and dances, they are really cute and we hope to get to know each one of them better this year as we visit them at the orphanage and just love them. It's hard to believe but some of these little cuties are just abandoned on the doorstep, infant, age 1, 2, 3, doesn't matter. Jeff and I wanted to take about 5 of them home with us that night but then realized we would probably regret it in about 10-15 years. Just kidding, but you parents of teens know what we are talking about...we are excited to start volunteering this year with these kids. In fact, this weekend we will be spending all day Saturday with them.