Rice Grains

Today was a busy day in Sharon's room. The Reachers and interns were here this morning to have church with her. Sharon says it was a wonderful time of priase and worship and studying John 7 together. Toward the end of "church" she was taken out for a chest x-ray. She hasn't heard the results of that yet.

After lunch, Sharon went for another check up with the Opthamologist. There was some dissapointing news today in regard to the eye. Her vision was 20/80 today which is worse than the last few days. The doctor said he could see inflamation in the back of the eye and he's worried about it turning into an infection that will continue negatively affecting her eyesight. There is a possibility that she will have an antibiotic injection in her eye tomorrow. This is not a pleasant procedure (to put it mildly) so pray for Sharon and pray that her eyesight begins to improve again.

This afternoon was another busy time in Sharon's room. I showed up as well as Sharon's Thai teacher, Yu. Also, another friend, Kwan, and her friend came by. So, Sharon had a day full of people but says it was fun and not too tiring. Other baby steps today: a first cup of coffee and a solo shower!

-Candice

Posted by Sharon Rice at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

To reduce stress people should smile, take better care of their heatlh and think positively, play music and sports and plant trees.

Ok, gotta go plant some trees! : )

Posted by Sharon Rice at 06:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Here she is…..back on-line as of today! Be sure to leave blog comments and send e-mails! Sharon says, "Thanks so much for your comments- they are so encouraging!"

Sharon is feeling “the best she’s felt yet” today. She had a good night’s rest last night. The x-ray from yesterday came back clear and the Rheumatologist says that the swelling is edema caused by the medication for joint pain. She still has swelling today and the same hip pain.

Otherwise, she’s holding steady- pretty much the same as yesterday.

She says, “Thanks so much for all your support and prayers. When I was in ICU and feeling horrible, it was comforting to think of people praying for me. I think that people praying was what kept me in good spirits and helped me smile! God is good!”

She asks for prayer that she would “get back on her feet.” Also that she would be a light in this hospital and that God’s presence would be felt by everyone that comes into her room.
-Candice

Posted by Sharon Rice at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

I spent the day with Sharon again today. It is great to see her continuing to make steady progress. She was able to sleep better last night (due to a softer mattress!) and got a good nap this afternoon. Her sleep is often interrupted by check-ups so it's great that she's getting better rest. She still has a little hip tenderness and is walking slowly (she says "like an old lady.":) )She still has swelling in her arms and legs and it seems that one of the doctor's primary concerns right now is blood clots. She had a doppler ultrasound this afternoon to check for clots.

Her eye is also making slow improvement. She had another exam with her Ophthalmologist today. Dr. Apiwat said that her eyesight was 50/20 today, which is an improvement. He is optimistic that her eyesight will improve to 20/20 within the week. He could clearly see all the parts of her eye today (whereas a few days ago all he could see was cloudy with cells).

Every day, she continues to work on expanding her lungs with this machine to force out the fluid from her lungs.

A typical American hospital gift=flowers
A typical Thai hospital gift=milk or cans of chicken broth

Sharon says that she would be glad to receive your messages. Feel free to leave comments here for her to check or send her e-mail to her address. She will be checking periodically from her laptop in her room. Please don't expect an answer as she needs her rest and won't have time to answer everyone. But know she appreciates your care for her! Also, if you have questions, don't hesitate to e-mail us.

Blessings, Candice

Posted by Sharon Rice at 09:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

As most of you are aware, Sharon has been in the hospital for the last week. She was admitted due to stomach and muscle pain and after blood tests, it was determined that she had a bacterial infection in her blood (septacemia). Since then she's experienced blurred vision in one eye, leakage in her mitral valve of the heart, fluid on her lungs, swelling of the gall bladder, and low blood pressure among other things. She spent three days in a lot of pain in the ICU. On Sunday, March 23rd she was moved back to a normal, private room and has made significant improvement since then. She is currently experiencing joint swelling. Her eyesight is slowly improving. She has been treated throughout with antibiotics and will be in the hospital for at least another 10 days for continued treatment. She's in really good spirits and is being well taken care of. Samitivej Hospital is one of the best health care facilities in Bangkok and foreigners from other countries often come there for treatment. She has a great team of specialists looking after her. Also this week, someone from our team is with Sharon 24 hours a day (the hospital has asked us to do that for one week and then we'll do a regular visitation schedule after that).

For now, Sharon doesn't have e-mail access. We'll post another update soon with more information about how to contact her and leave messages. Also feel free to leave her messages here on the blog. She has her computer and should be able to see them soon.

Thank you for all your prayers during this time. Sharon has felt them and is so grateful for all your love and support. Here are a few pictures of her from 3/24.
-Blessings, Candice Mast (a member of Sharon's team)

Her first morning out of the ICU, Sharon finally got to sit up in a chair and talk to her brothers and sister- in- law.

Here is Sharon on her IV with one of her many kind, friendly and efficient nurses (most of the staff speaks English very well.)

Having some lunch. Sharon's appetite has been slowly coming back. She is also getting protein through her IV.

With her cardiologist, Dr. Apichai and her "breathing toy" that helps her expand her lungs.

Sharon is now able to have some visitors and some of her Thai friends have been stopping by (many have also called, very concerned about her). Here she is with one of her students and friends, Pen.

Posted by Sharon Rice at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

Today I did my tri-monthly visa run to Cambodia. The place I go feels like a hole in the wall kind of place, and there are always beggar children asking for money. I'm a sucker to begin with, but now these kids remember me and call me by name when I come. How do you say no to a host of hopeful, pleading eyes from children calling out, "Sharon, Jahm die!" (Sharon, we remember you!)

So I pulled out a set of 20-baht bills, but before I knew it, a mob had formed with a million and one little hands grabbing for the money, so I pulled back and replaced it in my purse. I told them they need to share, and then one little guy took charge, forming them into groups of 4, and I gave a some money to each group of 4.

Unfortunately, there were a whole host of others watching from the fringes, and when my little groups dispersed, there were many more to replace them. I finally had to say no, but it didn't stop them from trailing me and repeatedly asking for money "for school".

Below is the group of guys who got the last of the money I handed out.

After I took their picture, the bigger guy in the red shirt offered to take a picture of me with the group. He was thrilled to death to get to use my camera. It was fun just to see the broad grin on his face as he took the picture.

I have one more visa run to do in June, before returning to the States. I want to do something special for those children that last time--and have enough for everyone. I know, I'm nuts! (I won't do granola bars--I tried that one time, and they weren't very happy about it:).

Anyway, once back in Bangkok, as I was waiting for a bus, I saw a beggar man on the busy pavement. I have seen him before; he lies prostrate on the cement and pulls himself along little by little, his alms bowl in front of him. His one leg is shriveled in diameter to about the size of my wrist.

Sometimes I find myself in a real battle regarding beggars. I hear many conflicting stories. Who is genuinely a beggar? Some of them put on false fronts. Which ones are part of gangs that deposit various beggars at various vantage points around the city, and who don't benefit from the money they make because the gangs use it on alcohol and drugs? Would a nice meal be a better choice? What about simply making friends and chatting a bit? Or what about praying for them, even for healing for their deformities (oh ye of little faith--as well as little courage)?

Or maybe it doesn't really matter what is the truth if I am giving from the heart?? Sometimes when I walk past these people with a just-purchased 45-baht cup of iced coffee, I think, wow, I will pay 45 baht for something I don't even need and then blindly walk past someone in need without a second glance. Or, more likely, walk past on the other side, studiously avoiding looking into their eyes. What New Testament parable does that remind you of?

So, the battle in my mind continues, and sometimes I give and more often I don't. I think I'm rambling. That means it's time for me to get some sleep.

Feel free to comment any time on any blog! I really do like reading comments!

Posted by Sharon Rice at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Today was going to a "free day", a day to catch up on odds 'n ends around my apartment. Funny how things change. First, Kitti's wife, Ruung, called up to me to see if their 11-year-old son Gop could come study English for an hour this morning. We set the time to be 9:00, though he apparently decided to sleep in and arrived in my room about 10 or 10:30.

We studied for an hour, and I wasn't very sure how much got through (he was very distracted); but when it was time for him to leave, he didn't want to leave, so he looked at pictures on my computer, and then he decided he wanted to play Scramble, a fast word game on Facebook (a bit like Boggle). Hence, my scores on a game or two aren't exactly high.:) But it was fun.

Finally, I needed to go, as Pen, one of my other students, had invited me to lunch at her apartment down the street. I was to be there by 12:30, but considering I didn't ask Gop to leave until then, I arrived late for lunch. But Pen and I had a really nice time all afternoon eating and chatting together.

She showed me a magazine commemorating the 60th anniversary of the king's reign. It continues to amaze me how he is such a respected man everywhere in Thailand. But he has done a lot for all the people. Pen showed me the picture below and related a touching story. The woman in the magazine was 103 years old and had traveled very far to the province where the HM the King was to make an appearance.

She arrived about 6:00 in the morning, clutching a lotus flower which she intended to give to the king. She waited in the hot sun for 6 hours before the king came. When she gave him the flowers, they were already wilted, but he graciously accepted them from her with respect. After she met the king, she lived another 2 years, I believe, before dying at the age of 105.

The other picture in the magazine that I found interesting was the page showing the king's many dogs. Thai dogs, as they're called, i.e. stray dogs.:) He apparently rescued quite a few to be his pets, and as they belong to HM the King, they are referred to as "Khun............", whatever the name might be. "Khun" is typically the polite title by which to address people.:) Fun little piece of trivia.:)

So, as for the rest of my day, I came home for an hour or two, after which Lak, Kitti and Ruung's older son, came up for his English lesson. He is very much getting into studying English--a real switch from the past. We studied together for about 1 1/2 hours, when my tummy was beginning to growl (7:30 PM); but before he left, he asked me if he and Gop could come here again tomorrow morning to study. So tomorrow they will study for about an hour before I have to get ready to go to The Well and study Thai the remainder of the day.

Saturday will serve as a free day for me in the sense that I will be traveling alone on a nice tour bus to renew my visa in Cambodia. So I think that will be refreshing; I actually do enjoy that trip and that time to myself (though sometimes I have a chatty seatmate:).

I must go do my Thai homework now.:) Or maybe I will call my mom!;)

Posted by Sharon Rice at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Today I took one of my students (or rather he took me:) to meet Raul. They may be meeting together some more. I stayed to drink iced coffee with them before returning home. It was a really nice time together.

I left that meeting early to come back for a Bible study with a neighbor girl, but she had to cancel because her brother was visiting. She assures me she wants to re-schedule; I will talk with her on Tuesday evening when she comes to study English again.

Then, this evening I went down to the office to eat with Kitti's family before teaching English to Gop. We all laughed as I attempted to down one cooked chicken foot. I wish I had my camera with me; it was another experience where I really needed to follow the advice in Winnie-the-Pooh and remember "it takes mind over matter"!:)

While I was in the office, they told me the principal of Gop's school wants me to come teach English 2 days a week there. I am not so sure it will work out; I would certainly need to adjust my current schedule to include less. I am not so sure about teaching a whole class of 6th grade students who may or may not be interested in learning English. I am also thinking the school is too far away, as it is located in Bangkok and would likely take a good 1 1/2 hours to get there, at least if I am going during rush hour. So, I doubt this will happen, but one never knows....:)

Posted by Sharon Rice at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Final episode in Love Doves: baby dove hatches and promptly dies. Will there be another season? Stay tuned to find out.:)

Had a good day yesterday with an all-day team meeting and discussing more about doing church as small home groups.

Went to The Well today and delivered wedding pictures as promised. Will give the bride and groom a CD with my pictures as requested. Anita also took pictures and will put hers on a CD for them. Hers will undoubtedly be better--she's a great photographer!

Studied Thai from 4-6, came home and ate out on the street. Planned on coming directly in to my apartment because I am feeling tired. No, feeling exhausted.

Ended up chatting with the cashier inside the little mini-mart at my building for maybe 20 minutes. Started up the steps and ran into my new friend Joy in her room. So I stayed with her, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend's brother for probably close to an hour. Joy's boyfriend is a mechanic and would like to learn English to help him understand the English terms in his job. The security guard downstairs would like to learn English. It doesn't end.....

I came back to my apartment about 9:30 and my phone rang. It was my neighbor Dang. She invited me to a meal next week in honor of her friend's son who is being ordained to be a monk (Buddhist). She also wants me to teach English to her son.... I told her he is welcome to come to one of my existing classes. We'll see...

Sunday I have made plans with one of my English students to do a Bible study in my apartment. If she comes, it will be the first Bible study I've had since I've been here. Pray for God's presence and direction in that meeting.

OK, tidbits are becoming main course! Enough for now! More another day.:)

Posted by Sharon Rice at 10:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Yep, that's me!

Posted by Sharon Rice at 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

This evening Anita and I attended a wedding at The Well. If you remember pictures of cute little Chompoo, her mother and father married this evening. They have both become believers and wanted to get married. I was honored to attend.

Being a last minute person, I hurried to purchase a dress this afteroon before the wedding.:) I suddenly realized I have nothing in my wardrobe appropriate for dress-up occasions. Thanks to the certificate I just received yesterday, as well as a big sale going on at Central Department Store, I was able to purchase a cute dress, probably not something I would ever have thought about wearing in the US, or maybe not something I would even have been able to purchase in the US. But Thai style is rubbing off on me a little bit.:)

It is not expected that guests bring gifts to Thai weddings. Money is the standard gift. The first picture shows the "guestbook attendants/'gift receivers'". Cute, aren't they?:) They also handed out little "favors" to each guest, in this case little red roses to pin on your lapel.

Kai with his adorable little girl, Chompoo, before the wedding

Kai with a really nice friend of his:)

Two beautiful young ladies, one from Thailand and one from America:)

Miaw and Chompoo coming down the aisle

The wedding guests

The two videos below show parts of the ceremony. The first one is a group of Thais singing a song, and the second one shows Jim sharing a message--in Thai, none-the-less. I'm so impressed--he's been in Thailand only 3 1/2 years.

At one point the bride and groom were told they could exchange a kiss. They very shyly gave each other a kiss on the cheek.:) (maybe the kiss idea was American influence??)

Close to the end of the wedding, many of us gathered around the couple and prayed for them. It was not a "take your turn to pray" kind of prayer; rather, it was an "everybody pray at the same time" type of prayer. It was a beautiful moment to hear everyone pouring out their hearts to God in blessing this couple.

After the ceremony was finished, anyone who wanted could come up and get their pictures taken with the wedding couple. I, of course, wanted a turn or two with them.:)

Jim and Judy's family with Kai and Miaw (Jim and Judy are the directors of The Well)

The bride

There was even a cake cutting ceremony inside the house. Unlike American weddings, this was very obscure, with only a few observers. Celeste, also on staff at The Well, made the cake. Yummm! It was chocolate cake!

What a fun evening! Of course, I now have a lot of pictures to develop again.:0 Mai pen rai! (No matter)

Posted by Sharon Rice at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Today we handed out certicificates to my 2 Saturday English classes and did registration for the next level. We also had a potluck lunch. I never cease to be amazed at the variety of food available. Pictured below is the group that ate together. A couple people on the picture are not students, but have responsibilities at the church there.

My morning class (I also received a certificate--one to the local mall--yea!!!:)

My afternoon class and Pastor Num

After teaching at the church, I stopped at Lotus on the way home to do some grocery shopping. This evening I had my second consecutive evening of teaching Gop, the 11-year-old son of Kitti, the apartment manager. They have gotten into the habit of feeding me supper when I come down to the office to teach; they are absolutely too nice (nothing unusual for Thai people:)!

Tonight they served me some sort of fish stomach soup with what looked like angel-hair pasta, hardboiled egg, and a slightly sweetened broth. At least I THINK that is what it was; Kitti kept pointing to his stomach and saying "bplaa", the word for fish. Let's say this was one of the more difficult meals for me to finish, mainly due to the consistency of what I think was fish stomach? It seemed very much like lots of large chunks of fat. The flavor was actually good; I just had a hard time getting it past my eyes.:)

Posted by Sharon Rice at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)