Merry Christmas!

From Malaysia...

and Texas...

We want to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

May your holidays be filled with precious blessings,

savored by hearts overflowing with love and gratitude

for the gift of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

and joyfully shared with family and friends.

Our love and best wishes always,

Sam, Tracey, Vanessa, and Riley

Home Sweet "Malaysian" Home

Capsquare Residence ...20th floor

Our view

Our neighborhood...notice the Starbucks!

I've been back in Texas now for a little over week, but leave again tomorrow. Before I head out with our girls to celebrate Christmas with our family in Oregon, I wanted to post a few pictures of our new home in Kuala Lumpur. Sam and I were blessed to actually find and move into a furnished apartment over my Thanksgiving visit. Speaking of my visit, it was wonderful though way too short! Sam is doing well and sends his love. Of course, he's glad I can be with the girls during this time of transition, but is also looking forward to my return.

Beeee...autiful Blessings!

...just wanted to share a few pictures from Halloween. What a blessing it was to be with my girls to share yet another "first!" I'm convinced that there is no greater joy than experiencing the thrill of childhood once again, only this time through the eyes of Vanessa as she celebrates life with Riley.

Precious moments with Grandmommy's Honey Bee!


Posing for pictures before visiting friends

My Beeee...autiful Bees. Riley was a "busy" bee, Vanessa was the "queen" bee, and I joyfully chose to be the drone!

Trick or Treat!

Since I haven't blogged in over a month, I'm treating myself to time on the computer while my girlies are occupied.... Riley with napping and Vanessa with studying.

As far as an update... Sam and I are moving to Malaysia on November 1st. Nope! This is not a trick. Actually, Sam broke the news to me about a month ago on my birthday. It's been almost 2 years ago since we accepted the Thailand position. At that time, we thought we'd be there for a minimum of 3 years and were really hoping for 5. Unfortunately, the company had different plans. Such is the life of an expat!

Actually, now that we've adjusted to the idea, we're looking forward to the adventure of living in and exploring yet another country, though we'll miss our life and friends in Thailand greatly. The current plan is for Sam to stay in the company's guest housing until we're able to select an apartment which we'll do over the Thanksgiving holiday. I'll be travelling to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the 20th of November to join Sam until Dec.4. Then, I'll return to Katy and continue helping Vanessa with Riley until she finishes her semester at HCC. In January, we'll move the girls to our home in Corpus Christi where Vanessa will continue pursuing her dream to become a nurse. Once she feels confident and we have care for Riley, I'll move to Malaysia and will begin making a home for us there.

Until all that comes to pass, I'm enjoying the treat of sharing in Vanessa's joy as she cares for her precious Riley. So far, I've been blessed to see this little fairy princess grow hair...enough for a clip-on bow, sprout 2 pearly teeth, stand solo in the sand on the beach, and take her first steps. My jack-o-lantern is truly full and overflowing with magical moments!

Tracey in Two Worlds

I'm seriously considering renaming this blog as Thailand is truly only part of my life's adventure. I haven't really done the math, but if I did, I think that I'd discover that the time I've spent in Texas since Sam relocated is about equal to the time I've spent in Thailand. It's neither good nor bad...just is what it is.

As far as an update, the storms, both weather related and personal, have passed and with each day the future seems a bit brighter. As of today, the plan is for me to stay with Vanessa in Katy and be Riley's grand"nanny" until her semester at HCC is complete. In December, we'll relocate our girls to our town home in Corpus Christi and Vanessa will complete her education at either Del Mar Community College or Texas A&M. Once we have a support system in place, I'll return to Sam and begin counting the days until we're with our girls once again :)

You know, the more I think about it, I really do want to change this blog's title. How blessed I am to live in 2 worlds! Does anybody in my blogging world know about title changes?

Stormy Weather in Texas

Hurricane Gustav is reeking havoc as it heads for the gulf coast, but the storm I'm writing about is one of the heart. Just a brief blog to let you all know that I'm heading for Texas in order to be with Vanessa and Riley as they rebuild their lives in the wake of Trey's departure. Funny, how in the last blog I posted the picture of the double rainbow. To be sure, there are rough waters ahead, but I know that we won't be facing the "storm" alone.

Singin' the Bangkok Blues...

Recently, Sam and I've both been singin' the Bangkok blues. We're really not quite sure why. Probably, it's just a lot of little things....all together called life! Fortunately, our concert is over and quite dramatically we were once again reminded that no matter how down we may get, God is faithful to keep His promises.

This picture was taken from our living room balcony. I wish I could have captured the whole double rainbow with my camera. I guess what's important is that it's etched in my heart.

"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." Genesis 9:13

"Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving towards all he has made." Psalm 145:13

A "Prophetic" Party Hat

Today, August 12, all of Thailand is celebrating their beloved queen's birthday. On this special national holiday, not only is the queen celebrated, but also mothers are honored as it's Thai tradition that Father's Day and Mother's Day are celebrated on the birthdays of the king and queen.Since today is such an auspicious day, I thought that I'd to seize the opportunity to share this snapshot of one of my students in his "party" hat. Do you remember in my last blog that I mentioned that we made hats the day President Bush visited Klong Toey? Well, imagine my surprise as I folded this little guy's hat! Honestly, I can think of little more to write as the headline profoundly says it all..."The future of history is here." I do believe that Thailand's royal family and our president would most certainly agree.

Hope you have a happy Mother's Day!

Just Another Day....NOT!

Today wasn't an ordinary day in the Klong Toey slum. In fact, for days things haven't been business as usual. The sidewalks had been swept...or should I say scrubbed? Street hawkers were notified that they were to remain closed on Thursday, decaying building awnings were removed, even incinerators along the street were wrapped in brown paper to mask any unsightliness from our President's view. I can't help but wonder if President Bush is aware of the extraordinary lengths to which this community went to prepare for his visit today.
Of course, he didn't just randomly choose this poorest of the poor Bangkok neighborhood. President Bush came to visit and honor a very special American, Father Joe Maier, a Redemptorist priest who came to Thailand in 1967 as a missionary. Father Joe founded the Human Development Foundation and has lived in and served the Klong Toey community for over 40 years. His Mercy Centre, a shelter for street kids and a home for mothers and children with HIV/AIDS is directly behind the school I teach at.
Speaking of teaching, I did actually teach today or at least tried to! The children were certainly aware that it was a different day... after all, it's not every day that their playground gets turned into a parking lot for police trucks! Anyway, after our routine lessons, reviewing the letter "H", and making newspaper "hats" (check my next blog), I headed out onto to the street to see what I could see...kind of felt like Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree! One of the first sights I saw was a string of secret service agents and their assorted vehicles. The picture above is of an agent I befriended because he was in need of locating the "facilities". I really enjoyed chatting with him and his partner. This was their first trip to Thailand. With the exception of suffering from major jet lag, they were having a nice time...looking forward to a Thai foot massage this evening:) To show their gratitude for my help, they gave me some secret service pins for Riley. Now that's a souvenir I never expected to collect in Thailand!
I also never expected to be interviewed by an AP reporter, but as you can see from the picture above, I was. Talk about nervous! The tape will probably never be aired, but just in case you'd like to hear what I had to say, you might want to tune into CNN. And if you'd like to know more about Father Joe's ministry, I highly recommend his book, Welcome to the Bangkok Slaughterhouse, or you can check out the Mercy Centre website. http://www.mercycentre.org/ My Shutterfly page will have a new album shortly containing all my snapshots from this most un-ordinary day.

Another 1st!

August 1st...I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some recent special firsts. First of all, it was our joy to welcome our Corpus Christi neighbors, Doug and Georgene, as our first guests from home. As I was waiting for their plane to arrive, I realized this was the first time I'd ever been to the Bangkok airport to meet someone...very exciting and I can't wait until the next time!

The picture above was taken the second evening our friends were with us, but it was the first time any of us had been to a restaurant where they give you condoms rather than after dinner mints! The restaurant, Cabbages and Condoms, is a one of a kind Bangkok Thai restaurant that donates a percentage of their profits to population control and AIDS charities. Be sure to check out my Shutterfly album for some pictures of artistic uses of condoms.

Doug and Georgene both enjoyed the view of the Chao Phraya River from the terrace of the Oriental Hotel. This 128-year old hotel is one of the most famous hotels in all of Asia and the first of it's kind in Bangkok. At the time of it's construction, it was the most impressive building not constructed by the king.

High tea...now that was truly a memorable first for Sam and me! We celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary in the Author's Lounge of the Oriental. This original wing of the hotel was an oasis of Victorian charm with it's white wicker furniture, sepia photos of King Chulalongkorn, and guitar soloist. We all enjoyed it so much that Sam promised that it wouldn't be our last visit here. In fact, we can't wait for our next guests to come so that we can share this special Bangkok tradition once again. Be sure to let us know when you'll be arriving, and we'll gladly reserve a room for you in our Bann Jamjuree B&B!

P.S. I've been busy working on our Shutterfly account and am once again up to date with pictures. Yeah! If you'd like to take a look, simply click on the link to the right.

Do I Make You Proud?

In memory of Dad. This picture was taken
the morning of my wedding, July 30, 1977.

Life in Bangkok, as I know it, is resuming a more normal pattern for which I'm thankful. Anyone who knows Sam and me, knows that we both tend to thrive on routine. For me, part of that routine is teaching.

I've just finished my 2nd full week of teaching English to pre-K and K students out at the Klong Toey center. They're such a sweet energetic group of little ones. Our major accomplishment of the past 2 weeks is mastering the new phrase, "I'm hungry"....it has so much more meaning to them than, "I'm fine."

How I wish I could share this little update with my dad as he always enjoyed hearing about what was happening in my life and would have gotten such a kick out of vicariously travelling with me through this part of the world. It's hard to believe that it was just 2 years ago yesterday that I had my last conversation with him, and even harder to believe that one of the thoughts I shared was assuring him that it was O.K. to die. Today, I find myself wrestling with thoughts like, "What was I thinking?" or " Why didn't I try pleading with him to keep fighting?" But I know in my heart that the truth is, it wasn't about me, nor should it have been. It was about honoring Dad's tremendous courage by helping him to have the peace of knowing that I respected his wishes and also trusted his judgement. It's my hope and prayer that my response then, and my life today makes him proud.

Father's Day thoughts I wrote to share with Dad years ago...still true today.

Dad

Strong.

Proud.

Sacrificially Loving...

Quietly Teaching...

Gently Pushing...

me to be the me,

I want to be.

Supportive.

Accepting.

Always there...

Always in my heart...

Always...

My Dad.

Happy 4th of July!

Our girlies celebrating at the park.

Looking refreshed after our 2 mile hike in the rain!

This truly was a most memorable 4th of July, my first ever to celebrate outside of the good ol' U.S.A. Our plans were to go to the Great American Rib company for dinner as they had advertised a special celebration. Well, as the saying goes...best laid plans! Our driver was sick, so we took the skytrain and walked about a 1/2 mile. Just as we got there, the sky opened up and it began to pour monsoon style. It was then that we discovered that not only was this an open air restaurant, covered only by a tarp like ceiling, but that since we didn't have reservations, we weren't able to join their party. Anyway....long story! The short version is that Sam and I waded home laughing all the way! We had no other option....couldn't hop in a taxi soaking wet, couldn't walk into another restaurant... Our only choice was to enjoy the moment, which we did. How awesome of God to provide a display of heavenly fireworks that we won't soon forget!

Happy 75th Birthday, Mom!

Mother's Day came and went and I didn't share my heart...my excuse for procrastination was no time. After all, I was heading home to the states in 3 short days. Then came, June 30th, Mom's 75th birthday, and once again, I let a special opportunity to try and express my heartfelt gratitude for her beautiful selfless life slip through my fingers. Maybe it's best that I'm writing...or at least trying to write...this tribute on just an ordinary day because really and truly, it's on these ordinary days when I'm doing ordinary things that I'm mindful of Mom in a special way and reminded of how blessed I am to be this amazing lady's daughter.

Up front I'd like to confess that the real reason for my procrastination has nothing to do with lack of time, but rather everything to do with an irritating personality trait of perfectionism. Truly, I realize the limits of my own writing ability and know that there's no way to adequately put into words the admiration, appreciation, and love that I feel...kind of like the lyrics from The Sound of Music...How do you catch a wave and pin it down? The task is impossible, but today I'm refusing to accept that as an excuse and choosing instead to at least try.

Daily, I admit that I'm in awe. "How does Mom do it?" is a question I've asked myself over and over and after much pondering think the answer is really not that difficult. The truth is that Mom has always chosen, and still chooses today, to live the life of a servant...my mind is flooded with waaaaay too many examples to share in this blog! However, I'd like to elaborate on just a few to illustrate my point, and more importantly, to honor Mom by letting her know that buried in the hearts of her family and friends are treasure chests overflowing with memories of her loving kindness and thoughtful ways.

One of the examples that has been dear to me over the years is the way in which Mom sacrificially gave years of time to her children's schools as a volunteer. As both a mom and teacher, I know that having parents willing to be involved in the life of a school can make a tremendous difference. Even though there never seems to be enough hours in the day to take care of all of life's responsibilities, Mom never used this as an excuse for not helping. In fact, she not only volunteered at the schools, but also with scouts, little leagues, Job's Daughters, children's theatre, and a multitude of other activities. Makes me tired just thinking about it! Did I say that I was in awe?

Anyone who has been married for a number of years, knows that in order to nurture your relationship, you must be a servant... regularly placing your spouse's needs and wants before your own. Being a parent also requires the same sort of sacrifice...in our family, this sacrifice was x's 7! Needless to say, I'm totally in awe at Mom's ability to love us all so much that she was able to give, and give, and give, even when it meant that she went without...without sleep, without new clothes..., without even time to call her own. Mom and Dad were married for 54 for years before Dad passed away. During their last 11 or so years together, Dad suffered from kidney failure and all the bad stuff that came with it. It's always given me and continues to give me great peace knowing that during their most difficult times, Mom was right there caring for and lovingly serving Dad in ways I'll never fully comprehend, but for which I'll forever be grateful.

In choosing a last example, I'm remembering my recent visit home. During this visit, I was treated to several precious moments spent with Mom's friends. First, there was the next door neighbor, a little boy not more than 5 or 6, who just came over to talk :) Apparently, he and Mom along with some other little girls in the neighborhood all exchange love letters and little gifts like freshly baked cookies and holiday treats. Then, there were Mom's new friends from the Camarillo House who shared how much they enjoy Mom and her caring ways. Finally, there was our special lunch with Mom's dearest high school friends, my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Simon, who always bless me by reminding me of how much they love and appreciate Mom. All of these friends have richer lives because of.....

Mom, a beautiful woman whom I'm very proud of.... not perfect, just excellent, and forever a blessing in my life!
Happy Birthday, Mom!

I'm not entirely sure of whom my blog readers are, but if per chance Mom has touched your life in a special way and you'd like to join me in honoring her with your thoughts, please feel free to comment.

Basking in Blessings!

Add yet another name to the family bassinet.

Riley is napping in the same bassinet her

grandmommy and mommy slept in as babies.

Four generations

Together!

Memory making moment

...A short blog to say that we're back in Bangkok basking in the blessings of a wonderful trip to the United States. It'll take me awhile to get all the snapshots organized and on Shutterfly as I still have the Beijing trip to finish. Anyway, I thought I'd just post a few of my favorites here. Enjoy!

We're O.K.

How blessed we are to have people across the world mindful of us! Recently, Sam and I've received several emails and phone calls inquiring about our safety. We're most grateful to report that we've not suffered in anyway from the recent cyclone in Burma or the earthquake in China.

Well, that's not exactly true. We, like you, have very heavy hearts as we watch the daily news and hear reports of human suffering due to the cyclones, earthquakes, floods, fires, droughts, cancer, war... Today, I should be dancing for joy since tomorrow I'm leaving for a visit with our family and friends. Believe me, I'm happy...just feeling helpless, sad and maybe also a bit guilty. I have soooo..... much, while others have lost everything.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

....precious comforting words I'm striving to live.