Greetings from all...  

We have been traveling for 36 hours.  It is the middle of the night and we have been waiting in the Bangkok airport for 6 hours.  We are scheduled to leave for Chiang Mai at 6 a.m.   A couple of the kids were airsick on the way, but they are all fine now.  We are all rather tired,  as I am sure you can imagine.  We are excited about what the Lord has in store for us over the next few days.  We had some really nice devotions Sunday night at our hotel in Chicago.  I will write again when we arrive in Chiang Mai.  

2/21

Tammi and the Missions group called last night to say that everything is fine—they understand that parents are concerned, but they are doing well.  A new email will be posted in a few days.  (Dawn Jenkins)

2/21 
Greetings FCS family....
We are now back in Fang.  Camp is over and went well.!  We  can tell you have all been praying!  The camp was wonderful and more than 80 high school students attended.  The seniors did a great job and really poured themselves into their purpose. They connected well with the Thai students and made some good friends.  Last night we presented  the “Via Delarosa” to a hushed crowd!  They were in awe of the drama.  Afterwards Joey was permitted to give the gospel message.  We were shocked that the director gave us permission to lay it all out for them.  The Holy Spirit had prepared the way!  After the gospel message several kids approached our translators and said that they wanted to know more about Jesus and Christianity.  The Buddhists are a very skeptical people,  fully entrenched in the belief that this is just one of many lives and that there is no finality in death.   They don't believe in heaven or hell.  If they “mess up” this time around they will just be  reincarnated  into another life and try to do better the next time around.  It will take time for them to understand the Christian message.  Continue to pray, the seeds  that had been sown last year and watered this year are beginning to take hold.  Each time the gospel goes out it sinks in more and more. 

 Now, for senior antics!  Kyle ran into a pole chasing Jose and broke a light.  We were staying on a military post and the Military guards came running towards him carrying big sticks.  It scared both Kyle and Jose.  Jose has a ton of girl admirers following him around  because he looks like a famous Thai movie star!  Lindsay Carter attracted a dying dog for the three days she was at the camp.  He laid right next to her station.    Lindsay Peters, Jessica and Courtney rocked the house with their vocal performances.  Everyone is getting along well and are all very thankful that the Lord brought them here.  They have seen  how God can use them these last few days and are very humbled by that fact.  Tomorrow we are going  to church and then back to Chiang Mai.  Monday we will be riding elephants, swimming and shopping.  Everyone is healthy and having a blast!  I will write later...

2/23

Monday Morning!

     Every year there turns out to be one underlying reason or purpose for the mission trip that is revealed while we are gone.  We never know before we go what the Lord has in store for us.   He loves to surprise us!  This year we are all celebrating as one of our own seniors accepted the Lord into their life.  They may choose to share this with the student body when they get home or they may not...but they have given me permission to share the news with you all back at home.  They have always questioned the authenticity of the gospel.  How can it be true?  How can we prove there is a God?...etc.  On this trip they have seen God at work and have noticed that their classmates and chaperones seemed to have something that they were missing.  They made a decision act in faith and to trust in God's word.  As an act of the will, they have accepted Jesus into their life!  This of course, is the best news any of us could ever have!   We are now back in Chiang Mia and today we are going to see a Buddhist Holy Place.  I for one intend on praying Jesus' name around the entire temple.  We hear it is a spectacular sight high atop a mountain.  This afternoon the girls and I are having Thai massages and tonight we will all go shopping at the night market.  We are all enjoying wonderful devotions  together.  The only thing we need for you to pray  for is for our health.  Catherine, Lindsay P. and I have all come down with some type of  throat infection.  We have all started on antibiotics. Pray that no one else gets sick because we are out of meds!  Even though we are not feeling well, it has not stopped us from having a good time and I doubt it will stop the girls from shopping tonight!  The food is wonderful and the accommodations are very Thai and exotic.  However, in America our accommodations would probably  only be a one star place we are enjoying it and there aren't any complaints!   Everyone is having a great time and a few are considering coming back.  I trust all is well at home and school.  Mrs. Peters

2/24

Tuesday!

     We had a fun day riding the elephants and swimming at the waterfall.  Hannah Allen was the first to take a leap off the 30-foot cliff!  Jon O, Brace, both Lindsays, Tommy, Catherine, Kyle, Elizabeth, Sharlie and Jose all followed.  It was a bit scary and the water was coooold but it was fun for them.  The elephants were fun too.  A couple of them kept sneezing on the girls...oooooo...elephant snot on you is not the most pleasant of experiences!  I thought I needed some extra help chaperoning but my chaperones ended up giving me the most problems. Mrs. Trevino is way too tall for Thailand, she hit her head hard in the little taxi and she cannot see in the short mirrors.  The Thai men want to take her picture...I think,  they think she is an Amazon woman. Mrs. Hess is a little clumsy.  She almost fell off a little mountain, she cut her hand on a very visible barbed wire fence,  she fell again getting out of the water onto a very visible rock, and she has twisted her ankle at least three times!  Everyone is back at the night market spending even more money!  Tomorrow is our last day and we are sad to have to leave.  We are, however,  happy to have made a little difference in Thailand.  I have a little surprise for them in the morning... I am sure you will hear all about it when they come home!  It will be a belly buster of a surprise!  See you soon...Mrs. Peters

2/25 

It is time for us to tell on Mrs. Peters.  We have discovered that she is really a blond.  She ordered ice cream from a restaurant last night and then started to walk out without paying.  The young man working there was saying to her "echeezeme", she said in reply, "echeezeme", which obviously means good-bye in Thai.  There was just one problem, she had not paid the bill and he was saying, "excuse me."  She also had what we all considered a rather slimy bed partner last night.  Some of the girls played a joke on her and put a toad in her bed.  They kept waiting for her to feel it, she never did, so they threw it on her face.  We have it on film...YUCK!!!  We are leaving here tonight and know that you will be praying for safety.  We cannot wait to see you all.  Mrs. Hess and Mrs. Trevino