Two Girls, One Purpose, & A Forgotten People

If you can't access the web address

2007-10-01T23:07:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

If you are checking in because you can't accesss the new website here is another web address to access our new site.

http://web.mac.com/jannanhildebran

New Website!

2007-09-10T10:42:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

We will not be using this blog anymore. We have created a website. We now have a little blurb about Lindsey and I on an "About Us" page, a photo page, and a blog page. Our new web address is...

www.twogirlsonepurpose.com

Thanks, Janna & Lindsey

Road Trip to Future Home

2007-08-20T07:54:00.000-05:00

Well, we are off again. We are driving up north for a few days to hopefully find a home for our supervisor who is returning. (This sounds very selfless, but it is really selfish!) If we can find his family a new home to move into when they return from the States then we will get to move into their old house. We will also be checking on small homes for us in case we can't find one for them and they stay put in their home. We will also be getting our bearings a little bit in our soon to be new city. Hopefully, we will have some pictures to post and stories to tell!

We're Back!

2007-07-21T21:51:00.000-05:00

We made it safely back from our meeting and the flying went really well. Lindsey had good trips up and back, so thank you to those who lifted her up concerning her fear of flying! We got to see lots of friends. Some we didn't get enough time with but loved every second we got to spend with them. Oh, and Melanie if you are reading this, you are just the cutest little pregnant lady!

Two Things

2007-07-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I have two things to say, the first is a request. Tomorrow we are off again to another meeting. We will be flying this time. Please remember Lindsey especially when you talk to the Father today. Flying makes her nervous and our last flight made her particulary nervous. We will be flying out at 1pm tomorrow. That is around 2am for you all on the West side of the globe. So before you go to bed tonight please ask the Father for peace and calm for Lindsey as she flys tomorrow.

The second thing is something kinda funny that happened to me tonight. We have a washing machine on each floor of our building for us to use. Normally everyone leaves their laudry basket beside the machine in case the clothes finish before you return to the machine and another person wants to use the machine. They just put your clothes in your basket and when you return you just take your basket. No harm, no foul, kinda like an unwritten rule. Well, tonight I forgot about my clothes while running errands and came back to get my clothes out of the washer. When I reached in the washing machine to get my clothes out someone elses clothes were in there too! Someone, instead of removing my clothes and putting them in my basket just put their clothes in the washing machine on top of mine and washed their clothes and mine (for what was the second time)! I took all the clothes out, put the tiny Thai sized clothes back in the washer and went to go tell Lindsey the odd thing that had just happened. I guess I should thank the person for paying to wash my clothes the second time!

-Janna

We're Home!

2007-06-18T22:22:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone! We are home and will start back to full time language learning on Thursday. In three weeks we pack up for another week up north. So, please bear with us as the posts might be few and far between in the next month. Even though we are traveling, we have and will be spending most of our time in meetings. There is no good scenic pictures to take when sitting in meetings. Please continue to remember us as we study. There is a possibility of moving to our target city in August! However, we must continue progressing in language. Thank you to all who lift us up to The Father!

Traveling

2007-06-10T03:50:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody!

Just wanted to let you know that we will be traveling to a Company meeting June 11th. We will return June 18th, so there will not be any blog updates for a couple weeks. Please remember us as we drive around 10 hours each way. Thank you to everyone who remembers us and checks in to see what's going on!

Janna's 30th Birthday

2007-06-02T04:20:00.000-05:00

May 31st was Janna's 30th birthday and we had her birthday party at Hard Rock Cafe. We invited around 15 of our friends and had a great time! Lindsey and Angela and everyone who came made it a really special day for Janna since she was away from home.Janna and her mother share the same birthday so usually it is just the family that celebrates. However, our temporary "Field" family was wonderful! There are lots more pictures if you click on the link to the right. A special Thank You to Lindsey and Angela for a Great Day!
-Love, Janna

Update on Political Situation May 31, 2007

2007-05-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday a judicial panel read the verdict for the two main political parties. The oldest political party was not disbanned, but the second largest political party in the country was disbanned and 180 of the party members were barred from participating in politics for the next five years. So far, everything is quiet and peaceful and no reason to believe that any riots or disturbance will happen. PTL!

Update- May 28, 2007

2007-05-28T04:18:00.000-05:00

It is incrediable that we have people who check our blog regularly! Some of you have asked for more frequent updates so we are happy to oblige you because we are so thankful that people want to hear from us that often! The most current news is the possible disbanning of the countries two main political parties. There will be a court ruling on Wednesday and there is possibility for riots. However, if the court rules not to disban the parties then business will go on as usual. I have to say (this is Janna) that I honestly hope that there is no riots for a selfish reason. My birthday is Thursday and I really don't want to have to stay in and eat noodles. I am really looking forward to the Hard Rock Cafe! (HaHa) Please remember our country in possible political upheavel and that it does not effect the work here. Above is a link to an article about the situation.

Playing Catch Up

2007-05-17T04:03:00.000-05:00

We haven't had anything really exciting happen in the past few weeks. Well we did have an earthquake yesterday, but it actually wasn't that exciting. We didn't even feel it. We thought we would post some pictures you haven't seen yet. So, the next two posts are pictures our friend Bill took at a Floating Market and pictures from our visa trip to Malaysia. Enjoy!

Bill's Pictures

2007-05-17T03:37:00.000-05:00

When our friends were here in February, one of our friends, Bill, took some really great photos at the Floating Market. Here are a few!

Our Trip to Malaysia in January

2007-05-17T02:13:00.000-05:00

We thought we would post some pictures from our trip to Malaysia. As some of you know in January we traveled to Chiang Mai to take classes for SEBTS, and whle there we both got really sick. Also, the hotel we stayed in was not nice at all. We think it may have contributed to our sickness.

At the same time we were in Chiang Mai we were having terrible visa issues. Well, when we returned home from classes we had to go to Malaysia to get our visas renewed to stay in the country. We had the option of staying at the YMCA or a "little nicer hotel". After the horrible experience we had earlier in the month we choose the "little nicer hotel" and the three of us (we're including Angela) split the cost of one room. Little did we know we were staying at a resort for the same price as staying at a Holiday Inn or Best Western in the States.
We had to stay in Malaysia for 3 days while our visas were processed. We took a few pictures as we hung out by the pool and took a taxi to the mall, where we ate at a TGI Friday's!
It was really refreshing after our previous experience, and all the running around we did concerning our visas.

New Year's Resolution

2007-04-21T02:50:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! So are you confused? I know what you're thinking New Year's was in January. They must be crazy or really behind in updating their blog. But we are actually neither of the above. Our host country just celebrated their historical New Year's! Our language school was closed for two days so we had a holiday. So you're thinking big deal you got to celebrate a second New Year's. Actually it was a big deal. You see this New Year's celebration was culturally eye-opening. Yes, it was a time for people to be off work, and visit friends and especially family, but it was a religious event for the majority of the people as well. We know because we saw what most of the people were doing during the holiday. They were at the temples worshipping in many different ways. You will see some of the ways they worshipped in the pictures below. The temples are Buddhist temples, and while strict Buddhism teaches each person must find there own way to enlightenment many people end up basically worshipping the buddha. Many of the people during this time will ask their parents or elders for forgiveness for the bad things they have done in the past year, and they receive a blessing from them. Even when they go to the temple, they are seeking forgiveness and hoping for a better year. Many I'm sure resolve to live better lives this next year, but on leaving the temple they have no assurance that the coming year will really be any better.

Songkran Festival 2007

2007-04-19T06:39:00.000-05:00

These were all taken in front of our apartment building. There were people on the back of trucks shooting water at people on the sidewalk. There were also people with hoses and buckets on the sidewalk.

The man Janna has given the name "Chicken man," because he sells chicken on the corner is pouring ice cold water down Angela's back in the picture below. Angela and Janna are both posing with "No," a lady that works in our building. She put the hose right up to our chest and held it there with a smile!

If you notice the first picture above with all the water coming at the camera, Janna was behind the camera. She sacrificed herself for a good photo op.

Notice how Lindsey was able to avoid pictures while wet.
That sly girl! Unfortunetly, I have to tell you when she did get wet it was usually a water pistol to the eye or head. Couldn't blame her for avoiding the water after that.

This is the cutiest little baby we see everyday with the
oddest haircut. All of his hair is shaved off except one circle in the back where the hair sticks straight up.

2007-04-19T06:25:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken from above as we stood on the Skytrain platform. We dared not walk down into the crowd because it was a certainty that we would have been soaked with water and caked with white powder everywhere. This is a major street in the city where possibly hundreds of thousands of people came out to dump water on each other, spray each other with water pistols, and smear powder on each other. We saw people packed together for as far as the eye could see. This is the "party" part of the Holiday that everyone takes part in whether you want to or not. It reminded us of Times Square in New York on New Year's Eve.

Friends From Afar

2007-04-19T05:17:00.000-05:00

During Songkran we had two new friends from back home come and visit. Our new friends were such good sports about getting wet! We all went to the Grand Palace. It is the most well known and revered Wat (temple) in our city. Not all of us had been yet, so we thought is was a good idea to go and see the mixture of man-made beauty at the Wat with the eye opening truth of what the people here worship and trust in daily.
We got wet on the way and did laugh and play some. You can't help but laugh and play when people are throwing cups and buckets of water on you! The pictures to the left show us laughing and playing and the pictures below show how and what the people truly worshiped on that day. You can not disagree that the Grand Palace is physically beautiful, but as we ended our visit at the Wat we slipped aside to pray and lift the souls of those who worshiped there to The Father and ask that He would show them the truth of His Son and His Light.
We live in such a secular city that sometimes we need to be reminded what the people here put their trust and hope in so we will be stirred to lift them to The Father fervently. We see their quest for money and things, but without The Son in their hearts, they are always unsure whether they have enough "good luck" for a good life.

2007-04-19T05:12:00.000-05:00

How would you like to have this guy's job? Standing on a ladder propped up against a bush using huge hand shears to trim the beautiful topiary in 100 degree heat. I would have already hurt myself!

2007-04-19T05:07:00.000-05:00

This is a "Yak" pronounced like yacht but with a k on the end instead. They stand as tall as the buildings and are believed to be the guardians of the temple. They are supposed to look scary while they "watch" the people walk in and out of the buildings.

2007-04-19T04:52:00.000-05:00

These three pictures above are of people worshiping at the Wat. In order to make merit (or good luck) and wash away the "bad deeds" of the last year they burn incense and candles to appease spirits. They bow and ask Budda for help. In one picture a father teaches his children how to bow and offer incense and candles. The second picture is people using flowers dipped in water and swept over their heads to wash their bad deeds away, and the third picture is people pouring perfume on the Buddha statue for reverence and merit. These people worship earnestly hoping for a better life now and in the next life.

The Idol Has Been Cut Down

2007-04-07T04:48:00.000-05:00

Ok, for all of you who joked with me about my hair being my "idol" you can't anymore. It is so stinking hot and humid here that I just had to get rid of it. Not only did it feel like a sweater on my back when I left it down, but I was going through hair products like liquid candy because of the humidity. However, the ten inches wacked off my head is on the way to the States for donation to "Locks of Love." They are an organization who takes donated hair and makes wigs for children without hair due to cancer or disease. I encourage you to look them up on the web and check them out.

Trip to the Beach

2007-04-07T04:22:00.000-05:00

We began visiting a Fellowship here about two months ago made up mostly of university students. We traveled with them to one of the beaches. We are enjoying getting to know our new friends and had the awesome opportunity to be there as two students who accepted The Son in the past year were "dunked" in the ocean by leaders of the Fellowship. Janna got to sleep under a mosquito net for the first time, and both girls still got bitten on their eyes and face. We had seafood rice porridge for breakfast and actually really liked it! A good weekend of some "First Time Expierences" for us girls.

A Visit From Our Friends

2007-04-07T03:57:00.000-05:00

We did our first "touristy things" when friends from our Fellowship in the States came for a visit. We took them to The Floating Market right outside of town and to an Elephant and Crocodile Show and Farm. The next couple of posts are from that day.

2007-04-07T03:53:00.000-05:00

Our friend Bill got to play with this fiesty baby elephant. He was cute, except when he wrapped his trunk around Janna's leg and smeared mud on her pants.

2007-04-07T03:46:00.000-05:00

Janna got to feed the crocodiles. She is partial to reptiles and amphibians.

2007-04-07T03:27:00.000-05:00

Lindsey's face is priceless as their boat approaches a snake to pet. She doesn't care for reptiles and amphibians.

2007-03-16T12:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, there is not a really cool "M" story to go with this, just something Janna thought was funny and odd. Yes, that is a picture of a HUGE Snail on a toilet lid! The snail had been crawling around our Supervisors bathroom that day and we thought he would just go back down the drain hole, apparently not. Our Supervisor's wife found it as she went to put the toilet lid down.

The Rest of Our Trip to The Northeast

2007-03-16T11:24:00.000-05:00

Well, we have to tell you about the "Christmas Party" we went to. There are a few Fellowships in the town where our Supervisor lives but they do not typically focus on our people group. This particular night a few of the Fellowships decided to have a Christmas party in a village of our people group. Our Supervisor and us drove out to the village, got lost, and finally found the loud music and lights way back off the road. A very kind elderly lady had allowed the Fellowships to use her land. Well, I guess someone didn't realize that there was a place somewhat like a pool hall (for lack of a better word) located beside the barn where the stage for the party was set up. Now, location is everything, and there were alot of people around to try and reach with the Christmas message, but unfortunately the biggest attraction that night was the brawl that came tumbling out of the pool hall.
But, one of the funniest things happned when we first arrived. A young man grabbed Janna's arm and lead her to the first row of chairs set up in front of a stage where a very nice lady was singing traditional songs with a Christmas meaning. Lindsey and their Supervisor followed along. The young man sat them down and started talking with Janna, very closely. Lindsey and the Supervisor were not quite aware of how close the young man was to Janna because he seated us right in front of the speaker and it was nighttime. Very soon after he started talking Janna could pick up on his previous recreational activities and struggling to understand his english through his three or four teeth. He asked Janna how old she was. She told him 29 and he responded, "I am 27, only two years apart" and smiled. At this point Janna began slapping Lindsey leg very hard to get her attention and just smiled back. But no worries, after a few more questions the young man got up and went to the stage and "danced" in a most akward and a tiny bit scary way while looking at Janna. She just looked around and tried not to make eye contact. Our Supervisor asked if everything was ok and Lindsey told him "yes." She figured that if the young man had been truly inappropriate that Janna would have already had him pinned on the ground or something of the sort.
Things calmed down when a group of children performed a Christmas play for the crowd. Our pictures from that night are only of the Christmas play. However, the parts that were the funniest were not appropriate to take pictures of (like the young man dancing very ackwardly in front of the stage.) One picture of the play is during the manger scence where apprantly the neighborhood dog also wanted to check out baby Jesus. The children did so good, continuing on with their acting. There was also an Evangelist who did such a good job starting at creation, pulling apart the evolution kids are taught in school here as pure fact and leading up to The Son.
There were alot of comical parts of that night. However, It was really neat to see Fellowships attempting to reach our people group and watching how they handled the unexpected actions of drunks with such grace, love, and focus on the people that were listening to their message.

Our Trip to the Northeast

2007-03-01T09:10:00.000-05:00

It is about time that we put some pictures on this blog. In December we had the opportunity to visit the Northeast of the country and see where we will move when we are finished with language school. We also, for the first time, saw our People Group! We looked across the Mekong at the "Forgotten Country" our People Group originated from. We visited a school in a village of The Forgotten People. We were asked to do an "impromptu English lesson with any of the children hanging around. So we asked the children a few questions in English and entertained the kids for awhile. The picture of the Buddha in front of the school is very typical. Buddhism is not seperate from Government and Education as is Religion in the US. We also visited the school where our teammate teaches English and visited classrooms answering questions. The Thai teachers asked us questions about Christmas and were very suprised to hear about Christian Christmas traditions and practices instead of secular answers of Santa Claus and Jingle Bells.