My Cup Runneth Over

My Heart is Full

I can't explain it any other way.

My heart, my mind, my spirit is full of joy, or better yet - contentment. (Yes, I know - a bit touchy feely, but true.)

Ericka and I spent the better part of 4 days being absolutely blessed and pampered by my cousin, Sam Waller. We also spent the better part of three evenings getting to know Sam - and we loved every minute of it. He is such a generous and giving man - not just to us, but to every person he comes across.

I could learn a lot from Sam. I'm better for knowing him!

My heart is also full because I'm back in Chiang Mai. This place is very special to me, as the folks in this part of the country captured my heart 3 and a half years ago. It was great to be reunited with Ray and Candace (our American contacts who live here full-time). God's got some big things in the works and I can't wait to see what the next three months hold. Plus, the idea of getting our own apartment in the middle of a foriegn city is so stinkin' cool! I'm ready to learn as much of the language as possible and get immersed in the culture!

This is living baby!

And finally, the main reason my spirit is saturated with joy is because a couple days back we got a sizable donation for our orphan ministry here in Thailand. In fact, it's the largest one-time donation we've ever received! This money will go a long way in helping us meet specific needs in our orphan work. (More on the specifics in the coming days.)

So, from my new hometown of Chiang Mai, Thailand, I say good-bye and God bless.

Rusty
(Orphan/at-risk child advocate/world changer)

Distant Relative in a Distant Land

So... I got a cousin who lives in Thailand. Actually a 3rd cousin, maybe 4th - not sure. I came to know of this distant relative, Sam Waller, through my late grandfather William Waller, or Papaw as I called him. William (Papaw) and Sam are double-first cousins - double-first what?? That means a set of brothers married a set of sisters making their kids double-first cousins. Now you know.

Sam has lived in Pattaya, Thailand ever since retiring from the army some 30 plus years ago. He served in Korea and 3 tours in Vietnam. From what I've gathered Sam has made quite a good living for himself in retirement (real estate, cars and wise investing).

So when Sam found out we were coming to Thailand he invited us to Pattaya for a visit. He also offered to put us up in the Holiday Inn - an offer we gladly accepted:)

Check out our room

And our view from the pool

Sam was diagnosed with cancer a few years back, and he's been undergoing chemotherapy. Tonight though you won't have even know it. He was so excited to see us. We visited for 6 hours!

This is Thida, Sam's nurse. She picked us up in Bangkok, drove us to Pattaya, and got us all settled in at the Holiday Inn. Thida is a wonderful lady and she really does do a great job of caring for Sam!

So this post is dedicated to my distant relative in a distant land and our new Thai friend, Thida. Ericka and I look forward to being spoiled over the next two days before heading to Chiang Mai on Wednesday.

In Thailand...

We're going on our second full day in Bangkok and last night I woke up WIDE-awake out of nowhere at 3:45am. The jetlag is apparently so bad even Ericka is awake at 8:30am - and for anyone who knows her - you know that's a miracle:)

Anyway, it's great to be back here - the sights, the sounds, the smells all seem so familiar. I think it still hasn't sunk in yet that we just moved here - well at least for the next 3 and a half months!

OK, so you folks out there who know me know how I am with dates. I have this uncanny ability to remember exact dates of life-altering events in my life, as well as random, seemingly unimportant times as well.

We left for Thailand this past Tuesday - January 18th. If just so happen that on January 18th, 2009, Ericka and me left the south and moved to Michigan. Two years to the day. We did not plan this, it just turned out to be the time we could book our flight at the cheapest fare.

Why is this significant? Because we have always had this sense God was saying "two years" in Michigan. Plus, it's interesting to look back two years ago at ALL the unknowns in front of us at the time. We were moving to a town we had NEVER seen, not to mention we were engaged and planning a wedding. I was starting a new job with the World Race, and on top of all that - I was still getting used to being back in the states.

Its nuts when we look back on it. (We really were crazy:) We did all that because we felt it was the direction God was leading us. Believe me, there were times we were like, "What the heck God?!" But the cool part is, after all the tough times, unmet expectations and struggles - we are better for it! Don't get me wrong; we've had some victories, and some real blessings. But, I think it is fair to say that the last two years have been hard - especially for Ericka. You see, you can take the girl out of the south, but you can't take the south out of the girl:)

Being in Michigan though birthed the opportunity we are now following. The trials and tests have only strengthened our marriage. We serve each other better, speak to each other kinder, love each other more unconditionally and work together more effectively. Our inexpensive rent, which is a HUGE blessing, allowed us to front some of our own funds to start the Sound of Hope.

And that brings us to January 18th, 2011. More unknowns, more questions, but I'm convinced that as God showed up for us in Michigan - He will show up in our work here in Thailand. Now, I get there will be struggles, but I have this uncanny feeling that we are about to encounter some really cool God stuff.

If anything my time in Michigan has taught me that.

The Back Story

To fully understand the work we'll be doing in Thailand, we must first discuss the context in which the people we serve live.

In northern Thailand and southern Burma there is a an ethnic people group called the Karen (pronounced Corinne).  The Karen people have lived in this region for generations, and approximately 4 million live in it today. However, the Burmese government does not like the Karen people. The reasons are very complex and political in nature, but for the purposes of this blog I'll keep it simple and list just a couple. First, the Karen sided with the British when Burma was a colony of Great Britain. They did this because the British were willing to recognize the Karen people as it's own ethnic group. Secondly, the Burmese simply do not like the Karen, because they are different - plain and simple. And since they are not true "Burmese" they are not wanted. (Think about how the Native Americans were treated by our ancestors.)

So for decades, the Burmese army has been waging war within it's own borders against the Karen. Karen villages are sacked and destroyed - men, women and children are slaughtered. Lots of times the army will kidnap Karen children turning them into child soldiers.

It's ethnic cleansing.

Take a look at this photo - the picture on the left shows a small Karen village. The photo on the right was taken just a few years later. The village is gone.

You also need look no further than the massive refugee camps that sit along the Thai/Burmese border to know what I say is the truth. These camps have populated the border region since the 70's! And they are home to hundreds of thousands of Karen. Inside these camps are fully functional governments, schools, vendors and so forth. Yet, these people have NO citizenship - none! They have escaped the death and destruction of Burma, only to live in "no man's land" here in the camps.

Inside one of these camps is a children's home. This home is a refuge for kids who have been lucky enough to escape the terror in Burma. However, they either had to leave their families behind, or their families were killed. So they have no one to care for them. This is why our partners in Thailand created this home, so that kids and teenagers would have a safe place to live, food to eat, and educational opportunities.

And this is why Ericka and I support the home through the Sound of Hope, because these kids deserve a better life. Their past has been littered with discrimination, death and destruction. We want their future to be paved with opportunity and hope. Help us make this possible!

While in Thailand Ericka and I will bring you the stories of the kids who live in this home - we'll show you pictures, and videos. Also, we're excited to just simply hang out and spend time with the kids, to encourage them, to remind them that they are NOT forgotten, to tell them of the generous people we know who are giving to make their lives better. We want to give them HOPE!

In my next post I'll tell you about another great project we'll be serving in Thailand. It too has ties to the genocide that is taking place in this region of the world.

* For another great read on the subject, check out this blog I wrote back in 2007 after I visited the refugee camp for the first time. 

The Sound of Hope

We are blessed to bless - I'm a BIG believer in this!

I know for me personally I have been given so much, and it's my responsibility to pass that blessing along to others. This is how Ericka and I try to approach our lives, and it's how we approach our non-profit, The Sound of Hope.

Simply put, the Sound of Hope is a professional fundraising organization. We do what the people on the ground cannot - and that's raise the money. And the people on the ground do what we cannot - they are of the same culture and background of the kids they care for.

Even though the Sound of Hope has only been in existence for about 7 and a half months - we have already raised and released $6,000 to our 4 overseas ministry partners. We fund the operations of 2 children's home in India, an orphanage in a refugee camp along the Thai/Burma border, and feeding centers in Swaziland, Africa.

Specifically, the money we raised provided the kids in the Thai refugee camp a Christmas, your donations also paid for food and essential operating expenses at one of our orphanages in India. In our other Indian orphanage, the kids there were able to finally get school uniforms, and lastly, money raised for Swaziland will be used to provide for and feed some of the poorest children in that country.

This is the kind of thing that gets me very excited! I never thought I would love blessing others as much as I do. I get that $6,000 is not a whole lot of money, BUT we are growing, and we believe that in a short time we will be able to provide MUCH more for our partners!

To join us in our effort to bless and change lives around the world, please visit our website HERE. It's still a bit under construction, but there is a working place where you can donate. 

Stayed tuned for my next update where I will talk more specifically about what we'll be doing in Thailand.

"new" post/blog/year/decade/non-profit

Welcome to my new blog.

It's a new year, a new decade, and my wife and I got us a new non-profit - so in keeping with the "new" theme - it's time for a new blog.

Hopefully a bunch you folks who followed me over on my World Race blog for the last 3 and a half years will make it over to this new one.

And hopefully I'll actually keep it updated!

Obviously, this will be a good place where friends and family can follow our journey to Thailand. Ericka and I are leaving in 5 DAYS! I couldn't be more excited!

Also, if I can get out of my writing funk, this blog will be a place where I share openly about the joys AND struggles of my walk with Jesus. I LOVE the fact that words pretty much mean nothing to my generation. What speaks to people is HOW you live this thing out. You see, we can write/say all the Bible verses and "christianese" statements we want, but if we're not attempting to REALLY love others as we love ourselves, forgives others, and serve others - then we are just being religious. So, in that spirit of vulnerability expect some real and raw posts.

Anyway, looking forward to having you folks follow along this journey!