Every-Other Days

I'm tempted to call this series of pictures "Spicy Food Faces".  

However, it's more the need for antics than antacids that prompts these crazy shots.

Yesterday

We are gone for most of the morning, searching for more reading prizes, snacks and gifts for friends back home.  For this we arrive at what I call 'the indoor market down by the river'.  A great sprawling of booths under tin and cement all smelling of fish and incense, packed with people.  The small pouches I purchase to encourage some of the older readers are the first sale of the day for the pleased women who takes my baht.  I know this because she takes my bills and touches everything else she has for sale as a means of bringing luck.  On our way home we stop at Central Festival, an impressive five story mall, all decked out in Chinese New Year finery, to book our tickets for Saturday's movie outing with the kids (thanks everyone who bought gift certificates at Christmas).  I marvel again at the contrasts of this place.  Smelly fish to ultra modern.  

Today

We are having a 'home day'.  Turns out to be a day that Megan and Esther test their millennial computer skills, with the help of Ethan from home  My new computer is apparently not getting along with the internet connection here.  I spend the first part of the morning trying not to have a white-privilege freak out while my friends laugh and problem solve their way in and out of depths of my computer's programming with confidence.  Success!!!  I reclaim some time and quiet head space while Norma, Megan and Esther take a walk down to Café U-Noka.  Laying low now, in the warm afternoon, prepping for Bible lessons and Sunday's service, waiting for the kids to come home from school.

This every-other-day thing is intentional.  Our hosts work hard, and when we're here, let's face it, we're extra work.  So keeping things balanced is helpful, good, healthy.  And...drum roll please.... we've finally managed to elbow our way into the kitchen to do dishes!  Only took 11 years!

These are good, solid days.  Restful in the midst of working/serving.  Loving and being loved.  Knowing and being known.