MINA highlights to date

Because let's be honest, our MINA has been WAY busier than I ever imagined and unfortunately, I simply don't have time to recap everything that's happened so far.  So instead, here are some highlights via pictures! Enjoy :)

Gods' beautiful creation

Evening hiking near the house we're staying at

"High Tea" dates with Nammy

Celebrating Marek's 2nd Birthday with family

Enjoying bathtime in actual, real sized bathtubs ;)
(something we don't get to do in Thailand unless we're at a hotel) 

Taking in the beautiful British Columbia scenery

Fun at the Adventure Centre in Prince George, BC during our road trip up North

Park time in the cool, fresh air

Making new friends on our road trip to SK and having an early birthday celebration together!

Reconnecting with old friends in SK

Having all the Glen family cousins together for the very first time!   

Birthday morning breakfast with Grandma

Celebrating Callie's 5th Birthday with family

"Elsa" on her special day :)

More cousin time!

Throwing a 40th Anniversary party for my parents with my siblings!
So special to get to be here for it and have our whole family a part of it!

Riding the train at Stanley Park for the first time (Vancouver, BC)

Cooling off at the splash park on a little family day off!

So, obviously, amidst all of this, we've also really enjoyed our time sharing at various Care Groups and churches and connecting with many of our supporters.  Unfortunately I don't have pictures of everything, but we've been thankful for this time with people we love and the support and love we've received from SO many, thus far!  Thank-you to everyone who has made time for us and we hope to connect with many more of you before our early September departure!!

Happy Summer everyone!

Nearing the end...

Well, we're almost finished our 2.5 years in Thailand and I'm having to remind myself of this a lot these days....

Hahaha.... I'm kidding (kind of) ;)

But there is indeed a lot to get done in these last days.  For quite a while, it felt as though the list just kept getting longer and longer, but rather than getting things checked OFF the list, they were being added faster than we could accomplish them.  It was getting to be a bit defeating at times.

 But, I'm happy to report that we're making good headway on crossing things off now, and its helping the stress level diminish, which means the excitement can build!!

As I look forward to re-engaging in Canada with friends and family, I must admit there are still many things I will miss about our life here in Thailand.  

Here are a few of them, in no particular order......

Ganyaa.... this woman is near and dear to my heart.
Gonna miss her a TON!

Ganyaa & Mae Dtu... love these women and so thankful God brought
them into our lives.  Still confident they WILL find Jesus! 

Our teammates, Jason & Corina.
When we return to Thailand in September, they won't be here anymore.
Just writing that makes me teary-eyed.
OK, moving on before I completely lose it.... ;(

Each one of the kids that come to our Sunday morning outreach every week.
Love these kids.

Ridiculously cheap and DELICIOUS Thai food and drinks.
Honestly... nothing compares.

Our house.
This place has become a true haven for me.
A place of peace and rest.
Thankful for it everyday.

Sunshine.
Now, don't be fooled.
I WILL NOT miss the humidity, but I will miss the guarantee of sun everyday. ;)

Our teammates

And of course,
my dear, dear friend, Lauren.
Literally wouldn't have survived these last 2.5 years without her.
Her friendship is one of those rare and precious gifts that comes along once in a lifetime.
Though we don't live in the same city anymore,
I'll still miss being in the same time zone as her and our regular texts and FaceTime calls.


So as I reflect on this past term, and I look at these pictures (and there are many more I could add), 
it reminds me again of the fact that God has never once left our side.  
There have been some tough times.... and I mean, tough.... 
but the gifts he has blessed us with... 
the relationships, the opportunities, the people....

I know this is where we were meant to be.

God has taught us more about ourselves than we ever dreamed possible.

He's stretched us and he's moulded us into more of the people he wants us to be.

And more than anything, He's shown us more of who he is as our Father...

loving, gracious, compassionate and oh so patient.

I'm humbled that He's called us to this journey and I'm eternally thankful for the fact that He promises to be here every step of the way. 

I can't wait to see what He has in store for us next :)

"Though you slay me"

One of my dearest friends shared this song with me this week and its so unbelievably good, I just have to share it with you.  I'm pretty sure we can all relate to the deep, moving lyrics of this song, at some point in our lives....

("Though you slay me" by Shane & Shane ft. John Piper)

.... in a lot of ways, this song sums up a lot of the last 2.5 years for me.  The beautiful part is that I know  the stripping down, the tearing away, the remoulding, is all for a greater purpose.  A purpose I rarely see or understand, but am starting to slowly lean into, because if there's one thing the last few years have taught me, its that His plans are always better than mine.  Always.

Nostalgia...

Not sure where it came from, or why exactly it showed up, but today, I was struck by an incredible bout of nostalgia.  

Does that ever happen to you?  Suddenly, completely out of the blue, you're bombarded with memories from the past... totally overwhelmed with how fast time has gone... and though you can't get those moments back, thankfully, they're etched in a special, deep place in your heart, never to be snatched away.  

That's been today for me.  Specifically from when we first arrived in Thailand, almost 2.5 years ago.  I suddenly couldn't help but look back at pictures from that time, and remember the very teeny, tiny, little Callie that we brought with us. 

Curly blonde hair, a button nose, rosy & round little cheeks.... just pure, innocent cuteness.  She literally had no idea just how much her life was about to change.  But she had us and so, everything was a-ok with her.   

 I'm so thankful for the way she trusted us...... how it was just the 3 of us on this grand adventure.

Though those first months were TOUGH, I have such happy memories from that time in our lives.  Such happy memories of my sweet little girl.

I found out a mere 3 weeks before we left for Thailand that I was pregnant with (who would eventually become) Marek, and at the time, the thought of that was totally terrifying and so far outside the plans I had made for our family for our first year in Thailand.

But then, that sweet little bundle of goodness arrived, changing our lives forever... for the better.... and I smile at the instant reassurance I had that this was indeed, a far better plan than I could have ever dreamed or imagined for us.

A child full of joy, love and excitement for life that is hard to match.  Just what this culture-shocked Mama needed.... and continues to need.  

And now, we prepare for our upcoming MINA (Ministry in North America) and they suddenly feel so..... grown up.  And I'm trying desperately to cling to the moments of when they were "littler." Yet, at the same time, am absolutely loving their "grown-up" personalities.

So, today... my heart is full of thankfulness for the memories that have been, and the ones that will be.  Nostalgia can be a wonderful thing.