A Warm Welcome

I asked her, “should I take my hat off before we go into your house?”  She replied “leave your hat on…we’re not Mexicans.”

Last night Crystal and I were invited into an Iraqi family’s apartment for tea (and more…).  Since our involvement with the after-school program for tutoring refugee children, we have met so many interesting and precious people.  Well, yesterday was no exception.

During the 2 hour tutoring time, Crystal helped a 15 year old(today) Iraqi girl named Samara  with an awesome power-point presentation for her class.  As time drew near for us to “close up shop,” she spilled the beans that she still had some homework to finish on the computer.  You see the computer lab closes when we leave and we couldn’t secure a key to stay, but we told Samara that we would take here to the library instead.  On our way to ask Samara’s mother for permission to take her, I asked Samara the aforementioned question (at the top).  Her reply…priceless!!

Her mother greeted us so warmly and ushered us in and asked that we sit down.  She was so friendly and inviting, it made it difficult to tell her we needed to hurry and get to the library so that Samara could finish her homework.  Well, as we were leaving, she asked if we would have tea with them later that evening.  We, of course,said yes.

1 and 1/2 hours of probability, algebra, and some other hard mathematical stuff seemed to fly by for Crystal…for she was having a wonderful time talking about conditional probability and long-term relative frequency.  But, being the good husband that I am, I offered my help with the math as well…I calculated the odds of me being useful…0/0!!  Besides, someone had to get caught up on the current events.

We finally arrived back at Samara’s home and were greeted with another warm welcome…this time from her father and two sisters.  Crystal and I sat on the couch and before we knew it they had the coffee table over in front of us and food was being served!  A typical Iraqi meal.  We had Iraqi bread (like a flat bread), rice, and lamb stew with chick peas and cucumbers (or something that looked cucumberish).  After our first plate, we were informed by Samara that it would make her mother sad if we didn’t have another plate of food.  So, we ate another plate.  Oh, I forgot to mention that Crystal and I were the only ones eating because they had already eaten…yep!  we were stuffing our faces in front of them all as we tried to talk to them. Once we finished stuffing our faces, they brought out tea and we sipped some awesome floating loose leaf tea and talked about cultural differences(we learned some Arabic words too) until 9pm…what an experience.

This family was from Iraq, but were refugees in Jordan for 11 years before coming to the U.S.  In their home country, the father was a doctor’s assistant and the mother was a lawyer, but here in the U.S. after years of being a refugee, they are looking for any work they can find.  Life is tough for them, but they have a spirit about them that is infectious–we are blessed to know them.  We look forward to her standing invitation of even bigger meals (well, I do).

If you are reading this…go out and meet some international people today…you may just be blown away by a warm welcome you did not expect!

Just another normal day…

Soooo… we thought we would give you a snapshot of what a “normal” day looks like for us here at our Missions Training  (MTS).  Understand that MTS “normal” is quite different than the “norm” that we have been so accustomed to.

• Depending on what the previous days activities consisted of, sleep typically begins between midnight and 1:00am.
• The first alarm begins going off at 5am (we have every intention of getting up at this time)…but this has actually only happened once…it usually goes more like…reset the alarm clock for 6am…please just one more hour!
• The alarm clock then goes off again at 6am…hit the snooze button once…hit the snooze button twice…hit the snooze button the third time…we are out of bed by 6:30am. (if you add up the hours between going to sleep and waking up, it is somewhere between 5 to 6.5 hours.  If you know me (Crystal), I need/desire  like 8-9 hours of sleep a night.  I am learning to adapt.)
• 7:15am and we are off to catch the bus…aka we ride to school with Brett and Susie Cox.
• 7:45am we begin school with a time of worship, intercessory prayer, small groups. devos, overview, and missions moments.  This is called WISDOM .
• 9:00am–12:00pm is our actual class time.  Every week we have a different focus.  Last week our focus was Death to Self and Missions Motivation.  This week we are focusing on Intercessory Prayer.  Next week’s focus is Fasting and Seeking.  Class time consists of lectures, and in depth study and discussion on the  Biblical basis for each week’s focus.  Each week we also have 2 required books to read outside of class that further reinforce what we are learning in class.
• 12:30-2:00pm Lunch and reading back at the apartment (and for me an occasional nap, occasional being the word).
• Somewhere between 2 and 3, we head out into the community to do ministry.  There are several ministries we are helping.  We help tutor children at an apartment complex that specifically houses refugees from around the world (in a future blog we will share more on the ethnic diversity and refugee population here in the area).   We are also getting involved with the international student population of Georgia Tech’s language Institute.  We have met so many students already from all over the world!  Brandon and I have met some Thai students who want to hang out and practice their English…we will get to learn some Thai too!  There are various other ministry opportunities that come up on a weekly basis that we get involved with as well.
• 7:00-7:30pm we get home and I cook a gourmet meal…just kidding…we typically just make something quick to eat.
• 8:00pm-12:00am  We read, read, read…and sometimes go hang out with our friends/team when we should be reading which makes us have to stay up even later to catch up! (we really should be reading right now!)

So this is our norm!  Our days are packed full and God is really teaching us the value of time management, especially when we don’t feel like there is enough time in a day!  We are learning SO much and being stretched and molded daily!  God is so good and we are incredibly blessed to be a part of this time of preparation and refinement!!

We will leave you with a few pictures from the after school program be have been tutoring at.  And then off to read!!

Consider it pure joy…

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.   James 1:2-4  NIV

Here we are…2 weeks into the Missions Training School and we are already talking trials?  Come on!!!  I will have to say this…God is going to do something BIG in Thailand.  Because Satan is throwing all kinds of distractions our way to make us lose the focus of our missions training in preparation to bring the light of Christ into the darkness of  Southeast Asia. The devil loves the dark and can’t stand us growing closer as a team and closer to God.  I think Satan knows that once the light of Jesus Christ shines in Bangkok, there is no hiding place…and he will have a stronghold there no more!!

These two weeks have been a time of tremendous growth for our team.  “The testing of [our] faith develops perseverance,” so that we may boast in Him alone.  God is Sovereign–no question, but we have a responsibility to take joy in the pains of life because, “⁴perseverance must finish its work so that [we] may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”I would like to take you on a journey of our time so far here in Atlanta so that you can “consider it pure joy,” along with us.

• Crystal and I get our 1st apartment set up and mosey over to Bret & Beth Clark’s (part of team Bangkok) apartment to visit the day before classes start.(enter trials)

• The apartment next to Bret and Beth’s catches on fire (see pictures)

• Thankfully everyone was out of the apartment–what the fire and smoke didn’t damage…the water from the 4 fire trucks and the water cannons finished off.

• The gas had to be shut off to the entire apartment complex…oh the temp was 15 degrees (translation: nobody had heat)

• When the electricians came (around midnight) to re-light the gas heat pumps and hot water heaters, they found so many things wrong that they could not (in good standing) re-light them.   Something about carbon monoxide poisoning and  fire hazards.  We thought it best not to argue(see DANGER pic below)

• So, we all took the hint and went to a hotel to get rest.  We would not start school that next morning.

• 3 days and 3 nights in a hotel later…we found a different apartment complex with (how comforting) fire sprinklers (more on that in a moment), we moved out of the old apartments and into our new ones (OK simply stating we “moved” is an understatement…5 families and their stuff we moved…for a second time…no fun), school started on Wednesday instead of Monday…two days later…not bad.

• HUGE BLESSING   Our church LifePoint, came through for us in a HUGE way…so many people donated and helped load a UHaul to bring to us to furnish our apartments (which had nothing!).  Pat our Pastor, Leslie his Assistant, Tim our Missions Pastor, Jason our Worship Programming Director, and Whit our friend from church all came down and helped us unload the stuff into our apartments…AWESOME!!  Thanks to anyone who donated or helped…it is a good feeling when your able to brag on your church…so thanks again…you people rock!

And this is where we find ourselves now…right now in our living room sleeping is Bret, Beth and their 3 kids because there was a fire tonight in the apartment above them.  And those “comforting” fire sprinklers…well, they worked, but at the expense of drenching 3 floors down below the actual fire.  Bret and Beth’s apartment is ruined and they will have to move…yet again.

With all of the ups and downs of these first two weeks it would be easy to give in to the trials and focus on them, but I have to say, God has put an incredibly encouraging and resilient team together.  Prayers, scriptures, edification, and great  friendships have uplifted our spirits.  In the face of all the hardships, we praise God and give Him the glory through our suffering.  God has called us to Thailand, though there will be opposition.   We will finish Missions Training School, though there will be trials.  And, we will “consider [all of this] pure joy.”

Pictures are Worth A Thousand Words

Well…if one picture is worth a thousand words, then all these pictures are worth 26 thousand words!  The past 4 weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and emotion:  From pre-Christmas travels, 4 family Christmases, post-Christmas travels, and the big move to Atlanta to begin our Missionary Training School.

Opryland Hotel with our neices and nephew

Crystal, LaDonna, and Elizabeth on Crystal’s last day of work

Making Gingerbread Houses with the kids

Crystal Decorating Christmas Goodies

Christmas at Kay and Howards

At our Church

Addison reading her Christmas Story

Brandon playing Santa

Uncle Brandon playing with the kids

Snuggie Time…Just for the record…that’s Crystal’s Snuggie

Christmas at Lisa and Marks

Crystal and Shealyn

Sick on Christmas Day

Shealyn helping Crystal pack for Atlanta

1..2..3…AWWWW! He is a natural!

The Eldridges and Hathcocks

Can you tell we are related?

Our first apartment in Atlanta

Brandon carving the Turkey

You can’t be at the Chick-Fil-A Bowl and not eat Chick-Fil-A

Eldridge Family Christmas

Pop’s 80th Birthday party

Brandon and Gil

Mom and Brandon

Look who we ran in to at the Game!

Downtown Atlanta on New Year’s Eve

More updates tomorrow!! YEA FOR INTERNET AT HOME FINALLY!!

closing

Today is the day!  We are closing on our house at 2:00pm!!  Wow!! So many emotions going on inside me and have been going on since we moved everything out this weekend!  It makes everything so real!  Brandon and I keep looking at each other and saying “This is REALLY HAPPENING! We are moving to Thailand! (deep breath in and then long exhale out)”  Here is our empty house

All moved out!

Brandon poured a lot of time, sweat, and labor into fixing this house up and he did an AMAZING  job!!  I love that I am married to such a talented handy man who can fix anything!   I wish we had digital images of before pictures of our house, but here are some pictures of the finished product!

Front of House

Living room

Hallway

Hallway Bathroom

Master Bedroom

Kitchen

Looking into the kitchen from the living room

Moving Out

This sign is in our front yard which is super exciting!!  Our house had a contract on it  after being on the market for 4 weeks!!  Marc Adkins  is an amazing realtor! God is so good!!  The closing date is set for this coming Wednesday September 30.  We were exciting to finally see this in our front yard two days ago!!  Please pray that everything moves along and that there aren’t any unforseen  issues that could hinder the closing on Wednesday.

SOLD!!

Our life kind of looks like this right now

BOXES EVERYWHERE!!

Throughout this process, Brandon and I have become so aware of the excess that we live in!  We have so much stuff…particularly me…way too many pairs of jeans, hoodies, shoes, hats, shirts!!!  AHHHH!  We are getting rid of so much and there is a lot of freedom that is coming from it.  I struggle with this more than Brandon does…I think most females do…but we are simplifying our lives…down to 2 suitcases each!  Yep, that is all we will take to Thailand with us…and that isn’t just two suitcases of just clothes, that is everything!!  Some things we will have to buy when we arrive in Thailand because it is cheaper to buy it there than pay to bring it with us.  We will keep some things in storage such as dishes and pots and pans and kitchen appliances, but everything else is getting sold or taken to goodwill!!!

I am excited about this new perspective and excited about the process of beginning to live in the freedom that is bringing us.  I heard this passage in Matthew 6 yesterday and was challenged by it and reminded of where we are in our lives right now.  My prayer for Brandon and I is that daily our eyes are fixed on Christ and his desire for people of every tribe, tongue, and nation to know Him personally and that our persuit is not worrying about the temporal, but the eternal (NOT EASY!)

Treasures in Heaven

 ¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 ²²“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

 ²⁴“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Do Not Worry

 ²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[b]?

 ²⁸“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Anniversary Day

Brandon and I were able to enjoy a relaxing day together on our two year anniversary!!  This is what our day consisted of:

Sleeping in!!

Breakfast at Cracker Barrell @ noon!!

Movie…we saw Love Happens…and it was really good….Brandon actually liked it!

Picnic at Arrington Vineyards which was amazing!!

Dessert at Marble Slab Creamery!!

And off to bed early!!!

Picnic at Arrington Vineyards

Anniversary

Brandon and I were married 2 years ago tomorrow, September 22!!  I can’t believe it has been 2 years!!!  Wow…do I love this man and I am so honored to be his wife!!  Here are a few pictures of the past few years of our marriage.  Enjoy!

Engagement

Engagement New York

Another Favorite!

My Favorite!

Wedding Party

Brandon’s Birthday at Rock Island State Park

Christmas at Opryland Hotel

engagement at Virgin Falls

Our First Christmas

New Years Day hiking

Honeymoon at St. George Island

Kickball tournament day!!

One year anniversary

Our initials carved into a tree at Virgin Falls

A Home for Sadie

The most awesome dog ever!

To be quite honest, one of the hardest things in our process of getting ready to move has been the thought of having to find a new home for our amazing dog Sadie.  It’s funny…I haven’t struggled much with the thought of getting rid of material possessions or selling our house and vehicles, but Sadie….I struggle!!!  It’s almost as if I am giving away my child!  Since Brandon has traveled so much in the past year, she has been my companion.  She has even helped give me the courage to be brave enough to stay home by myself when Brandon is out of town. We would love to have her be able to join us on our journey to Thailand, however, she is a luxury that we can’t justify in taking with us   We need your help in finding a home for Sadie.  Here are a few of the many wonderful attributes of Sade:
1.  Just look at her face! She is so stinkin cute!!
2.  She is a rescue so we are not sure of the breeds of dog that she is
3.  Sadie is about a year old
4.  Weight between 50 and 55 lbs
5.  She is house and kennel trained
6.  She is very athletic.  i take her running with me and she loves it
7.  Frisbee is probably her favorite game…and yes she can catch them in the air
8.  She LOVES to swim!! not so much to take a bath, but she loves swimming in rivers, creeks, lakes…you name it she loves the water
9.  Extremely loyal
10. She is a good listener, most of the time, unless she is distracted but if you have a frisbee in your hand she is like puddy in you hand!!  She will do anything for that frisbee!

Sadie has been like another member of our family so we are looking for owners who have the time to committ to having a pet not just a dog that is hanging out in the backyard.  Particularly someone who is active and will play and be active with her…she needs exercise everyday.  We are also looking for someone who is planning on wanting a dog for a while so that she just isn’t passed on from owner to owner to owner. 

I feel like we should do an interview process!!  Not really, but we just want the right fit for her.  So I will leave you with a few more photos.  If you are interested in Sadie or know of anyone who might be interested in her please let us know.  You can email us at bchathcock@gmail.com.  Thanks!!

 

We are Moving to Bangkok, Thailand!!

Brandon and I have been married for almost two years now!!  Wow, how time flies!!  I have been working at Vanderbilt University for the past three years as an Activities and Aquatics Coordinator for the Student Recreation Center.  Brandon has been busy working hard and  traveling around the country doing project management for LifeWay Christian Bookstore and laying hardwood and tile on the side.  In his “spare time” he has been busy fixing up our fixer-upper house (which is finally fixed up!).

In January of this year, Brandon and I began to feel restlessness in our hearts that we couldn’t shake, like an itch that you can’t seem to scratch.  God began to place in us a desire to start preparing for something big that He was going to do in our lives and to be at a place where we could say yes with nothing holding us back.  We began to pray for direction and for God’s specific call for us as a married couple.   We began to feel an overwhelming desire to GO, specifically a desire to live in another country.   Little did we know that these desires being birthed in our hearts was the beginning of God setting in motion His plan and desire for us to serve Him in a unique way.  God has confirmed the next step He desires for us to take in making His name famous around the world and that is for us to take the truth of the Gospel to an area of the world that is considered “unreached.”

God has called us, through our church, to be on the front lines battling for the hearts of those who have never heard of the love of Jesus Christ and His redemption.  God has called us to Bangkok, Thailand!!  Thailand is a country that primarily practices Buddhism.  Less than .7% of the population knows Jesus Christ and more than 95% of the population has never even heard the Gospel!   God is doing some incredible things in our church, LifePoint Church, specifically in regards to our church’s role in taking the Gospel to the nations and we are so excited to be apart of this.  We are being sent by the church, to be the church, where there is no church.   Three other couples and two college students have answered God’s call in their life to GO to Thailand as part of our team as well.