One of Thailand's biggest celebrated tradition.  In the light of the full moon in November, Thai people flock to a water source to float their decorated candle basket. These floating baskets are made of banana trunk, artistically folded banana leaves and colorful flowers.  It is beautiful to watch the floats lighting up the river banks.
We all have a spiritual sense to worship something.  When we don't know the Creator, we tend to look to the creation, paying tribute to earth, wind, fire or water.  I remember floating my little basket as a child with my friends.  It was a fun experience and still is.  But now, knowing the True and Living God, we don't have to pay tribute to the river or to the creation.  We worship The Creator, The Maker of Heaven and Earth.

Here is something that you might see on Loy Gratong night, hundreds of floating lanterns glistening in the moon lit sky.  Some people think that they are floating away sins  and sending away misfortunes.  Although these lanterns are a spectacular  sight, I am so thankful that Jesus Christ is the Only One that can take away our sins.
I am thankful every day to be able to share the Good News and to be able to teach and train the girls in my charge to know The Hope for their future. 

I am thankful for my belated, husband, Bill Wilkerson for his dedication and passion in his service to the Lord.  He was the first one who inspired me to practice my Thai language four years ago.  November 5th would have been his 54th birthday. Happy birthday, my Love.

Thank you my family and friends for your support of my work in northern Thailand.  As you know, I am a volunteer teacher at a Christian school. After school, my second job begins, I teach and train eight HIV postive girls in my charge to come to know the Savior. I am believing God to heal  and tough them with HIs Love. On some weekends, beside my translation service and Sunday School at church, I also travel with the missionary team to remote places to help in communication with the local pastors and other orphanages.  Here we are in Chiang Rai Province, (about 3 hours from  Chiangmai.) Missionary Gary Moom was praying in English while I interpret inThai. We prayed for the children and their home in the middle of the woods.  The missionaries are seeking support to help them build a real roof unstead of a plastic sheet on four poles. 

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers toward my daughter and I.  We feel your prayers everyday as we serve and minister to various places from schools, churches and at the children's home.  God is so good to provide and protect us.  We thank God daily for leading us here to see great things that He is doing in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

The Girl’s First Song and Dance Show!  Here you see our girls singing, Khun Na, our house mother and I providing the guitar music.     We have been learning praise songs at church and at home.  Some of the songs, we added our own motions to go along with the words.  The girls seemed to really enjoyed singing and dancing.  Early in the morning, I could hear them singing as they begin the day. I was pleasantly surprised when they wanted to put on a show for “Khun Tha and Khun Yai  ( ‘Grand Pa and Grand Ma’, The name the girls affectionately use to refer to our sponsor missinaries, Gary and Cindy.)  We sang four songs for our first show.  This is just the beginning that we hope to be part of an reach out plan for friends and neighbors and a Summer Bible Club.

What great fun when a Korean pastor and puppeteer came to Chiang Mai Fellowship Church.  He trained us in the art of puppet making.  During a mini workshop, the pastor first trained the teachers, then the following day, he and the teachers helped train some 20 students.  This is huge!  hope to expand the puppet ministry to go into schools and remote villages with Bible stories as we share the Good News.

A dabble in a Puppet Show!  After seeing a great puppet show at church, the girls were inspired to try out singing a song with the help of puppet friends.  We are excited to train them to be part of a puppet ministry in the future.