I arrived safely in Pattaya on Friday and have spent the last few days settling in to my apartment and into my new city. Though I’ve been here before there are still many things that surprise me:

1) How much God-lovers stand out in this city. I was at the mall the other night and smiled at a farang (foreigner) and he called me over to ask me where I was from and said he never has Americans smile at him. He shrugged me off a little when I told him that I was working with a church here in Pattaya, but he told his girlfriend that I was “a good Christian girl” and told me to be careful.

2) How many bars there are… Enough said.

3) How much just seeing a ladyboy stirs my heart… How fierce is this love that the Father has for these ones! I’ve seen a couple of the ladyboys I’ve met on previous trips and have begun a friendship with a ladyboy named May who is from Cambodia. May has been attending True Friend Fellowship for the last couple of months, along with another ladyboy named Lisa, whom I haven’t met yet. I’ve also found another ladyboy hangout that I won’t mind frequenting – the gym! A lot of ladyboys gather there to play volleyball.

4) How many different ways there are to worship. I loved joining the Thai in worship on Sunday and was overflowing with joy when I saw that some of the skateboarders were break-dancing during worship! Sanook mak (very fun)!

5) How much just a little love impacts hearts. I saw Kay this Sunday. She’s one of the girls I met last year and she was so excited to see me because I had poured just a tiny bit into her life. It’s good to see that the Lord’s moving in her life, continually bringing her into a deeper relationship with Himself. Friendships are easy to build here because just a tiny bit of genuine love breaks down walls.

Despite how much I love this city, I’m finding that I miss everyone at home so much. Love to all!