pictures

to make it easier here are the websites where my pictures (all old ones I have posted before, no new ones...yet!) are posted, so you don't have to go through my old blog looking for the sites:
the last trip to elephant island
waterfall adventure
a day at san kampeng
take a walk with me
take a walk #2
back to Bethleham
Cambodia-the lost city of Angkor
Songkran A.K.A biggest water fight in the world!
life in the moo-bon (village life)
The gardens
Rice, Thailand style!
Elephant riding
CM2007
CM2007 part 2
random cool stuff
Thailand's beauty

"Up North"

For all of you that do not live in Michigan, "Up North" refers to the middle to northern part of michigan where Michiganders go to vacation usually during the summer months. This past week I went up with my cousin Julie and her husband matt to spend the weekend plus a couple days with Her family. they rent a cabin on a lake, and their whole family and their family friends all go up for about 2 weeks, or just the weekend in the middle. I have been going up there for about 7 years now, and it is so much fun just to be able to spend time with that side of the family. (my mom's sister) My cousin Jess also has two little girls maddie who is 5 and emily who is 3. They are so cute, and have grown so much in the past 2 years. before I left for thailand Emily wasn't even speaking yet, and when I came home last april, she was talking up a storm! I am glad I have been able to spend time with them now though.
While we were up there we did have a little accident. I took some pictures on my cell phone, but I can't get them onto to my computer. We were hit by a guy running a red light, and I got a little whiplash and fortunately that was the worst of the injuries. God was definitly looking out for us, because a couple milliseconds later, and I think there could have been a lot worse injuries.

Now I am preparing to raise support for the beginning part of my training, I thought I might have enough support to cover it all, but I didn't realize quite what the costs would be with travel and everything. Everything in America is just so much more expensive, I know I will be comparing Thailand and America a lot in that respect. If you are interested in giving a special donation to help cover the costs for New Staff Training, please visit this website and search for account 0584391
Thanks!!!

random happenings

so everyday I think, "oooo I should put THAT in my blog today," or something along those lines, and I never do. I just hate being on the computer sometimes, because my computer likes to die on me, and I think the less I am on it, the better, but the less I am on it, the less I can get accomplished. so like if my friends say something on my wall that don't need an immediate response, I wait a couple days when I can more time aside to dilly dally on the computer.

so things I have been really thankful for :
-seeing Lindsay, my friend who is teaching abroad in Peru and is home for the summer
-seeing Melissa, a friend from school who lives in Ohio,
-and then Nick, Megan and Jason H. who are also friends from MSU, but live relatively nearby, compared to Linsday and Melissa, as well as megan's mom and brother.

-spending time with my grandma and grandpa today since today is my grandma's birthday!!! happy birthday grandma!

-wind-I know I have said it before, but I really love windy days, and today was beautiful

-cappuccinos!!! I finally tasted an american one today and it is the closest so far to the european style lattes I would have in Thailand(American lattes taste like hot milk to me blagh!)

Things I am still getting used to:
-getting into the driver's side of the car on the left side of the car( I just had to close my eyes to think of where it is) I love going to the right side of my car which is where the steering wheel is on cars in Thailand.
-how BIG everything is in America,
-saying pop, and up north, and not getting strange looks
-the time difference. the jet lag is almost worn off but mornings are still very hard

Interesting notes:
-a new church I visited today is sending a team to work in Chiang Rai Thailand in october to help with an orphanage!!! it's a small small world! my mom said I shoudl go to help translate!
-I just realized that the reason it get s late so fast for me is because for the past two years, it got dark at about 6pm, so I could always tell how late it was, now it's almost 10pm before it's completely dark!

Welcome!!!

This is my new blog!!!! I was having trouble formatting my old one, so I have change to this new one!!! plus I can put pictures on here more easily so hopefully I will have more available to accompany my blog! I hope you enjoy posts to come!

you can still get back to my old blog to see posts from the last two years at
www.xanga.com/armst138