This Christmas, because we were away from our families, we decided
to do something completely different rather than trying to make it like
back home. (It’s hard to pretend like it’s a normal Christmas when
you’re on the exact opposite side of the world from your family and
it’s 90 degrees outside.) So we decided to embrace it! We headed out at
6 am and hopped on a ferry bound for Koh Larn Island, about 45 minutes
off the coast. We were going to spend the day as a family just laying
out, sleeping, swimming, reading, and completely relaxing.
Our home for the month, Pattaya, Thailand.
(taken with my iphone)
the beach, after some of the Russians cleared out (for some reason, Pattaya is where all the Russians go for vacation.)
I don’t know why I have to take this exact shot every time I go to a beach.
My day
in a nutshell: fun in the sun, Harry Potter, the new Jimmy Eat World
album, and a fun fruity drink with my wonderful second family.
returning to Pattaya’s bustling nightlife
After we returned to Pattaya, we had dinner and decided to go visit
the bars one more time. There was one girl in particular we wanted to
see– her name is Belle.
She is so incredibly sweet and beautiful, but she spends her nights
selling herself on one of the worst streets in Pattaya. We had the
chance to talk to her a few days before and tell her about Jesus and
how much He loves her, and she really seemed to appreciate that we had
come to see her and what we had to say. As terrible as it was that she
was working on Christmas, it was wonderful to get to see her again, hug
her, and tell her again how much her Father loves her. We will always
remember her and pray for her.
Even though we were so far from our homes and our families, this was
an amazing Christmas– definitely one that I will never forget. It was
a joy to celebrate our Lord’s birth by walking and spreading His light on one of the darkest
streets in the city, hugging and loving on His beautiful daughters.
