Mountains and Elephants

Ruth Anne: The hot afternoon of a full and early day severely tempts me to nap instead of blog. Fortunately I have just downed my daily requirement of diet coke (said to keep unwanted bugs at bay) so I'm more than ready for the task. It might not be an ice cap but it does the trick. Brace yourselves everyone!
We are wrapping up day five of our actual stay here at Hot Springs. As was my experience last fall when I stayed here alone, we are most definitely being well cared for and welcomed into this amazing family. Because we are a slightly bigger team, and because this is the last week of school break for the children there is a definite air of special-treat -- Thai orphan style, of course.
Yesterday we went for a hike up the mountain. At least that's what we were sure Suradet had said. George was ecstatic by the idea. Starr and I were considerably less enthusiastic. But since this was to be a family outing, we figured if the kids could do it, so could we. (How embarrassing to be out climbed by teeny orphans, cuteness factor notwithstanding). However, once there we were presented not with a mountain face, but with an endless set of steep, uneven stairs, two colourfully painted snakes providing an unending handrail.
George was fine, although a bit disappointed not to need his compass. Starr just turned 20 so she basically floated up with the kids. Granny Ruth on the other hand just kept praying for God's supernatural strength and kept reminding herself what a good workout this was for the glutes.
The stairs finally came to a jelly-legged end, only to open to the mouth of a cave that took you all the way back down......to the bottom of the moutain and a sacred place of worship for Buddhist monks.
Physical requirements aside, it was so cool. All along the walkway of this enormous natural indoor room were shrines and statues, mostly positioned near unusual formations and stalgmites rising twenty feet to the roof of the cave.
Suradet gathered us all in a circle at one point and one by one the children echoed their clear strong voices in reciting Scripture they have memorized. We joined hands and sang a few songs, the light of Jesus piercing through the many layers of darkness in that cave.
For a brief moment the lights went out. All hands around the circle grabbed tighter. The blackness was utterly complete. For a second or two I was sure we were in for a really amazing missions trip story of how we got 15 orphans out of the darkness by the grace of God and the help of the flashlight and compass George had in his backpack. However, happily this will likely only surface as a really cool sermon illustration because the lights came back on and all we had to do was to climb back up those stairs......and then all the way down again. Which we did with little incident other than the small but obviously dangerous snake we encountered which Suradet made short order of by the use of a hard plastic water bottle and an effective clubbing motion.
There was a large snake on the road too. And a very large, rather stupid waterbuffalo. There have been swarms of really big bugs at night and geckos in the bathroom.
Its the children that fascinate us more, though. Painting with them -- wait till you see some of their art!!! -- playing chess with them, reading to them or having them read to us. Singing with them -- what big voices for little people -- teaching them new songs, and having them teach us.
Morning devotions are the best. Yesterday, I could see the sunrise, purple and glorious, come up over the mountain. The kids were singing. And I almost thought maybe I had died on the stairs afterall and now I was in heaven. Almost, because I was sitting on the floor and my back was killing me, and I'm pretty sure this would not be the case were I really in heaven.
I am loving every minute. I love how well the Team is walking together in this. I love talking with Suradet and Yupa and knowing them more. I love the hugs and attention from the kids. I am undone by being allowed to be here with them again. God has done a Ps 37:4 thing for me this trip. The deep desire of my heart all winter was to be here with them again. And here I am, undeserving but unspeakably grateful.
Today was the Elephant Show and innoculations at Doi Saket -- more words and some pictures later. Tomorrow is a trip up to the widow's farm at Wiang Pa Pao where we will have an important meeting with Asia's Hope Board members also here from NA, to discuss further the future of our partnership with Hot Springs. I can hardly wait!!!!!
Thank you for praying. There have been struggles, different for each Team member. But in so many ways, we are certain of God's presence with us and that you are praying for us.