From hotel to house

The first Sunday we were in Bangkok, way back in November, we found an English church and attended service. After the service we went to the welcome table, explained we were looking for volunteer opportunities and...we've been here ever since! (Here being Christ Church--the English church we found.) We started volunteering at Christ Church the next week--mostly helping them out with the lead up to Christmas. So...we got to organize and set up Christmas crafts for the kids, fold service schedules, make mince pies, help decorate, sing in the choir, etc. It's been quite fun! It was fabulous to have a "home" for Advent and Christmas--it made Christmas more real somehow.

We also started volunteering at World Concern (website: www.worldconcern.org). Like in Beijing, we were helping out with writing/organizing-type things. It's been very interesting to work there and find out more about the work going on by Christian NGO's in Thailand. Saranya, Fon, and Carmen have been really great. They all work with the Child Protection Program, which is the branch we've been volunteering with.

Since we figured we'd be in Thailand for a few weeks, we thought we'd go to one of the Christ Church Bible studies as well. That has been a blessing in many ways. One such way was a rather unexpected material benefit--we ended up with a house to live in instead of our hotel! Gary and Claudia (and their daughter Caitlin) are from the USA and are in Bangkok with Bible Study Fellowship. We were very blessed to stay with them for ten days at the beginning of the month before we headed off to Myanmar. Then, when we got back to Thailand from Myanmar, we housesat for a British couple, Jane and Mike. Both homes have been awesome! It's been so great to have a house after living out of a hotel room for over a month. Thanks to all of you guys!

The days right around Christmas were some of the best times we spent in Bangkok! The carol and candlelight service on the last Sunday of Advent. The kids Christingle service on Christmas Eve. The midnight service Christmas Eve. The Christmas morning service. They were all lovely and even more so since we got to be quite involved.

Anyone know what a Christingle service is? We had never heard of it, but it was lots of fun. It's basically a kid's Christmas service. It varies in format but the two standard parts are the telling of the Christmas story during which the kids all get to dress up and act it out (so there are usually 20 or so shepherds, angels, and wisemen so that everyone can participate), and then the Christingle procession. Each child is given an orange representing the world with a red ribbon around it representing Christ's blood shed for the world, four sticks with dried fruit representing God's goodness going out to the four corners of the world, and a candle representing Jesus the light of the world. After the explanation, the candles are lit and there's a procession around the church representing our task as Christians to take the light of the gospel to the whole earth. It was a really neat service!

Christmas Day was doubly nice too 'cause it was the day we went from the dangerous duo to the terrible trio! Milo arrived at 1:00 am on Christmas Day. So...we sent him to bed for a few hours...and then dragged him to the Christmas party at the vicarage. :) Good company and good food: what more can you ask for!

Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Advent and Christmas as well. All the best for the New Year!