NOT TAKING ANYMORE DONATIONS!

Hi, friends!

I just wanted to take some time to thank you all for your kindness and generosity for the time the Lord had me in Thailand the past two years. It was a very blessed time in which I learned many things about life, the Lord, ministry, people, and myself. However, I have successfully arrived back in the States since late Feb. and have since been settled in NC, my homestate, in mid-April.

This is a time where I will be preparing for future cross-cultural ministry work ahead in China. This process will take approximately two to three years, perhaps even more, depending on a few circumstances involving my education, finances, and preparation for missions (including fundraising, taking another year or two).

I cannot express my gratitude to those who have kept me close in your heart, praying for me as I sought to follow the Spirit's leading. However, I refuse to take any donations for the time being until I am ready to start fundraising again for China--for discipline in being a good steward of the financial resources the Lord has already provided, and to prevent the temptation of aimless spending that would not go towards the Kingdom of God. My apologies for not posting this notice sooner--I had thought I informed all my sponsors since my departure from Thailand.

I praise the Lord for the joy He has given all of us as we partner together for the sake of the Gospel and am confident that He will finish what He started (Phil. 1:3-6).

Thanks, again.

Blessings,
Mydur

Hope in the Midst of Tragedy: The Story of Nah

I was moved when I heard about Nah. She is a Hmong girl that I met when I visited my Thai tutor's church, P'Than and P'Anh of The River of Life Church, Chiang Mai. I was told that her family had all been poisoned after eating wild  mushrooms. She came home and found them dead.

Without hope, Nah did not know what to do. God opened up the way for her to meet Rachada, my tutor's mother-in-law, who then gave her shelter at their church. Since then, Nah came to personally know the Lord Christ as Savior, had been adopted into a new family [of faith], and played a vital part in serving them and the rest of the community well.

Not long ago, another tragedy struck. Her motorbike, the only prized possession that she has left, was stolen right outside her home! She heard them break the lock on her motorbike and rushed away with it. You can only imagine the devastation she felt. Fortunately, the Lord always shines His marvelous light on these dark situations. In this event, the church and a few friends came together and showered her with love by encouraging her, praying for her, and reassuring her of God's omnipresence and sovereignty. Sure enough, in a matter of weeks, she received enough to obtain another motorbike and had doubly been blessed with those that knew would stick up for her through thick and thin.

Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Back in the States...for now ;)

With my awesome sister, Pearl, at a beautiful lake in SoCal

It's 6:16 AM right now and I am waking up in Orange County. It has almost a full month since my return from Thailand. Yet, I am still recovering from reverse culture shock for being there for about roughly 2 years.

First of all, at the airport when I was retrieving my luggage, I had two big ones to snatch and load on to my cart. Thinking that the culture was friendly and willing to help, I had secretly hoped that the gentlemen around me would kindly assist someone as petite as myself as they usually would in Thailand (although there, I'm not really considered petite). So, after being disappointed and grabbing them both from the rotating machine, I was in the process of loading up one of them on to the cart when I noticed the other was starting to lean forward. It seemed like slow-mo. While it was free-falling, I shouted, "Nooo, watch out for the..." and then it fell on the back of a tall man's legs. "Ouch...sorry about that," I profusely apologized. And what did he do? He slightly turned his head to see what was the object of obstruction, saw that it was my pitiful luggage, and stepped forward to get out of the way of its way. Gee, thanks...



Second, I had to translate a lot of my though processes so my conversations always ended with, "Is that how you translate it in English?" for a week. Now I realize that English uses so many idioms! I have to say "be direct" instead of "talk straight straight" as I would in Thai and Hmong. Other times, I'm finding random odds and ends in my sentences and wondering how I got there.

Btw, it also took me a week to get over jet-lag. I would sleep during the day and be wide awake at night. What do you expect for a 15-hour difference?

Third, my heart skipped an extra beat as my sister and her roommates turn at an intersection and get on the right lane.

And finally, while eating at a sushi restaurant, I wanted to speak Japanese to the server but the girls (and my sister, Pearl) advised me not to in case she would be offended. "What's wrong with trying to speak their language?" I asked. "They like it when you try." And Jay, one of the roommates, goes, "Not necessarily. Some get offended." Why? Because the server was most likely Korean, not Japanese like the restaurant. What's more, they may get upset if you don't say it correctly. *Sigh* Thanks, America. It's great to be back.

Cooking up a storm in kitchen with sister's roomie, Jackie--here, we're making Vietnamese pbun-sae-yo
(how I missed the diversity of American food!!)

I miss the folks from Thailand SO much and still hear from them quite often. The other day, I called a previous roommate of mine and, while talking to her, I forgot the word for "girl/woman" (phuu ying/ผู้หญิง) when describing that I was currently staying with a few of them. When you get the chance, please pray for the kids at CPS Dormitory--one of the leaders for the girls' dormitory is taking maternal leave, leaving only one staff member available to try and man it on her own. Also, I'm hearing news about the children's severe disobedience. Please pray for wisdom and discernment on the leaders' part, that they may have God's heart for the children and to be a light to them that the children may see God's love being reflected in their lives.

In the meantime, I have been taking care of some business with my university, doing research papers, talking to advisors, registrar, financial aid, and even admissions since I will actually be taking classes on-campus for the first time this Fall. I would also appreciate your prayers in this area as well--that I would have a smooth transition in this process of working some things out right now. My hope to have everything in order to graduate this December. Oh, and in case you're wondering what I'm doing my papers on, it's for a history and anthropology class: "The History of the Hmong Church in Southeast Asia" and "Gift-Giving in the Hmong Culture: Social ties and something or other about its significance" (FYI: not actually it's real title).

Grace and peace to you in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Until next time.

Life at Christian Paisansart Dormitory

My time at CPS dormitory has been so amazing for these past few months. In just a short time (though it seemed like forever at times), I feel like I really got to know the kids. Working in the girls' dormitory with staff members, Jong and Joy, has been a real blessing. The girls we work with are not always willing to listen and do according to what we tell them but we're always praying for them and gradually building relationships with them so that they can become individual thinkers and see the outcomes of their decisions. I mean, what can we say? There are a total of 34 girls, all ranging from first grade to ninth grade. Therefore, many of them (as I can imagine) are going through the ups and downs of puberty while struggling to make good decisions in the midst of peer pressure.

This adorable girl is Wanida. Since my arrival, she has stuck onto me like glue! Unfortunately, she is lacking a wonderful relationship from her parents. What's more, she is caught a few times breaking the rules at the dorm. I see her with many scars, bruises, and other skin incarcerations that she refuses to tell me about. She doesn't have many friends. Yet, she loves hugging me and being around me every chance she gets. This girl is so precious in the sight of God--I only pray that she will be able to see that, too. My heart breaks for her because I, too, was very restless and naughty as a young child. I don't know what much I can do to help her situation, but I am definitely praying that the Lord will give me insight and wisdom in helping her see herself as God sees her--having more value than a thousand rubies and a bright future if she puts her trust in Him (Jeremiah 29:11).

With Wanida, P'Beem (my roomie), and Sirirat

"Why do you have a bag on your head?!" you might ask. Well, I have to be honest--I got lice. Yes, I'm afraid it's inevitable when being around kids from villages. However, this is a part of doing Kingdom work--you can't hug the children and be around them all the time and NOT get it. I suppose it's just another form of denying ourselves and carrying the cross. Um...I have to be honest, it was a miserable experience. I mean, have YOU ever had lice before?! It's nonstop itchiness--day and night. I had to comb my hair a million times a day with a lice brush, trying to get every little bit out...and then the kids come at you again. :) Luckily, it's only for the  beginning of the semester since many of them haven't been de-liced yet. But what can I say? I am happy to have been considered worthy to suffer for His name (Acts 5:41). I mean, isn't this an amazing story I can take back home with me? ;)

Every night, the girls get together for worship and Bible reading

My lovely living room (thanks, Chris and Esther! :)) (I will definitely miss this place)

My lovely bedroom

Saturday English lessons

Roasting khao laam (ข้าวหลาม) with the kids

Loi Krathong festival in Chiang Rai (just like in "Tangled"!)

Sports Day

Christian Paisansart School--standing up for righteous causes

Sports Day--also filled with elaborate ceremonies, parades, and shows put on by the children

Celebrating birthdays outside w/songs, games, and goodies!

Surprisingly, the girls that are most attracted to me at the dormitory are those that are not Christians, making low grades, and have a difficult personal life with their families. Please pray that they will see the Lord in me, that I may have the wisdom needed to know what to say to them, how to minister to them, and opportunities to present them with the Word that they may be transformed by it.

Unfortunately, due to a number of various things I'm involved in, including meeting friends from afar, weddings and other important events of personal friends, village evangelism, and my homework for my M.A. program, it has been difficult finding time to stay at the dorm and spending as much time with the little ones as much as possible. Pray that I would make the most out of my time here with them, that they may see God in me and grow up in accordance to His ways as revealed to them through His Word.