Welcome to PlaaPlaaPlaa!

So you may be wondering why PlaaPlaaPlaa? What are those strange fish symbols above? What is ปลา and what does it mean? In short, this is a blog site, so surely there's going to be plenty of rambling. Unfortunately BlahBlahBlah was already taken, so I had to settle for the 'Plaa'. But there's actually more to it then just ramblings. The first fish symbol is actually a Christian symbol meaning ICTHUS - a greek acronymn which means "Jesus Christ is God's Son, the Saviour". The other strange letters you see in the last fish is actually the thai word for fish which funnily enough is pronounced "Plaa". So when you put it all together, this site is going to be my ramblings in telling people about how Jesus Christ is God's Son, the Saviour in Thailand (with plenty of good stories about food in between). Happy reading.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

what to do?

Each day when i get home, i can't help but praise God for his goodness and his provision for me over here. Not only materially in a place to stay,transport etc, but especially in all the friends he's brought into my life and the opportunities that keep on coming to serve him. Last Wednesday, Denise & John went back to Australia for a 3 week visit. While i've felt so settled since being here, i must admit that the fact that Denise and John have been here has contributed to that heaps. So there was a small part of me that was also slightly apprehensive when they left as it would be the first time that i'd kinda be here 'alone' without any 'blood' family here, people who i can comfortably chill out with in english, people who understand me etc etc etc. But since they've gone, i've really had nothing to complain about. Everyone is really looking out for me and keeping me out of mischief. And over the past week the list of opportunities to serve just keeps on growing and opportunities to build relationships keep on opening up. It's good in some ways that Denise and John have gone back to Oz for a short while cos it's forcing me to speak more and giving me opportunities to do more things in sunday school and at the workshop without a translator that i probably wouldn't normally do. It definitely keeps things interesting as i've got no idea what's coming up next, or often what i'm even doing at the time :) haha

So now there are new opportunities to help out at a juvenile detention centre, possibly help out with the marketing for a new initiative that some people at my church are wanting to start with helping females who are pregnant with unwanted children, and even being a part of those initiatives too, further opportunities to really get involved down at the disabled workshop, teaching english at a Compassion centre about 4-5hrs out of Chiang Mai, getting to know new people who have a background in design and graphics who are currently unemployed and are keen to do any kind of work - so possibly training them up...and the list keeps growing. For those who are praying, please pray for wisdom in thinking about the future, what i could do, how i would be best spending my time in serving God here - (or if it's to go back in Oz). There really are so many doors that are opening here and so opportunities to serve and every time i hear of something new, i get so excited, but also saddened at the fact i've only got so many hours in a day, or so many days in a week - not to mention limited language. God really is great and good. He's got a plan for everything and everyone. we just need to keep on trusting in him for all things.

anyway off to go swimming with some friends now (it's starting to get REALLY HOT here now) at some place i've never been to or know where it is - which is fine, cos i think i'm going to be driving :) haha ah, i love thailand :)