Learning Thai

Yesterday was a very discouraging day for our family. Those of you who have followed our blog may remember that a year ago we went through all kinds of struggles but finally ended up with one-year visas. This year we assumed that the renewal process would be easier. Turns out we were wrong. Yesterday we went to the immigration department with my employer only to find out that he was completely unprepared. Our relationship with him has been an ongoing trial. So far we've figured that it was worth the hassle, but yesterday was the breaking point. I won't bore you with the details, but the end result is that we cannot renew that visa and work permit. So, we have 7 days to leave the country. Obviously this was a huge disappointment and left us feeling cheated, lied-to, and generally taken advantage of.

So, where do we go from here? Next week we will take a train trip to Laos to get a tourist visa from the Thai consulate there. It's far from ideal, and will involve at least two additional trips out of the country between now and our trip to the States in October, but we can live with it. We're trying to look for God's leading in this and will be waiting to see what opportunities He brings our way.

Before we found out the bad news yesterday we were amused by this sign in the immigration office. Afterward, it seemed ominously appropriate.

-Tom

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I love you Grandpa and Grandma! Thank you for coming all the way to Thailand to meet me! Grandma, thanks for my beautiful quilt! Love, Silas

I liked playing that car with Grandma and I liked you ta read books to me, Grandma. I like-ed to do lots of fun thing and I like that you stayed for a little long time. I think the buffalo was just too little bit rough and hairy to touch, Grandpa. At first I thought it was a statue like Claire did! I like-ed to go round and round on the horsies. I think I like-ed the white one the best. I like-ed that Veggie Tales movie very much! I definatly like-ed those funny guys that said, "you can be my hoosie woosie!" I Iike-ed sitting out at the back bench reading Courderoy to you and I liked coloring with you in my Pooh Bear book, Grandpa. Grandma, I liked my Strawberry Shortcake blanket because it was warm, soft, and uh, cuddly. And I like-ed my pillow too because it was nice and squishy on my head. I love you, very much! Good-bye! :) Love, from Eliza

I liked playing with the people you gave me and the little car. Me and Eliza are having a lot of fun with it. And Grandpa, I liked it when you and me always went out to clean Lewis's cage. I didn't like cleaning out his cage, but I liked doing it with you. I also had fun on that day we bought my turtle. I will keep sending you e-mails about how he is doing. Everyone calls him Tommy Turtle and I always find him in his shell in the corner of the pool. I wish you all a safe flight and that you have a fun time with Laci and Allison. I enjoyed you being here!
Love, Claire.

-the kids

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We're continuing to enjoy having my parents here. They've been able to spend a lot of time playing with the kids and we've also done a few short sightseeing trips. The time has flown by and it's hard to believe that tomorrow is their last full day here.

Last night we left the kids with a couple of the REACHers and went back to Baiyoke Tower (the tallest building in Bangkok). We've been there quite a few times by now, but it's always fascinating to see the city from that height and the buffet dinner is always a treat.

Earlier in the week Candice and I took a delayed 10th anniversary vacation to Ko Samet, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. Since we went during the week (and since Thailand's tourist industry has taken a hit due to the weak economy and recent political trouble) we had the entire resort to ourselves for the first day. It was our first vacation without kids in quite a while and we had a wonderfully relaxing time. I could post many more pictures of meals on the beach, etc, but I'm afraid it would incite envy among those of you trapped in colder parts of the world :)

-Tom

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We are feeling very lucky and blessed to be visited for a second time by Tom's parents. It's been such a precious time, particularly because they finally got to meet Silas and spend time with their new grandson! He is already smiling at the sound of their voices and loves the extra attention and holding.

Our first day together was like Christmas because of all the great gifts they brought from the States- one of the big hits of the morning were the Strawberry Shortcake comforters and pillows sewn by Grandma Mast to decorate their new room. And it's actually cool enough right now that the girls are enjoying snuggling in them!

We've had lots of relaxing time around the house too and the girls have loved reading new books and playing with new toys and coloring and just telling all their stories to Grandma and Grandpa.

A first witnessed by Grandpa and Grandma- Silas ate his first solid food! Bananas- and a little bit actually went down!

On their second night here, we made a trip down to one of our favorite places- Bang Bpuu- a pier on the Gulf of Thailand. We had fun feeding the massive flocks of seagulls and eating Thai seafood out over the water.

Saturday we went to the Ancient City- a beautiful park with many old style Thai buildings and statuary as well as beautiful flowers and fountains.

Silas loves Grandma.

At the Ancient City, Eliza explores a replica of an ancient temple on Thai/Cambodia border. The tiny doorways and windows seemed to be made just for her.

When we got home from the Ancient City we discovered that we had left our backpack there in the parking lot. We were feeling so disheartened and sick about losing our new camera and binoculars along with little money. Tom went back to check, but it wasn't' there and the park was closed. While he was gone, we prayed with Claire and she told me afterward that praying made her feel "really calm inside and sure that we were going to get our camera back." Seeing her faith really encouraged me and helped us all to keep perspective. This morning, Tom called and described the backpack and they told him to come and get it! A worker had turned it in and we got it back totally intact. What a miracle and what a faith builder for all of us, especially Claire! We have an amazing God!

Today was a quiet Sunday. The girls went to Thai Sunday School here in Thippawan and this evening we walked down to the park for the playground and ping pong. We'll try to keep you updated with our activities this week!

-Candice

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 07:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Recently I tried something new - bird's nest drink. The only ingredients listed on the label were bird's nest and sugar. It's made from the nests of cave swifts - and they construct their nests using their own saliva. It didn't have much taste, but the texture was memorable. For some reason I couldn't persuade anyone to take more than one sip.

-Tom

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Claire was very excited to lose her first tooth at school on Christmas Eve! We were a little worried about a potential collision between the Tooth Fairy and Santa, but everything seemed to go smoothly and Claire found baht under her pillow in addition to presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

Before

After

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In mid-November we invited a couple of friends to join us for a weekly time of prayer and Bible study. This is continuing and we are very excited about what God is doing in this small group. The other main participants are Yupin, a Christian lady who works with children in our neighborhood, and Seri, our landlord who is curious about Jesus.

We meet on Monday evenings and begin our time with a potluck meal. Then we usually sit in the living room and play with Silas for a while before having a discussion about a Bible passage and a prayer time. It's very simple, but it's effective and it really feels like this tiny group is becoming a body that can provide spiritual nurture and also make an impact on our community. We were recently able to assist Yupin with her ambitious Christmas party that provided food, presents, and a fun program for around 70 kids.

It's been amazing to see how God is working - especially in Seri's life. A couple of weeks ago he mentioned that their family was feeling some financial pressure since their other rental house had been sitting empty for a while. Yupin initiated a time of prayer - asking God to provide renters for that house. Early the next morning someone called to ask about the house and ended up signing a five-year rental contract that same day. Seri said that, without telling his wife or kids, he went into his room and thanked God. He was startled by the immediate answer to our prayer and has obviously been thinking about it a lot. This past Monday we were able to rejoice with him, share testimonies of other answered prayer, and read some Bible passages about God's love and faithfulness. He is continuing to "experiment" with prayer and we're praying for him - that God would continue to reveal Himself and that Seri could begin to experience peace about some painful memories that have tortured him since his time as a soldier in Viet Nam.

Even though it was our invitations that started this group, we definitely don't feel like the leaders. Yupin and Seri do most of the talking and of course we're all dependent on God to do the real work of transformation.

Thanks for supporting us in prayer as we continue to meet and as we invite other friends to join us.

-Tom

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 08:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Happy New Year from Thailand! Yesterday we went shopping for gift baskets, a popular New Year's gift. Many contain whiskey and snacks, but some contain a selection of small bottles of "chicken essence" and other supposedly healthy dietary supplements. Since we were shopping on December 31 the store was chaotic and the selection limited, but we finally found what we wanted and then enjoyed delivering them to our friends in the afternoon.

We spent the evening at home and are also enjoying a quiet New Year's day together as a family. Our neighborhood feels deserted. Most of the shops are closed and many people have left the city to spend time with their families in other provinces. Life should return to normal by Monday.

-Tom

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 01:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)