Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Collusions and Collisions of the Remarkable Kind

Ken and Bill "After All These Years"

With the fog of jet lag and general recovery from the trip, it's always a trick to figure out what day it is in the first week here.  Tuesday?  Yes, I think so. 

It's been a big day, too.  Our long time friends, Bill and Celine Hamade have been on their own wild adventure through Asia, and we made it happen that a stop over in Thailand would overlap Ken's time here this month.  And we're making the best of it by taking some out trips.  Today we stopped in for the Elephant Show at the Measa Camp, and then went on up the mountain to a spectacular garden with a worth-the-crazy-drive view.  Between the two, we ate lunch by a small cascading river, on a bamboo platform with a very low table; very Thai style.

Ken mentioned how 'worlds colliding' it is to be all the way here in Thailand with Bill.  These two guys have been friends since kindergarten.  Not kidding.  (That's 57 years...do the math!)  Lots of times at school, in each other's homes, at the cottage.....but a first for Thailand.

Both Bill and Celine have been incredibly supportive of the work being done with the children here at Hot Springs, sponsoring a child, and Bill having visited once before in January 2018.  That they would make a point of staying here with us these days means so much.  Their generosity and humour encourage Suradet and Yupa in ways hard to explain.

Catching the rainbow after a spray
While the purpose of this posting today is mostly just to share with you some shots of our first few days (and also to shameless show off some of the shots I was able to get with my new-to-me camera), it's also been a moment to once again marvel at the 'long story' of God who writes fascinating chapters into our lives.  No way these two guys, first hanging out at the sand station and having recess snacks together, could ever have imagined a life time of friendship that would have them hanging out with the elephants and enjoying Thai shrimp all these years later.

It's so cool when Sponsors get to visit, always.  This one just has that extra level of goodness to it.




Girls choosing their books

Celine is a natural.

A picture can't possibly...

So many flowers!

A quick run around the hoped-for property before the storm hits.

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