A Merry Christmas Update!

Hello friends and family!

We hope you are all well. For those of you living in the snowy parts of the world, we hope you are staying cozy and warm. Sorry, it has been so long. Life has been a whirlwind and filled with constant change, surprises, and challenges. There is no doubt God's hand has been protecting us and holding us up. There is no question that we are still standing because of God, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and all of your prayers! You are all so special to us.

Jared's Dad and older sister Marina came to visit us in the beginning of the month. It was such a blessing to see familiar faces. The pictures here are from out trip with them to the Karen elephant village. The village is a Christian village! Seeing some of our family was a breath of fresh air to us. There is no way to express the comfort they brought to our hearts. Family is precious!

One day after our family left three Chinese girls moved in with us. Our friend Peggy met them at her noodle shop and overheard them saying they were looking for a place to stay. Peggy immediately thought of us and called. Needless to say, they moved in the next day! One of the reasons we chose to get a big house was so we could provide housing for transient people, and all of you when you come to visit! We were expecting God to bring someone along at some point. The girls are not Christians. However, they are very interested in learning about God. They all speak and read English. Every once in a while I will see one of them pick up a few of our AIG books and flip through. Can't wait to see how God works in their lives. If you want to pray for them their names are Tracy, Jodi, and Nancy.

Next big development. Jared and I are expecting baby number 2. Maya is extremely excited. She pats my belly to put the baby to sleep almost every night. It's so cute. I'm about 3 mo. along. The due date is around July 1. It certainly changes a lot of things. My last month of work will be in March and then hopefully Jared will be starting a full time position in the K-1 class (3 year olds). I am happy to say my energy is slowly coming back. I have to be honest, I haven't been the easiest to get along with the past 3 mo. This trimester has been very rough on my health, especially working full time in the nursery! I am happy to say, I've been healthy for a week straight! That's a huge victory. As you think of us and are praying please pray for this pregnancy and new baby.

Thank you so much for you love and support. God bless you in this special season! Enjoy your families and friends.You are all so blessed to have each other. You are blessed to be able to speak the same language as the majority of those around you. Take the time to Bless a stranger with encouraging words! What opportunities you have!

There is so much more I want to tell you. We'll try not to wait so long between the next blog so that we don't have to skip stuff :) If I put it all in here you would fall asleep before you were done reading! I'll try to put better pics up to. I just don't have them on my computer righ now.

Love You

Prayer Points:

- Diane is still looking for just the right job. Please pray that God provides her direction in finding it.

- Jared has been offered a full time job starting in March. Please pray that the offer will hold through, especially since I stop working in March (I'm not allowed to work past 6 mo. preg. here. Not that I would honestly want to :)

- Health and Safety ALWAYS! Also, for the pregnancy, and growth and development of new baby.

- Clear direction as the new year approaches

- Finances to make ends meet and bless others. My job doesn't always cut it :) However, God always provides.

Update

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since we've written. The good news is we are finally into our new house! Bad news, we don't have Internet quite yet. It may be a while. Thank you all for your prayers and support in helping us get into our house. Not long after we moved in we were able to help one of Jared's former class mates from TEFL. Kyle, Jared's friend had to get surgery on his foot from an injury received in a moped accident. He is on crutches for a month. We housed him and fed him until he got things worked out. I think Jared was so glad to have another guy around the house for a couple of days! It has been wonderful to be able to cook our own food and watch Maya run around in all the space we have.

I am still working full time at ABS with Maya. She is picking up quite a bit of Thai. In fact, she speaks Thai when she wants something and it's also her choice of language when she is mad. It's fun to watch her grow and learn every day. I am blessed to be able to bring her to work, even though she adds more work for me :)

Jared and Diane are currently looking for part-time jobs as the jobs they had didn't end up working out. It does free up time for Jared to pursue his passion to help hill tribe villages bring in some income by exporting crafts and giving profit back to the villages. Jared visited a Hmong village a couple weeks ago that really inspired him. Please keep praying for direction, clear vision, favor, and that he comes across the right people at the right time to help get it all started. Also pray for good part-time jobs for Jared and Diane.

Tomorrow or Tonight for all of you, we will be leaving for our first border run. The van picks us up about 7:30 a.m. for a 5 hour drive to Mae Sai so we can cross the border, come back in, and then head back another 5 hours to Chiang Mai. Please pray for safety, health, and ease of crossing. Myanmar is a pretty rough place.

We love you all and miss you so much. Thank you for your prayers which cover us and keep us safe every day... you wouldn't believe how many times we almost get in wrecks daily in all the traffic traveling to and from work. In fact, one time a lady standing on the street corner almost wacked us with an umbrella as we were driving by on the moped. We also saw a full grown elephant walking down the highway... talk about a distraction :) Just a few of the crazy things that happen on a daily basis.

Sorry this blog isn't the greatest... I'm exhausted after a hard days work :)

Major prayer points Overview:

Health and Safety

Jared and Diane - good part-time jobs that will work with my work schedule

Clear direction and vision as we begin to take steps towards helping villages

A lot has happened last time we posted. As you all know our family moved in with one of our friends to wait for our house to be ready for move in. There have been a few problems since then.... Instead of the 2 days we were expecting it been almost 6 days... I think... I've lost track there has been so much happening. We found out the the electricity meter had been removed from our house due to the fact that no one was paying the bill. No one has lived in the house in over a year. When our future landlord went to take care of it he found out that the electricity had never been switched over to his name when he had bought it from the previous owner! Our landlord can't speak English so we have been communication through our friend Peggy. PLEASE.... pray that everything is taken care of VERY VERY quickly (things can take quite a while in Thailand) so that we can get out of Peggy's hair and get on with it! We are all ready to be in our own place.

Secondly... God gave me a perfect job! I am now working full time at a bilingual pre-school / k-6 grade school. The best part is Maya gets to come with me and stay with me every day. Amphun, my boss just so happened to be looking for a nursery teacher! (nursery is age 1-2) I met her last Wednesday and we just talked... she didn't even truly interview me. After that she asked me how much I wanted to get paid and when I could start! Wow... God knows what we need and delivers! I never dreamed that I could get a full time job in Thailand where I could bring Maya with me! Amphun also offered Jared a part time job teaching sports and a few other things! You should have seen him smile. He is currently praying about timing. Amphun also offered Diane a kindergarten teaching position either full or part-time.... she is currently praying about the many options now available to her! The name of the school is Ambassador Bilingual School. It was started by Amphun and here husband who are Christians! They teach Christian values in the school but do not openly promote it as a Christian school. ABS is a way to build foundational relationships with parents and children to later share the gospel with them as friends and through the Godly living of our lives.

YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR LIVES. ALL OF THIS IS TESTIMONY!

We ask that you continue to pray in these areas:

1. Covering in safety, health (especially now that we are in full time school), peace, and finances.

2. We've discussed between a moped and a car and we've decided safer to go with a car having Maya. So please pray that God will provide transportation for us in the form of a car!

3. Please pray our house gets ready SOON!

4. We still need to figure out visa stuff... we are contemplating a few things... so please pray for very, very clear direction and confirmation as to what we should do. We are trying to get around having to do border runs every three mo. In fact we have to do one before Nov. 9

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, and WE LOVE YOU

God Bless

We're Moving!

Hello Everyone!

QUICK UPDATE AS WE ARE NOT SURE WHEN WE WILL HAVE INTERNET ACCESS AGAIN.... hopefully not longer than a week :)

We are ecstatic to say that we are finally, FINALLY, moving into a house!! God completely set everything up and it is PERFECT. Tomorrow we will be moving out of our hotel into our friend Peggy's home until the house is ready for us. It should be only 2 or 3 days. She has been such a blessing to us. In fact, she is the one who showed us the house. The owner was looking for the right people and has turned several down. He had such a good experience with missionaries renting before that he hoped for more to come and rent. So, here we are! The house is a large Townhouse with 4 huge bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a few balconies, a huge kitchen, and a rooftop area to go out on at night. Oh did I mention... there is already a gate installed to block off the very, very steep stairs. Thai stairways are all very steep. Oh yeah... the house has a bathtub and pantries as well... very rare here in Thailand. The location is 5-10 minutes from 2 parks, the city center, and large access roads. We will have plenty of room to house people when they come to visit, do ministry events, and tutor in our home!

Also.... On Wed. at 10 am we have a meeting with a Christian lady named Amphun who is in charge of several Christian bilingual schools here in Thailand. Ages from nursery-6th grade. She said they were needing a nursery teacher in one of their schools. So, it is possible I could get the job and bring Maya with me. She also said Jared and Diane could come along. We aren't sure if she is hiring full time English teachers but if she is.... and can hire Jared and Mom.... full time, and take care of our visas.... WOW..... We are not sure what will come of our meeting. We would ask that you pray for blessings and favor over the meeting, Amphun, and us. God is continuing to make a way and your prayers are helping so much!

I've got to cut it short. We are exhausted... a long day today. We love you all and miss you all. Hopefully next time we post we will have lots of pics of our new house. Sorry there are none right now... don't have them on the computer. Please continue to pray for direction, open doors, wisdom, health, strength, and protection.

With Love,

Amber

What's New!

Hello to all!

Sorry it has been so long since we last updated our blog. It seems that so much has happened here so quickly, that we haven't been able to catch our breath. My mom and I completed our TEFL certification and have been out looking for work. We were having a difficult time finding jobs, due to the excess amount of foreigners in Chiang Mai and the time of year it is. We were not aware that all of the schools went on a three week break as soon as we completed our course. It just so happened that it is the end of the first school semester here in Thailand. So it was a bit of a rough go for us. However, God dropped an incredible opportunity into our laps as we sought His guidance. We have found part-time work with unknown potential at a language school. The director, Pat, is a Thai-born Chinese who went to university in the States. His school currently doesn't have a strong English program. Enter my mom and I (not that WE have great English). We are excited about the opportunity and look forward with expectation to what is on the horizon. I start work tomorrow, not exactly sure what I'm supposed to be teaching. My mom starts sometime later this month. Hey, it is Thailand, and we're learning that being flexible and just showing up makes a world of difference in so many lives!


We have been busy looking for a house to rent, as it is definitely past time to move from our hotel room. We hope to have something nailed down by the end of the week. Our search has been difficult, not knowing for most of the time where we would be working and wanting to be close to work, as Chiang Mai is very spread out. We hope to get something soon and share the pics with everyone.


Maya is becoming somewhat of a local legend, with people recognizing her everywhere we go. Often, someone will run out of a shop and call out "Maya, Maya!", to which Amber and I look at each other and ask "Who is that?" thinking each other knows the answer. Many times neither of us has seen the person before! It is always fun to see their expressions and excitement when seeing her. Something new happens every time we go out. One of her favorite things to do is ride on a motor bike. We will rent one every now and then, when we have a lot to do around the city. She loves wearing helmets, so we decided to buy her one, as opposed to wearing one we rent. Here is a pic of her "showing" it off. She is such a poser! Must be from Amber's side, as us Lee's are ALWAYS serious and don't play games :)


Amber and I recently got in our first motor bike accident. Luckily it was nothing serious, just a couple of scrapes and bruises. The drivers in Thailand don't have much respect for "right of way", as we experienced first-hand. We were side-swiped by a car, causing us to flip off the bike in the middle of the road. Our first thoughts were of getting out of the way of the traffic coming up behind us. After that, we tried to manage an angry Thai women (just saying...) driver, who was VERY concerned about the damage we did to her car. After she saw there was no damage, she quickly calmed down, got back in her car, and drove off. We are thankful that Maya wasn't with us, that it was only minor, and that we weren't taken advantage of (as we have heard many stories of foreigners having to pay even when it wasn't their fault). Thank you for your prayers...they are working!




We are looking forward for winter (that is what THEY call it) to come. The rainy season is almost over, with just a couple of weeks left, and then hello to a slice of Heaven, 80 degrees with just a hint of humidity! I'm not missing Fall one bit, as I have been keeping track of the weather States-side. Amber misses the colors of the leaves and the bite of the cold air. We did recently come across a restaurant that reminds us of home. It has good hamburgers, hot wings, root beer floats, and chicken nuggets and hot dogs for Maya! All at very good prices. Not to mention they are the only place in Chiang Mai that has FOOTBALL ON TV!!! Ok, so I'm a little excited, I'll admit it. But what can I say?

We miss all of you and are so grateful for your prayers. We love hearing from you and all that is happening back home, even if it doesn't seem like much to you. It always lifts our spirits and helps us feel connected. Here are a couple of things we ask that you would keep in prayer:

• Housing - Pray that we find housing soon, that it fits our needs, and is close to our work
• Transportation - Pray that we will be able to find affordable transportation
• Safety - Continued safety
• Health - Pray that our bodies continue fighting off any and all sickness
• Ears to hear - Direction, daily and long-term
  

We love all of you and promise that it won't be long before we post again!

With Love,

Jared and Family

School is Out Friday!!!!!!

Hello everyone (Amber writing),

I realise I just updated the blog not to long ago. However, I didn't give much detail to the happenings not involving Maya's B-day. I thought it might be more digestible broken up. I know when I see a huge blog, I think OH MY, and fall asleep half way through, unless it's really interesting... I don't think I've got that talent :)

PART 2

I would like to write to you all and tell you more exciting things like we've shared the Gospel with 10 people and they excepted the Lord.......... but the truth is we've just been getting settled into our new environment. Our next bit thing is for Jared and Diane to find jobs, and to find housing. It takes a while, especially in a new country. I am usually the one who puts the crazy and unrealistic expectations on myself more than anyone. I guess perhaps, to PROVE we are actually making a difference to gain approval from man. Unfortunately, in the past, my need for approval from man has crippled me from receiving and experiencing what God really has for me. Instead of being lead by love and keeping my eyes on Jesus. I was being driven by fear of man which produces all kinds of wrong thinking. God has been breaking so many things off of me the past six weeks. That's exciting to me! I have grown leaps and bounds. Fear and pride in me are being dealt with. Galatians 5:1 says :It is for Freedom he set us free, therefore, standing firm, do not become subject again to the yoke of Slavery! I have a ways to go but my hope is in Jesus Christ. I know that the Holy Spirit will continue to transform me as I draw closer to God. Christ did not set me free to be controlled by fear and pride. All of this has been a work God has been doing in me for a very long time. Though it looked like nothing was going on, on the outside and to others, God was doing something great in me before I even new it. So the same goes for our ministry here. God is preparing us, preparing those we are to minister to, preparing the way! It may not be as fast as we would like but God is working in ways we cannot see. As long as our eyes are on Jesus He will be glorified. That's what it is all about! Instead of trying to force things into motion we are patiently and peacefully waiting on the Lord and trusting in His timing. Thank you for your prayers. It is evident that we are being protected by them. We covet them and thank you for offering them to our Mighty GOD who hears them and answer them!

THE NITTY GRITTY STUFF....

Tomorrow is Jared and Diane's last day of school. Public schools will be going on a 3 week break, 1 week from Friday. So the time frame for them to find a job before the break is 5 days. Even though there will be no money coming in, the benefit to finding a job before break will be that we will have a budget for housing and a specific area to look in. The students will be on break for 3 weeks, as well as the staff. This extra month of no income was very unexpected. Because of this and all of the chaos that occurred in Bangkok, we are strained financially. If none of this would have happened we would be fine. However, It did. We would greatly appreciate any donations to help get through this month or so before Jared and Diane start making an income. It would also help secure a house for rent before Jared gets a job. Otherwise, we will be where we currently are for another month or more. We want to get out of the hotel so that we can invite people into our home and get to know them on a personal level. We cannot do this where we are living as it is one small dorm style room. It would also help financially as we would be able to cook our own food instead of eating out all the time. Which is what we have had to do because we have no where to cook. Donations of any amount would help so much! You can donate through paypal (on our blog)or send donations to :

Jared Lee

9720 Mallery Drive

Noblesville, IN

Checks Payable to :

Jared Lee

or for tax deductible donations:

White Rock Fellowship....NOTE IN THE MEMO FOR LEE MISSIONS or we will not receive the money.

Thank you for all of your love and support! We appreciate you!

Amber Lee

Maya's Birthday Celebration

This past week has been a week full of birthday blessings for Maya. The best part was her party at the

House of Hope. It took Maya and I a whole week of shopping to prepare for her birthday bash! She had a ton of fun picking out the presents for all of the kids. Of course one of the best parts of shopping was taste testing her cake! She picked out a creme cake with lime zest in the middle layer. We also got some pandang and buttermilk cupcakes! So good. The only downer was that the lady who made her cake put 1 on the cake instead of 2. It's OK, because they tasted delicious. mmmm..... The ladies at the house of hope prepared all of the food for her party. We had spaghetti, chicken and vegetables, fried chicken, an assortment of fresh fruit, sticky rice, steamed rice, and a couple of different types of soups. The did a fabulous job! However delicious the food was, the true highlight of her party was just getting to hang out with the kids. They received two soccer balls, a volleyball, 4 baminton rackets, birdies, and a net. When we got everything out for them the kids dove right in and the place came alive! We also had water balloons, and a foam rocket launcher! At one point I was playing with Mee, the boy to the left of Maya, in the above picture. He ended up rolling his eyes at me because I was so bad at badminton. It was funny. I eventually got the hang of it. Badminton is a popular sport in Thailand so most of them are pretty good. It was so great to be able to bless the kids. They really enjoyed it. For Ruth, Mary, and Esther we got bags and filled them with hair clips, mirrors, combs, notebooks, stickers, nail polish, scrunchies, and Jewelry. It was so fun seeing them prance around with their purses at church the next day :) We blessed each of the seven boys with a soccer Jersey and Matching shorts. They were so humble in receiving gifts. They didn't really know how to respond to their individual gifts at first but we could see them secretly smiling. At the end of the party one of the kids got his guitar out and we sang songs of thanks to God for the blessings he has given us. Sang prayed over Maya and blessed her for her birthday . The picture below is Sang praying for and blessing Maya. I love Mayas expressing. She is taking it all in. After Sang prayed Jared prayed for and blessed the orphanage. Such a great ending to the party! Many of you helped bless these kids by your prayers and donations. We can't thank you enough! Just know that your gifts are being used for good work and your prayers are coveted. We are so blessed to have you all behind us!

As far as Jared and Diane go with their schooling.... after today they will only have 4 days Left. Praise God. They have a couple of tests coming up so please keep them in prayer specifically for focus and clarity of mind as they are wrapping up this phase. School and their teaching practices have been taxing on them. Your prayers have definitely helped. Peace has surrounded all of us through this challenging time. As they do complete this phase please keep in your prayers that we will be able to hear God's clear direction as far as housing and Jobs. We believe God has already provided Jared and Diane a job and our families a place to live. However, we want to make sure we hear what those jobs are and where are homes are, so that we can receive it. I have no doubt that God will tell us, it's just whether we will hear. We know God is aware of our needs so we are standing in faith and ask that you stand in faith with us and claim that our God, will in fact, provide all of our needs! Isn't that wonderful. Our assurance is in HIM!

WE LOVE YOU ALL!

The Lees

A Story or Two from Jared

Hello to all from "The Land of Smiles"!!! This is my (Jared) first blog, as Amber has done a great job updating regularly. So much has happened since we first arrived in Thailand, I thought I might give an update from my point of view. I'll spare you the details of our first two weeks, but share that it was a difficult transition to say the least. However, God guided us through, and we came out the other side with a renewed focus on our tasks ahead of us. Not to mention all alive with no major injuries or problems (ie. passports)!!!

My mom and I started school on July 31st. I think that I can speak for both of us in saying that the first day was a big shock to our brains. I was eager to start, and once it began, even more eager to complete it. Sounds a bit funny, when you think about it, but isn't that the way it is with most things? Anyway, our brains have been on overload, mostly with the amount of English grammar we are re-learning. I honestly didn't think that I would have to consider when to use a present perfect verb instead of a present simple verb when teaching English as a foreign language. Hahaha! That is exactly what we were thinking our first hour into the class. We are slowly adjusting, however, and getting caught up to speed. We usually have about three-four hours of English grammar, an hour of Thai, and two-three hours of teaching principles/practices. Our class is an interesting mix of 8 Americans, 2 Australians, and 2 Britts. The ages range from 22-65, so there are alot of crazy/arrogant ideas, mixed in with some "wisdom" that has come with age/experiences. I feel that I can comment on this with a COMPLETELY rational mindset (moving my wife, daughter, and mom half-way around the world). {For those who don't know me that well, I'm being sarcastic. For those that do know me, I'm dead serious, COMPLETELY rational.} The class seems to cover alot of topics including: the best bars, palm reading, astrology, Buddhism, ghosts, alcohol in mass quantities. All the more the need to be a light and an example. With that in mind, I have focused my attention on being friends with my classmates and really getting to know them. I spent this past Saturday with one of them. His name is Kyle. He is 24 and from Colorado. We rented mopeds for the day and drove all around the surrounding countryside. Kyle is searching for something he is not sure of. He has asked alot of questions regarding Amber and I moving to Thailand with a small child and how we came to find out what we are supposed to do with our lives. If you think about it, please pray that God continues to use us in Kyle's life.

Maya saw the moped and was so disappointed that she wasn't going for a ride. Amber and I talked about it for a bit and decided, like all good parents, that our kid needs a moped experience! Now before you get too anxious/flustered/upset/angry/joyous/jealous (the list could go on and on), consider that I'm practically a pro now, with TWO WHOLE DAYS of driving experience (sarcasm again). Maya was SO excited that the morning of, she woke up, jumped out of bed saying, "Maya's ready!" That was followed by a "YEAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" and clapping. How could a loving father say no to that?!? She was so happy to put her mask on and hop on. She did great! I thought for sure that she would wiggle around, but she sat in between Amber and I and smiled the whole time.

We are in the middle of our 4 week course and are looking and praying for work once we are finished. We still aren't sure what city we will be in, but we do believe it will be in the north of Thailand. Please continue to pray for us and our ability to hear God and His direction for us. Maya's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks as well. Amber is hard at work planning a big party at an orphanage. We want to use her party to bless kids who have never had an opportunity like this before. If you want to be a part of this, please email Amber as we would love for you to be able to bless kids through us. We have also invited my class to come as well. Please pray that some of them take us up on the offer and God touches them through it as well. Also, please be praying for Maya as she continues this transition to a country that is in awe of her blonde hair, blue eyes, and white skin. She is a magnet wherever she goes and sometimes gets quite annoyed with everyone touching her and gawking at her. She is a trooper though, and is learning Thai and speaking it on occasion! She loves to play with kids and would love to be around more of them. Please pray that she will have plenty of friends she will trust and love. I would also ask that you keep my mom in prayer as well. She has left the comforts of home to travel to a place that is extremely awkward for her at times. She has been adjusting well, considering all of the changes. Being much taller than everyone has many disadvantages, especially walking around in the market where canopies are 5 and a half feet tall and one has to walk through bent over. However, she has made it this far and continues to impress me with her determination.

Thank you again for all your prayer and support. We miss all of you and can feel your love and the difference your prayers make in our lives. Know that we think of you often and that you are having influence on the other side of the world. If any of you use Skype and would like to talk to us, our Skype name is amber-jared. We are on at random times, but usually in the morning States time.

In Him,

Jared

School Begins!

Jared and Diane started their TEFL class on Monday. Let's just say it's been a long week for both of them. Among the classmates there is wide range of beliefs all mixed with astrology, buddhism, and a bit of atheism. There are 7 Americans, a couple of Brits, and a few Australians. Most of them are between the age of 23 and 26. The oldest is a 65 year old British man who practices Tibetan buddhism. Jared and Diane are the only Christians in the class. It has been quite an awakening to the true state that the world is really in. Constantly being around all of this has been taxing on their minds and spirits as they are in a small classroom with everyone 6-7 hours a day. They are bombarded with a lot of junk. Jared asked me to write a short message to everyone about all of this so that you can keep them in prayer as they are dealing with all of this. Please pray that God puts rest and peace over their minds and spirits and that He uses them as a light in the darkness. Who knows what God can do!

We are finally starting to get the hang of things around Chiang Mai. We love going to market every night and morning to get our food. One of my favorites is sausage skin stuffed with rice noodles and garlic. I think I even like it better than sausage. Maya's favorite is sticky rice and fried fish. At the moment I don't really have any pictures of market but I will be sure to get some as it is an experience! Praise God as we have also found some fabulous bakeries in the area. Sometimes you just have to have some bread! Kasem's, where we have found the most wonderful tasting Hawaiian type rolls, was the first ever "farang" store in Chiang Mai. The owner has a 2 year old daughter. We are looking forward to building relationships with them. I'm sure we will be visiting their store often :).

Today Jared got to meet his TEFL instructor. Class starts in a week. It seems like the certification process will be challenging but fun. We got to talk to some of the students who just finished and they had great reviews. Praise God, He showed us a great place for Jared and Diane to get certified! Please continue to pray that God will provide outstanding job opportunities for them both.

Also, our first big outreach is coming up.... Maya's 2nd Birthday! We have decided to host her birthday party at an orphanage. However, Maya won't be the only one receiving gifts. At her party we will be giving gifts, clothes, and other items of need to the children at the orphanage. Chiang Rai Christian Fellowship... our friend Florence's home church runs an orphanage currently caring for about 37 kids. I'm not exactly sure of specific needs. The response I got was... "we need everything." So, on Sunday or Monday I will be meeting with the pastor and hopefully visiting the orphanage to find out more detail about needs. I'll keep you posted! We are so excited to be able to bless others. Her Birthday is on September 20, so we will be having the party probably sometime that weekend. I need to look at toy, clothing, food, and school supply prices so I can make a budget for her party. Once I visit the orphanage I should have a lot more detail and budget written out for those of you who want to help out. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up.

Hopefully in the in between time I will get to go out with Florence and do some street missions. I want to go out so bad but the language barrier requires me to go with a translator. I'm so excited for the many opportunities God has for us to effect change in peoples lives! Thank you for all of your prayer support and love. We couldn't be here without you. God Bless!

P.S.

We now have a phone. The best way to contact us in person is to skype. Our skype name is amber-jared. For those of you who prefer the phone and don't mind making international calls, our number is 011 + 66 + 0 + 821883136 * If this doesn't work try 011 +66 + 821883136 we are not sure if you need that second 0 or not.

Love Ya

Traveling across the world with a toddler....

Well I have to say our daughter is a natural born traveller. She loves airplanes and pretty much knows the drill when it comes to airports. She slept over half of our 12 hour flight to Taiwan. The rest of the time she just played, colored, ate "yummy" (if your hungry) airline food, as seen to the left! Once we were on the ground in Taiwan, Maya and I enjoyed a giant bowl of noodle soup, dad had a coke, and grammy had a cappuccino. After that, Maya did a couple of photo shoots with adoring onlookers. We washed up a bit and felt much better. The flight from Taiwan to Bangkok was relaxing. Maya slept the whole 3 hours. In Bangkok, mom and I stopped to got to the restroom. While Jared was watching our bags a large group of people surrounded him and Maya. They all wanted to pose and take photos with Maya! Below is a picture of part of the crowd as this was all going on. Once we got through the photo shoot we made it to immigration where we were unexpectedly ushered past all of
the long lines to the express/first class lane. We then walked up to the baggage claim where our bags were almost there immediately. The hard part came when trying to make a decision where to stay for the night. After about ten or more minutes of discussion we made a decision and headed towards customs. There were no lines at customs and we didn't even have to scan our bags. Thank you so much for your prayers. We were obviously blessed with God's favor and protection. I finally feel home. Tomorrow we make our journey (a one hour flight) to Chiang Mai, the city where Jared and Diane will be taking the 4-week TEFL Certification Course. We will write more later... right now we are excited to experience our first monsoon rain... It sounds like a we are right under a water fall. It looks like it too. Thank you again for your prayers!

Airplanes and Cars oh my!!!!!

I have spent the last couple of days with my family in Houston, TX. It's been a lot of fun just hanging out with my parents and watching them enjoy their time with Maya. She has been keeping everyone busy running around with her pig-tails (her new favorite look) bouncing around everywhere. Maya is starting to miss her daddy as he has been on men's retreat with White Rock. Tomorrow we will meet up with Jared in California. He will be picking us up from the airport around 9 so we can make the 6 hour journey north to visit his dad. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow. If you think of us please keep us in prayer during our travel.

My mind is still slipping back to thinking we are going home after this trip.... The big change ahead of us is starting to become more real everyday. I am so thankful for our church home and family in Noblesville and other parts of the world, but now I wonder, will Thailand feel like home? I wonder, where will I tell my daughter home is? She's already been asking...Going home? The truth is that God is our home, the place he has made for us in heaven is our home, His love and peace is our home. Our earthly homes are temporary and buildings are nothing without love, joy, and laughter to fill them. The love from friends and family is home. As you think of us please pray for our daughter as she is going through so much transition. Her world is constantly changing. Please pray that she holds fast to truth and that the seeds planted in her will grow deep roots in the foundation of truth. Ok.....

Thats' it for now... We leave Aug 12 around 1 a.m. I'll try to get our flight details up at some point before we go..... Oh yeah... WE GOT OUR VISAS TODAY! Praise God that everything went smoothly and timely. HE IS GOOD.

Again thank you, we love you all so much, and shh... don't tell anyone but I already miss you!

God Bless

Our daughter is sleeping. It's quiet. Rain clouds are moving in through the night sky. Though they may threaten storms, I delight in the freshness of the rain. I think of how our lives are going to be ever changing in the next month. Sometimes it seems as though we are walking into a huge cloud of unknowns filled with unpredictable storms. Even so, the rain that falls down from the heavens will produce fruit in these trying times and fill our family with peace, joy, and strength in the Lord.

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Psalm 34:8

As we get closer to our journey each day we ask that you continue to pray. Here are some prayer points for these next few weeks and month:

Safe travel
Health
Our car to be sold for a good price to cover our moving expenses
That God lines up a job for Jared and Diane to work legally in Thailand

We are still in need of financial partners on a yearly or monthly basis. You can donate online through our blog or send donations to us at 9720 Mallery Drive, Noblesville, IN 46060, making checks payable to White Rock Fellowship (noting in the memo for Jared and Amber Lee).

God Bless!

Some Thoughts

Each day we count down to Thailand we place our trust even more in God. Only He knows in fullness the plans He has for us. It's hard to imagine what exactly life is going to look like once we get there. I wonder..... Who will we meet? I think upon the faces of those we met on our brief trip to Thailand a few years ago. What is my daughter going to think about all of the zipping mopeds and spicy food? I imagine us getting stopped every few steps by gorgeous old women longing to touch our daughters beautiful blond hair all the while showering her with sweet compliments. What great opportunity we will have to share love even through the blessing of our daughter! Change is coming. It is much anticipated like the spring. A fresh breath of air in our lives. We are finally going to step out and do the very thing God has created us for. My hope is that each of you if you haven't already lean your ear towards the Lord and let him raise up the warrior inside of you and glorify Him with your life being obedient to Him in all things. His plan for each of us is unique as our relationships with Him. What joy there is in following the Lord.

Our dates are confirmed. We are leaving for Thailand August 12, 2009. We got a fabulous deal on plane tickets. Praise God! We are still doing some support and fund raising for our initial start up and trip. We ask that you give if you can. Please send tax deductible donations to:

Make checks payable to:
9720 Mallery Drive
Noblesville, IN 46060

White Rock Fellowship, and note in the memo for the Lee's

God Bless

God is Good

You know....

I (Amber) sit here this morning exhausted but made a new person. There is a deeper compassion in my heart than there ever was before. Boldness flows through me where I was stopped by fear. Peace and love rule me. Praises are neverending on my lips. God is good!

I had the opportunity to go to a 4 day school in Monroe, Michigan. The purpose of the school was to teach the students how to evangelize and live our daily lives in the supernatural. God is a God of miracles, signs, and wonders. He is a good God. A faithful God. A deep God. A God that will rock your mind. A God who burns for us to know Him. A God of grace. A compassionate God.

Mark 16:17-18 says
These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: they will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.

I believe!

The Holy Spirit partners with us to do these things not to build pride or bring attention to ourselves but to humble us and draw us to Christ who leads us to the Father. Signs, miracles, and wonders through the power of the Holy Spirit always draw attention to Christ.

Our motivation should be love. I prayed for people this weekend who were sick and God healed them. Healing isn't alwasy the way God chooses to love a person. For instance.. I came across a lady in a wheelchair and God said just honor her today. So I told her how much God loved her and how beautiful she was. As much as I would have loved to pray for her and see her released from her wheel chair, God knew that even more so, she needed to feel honored and loved in a different way. She was so blessed through our conversation and it gave her hope.

Love for his people is the heart of the Father. Perfect love casts out fear! When I was just loving the person however God told me to I wasn't fearful because I knew His heart for that specific person. John 3:16 says For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son so that we should not perish but have eternal life. Why? BECAUSE HE LOVES US!

I've learned more about the nature and heart of God this weekend by praying for people out in the community than just sitting in church on Sunday Morning. Church is important but if we don't take what we've learned outside of the church then we are not living in the fullness of what God has for us. God is for Mondays and Tuesdays and all the other days. He wants to work in Church but also in Big Lots, Walmart, and the Park. He wants to work on the sidewalks and bus stations!

You know, all I had to do was step out and take a risk for God. He is faithful ALWAYS. He will use us even in our deep imperfection. It's not about us it's about loving others and allowing Christ to be seen through us. I tell you what... When ministering to those people they did not see me! Praise God for that! God's grace is abounding. This weekend I saw a woman healed while smoking a cigarette. YES! He meets us where we are. He just wants a relationship with us. Today I am hungrier for God than I ever was before. Why am I hungry? Because He is Good! Because the acts of God show His nature. I want more of Him so that I can give more of Him to others. What is life without Him but misery. He is my Joy!

God Bless

Visits from Mammaw, Pappaw, and Grammy!

The end of this month is going to be busy and full of fun. Amber's parents are coming for a two week visit. Maya is really looking forward to seeing her mammaw and pappaw! She'll have lots of fun eating ice cream with her pappaw and munching on her mammaw's chicken ;) Overlapping with their visit, Grammy Di is coming to Indiana for two weeks to do some training through Inquest Ministries. As we continue to prepare for Thailand, it is exciting to have our friends and family love and support us.



Thank you for your prayers and financial support.



Prayer List:
Health, Safety, and Protection for our family
Favor with officials in Thailand
Openess to the Gospel and Salvation of Thailand
Ongoing prayer and Financial Support

Financial Needs:

-Monthly supporters of 12 dollars a month

Moving to Thailand!

We are excited to say that our family is moving to Thailand! God has given us compassion for South East Asia and has laid it upon our hearts to bring healing and new life to this region of the world. As we spend our last months in America we are appreciating the familiarity and love of our family and friends. Though we have been to Thailand before it is hard to imagine what the road ahead will look like. We take much comfort in the wonderful support base that God has given us in all of you.

We are bursting with excitement as we have waited a long time to make this next step in our life. We ask that you keep us in your prayers daily. Some of the things to pray for include:

1. Health, Safety, and Protection for our family.
2. Favor with government officials and the community
3. Clarity of direction and vision
4. Openness to the Gospel
5. Ongoing financial support for ministry

If you would like to support our ministry financially you can donate online or send donations to

Jared Lee
9720 Mallery Drive
Noblesville, IN 46060

If sending financial support through the mail please clarify it is for missions.
Checks can be made payable to Jared Lee.

Websites:

Our home church :

http://www.whiterockfellowship.com/