Downtown.

We went downtown this weekend which was fun. When we first arrived some months ago going downtown was stressful and busy. Taxi, bicycles and busses everywhere with no driving rules. A whole lot of people in one place. Narrow Streets. Add 3 little kids and it made me nervous and could be more stressful than fun. I really enjoyed our time there this past weekend. We went looking for a Christmas tree (no luck yet with one that looks semi-decent). We ate street food. We tried to chat with the ladies selling clothing who A.D.O.R.E my children. We bought really good raisins from the kind men scooping from the mounds open on their carts....And we ate the "hamburg". It's like one of their "fast foods" and it's yummy. Don't think of the American hamburger at all, it's so different. I'm telling you they have some great, fast and healthy food stuff here. Love a lot of it. Here's my three little kiddos enjoying eating one.

It's like a large English muffin/pita type of bread with a sweet, tangy sauce which you can also add spice too.

You pick what you want on it. Different meats, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato and a fried egg.

We got some marinated chicken also on it. They cook it up right there for you.

And the sellers always smile. At us. At my kids. People here are generally so friendly. And I usually wonder, what's their story? Their grief? Their joys?

So downtown trips are getting to be more fun for us and I'm thankful for that.

Simple Pleasures - Thanksgiving Edition.

We had a great Thanksgiving here, celebrated over a quiet family dinner and also together with some American friends in our city. It could have been a day filled with missing family & familiar traditions but instead left me humbled and truly thankful. Moments this year that left me truly satisfied:

Hearing Psalm 103 read in English by my husband and then by a friend in the language of our new "home".

Being in a home that felt comfortable. The hostess sought to serve me and my family the whole day we spent in her home.

Food just as good as past thanksgivings, just different than my past "traditional" family dishes. It was a variety of everyone's favorites. My heart was full of gratitude for these foods that took more time, effort and planning so we can be reminded of "home".

Realizing that food is a soulful thing, isn't it? Food is a means of comfort, teaches us about one's culture, is full of memories and is just another excuse to get into one another's real lives.

Conversations with those seeking the Lord that challenge me and make my heart soft.

My children laughing, playing and enjoying time with other little ones.

Language advice and encouragement from women who I have much to learn from.

Remembering that every gift, every good meal or sweet memory made was purchased for me at Calvary.

Every bit of bread you eat, if you are a godly man or woman, Jesus Christ has bought for you. You have it at the hands of men for money, but Christ has bought it at the hand of his Father by his blood. Certainly it is a great deal better and sweeter now....

Jeremiah Burroughs, taken from The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.

A new kind of Thanksgiving...

The preparations have begun. I went downtown yesterday to find some American goodies I can use to cook with for our Thanksgiving in just a few days. Things like bacon, whipping cream and cream cheese. Years past have meant rushing to WalMart to get items from my list. A flurry of activity, a messy kitchen and a schedule. This year because I live in Asia, it now means I go to thin alleyways lined with overflowing open bags of spices and a group of old men playing cards to find my goodies. I practice some of my phrases "How much is this?" and "small white cheese that is soft" with the shopkeepers. Life here is sometimes more simple and I'm thankful for that. I don't waste time looking at the bacon aisle reading labels because there's only one type and it's in rundown store the size of my bathroom back in America. It can be more work too but this year I want to savor the chance to have a different holiday than years past. Trust that this is good and can hold fun, new things for us as a family. I'm sure I will have an even messier kitchen this year (it's tiny) but I'm thankful to celebrate the good. So here's what I'm making for our little family's meal this year.

Roast Chicken

Green Bean Bundles.

Spoon Cornbread

Garlic Mashed potatoes

My sis in law's sweet potato casserole

My sister's well loved Apple Pie

I have a few activities planned for the kids too. I love using holidays to teach and make memories.

Me & My Girl.

Here are the two gals of the house this past weekend. These are also pictures of Felicity where her hair is "au natural" ... also known as c-A-razy fro. I love it out like this but it's a ton of work to pick out tangles a few days in and those back home can testify it can quickly resemble kid n play by day 2 or 3.

Parenting this sweet one keeps me learning hair tips for sure.

Something I hear from her at least 5-10 times a day lately when she sees me doing something that she

a. wants to do really bad

or

b. she thinks is adultish and womanly

is "When I get to be a mommy I can do _____" - take your pick - drink coke, wear makeup, cut food up, stay up late, kiss a daddy etc. etc.

I love this cause is just shows that she's watching me and learning by watching. I'm reminded she's my little disciple. I love that.

Simple Pleasures.

Reading about Thanksgiving to my kids and being humbled at all others have endured for worship.

A woman who could never understand how doing my laundry frees me every day...my house helper. I truly love that woman.

Sharing heart to heart talks with friends I understand fully (english speakers) and friends I don't (piecing things to understand). Amazed that humans feel burdens spoken yet not full known.

Heaters to fill our home with warmth on cold nights and mornings. They are turned on here by the powers that be... not your regular old control over the thermostat back in the States.

Powlison's x-ray question 4 that's been nagging me since last week.... "What do you bank your hopes on?" People energetically sacrifice to attain what they hope for. What is it? People in despair have had their hopes dashed. What were those shattered hopes? (see 1 Pt.1:13 & 1 Tim 6:17).

Biscuits and gravy reminding me of Bojangles....yummm.

Phin Prayers.

...It's bad to eat a lot of pancakes, like if you eat 100 pancakes because it's bad for you and it's dangerous...just like when you step on the edge of a volcano and you could fall in...God thank you for all the stuff you gave to us, it's pretty. God thank you for our christmas lights and the people who came to fix our closet doors and for the bunk beds that the bunk bed people gave us...And God we need new hearts. There's only one God who is King and like Pharoah, he's just a pretend King.

Enough for today.

God's strategy is to give us enough for today and then, when tomorrow comes, to give us enough for that day too. Do you see how this is exactly what we need? Fears and worries live in the future, trying to assure a good outcome in a potentially hard situation. The last thing they want to do is trust anyone, God included. To thwart this tendancy toward independence, God only gives us what we need when we need it. The emerging idea is that he wants us to trust him in the future rather than our self-protective plans.

Ed Welch, taken from Running Scared.

November so far.

This has been a good month so far. I cannot believe it's already almost Thanksgiving! We are getting excited around here for holidays and took the liberty of putting up Christmas lights all over the house. We've reached new trailor trash heights over here :) We love turning them on in the evenings now.

Here's us opening your I-N-Sanely huge package Mamaw & Papaw. It was our "thanksgiving" package....I told you we have amazing family...

I'm more than a little happy in this picture with my hot chocolate in hand and fine, Americanish powdered sugar!

The kids got some books which they loved.

Below is some pictures of the kids last week when they got to make a Bible times costume as a part of Job's school lessons. They looked so cute, my little David's and Esther. Felicity took.my.breath.away. in these outfits.

Have I mentioned how fun it is to be experiencing all these new changes with three little kids in tow? It makes things interesting and is often used to humble me but also adds so much to experiences here as we learn and grow together.

One last bit of news....the heat officially turned on today!!! No more sleeping in socks (something I detest!).

What will the rest of this month hold?

Around the neighborhood.