Arrival in Chiang Mai

Gonzalez Family in Thailand Vol. 2, No. 2

"The hardest thing about getting started, is getting started."

-Guy Kawasaki

A Bit of a Rough Start...

As we reported in our last update, our first two weeks in Thailand were spent in mandatory quarantine at a state regulated hotel. It was the first time in our lives that we did not leave a 30 meter radius for 14 days. It wasn't as bad as it might sound. In many ways it provided the rest and stillness that I think God knew we needed. Then, on our final night, Emily had an unfortunate accident on the playground we were allowed to visit twice a day. The fall was severe enough that we had to take an ambulance to the ER. The ER doc initially believed we were headed for immediate surgery. However, once the surgeon evaluated the injury he determined that such action was not necessary. Fortunately, we were sent back to the hotel later that same night with instructions to see a dentist as soon as possible. We flew to Chiang Mai the next day and Emily and I went straight to a hospital to consult with a dentist, who determined that her injury was not as bad as initially thought. Thus, we went from the possibility of immediate surgery to just letting the body heal itself within the span of about 20 hours. We call that an answered prayer. While we were thankful for that outcome, the entire ordeal was an additional stressor as we were transitioning to Chiang Mai in the midst of a (relative) Covid resurgence in Thailand.

Emily and the hotel nurse that helped coordinate her care with the hospital.

Night before at the hospital in Bangkok

We knew getting settled in CM was going to bring its own challenges. Fortunately God provided great help through the Lanna Theological Center staff and other connections to help us navigate the first few days. Sara and I were on stimulation/information overload everyday that first week. We spent much of those first few days unpacking and repairing a few things around the house (a week of cold showers never killed anyone). Things got a little easier once I mustered up the courage to start driving around day 5. It has been awhile since I have driven a manual transmission and I have never driven on the left side of the road, so let's just say I was a little nervous. We had to deal with a problem with customs regarding some boxes that we shipped over which added an unexpected cost to the move but we eventually got it figured out. All of our stuff arrived in tact, and we are thankful God allowed it all to come together.

The other challenge we had to deal with the first two weeks was getting our visa situation squared away. The uncertainty of Covid seems to have had a significant impact on most immigration processes here in Thailand. The language school that is sponsoring our visa is figuring out the process as we go and the uncertainty presents yet another opportunity to trust God. As I write this update, we still have a few more hoops to jump through before we get our long term visas but the school we are working with is confident we will get there. I have been told that the visa process is a point of stress for most if not all expats here. Thus, we just have to continue working through it with patience and perseverance.

Heads Above Water

Despite the challenges of the first two weeks, we have started to feel like our heads are fully above water. We might even say we are starting to swim a little, rather than just stay afloat. Sara and I have begun language school and the girls have resumed their homeschool curriculums. Katie is working hard to continue her dual credit courses and study for the ACT. Miriam and Priscilla are back into the groove of school in addition to Thai language classes twice a week. Emily is focused on reading and Isaac is growing fast (as kids of his age tend to do). There hasn't been much time for fun or rest but we have tried many different Thai dishes and Sara and I even made it out on a date while the girls began their evaluation of Chiang Mai's offering of pizza.

First day of language school

Date night (we had no idea how to eat at this place)

Peace and Contentment

We knew there would be no way we could anticipate what it would feel like to live here. Obviously we have just begun and the next few years will involve a lot of learning. However, we can say that we have a great deal of peace about being here. There is no shortage of opportunities to show the love of Christ to the sweet people of Thailand. The effects of Covid have highlighted the need for discipleship and proclamation of God's Word. Sara has already begun to develop a couple of relationships that we hope will grow into some form of discipleship and I have had the opportunity to have at least one Gospel conversation with someone I met. We look forward to working through language school and slowly getting involved with the great work that is being done at Lanna Theological Center.

Sara using our new "dryer"

Building new relationships

Specific Prayer Requests

• That our visa situation gets resolved soon.

• That we progress steadily through language school. It's already getting difficult.

• That the kids continue to get settled and make new friends.

• That we get to be used by God in the building of His Kingdom.

Giving Statements

For those of you who have given financially to our ministry we want to once again say thank you for making this work possible. We are continually humbled by your support and God's provision. The organization that handles the financial aspect of our work, New Horizons Foundation, does not automatically send out year end tax statements. If you are in need of a record of your contributions please go to www.newhorizonsfoundation.com and setup a user account where you can access records of your giving at any time. Or you can contact support@foundationhelpdesk.com. If you would like to talk to someone at New Horizons you can call (800) 531-4075. If all else fails just reach out to me and I will do whatever I need to do to help.

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3: 13-14

The 90s called and said we could borrow their van.

Believe it or not, it was actually pretty good.

Isaac still getting away with not wearing a mask