First Day in Mae Sai, March 2006
When God first called us to serve overseas back in 2003, we were overwhelmed with the thought of moving our family with 4 small children to the other side of the world! God used this text to reassure us and prepare us for the journey! In the coming weeks, we want you to know each of our children better and how God is using and preparing them for His Kingdom.
Today, I want to introduce you to our oldest daughter Hattie!
Getting Ready to Compete at the CRICS Triatholon last spring.
"It was fun to watch Hattie (9 at the time) in all of the activity. She got up early every day to do her school work and then she would ride her bike 5km to the training center so that she could spend the rest of the day helping in the garden, working with the chickens and goats, and making friends with some of the participants. Pattie and I were really excited to see her interest and enthusiasm about working and learning about the training programs. Let’s all continue to pray for Hattie, and see what the Lord does with this special girl." Jan. 2009.
Milking her first goat "Daisy".
Hattie and her retriever "Kinta"
Hattie and her Rooster "PEEP".
From the very beginning, Hattie has always been much older than her years. She is independent, detailed, hard-working, driven, and has a work ethic that would shy even the most dedicated. Hattie is passionate, and absolutely committed to the people, activities, and causes that are important to her. Hattie is tough, but has a compassionate and loving side too. She is a good big sister and you can especially see her love for her brother in sisters in quiet times when you least expect it. She has grown up to be a Beautiful young lady that reminds me of Pattie when we first met.
Heading out with her friend Megan from Birchman Baptist Church
Hattie is 17 years old, and is a Senior at Chiang Rai International Christian School in Thailand. Over the years, Hattie has had opportunity to work extensively with animals in our agricultural and ministry projects with Narrow Gate Farm and Dairy. She reads and writes Thai fluently. She rides and trains horses, plays Volley Ball, is an avid runner, and plays other sports too. On many occasions she has helped us to teach English (ESL) for local schools, churches, and other programs. She is a great cook, and most recently has started baking fresh bread that we eat at home and she likes to share it with her friends. During the past several years, Hattie has begun to play guitar and she likes to express herself through painting. Come to our house, and you can almost always hear her playing guitar and singing from her room where she practices.
Hattie in Heaven, Riding Cutting Horses at the Hill Ranch - Jack Creek, OK
About two weeks ago, she finalized her applications for College in the US. She plans on studying Animal Science and then continuing with preparation in a career as a Large Animal Veterinarian. She is also interested in Psychology and looks forward to how this will be included in her studies. Hattie’s perspective of the world is so much broader than my own view from Texas. She has grown up traveling, and she sees the entire world as accessible in her future.
Hattie, recently wrote in one of her college essays:
"When I began playing volleyball in seventh grade, I promised myself that I would play volleyball in college and began to train to the best of my ability. Having played for my school in Thailand, I concluded that playing for my high school team was not enough, so I sought out the Northern Thailand championship team. They allowed me to practice with them, but their volleyball skills were far more advanced than my own. Not only did the difference in skill levels make relating to the other girls more difficult, but also because I possessed a different culture and spoke a different language.
Volley-Ball 2014
Having lived in Thailand for seven years, by my sophomore year in high school I clearly understood the difference between my culture and the culture of the other girls on my team. My culture was not only an American culture, inherited from my parents, but also the Thai culture because I had been raised in Thailand. Even with the experience of living in Thailand, I will never truly blend in while in Thailand because I do not look Thai. My blonde hair and blue eyes stand out among the Thai people who have black hair and brown eyes. The Thai girls on my team knew this. They didn’t know how to relate to me, even though I could speak Thai. They would attempt to include me, but most of the time I would end up feeling alone, or unwanted. This state of mind is common among people who do not live with their people of the same culture, but after having practiced with the Thai team for several weeks, I came to the conclusion that I did not have to let my differences stop me. I chose to let my differences drive my desire to learn and be a part of the team. I practiced volleyball even while the others took breaks, so I could improve quickly and train with the team. I initiated conversations, rather than waiting for the other girls to talk to me. I took the time to make sure the other girls felt included as well.
Hattie.
Living in a culture different from my own has taught me the importance of letting my differences drive my passions."
Hattie, Harry V, Emma, and Nellie 2014
Hattie is a “Heritage from the Lord”, she is a “reward”, she has been like an arrow in our hands, and we want to thank God for her, and we want you to know her TOO!
PRAYER REQUESTS FOR HATTIE:
• Peace and perseverance through all of college applications and school work of senior year.
• That God will provide for my needs when I get to the States, not only financially, but also relationally and spiritually.
• That God will clearly show me where to go to college.
PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THE BRITTAN FAMILY:
• Pray for intimacy with Jesus that fuels our passions for ministry in North Thailand.
• Pray for God’s continued provision for our family’s monthly support.
• Pray for God’s provision for the remaining $75,000 usd to finish paying for our ministry project site in Thailand.
• Pray that God’s will be done and Kingdom come in North Thailand through Narrow Gate Asia and the Brittan Family.
In the coming weeks, we hope to write more about each one of our children, and to share with you about how they are growing up on the mission field over the past 9 years.
God Bless, and Thank you.
Harry, Pattie, Hattie, Emma, Harry V, and Nellie.
Send Letters and Tax Deductible Contributions to:
Narrow Gate Asia
P.O. Box 260275
Plano, TX 75026-0275 USA
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Contact us on Facebook, or at hbrittan@narrowgateasia.org
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