Priceless!!

Airplane flight halfway around the world...$1500
Cell phone bill making international calls...$400
International phone card...$50
Box filled with goodies from home...PRICELESS!!

Dinner "Thai Style"

After our trip to the market, our teacher Khruu Too, cooked us a Thai meal. It is called phatsii'iw (which translated means fried with soy sauce) She kept asking us if we had any soy sauce, and when we showed her our bottle of Kikkoman-she laughed and said that's not soy sauce. I had baked a chocolate chip cake and offered her a piece of it. When I asked if it was too sweet for her, she said, "oh, no I like chocolate". No wonder we get along so well!!

Buying vegetables

At the market we bought some different vegetables. There were vegetables we had not only never seen, but we didn't know what to do with them. Some of them look like weeds. And some of them have a very different smell.

Day at the Market

Last Saturday Sydney, Kelli, Aubrey and our Language teacher Khruu Too (pronounced toe) went to the market to practice our conversation techniques. We were able to get a taxi, buy vegetables and meat (Kelli is picking out some pork in the picture)
and order lunch. It was a good experience and we made it back home safely!!

Visit to some Hill-tribes

I just returned from a trip to some Hill-tribes near the boarder.
We were visiting friends and seeking new opportunities for our company.
Please keep these new opportunities in your prayers.
Seeking the right contextual strategy.
Russ.

Russ' new toy

What is Russ doing :
a = using a metal detector ?
b = snake hunting ?
c = mowing the yard ?

Though not as big as our yard back home, I enjoy working in the yard for recreation.
It provides a good break from long hours of language learning.

The local "national" yard keeper, who was clipping the neighbors yard with hand clippers, watched me in amazementt as I broke out this amazing new tool. Really.
He will probably ask to borrow it.
I'll feel guilty if he cuts his foot off.
Russ.

Snake bites the dust / shovel

Meet Fred. Fred is now dead. (the snake Aubrey killed in our yard wile I was away.)
Like Indy Jones - I hate snakes.
The girls are learning to do many things that are out of their comfort zones.
I continually am amazed at their bravery and growth in adversity.
A proud Dad.

Russ' deep sea fishing adventure

I just returned from a 3 day deep sea fishing trip with some Team members from the company. We chartered a boat (Indiana Jones esq.) - left from southern Thailand and sailed over 100 miles (13 hours) out towards Indonesia.

Wow, what an adventure I will not soon forget !

We caught a lot of fish, but mostly we had some great times of fellowship and planning.

I caught some Red Snapper (I found out why they call them "Snapper"), a stingray, a 32 inch barracuda, some squid (did you know that squid squirt a black ink at you when you take them off the hook, yeah, neither did I)... and a 10 foot piece of steel cable from a wrecked ship.

The food, well we ate what we caught (squid & rice soup the first morning). Good thing I love seafood.

It was great to have this get-away with the guys.

The girls did fine while I was gone... including Sydney driving out on the main roads and Aubrey killing a snake in our yard.

Experiencing a sharp learning curve,

Russ & the girls.

Gulf of Thailand

Baracuda !



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Valentines Day

Roses for my valentine.
Russ taking advantage of living in the land of flowers.
100 Baht ($ 3.oo) what a deal.
Guess who gets flowers a lot.

Winter in Thailand - 90 *

Russ planting banana trees in our back yard.

A good opportunity to work up a good sweat. Looking forward to the fruit.

New SEA Team Blog site

This is our new Blog site. Pass the word.
In an attempt to provide better communication which can include photos, we are moving to this new site.
So bear with us as we develop this site over the next few weeks.
Your critique and input is always appreciated.

Note: We welcome comments from you ... just click on "Comment".
RB Family.
CRCC SEA Team Leaders.

Note: Last post from: http://www.bridgesoverwater.com/ : (Old site - no longer maintained).

Happy March 1st
Can you believe it’s March already? Kelli, Aubrey and I are so excited–We passed the first course in Thai Language school!! We have graduated to Conversational Thai!! Now we are learning how to order from a restaurant, greet people and go to the market. We are so excited when we can understand how much we owe for something.

We have new Korean neighbors who have moved in. They have asked us to teach them English. So, Kelli is teaching the 5 and 10 year old. And I am teaching a friend of theirs. She is a sweet lady that has two kids and wants to learn how to understand what she is saying in English. I didn’t know the English language was so full of slang and unnecessary words. We are thankful to be given the opportunity to be a blessing to them.

It is getting hot here! We are beginning the hot, dry season. In June the hot, rainy season will begin.

We are looking forward to a group from CRCC coming to see us in June.

Aubrey got a new puppy. She is a two month old shit-zu. White with brown spots named Sadie.

Take care–We’ll write more later.

Sydney