Festive Cheer and a Happy New Year!

I'd like to amuse you with this video of our rockin Christmas party at the Center that I am in closest ties with. It was pretty much overrun with people in a mad-house zoo sort-of way. But hey! What else could anyone want when you're literally surrounded by friends and people you call family? Especially for the people here, this once-a-year celebration is a big event. Those that are new to the faith are also being introduced to the REAL reason Christmas is celebrated in the first place. Students and friends of the Center are given opportunities to be involved with the activities, like by running the musical chairs, managing the Gift Exchange (shown to the right in the video), and preparing monsterous amounts of amazing Thai food. As you can see, it was quite the celebration! Neighbors, friends, friends of friends, families, friends of families, other Hope for Bangkok team members, people we had never even seen before... we were ALL together on Christmas and it was fantastic! I also received this super snazzy counter clock from the gift exchange. I'm not even kidding when I say I've been wanting one of these since I got to Thailand! I really like clocks and watches and stuff.

HOWEVER: my Christmas would not have been the same had I not been in close communication with my family over the phone :) I was fortunately able to send back a few things to them with a friend who was traveling back to America for the holidays. Then, by the amazing power of technology.... (ready for this?)... they opened their gifts in front of me on the webcam! It was like I was really there... wow. God is so good for taking care of me here. Really. I'm pretty sure I'm surrounded by the cream of Thailand's (and God's!) people crop everyday that I'm here, and that has made a world of difference to me. See my friends in the silly hats above? My experience in this country would not be the same without those two alone. I am so blessed. I miss you, my dear friends and family, and I cannot wait to be reunited with you again in the near future, but until then, God is enriching my time here with value beyond what my close-minded, silly little human thoughts can think of.

Speaking of AMAZING! Ok, let me just tell you that it was my DREAM to be in the Big Apple on New Years Eve - and then it happened! Twice! Spending a New Years Eve in Bangkok was something so far beyond my wildest dreams that I had never even thought of it before it happened a few nights ago! Ha ha ha! Although this is a pretty hoppin' city with millions of people (young people especially), it was nothing like New York City! Shoot, people were nonchalantly gathered around the stage of live music for a few hours before the turn of the year, sitting in the streets in a non-crowded way on their little plastic mats, and there was a steady flow of people running through the big crowd in more than one spot - unlike NY in so many ways... Now, getting out is another story, because once everyone wanted to leave Siam Paragon (our location), then the shoving began... But hey, our friends who are working in Chiang Mai stopped in on their way back from Cambodia and celebrated the Thai countdown with us! Woo hoo! Three cheers to counting down in Thai!