Heading Home

We have finished our time now in Thailand after spending an incredible week in Koh Samui. The Island here is beautiful and we were able to hire scooters once again and go explore the place and get to see some of the amazing beaches. The highlight of the week though was getting the chance to go scuba diving. It was amazing to see all that lives below the waters, some incredible sights. No wonder God looked at what he had made and said that it was good! We were blown away and loved every minute of it. A great chance to relax.

We now leave for home today and travel to Bangkok this afternoon where we will stay overnight at the airport hotel. In the morning we will then fly to Oman and then to London where we will spend the night with Dave and Mel Wiggins. Then on Wednesday lunchtime we fly home to N.Ireland. It's hard to believe that this is it all over. The time since we arrived has flown by and Cambodia already seems like it was long time ago. This is the last blog I will write for a long while I'm sure, but Laura and I just want to say a massive thankyou to so many of you who have journeyed with us during the last 6 weeks. So much has happened with us during the time yet it was support from people from home and obviously from God that has brought us this far. Thank you to all who prayed, emailed, phoned, txt and showed an interest in what we have been doing by reading the blog. We still value your support however when we get back. Things still are somewhat unclear as to where to go from here, but we are willing to wait and hear from God. We would ask you to continue to pray for us and we look forward to being able to chat to many of you when we return and seek some wisdom and advice. We are looking forward to spending more time with God and while we are unclear about things we are still excited about what lies ahead. My mum always quoted these words to us growing up, and now more than ever we choose to trust them and cling to the truth of them.

"I know who holds the future and he guides me with His hand,

With God things don't just happen, everything by him is planned.

So as I face tomorrow with its problems large and small,

I'll trust the God of miracles, and give to him my all"

Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts. See you shortly.

Dave and Laura. xo

27 and counting!!!!

Laura and I have just finished a few days stay in Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. We stayed with a lovely couple from CFC in Belfast called Andrew and Lesley Dornan and their two kids Matty and Josh who now live out here and are working on a fulltime basis. We had been looking forward to meeting them so much and to see all the work that they are involved with and also just to spend some time chatting with them and offloading all out thoughts to seek some wisdom and advice. They didn't dissapoint! When we arrived Laura was still continuing to feel unwell and the stomach pains and general feeling of being sick had worsened. Thankfully Lesley is a nurse so she was able to get some proper medication for Laura and she is now feeling a lot better. (Apparently the antibiotics the pharmacist sold me in Pattaya was actually another version of immodium) We got to meet some missionaries out here that partner with them both and hear of lots of different opportunities and ways of getting involved in the future. To be honest though we are both confused about our future more than ever so prayer would be really appreciated. We have been blown away by God so much this trip and seen so many different projects and doors to possibly walk through but we just want to be able to come home and seek God together about our future and try to sense what he is saying and where is leading. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between what are our thoughts and desires and what is God. One thing I have sensed him sying however is that we need to wait on him and his plans, to walk and journey with him into our future and not be running ahead to do our own thing.

Anyway, we got the chance to chill loads and spend time seeing Chiang Mai with Andrew and Lesley. Laura also had a chance for more retail therapy. On Saturday night we headed into one of the markets with some of our friends from Pattaya who had also journeyed up for a few days to Chiang Mai. We were all browsing the stalls together but somehow managed to lose Laura in the midst of the crowd. At that point all the stall keepers started quickly packing up their goods as they said they could "smell" rain coming....they were so right! we had such a downfall of rain and we all stood under the shop canopys for shelter....but Laura was still missing. When the rain eased off I began to walk down towards the end of the street to find Laura. I haven't laughed as hard in a long time, when I saw this small blond girl soaked through and looking miserable with all the rain.....but she had still managed to buy some items....that girl has a gift.

Yesterday though was a big day for me....I turned 27! We headed out for breakfast with the Dornans and later went for a meal before church in the evening. It was another normal day, but birthdays always seem to be a point for me when i do an awful lot of reflecting, so for a large part of the day I was quieter than usual. I'm thankful for all that God has brought me through to this point and excited about what lies ahead. In church that night our friends Justin and Alison presented me with a carrot cake to celebrate.....in such a short time they've got to know me so well. Becasue we had to go straight to the airport we ended up going to mcdonalds and ordering mcdonalds tea and coffee with the Dornans while we all tucked into the cake. Was immense and a nice end to the day.

We then flew back to Bangkok and spent the rest of the night awake while we waited to check into our flight to Koh Samui. We have juut arrived today and have a beautiful villa that overlooks the sea and coastline from our room(this a picture of part of the view) and we're looking forward to being able to switch off and relax for the next week before coming home. While the mission aspect of our trip has now come to and end, we still appreciate your prayers and support that God would continue to speak to us, and that even this week in a period of being still we would sense him and hear him speak to us and guide us. Also, its been raining for pretty much the last 3 weeks in thauiland so hoping for some sunshine and the chance to get out and chill. Will blog again before we leave for home.

Time to Relax

Laura and I have just spent a couple of days getting to relax in the Thai capital of Bangkok. It was nice having a bit of time to ourselves away from projects and having a chance to catch up on some sleep and see some sights of the city. We found online a really nice hotel for a cheap cheap price so headed there to realx for a while. The hotel had it's own pool but for the second time since we left home we decided one of the days that we would try and catch a few rays of sunshine and got ourselves all covered in suncream. After going outside for two minutes the heavens opened and it rained for the rest of our time there. Was nice though to have colder weather and felt like we were back in Northern Ireland. We spent much time at the markets and Laura did what she does best....went shopping! We also got to meet up again with our friends Justin, Alison and Jessica who we were with last week in Pattaya so was great getting to spend more time with them.

We have now travelled to the north of Thailand in a place called Chiang Mai. We are staying with a couple from CFC in belfast called Andrew and Lesley Dornan. They are full time missionarys our here working for several different organisations and projects. We met with them for a meal in Belfast prior to coming and we have been excited about coming to meet them again and see the work they are doing. It's also great being able to speak with people who are out here at the mo and to seek wisdom and advice off them, something we really appreciate. They both have a beautiful house in the city which they are allowing us to stay in, such a blessing. Please continue to pray for us as we are out here that we will know more of Gods guidance over this next while and that our time in Chiang Mai will be profitable. Pray for Andrew and Lesley and their two sons Matty and Josh that God would bless them in the ministry out here and help them to settle back into work here quickly as they ahve just retunred after a 2 month trip back to Ireland.

On a side note, in the airport on the way here Laura bought a travel adaptor so we could plug the lap top in to try and watch some grays anatomy while we waited on the plane boarding. The plug was faulty and I got a massive electric shock off it as I tried to take it out of the socket....my arms still tingling!! Will keep updated with whats going on here in Chiang Mai as our time here progresses.