Khap Khun Kha ...

Greetings, everyone, from the beautiful land of Thailand, and now from southern India!!

Internet seems to be quite rare, and with so much travel, we aren't in the same place for long. However, we thank you for keeping up with us, and for keeping us in your prayers!!! We are encountering difficult work, and will be able to post more often (and with pictures!) in the upcoming weeks. For now, though, please know that we are safe, well-fed, loved-on, and encouraged as we enter the heart of Christ through some of the poorest of the poor in our world.

Just as an itinerary update ... we spent our first week in Bangkok, where Word Made Flesh has previously established and is now newly establishing a community. We had an amazing time (ya'll know we love Thai food!), but were encountered with stark realities of the slums and the commercial sex industry in the city (more reflections later ...)

We were super excited, though, to meet Tim and Amy Hupe, along with baby Ella and soon to be born baby Ariel, who have JUST moved into the city to begin ministering and working there. They were so awesome -- while they have been planning this for quite some time, they picked up and moved with all they could manage to bring. Baby Ella is quite possibly the most amazing baby on the planet, and Amy and Tim are blessed with positive spirits in the midst of EVERYTHING (did I mention that Amy is 8+ months pregnant?!?) Please keep them in your prayers as they find a place to live in one of the largest slums in the city, prepare for the new baby, and simply enter into a state of deep learning and listening - from the Thai language and culture, to the needs and cries of those whom they will serve ...

We have landed now in Chennai in southern India -- it is almost completely untouched by the West, and we have seen almost NO foreigners in our area of town (as Chris Heuertz, director of Word Made Flesh who is traveling with us describes each place we visit ... "Just a heads up, this is real LOCAL ...") So, while it is difficult in ways (from the heat, to almost being run over, to the constant staring), we are really blessed to enjoy and experience such beautiful lands.

We will be in Chennai for another few days before taking the train to Kolkata, flying to Kathmandu, visiting Delhi before heading back to work in Kolkata for the remainder of the summer.

There is so much that we could say, and it is hard to know where to begin ... but we thank you for your thoughts and prayers toward us through it all. We will write again soon ...

Love,
Amey & Leia