I FEEL LIKE I'M PUNCHING THROUGH A WALL WITH MY HANDS TIED BEHIND MY BACK!!

Wasn't sure what to name this blog. They've been so erratic lately :) It's been months since I've posted yet it's been on my mind for months to post. I either think that far ahead or that far behind LOL ;)

Punching through the wall is all I could come up with because that's what I feel like I am doing, mind you with both hands tied behind my back. Has anyone ever felt like this? I'm sure you're saying, "I hear ya girl." Here is my perspective on this: You may think that this comes as a disadvantage. In fact, it is an advantage. You see, the battle is in our minds. Our defeats, our victories, our successes, and our challenges. It's all up there in our head. Here's something even better.. what's in our head comes from our hearts. Guard your hearts guys, it's the wellspring of life. Jesus was on it and still is.

We have been taught so many things from the time we were born until this moment in time. How many of those things are actually truth? I encourage you today to take each thought that comes to your mind via your heartand hold it against God's word. .The heart is the gateway to your mind. How else can guys remember all those statistics on sports and forget the milk at the grocery store. The love of sports lies deep in the heart for many men LOL.  Let every man be found a liar and God's word be found true. There is only one supreme truth, and that is God's word. We are either aligned with Him or aligned with someone else. In every area that we are aligned with Him we will see fruit and blessing because His word DOES NOT return void. In every area we are not aligned with God's word, there is only bareness. NOT BECAUSE GOD IS JUDGING YOUR SIN. Your sin was dealt with on the cross. Those areas are baren because the word has not been planted in those AREAS of your life, or perhaps, the word was choked out, or grew quickly but did not take root. If there is barenness in your life, IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT GUARDING YOUR HEART. Instead of life you are sowing death.You are sowing seeds of death to your health, to your relationships, to your finances with every lie that you believe. Every lie that you believe allows a door for the enemy. GUARD YOUR HEART, IT IS THE WELLSPRING OF LIFE. Soak in God's grace and allow His word into your heart because it is life. Life to those who choose to BELIEVE. Not to those who strive for perfection, or never mess up, but for those who choose to believe. Funny thing is, as we believe, we become renewed, and start looking a little more like Christ each day.

All this to say. As I'm punching through this wall. I have the advatage because even if my hands are tied it's not about my strength but God's. It reminds me that where the fight really is, is in the heart and head. That's what I can do. Just simply do what God asked and BELIEVE!

And those are the thoughts of the day. Someone needed this :)

Peace and love to you all!

In The Battle

I have been thinking for months about blogging again. I was reminded of it when someone I know said something meaningful. Part of what he said mentioned taking the next step, and the next step, and then another step. We don't always have the big picture. Sometimes we may know what we are setting out to accomplish but aren't sure of how or where to start. The way to start is by taking the next step. Many of you have probably been wondering where we are and what we have been doing for the last year and 2 months. That's almost exactly how long it's been since I have posted. We have been doing just that. Taking step by step by step toward what God has called us to do in life. The vision that he has put inside of us is clearer than ever and though we face challenge after challenge we are determined to to keep moving forward toward the mission set before us. 


As I look back on the last year... I can honestly say it has been stretching, trying, challenging, and utterly despairing all at the same time. We knew that God had told us to come home with no doubt. But WHY!! We prayed and decided not to make any major decisions the first 6 months we were in America. This was difficult. We wanted to make plans and push forward. Instead we were to sit and wait. To rest in God and trust his direction. Easier said than done ;) Actually, I think it's even hard to say :) We did it though. During that time we had several things put before us as far as directions we were to take once the 6 months were up. We weren't really sure what to do. Funny thing was.. during those 6 months of waiting and waiting and waiting God clarified our vision and what part we played in that vision. He gave us the key connecting all of the things he had placed in our hearts. WOW! Thanks God!!!!


It became clear to us that every step we had taken leading up to that time planted into us some type of wisdom or knowledge that prepared us for stepping into our mission. God made it clear he was moving us from training into the real thing. Not the warm up lap, not the trials,THE ACTUAL RACE! Let me tell you what that feels like in all honesty. YES!!! WOOOHOOO!!! OH NO!!! WHAT!!! ARE YOU SURE!!! YEAH!!!! You know the scene in the movie Tangled where Rapunzel first breaks free from the tower. Yep. sort of like that. Regardlesss of all of the fiery arrows and fleshly doubts that beat against us and even to this day. We are sure of our mission and know that God is the source of everything. All we have to do is be willing and believe. So, we are believing and we are willing. We are mixing our faith with action and following God even through some of the greatest challenge we have experienced yet.


If you are not sure where to go or what to do with your life. Be encouraged that God will show you if you only ask. Sometimes it's not as fast as we would like. However, if you are obedient and tuned into God's heart. You will not fail!


There will be more to come with details. For now though, I will say goodbye and thank you for  your love and support over the years. They have meant so much to us. Stay tuned! More to come.

Coming to America!

Well,

Happy Summer! Hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather. As I am sitting here typing this it's 10:30 p.m. our time. I am utterly exhausted but in a good place. Our house sits nearly empty. A shell of what it was 5 days ago. My clothes are being washed and folded getting ready to be packed along with various other items... like my favorite curtains... if they fit. I also unstuffed the couch pillows :) My home is nearly empty except for my family and the fullness of our hearts realising the impact we have had on the people around us here. We have done our best to love those around us... even in difficulty, as culture can often make it. As we have been saying goodbye to our neighbors, co-workers, students,and friends we have been shocked to find how much God has used us in their lives. Many of them were teary eyed at the news. Some of them.. we weren't for certain if they even liked us in the first place :) God has used us to love those around us in a culture where love and compassion for others is minimal. He has used us to plant many seeds and we are confident that those seeds will grow with the help of God. They are all sad to see us go. We are also sad to leave but God has shown us that He wants us in America for a time. As you have probably figured from the above said, we are in the process of moving back to America. We are not exactly sure what God has for us there. We were not expecting to leave Thailand so soon. However, we will follow where He leads us even if it is not in our plan :)Right now every day is one step at a time.

We will be leaving for Bangkok on Friday afternoon... Thursday sometime for you guys. There we will stay the night and catch a plane to Taiwan in the morning. From there we have a 4 hour layover and then we will be headed to L.A. We'll wait around for a bit longer and catch a flight to San Jose where we will be staying for a little over a week. After that we will be in Indiana! We arrive on July 4th! What a homecoming :) How many travel hours... let's just say I need more than two hands to count it!

Please be praying for us as this has been difficult on the little guys. Especially Maya, she's been quite upset having to say goodbye to her friends. We know she will be OK once she is back with her friends and fam in America but it's hard for her right now. Jet will turn 1 on July 3rd! He is hanging in there. It has been very busy as we have been getting ready. Jared's mom is currently in the states and will remain there. We will be seeing her in San Jose along with his younger sister, we hope! Let's just say.. this will be an unplanned but FUN family reunion!

We are looking forward to seeing our church family! We can't wait to get involved. We are very curious and looking forward to God's plan for us while we are in America!

Thank you for your prayers love and support! They mean the world to us!

Prayer Points For Our Family:
Safety and health during travel
Ease of travel
Ears to hear God's direction for our time in the States
Provision

God Bless! See you soon! Can't wait to give you guys our love in person!

God Time and Family Time!

For the first time in almost three years my family has had more than a week alone together! This has been an unexpected gift and blessing from God! Our home has been quiet from the outside bu there are deep works going on within. We are wrapping up our English teaching from home and transitioning to English parties twice a month to continue building relationships in a more fun and free environment. We just had our first English party where we made dumplings and pizzas together. We also played some of the games you guys sent. Uno stack was a hit!We will continue to host these parties not to entertain but purposed to continue to build trust and relationship with the students that the opportunity arises where we get to share Christ with them! The people here are so desperate for love. Jared was telling me today that one of the Thai staff asked him if he had problems with students drinking toilet water from the bathrooms. Keep in mind toilet water isn't what you're used to. He said apparently the students do it so that they become sick and get attention. How sad! We have a hope that these kids desperately need!

Today I am thankful that I am hungry. Hungry for God. Hungry to reach out in desperation for the things that He has for me. Hunger for God is such a gift! I am desperate for more of Him because I am surrounded by hopelessness. Christ is hope and I want more of Him to give more away. To be a blessing to those who cannot see the true reality . The reality that there is a God who loves them. That there is a God who fights for them! That there is a God who is Jealous for their love. God is amazing. God cannot be contained, summed up, or explained. He must be experienced, pursued, sought out like a beautiful treasure, dove into like a beautiful ocean of endless love, mercy, peace, and joy! In this season I am pressing in for more of Jesus in my life. More of His truth to manifest as reality in my life. Let the word of the Lord not only come alive in me even more but flow through me as healing waters to those around me to the glory of God! I need him even as the air I breathe!

God is not only doing transformational work in me but also my family. As we are pressing in He is exposing areas that need to be strengthened by the truth of His word. He is doing some deep works in mine and Jared's' life. He is drawing us together and into him. He is teaching us to stand together even more and work together even more. At times it is painful as we are clumsily learning to minister to each other and being cleansed of lies planted deep within. It is also joyful as He is planting in me visions for more of the work He has for us here. I can feel them and sense them as if they were already fulfilled! We are waiting on the Lord excited to see what He will do. Most importantly our family must be healthy and planted even deeper into God's word before we can reach out even more. In His time all of these things will come to fruition. Until then we will wait expectantly pressing into Him even more.

I want to encourage you to keep pressing in! It is so easy to become complacent but don't you want to dive deeper! How great is His love for us! How rich are His blessings! Take hold of them and with faith pull them into reality! Provision! Healing! Everlasting Joy! Peace! A relationship with the Holy Spirit, Jesus, our God! Eternal life and a Sea of Love! How blessed we are to know the truth! I bet some of those around you could use some of this also! Press in so that you are overflowing and can't help but give some of it away!

Hey,

Thanks for loving us and praying for us! You are amazing! Your prayers are powerful and we believe that when you pray God moves! We love, love, love it when you pray for us! Thank you also for giving! You help fill the gap financially that makes it possible for us to stay here! Please feel free to e-mail us! We would love to hear from you and answer any questions or curiosities you may have :) I've posted prayer requests below:

Divine protection, provision, and health!

More opportunity to love people!

Jared's transition to working full time with Thai high school students to go smoothely as there have been many challenges already!

The school processes our visas before we have to do another visa run! Jet and Maya fussed the whole bus ride last time :(

God Bless!

Sorry, I'll post pics next time... Jet's sleeping on my lap :)

They will know we are Christians by our LOVE!

Hello everyone!

We made it through songkran with much R&R to be thrust into daily life and then some :) However, I have a great story to share that came out of the chaos! Hopefully you can stay with me as storytelling isn't my forte!

Jodi, one of the students who has lived with us over the last couple of years received news from her University that her student status had been

terminated. She called her supervisor and met with her several times over the following days but to no avail Jodi could not re-enroll as the enrollment for this school year had already been closed. All of this was terrible news as Jodi's student termination was of error. To make it all worse her parents are very upset with her and place most of the blame on Jodi when truly it's not her fault. In there eyes she has caused them to "lose face" putting their whole family in shame. Through the last week or so we have spent much time encouraging Jodi. As I write Jodi is in China we will miss her as one of our own family but we know this will be a good time for her to grow even closer to God as her faith will be tested. We are confident that she will be a light shining in China for her family and those around her! There is much possibility that she will be returning to Thailand in the next 6 months to a year so we are praying and looking forward to the day she returns to fulfill her dream of getting a masters degree from a good Uni. here in Thailand! The next part of the story.....

The night Jodi left we had our English class. In the English class we have 3 Chinese students and 2 Thai students. It just so happened that that night we had been talking about how our different cultures display affection. For example it's normal for men to kiss each other on the cheek in some European countries, however, this is not normal in America. One of the things we had talked about was if guys in America normally hug girls that are their friends and so on... so we explained that usually men don't hug female friends unless it's a hug goodbye to a dear friend, it doesn't happen on a daily basis :) We later learned that hugging in China was reserved for family mostly. Not long after that, it was time for Jodi to go. I came down all teary eyed with her, already having said my goodbyes. Jodi gave Jared the biggest bear hug I've ever seen a girl give :) The students sat in awe at the display.

Jodi drove off and we continued class breaking off into pairs so they could practice speaking english with each other. Jared's partner asked us why we came to Thailand. So he proceeded to tell her "that God had told us to come." She then asked if we were "Christmas." He then replied, "Do you mean Christians?" She said "yes, you pray before you drink water and eat." Jared then proceeded to very briefly tell her why we pray, why we love people, why we love God, why He loves us, and why we ask God for answers and direction in life. This was HUGE. The only thing LuLu had heard about Christianity was Christmas, a couple of her acquaintances were Christians, and she new the names Adam and Eve. She had never heard about Jesus. She had never heard the name of Jesus! Later all three of the girls commented on how much Christians loved each other having witnessed Jodi's love at times when they would see each other out in the community and what they had witnessed in our home that night. They concluded it was very good! Praise God that the doors are now wide open for these girls to learn more about the love of God! We will continue to cultivate our relationships with them and see what God does!

Isn't love such a powerful and amazing testimony! Be encouraged that if you take the time to love others around you they will take notice!

Thank you all for praying for us.

Goodbye Photo with Jodi and Candy

February 2011

It's starting to warm up here! The average is about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the beginning of a rapid incline in Temp. Yesterday I had to run the AC for 10 min. just to cool down after mopping the floor. Not a good sign considering soon The average temp will be somewhere in the mid 100's. Sweat :) On the top of our to do list is to go out and purchase a few more fans and some sun-blocking curtains. I'm sure your all feeling sorry for us as your freezing in the snow and ice.

Jet is now standing almost on his own and in attachment phase full force. He is also the big-toe sucking monster. In Thailand it is custom to take off your shoes upon entering a home. ALWAYS. Often Jet will be playing on the floor and then all the sudden... ewww he's trying to suck or chew on your toe! Very Gross and not so polite for guests. Considering the status of the foot in this country. AAAHHH!! Maya is still learning the tough lessons a three year old must learn. Everyday feels like a repeat. I'm sure it will sink in sometime. I have seen some hopeful glimmers of improvement as she moves towards the age of 4. Four just so happens to be my favorite age in Children so... I'm waiting and waiting for the 4 year old to emerge :)

Jared did well in his job interview but unfortunately didn't get the job. That's ok though. We are in the process of discovering what's next here in Chiang Mai. We are researching and looking at many different things we can do here. Please keep us in prayer as we are in the middle of some big and a bit scary decision making. We will let you all know the plan as soon as we are sure! Stay tuned :)

Please pray for peace over our family during this time of searching and decision making. These times can be a bit stressful for our family. We are already a bit stretched as it is ;O We are continuing to trust in God and seek Him in everything we do. Your prayers are so important to us and we need them. Thank you for the time, energy, and money you put towards making it possible for us to be here. We are on the edge of a breakthrough to the next step. Thank you for believing in us and working with us to help make a difference in peoples lives.

This is Jody telling us about a Chinese desert consisting of beans, nuts, and other ingredients.

Back from Tachilek!

Just thought I would update you all. We made it to and from the border all safe and sound. We had a slight hold up on the Burmese side when they wouldn't accept our U.S. currency because of a mark on one of the bills. Who can get a perfect one these days? Anyway, we didn't have anymore money and fortunately Maya and Jet's big blue eyes convinced the guy to accept the money and let us through. I looked online when we got back and apparently they have been more often than not wanting to be paid in Thai baht rather than U.S. dollar lately. It's more expensive to pay the Thai baht but next time it might be what we'll do as to avoid the hold up.

Second in the updates... Jared got a call from Dara and he goes in for a group interview a week from Wed. Please pray for favor and the opened door if it is God's will. Also pray that we will find out sooner rather than later whether he is hired.

And last, we have been hit hard with attacks recently on our emotions and thoughts. A lot of things are pending right now on Jared getting a full time job. Both of us feel this is the next step right now so we are persevering in trusting God and waiting patiently; this is easier said than done at times :) Our family is very tired from all the moving and changes in the last 2-3 years, mostly concentrated in the last year, so we are hoping that God intervenes soon to provide us some rest and stability so we can move forward in His work.

Thank you all for your love and support. Hope you guys stuck in ice and snow are staying safe and warm. Your in our prayers.

2011

It's a new year! Hooray for that. I feel that this one may be a challenging yet fruitful year. God is already moving us along in big ways. I haven't blogged on here in for so long that I'm not sure where to begin. Perhaps a reflection of last year...

Our son Jet, who is now 6 mo. today was safely born in the states. He is now almost crawling! Of course we are back in Chiang Mai and enjoying being home again. Our time in the states really made us realise that we are truly made to be living over here as we deeply missed the international community and sense of adventure :) We did however, love seeing our families and friends during our stay. We miss them often. Maya loves being a big sister. Jared and I are finally adapted, I think, to having two. It's quite a change. It's amazing to think that it is only a little over a year ago that we moved to chiang Mai. Now another year begins!

The end of 2010 and the beginning of this year has been one of the busiest times in my life aside from preparing to move here. We have been going non-stop. Not to mention the new additions to our home. Maya now has a dog named Spot. She is absolutely adorable. We got her from an animal shelter here in Chiang Mai. The dogs are so many they just give them away free already spayed and vaccinated. Jared and I decided that this was the year for a dog as it would add extra security. Last year when there were thefts around the area, only two homes that we know of got hit. Us and our neighbor. We were the only two without dogs. We feel a bit safer with spot around. Our second addition is Tahn. She is a Thai friend of ours who just graduated from an animation school with YWAM. She is in-between places right now as she has been trying to figure out her next step. As it turns out, God put her in our home for a reason. Later on that. Now total, including the kids we have 8 people in our home plus a dog. Any more and we will burst. We are sort of looking forward to our border run in February as to have some quiet time.

Another add to the hustle in bustle is the English classes we've been doing out of our home. Right now we have 5 university students that we cook for and teach twice a week. This helps us make a bit of money and allows some discipling. We've talked about topics including abortion, aliens and creation, desperate housewives, JFK conspiracies, ect... it can get quite interesting. Our hour and a half class usually turns to two hours or more.

Jared is still looking for full time work. We hope to find out something this month... we're counting down the days :) Even so, work will not begin until March. I am now in partnership with Tahn, working on a Family Club. We have rented a house three doors down from our home to use as an outreach center and language center titled the Happy Family Club. It's a Thai style english name. :) So, I've posted the details on our project further down. Right now we are trying to make and raise 3000 U.S. dollars to finance the start up costs. Tahn has signed the contract for the building. She signs the lease in 2 more weeks! Please be praying for this project as it has the potential to make a big impact in the community. There are many (70-80%) broken families and unstable homes in Thailand.

Happy Family Club
Transforming communities by transforming families.
December 29, 2010

Founders
Amber Lee
It has been my vision to start a center for children in
Chiang Mai for many years. I’ve been waiting patiently
for God to bring along someone in Thailand to work
with who carries the same vision and conviction for
community, families, and children. If we can give value
to the lives of children and work to build stronger
family units, it will change lives and has the potential
to change generations. Through this project, I believe
we can bring joy and the hope of Christ to the families
within the community. It is my honor to be able to
work alongside Tahn to serve and bring glory to God!

Tahn Vong
From when I could remember, it has always been my
passion to do media for kids and families. I value families as
the very core foundation of community. To build a strong
community, we need to start at its heart, which is families.
After Christ came into my heart, He made me even more
passionate about families. He has equipped me with
education and experiences to make that dream of mine,
which is truly His, come true. I have invested my time,
energy, skills, and finances for this passion and have
started putting together the pieces of this jigsaw. Our God
is creative and He has creative plans to reach communities
in southeast Asia. I am so blessed that He created me to be
a part of His creative plan for His creation. I would be the
manager and facilitator for this project.

Our Vision:
To transform communities by transforming families.

Mission statement:
To create a center where families can come to build stronger
relationships with each other and learn skills through seminars, media
and activities to continue building a healthy happy family in the future.

Club Center Club Center:

The features of this house make it the perfect facility to
start our center. The features include: a large courtyard where kids can
play, an open main floor with a small kitchen, an office on the main floor,
four rooms on the second level suitable for classrooms, two restrooms,
ceiling fans, and air-conditioning in the classrooms. It is located in a
central residential area within Chiang Mai City. Another advantage is
that it is only three doors down from our home. This is good as we will
be spending a lot of time at the center!

Our activities will include:
- Family fun night
- Kids story time
- Handcrafting
- A mother&daughter cooking time
- A father&son sport time
- Child development workshops
- Marriage improvement workshops
- Family’s day outreaches in surrounding communities
- English Fitness: Teaching English by playing and doing activities. We will charge
people for the English Fitness program to generate income for staff.

This Saturday we will celebrate Children's Day. We will pass out cookies and have tea at the center to become more known to the community!

There is a lot to look forward to in this year! God is good!

P.S. My new years resolution is to update my blogs regularly this year. Should be better now that we have the Internet! I'll get a pic of the center up asap.

Thailand Update

After much consideration and search for wisdom... we have decided to come to the states to have the baby due to the time frame on our visas, the dicey political situation, and the risk of being stuck here with a new baby with no passport for him if anything should get worse. We don't expect it to deteriorate much more but it is better to cover the bases and be safe, especially with a coming little one.

We have bought round trip tickets from Chiang Mai to the States. We will be there from May 23 to Aug 12. We will be spending about a week in California and arrive in Indiana on June 3 early in the morning.

Please pray for peace for our family as we are having to leave our home and family in Chiang Mai for longer than we would like at this point in time. We are excited to see you all but didn't really expect it would be under these circumstances. Any way we will be seeing you soon! It will be great to see all of your faces and be able to give you big giant HUGS.

Please also pray for Diane as she will be staying to hold down the fort :) She is not in any major danger at this point and shouldn't have much of a problem handling her visa stuff. Mainly, just keep her safety and spirit uplifted as life is going to be changed a bit for her at our departure. She will be looking forward to our return and seeing baby Jet! The Chinese students will also continue to rent, so she will not be alone.

Last thing to keep in prayer specifically for our family is our flights and the smooth operation of the airports here in Thailand.

Of course in general,
Pray that the issues in this country can be peacefully resolved with a movement forward for the better of the whole nation.

We Love You All!

Lee Update

Hello everyone!
*I have put in bold prayer requests for those of you without much time. This set is quite urgent ;)

Once again we have been delayed in our updates! We have much to cover ;) First, let me thank you for all of your prayers as they are being answered and in the same breath remind you to continue to pray. Daily life continues to be challenging as the cultural frustrations are mounting into an everest of obstacles; some to be overcome only by faith, others by hard work, and all creating a lasting lesson of shall I say... PATIENCE. Also please continue to pray for health, safety, and covering in all areas.

Our family is growing or should I say... namely me. Jet is doing well, though he is proving stubborn to turn into the correct position for birth. We are fervently praying that he does as there is no other option here besides a c-section for delivery of a breech baby. Those of you that know me well will also know my position on that subject :) He still has 7 weeks. Please join us in praying that Jet will turn and any obstacle preventing him from doing so will be removed. IN THE NAME OF JESUS!

Jodi, one of our original housemates has officially been accepted into Chiang Mai University to pursue her masters in International Business. It has been a long wait as she has had to go through several testing phases. She has truly become a part of our family and a best buddy to Maya. We are glad that she will continue to stay with us during her studies. She is a blessing to our family. Jodi is often a breath of fresh air when we need one. Right now she is visiting her family in China for 2 weeks. Please pray that the student visa process goes smoothly for her. Also pray for her growth in the Lord as she continues to press in though there have been some rough patches along the way.

Our new long-term housemate is Candy. She will be rooming with Jodi. Candy will be studying for her masters at Payap University here in Chiang Mai. Candy is growing on us also. Though she is a bit more shy. Please pray that Candy's heart will open to the gospel and that we will have increased opportunity to talk to her.

Good news... Diane has been blessed with the perfect job for her. She has been employed at a language school ran by two christian ladies. It is part-time and fun. There is also opportunity for more hours in the future as their business is growing. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray that Diane finds a good option for her visa.

As far as Jared's job.... right now the job situation he is currently in continues to go from bad to worse. There have been a couple of job opportunities that we have recently heard about that he will be pursuing. Both of these job opportunities are at good schools and are known to treat their employees better. This evening for you.... Jared has a scheduled interview at one of the schools and will be stopping by the other to drop off his resume. Please throughout the day and week for favor and clear direction for any doors that may be opened. Also, a quick response to whether he will be hired or not as things can drag out here. We are in need of a breakthrough in this area.

We love you all so much and I personally wish I could give you all a big hug. I know I do not write often to many of you on an individual basis. Please know you are always on my mind...
You are special to me. I can't tell you enough. Just knowing you are all there blesses me.

With LOVE,

Amber, and Family

Sorry for the delay in updates... the internet is a bit faulty... hopefully we will have one out soon. Here is a quick one for now. Thank you all for your love and support. We really appreciate it.

Maya is growing tall and beautiful. Jet is kicking like crazy. Jared has one week left of summer school, followed by a two week break. He resumes his normal school schedule after all of that. Diane thinks she may have secured a part time job, and I am being pregnant :)

The heat has been very intense, and debilitating. We can't wait for the rains. Though it won't get much cooler, at least there will be some freshness to the air.

Most specific prayer request other than covering spiritually, physically, mentally... is Jody.
She will be taking her final examination to get into Chiang Mai University. The test is specific to writing skills followed by an interview. Please pray that God will give her peace and the ability to remember all that she has studied and the wisdom as to what to study. She isn't exactly sure how the test will be formated. She only has one shot. If she fails she will have to return to China. She does not want to go back to China. She wants to study to get her masters degree and loves staying with us as she is growing in Christ. God knows what is right for her.

That's all for now. We love you so much

New Update

Hot off the press! Finally, our update! For all of you who were intently waiting :) Just so all of you know.... If it's been a while since we have written an update and you have any questions or are wondering how we are doing please e-mail us. We love to hear from you. Also, we do have skype capabilities. So, for all you skypers out there we would love to video conference with you! Our skype name is amber-jared. You are all so important to us. Even though we live so far away we want to know what is going on with you and would love to see your faces.

SETTLING IN
We have been in Thailand for almost seven months. Time flies! As with any move it takes time to get the family settled, especially in a new community. Not to mention a totally different culture! I am so happy to say that with much help we are finally there. Our house is filled with pictures on the wall that Maya has drawn, a few photos, and we are making some fun memories as we meet new people and make new friends. Many of the people Jared works with and that we come across do not have kitchens where they live. This is a normal thing. We invite people over quite often just to enjoy a home cooked meal. It's been an awesome way God has been using us to build relationships. We are also in a central location for people to meet so Diane and I have become hosts for a womens Bible study. Maya has been blessed with a new friend that comes over with her grandma to play while we meet for the study. God is truly blessing us and it has been so fun and exciting to start taking steps in reaching out to others now that we are finally stable. Most of the things that were so awkward to us are normal. The sound of Thai is becoming as familiar as English, though we still only know bits. Baby steps :) I love going to the open air market to buy our fruit and vegetables. We still go to the regular super market for meat. Especially now that it is beginning to get warm. The motorbike has become just as normal as hopping in a car. It is actually quite a luxury for us to get the chance to ride in a car. It's going to be interesting once the rainy season comes as far as motorbike travel.

JOBS
It looks like Jared is going to be able to sign a contract to teach next year at the school he has been working at. He teaches history, English, and computer. The job only requires him to work 4 days a week which is a total blessing. It allows more time to do ministry outside of work which was a big concern. The school is working on the paperwork for his work permit which will enable us to get our visas for the next year. Please be praying that all of this goes smoothly! Paperwork in Thailand gets a bit sticky sometimes. I have been done working for about a month now. Gladly, as I was losing weight and constantly ill. Diane is still job searching. Please be praying that the right opportunity comes along and that she clearly hears the direction of God in this area. It has been a bit discouraging for her.

PREGNANCY
This pregnancy has been going better since I've stopped working. I am 20 weeks along. The baby moves around quite a bit. We found out about a month ago that we are expecting a boy. Both of us are very excited and can't wait to meet him. We took Maya to the ultrasound and when the technician showed us that he was a boy Maya responded with “NO.. NO... it's a girl!” She's slowly getting used to the idea of a brother and has informed us that she is going to teach him to walk, how to make funny faces, and about God. Please continue to pray that the baby grows well and that I stay healthy. We are also having some difficulty figuring out details surrounding the delivery. It looks like we are going to have to have the baby in the hospital...for me... this is going to take a bigger leap of faith than delivering at home. We need to find the right doctor and the right hospital. It is very difficult to get straight answers here in Thailand. I need some clear direction and honest answers from doctors and hospitals. Please keep all that in prayer as well. I can't wait to much longer to figure this stuff out ;)


ROOMATES
Nancy and Tracy have moved back to China. Jodi has decided to stay and pursue her masters degree. She is very close to accepting Christ as her Savior. Please keep her in prayer as there is an obvious battle going on for her life. She has been hit with one thing after another. Right now she is trying to get accepted into Chiang Mai University. She has passed one test and has one later in May. If she passes the test in May she will then take a test 2 days later. However, she just found out her visa ends the end of March instead of August. She has to figure out a way to stay until she can take the tests and be accepted into the school. Please pray that all of this works out for her. God is really ministering to her here and we know that Satan is working very hard to distract her and draw her away from God. We have come to love her very much and care for her deeply.

BLESSINGS
Recently some of you helped us out financially. This was a total surprise to us. Thank you so much. We had been praying about our situation for quite some time. We were able to pay our bill in full and had money left. We were also praying for the finances to replace our laptop that was stolen as Jared needs one for work, and also, the finances to provide Maya with a bed. We had just enough money after tithe to meet all of those needs! God is good and you have blessed us so much. We cannot thank you enough. Jared makes just enough money to cover the rent, motorbike costs, utilities, and groceries. We new we had to rely on God to work it all out as we have no extra money left at the end of the month to save. Thank you so much.

PRAYER REQUEST OVERVIEW

Job for Diane
Healthy pregnancy and general health for everyone
Smooth processing of paperwork for Jared's work-permit and visas
Jody's salvation and visa situation
Finding a good doctor and hospital for the delivery of our baby
Continued prayer covering of safety, health, guidance, and direction over our family

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