i'm in

so, i'm here in phnom phen, cambodia! i'm doing well, although sleep deprived i am feeling quite well. anyways, i'm off to a hotel right now. just wanted to say that i am safe and that i'm doing well. please pray for my time at the thai embassy tomorrow as i will be applying for a 60 day visa... oh and things have been going amazing with money... God's moving through many divine appointments. anyways, in total i've probably saved around 3,000 Baht so far (100 bucks!)

anyways, God is faithful and thank-you for caring as well

oh visa!

okay! so, a long story short is that i got my education visa from the thai embassy. i was under the understanding that it i could leave the country and return to the country no problem under these circumstances. so, when i went to laos for new years i did not think that it was a problem. unfortunately the travel to laos voided my education visa right then and there, as my visa was not a re-entry visa and so i would have had to apply for a re-entry visa before i left thailand for the original education visa to not be voided. since i did not the education visa became void, and the tourist visa which i got automatically upon my return to thailand from laos came into effect as my legal visa.

with all that said, the visa i'm on now is tourist and therefore i cannot extend my education visa, as it is invalidated (is that even a word?! haha!) so, i have to leave the country in order to recieve another visa. i could go and recieve a 30 visitors visa (as they re-issue the visas every year, so i have a clean slate to get 2 more visas! (as i already got one from Laos this year and they only give 3 out a year)). after i recieved that visa i could apply for the education visa. but, since i'm leaving april 1st that means i'm only here for 2 more months... wow that's so short!(yes, i did get confirmation from the Lord on leaving that day, we'll see if all the flights work out for my travels after that, but i will be leaving on april fools day from thailand!) anyways there's a 60 day tourist visa which you can apply for if you go to a thai embassy in a different country. and since i'm only staying 2 more months (just under 60 days... it's cool how God works all the planning out perfectly, even through our imperfections... He sees beyond our imperfections!) i thought, "why not apply for a 60 day tourist visa in a thailand embassy in a neighboring consolute and then i won't have to pay a lot of money for the education visa, or go through all the paperwork?" so, although that sounds confusing, it just means that i'll be leaving the country (going to cambodia, almost for sure) and applying at the thailand embassy in cambodia for a 60 day tourist visa. so, that's where i'm at right now. although it sounds rather stressful, i've been quite relaxed during it all... knowing that Christ is in control, and although there's a lot of confusion, there's a peace just knowing that it'll all be alright.

with all that said, there are many complications which could come. i'm not focusing on them, but prayer is needed. God has been faithful and always will be, unfortunatly we're not the only one's who know that, satan does as well, and he's pretty interesting at how he tries to stop that faithfulness from truly happening. i know it will be okay, it's just quite a lot of things to think about.

also, just so you know and don't have too much pity on me, if i would've told my teachers that i was leaving the country i would have been able to walk through this smoothly, or with less halting demands. even though this is my fault, i'm actually finding it nice to be humbled. i've been asking for it and i need it and all i can say is that YOUR PRAYERS ARE WORTH MORE THEN GOLD! i know that people say this, but i mean it. all your prayers, thoughts and presence has comforted me a lot during this year/years of life. i want to thank-you all so much for the impact and influence you've made in my life, knowing it or not, your prayers have been felt. and i want to thank-you.

God's creative (especially in getting our attention)

so, yesterday was probably one of the most intense days ever. from burning buildings to racist peers... it just never gets dull here!

so, last night i was staying at roy and bonita's house 'cause they're gone for a while. and, since i have to look after the plants and since i didn't have to teach english the next day i decided to stay up late and relax in the morning... only to get a call at 4 am! our neighbors house (yes, the house that is actually attached to ours) caught on fire. the first 2 stories were ruined. so, ann's grandma, her nanny, pi nit and bebe came over while the rest went to the police station to say what they saw and ann also had to translate.

it was weird for the first while when i heard the news. i didn't know if our house was going to burn down, or how bad it was. i knew everyone was okay, so that was the greatest relief. there was a peace. like, the verses "even though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death i will fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me." also, "the Lord is my stronghold, of whom shall i be afraid, of whom shall i fear?" these verses just kept coming through my head... and all i could think of was God's sovereignty throughout it all.

going to thai class has been fun. but, yesterday this guy in class was just being very racist. i actually had to leave the class because i was so offended. he was sitting next to me and we had to do some conversation pieces together... anyways, i just don't get it. how are people racist? i mean, to understand that other cultures are different is more then valid. but, to say that you're better then another human being, is so demoting to not only the other person but to you as well. it shows an insecurity, because you have to prove whom you are by having a gap between you and the other person. it's like you have to keep that status gap so that you can never really validate or invalidate what your status of being better because you haven't understood the other person for whom they really are.

anyways, all the prayers are absolutely amazing for helping us through these hard times. the verses in ephesians 6 starting with verse 12 has been on my mind lately.
"For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of the heavenly places". it then goes on to talk about putting on the full armour of God (the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes to proclaim the gospel of peace, shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation). this armour is for the body of Christ and i just want to thank-you for helping me be a lamb among the wolves. your prayer has helped me more then i could ever express and it's been astounding to see the verse "greater is the spirit that is within you, then the spirit of this world" actually come into play.

e-mail danaekrahn@gmail.com i love hearing from you!

a little taste of the philippines

so, i'm looking through all of my pictures of outreach, and i thought that since i'm going through them, why not share them, right? so, here are some of the good ones, fun ones, and informative ones in regards to the philippines (that's the country i'm on right now)...



let's start off with the beautiful philippines! the boats here recieve their stability through the two rods on the sides. this takes up much more area, but it seems to work well for them.



this was on our way to another island of the philippines. the ports there look much different then the ones we're used to. they'd back in and out as needed, always seeming to weave their way around breaking too much. from massive boats carrying many passangers as well as cargo to small one-man boats (usually bringing the extra cargo or passangers left behind).



these were some of the local children that i got to know in the philippines. they were so cute! we spent time here with the local church, school and mainly just getting to know the locals. (oh, and i almost forgot to mention the sun-burn!)



this was the family which we stayed with. they are an amazingly hospitable. they have been working in the area for probably just over 3 years now. and i really enjoyed getting to know them, and the father especially helped our team with a lot of handy local information.



this girl was part of the family whom hosted us while we were at a small island in the philippines. she slept in the same room as the rest of her family (with her parents and her younger brother). but we both slept in such a way that we could see each other while the lights were still on, so we would try to make each other laugh by different funny faces or by using any type of sign language we could think of... it was pretty fun!



beautiful children whom live on a rather small island of the philippines (which can only be arrived at by boat). they were SO cute! we had a church service there with one of the pastors in the area. it was interesting getting in and out of the boats.



this was our "main house" in the philippines. we spent time with the youth multiple times as well as some other groups. it was quite interesting, and there was a variety of youth as they were all coming because this organization was paying for their schooling, and therefore would make it mandatory to attend the events. they were fun, of course. but, very interesting as well... especially 'cause the cultures very different. i mean, in canada or wherever else other then the asian countries mainly, you would not see girls holding hands or guys holding hands. but, it's common there. so, it's different because you almost feel a little bit taken aback by the "affection"... but then there's also relatively no flirting from guy to girl 'cause it's more of a commitment when or if you would date or even flirt with someone. anyways, just a little insight into what has been seen so far.



this is me in the philippines eating balut (or trying to make myself worked up to it). balut is a philippine's delacacy (also known as torture in the west). they kill the baby duckling before it is hatched by boiling the egg... and then you eat it. it also comes in chick (what variety). as for a recovering vegetarian... that was probably one of the most discusting thing i've ever had to eat! (but, i don't regret it at all... when in the philippines, do as the filipinos do!)


and some just for fun!


this one's for you dad...




i don't know why... but i love this picture!



the fish in the market...



they're pretty good!



this is just me, being me!



happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to.... me. (i know i act my age)

just some thoughts (again!)

so, i just came back from watching the movie, "Eastern Promise". i liked it. although i would not recommend it or encourage many to see it, i liked it because it showed the rawness of life. how there's hard times, good times, and sometimes it's even hard to see who's on which side... and if it even matters in the end. so much of the time we "pick sides". i've seen it many times. we'll stand on a problem, or state of opinion until we get tired of being the "king of the castle" on that problem and switch to something else that matters more. it's like we've become detached. detached from really caring about things and become opinionated to make us look like we care about something. i've just seen so many people say that "starvation should end" and yet committing gluttony (myself included), others say, "child labour should be banned" and yet the "designer labels" which they associate themselves with support the very thing. we shout until we're blue in the face. sometimes i just wish that we would loose our voice, so we'd think more and then hopefully do things out of a good heart.

i'm not sure if what i'm writing makes much sense, and i know that this blog can seem more overwhelming then helpful or informative at times, but the fact is that these are the passions on my heart. these are the thoughts i have. and, although i am not physically there with many of you, i want to be somewhat connected on a deeper level then, "this is what i did today". 'cause in the end what would you remember, what my day looks like or interesting ideas? i say interesting 'cause i'm not taking the stance of "having it all together"... 'cause that would be a lie. i don't. i cry. i have hard days. and some days i even think of coming home. it's hard... but that doesn't mean that we stop. it means that we allow Christ to keep on going. i know that there's a lot of people whom feel that way. stressed. burnt out. ready to give up. trying to fight the lonely feeling. and, i just want to say that we're not alone. there's many of us trying to follow Christ with our hearts. having tremendous joy along with much sorrow. realizing needs of others, and yet struggling to know our place amidst the suffering. so, that's why i spend more time writing thoughts, ideas and passions... to show that i care, and that individuals matter (wealthy or poor... we're all a little taste of Christ, even if it's hard to fathom)

i guess it may be homesickness... ok, so i miss home!

so, bonita and roy and gone as of tomorrow morning. i'm kinda nervous about being here for a month without their guidance. they've become a great source of life for me! they've been mentors, elders, confidors, friends and so much more. i'm excited for their time in california as they will be able to connect with some really great friends as well connect with their close relatives out there. i'm just a little nervous.

so, i'll be teaching english every monday, tuesday, thursday and friday (ann ususally teaches friday but she may be gone). i teach from 10 am to 11:30 am. only to scarf down lunch and go off to thai class from 1-4. i've got some great friends there...

it's hard for me lately though 'cause well, for the last year i've been on my feet so much that i have been moving from one place to the next within 3 months or less. since grad the longest place that i've stayed in one place is 7-8 months. and, now that i'm hitting less of a culture shock and more of a living atmosphere i feel kinda drained. the sense of community which i used to find quite redily is now all of a sudden drained... or just completed in a different sense. it's hard for me to relate to others out here... and it's just different. they don't have any physical touch, rarely a hug, kiss or any physical affecion in public. it's just different and sometimes i wish i could just "get it" and "relate perfectly"... but i can't and that's real life.

also, the more i think about going home the more i realize that this whole experience will also make it difficult to be able to related to others back at home. not in the "hugs" sense, but in the deeper, traveling sense. there's so much that is learnt over traveling... it makes you have more of an outward focus, and its' hard when you're not directly affected by some injustice to care about it. i totally understand that. but, it's different now and i just don't know how it's going to be when i go home (regarding the whole "fitting in" kinda thing). i may be wrong (and i hope i am actually), but i think this could be very likely.

i was writting in my journal saying that i don't dig my roots down deep within the place i stay but rather the people i meet. it seems more like there are certain people i connect with, and as the countries change the faces do too, but the connection and love from others is always there. thank-you for that love and for allowing those relationships/friendships/whatever you want to call them, bond and mold us into whom we are. i've learnt more about myself through others and Christ then me thinking about it. i've noticed the love and the joy and the peace and the true care for and from others. thank-you for your care and lives which i can be connected to. with that said, please contact me if you'd like.

God is love. Infinite... whole... love.

i love God and He loves me... but what about the rest of the world? seriously?

i've come to notice that satan isn't scared about "Christians" staying in their cliques and will not put much effort into messing things up for them because they don't mess things up for him. i put Christians in quotations because i think that the word Christian has been abused by so many that it has lost many of it's core roots. it's become a label rather then a passion for the name of the true and only Christ. when did a Christian become just a Christian rather then someone representing Christ... not because we're perfect, but because Christ is?

a more real update then the last... (depending how you look at it)

so as much as i like to just talk, i guess that i could update a little bit more of what's actually (events) going on.

k, so went to northern thailand for new years. it was sweet to say the least. the memories are unforgettable and i actually can't think of any negatives which happened... it's amazing how it's changing from focusing on the negatives to falling in love with whatever positives you can get.

came back from travels and decided that although there's tones to do i won't stress. roy and bonita are leaving in 6 days to go back to california for 1 month! so, i may be living at their place, but probably only for some nights, as all i really need to do there is water the plants... i have too much fun staying on my feet at the house to be in a house all alone. (but, with needed rest, i think that i could give up a couple of "sleep-overs").

so, i'm making up the application for the interns, volunteers, and the information package that they would get when others get here. i don't really feel adequate to do it, but that's nothing really knew! i'm not saying that 'cause i'm insecure, don't get me wrong, it's just funny 'cause like i was saying on the last post, it's just realizing what really matters is Christ is adequate, so i'll start on that when they're gone.

i'm also thinking about my "travels"/fastest approach home after this. i may "rest" in europe (as i originally made some stops there with the ticket i made through school (in NZ)... so it may be difficult to not stop somewhere in europe), and yet i'm thinking that i may be more overwhelmed by the whole experience more then anything. let me explain... it's about the expected culture shock.

i accidentally came across a website today while looking up a historian's name... and i came accross... cupcakes! they were the most beauiful cupcakes i have probably ever seen. there's so much effort put into the pictures, the layout of the website, everything. everything looked perfect. and, i could barely hold my ralph in.

now, i'm not saying this so that you throw out all your cupcakes. i'm saying this 'cause there's such a vastness of the world. a vastness of plenty to a vastness of nothing.

anyways, i would love to hear from you guys... and i love all of your prayers. thank-you so much and i'm thinking of you.

God is amazing! he's been so faithful throughout this whole time. like, just with people i meet. the other day i went out for coffee... and met this lady who has her masters in business. this sounds random but we got on the topic of "buddhism" and "christianity" and saw parallels of what Jesus said and Buddha said. it was amazing how many there are... i would challenge you to look into it. Buddha did say that there was going to be someone coming after him who was greater then him. i said that i wondered if Buddha was talking about Jesus. it was a really interesting conversation!

i'm also in thai classes right now. and, the day before they started i was like, "God, i'd really like to not feel alone." ('cause you can feel that sometimes) and, guess what?! well, you'll never guess, so i'll just tell you... there are 3 ladies learning thai from ohio... they're with an outreach team which is in short a mennonite focused YWAM! 3 menno ladies, in thailand, that are following Christ... i mean how much closer can you get to where i'm at?! God answers prayers!

i'm also meeting really cool friends. producers. prostitutes. politicians. architects. doctors. beggars. missionaries. it's just so cool! i love God and i love being with him. there's this awe in him. this awe of love and this awe of seeing who he really is...

update # 4 i guess it would be

so, as far as updates go, i could try to convince you that what's going on here is outrageous, should be stopped and everyone should rethink their whole lives because of it... but that's a lie. personally, i don't want you to change because of a world event, i'd much rather you change for Christ (or should i rather say care for Christ). one of my biggest pet peeves is when someone comes home from missions and think that they can all of a sudden "change the world". if there's something i've learnt throughout this whole time, it's that i can do NOTHING without Christ. God doesn't want us to get-up-and-go! He wants us to BE with Him. that's what i challenge you with in this update because that's what i've learnt the most within the course of this new year. just to BE with Christ. you might be saying, well how the heck do i do that? you don't. stop doing. start allowing yourself to be saturated with Christ. this may actually mean taking a sabbath day (which actually just means resting). are you resting in the arms of Jesus or taking too much time to please him... or prove him whom you really are? don't worry about that. God knows you (probably more then given credit as He made you). so, you can stop proving yourself to Him. He misses you when you're not with Him because really all He wants to do is to be with you as well (notice God's first question to Adam and Eve, "where are you?"... He missed them!). God will meet each and everyone of us exactly where we are at if we just allow Him. and, that's what i've learnt the most within the time i gave you my last update.

Paths of Life

so, to be completely honest, everything has seemed a little overwhelming lately. there's a "western bangkok" which you don't even get into the culture, let alone get out of your comfort zone... and then there's "thai bangkok". like i told my friend in an e-mail "it's like a different world and i'm the alien actually trying to get into the culture." it's overwhelming in the sense that everything which you used to equate some relevance/identity/purpose in your life is all of a sudden stripped from you. it's like your looking for something to grab for your identity, and all the old luxuries are not there anymore... there's nothing for you to truly identify yourself with... except Christ. and, it's hard because when there's been so much emphasise on your personal capabilities to all of a sudden just accept the fact that Christ will love you regardless of what you've done, where you are, what you will do, or any other excuse you can give for Christ to not love you; well, it puts you in such a vulnerable position as you finally accept that Christ is everything and you are not! it shows your incapablity, and anyone who knows me deeper then surface will know that it's hard for me to address confrontation. confrontation shows that there is an essence of imperfection, and imperfection seems like you're not living up to the standards which you should be. but, that's an outrageous standard when you actually think of it. when we try to be perfect, we put the emphasise off of the grace of Christ and onto our capabilities. anyways, that's what's been going on in my heart lately. it's been difficult to address key problems, and i'm learning what surrendering everyday actually looks like. it's hard, but good... that seems to be the theme!



anyways, as for events, i went to Northern Thailand/Laos for the New Years. it was amazing. i met some amazing friends... along wih their 2 twins! and, spent some real quality time with Ann, her daughter and her nanny as well... it was just so much fun!

it was a nice time to breathe and have some time to clear my head, as well as learn more about different problems around the world (reading books). anyways, i hope that you all had an amazing new year. i'll see you this year!

what's going on?

dieing is not only a symbol of ending. this has been bought into in many societies. death produces the "means to the end" which we are all looking for. but when a seed dies, and falls to the ground, what does it produce? a whole new plant, greater then what it simply was itself. when when a person dies, what do they produce? lasting memories which affect future generations. that's why i'm opposed to war. war kills people, and makes division in many nations. there will always be people who do not aggree and those who are messed up, and i'm not saying that i aggree with people whom are like that, i am saying that what they have dicated will not meerly be gone when they are. there is more to life then just breathing. it's the whole thought-process. and, that's what i want us/everyone to ask. why do we do the things we do?

no one's better or worse, we're all different. and although some don't believe that as truth, i would challenge them to question why they think that. choices we made may have been worse or better, but the fact is that anyone is capable of evil. anyone! but a deeper question is why do we do evil? what motivates us to do negative things, or to believe lies? i think it has to do with our core beliefs. what do you believe about God, and how does that effect how you think about yourself? what do you want to allow to "die off" this coming year? death to produce more life. i challenge us to look at our core beliefs about God and see how Christ wants us to shed off an old layer of skin to become a little more exposed to Christ.

(excert from nov. 6 entry)
"live rahter then pretending to. a sacrificial life. not for ourselves and not as a means to weisle our way into anything. meery to change because we're sick of faking. sick of pretending. sick of masks. and sick of pretending the "status system" works. just face it. does it matter if you're the best or the worst in what you do? it's just doing. it's futile if it's not with the right attitude. it's just doing to prove... to prove what?! you can do something? everyone can do things. why are you doing it?"