Happy Summer 2021! We wish you all lots of fun and rest, as we have been having. There has been a surge in new COVID cases in Bangkok, paired with slower than desired vaccine rollout, which has caused restrictions to tighten and things like in-person dining and shopping to shut down. 

If the pandemic wasn’t enough, we woke up the other night thinking someone was rattling our front door. We found out the following day that it was due to a huge factory explosion 7km away. We are thankful that God protected us and those we know from dangerous smoke, and for the wind that blew it away from our direction. Prayers for those who fought the fire and were exposed.

Silver Linings

Parks and pools had opened for a time shortly after the school year ended, and we were able to enjoy them before the most recent 2-4 week shutdown that just began. Currently, we are to stay within our neighborhood, in-home as much as possible, only crossing checkpoints for vaccinations, which we hope to get next week. Rain has been drizzling more frequently and we saw a rainbow for the first time in Thailand!

How we have “adventured” creatively…

We “hiked” from home, around parks and neighborhoods.

While open, we ferried across the Chao Phraya River to an art gallery!

Chances to “staycation” in the heart of the city a few weeks ago were refreshing! We visited a fancy mall while malls were still open and tried new restaurants via take-out to the room, since we cannot eat in public. We also jumped into opportunities to swim in Bangkok hotels’ stunning rooftop pools with skyline views!

Around the house…

We have been cooking with new-to-us produce (bitter gourd pictured below), establishing go-to meals in anticipation of a new school year, and making our own traditional Thai chili fish sauce! We also made soymilk for the first time, used the pulp in pizza dough, and have been honing our Chinese Jok and Indian Upma skills. We are kind of obsessed with these savory breakfast dishes!

Exercise has been a blessing. It refreshes us, lifts our outlook, and helps us stay strong when we do not get as much daily activity as we would like. Live workouts with coworkers have been a blast! We even had the chance to create ceramics with friends, and share dinner and play games with neighbors. The two of us have painted with watercolors together and are enjoying slow mornings and evenings of Rummikub.

Baking has been a creative outlet and sweet way to connect with the community. Lyndsey absolutely lights up when she gets to give cookies to friends in the parking lot and even our “Thai mammas” in the garage (who now know our orders by heart).

Lyndsey finished her first virtual nutrition workshop and the Burmese version has been sent to her contacts in Mae Sot. You can check out the English video (unlisted on YouTube) here! She continues meeting with her ICS mentee, studying Thai, and is brainstorming successive nutrition workshops for the maternal and child population in Mae Sot. 

Jonathan has been working on his curriculum development and assignment clarity. He is encouraged about the chance this upcoming year brings to build upon last year’s hard work. Prayers for Thailand’s COVID-19 situation and its impact on this upcoming school year. We look forward to what God has in store for ICS and this country, and to new ways He gives us to be a part of His story! 

Sending our love,

J+L Preg