Wrapping Up

I love being home. This past week has been full of sleeping, playing golf with my dad, going to a friend's wedding, and reconnecting with everyone. After coming back to the states there have been many things about Thailand that I have missed and other things I have NOT missed. Words cannot describe how much I have missed my Thai friends this week but nothing beats lunch at Five Guys with NO rice! Haha I learned so much this summer and it is an experience that I will never forget.

Missy came home from camp this afternoon so our whole family is back together!! We decided to have a big meal to celebrate but it all became very weird. All four of us sat at the dinner table and no one said a word. We were all thinking the same thought but none of us were bold enough to say anything without bursting into tears. "We miss Mom!"  It was so hard to come home and not be greeted with her beaming smile, but I know that she is smiling in heaven with the Lord!

This summer was so good for me because I was able to clear my head and do something I have never been able to do before. It was hard to leave two months ago, but looking back, I'm so glad that I did. When I was flying home from Japan to LA, I decided to spend some time with the Lord and as I was praying, this is a sentence that popped into my head: "To be used for his eternal purpose takes your mind off the heartache of the temporary situation." Kinda sounds like this verse:

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I am so thankful that the Lord used me for His eternal purpose because it reminded me that this life is not the end. Sure this life is hard and there are moments of pain, but they are only temporary. One day I will be in Heaven praising the Lord with all my fellow Thai believers and of course my wonderful mom! Thanks for reading.

For the King,
Tate

Home Sweet Home

Man it feels good to be home! It took me over 43 hours to get here but I made it. I ended up going with the first plan and as we anticipated, I got stuck in Japan. I was worried about traveling to another airport in Japan, but after living in Bangkok for two months, it was super easy. I was able to sit first class from Japan to LA so I was about to get about six hours of sleep. It was awesome! In LA, I was able to get the second flight to Atlanta and arrived yesterday around 10:30am. My granddad picked me up from North Springs Marta Station and we headed directly to Chick-fil-A for lunch! I was exhausted but I forced myself to stay up till 7pm and then I crashed for twelve and a half hours last night. I plan to stay at home for the rest of the week and then I have to move into another apartment in Athens on August 1st. Back to reality my dad always says! I might have one or two more posts on the blog just to wrap up what I've learned. I might keep blogging but I haven't really decided yet. I just want to thank you for all your prayers over the past few months. I had such an amazing summer and I'm going to miss all my new friends terribly. Thanks for following my journey.

For the King,
Tate

Here Goes Nothin

Well, I'm about to head back home, but at this point in time I don't know when I'm going to leave. I have two options for getting back and both will take a long time. The first plan is to leave Bangkok at 5am Monday morning and fly to Tokyo. I would then switch airports in Tokyo and fly to LA and then fly to Atlanta.  The second option is to leave Bangkok at 7:30pm Monday night and fly to Honolulu. I would then fly to LA and then to Atlanta. You then have to factor in the possibility of getting stuck somewhere, and then everything changes. haha Gotta love standby!

Even though I have no set plan to get home, I'm just going to be patient and enjoy the ride. It might take me a few days, but I'll be home soon! Please pray for safety as I begin traveling. I can't wait to see you all. Be looking for a mid-trip update if I can find some wifi!

For the King,
Tate

One More Week

Its crazy how time flies! I have under a week left in Thailand and I'm not sure if I'm sad or excited about it. Half of me wants to stay here forever, and the other half of me is ready to get back and see my family. Obviously, I have to go back, but I must "Finish Strong" as Big Jon would always say. There are many fun things planned for the week and I want to make sure I'm intentional with the people I hang out with. Please pray that God gives me many opportunities to talk about Him with my Thai friends.

This past weekend we had a retreat with Covenant Church. It was called "Fut Fit For Fun, Friends, and Forever!" I'm not sure what that title means exactly, but it was a great weekend. We took over seventy people and we had a blast playing crazy games, practicing English, and sharing the gospel. It was awesome! Here are some pictures.

I'm leaving Monday the 25th at 5am and I'm flying standby again. It was awesome how everything worked out so well getting here two months ago and I would love same going back. As of right now there are 15 seats available on the flight from Japan to Atlanta and I am number 10 on the list. Please pray that all my flights work out to get home quickly and safely. Also pray for this last week! There is still alot of work to be done! Thanks for reading.

For the King,
Tate

Quick Update

Our new American team came in last week and we hit the ground running! This past Friday we went to an orphanage and did some yard work. I'm trying to find the words to describe how hot it was. Think of how hot the first football game is in Sanford Stadium, and multiply that by ten. If you don't understand that statement, you're probably an Auburn fan. Just know it was as hot as blue blazes!! Anyways, my job was to cut the grass of the soccer field and all they had was an ancient push mower. It took forever but it looked real good when we were finished. We got to hang out with all the kids when they returned from school and it made all the hard work completely worth it! Saturday was our beach day! We traveled two hours to Sattahip which is the same city I visited last weekend with PakPao. Beautiful beach+great weather+awesome friends= one perfect day. Here are some pictures.

Sattahip

PakPao and I

Awesome Thai friends

Dinner

Please continue to pray for the Thai students we are meeting. Pray that they see the love of God in us and that we can have specific opportunities to share the gospel with them. Thanks for reading.

For the King,
Tate

Happy Fourth Of July

This summer is going by way too fast! I looked at my calender and realized, "Oh, its July 4th?!" Normally I'd be sitting by the Strickland's pool, but  in Thailand it's just another blazing hot day with no particular importance.

Now that I'm past the half way point of my summer, I'm much more aware that I will be leaving soon. I actually don't want to talk about that yet. haha This past week, however was incredible. Most of our time was spent planning for the next American team that will be arriving this Wednesday. There are 17 of them and it will be just as busy or more busy than the last team. We have been praying that God would use their presence here as a light for Him, because twenty something Americans really stand out in a crowd.

This past weekend was one of my favorites. If you have been following my recent posts you know that one of my best Thai friends is a guy named PakPao. Him and his friend, Nieb, planned a weekend trip to Sattahip, which is a beach South of Bangkok. So four guys, PakPao, Nieb, Chris and I, loaded up early Saturday morning and headed out! The first picture is of Pattaya, which is where we stopped for lunch.

Sattahip

Nieb's dad is a general in the Thai Navy and hooked us up with a super nice guest house at the Sattahip Naval Base. We were also treated to dinner at a fantastic restaurant on the beach which was by far some of the best food I've had in Thailand.  With all the beautiful scenery, I was given an opportunity to talk with PakPao about how God created all that we see. It is so exciting to share life with this guy and I can't wait to share the gospel with him when that opportunity comes my way. Please continue to pray for him.

This was at a sea turtle conservatory in Sattahip

Chris, Me, PakPao, and Nieb

The Lord led me to this passage Sunday morning in Sattahip and to me it really describes the struggle that I have had over my mom's passing but also of the great joy in God's blessings.

"For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance."          Psalm 66:10-12


For the King,
Tate