I'm being held hostage by the rain.

Yes, it seems that the rainy seasons has FINALLY arrived. We've waited and waited for the rain to come, but this past week the floodgates have opened. Yesterday at GrapeJam, we all arrived soaked to the bone, and we left....well, really late. Kristin and I couldn't close up the Grapevine at 11 as usually because we felt cruel to send students out in the storm. So we waited and waited and waited. After several games of spoons, and some crazy pillow tossing match, the rain still hadn't stopped. I suppose we finally locked the doors at ummm...3 o'clock. Campus ministry is fun!

Cooking Right with Mic and Jen

After our summer interns left I inherited their responsibilities with Cafe English on Wednesday nights. So far I've really enjoyed it. Last week my team mate Jen and I made an instructional cooking video. We baked a one egg cake and mixed our very own creamy frosting. (Note: Jen is not known for her cooking ability, and me...well, have you ever eaten anything I've made?) The video turned out wonderfully, and the students enjoyed taking notes, copying the recipe, and laughing at our attempts. We must have taught well, the student's cake turned out perfectly. (Ours had long since been thrown in the trash.) Oh well, even if we can't bake, we can speak English.

Tonight's theme: The Coffee House

I'm already feeling more competent and confident.

Chocolate seems to win them over pretty well.


I have developed a small following at the SC building on campus. Each Monday afternoon, the Grapevine has Fun on Campus (F.O.C. for short). We play games and hand out Free Brownies to any students at either the SC building or the SI building. Even though most of the students speak decent English, they hesitate to begin conversation with a native English speaker. A few weeks ago I started taking the tray along with me to meet students, and initiate some friendships. They're still shy, but last Monday, as soon as I picked up the pan and started to walk around, a loud cheer arose from a group three tables away. They'd been waiting for at least 30 minutes for me to get up. Maybe in a few more weeks they'll actually come to our table, but until then, I don't mind the cheering crowds.

Last weekend my team and I drove to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand to gather with other missionaries from all over Asia. We spent a good deal of time "bonding" as a team, evaluating our personal goals, and enjoying the fellowship of other Christians.
The weekend provided many opportunities to "feel at home." We played Putt-Putt, spoke in English the entire time, and ate at several "Farang" (Westerner) restaurants. It encouraged me to know that my body has adapted well to Thai dishes; my first experience with sickness came the morning after we dined at a charming Italian restaurant. Perhaps Tom Yum, and Khao Pat settle in the missionary stomach better than lasagna.