Faith Journey 2007: Destination Thailand

Tom Ka Gai (Thai Cocnut/Ginger/Lime Soup) Recipe

2006-04-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

Tom Ka Gai

Recipe from Thailand Tracey

Ingredients:
1 - 1/2 lb. diced chicken
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 pkg. Tom Ka Paste
2 cans coconut milk
1 can water
2 cans straw mushrooms
3/4 c. (1 stalk) lemongrass , diced in 1 inch chunks
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 Tbsp. Thai Fish Sauce
4 Kaffir Lime Leaves (if you can find them in the store)
3 Tbsp. dried kachai/galangal root (dried ginger - looks like wood)

Directions:
In a large, 4-6 qt. stockpot, saute chicken in 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil. When chicken is browned, add onion, 1 can coconut milk, 1 can water, lime leaves, galangal root, Tom Ka paste and simmer 5 min.

Add 1/2 of 2nd can of coconut, fish sauce and 1 lime. Taste. You may add rest of coconut milk if too limey and 1/2-1Tbsp. sugar if still too limey after adding remaining coconut milk. Simmer 15 more min.

*If you like your soup spicey, add 4 dried red thai chilis right before serving.

**DO NOT EAT the galangal root or lemongrass. You may chew on both, but do not eat. I always serve it in the soup so people can chew on it if they wish or remove it. You may also eat around it.

Serve over Jasmine rice. Cook it in your rice cooker.

Here are pictures of some of the products you will need.

Feet are Ready to Go!

2006-04-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Today we were shopping @ Wal-Mart for rubber boots and Hope noticed these adorable Thailand-ish slippers. We just HAD to get them and tried to get a large enough size that they will still fit next January.

We love them, think they are beauty-mous and help keep us busy as we are finding ourselves soooo excited about going and have to wait sooo sooo long!

Today we were going to make Thai Coconut-Lime Soup (Tom Ka Gai) but since I had a headache, we will wait a few days. Hope and I are really looking forward to making this together. There is a lady at Papa D's work who is retiring and has requested Thai food as a going -away present. Her wish is our command! Actually, we were wanting to make this soon anyway. Stay tuned in the next week, we will have that recipe and picture up and loaded!!

Hope Hears the Big News!!!

2006-03-26T18:58:00.000-08:00

Today was the BiG DaY!!

Hope's Birthday party was today, so we got to tell her about the trip we are taking her on to Thailand.

I bought a beautiful, Asian-inspired scrapbook and wrote the following:

Do you dream of far off exotic places?
Get your: camera
Save your: $$
Ready your: suitcase
Gather your: summer clothes (it will be warm there)
Because....in January 2007 Mom & Dad are taking YOU on a missionary trip to Thailand!!

Here's what Hope has to say about this BIG news:
"At first I thought, 'Were is the trip to???'...I didn't have any guesses about it. I turned the page, and I couldn't believe what I was reading. 'How far away is it?' I thought. It took a few minutes for it to make sense.
Then, I wondered if everyone else in the room was as surprised as ME! For a second, I even thought that maybe mom & dad were trying to trick me or something. I really did think that! After I realized they weren't joking, I was just so surprised.

I'm starting to have a lot of questions about this trip:
1. How warm will it be?
2. How long will we be gone? (That was the biggie!)
3. Am I the only kid going?
4. What things or animals will we see?
5. Will any of the kids we visit know English?
6. Will it be weird talking to someone using a translator?

*It will be hard to wait, but when its time I'll be SO EXCITED!"

I'm not sure when we will be able to answer all of Hope's questions, but that's what this blog is for. To search out the answers that we can find on the internet and put them here, and write about everything we learn as we go.

I hope you check over the next 10 months to follow our journey!

Start Spreading The News

2006-03-25T10:48:00.000-08:00

Monday is Hope's Birthday, so tomorrow we will announce the big news at her Birthday Party. I am so excited, I can't wait. Many times I have thought about telling her about the trip. I realized that doing so would spoil the specialness of finding out at her party with all of her friends and family. So I held my tongue, and anyone who knows me knows what a hard time I have doing that!!

I bought her a special scrapbook that she can document her trip in. The first two pages tell her that we are going!! When she reads this, that's how she will find out. And then, of course, she will see this blog. I will have her add her own thoughts and feelings about going on a missions trip to Thailand, and I'll put pictures of her Birthday up.

So, wish us luck!! It should be exciting tomorrow. This photo of her that I included is when she was a week old!

Thailand Tracey

2006-03-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

This photo is of my good friend Tracey (I will now call her T.T. for Thailand Tracey). She lived in Thailand as a missionary with YWAM -Youth with a Mission- for a few years. She will probably read this and correct me on the exact number!!

She immersed herself in the culture as much as she could, learning to speak and write the language. She also became a pretty good cook of Thai cuisine.

When she came back home for visits, and back to live, she showed me how to make a few wonderful dishes: satay, peanut curry, and Tom Ka Gai which is coconut lime soup. One of these days I will make the soup and post the directions and pictures here. But for now, you can wait and wonder...

T.T. loved being in Thailand. She didn't like Bangkok's polution, but she fell in love with the Thai people. She shared many stories with me of how warm, gracious, kind and friendly the people she met there were.

She hopes one day to return there, with her husband and three children to live and work amongst the people. There is no doubt in my mind that will happen, unless God calls them to another place!

T.T. also introduced me to Steve Gumer who started a ministry program called Partners is about People. He is based in Thailand, but works in Burma with the people of the Karen tribe, who are refugees in their own country.

To learn more about the plight of the Karen people and Burma's own people living as refugees watch this video of Steve's that I downloaded to Snapfish.com. Two choices will pop up, select movie. Please let me know how you liked the video if you watched it by commenting here or commenting on Snapfish.com

Steve is a wonderful man, with a great heart, and I so enjoyed meeting him and learning about things you don't often hear on the news. Also, you can learn more about Partners by going to to their website. It is a fantastic website and very professionally done.

Steve is on the right hand side, in the blue shirt. Papa D and S.D.D. are in the canoe as well. When Steve came to visit T.T. a group of us went kayaking down the Elochamon River in Cathlamet, Wa.

I'll leave you with a photo of the group of us.

Rocket Man!

2006-03-12T20:47:00.000-08:00

"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3

Would you trust this Rocket Man?? Trust him to fly you far, far away to a strange land where jungles grow thick and wild beasts abound?

I would!! This is our Pastor. I think I will now stop calling him Pastor and call him Rocket Man. He really does look too at home here trying to blow up this cake! I was rummaging through old photos today and came across this. It's at least a 15 year old photo, taken sometime in the mid-1980's. This little girl is his daughter and she is now in her second year of college. My, how time flies! So there you have it, a face to put with the letter.

He does look a little too at home here blowing stuff up! It was 4th of July and it must have been somebody's Birthday, hence the cake. His attire for Sunday service isn't too much fancier than these t-shirt and running shorts. As you can tell, we're a pretty laid back group!

Here's my babtism photo. I was fourteen years old and this was at some congregation member's apartment swimming pool. Rocket Man was getting down to some serious business this day!

I'm hoping to get some photos of Khaodee Children's Home, Mercy House and the area of Northern Thailand that we are going to....soon! Please check back for an update. And, your continued prayers for my health and our finances would be appreciated. Please leave a comment and let us know that you are following our journey. God Bless!

Please pray for us & information on Chiang Mai

2006-03-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

Here is some info on Chiang Mai, Thailand. It is one of the places we will be goig to on our trip. The photos were not taken by me or anyone that I know. I found them on this cool webiste. Hope you enjoy these, they really make me excited about our journey and the things we will see/ do there.

This picture is of some of the children we could see like these....from the hill country we are going to. They are in tribal dress. There are 5+ tribal peoples in Northern Thailand where we are going and all of the children in the orphanages we'll be at will be from one of these tribes. The website I linked to has info on the tribal peoples.

This photo also is from the website. I love the beautiful architecture and can't imagine us seeing something like this for ourselves.

If this is not the first time you've visited here and are excited for us to take this journey, please pray for us. I suffer from severe migraines and have had them somewhat under control for a few months. I never would have decided to go on this trip if I didn't think I could enjoy myself and not hold others back from doing their work.

This week has not been good for me. I've had 4 migraines and this is more than the 3 a week I usually had. My imitrex shots that normally "solve" the episode are only working a few hours or a day. I know this is only one week out of 12-16 that has been unsuccessful, but I need your prayers about this matter. I don't want to let fear stop me from going on what will be a life-changing experience for our daughter, and I certainly don't want her to go w/ my husband and personally miss witnessing the joy on her face and the Hope that she will bring to the children.

Please pray for us. Pray that they will become manageable again. Better yet, pray that they would all but disappear. Now that would be a miracle 26 years in the making (that's how long I've had the problem).

If you are willing to pray even once-in-a-while for us, please post a comment here and be an encouragement to me.

Here's another link that was encouraging to me.

We Love Thai Food!

2006-03-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

Last night we took Hope and her brothers to a Thai Restaraunt. We were on our way to the Tacoma Dome to watch their cousin play in the 4A Washington State Basketball Tournament (he lost his game, boo-hoo!). We stopped in Chehalis for dinner at Thai Dish Restaraunt. We ordered the same dishes that we get at our local Thai Restaraunt. While both cooks at each restaraunt are Thai, the meals are similar,but different. It's always fun to try new things.

This photo is of Hope drinking Thai Tea. It is so delicious and really more like dessert than a beverage. I have made it at home before but never got it to taste exactly right. Hopefully the recipes provided by this link will help me perfect the "magic!!"

We ordered Pad Thai Noodles for the kids, Garlic Pepper Pork for Papa D and Peanut Panang for me! The last two dishes were quite warm even though we asked for medium not hot, it was still pretty spicey. Way too much for the kids. Now I'm wondering how spicey the food will be. Hope loves trying new things and likes most everything, so that won't be a problem...but the spiciness....not so sure about that. Oh bummer...we'll just have to eat at Thai Restaraunts more frequently for practice!

While searching for links to add to this post, I found what looks to be a wonderful website. I hope to be checking it out soon to learn lots about Thai culture, food, Buddhism, climate, etc. It seems as if this monk has put together a really great site. Check it out for yourself!

While exploring a little bit of the Thailand Life website, I saw that he has a link to books. You can purchase a translator that translates Thai to English, it is computer software. Also, learning Thai for beginners. One of the things I was excited to see is that there are children's fables that are written in both Thai and English. I can't wait to find out what kind of resources the facilities have that we are going to. I am wondering: Do the kids have access to one or more computers, at what age do they start learning English, what kind of supplies could they use to help equip these young people in their educations. As a former teacher I can't help but want to help meet some of these needs in some way.

Reason for the Trip: Part 3

2006-03-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

"Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them....Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.' Mathew 19:13&14

Here's more from my pastor's letter and the reason for our trip:

"The next day, Sunday evening, we had a dinner meeting with our team and the five young people. The four technical kids are 18 years old and Joom, the girl going to High School is 14. We shared our vision for the importance of Christians being educated in their culture; the importance of learning English. We shared how to trust the Lord, to believe Him for big things. I shared with them that they could change the course of Christian history in northern Thailand. We asked them about their educational desires. We asked them to tell us how young people in Thailand could come to know Jesus. We went for ice cream. By the time we were finished; they hugged and hugged us with many 'thank you's.' We told them that ultimately they would have to trust the Lord but we would do all that we can to get them to school.

The following day, we actually took the kids to the university and then to a school where they helped B.S. lead about 300 children in a rambunctious program. We had many other experiences with nearly 1,00 children and youth. One was a home of about 50 women in their 20's called The Good News House. B.S. spent several hours ministering to these young women. They soaked it up. When we left after the second worship time, they told us no one had visited them for over a year. Buck knew, we all knew, these young ladies would be a regular part of our support, love and encouragement.

So please fast forward with me to January, 2007. B.S., his wife, future pastor Big T and I are putting together a week long visit to the kids of Chiang Rai. I will call it "Change Your Worldview Tour '07." You are invited to be a part of the team. I have longed for a mission trip that anyone could go on. This is not only a place anyone can work and enjoy but it is essential that we return to Thailand in one year. Our students will be preparing for their second year of work at the university. We will meet with them to rearm them with new encouragement, to strengthen relationship and to hopefully send them on in their studies. We will do a two day worship event at Khaodee, visit Mrs. Wong's ministry on a mountain top near Burma, take KFC to Mercy House and minister to the young women of the Good News Home. One morning we will drive to an animal sanctuary to the east to visit Thai elephants. Another morning we will travel to the Thai frontier on the Mekong River. The Mekong is the history of Asia. Trading boats from China will be docked there. We will shop in the river market for goods from China and beyond. We will boat across the river to Laos. Then we will have lunch in the golden triangle on the Thai/Burma/Laos border before driving to a border town that is fascinating. It reminded me of the Star Wars bar scene. It was culturally exotic with every sort of Asian dress and influence. We will walk across the border into Burma, taking in a comletely different culture and shopping in the market. You will never have a better opportunity to see Asian and build relationship with Thai kids/ they may well be lifelong relationships.

We will go in January of 07. The weather is sunny then, the temperatures between 70-85 degrees and low humidity. It is perfect timing for people from the Northwest. The cost for airfare, transportation, housing and meals will be around $1500 per person. Each night we will stay in the same hotel in Chiang Rai. It is a very nice hotel with a beautiful dining room and great Thai food. We will meet our students there and on the university campus. The night market is but a block away. It begins about 6pm each night and runs to midnight; it is a highlight. You will find a gazillion gifts and of course squid on a stick if you desire!

I really encourage you to pray about doig this trip. It really is a rare opportunity to impact a Buddhist culture with real testimony of Jesus. The young people told us that the kids of their generation would only come to know Jesus through relationships and personal testimony. That is likely true and exactly what we will get to do.

Many thanks to all of you who contributed to the building of the Khaodee boy's dorm. It was worth the sacrifice and will bring joy for years to these dear brothers and sisters in Jesus! It is the word of God and it will not return void!

Thanks again!

Love,
Pastor R.L. & B.S."

It is unfathomable to me, and beyond words that my husband and I could even go encourage these young people and see this beautiful land, and even MORE amazing that we could take our daughter. I feel my spirit welling with emotion and brimming with tears at the thought of how this could impact her life. Our world is so small, but yet this place is so far away. Please pray for us that my health stays intact (no increase in migraines and that the kidney stones don't try to pass) and for the finances to be able to go. It is my heart that we raise so much more money than to merely cover our expenses. I would like to be able to bless the kids at the orphange with their own personal toy, provide a computer or things to learn English for the High School and university students, and finally find something that will meet a need for the young ladies at Good News House. I am more concerned about meeting needs while we are there than spending money on ourselves...any prayer support would be greatly appreciated!! Please comment and let us know if you will be following the future travel developments!

Reason for the Trip: Part 2

2006-03-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

" Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...." James 1:27

Picking up from where we left off with my Pastor's letter:

"...Pastor Simone (He is the Thai man who started the ministry in Thailand). He is a man who appears to be in his 50's. His son, daughter, and son-in-law work in the home with him and his wife. He was a Thai government leprosy worker when the Lord called him to plant the church, the children's home, and widow's home to serve the tribal people of Chiang Rai. He is a humble, quiet and adored man.

After the dedication service, we were invited to tour the dorm. We saw ine every room the beds, the mattresses, pillows, bedding and closets that you and our children's 'pennies from heaven' bought for these little ones. The entire dorm is a tribute to the hard work of (J & J Right) and all of our (church). I hope many of you can see it in the years to come.

The next day was Sunday so we went back to Khaodee for church. We worshipped with the children for an hour. They sang at the upper part of their lungs and hearts to the Lord. B.S. took the second hour. It was all quite close to heaven.

At some point in those two days I asked B.W., "How much money did we invest in this building?" He said it was under $70,000. The little ones packed cement, steel bar, bricks, and our roof and floor tile day after day for a year and here we were praising the Lord in the finished product. Why was I the one crying?

On Saturday after the dedication we bought Kentucky Fried Chicken (you read it right) and took it out to Mercy House where we were emotionally slammed again. Mercy House was started by Thai Christians as a home for tribal kids to stay so that they could go to Junior High School and beyond. They can all obtain up to a 5th grade education near their villages, but must go to Chiang Rai to attend Junior High. Here we found 25 students. These kids have all given their hearts to Jesus but did not necessarily come to Mercy House as Christians (Thailand is a Buddhist nation. Only one percent of the Thai's are Christians). B.W. raised the money and built the present Mercy House building eight years ago. It is like a large rustic chateau like cabin. The students pretty much manage themselves. We went inside with the KFC chicken, rice, mashed potatoes and pop. We ate, B.S. made balloon creations that these kids loved, and we worshipped and prayed for each student. The kids in turn put on a performance for us that shocked us in its complexity, beauty and praise to the Lord. You must remember I am still stunned from earlier in the day.

I learned from B.W. that four of these kids were graduating from technical school, each nearly perfect students, each longed to go on to college but the $1,500 a year tuition made that an impossibility. They had already written to B.W. asking him if there was any way he could help them. He had not written back to them yet because "no" was the only answer that he had. These four kids, 3 girls and a boy, are total keepers. I said, "B.W., we must find a way to get them to school." A fifth girl, a leader with tribal ethnic beauty, a 4.0 student, wanted to attend High School. B.S. said, "Throw her in the group! Our home group will cover her." We took the four tech kids aside, interviewed them, and of course fell in love with each of them. I said, "Our elders group will take responsibility to send one of these kids to college." I had to call (Big T, the future pastor) the next day to tell him what I had done; to please break it to the elders before I return!! One of the C.C.Church women said, "My brother has money. I'll bet he will take one." (We will soon make a presentation, view it during an assembly time, and give opportunity for you to be a part of this!)"

Reason for the Trip: Part 1

2006-03-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

Hope has left the house for a few minuites so I thought I'd begin telling you how this trip has come about. My pastor just returned from Thailand and sent everyone a letter about it. The next few posts will be exerpts from his letter:

"Feb. 1, 2006
Dear (Insert Church Name Here),

.....BS and I left Portland, OR on January 23rd...We came here to the north of Thailand to dedicate the new boy's dorm at the Khaodee (Good News) Children's Home. As president of the foundation and pastor of...(the main church that built the dorm), it was expected of me to be in attendance at the dedication, to cut the ribbon and share a few words.

BS and I landed in Bangkok, slept in the airport for a few hours, then flew north in time for breakfast with B&J W. in the main city of the north, Chiang Mai. After a day of rest and a visit to the orphanage sponsored by (B&J W.'s church), we drove four hours north to the beautiful mountain city of Chiang Rai. Here is where BS and I received a fresh education of God's love and His grace.

J&J Right had the initial vision to build the boy's dorm. Khaodee is a lovely campus of 100+ children. The 50 boys were living in a less than adequate environment. The staff wanted new housing, but of course, didn't have the capital.

The Khaodee Children's Home is north of Chiang Rai, about a 45 min. drive. The home serves children of the Northern tribal peoples of Thailand. Many of the children have either been given up by their parents, or both parents are dead, or one parent is just too poor to raise the child. I was getting comfortable with the jungle and rice field beauty of Thailand but I was totally ill-prepared for the beauty of the children and young people of Khaodee. Then, on top of that, we stood before the new building (the boy's dorm) in awe. It was beautiful. We cut the ribbon, removed our shoes according to Thai tradition and went upstairs for the dedication service.

The dorm is nearly 50ft. by 50ft. square. The first two floors are dorm rooms, a visitor room and a suite type room for each floor supervisor. The upper floor is the new worship center. The children removed their sandals, and along with many local visitors, poured into the building. Many of the children were dressed in their tribal costumes and all the rest had been issued new crisp white T-shirts. As we reached the top floor, we were stunned by the beauty. The worship room has a high arched ceiling, the floors are beautifully tiled and except for the stage area it is completely windowed for airflow and for views of the surrounding jungle, croplands, and a territorial view that is breathtaking.

Our whole team, including Mollie our Thai translator, and eight of us from (L in Washington)...could only stand with tears. It was and still is a very emotional experience. The Thai young people began to lead worship that was joyously filled with energy and thanksgiving....."

I will post more of the letter on my next post, and eventually edit it to include pictures of the dorm and some of the things he is describing in the letter.

Showed Papa D the new Blog for the trip and he liked it...we are getting very excited and its hard not to tell Hope of our plans!!

It's Still a Secret..

2006-03-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

This is Hope, my beautiful 10 year-old daughter....well, almost 10! Her Birthday is coming up and Papa D and I are going to surprise her with a big announcement. We will say, "We are taking you to Thailand!!"

Now most children would be bothered by not getting a birthday present and having to wait 10 months to go on their trip! But not this girl. She will be so excited. After she finds out, she will help me learn about Thailand as well as the two orphanages we are going to, in order to post this info HERE!!! Our family will also be sharing her thoughts on this journey of faith we are taking together: Hope, her Father & ME!

I have to stop writing now, she's about to come home from school and I have to keep this a secret!! I'm only posting this so I can use the picture on our profile...here goes nothin'!