I'm Off...Again!

Well it seems like May is always "that time of year" when I pack up my bags and head off to Southeast Asia...and this year is no different! In just a few hours, 5 hours to be exact, I will be boarding a plane to spend a month overseas - I couldn't be more excited or blessed!

For the first two weeks I will be in Thailand with one of my friends Chelsea, who is looking to commit to serve with an organization in Thailand for 2 years. Before she made a 2 year commitment she wanted to visit Thailand and the organization (smart move) and well I sort of volunteered myself to go with her (I think she is excited about me going with her though...I hope!) since Thailand is my other home. We will be spending 1/2 of our time in Chiang Mai (being toursits...which will be an adventure) and the other half with the organziation in a Burma border town seeing what they do and meeting their staff.

The second two weeks I will spend in Vietnam with a bunch of friends who live in Danang. I have no formal plans with them...but all I know is they live near the beach and there are tons of coffee shops...I think I will survive just fine! I promise I won't just be lounging around for 2 weeks...I will also be helping out however I can at the organizations my friends work for.

I know some of you may have heard about the protests in Thailand (and some of you have even voiced some concern about my travels)...I promise I have taken a lot of precautionary steps for my time in Bangkok, including only being there as little as possible. However, the situation is still unstable and I would ask for your prayers for peace. Chelsea and I are not feeling fearful about the situation and really belive that the Lord has created this time and space for us to be in Thailand specifically - so we go in full faith that the Lord will guide us, strengthen us and use us as He sees fit (whether or not we are "safe").

My hope and prayer for this journey is to really encourage and love on my friends who have committed at least a portion of their lives to overseas service...they give so much and my hope is to pour back into them as much as possible (and to maybe ride an elephant or two!).

Blessings!
E