2nd Email Update:

I hope that you are all doing well! Please feel free to send me updates on what’s happening in your lives; I am always happy to know. It’s hard to believe that over a month has gone by since I arrived in Thailand on Oct. 10th. It’s now Nov. 20th, and I’ve been busy getting settled so that I would be able to have a routine of sorts and feel somewhat at home. Culture shock is still at hand, but I have many resources to help me cope with living in a new country and trust that the Lord’s hand over my new life. Psalm 91:1 is a comfort!

Praise Report:

• God’s Faithful Provision (friends, family, money, education, etc.) The Help of my Thai family with the Following:
• Daily Meals & Various Provisions.
• Social & Emotional Support.
• Music Lessons & Thai Lessons.
• Accomplishing Basic Communication Needs.
• God’s Protection Throughout Our Adventures.
• No major mishaps on my Motorbike.
• Acquired My Worker’s Permit with P’Som Nok’s help.
• Passed a Surprise Police Inspection.
• Completed 1 Month of Thai Studies.
• Attended the Loy Krathong Ceremony.
• Visited 1 Orphanage & 1 Hospital.
• Have had no feelings of illnesses for the past 4 weeks.
• Baby Au came into the world strong & healthy.
• Have been having fun and productive English Lessons.

Thai Desert: The dark pink things had a bit of a crunch to them and the broth was coconut milk (I think). It seemed to me to taste a bit like bubble-gum. It was a great late-evening treat with Ying & Klairung (felt like girl-talk time).

Prayer Requests:

o God’s Faithful Provision.
o General Health & Safety for everyone at CEFE (our music ministry & fish farm).
o Ot & Ying (with a 2yr old & newborn!!).
o A heart ready for service.
o God’s Blessing on Everyone involved in my Thailand journey (known & unknown).
o Sensitivity to the needs of my Thai family and Thai-people in general.
o Thai & Music Lessons.
o Steady Growth in Communication & Relationship Development.

Left to Right: Ot, Eye, Baby Uah, & YingNew Addition to the Family: I’m so happy to tell you that Ot & Ying (the family I live with at Ba’Anan’s) just became the proud parents of their second child on Nov. 19th. I was able to spend some time with them at the hospital and look forward to Ying coming home with the baby tomorrow.

The Center for Church Enablement (CFCE), my home base, is often full of a variety of activities. Here are some of the faces I see almost every day. From left to right are pictured: Yui, Klairung, Paing, Boi, & Mai. We are often sitting around the big brown table working out the challenging dynamics of Thai/English. I’m grateful their help and patients. Something new and interesting happens almost every day around this table. It’s the general place to be on the compound.

On Sat. Nov. 15th we attended a Thai-Falang (White person) Wedding. It was quite beautiful and rather interesting. The bride and groom came down the river on a bamboo raft and walked through this beautiful archway up to the stage to exchange vows. The ceremony was translated from English to Thai and featured Thai traditional music and dancing.

The best part of this experience was the opportunity to fellowship with church members, one lady in particular: Ba’Orissa, a Karen woman. The Karen people a minority group in Thailand, generally located along the Thai/Burma border; and are often under persecution.

Ba’Orissa, who used to spend time teaching English, confessed the difficulties of understanding Northern Thai. I was grateful to meet another woman who I could communicate with in English. She grew up in a Christian home, as have many Karen; some are even involved in evangelism to Thai people. Both people groups need our prayers.

Thai Music at Thai Church: You’d think there’d always be Thai music at a Thai church, but unfortunately this isn’t the case. Most of the time Western Hymns are sung; they’ve been translated into Thai, and don’t get me wrong, I like hymns, but at Thai church I like Thai music better.

However, on Sunday, Nov. 16th, Ba’Anan (CFCE’s leader & my house mother) spoke at our Thai Church and our Thai students from CFCE led worship. I felt very blessed to be part of this ministry and I hope to become a more established musician who’d ready for service. So far I can read Thai Notation slowly and have memorized a few short songs. This will come in handy on Saturday, Nov.22nd where I have the opportunity to attend another Thai/Falang wedding. A group from our music ministry will be playing and I’ll be able to attend as part of the team, rather than a guest, should be exciting.

Be Blessed in all your adventures too!

With Love in Christ,

Kara Jo Maus

Kara.jo.maus@gmail.com
171 Mu 13, San Sai Kaew Rd,
T. Pa Fai A. San Sai, Chiang Mai 50210
THAILAND Home Phone/fax +66 53 353 197 Cell Phone +66 86 189 7776