As we write the title of this post we can hardly believe that today marks our one year “Thai-iversary” as we’re calling it. We’ve lived here 365 days and we’ve survived – and in some areas, even thrived! How do you quantify all that we’ve experienced and learned in a year? All of the people we’ve met and friends we’ve made? All of the mistakes and wins? You can’t count the tears, the number of hours spent lost and wandering, or the moments of complete confusion. So much of this year, if we’re completely honest, can’t fully be explained – it’s a story that is hard to tell.

But in a effort to reflect and to summarize some of what this year has been, we’ve crunched some numbers and come up with the following. It’s the far from exhaustive, year in review list:

• We have completed 800 HOURS OF LANGUAGE STUDY
• We have had friends, family, and strangers staying in our home for 99 NIGHTS
• We bought 1 SCOOTER
• We’ve done 8 TRIPS TO IKEA
• We have VISITED THE HOSPITAL 23 TIMES
• We have participated in 3 WEEKENDS OF IMAGINE THAILAND MEETINGS
• We have BROKEN 1 BONE (Well… “we” haven’t… Matthew has!)
• We have learned 44 NEW CONSONANTS
• We have learned 24 NEW VOWELS
• We have had 29 VISITORS
• We have had 3 DIFFERENT VISAS
• We LIVED IN A HOTEL FOR 22 NIGHTS
• We have been on 16 FLIGHTS
• We have had 8 SETS OF X-RAYS 

It is with gratitude in our hearts that we reflect on all the good and all the challenging, the victories, the failures, the opportunities, and the personal growth. We recognize this life we are living is far from “normal” but we are grateful for it nonetheless.

Thanks to you for the prayers, the visits, the FaceTime calls and texts, the emails, the gifts, the cards, and the costco runs done on our behalf. Thank you for flying across the world to see our new home and to serve alongside. Thank you for investing in us and in Thailand.