Turkey and stuffing: Thai style.

This past week was Thanksgiving. 

And yes, even here in Thailand, us Americans gathered around a long table filled with the massive amounts of mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, and miraculously...even turkey! Like usual, I ate too much and still have leftovers in my fridge. The holiday continued as I spent hours online yesterday looking at the Black Friday deals, as my friends and family in America fought over parking spots and big screen tvs. And even this afternoon, I hung up my strand of Christmas lights and package of ornaments in my room. 

It's that time of year. 

But this year is different. I sat in my pajamas drinking coffee as I skyped into my family's Thanksgiving dinners. As I shopped for Black Friday, I was sitting in a t-shirt and shorts staring at my computer screen. And no matter how much I believe it will happen, when I walk outside there is no crisp cool air and leaves on the ground. 

It seems unsatisfying at times. It's ironic actually. This holiday meant to be a time of thanks and gratitude has made me even more aware of the unfulfilled desires I have. Instead of resting in the blessings I have been given, my mind has been listing the many things that I don't have this year. 

But it's going to stop. Because although I may be thousands of miles away from so many friends and family, sweating while eating turkey leftovers, and missing out on waking up at 3am to wear an elf hat and join masses of other crazy people...

I am blessed. 

...in enormous ways. 

So while my "What I'm thankful for this year" list may be a bit different, here it is. 

Thank you, Jesus for new friends.

Thank you for Your light that overcomes the darkness. 

Thank you for a week of Pattaya Praise- to gather in this city and sing your praise. 

Thank you that Our God is Greater.

Thank you for parties in the slums and new ways to celebrate this holiday. 

Thank you for adorable little faces.

Thank you that rain will never stop the fun. 

Thank you Jesus, that while things feel unfamiliar and even lonely at times, You are enough. Thank you that you alone are enough to fulfill all my heart's desires.

"For such a time as this."

I've been working on this blog for about a week now...well sort of...

You see I came back from Chiangmai about a week ago (a northern part of Thailand) and it had been two weeks full of learning, meeting new people, and God revealing to me so many things. I came back to Pattaya excited and ready for new things and at the same time, drained and running on empty.   I also came back to a week of more interviews with Freedom Stones, a broken shower, no Internet, one less usable bathroom in my house, a week straight of massive thunderstorms and rain, oh and new hole in the ceiling in the middle of my room, which worked out really nice with the rain. 

It felt like a whirlwind. 

It's a new week and some of the parts of my house have been fixed. But I still don't have Internet and the interviews are still coming. This week is also Pattaya Praise: a week of worship throughout the city, with 20 teams coming from around the world to join. 

It still feels a bit like a whirlwind. 

But its has felt a little different lately. I'm not sure why or even how to explain it, but God has given me a new sense of trust in His timing. 

I watched a movie about Queen Esther on Friday. Esther is selected as one of the many women whom the king can select to marry. She goes through months of preparation, months of gaining the king's trust, and then finally she is given the chance to sacrifice her life for her people, the Jews. Esther has been taken from her home, separated from everyone she loves, been forced into a situation where she feels like an outsider, and then is told she must risk her life to stop the massacre of the Jews. 

When being told of the choice before her, she is told: "Who knows? Maybe you were made Queen for such a time as this." 

Maybe she went through those months of  spa treatments, reading before the king, missing her family...for such a time as this. A time to put her life on the line and save her people. 

"A time as this" was not a time for an insignificant task. It was big. It was a history making event. 

I've learned a lot lately. God has poured new information into me, introduced me to new people, broken my heart many times over the injustice and hurt around me...sometimes it still feels like a whirlwind. 

Perhaps one day...in a few weeks, months, years....I will hear "Kelly, you were appointed for such a time as this." 

Timing seems to be everything. Perhaps now it is my time to learn, soak in culture, gain wisdom, and sometimes do without Internet or a working shower. But I do know I am so excited for the day when for "such a time as this" comes. Right now I will rest in the timining of now. 

Maybe your "such a time as this" hasn't come. Maybe it still feels like a whirlwind. 

Rest with me in this time. Because honestly, I've been putting this blog off for a week now and I'm still not sure if what I've written really makes sense. I don't know entirely what is happening. I don't have the answers about the future.

I am just resting in what is now. Let's wait for "such a time as this" together.

So while this didn't share much about my time in Chiangmai, here are some pictures of while I was there : ) 

Update.

Check out some updates from my past two months! Click here! 

Faithful.

Today I was reading from Ragamuffin Gospel and I read this line: 

"What makes us authentic disciples is not visions, ecstasies, biblical mastery of chapter and verse, or spectacular success in the ministry, but a capacity for faithfulness."

I've been learning that lately. Friday morning our team here at PSM (the YWAM center) talked about vision.  We read Habakkuk 2:2-3 which talks about remembering the visions God has given us. God promises that the visions He has given us will come. But the verse also says, "Though it linger, wait for it. It will certainly come and will not delay." God has given us all specific talents, and He gives us visions of what to do with the gifts we have. 

But sometimes we have to wait. Sometimes we wonder if we are making a difference, if the little things we do every day really matter. Sometimes we wonder, I've been wondering, when the vision in my heart will happen, when it will come. I've wondered if the path I'm on will really lead me to the life I really want, I really  long for. 

And in those moments, we are called to be faithful. We are to be faithful in the small moments, the mundane tasks, the times when it doesn't make sense...I am called to be faithful. 

I wanted to share with you what a day looks like for me- what my daily schedule looks like. But the problem is that rarely do my days look alike. So...here are some pictures to give you a glimpse of the last few weeks of my life here in Thailand: 

Welcome to my life.

I have a confession: My life here really isn’t that glamorous or exciting. 

To be completely honest, I’m not even sure what to write here. I’ve been in Thailand two weeks now and so much has happened, so I want to share with you. But really...I don’t even know what to say because I’m just living daily everyday life. I have a job in Thailand. I live here. This morning I did laundry, cleaned my room, made breakfast, and then checked emails. This week for work, I've sorted beads...for hours. It might look pretty different and lack some of the comforts of America, but it’s my life. 

But I want to share with you, because I want you to do this with me. I want to be in this together, but sometimes I'm not sure that means. So I guess what I really want you to take away from what I share is: my stories don’t have to be that different from yours. Learn with me, because really we are all just living life together- even if its thousands of miles away.

I have a second confession: I really miss having a microwave.

I also miss having a shower with a full stream of water. Oh and I miss my car and eavesdropping on conversations (because I can understand them!)…well actually understanding the conversations that include me would be good too. I miss cheeseburgers. And I miss my bed a lot…and sinking into a nice comfortable mattress.

After one week in Thailand, I was struggling. I was frustrated at not understanding anyone, missing my comforts of home, realizing it will be so long until I’m with all the people I love in my home country, and feeling the darkness and ugliness of this city. And I wasn’t sure I even wanted to be here anymore.

And then God began to speak to me through His Word:

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed, He could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through- all that bloodshed! So don’t feel sorry for yourselves.

I don’t think Jesus was comfortable here on earth. I think He missed the feasts of delicious and rich Heavenly foods. I think He probably missed a world with no sickness, sunburn, and mosquito bites. He probably didn’t understand those around Him sometimes, using language that almost seemed foreign. And I’m pretty sure He missed His family and being in perfect relationship, with no hurt or embarrassment. And I think that in comparison to Him, I have no reason to complain. I think missing half & half in my coffee probably falls short on the list of possible complaints.

But here is the amazing part: my complaints might be insignificant and sometimes maybe I do need a better perspective. But Jesus still looks at me and says: Yes, (you have left it all- friends, family, cheeseburgers, nice showers, and even microwaves) and you won’t regret it. No one who has sacrificed home, spouse, brothers, sister, parents, children- whatever- will lose out. It will all come back multiplied many times over in your lifetime.

And that is what I want you all to learn alongside me. Jesus calls us to follow Him, which means taking up our cross and following Him. It means sacrifice- which looks different for us all, but is not any less required. But He loves us. So He doesn’t leave us empty-handed, but floods us with blessing after blessing.

Yes, things here may be difficult and sometimes I may wish I was somewhere “easier,” but here’s the thing: God hasn’t stopped passionately running after me with His blessings to remind me that I’m not doing this alone. He will not leave me, but will only provide for me over and over again.

I’m constantly reminded:  I live in a house with my own room, a kitchen, and wifi. I live with a spunky, passionate young woman, who loves to have fun and is continually patient with me as I ask a thousand questions in the grocery store or as I pronounce Thai words completely incorrectly (saying “dog” instead of “come”). I have three unique and precious artisans who are eager to work. I have an incredible support community in America that sends me emails and letters to remind me I’m not alone.

He loves me.

Really, that’s what I’m learning and I don’t need to be in Thailand to learn it. So soak it in and rest in His love with me. Let’s learn together that God hasn’t left us but He’s running after us. Because in a week or so, when I’m back to the frustrations, I will need learn it yet again. Take up the cross and allow Him to flood you with blessing after blessing.  

Click to walk through some of my life here with me.

Goodbye Cambodia.

I will finally be on my way to Pattaya tomorrow! Here are some more pictures from my time in Cambodia: 

The road...

The illegal border- where thousands of people from Cambodia cross every day to work in Thailand. 

Cambodian countryside

The streets of Phnom Penh

The garbage dump- where people live and work every day sorting through the garbage

The one time when the road was too hard to drive with more than one person so I walked alongside Allison as she drove...

The necklace I helped design : )

Please pray for safe travels and my first few days in Pattaya : )

Welcome to Cambodia.

So I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Phnom Penh, finally enjoying good coffee and some reliable internet. It's been a little over a week since I came to Cambodia, and I have already learned so much. I'm struggling as I write this because I wish I could share with you all the realities of life here in Asia. I want you to experience driving through the busy crowded streets of the city with horns honking and moto-dops (motor bikes) coming straight at you as you hang on to your bags with one hand and the back of the bike with the other. Or I wish I could take on a ride in Poipet with the incredible scenery of rice fields, vibrant green trees, and beautiful blue sky as we drive down the bumpy, dusty roads through villages as people stop and stare. I wish you could understand what it means to eat rice at every single meal of the day, and for meals to no longer be an easy task of getting something from the fridge and putting it in the microwave, but that usually involves a trip to the market (hoping you don't get caught in the rain), the preparation of cutting vegetables and washing the rice, and then the hour or so of waiting for the rice to finish. 

But even more than that: I wish I could take you down the street to the karaoke bar (or modern-day form of a brothel) and introduce you to the beautiful girls I went to Church with last Sunday. I wish you could hear the stories of girls trying to earn much needed money for their family, but instead end up stuck in the prison of the bar, feeling the coercion of the bosses who really give them no option but to stay. If only you could hear the stories of the 10,000 illegal migrant workers who cross over the border to work in Thailand every day because they desperately need the money, despite the chance that they may be cheated from their earnings or given water to drink filled with drugs. And really...I wish so bad you could meet the fifteen precious teenagers employed by Freedom Stones as they learn to type on their computers, string beads for a necklaces, or draw pictures of their own jewelry designs. 

But I am here and you are there. And my words will have to do, even as they seem to fall so short of truly describing life here. I pray that Christ can open up your hearts to experience life here in Cambodia in some small kind of way. And for the rest, maybe some of my pictures can help: 

Check out my pictures of my life in Cambodia!

The one thing I can tell you that needs no pictures or description to experience is the biggest lesson I've learned since being here and that is: We need Christ. I need Christ, as I struggle to bring hope to a dark place. Poipet, in its brokenness with its corruption and injustice, needs Christ for transformation. You, even so far away from here, need Christ. I've been undergoing job training, learning the skills and essentials to managing the Freedoms Stones site in Pattaya, and yet what I've learned the most is that my effort, my expertise, my smile, my friendliness- they all mean nothing if they don't have Christ. We can create all the programs we want, implement incredible strategies, network with numerous other NGO's, but real, deep, lasting change can only be brought through Christ. And I pray with you that we can live lives that depend on that very fact. I pray we all can live in the knowledge of Him and His hope. 

Thank you Jesus.

This has been repeating through my mind constantly since before I even left last Sunday. I am finally here, and God has blessed me in incredible ways every step of the way. I want to write all that I have seen so far and tell you all the stories, but right now all I can say is: Thank you Jesus…

…for incredible support and community, who reassure me I’m not alone. Thank you for incredible sisters  who drove hours to surprise me at the airport, surrounding me with prayer with my wonderful family in front of the security gate.

…for an amazing friend who collected so many letters of encouragement and for those who wrote them, so that I can be reminded I am not alone when things get hard.

…for bringing me here safely, with all my luggage safely arriving, despite my worries and doubts.

…for giving me a co-worker, Allison, who is close to my age and shares the same passions and thought processes and for Leng, another co-worker with a precious smile, a beautiful heart, and servant attitude. Thank you for Sophie, Allison’s Cambodian roommate, and her passion for serving God even when it is hard.

…for preparing me for this in so many ways, not just in the past two months, but throughout my life, because I don’t know if I could do this without having those experiences first.

…for my first night of good sleep last night.

…for reminding me of your justice and love as I hear real-life stories about this world of injustice, darkness, and despair.

…for reminding me that I love to play in the mud and rain when we are driving down muddy, dirt roads with three people on a moto-bike barely able to stay upright as we slide across the road.

…for the fifteen amazing children in the Freedom Stones program. Thank you for their beautiful hearts. Thank you for allowing me to create jewelry right alongside them yesterday.

And finally: Thank you Jesus that you bring light to dark places.  

Today is THE day.

After 2 ½ months of applying for a visa, raising money, visiting friends, and most recently condensing all of my belongings into one suitcase…I’m going to Thailand!! I am leaving this afternoon and will arrive in Thailand on Tuesday at two in the afternoon.

Please pray for safe travels, that I remain rooted in Christ in the midst of many emotions, and that I will find Allison (the woman from Cambodia meeting me) and arrive safely to Cambodia.

Many of you have asked for my address in Thailand, and it is:

Kelly Jacoby

c/o Pattaya Slum Ministries

PO Box 485

Pattaya Chonburi THAILAND 20260

Also, to keep in touch with me, you may email me (Jacobykl6@gmail.com), message/call me on Skype (at Jacobykl1), iMessage me (I will have to pay for all non iMessage texts), or use all the wonderful smart phone apps (Whatsapp or TextNow). 

With my cake at my goodbye party! 

Love you all! Thank you for praying with me : ) 
Talk to you next time from the other side of the world! 

This time next week...

...I will be in Thailand! 


This past week my visa finally came and I officially bought my plane tickets...which means I will be leaving SOON! This Sunday, August 5th I will leave from Philadelphia and begin my journey to Thailand. Please continue to pray for me this week as I pack and get things ready. 


Also please continue to pray for me as I sort through the mixture of emotions and feelings as Sunday becomes closer and closer. After a weekend of celebration, prayers, and also many goodbyes, I have been struggling through the many opposing feelings of sadness, fear, anxiety, excitement, eagerness, confidence, etc. 


This morning I read in Acts 18: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." God knows we will fear. He knows my fears and my anxieties, but He doesn't promise to take them away. What He does promise is that He will be with me, and His presence is what will give me confidence and peace.


Rest in that with me this week and please pray with me as I get ready to leave in just a few days. 

The countdown continues...

...less than 3 weeks to go!


Please continue to pray for the preparations, financial support, and that my visa will come in time. I have been asked some questions lately so here are some updates/answers: 

• Financial update: my goal is to have half of my year's funds ($6,000) raised before I leave. So far I am a little over halfway to this goal. Please help me reach this! You can support me financially by giving a one time donation (through the link on the right) or by becoming a monthly supporter. 
• To donate monthly: email gail@freedomstones.ws to sign up for automatic withdrawal. 
• Subscribe to my blog! Please enter your email in the box on the right labeled "sign-up for email updates." 

I have been beyond blessed over the past two months to see how God has raised an incredible support community around me. Thank you for doing this with me : ) 

What’ere my God ordains is right…

…His Holy will abideth,

I will be still what’ere He does,

And Follow where He guideth.

He is my God,

Though dark my road,

He holds me that I shall not fall

Wherefore to Him I leave it all.

…this song has been my theme lately. It’s been an emotional roller coaster preparing to go to Thailand. There have been plenty of moments crying out in anger to God, asking why He wants me in Thailand- doubting His care, provision, and desire for my good. There have been moments of disbelief, questioning how I, Kelly Jacoby, can truly help these women who have seen injustice and poverty like I have never known before. Yet there’s also been times of singing these lyrics, knowing that this is exactly where God wants me to be, and because of that, “though dark my road, He holds me that I shall not fall” and this is exactly where I need to be.

In one month I am boarding a plane to Thailand, a country I’ve never been, with a language I know three words of, and people who will hopefully soon become my close friends and community in a dark world.

But for that to happen, for me to board that plane in exactly one month, I need you. I need your prayers, because as things usually happen in my adventures, I am wondering if everything will come together and plans will really happen as they are supposed to. I have yet to secure a visa. Today I received the information on the people who will help me with this and am praying that it will come by August 5^th.

I need your prayers:

·         Pray everything with my visa will go smoothly and it will come by August 5^th.

·         Pray all the other details will come together- my plane tickets, my Cambodia visa for job training in my first two weeks…

·         Pray for me: that I can remain abiding in Christ and trusting in His cross, as I go through the emotions of getting ready to leave.

I also still need financial help. Thank you for everyone who has supported me already. I have been so blessed by the way God has been building up community and support around me. I ask that if you have not already supported, please consider donating financially.

Thank you all for doing this with me and joining my community. You are a blessing.

 …and please join me in singing this. Whatever our God ordains IS right. 

Welcome to my journey:

The past few years have brought into my life a journey of unusual and remarkable experiences I would never have planned. This journey has brought me to my recent college graduation along with a variety of possibilities for my next step. Although a traditional career path is an option, I have decided to continue on a journey that is both unique and challenging. To follow this path, I need your help and support. I write this to invite you to share this journey with me.  

Past experiences  living and working in developing countries such as Zambia, Mexico, South Africa, and Uganda, as well as cities close to home like Coatesville, Grove City, and New Orleans  have instilled in me a passion for rescuing, empowering, and enabling those unable to do so for themselves, particularly women. I have been given the opportunity to work alongside women at risk for human trafficking and prostitution as a project manager with Freedom Stones. On August 5^th, this role will take me to Pattaya, Thailand, a town known worldwide for its widespread sex tourism.

Prostitution is a thriving industry in Pattaya. It is a popular option for so many women living in poverty with so few opportunities. Through my role in Pattaya, I will work directly with the artisans, targeted women from the local slum community. Through jewelry production they are able to generate enough income to escape the oppressive sex trade. I will also work alongside the women to empower them through holistic training and skills, enabling them to live in the full freedom God desires for them.

The mission of Freedom Stones is to “transform individuals and entire communities, so that they can begin to walk in their God-given destinies free from extreme poverty, oppression, and injustice…through holistic skills development, social entrepreneurship, and a micro lending strategy.” In Thailand, Freedom Stones partners with Pattaya Slum Ministries to employ women as artisans through jewelry production, while also teaching them holistically in finances, health and nutrition, and trafficking awareness.

 Freedom Stones desires the artisans to be self-sufficient and as a nonprofit 501c3 tax exempt organization, the majority of the jewelry sales profit is given to the women as living wages. Those of us working for Freedom Stones receive a small stipend for housing each month, but must raise all other living expenses. I will need to raise monthly an estimated $1,000 for each of the next twelve months for food, utilities, language school, etc. I will also need to raise an initial $2,000 for the costs of travel to Thailand and other necessities such as a obtaining a Visa. And this is why I have come to you: I need financial help, and I am asking you to be a part of my support community.  

Also Pattaya is a dark place, and moving there alone will be challenging. So I am asking you to also support me in prayer and in community. I will need encouragement and the assurance that I am not doing this alone. I thank God that He has already placed you in my community, and I ask that you continue to do so even more in this next step of my journey.