Speaking of warming up, its actually really cold here! This morning as I type, it is 12 degrees C (54 degrees F). In that states, especially Southern California, 54 degrees is definitely chilly. Here it seems downright freezing because the houses are made of cement, with zero insulation, and no heating! Whatever the temperature is outside, its the same inside, if not slightly colder. So I'm happily wearing jeans, two or more layers of shirts, scarves, socks (how crazy is that?), shoes (instead of sandals - thats even crazier than wearing socks!) and one or two of the few jackets I have here. Its cold! But that makes it feel a but more like Christmas.
I'm looking forward to a few fun things over break! My friend Rachel, who is currently living and teaching in Zambia, Africa, will be here tomorrow and staying for a week! I can't wait to take her around and show her my city. It will be a very quick trip, but we plan it fill every day with fun things you can only do in Thailand! Christmas should be relaxing. I will spend Christmas Eve with Kosharah's (my roommate, teaching partner, and one of my closest friends here :) family and then head over to my family's house to spend the night and Christmas day with them and their team. Our house is doing a stocking exchange, so each of us has a stocking to stuff for one other person in the house. We drew names a few weeks ago and will have exciting times starting new traditions.
Also this Christmas break, I will take the time to see a doctor regarding allergy testing. Backstory to that: in an attempt to solve my acid reflux and headaches, which many of you know I've dealt with since Junior High, I stopped eating gluten back in August. I was able to go off of the medicine I taken daily for a long time, which was so great! However, my trip to China was hard because almost everything I ate had soy sauce or noodles. So after eating it all week in China, I went back on my medicine to help my body along. Then I ran out of the medicine and my body seemed to freak out. I started having tightness in my chest; I thought I was having a heart attack, so Kosharah took me to a doctor. His diagnosis was that, 1) My acid reflux was bad, 2) I'm allergic to something else and 3) The stress and anxiety I was feeling was making everything worse. He put me on several medications and recommended I get allergy testing done. Additionally, the past few weeks I have seen a chiropractor who also specializes in special diets (an expat from the UK). While none of this is life threatening, it certainly would make life more comfortable if I didn't feel sick to my stomach, with a headache, and tired all the time!
As this year comes to a close, I think of all the wonderful ways God has provided for me. With Rachel coming, to time off, to fun times with my students, to financially providing the money for the doctors visits. I am so thankful to Him for all the people He has put in my life, both here in Thailand, and back in the States! He is faithful, even as I am unfaithful; I can see His hand in the ups and the downs as He matures me and draws me closer to Him. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
