July Update
Friends & Family,
This past week I've seen several people sharing about how we often want instant results, but that good things usually come through a lot of waiting, hard work and perseverance. So often I (Kayla) wish to just skip ahead, for things to move faster so we can get to the exciting part of whatever it is we're doing. This season here in Thailand has been incredible, but sometimes it feels like it has been the slowest of slow starts.
This last week Adam and I had the incredible opportunity to travel about three hours south of Bangkok to spend our 5 year anniversary at the beach. It was an incredible time of rest, reflection and connection and also eating a lot of really yummy food. Hallelujah. As I reflected over the past 6 months during the week I was feeling frustrated about how slow our start has felt. Language learning takes (a lot of) time and can feel like one step forwards two steps back, adjusting to a new culture just takes time, finding new community and friends takes time, and COVID has certainly not helped speed up the process.
But as I reflected and felt frustrated at how slow and simple our beginning has felt, I felt the Lord speaking to my heart. He was reminding me that he told us to go low and slow, that we are here for the long game, that he himself had a very slow start, performing his very first miracle 30 whole years after his arrival on earth. I felt the Lord urging me to lean in to this slow season and let him work in me and in our lives as we prepare to launch into the fullness of what he has for us here in Thailand, even though don't know right now how that will look or when it will happen.
We just found out a few days ago that due to significant increases in COVID cases Bangkok will be fully locking down for the next 14 days. At first I felt so defeated and frustrated, we are so so so ready for this to be over and I even was feeling jealous of all our friends and family in the US who are rapidly moving back towards regular pre- covid life. But I heard Jesus speak to me and simply say 'study and pray'.
I believe Jesus is giving us this season to intercede for this nation, to learn this language, and grown in love for the Thai people. While that isn't glamorous or even all that exciting, I believe its going to be essential for building the foundation of what is to come. He isn't surprised or thrown off by the circumstances we are facing, His timing is perfect and it our sole job to trust and obey. His plan is bigger and better than anything I could ever come up with. So we're going to go His speed, low and slow, waiting and praying while we wait for when He tells us what's next.
Overlooking the ocean on Monkey Mountain in Hua Hin Beach
June seemed to go fast and was filled with fun, new friends, lots and lots of studying and trying to force our minds to read and comprehend this crazy and amazing language. I am proud to report that after four weeks/20 days/60 class hours (plus homework time) of studying 44 consonants and 32 vowel combinations, we are able to sound out words at the rate of a frustrated kindergartener and occasionally produce a semi- legible sentence. Just kidding, kind of, but seriously we are thrilled to be able to read *some* signs and have the foundation we need to keep growing our reading and writing skills.
We got to participate in Iris Global's Iris Asia and Australia gathering on Zoom, it was super encouraging to spend time with other Iris missionaries in Asia and hear from Heidi and Rolland Baker as well as Will Hart (Iris Global's CEO). It was a lot of fun and we are so honored and blessed to be a part of such an awesome organization that is Iris Global.
Iris Global's Asia and Australia Gathering via Zoom
Around 80 missionaries attended the gathering.
Prayer Requests:
Pray that COVID numbers will go down and that the Thai Government will be able to get and distribute all the vaccines needed to help get things under control.
Pray that we would steward this time of studying, praying and building our foundation well.
Pray that we would stay healthy mentally and physically during this time of increased COVID and being stuck inside most of the time.
Pray with us for Thailand and the Thai people, that their hearts would be opened to Jesus.
Not a prayer request, but we love haring from you so please feel free to send us an email, text or set up a zoom to catch up, we have lots of time on our hands!
We love hearing from you, if you'd like to reach out you can just reply to this email. If you are interested in seeing more of our daily life please follow us on instagram @kaylacoupe and @coupetroop (I (Kayla) also try to post my IG stories on Facebook Stories)
Much Love,
Adam and Kayla Coupe