Tangs in Thailand

Cupcakes

2010-06-05T23:54:00.005+07:00

The ZOE kids love their sweets. At ZOE's Children's Camp last month, I had the privilege of leading a couple of elective classes. I did a class on shrinky dinks, puppets, baking and decorating cookies and frosting cupcakes. Here's a picture of the cupcake class. I'm not sure if you can tell, but the cupcakes are supposed to look like frogs. The ZOE kids LOVE frosting and goodies on top!!

Water Festival

2010-05-16T23:53:00.007+07:00

We love the Songkran festival. This 4 day (?) water festival welcomes in the new year and I believe, the hot season! Everyone just gets everyone wet!! We love to load the back of our truck with buckets and huge containers of ice water and drive around and get other car passengers or people along the street wet. Our girls had a great time just hanging by our home and throwing water at cars passing by.

Hanging out at Sticky Falls

2010-05-16T23:03:00.008+07:00

Nothing like hanging out at Sticky Falls during the hot season. The cool water is soooo refreshing! Imagine climbing up and down the falls! Pretty amazing and absolutely beautiful! In one of the pictures you can see Kelly climbing up the falls. You just stick to the rocks...like Spiderman!!

Worship

2010-05-13T23:27:00.005+07:00

This past year Lauren's been a part of a worship team that is on the rotation to lead worship at her school's high school chapel time. This past Sunday, her worship team had the privilege of leading worship at the first Christian church established in Chiang Mai. This church was just recently remodeled and is absolutely beautiful! However, the church has no air conditioning :( We loved watching Lauren's team lead worship, but I personally was just about ready to pass out due to the heat. Imagine all your clothes sticking to you, perspiration dripping down your face and portable fans blowing hot air on you. Praise the Lord!!

ZOE Bible School and Interns Graduation

2010-04-27T17:19:00.014+07:00

Last month, ZOE held a beautiful graduation ceremony for our ZOE Bible School and Intern Graduates. The two hour ceremony was filled with worship, special music, speakers, a video presentation and the presentation of their graduation certificates. After the ceremony, we all celebrated with a delicious buffet lunch enjoying the company of graduates, 1st year Bible Students, ZOE staff, friends, family and missionaries. We will miss the graduates at ZOE, but we know that God is going to use them to impact their nation.

Cooling Off

2010-04-19T20:00:00.005+07:00

The climate during the month of April is HOT, so hanging out at a pool is the thing to do. The whole ZOE gang spent the day at the pool having a great time! Notice Kelly with all the floaters. Either he's afraid he'll drown or he doesn't want to share! This is truly our 14 year old! The funny thing is when he tried to take them off, one got stuck. He couldn't get it off and had to get his sisters to help him!!

Staff Teambuilding Day

2010-04-19T00:46:00.009+07:00

A few weeks back, ZOE had an all day staff teambuilding day. The day was filled with worship, sharing, food, and a ton of teambuilding games. We all had such a fun time being together!!

13!!

2010-04-03T03:20:00.004+07:00

Our precious Stephanie just turned 13 on March 19. A teenager!! We are thankful for Stephanie and for all the laughter and joy she brings to our family!!

Encouraging Education

2010-03-22T23:18:00.004+07:00

Rob had the opportunity to encourage our ZOE kids regarding the importance of education. Here he is doing an object lesson. You're going to have to ask him how a funnel relates to education!!

Basketball Champs!!

2010-03-15T22:32:00.006+07:00

For three days in a row, Rob and I attended our children's basketball tournaments. They each took first in their division! What a way to end their basketball season! I know...how come Lauren's not playing basketball. She was in the musical "Smike", so with all the rehearsals, she could not commit to both. Here's one picture of her with some of the others cast members...yes, they're in pajamas and they all played the part of BOYS!! She did a fantastic job!!

Want to BBQ?

2010-02-28T14:02:00.008+07:00

We've missed our BBQ grill back home, so Rob was thrilled to buy this BBQer in Thailand. With this 80 baht purchase ($2.50) we can grill 4 hamburgers quickly and roast the best marshmallows (no burning!!). Thank you Lord for giving us little pleasures like this!!

Run for Relief

2010-02-28T13:34:00.004+07:00

Like last year, our family participated in the Run for Relief 5K run to help raise funds and awareness for the many displaced people in Burma running for their lives. It was great to see so many come out to help support those in great need.

Notice that Jason Lee and Grace Kim, friends from our sister church Peninsula Free Methodist in California, joined us for the run! They spent a week with us in Chiang Mai seeing sights, coming to different ZOE events, and hanging out with our family. We enjoyed our time with them!!

Tuk Tuk

2010-02-18T23:53:00.005+07:00

There are many ways to travel in Thailand if you're without a car. In Bangkok, we used a tuk tuk. They're pretty small. Being a frugal family, we didn't want to pay for two tuk tuk's and just squished into the one. Who needs to be on a seat? Just as long as we're inside the vehicle is fine. We thought the tuk tuk would be way cheaper than using a taxi. NOT! We later found out that a taxi would've been cheaper, it's larger, safer (well, you're enclosed!) and has air-conditioning. We'll know next time!!

Ayutthaya

2010-02-14T21:11:00.011+07:00

Rob was one of the sponsor's for Grace International School's 7th grade science camping trip to Ayuthaya. They combined four things Rob loves, camping, science, history, and hanging out with teenaged boys (he was responsible for 5!). Although incredibly hot, they had a great time biking to the different historical sites and hiking! Stephanie most enjoyed cooking out in the open, playing games with friends, the bus ride and the worship times out in the open.

Saying Goodbye

2010-02-02T17:25:00.005+07:00

Today we were at the airport to say "Goodbye" to one of our dear missionary families, the Cardinez family. Curtis has been serving in Thailand for 7 years, met his beautiful wife in Burma, and blessed all of us with their precious children. "Passion" is a word that truly describes Curtis' love for Jesus and for others to know Him. "Humility" is a word that truly describes Rose's sweet spirit. "Adorable" is a word that describes little Cameron and Calvin. The ZOE missionaries, Thai staff, and Bible students were all there with hugs, prayers, and tears. As I stood there and gazed at all the people whose lives were changed because of one family, I thought, "This is the difference one life can make when lived in obedience to Him." May we all live in obedience to our Maker.

Fun in the Sun

2010-01-25T19:02:00.012+07:00

Between Christmas and New Year's, our family spent a few days relaxing in the sun. What fun it was to play in the water, collect seashells, gather 280 hermit crabs (We really counted and then let them go!), throw frisbees, read, ride a 4-wheeler and just spend time together. Good fun!

Sunrise in Pranburi!

2010-01-20T01:56:00.005+07:00

We stand in awe of our God!!

Children's Day Outreach at ZOE

2010-01-20T01:19:00.014+07:00

To celebrate Children's Day in Thailand, ZOE invited all the children from the school they attend to an outreach at ZOE. There were tons of game booths run by our Bible students, a full program put on by our ZOE children, our children's ministry team and an amazing team of 5 ladies from Illinois, gifts of goodies and new shoes, and loads of fun!

Celebrating New Year's - Looking Japanese??

2010-01-17T14:08:00.007+07:00

On New Year's Day, we all gathered at ZOE for a huge potluck. There was Japanese sushi, Hawaiian spam musubi, Italian spaghetti, American Pizza, Chinese won tons and baos and tons of Thai food. What a feast!! Then we had a fun "talent" show. There were skits, songs and dances. This year the missionaries decided to be Japanese. Even though the majority of us are third generation Japanese, we all tried to look the part. We did our best! We did an odori dance done at obon festivals called "Tankobushi", Coal Miner's Dance. What's wonderful about ZOE is you don't have to be super talented to be in a talent show. It's family and we all just enjoy being together!! Being resourceful missionaries, we all used baby powder on our faces (I think I overdid it!) and since we all didn't have scarves, one of us is using a table runner. Can you guess who??

Potatoes!!

2010-01-14T23:41:00.004+07:00

During a short trip to Bangkok, we saw this little fast food shop in a mall. Potatoes! Cori's all-time favorite! This was the first time we've seen baked potatoes like this in Thailand. She enjoyed a baked potato with cheese and bacon. It was pretty big and she got full fast, BUT she said she had to eat it. God truly does bless us in big ways and in little ways like this (although Cori Anne would say this was BIG!).

Christmas Day at the Tang's

2010-01-14T22:34:00.003+07:00

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Celebrations with ZOE

2010-01-13T01:19:00.009+07:00

There were so many activities with the ZOE family during the Christmas holidays. Here's a few pictures of only a few of the many fun times. Here's a couple pictures of the ZOE family BBQ on the front lawn (buffalo and goat). As you can see, everyone is involved in making the BBQ. With such a huge family, a lot of meat needs to be cooked. We all ate on the front lawn and then enjoyed a movie outside. There's also a picture taken at an outreach on Christmas Eve. Our ZOE kids put on a wonderful program for a Children's Home near our future ZOE site. Lastly, there's a few pictures of Christmas lunch at an "all you can eat" buffet BBQ. There was quite a variety of foods. Some we're familiar with and some we're not!! Not pictured here are some of the precious moments of worship on Christmas morning and the gifts given to Jesus from each ZOE family member. The ZOE family truly knows the "Reason for the Christmas season".

Venice/Westlight/Crossroads Short Term Team

2010-01-06T01:37:00.004+07:00

In December the Venice/Westlight/Crossroads short-term team came to Thailand and blessed us. What a joy it was to work alongside 19 amazing servants! We kept them extremely busy and they truly made the most of every opportunity placed before them. I believe their lives will be forever changed...ours was...people in Thailand were blessed...and most of all, God was glorified!!

Bobcats! Rec. League Basketball

2010-01-05T01:40:00.004+07:00

Rob and I had the privilege of coaching a recreational league basketball team at Grace International School. Our team was the Bobcats! We had a great group of kids. For the whole season we stressed four goals... Glorify God, Teamwork, To Try Your Best and Have Fun! I believe we accomplished those goals. After a great season, we were awarded the consolation champs during the tournament. Instead of a trophy (that goes to the overall champs), the consolation champs receive the Paper Plate Award. Love it! During our end of the season pizza party, Rob and I awarded each of our players a "Paper Plate Award". More than anything, it was kind of a family affair. Stephanie and Cori Anne were on our team, Rob and I coached and Lauren and Kelly assisted us at practices and games. It truly was a family adventure!!

"Dancing in the Moonlight"

2009-11-30T01:06:00.006+07:00

"Dancing in the Moonlight" was the theme for Grace International School's Christmas dance. YES, we allowed Lauren to go, BUT not with a date!! She went with her girlfriend and had a good time! I was waiting when she came home to hear all about the dance...EVERYTHING!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-30T00:54:00.005+07:00

Happy Thanksgiving! We were so excited to enjoy turkey twice!! On Thanksgiving day, we celebrated with a few other Grace families. Then the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we celebrated again with fellow ZOE missionaries. I KNOW...no picture with our ZOE clan!! We were too busy eating and having fun! The food spread was incredible, though!! Just imagine, moist turkey, creamy gravy, yummy potatoes, delicious yams, spicy Thai dishes, tasty salad, lucious ham, buttered corn, and the list goes on. Then apple pie, guava pie, pumkin pie, brownies and ice cream, cookies... Bet you wish you were celebrating with us in Thailand!!

Agape Home

2009-11-30T00:45:00.002+07:00

Every other week, Lauren volunteers with other GIS students at Agape Home, a home with children affected by AIDS. Lauren and Frances were matched with this beautiful 12 year old who they love on each time they are there. Lauren LOVES this ministry!

ZOE's Youth Group - Yard Sale

2009-11-30T00:26:00.003+07:00

ZOE's youth group participated in Grace International School's yard sale a couple of weeks ago. They did a great job selling banana chips, coffee, and an assortment of other items to raise funds for their group. It was a lot of fun!!

Shoes! And More Shoes!

2009-11-25T00:05:00.006+07:00

A huge donation was made to ZOE to purchase hundreds and hundreds of shoes. These shoes will bless many children in villages and children's homes during many outreaches planned for the month of December. Here's a few pictures of a recent shipment. We purchased slippers, school shoes, and tennis shoes. Isn't it amazing how much a little motorbike can carry? Who needs a truck when you have one of these contraptions! Love it!!

Decorating ZOE for Christmas!

2009-11-22T21:47:00.007+07:00

It's November, but ZOE's already getting ready for Christmas! We have a packed schedule in December with a short-term team coming and many outreaches, so we're starting to celebrate the season early! It was so fun decorating the Christmas trees with the Bible students. Much fun and laughter with Christmas music playing in the background!!

Youth Body Worship

2009-11-22T21:29:00.002+07:00

It's such a joy for Rob and I to see our kids involved in different ministries. Recently, Lauren's been working with ZOE's youth group teaching them a body worship to the song, "Mighty to Save". It's our hope that they'll have the opportunity to share this with our ZOE family and on different outreaches in the future.

Flight of the Gibbons

2009-11-12T00:46:00.010+07:00

Flight of the Gibbons! Ziplining through the rainforest in Thailand. Truly a once in a lifetime experience!

Seattle Visitors!!

2009-11-12T00:08:00.004+07:00

Last week we had some visitors from Seattle. Pastor Wayne, Pastor Joe and wife Rita and Patti were on their way home after their short-term mission in Vietnam. We so enjoyed talking, eating and sharing with one another. It's always an encouragement seeing friends from home and hearing how God is working in their lives and in their church. Here you see Rob, Lynne and I showing them the future site of ZOE. Notice the construction of our first three dormitories in the background. Exciting!!

A Little Adventure

2009-10-25T23:42:00.006+07:00

What are these ZOE boys doing? With the longest stick I've ever seen, they were trying to get some coconut. If you look closely, you can see Kelly in the bunch. They succeeded! The next day I heard they got in trouble, because they weren't supposed to be doing that without permission. Whoops!!

Rec. League Soccer

2009-10-25T23:16:00.007+07:00

Stephanie and Cori Anne both participated in Grace International School's recreational soccer league. Although they were on different teams, they were thrilled to see they both ended up with the same number "6". We had a little sibling rivalry on our hands, because their teams finally met up. After prayer and a great game during a beautiful Chiang Mai evening, the teams shook hands congratulating one another on a game well played. Who won? Praise God...it was a tie!!

The following week, Cori Anne's team had a little ice cream party. The Coach handed out awards to all the players. I'm going to do a little mommy bragging here!! Cori Anne received an award for "Toughest Defender" and "Rock Solid Defense", but the award that touched me the most is Cori Anne was awarded "Best Teammate Award". For her kindness, helpfulness etc... Rob and I couldn't have been more proud of our little Cori Anne! Abilities fade, but character is something that is lasting!

Little Helpers

2009-10-18T15:36:00.004+07:00

I love these pictures! I guess Americans aren't the only ones who want to stay young looking!! At ZOE, there's many little helpers willing to pull out those white hairs!!

Character Class

2009-10-14T08:32:00.007+07:00

What I love is being able to teach our ZOE kids Godly character. Character was huge for me while homeschooling our kids at home, so being able to use many of the great resources I have used in the past at ZOE is a blessing. Here are a few pictures of Friday night Character Class. The kids are so attentive!! Yes, we've already spent weeks studying the character quality of Attentiveness, Obedience and now Orderliness. I constantly laugh, because these are all areas I need to continue to improve on. I usually teach for a short while, do activities and then have them do some kind of art work or project to help remember the new concept. They have character folders they put all their finished work in. For Orderliness, each week one child is awarded the Chipmonk Beanie Baby (Chipmonks are Orderly!)for exemplifying exceptional orderliness during the week. This child gets to keep the Beanie Baby until the next class. The first week I awarded one of our little four year olds. As I brought him up to the front of the class, shared how I saw him folding his laundry so neatly early one morning before school and handed him the chipmonk....you should have seen his face! Priceless! What encouragement does for a child...for anyone. He will definitely be folding his laundry with excellence for the rest of his life. These are moments I will cherish forever! The adorable little boy you see is our 4 year old Orderliness award winner for last week.

ZOE International Ping Pong Tournament

2009-10-06T00:33:00.008+07:00

The entire ZOE family gathered on a Saturday for the ZOE International Ping Pong Tournament of Champions! There were three divisions (men, women, and children). Rob, Kelly, Steph, and I all participated in the tourney (Lars and Cori cheered!). We had such a fun time playing, cheering, and just hanging out. Guess who won the men's division? Yes, Mr. Rob Tang!!

ZOE Youth Group

2009-10-05T23:47:00.008+07:00

ZOE just started a youth group in June. We're so glad that they finally have a group just for themselves. There's 16 youth from ZOE from ages 12-17. They meet weekly for ministry prep, youth meetings, fun nights and movie nights. Here's some pictures of a meeting Rob and I got to lead. We had a blast! Recognize the games??

Happy Birthday Kelly! Happy Birthday Lauren!

2009-09-21T00:00:00.009+07:00

Kelly is now 14! Lauren is now 16! They celebrated by getting a Thai massage. They loved it!

Furlough Food!!

2009-09-07T00:54:00.007+07:00

In-N-Out, Hawaiian plate lunches, Venice Church potlucks...yum!!

Summer Fun

2009-09-07T00:37:00.011+07:00

California beaches, Dodger Game, hanging with friends, fishing, church camp, doing the simple things...

Summer Furlough

2009-09-06T22:28:00.008+07:00

We had a great time during our furlough back in the US. Other missionaries have told us that furloughs can be very busy, and we found that to be true!! We were busy sharing at different churches every Sunday, as well as, at mission's committee meetings, friend's homes, with family, with work friends etc...Although busy, we wouldn't have changed a thing! It was such a blessing to share about the many ways we each have seen God's transforming power in our lives and in the lives of our ZOE family. It usually brought us to tears as we shared our "stones" with so many of you. At Victory Fellowship, the children presented our family with a jar of pennies that they have collected throughout the year. Pennies are placed in the jar on their birthday...one penny for each year of their life. Each year they give their pennies to a missionary. They chose us this year. Wow! Our family was blown away...overwhelmed by their precious gift to us. Through tears and with a humble heart, we accepted the jar. This is how we felt all summer...in fact, ALL YEAR, as we receive your many gifts, words of encouragement, and prayers. Your sacrifice, like the gift of these little children, shows us so much of God's care and love for us. You truly are an extension of God's love...

Airport Greeting in June

2009-09-06T20:27:00.010+07:00

Although it was late in the evening, many family and friends came out to greet us upon our arrival at LAX. The gang gathered at my mom's house for "chili rice" and other delicious goodies. What fun it was to hang out and catch up. My first thought as I stepped out into the California night air was, "Wow, I love California weather!"

1st and 2nd year Ministry Students

2009-06-17T03:14:00.003+07:00

Our new school year for the Bible Students began just one month ago. Here's a picture of both the 1st and 2nd year students. God is equipping them to bring the people of Thailand to Him. They will!!!

ZOE Staff

2009-06-17T03:05:00.004+07:00

This is the amazing staff at ZOE! Each one has a passion for God and for serving others. It is so evident in how they live each and everyday. Truly incredible! We love them!!

Last Days of School...

2009-06-08T00:51:00.012+07:00

The Tang kids are enjoying summer break now, but here's a few pics from the last two weeks of school. There were so many events at the end of the school year. There was a soccer tournament (Cori's team took 1st!), a band concert, choir concert (No, Kelly doesn't have a solo, he's just yawning!), Author's Tea (Cori wrote a story about spots!), and the elementary school talent show (Steph was one of the MC's).

Breakfast at ZOE

2009-06-08T00:33:00.006+07:00

Unlike the Tang's who eat toast or quesadillas for breakfast, the ZOE children eat a big nutritious breakfast. Always a hot bowl of rice with something...looks like it's scrambled eggs and green beans for breakfast. They told me they used 75 eggs for this dish! Can you imagine?

Breakfast in Thailand!

2009-06-08T00:08:00.008+07:00

Who needs/wants to cook breakfast when you can go down the street and get this? This is a delicious bbq pork. Very tender and moist! No, that's not a piece of pineapple at the end of the stick, but a piece of fat!! You eat it together with the pork. For seven sticks of BBQ pork and sticky rice, it costs less than one dollar. What a deal!!

Fruits!!

2009-06-07T23:50:00.005+07:00

Our ZOE family is really good about "living off the land". We just planted tons of corn on our new property, so in about three months we'll be having lots of corn on the cob. Here we are catching some kind of fruit off of a tree at the Children's Home. I'm not sure what it's called, but it looks like a purple grape and tastes a little sour. Add a little sugar and it's tasty. I'm not sure if you can tell, but two of our ZOE guys are high up in the fruit tree shaking the many branches, so the fruit will fall to the ground. Fun!

New School for our ZOE kids

2009-06-03T03:31:00.013+07:00

Praise God! Our ZOE children were accepted into the Mar's Hill Bilingual School. Two days a week the children are taught in Thai and the other two days the children are taught in English. Most of all, I love the small class size and that it's a Christian School. This is perfect for some of our children who have come from Hilltribes and need extra help in learning the Thai language.

Invasion

2009-06-03T03:16:00.004+07:00

In this hot and humid season, we'll turn the air conditioning on. One evening there was a wonderful breeze, so off went the air conditioner. Rob ran to every room and opened the windows to let the breeze in. I was in the kitchen cooking, when I saw a bug fly by. What was that? Then another! Then I heard the kids in the other room saying there's bugs flying everywhere. Apparently, it's termite season and they were attracted to the lights in our house. All our windows have screens on them, but they were crawling in wherever they could find a crack. While I continued to cook, Rob, Kelly, Steph, and Cori Anne (Lauren couldn't handle the bugs!) were all armed with brooms swatting the flying termites. They were coming in EVERY room, bathroom, kitchen....It was actually hilarious! We now know that during this season, you need to keep your windows closed and the drapes drawn. Good to know for next year!!

Stephanie's Science Fair Project

2009-06-03T03:08:00.005+07:00

We are so proud of Stephanie! She got 2nd place in the 6th grade Science Fair. During the Science Fair, she had to stand by her project explaining and answering many questions. She said she had to repeat herself over and over again!!

Grace International School's 6th Grade Trip to Bangkok

2009-05-25T18:23:00.009+07:00

During the beginning of May, I (Denise) was one of the chaperones for Grace's 6th grade trip to Bangkok. The 6th graders had a terrific time on the overnight train ride (14 hours?). The students played Phase 10, chatted with the boys (not my Stepha!), snacked, jumped from bunk to bunk etc... I taught a bunch of girls "Big Booty" (although we changed the name to "Big Bible") and the cup game (the one we always play at camp). In Bangkok, we spent the day touring a wonderful science museum and then headed back to the train station for an overnight ride back to Chiang Mai. We were actually on the train longer than we were in Bangkok, but the kids probably loved the train ride more than the museum. Besides hanging with Stepha and the girls, I really enjoyed talking to some of the other missionaries and hearing their stories. Amazing!

Fellowship Gathering

2009-05-16T23:48:00.007+07:00

A couple of weeks ago we had our amazing child rescue team (and our incredible office staff) over for lunch and fun! They are incredible! They are constantly going on investigation trips, documenting cases, going on rescues, educating people in mountain villages about human trafficking, and sharing the Gospel and bringing many to Him. Just this past Friday, they rescued three Hmong children and brought them to ZOE!! Praise God!

Lychee Season Has Arrived!!

2009-05-10T02:39:00.006+07:00

Lychee season has finally arrived! Rob loves lychee and has been waiting for this day, since we set foot in Thailand. It was worth the wait. They were delicious!!

Our Rugby Player

2009-05-10T02:21:00.010+07:00

It's Tag-Rugby season!! Stephanie is right in there carrying the ball and pulling flags. Unfortunately, in this tournament, she collided with another player and got a really bad bloody nose. She had to be pulled from the game. But, after awhile, she was back in. Go Steph!!

Hilltribe Weddings

2009-05-03T15:24:00.014+07:00

What a joy it was to attend the wedding of two of our Bible Ministry Students last month (not to each other!). On separate weekends, we drove approximately four hours to different beautiful Karen Hilltribes. We were so warmly greeted. At one village, we were fed a meal before the wedding and after the wedding. All in the Karen language, the ceremony had singing, the Pastor sharing, the vows said etc... During the second wedding, my family was just sitting there watching the bride and groom while the Pastor was sharing, when one of our ZOE staff friend's said, "They just asked your family to come up and give a word of encouragement to the Bride and Groom". Talk about being ready whenever God calls! So the six of us walked up front and said something!! Love it!!

A Day of Fishing

2009-04-27T15:19:00.011+07:00

The ZOE kids spent one morning fishing at a nearby man-made pond...just minutes away. Holding simple bamboo poles made by our Thai staff, the children caught tons of fish. Notice the different methods of fishing (poles stuck in the dirt, lying down!!)? Guess what was for dinner the next night? That's right, grilled fish!!

Songkran

2009-04-22T02:27:00.008+07:00

For three days in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we celebrate Songkran. It's a great holiday celebrating the New Year. People literally line the streets with water hoses and buckets and throw it at passing cars, mopeds, people walking by, and even open car windows. Our family had the best time! On the first day, we excitedly loaded our water guns, trash can, cooler etc...with water and set out for the streets of Chiang Mai. Our kids started off armed, ready, and DRY (first picture), but in no time, were completely drenched by others!! It was so fun watching others literally hose our kids down. Rob, Lynne, and I were in the car with locked doors and closed windows (smart)!!

Songkran at ZOE

2009-04-22T02:11:00.006+07:00

We even had some "songkranning" at the ZOE Children's Home. We tried to avoid it, but it was impossible. It definitely is a great way to cool off during this hot and humid season!!

ZOE Ministry School Graduation

2009-04-16T02:20:00.003+07:00

Two weeks ago, ZOE held a beautiful graduation ceremony for the Ministry School students and interns. Friends and family came to celebrate their graduation. For two years the students took Bible, business, language, and ministry classes, and went on many outreaches and evangelism excursions. We love these amazing students and look forward to seeing where God takes them from here. With God, they can bring Thailand to Christ!!

Graduation

2009-04-16T02:06:00.007+07:00

Here's Joyce (Fellow ZOE missionary) and I messing around after graduation. Joyce is the ministry school language teacher and I'm just a "want-to-be" ministry school teacher. I grabbed Les' robe and pretended. However, after I put the robe on, I felt like one of the nuns from the Sound of Music, therefore, the wonderful pose. Hmmm...teacher...nun...

Tract Attack!!

2009-04-14T03:16:00.005+07:00

Last Friday, Lauren, Kelly, and Stephanie participated in TRACT ATTACK! With fellow students from school, they attempted to hand out 10,000 Thai tracts within a 24 hour period...AND the results were...
24 hours, 30 students, 10 chaperones, 11,000 Thai tracts handed out in the city of Chiang Mai! On the tract there's an email you can respond to and already the group has received responses from Thai people who received the tract and want prayer, have questions, and want to know more about Jesus!! Praise God!

Mae Chaem Outreach

2009-04-01T17:52:00.018+07:00

ZOE goes on many outreaches, but the one we just held in Mae Chaem was our largest one day outreach yet. Everyone at ZOE was involved, the ZOE children, Thai staff, missionaries and ministry students. It was a full day! The day began at 5:00 am with a huge crew of us blowing up hundreds of balloons to decorate the 15 game booths. With last minute prep, set up, and prayer, the outreach began at 8:00 am. There was a children's program in the morning, a human trafficking awareness meeting in the afternoon and an adult evening program. We estimated approximately 1600 children/adults attended the children's program and about 1100 adults/teens attended the evening program. The programs were filled with worship, special songs, body worship, hula, testimonies, dramas, speakers, raffle, a Christian movie star, and most importantly, the sharing of the Gospel. I was videoing when an altar call was given in the Children's program. Many raised their hands and prayed with our ministry students. Witnessing this incredible sight, my eyes filled with tears and I said to myself, "This is why I came to Thailand."

Grad Party at the Tang's

2009-04-01T08:17:00.004+07:00

We had a fun time celebrating and encouraging ZOE's graduating class of '52 at a party at our home last Sunday. We played games, had lunch, snacks, a ping pong tournament and a time to encourage one another. For two years these 18 students were poured into with Bible teachings, ministry training, business classes, outreaches etc... They are truly equipped to minister wherever God calls them to next. We will miss them dearly, but know that one of our goals of our Bible School is to train up Thai nationals to reach their own people. They will!!

Film Crew From Hawaii Visits ZOE

2009-03-23T23:00:00.004+07:00

During our recent outreach, we had an amazing film crew from Hawaii come film and take shots of our outreach and our ZOE family. What a gift and blessing they were during those few days they spent with us.

Burma Run

2009-03-22T03:41:00.006+07:00

Can you imagine being forced to flee from your home not once, but numerous times a year? Can you comprehend losing family members at the hands of brutal, Burmese armies? Can you grasp the concept of living in constant fear, and not being able to do anything about it? Well, all of this is true. Thousands of Karen Burmese people are being displaced, killed, or persecuted within the Burma borders. Hearing the stories of some of these very people cut my heart. One such story is of a 13-year-old boy who stepped on a Burmese army landmine late 2007. He was wounded and blinded. After treatments and eye examinations, he was put in a refugee camp in Thailand, where he currently lives, alone, with other invalids. Another story was of a man who lost his wife and four children from the army raids. He too, is alone, like many others in a dark, merciless world.

But there is hope. The Lord has not forgotten His people, and sent His servants to help. The Free Burma Rangers give emergency aid to those under attack. Just recently, this organization hosted a 5K run; the funds raised would go directly to those in Burma who are running for their lives. My family got to participate in this event. Running, even for just a short distance, was a reminder of what so many Karen people are doing daily for their lives. Our family was baby-sitting a little boy that day, so my mom walked the run pushing a stroller. It hit her that this little boy's mom was once running too...she is from Burma and is now a fellow ZOE missionary! Praise God!

Please join us in praying for those persecuted for their faith in Burma, for those who have lost so much and are fleeing, and for a change in the hearts of the Burmese Army soldiers and leaders.

Lauren

Track and Futsal

2009-03-11T02:02:00.006+07:00

Track and futsal are two sports Stephanie and Cori Anne have never participated in before. Here in Thailand, they've had the wonderful opportunity to try new things in a very safe and encouraging atmosphere. I wonder what's next?? Stephanie...rugby!

Work Permit

2009-03-11T01:54:00.002+07:00

Here's Rob and I at City Hall. We just got our Thailand Work Permit. To volunteer/work in Thailand, you need a work permit. Hmmm...does that mean we were illegally volunteering here these last seven months???

Sharing a meal...Where's Kelly?

2009-03-03T05:28:00.004+07:00

Last Sunday we had lunch with our ZOE family. Like the book "Where's Waldo", let's see if you can find Kelly..."Where's Kelly?". Hint? His face is down, because he's enjoying sticky rice and chicken!

Sharing ZOE with Others

2009-03-03T04:52:00.009+07:00

Last week we hosted two groups of important guests. We love sharing our hearts, our vision, our testimony, worshipping together, about ZOE's future (building project), and taking them to see a couple sights of Thailand.

Teaching Opportunities

2009-03-03T04:34:00.005+07:00

Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to teach at ZOE's Wednesday Worship (with Rob, Les, Lynne) and to the 2nd Year Ministry Students. To the Ministry Students the topics were "Love Languages", "Children are a Gift from God", and "Raising Godly Children". It was soooo much fun, because these were topics dear to my heart and because I just love the Ministry Students!!

GIS Choir Concert

2009-03-03T01:34:00.007+07:00

We enjoyed an evening of music at Grace last week. Cori Anne sang with the Cubs Choir, Kelly sang with the 8th grade choral group, and Lauren sang with the high school choir and the special Chanson group. Beautiful music and harmony!!

Hanging out with ZOE Interns/Staff

2009-02-24T01:06:00.006+07:00

Yesterday, was hang out at the Tang's Sunday! We had our ZOE interns and a few of the ZOE staff at our home for just some food, fun, and fellowship. We played a little Wii, made a Gingerbread House (Thank you Aiello family!), and Mexican Train. This group is amazing! Their hearts would just blow you away!! They are actually all graduates from the first year of the ZOE Ministry School, the Class of 51 (the year's are different here). We love each one of them and are so thankful to be working alongside them!!

Ground Breaking

2009-02-16T21:37:00.003+07:00

Praise God! Ground breaking began last Wednesday, Feb 11th. There was some clearing and leveling of the contruction site of the three dormitory buildings getting ready for driving piles for foundation next week. We've begun!!

ZOE's Land

2009-02-10T03:26:00.005+07:00

Rob's busy working on ZOE's upcoming building project. Here's Rob and I on the land which will be the future site of ZOE. Recently, we prayed over the land asking for God's care and blessings...

ZOE Welcomes Frontline Short-Term Team

2009-02-10T02:48:00.006+07:00

God sent an amazing short-term team from Frontline Church. What a privilege it was to serve alongside them for two weeks.

Hilltribe Outreach

2009-02-10T02:21:00.009+07:00

The Hilltribe Outreach with the Frontline Short-Term team was incredible. Notice the picture with the children raising their hands and the picture with Pastor Javier praying over a Karen lady. They are your new brothers and sisters in Christ!! Praise the Lord!!

Kelly Reaching Out

2009-02-10T01:51:00.007+07:00

At ZOE or any outreach we go on, Kelly never has to be "encouraged" to reach out. Here he is at a recent outreach we went on to a Karen Hilltribe. During the early morning, he was warming himself by a fire with a local Karen man...the evening before, he was sitting together with some boys from the village during the evening outreach program...and lastly, he's praying for one of the children during Sunday worship. We are so thankful for the privilege Kelly has to serve our Lord in Thailand! We know his life will forever be changed, because of his time here.

Champs

2009-02-02T02:42:00.005+07:00

What a wonderful ending to a fantastic season!! Lauren, Kally, and Stephanie's school basketball team all took first place in this week's final tournament. Cori Anne's team took a great second!! The kids had a great time with their teammates competing against Thai and International Schools here in Chiang Mai. Pictured here are Kelly and Stephanie with their U13 Grace International Basketball Team just after their final game.

This is just a reminder of God's goodness! With basketball being such a big part of our kid's lives back in the states and having to leave such wonderful teams...what a blessing of God for them to be able to play here in Thailand.

My Little Helpers

2009-01-26T00:49:00.004+07:00

For an object lesson by the Frontline short-term team, we needed to make some playdough...enough for 160 people!! Stephanie and Cori Anne were a great help. Here's Stephanie and Cori Anne helping me cook and knead the playdough!! The next picture is an art arrangement by Kelly. I recently asked him to do the dishes and seeing that the dishrack was already full (and not wanting to put those away!), he just arranged the new washed dishes on the counter!!

McDonald's in Thailand

2009-01-26T00:42:00.006+07:00

Some things never change...Cori Anne's love for french fries, especially McDonald's french fries!! They taste just as good as the ones back home.

Stephanie - Night Bazaar Evangelizing

2009-01-26T00:23:00.009+07:00

Last night, Stephanie joined other sixth graders on some street evanglizing at the Night Bazaar. Here they are all packed into a songtaw getting ready to head out (it's amazing how many people can fit into a songtaw) and then enjoying a little snack after a night of ministry!!

Getting Ready for a Short-Term Teams Arrival

2009-01-21T01:47:00.005+07:00

ZOE is busy getting ready for a short-term team's arrival this Saturday. Along with all the plans and preparation, there's a lot of shopping. Here we are at Makro (the closest thing to Costco in Thailand) buying a lot of goodies for the team and for their outreaches (making 800 gift bags to bless others). If you look closely at the picture, we had over 10 carts filled with candy, coffee, chips, cookies, noodles etc... It was a lot of fun shopping with ZOE missionaries and many Bible Students (we needed men to push our carts!!). We'll be doing this again when the short-term team from Venice/Westlight/Crossroads come in December 2009!! Can't wait!!

Food, Food, Food

2009-01-21T01:32:00.006+07:00

There is wonderful food all over Thailand! Rob's cousin, Tony and his wife Katherine, were visiting from Arizona, so we went to Sunday's day market. There were tons of food vendors selling some familiar items (french fries, mochi, fried bananas) and some things we've never had before. Here's a picture of Tony and me eating scrambled eggs with ant eggs and bee larva. Those of you who know me, know this was a stretch for me. Let's just say I probably wouldn't eat it again. It really didn't have much of a taste (just a certain texture), but the thought... Well, I got my protein for the day :)

Hillsong Comes to Chiang Mai

2009-01-21T01:16:00.004+07:00

It's true! Hillsong Australia came to Chiang Mai, Thailand. We went to Friday nights concert and were so blessed by the worship time. They sang a bunch of our favorites!! The ZOE Bible Students went as well, but also went to Satuday and Sunday's concert!

Cori's 10th Birthday

2009-01-21T01:06:00.005+07:00

Last weekend we celebrated Cori Anne's 10th birthday with a little party with her girlfriend's from school. In this little group, there are girls from Norway, New Zealand, England, Korea, India, and America. It's hard to believe our little girl hit the two-digits!! Nevertheless, Rob and I will still treat her as our baby!! We are so thankful for her life...she's truly a gift!

Mae La Refugee Camp

2009-01-13T23:59:00.010+07:00

Our family had the privilege of going on a 5 day outreach with our 2nd year Bible Students at ZOE. Our outreach began at the largest Refugee Camp in Thailand, Mae La Refugee Camp. There are over 63,000 Karen Refugees living in this camp. We were able to visit a wonderful Bible School here and minister at a small church in the middle of this camp. By God's design, the majority of our Bible Students are Karen and so, they can speak the Karen language. How wonderful to see them reach out to their own people!

Nu Po Refugee Camp - Night Outreach

2009-01-12T06:55:00.008+07:00

Early in the morning (breakfast in the dark!!), we left the Children's Home we were staying at to go to Nu Po Refugee Camp, the second largest refugee camp in Thailand. There are more than 18,000 Karen refugees here. After being served a wonderful dinner in this village, we began preparing for the evening program of testimonies, music and a video about creation, Noah, and our Savior. Lauren, again, did poi balls(doesn't it look like she has 4 arms?). Most importantly, at this venue of over 1000people attending, she said, "My name is Lauren. I came all the way from America to tell you that GOD LOVES YOU!!"

Nu Po Refugee Camp - Agriculture

2009-01-12T06:19:00.005+07:00

The leader at Nu Po Refugee Camp has a wonderful agricultural program established. Half of our team spent the entire morning learning and taking many notes, for ZOE will one day have our own farm to sustain our growing family in our future site.

Pictured is the leader of Nu Po Refugee Camp with Mike and Carol Hart, the founders of ZOE.

Mountain Village

2009-01-12T05:00:00.011+07:00

Here is our team at our last venue of our 5 day outreach. The night before we held a wonderful evening outreach, ministering to a little over a hundred children. The program continued into the evening with songs and testimonies by our team to hundreds of the village people, many who were non-believers. I have a little story to share. After the children's program, we handed out balloons to all the children thinking they were going to go home and return for the adult program starting shortly. Well, I was wrong! The program just continued on while the adults came. If I had known, I would not have given out balloons, because they were noisy and a HUGE distraction! Ever see kids with balloons, especially those who hardly ever get balloons!! I was talking to a ministry student sharing how I wished I didn't hand them out. But, calmy he said, "may pen ray" which in Thai means "no problem". He said, "God can do anything!" He was right! God will minister and accomplish His purpose...even amidst all the noise of children with balloons!!

Here's also a picture of the Tang Gang trying to be a part of the last supper. This picture was painted by a member of the church.

Fishing in Thailand!

2009-01-12T04:43:00.008+07:00

Kelly's dream was to fish in Thailand (not just for souls, but for real fish!!). After Christmas, Rob and Kelly spent the day fishing. With a little rain, rented poles, and a wonderful guide, they had the best time learning how to fish in Thailand. The fishing method was different than Kelly is used to, but he caught on quickly. They were successful...and guess what was for dinner?

Christmas at ZOE

2008-12-27T03:10:00.006+07:00

Christmas day at the ZOE Children's Home was all about giving to Jesus! The children wrote out what gift they wanted to give Jesus. Throughout they day, three of the children (three because it was three wise men who brought gifts to Jesus!) would share what gift they would like to give Jesus. Many said that, "...they would pray and read their Bible everyday, share their faith, listen to their house parents etc..." Then during the evening we had a wonderful worship time and a variety show. The skits were hilarious! The funny thing is that us missionaries couldn't understand a word of it, yet it was funny, because of their expressions. No shyness here!! Best of all, was the children's nativity drama. That was Christmas...

Decorating a Birthday Cake for Jesus

2008-12-27T02:58:00.004+07:00

Some of our ZOE teenagers decorated a birthday cake for Jesus. I thought they would want to write "Happy Birthday Jesus" in Thai, but they said it's too long...writing it in english would be easier!!

Christmas Eve Outreach - House of Blessing Children's Home

2008-12-27T01:57:00.005+07:00

Here's part of our ZOE gang getting ready to head out to our Christmas Eve Outreach. Much prayer and teamwork went into this outreach. At ZOE, Christmas is all about giving!! The ZOE kids were each given a little baht (money) to buy toys/games. Each of our kids, opted to give a portion (and some game ALL!!)of their baht to this children's home. They truly know what Christmas is all about!!

Outreach Craft Time

2008-12-27T01:53:00.003+07:00

How do you lead a craft for 119 kids? With a great interpreter and wonderful ZOE kids leading groups of 10 each! They did a fantastic job!

Outreach - Our ZOE Children Reaching Out To Other Children

2008-12-27T01:42:00.004+07:00

Outreach Program

2008-12-27T01:06:00.007+07:00

The ZOE kids put on a wonderful program for the children. Lauren started the evening with entertaining everyone with poi balls. After that there were games, the ZOE kids leading the worship time, special music, a Christmas message, drama etc... At the end, our ZOE kids handed out goodie bags to everyone. Our children gave so unselfishly of their time and talents that evening. They truly brought Christmas to The House of Blessing Children's Home.

Lauren's Miracle

2008-12-17T20:45:00.004+07:00

My miracle…it happened some weeks ago. One night, for an unknown cause, I seemingly injured my knee again. It hurt like it hurt when I first twisted it, and I was unable to straighten it out. I was distressed, because I had thought it was almost healed. The next morning was church, and I went back to using my crutches. That Sunday, I was sitting in service, thinking about my leg. Several times I tried straightening it in front of me, but stopped because of the pain. Why did it happen again? I had wondered before. Then, images of a book I had read earlier came back to me, reminding me of God’s love and His purposes. I was thinking about these images when I decided to try straightening my leg again…and guess what? At that moment in church service, I was able to fully outstretch my leg! I walked out of church amazed and without crutches.

That was some weeks ago. Just 2 weeks ago I was able to play my first basketball game with my team! I had so much fun!! I’m almost fully healed, playing basketball full-time now and everything. Thank the Lord for His goodness…and miracles.