Reminder about your invitation from Avin Houghland

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This is a reminder that on October 7, Avin Houghland sent you an invitation to become part of his or her professional network at LinkedIn.

Follow this link to accept Avin Houghland's invitation.

https://www.linkedin.com/e/i8oy5x-gfgnw14d-4t/doi/1756991369/kPkiGuCi/gir_194023965_1/EML-inv_17_rem/

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On October 7, Avin Houghland wrote:

> To: [post.imaginethailand.avin@squarespace.com]> From: Avin Houghland [ahoughla@gmail.com]> Subject: Avin Houghland wants to stay in touch on LinkedIn>> I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.> > - Avin Houghland

The only way to get access to Avin Houghland's professional network on LinkedIn is through the following link:

https://www.linkedin.com/e/i8oy5x-gfgnw14d-4t/doi/1756991369/kPkiGuCi/gir_194023965_1/EML-inv_17_rem/

You can remove yourself from Avin Houghland's network at any time.

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-- (c) 2010, LinkedIn Corporation

Reminder about your invitation from Avin Houghland

LinkedIn------------

This is a reminder that on October 7, Avin Houghland sent you an invitation to become part of his or her professional network at LinkedIn.

Follow this link to accept Avin Houghland's invitation.

https://www.linkedin.com/e/i8oy5x-gf6pqvfw-1a/doi/1756991369/kPkiGuCi/gir_194023965_0/EML-inv_17_rem/

Signing up is free and takes less than a minute.

On October 7, Avin Houghland wrote:

> To: [post.imaginethailand.avin@squarespace.com]> From: Avin Houghland [ahoughla@gmail.com]> Subject: Avin Houghland wants to stay in touch on LinkedIn>> I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.> > - Avin Houghland

The only way to get access to Avin Houghland's professional network on LinkedIn is through the following link:

https://www.linkedin.com/e/i8oy5x-gf6pqvfw-1a/doi/1756991369/kPkiGuCi/gir_194023965_0/EML-inv_17_rem/

You can remove yourself from Avin Houghland's network at any time.

--------------

-- (c) 2010, LinkedIn Corporation

Avin Houghland wants to stay in touch on LinkedIn

LinkedIn------------

I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

- Avin Houghland

Avin HoughlandHuman Resources at Imagine Thailand Vancouver, Canada Area

Confirm that you know Avin Houghlandhttps://www.linkedin.com/e/i8oy5x-gf05gaqc-2y/isd/1756991369/kPkiGuCi/

-- (c) 2010, LinkedIn Corporation

Christmas is practically here...

It is amazing how quickly two worlds can become so important and so close to your heart. November was an amazing month spent back in Vancouver Canada with my friends and family…the rain fell constantly for the first few weeks, the storms were amazing as they knocked out power to our house a few times…and then the sky opened broadly to show the beauty of the blue sky…and welcomed in the true cold of a winter season in Canada. I spent time with my family and friends just living in each others worlds again and loving being close. I know it was a time I was meant to be there, things that I could not have been prepared for happened and because I was physically there…I could share the pain and support those I love.

I did also had the chance to bake with mom, decorate the Christmas tree, watch all our Christmas movies, plan for my family’s trip to Thailand, ski at Mt Baker, attend the Santa Claus Parade, have pictures with Santa and friends, visit family on Vancouver Island…a month went fast…

I was able to meet with many amazing people to share about the works that God and Imagine Thailand are doing here in Thailand. From small home groups, to mayors, to churches, businesses, and individuals, to a very special elementary school, Glen Elementary – all listened and asked questions. Thank you for caring about a world you don’t know.

International Children’s Day was an extremely special day as I was able to join the assembly at Glen Elementary in Coquitlam and thank them for the money they raise to bring migrant children clean water. http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/tricitynews/news/70554822.html My eyes filled with tears as these beautiful children sang the Unicef song Hand in Hand…these children really understand that they made a difference, and that there are people in this world who do not live like them. The questions and insight that came from the grade 1-4 children truly blew my mind…if we can continue to inspire these next generations maybe we will live to see the world truly changed by love and understanding. One special girl came up and gave me a drawing with the words “You Inspire Me – thank you”…children wait to be inspired, for it to be modeled, and if the adults around them don’t show them anything, then where does that passion go?

I was also blessed to speak at Surrey Christian Life Assembly one Sunday. This was the morning after I received some very difficult news about a friend of mine and I was truly wondering how I was going to find the strength to speak. But God came through, as He is know for doing in my life, the heartfelt worship, the words that the congregation spoke out ministered to my soul…and by the time Pastor Graham handed me the mike I was in tears but my heart was ready to share. Even more spirit-filled was the time after I spoke, I have never been so surrounded with people willing to share their stories and bless me. This church will always remain in my heart – God is moving in Surrey.

Today is my first day back in Bangkok…and the weather is more my style, warm, and the city is buzzing from every corner. We had our Christmas party last night and today I was able to venture out and see the Christmas decorations all over the city…they are tremendous.

Christmas is about family and friends and the love of God shown to all of us…Merry Christmas from a little apartment in Sathorn Bangkok.

Thai Military Boot Camp?

So another month of wonderful and crazy things has flown by again here in Thailand.

I have gone through a personal down time over the last few weeks after finding out that my Grandmother has passed and gone to wait for us in heaven. My heart has been with my family through it all and I am now even more excited to return in November to spend a month with them, grieving and celebrating life together.

Here in Thailand there have been some truly amazing connections, opportunities and open doors for all of us with Imagine Thailand...and we are excited to see where these doors will lead. Thai language has been a STRUGGLE these first few weeks back...but after spending time in the south again I remembered how important it is for me to learn the language...so this week has actually been refreshingly wonderful again!!!

We took our CARAVAN OF LOVE down south for 5 days to bless the communities we work with in Phangna Province (hardest hit area of the Tsunami). Through our Passport Cafe we gathered 25 Chulalongkorn University students of all different faculties, teamed them with our Imagine Thailand leadership staff, our acoustic music team and 2 foriegners, and we all headed out together. We spent our days living at the Thai Navy Base, a great location with cabins to sleep in, a turtle sanctuary to see with hundreds of turtles, and a beautiful beach for us to start planning the children's camp around. The first day our team was put through the Thai Navy Boot Camp! So much fun, and we all were able to bond over the pain for the next few days! The Chula students who had joined us before were put in charge of planning this 2 day"summer camp" for the children from our supported schools in the area. All these children have lost one or both parents in the Tsunami, typically do not have time for fun, are not usually allowed to go to the beach because their parents are too afraid to return to the sea (even for a swim) and are children who need to know they can be children again. Their ages ranged between 5 and 17 years old (we did not expect the older one to want to come- but they had the most fun!) So we then began two phenomenal days ofteaching English, teaching music, doing arts and crafts, playing crazy games on the beach, and spending time with the children one on one...which climaxed on our last night when we held a music/ game concert for their entire community and then we showed a video of the 2 days for everyone to watch!...the children loved seeing themselves on screen and the families loved seeing what their children had been up to! The camp was both a blessing to them and to us! I was inspired by the leadership the Chula students took and also by how much they opened their hearts, minds and eyes to this world they had never seen before - it touched them all deeply.

My favorite memory was of one 10 year old girl...we were on break from activities and she was showing me around the turtle tanks and just chatting away like any excited young girl...but then she began to speak of the friends and family she lost in the Tsunami, how this beach used to be a place she would come to for fun but since that day it has really been nothing of the sort for her. But with a big smile and open eyes she looked up at me and said "But now it is a fun place again!"...she swam again, played volleyball, sang with her whole heart and when she hugged you she almost would not let go...nothing can break a heart like true happiness returning to the innocent. This is why I love being a part of Imagine Thailand - why I am so excited to help the next generation of Thailand open their eyes to what they can do in their own country, with their own people.

I will be returning to Vancouver for the month of November and I am in need of raising funds to continue my work here in Thailand...if you are interested in how you can be a part of this please let me know. I would love to spend time and share more stories (of which I have many!) if you would like to.

Blessings and thank you - to everyone and to God who makes all things possible for those who believe...