My 1st Birthday (in Thailand)!

What fun! I had a great 4 day birthday here in Thailand. I am blessed with a good job and coworkers, great friends, fabulous places to eat and get massages, and a supportive church! :) I started on Thursday Dec 14th for dinner with my 'second family' here (Liz's parents). They made me a delicious spaghetti meal with salad and an orange mouse dessert. they also gave me the best gift - a Rawang (burmese hilltribe) skirt! i have been wanting one of these skirts forever - all the ladies in church have them and i wanted to buy one or have one of them make it. i was politely informed that you had to "earn" something like this! hahaha well, after a year of service to the church (teaching english and sunday school!) i received one! whoohoo!! i was soooo happy - and they didn't even realize i had wanted one! I felt so special and so loved - they have been amazing to me - always welcoming and generous and fun. they said i am 'a part of the family' now...and they really mean it! :) God is good.



Dec 15th i celebrated my birthday with a new friend, Toy. She is a masseuse at the night bazaar that i have been going to every wednesday after outreach. she is the sweetest woman and is always happy to see me. she even switches clients to get me when i visit! :) hahaha. she has been interested in church and asked me about God. she has come to church a few times and i gave her a thai bible, at her request! i love visiting her - and i get to practice my thai! i felt weird though only seeing her when she is massaging my feet! and i found out her father died a week ago...so i invited her to lunch - and it was her birthday too! we went to a nice thai restaurant and i gave her the Prayer of Jabez in thai. she turned 49 today! i got to meet her 24 year old daughter too - very sweet and they showed me their home and pictures! :) i know God has put her in my life for a reason.



At work, my coworkers sang for me and gave me cheesecake!! sooo good. and i got a huge bouquet of flowers from my friend/coworker!
later, i went out with 10 friends for a 'progressive dinner'! we had appetizers at an English Pub - dinner at an Italian Restaurant (and even got seranaded in italian by the entertainment!) and dessert and drinks at The House (my favorite!). it was great fun with great people! i got beautiful gifts and the most 'totally awesome' gift yet: Jon Bon Jovi - circa 1984!!

WHOOHOO! i was sooo happy! my friend Liz found this picture from a thai magazine somewhere here!? *not the best quality photo above - i know - but you get the picture!! :) i love jon bon! **i have to tell you - i realized as i put this little number on my wall today, that i put up a ginormous poster of my dear jon bon (complete with the high hair, ripped faded jeans, and hot pink backdrop!) almost 2o years ago!? boy, i really AM getting old!? i mean, that must say something about my level of committment, right?! i have loved this man for a very long time (and in my heart of hearts - i KNOW he's a Christian and that gives me some comfort! hahaha. i need a man - i'm so pathetic! :( anyways, my Birthday was a blast and fun was had by all!


Dec 16th (The Big Day) Phone calls from mom, brother, sister, and father! I decided to treat myself to a Spa day at a local place down the road from me!

it was soooo great - a body scrub, aroma oil massage, and facial...complete with a sauna and swimming by the pool! :)

i was in heaven - i chilled out and read, swam, listened to music, slept! it was perfect. then i went to church for the Christmas special - it was nice and fun to sing old favorite holiday songs. my friend dawn came too. i even got a special song of "Happy Birthday" sung to me! :)

Dec 17th i went to church and met my friend Toy there. she seemed really into the message! *also, a girl that i used to get massages from at airport plaza showed up to church! i had gone to her work in May and she wasn't there anymore (i was so sad -she's only 21, but very good!) and i had invited her to english class or to church and we never could connect...anyways, and today, there she was! it was great to see her and she is working as a masseuse in the night bazaar! now i have another contact! i think this massage thing has a higher purpose... Massages for Christ is what i like to call it! hahaha. i also got the sweetest card from two of my students for my birthday...oh, i love these kids! :)

It truly was a great Birthday - i couldn't ask for better, aside from being at home with my family! I feel blessed to have good friends around the world! :) thanx to everyone back home as well, for the birthday wishes through email and cards and calls! you are not forgotten! and you are loved! :)