Prayer Requests

Well, I've been here a little over 3 weeks now. In some ways it feels like I just arrived yesterday and in other ways it feels like I've been here a lifetime. It's weird how time is! Whichever way I look at it, after 3 weeks I have noticed some things that need prayer -- both with the home and in me!

Home:
- We need to move to a better home (the home we're in now is literally falling apart). We feel that God wants us to build so Kathleen is looking at property. Please pray that God will lead us to the right piece of land and that purchasing can happen quickly (there's a church in the states that is willing to fundraise and pay for the property and building costs) and that the house can be completed quickly and fantastically! Kathleen is wanting to buy enough land so that the orphanage can expand with more house parents taking care of a new group of kids.
- That God will bring a godly man into the lives of these kids. There are currently 8 women raising these 7 boys and 1 girl and the kids are getting to an age where they definitely need a godly man to show them how to be masculine (and do this while following Jesus). God has really put this need on my heart and a couple visitors in the past week have felt the same way -- so I don't feel like I'm the only one worried about this.
- Anyone interested in donating money for a DVD player for the home? Cost is about $30. It's hard to have family movie night on Sundays when the DVD player stops working half-way through. It would also be great because a new DVD player is able to play CDs -- something that is not available in the home right now as well.

Me:
- Language -- I'm taking 8 hours a week of language and it's getting a little overwhelming. I've always been pretty good at learning languages and have really enjoyed it but I'm feeling like I'm just learning phrases right now and not actually learning how Thai works and how to create my own sentences. I've been trying to spend my own time working on this so that it will make more sense but then that's taking time away from memorizing all of the vocab that I need to learn each day!
- Pray that I will be able to lead the teaching time at the orphanage without stepping on any toes but that I will still be able to get the job done. Convincing those who do the teaching time when I'm off of good teaching practices is difficult!
- Pray that I will have patience when things at the home are not done the way I would do them!
- That I would make great connections with people! I've gotten to know the other western girls at the home fairly well but these things take time so I can always use prayer for this! :)
- Finances -- I've had a lot of one-time gifts come in but not enough monthly support to survive each month. Please pray that more support will come so that I can do what God has called me to do and not be worried about how I will eat!

God has really been good during my past 3 weeks in a new country! Psalm 139:9b-10 is currrently written on my bathroom mirror . . . "If I travel to the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me. Your right hand will hold me fast."