Almost Home

Ruth Anne: One of the significant aspects of our connection to Thailand is just how long it takes to get there and back! As I write we are sitting at Gate 48A in the Los Angeles airport, reveling in our Starbucks drinks and wishing we were already home. We have two more flights to go, unbearable as that sounds now to our very weary butts. George says that our howevers and our perhap`s are okay, but our butts are busted, the really bad humour an indication of our blurry state of mind. It`s particularly disturbing that all of us just laughed really hard. Oh my, we are tired!

While we were in Taipei on our lenghtly layover, we had hoped to write a long blog about the amazing work that God is doing in the lives of our orphans in Thailnd. At the very least, we were going to attempt a lighter side of missions trips by sharing with you the funny stories we`d collected (even though we realized that most of them had to do with George..hmmmm). But no blogging happend. Fatal error: Discovering the free massage chairs!!!! We visited two separate areas, hoping no one would notice. Sorry guys, but the priorties were very, very clear.

So, we`re almost home. Weary but filled up, already missing the kids, Suradet and Yupa, Tutu and the other new and amazing friends God has given us.

There`ll be more stories, humours and otherwise. For now, just know that we have felt your prayers and are deeply grateful to all of you, especially our families, for letting us go.

See you soon.

Arrival: Hot Springs Finally and Again

In continuation of my "retro-blog", here's an entry from our first arrival to Hot Springs.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

The fan is not oscillating. Starr and I absolutely have to have it blowing full on us just to be able to breathe, it’s that hot. Bugs are crawling all over – the walls, the floor, our beds. We’ve eaten rice again tonight.

It’s hot and buggy and ricey…..and I’m am totally, easily at home.

We arrived about 6 p.m. or so following an outdoor, very Thai restaurant meal (of rice and stuff) with Suradet who had come to Chiang Mai to pick us up. Tutu said he'd insisted :). As we drove out of the driveway of the restaurant, and on to the road that would take us the rest of the way there, Suradet called in our imminent arrival to Hot Springs on the phone. My Thai is still very weak, but I’m surprised at how much more I’m understanding this time....enough so that I knew that's what the call was about.

There was the surge of excitement as we turned off the road again and up that long and lovely laneway. I'm having even more fun realizing it's George and Starr's first glimpse of this place that has now become famous for Highview.

We drove up to the church, but then went beyond, putting the truck into low gear for that grinding chug up the back hill to come to a rest just in front of the building we'd be staying in, the same as when I was here in October.

The children were waiting on the porch. It was a little curious because they were all lined up in a formation of some sort. But then Miki hit the button on the CD player and the music started, and it was You're Everlasting Love and they performed it for us!!!

I had taught them that song when I was here last! And that's a story all unto itself. But this welcome.....what a welcome. For us, for our arrival! They are jumping (well more like stepping) side to side, doing all the actions to – “Your Everlasting Love”. It was a fabulous way to say, "we're glad you've come."

We hauled in our luggage and asked for 10 minutes to sort ourselves out. But in short order it was time to give out the goodies -- at least the first batch.

Sponsors packets were opened. This time it was much more organized. George handed them out and each child came and received them in turn. He was great at it, making sure that neither Bao, nor the two new children had to wait until the end. It was just the first of several ways George would demonstrate a desire to really understand these kids and their culture -- all the multilayers of it.

The kids themselves were a bit more orderly in opening and looking through the packets this time compared to last, and there wasn’t as much of the switching around, equalizing of goods. It think this may mean we're getting better at figuring out how to put together the packets. So much more to learn though.

Now it was time for evening devotions. Just as we were packing up to head over, Suradet asked me to teach for it. I said “sure!”. What a contrast to my totally Western way of being that I'd brought the very first trip, and how unnerving I had found those random, spontaneous invitations to teach.

But of course, before all that comes the singing. What is it about those little voices? Can't hardly understand anything at all, but my spirit is lifted and filled up. And actually, by now, there are a few of the Thai songs that I can sort of make stumbling attempts to join along with. How cool is that?

I didn’t cry until I got to reading the Scripture. Philippians 1:1-11. I chose it because I wanted to use it to speak directly to the children about my feelings for them and Paul expresses “same same”(common English-Thai expression meaning, "it's just the same with us!". That was my repeating phrase – Paulo – Ajahn Rut: Same same. Amazingly, I think they got it.

"It is right for me to feel this way about you, since I have you in my heart….". And my voice hardly holds out for me.

Father, I am a bit afraid of just how much this place means to me. It is just a bit too weird that I would feel this familiar, this at home here. I’m not sure what it means, or what you might want me to do about it, but I only ask that you help make sure I listen. Help me pay attention to what this is.

Thank you. I know full well I don’t deserve to be able to come back. I know full well I don’t deserve the respect and love I receive from these sweet children, or from Suradet and Yupa. I ask that you help me to live up to it, to be worthy of this Thailand thing you’ve called me to.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Back In Chiang Mai

Ruth Anne: Why do I do this to my heart?

We are back in Chiang Mai for a few days of gathering ourselves back together before heading home. Our time at Hot Springs is done. Can't hardly believe it. We've had limited but hopefully adequate access to the blog, some of us being more wordy than others :), but all of us coping best we can with relentless heat and vicious humidity. It is a jungle out there, afterall, and rainy season notwithstanding, we've had some very tropical weather to contend with. And some emotional stuff to contend with. Fortunately, no real health stuff to contend with, although both Starr and George are coming down with colds. Go figure.

So here we are, showered and reveling in the AC, after having said our goodbyes to the children at Hot Springs.

But wait! That's the hard part. Let me get to the fun stuff.

THE WARDROBES ARRIVED TODAY!!!!

If you don't know already, it was the main project of this particular trip to gather funds for wardrobes for the kids. In previous efforts we had pulled together what was needed to purchase mattresses, a badly needed item at the time. Then, once we got the kids up off the floor, it was time to get their stuff up off the floor.

It was a fairly big deal for Suradet and Yupa and all of us there this morning. First, the area receiving the wardrobes - the side room off the children's bedrooms - had to be cleared away. Then we waited. We had been told the delivery would happen at 9 a.m. By 10, Suradet called and was told 11 a.m. This is very typical, so it didn't really phase anyone too much. And since we'd finished our packing, we came down to the table and an impromptu English/Thai lesson emerged, which was often the case in the inbetween moments. Some of my best "conversations" happened with Suradet in these times. At the moment, I'm trying to get the months of the year under my belt, but it's not sticking very well. Blame it on the humidity. I think my brain is slippery.

It was just after 11 when the wardrobes and bookcases arrived, piled high in the truck, Thai style. In the truly blistering heat, the delivery guys not only had to unload 8 wardrobes and 8 bookcases, but they had to quickly remove their shoes every time they got to the door, a very clever trick to watch.

In very short order a whole new room appeared, complete with a space for each child to claim as their own. I only wish we could have been there to see the kids' faces when they first saw them. But we'd had to say good bye before then. Oooh....That's the hard part again. Which actually didn't happen until after we'd seen them off to school.

THE KIDS STARTED SCHOOL TODAY!!!!!

They were all in their uniforms, part of what our sponsorship provides, and they were looking so sharp and ready to begin another school year that we just had to do the doting relative thing and take a whole lot of pictures. We were invited to take the drive with them to drop them off, first the younger ones, then the older ones. Yes, they ride in the back of the truck. Who knew going to school could be so much fun?

But the school ride actually takes us to a point AFTER the goodbyes, which I guess I've been avoiding because it's only going to make me cry again, and George and Starr have had just about enough of that by now, I'm thinking. (Not really, they've been great team mates, even in these last rather emotional days.)

We Had to Say Goodbye Today

It's hard though. You come and invest yourself, and then, when it's time to go, it just hurts. It just does. Last night was the hardest, I think. For me at least it was.

We'd had a particularly energetic and Spirit-strong worship time for evening devotions. I'd forgotten this, but Suradet can get downright bouncy - like our Derek - when he gets all worked up in worship, and it was like that. There were songs we recognized and songs we didn't, but either way it was like sucking in great wonders of happiness and praise and connection with this amazing God who created these amazing kids and allows you to have this amazing time with them. And I was all weepy already. But then Suradet quieted things down and we started singing Give Thanks - Korp-koon. And we get to that part where the weak say they are strong and the poor say we are rich, and I've completely lost it. Just standing there, crying quietly, overwhelmed with the presence of God in the voices and lives of people who really have so little but have so much.

That was last night.

And then this morning....after morning devotions....and it's the first day of school so Suradet has them do this Thai prayer line thing where each child lines up and stands with hands turned up as to receive the prayers of their elders. And Suradet and Tumanon and me and George, we go down the line, praying for each child individually. Touching them, speaking their name, commending them and offering them and advocating for them to God. It was okay until I got to near the end of the line where my own sponsored girl Thim stood, and right next to her little Miki who also has made special friends with me, and I'm trying to pray, honest I am, but my voice is squeaking out from a throat tight with knowing this is goodbye again. And just when you think it's safe to pretend you're not falling apart, Suradet asks if I will close by praying over all the children one last time. Brutal.

So why do I do this to my heart?

When you know it's going to hurt, why bother to come?

We've asked that question from the beginning. We've asked that question in new ways right smack in the middle of the trip. We know how much this costs, and now we know better than we did before what the needs are here, what still has to be done. We don't like the heat and we don't like eating rice three times a day, and we don't like big spiders or little scorpions in the bathroom. We've been uprooted from our families and our jobs and our regular lives and thrust into a world where everything is different and everything is the same all at the same time, and it messes with your mind and stresses out your body and rips out your heart. So why come?

I think part of the answer could be in what happened about, oh day three of our stay at Hot Springs. Suradet was telling the children, in Thai, that they were to pray for our sponsors and to thank God for sending "The Team" here to us. I know enough Thai words and he used our names, and talked about how long and big a trip it was for us to come, so I know that's what his instructions were. And then he started to pray, but had to stop.

Normally there's this thing they do, where Suradet starts out with 'hallelujah' and just launches into a prayer which is a signal for all the children to pray out loud at once; sort of this lovely, tonal melody of prayer that is wierd and beautiful at the same time. But this time, he started but had to stop. And there was an awkward silence, as if the children weren't sure what to do. Then one of them, probably Teh, got the ball rolling instead and they went ahead and did the prayer chorus thing. Suradet stayed quiet. And I know I'm still working through the language and culture thing, and I may not have understood this entirely, but I am almost positive that he wasn't praying because he couldn't talk with a throat tight from knowing that he was not alone in raising these kids. That someone, somewhere cares enough to actually come and know this.

He must have told me a hundred times. Yupa too, especially just this morning, kneeling together on the floor of the room where Starr and I were packing up. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please tell members church, sponsors, we thank you for helping us. We thank you for sending you here. God bless you. God bless you. There are tears. There are hands pressed together and low down wais. There are things that can't be said in Thai OR in English.

So, if you don't think it matters, it does. If you think what you've given is too small, it's not. If you wonder why we're baking and doing Christmas bazaars and putting notices in the View, it's for this.

For goodbyes that hurt too much, because hearts have come together under God to rescue and feed and nurture and love His kids.....in a little place on the other side of the world....where my heart is wrecked again.

Feeling lazy

George:  35 C in the shade. At least the wind is picking up. Another thunderstorm appears to heading our way. The pace of life slows down in the afternoon. Even the kids seem to disappear (now I know where - they hide in the church basement watching TV). After waking up at 4:00 AM, a nap after lunch seems like a great idea.

See ya (yawn ...)

Weirdest experience ever...

Starr: This trip is by far the weirdest experience of my life. Don't get me wrong - its probably also the most amazing experience of my life. But still...weird. Its hard to explain the mish-mash that is Thai culture. It's an old meets new (tribal meets urban), western meets south-east asia thing. One minute I'm worshiping in the small Hot Springs church sweating like you wouldn't believe, the next minute I'm being driven by Daniel (one of Tutu's son's) through beautiful Thai countryside in his air-conditioned Honda Jazz listening to Justin Timberlake. Woah. 

Thanks to you all for following the blog...I'm still alive! I'm not a fan of the two-thumbed typing on the blackberry's, sorry for my 'absence'. There's so much to catch you all up on - this post may be a bit random as I go through some highlights. 

Let's start off with some funnies... George has multiple bruises on the top of his head due to tiny door frames. Photo evidence to follow. I successfully climbed up and down the mountain/cave in 39 degree weather (yes, that's Celsius folks) and now I'm catching a cold. Also, the language barrier is proving to be quite a hilarious experience. The other day John McCollum (spelling?), the new Executive Director of Asia's Hope was giving his first address to the Staff as director. He asked them to read from Colossians 1 "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints..." Such sweet words of encouragement. However, the translator mistakenly read from Galatians 1 "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all." Oops! After receiving quite a few confused looks, the misunderstanding was all straightened out. 

Now for an events overview... backing up to Tuesday, when we went to Hot Springs park. It was so fun to get out with the kids and do activities that they wouldn't normally be able to do. It is a beautiful park. I just didn't understand the whole concept in sticking my already sweaty feet into 40 degree C water... call me crazy. We were able to get ice cream after, which makes more sense to me. 

Wednesday we went to visit both high school and elementary school. We were able to talk briefly with the Principle of the High school. He seemed very compassionate and expressed his awareness that the majority of the kids in the surrounding area come from broken homes and that they try to make school a positive environment. At the elementary school we saw Miki hugging one of her teachers, which I found to be very comforting.  After that was the mountain and cave climb, which Ruthanne already talked about. 

Thursday was definitely a highlight of the trip for me. In the morning we all piled into Pastor Suradet's pickup (all 15 kids in the back) and took a drive to the Elephant Show. There we met up with some of the younger kids from the other Doi Saket orphan homes who had never seen the show before. We got there in good time and were able to buy some bunches of banana's and feed them too the elephants! So much fun! Some of the kids were so into it - you get to feed an animal by sticking food in it's nose! COOL! But others were hesitant to get close to such big animals. Then the crowds moved to a stadium-like area, Thai style of course. The elephants are quite talented... playing harmonicas with their trunks, soccer, and even painting pictures! 

After that, we treated our Hot Springs kids to lunch at a buffet and went back to Doi Saket 1. This is the biggest of Asia's Hope's orphan homes in Thailand (housing 80ish kids, I believe) and often serves as a Base Camp for events. Thursday afternoons event: needles! (Sorry to the nurses reading, we couldn't get a straight English answer for what sort of vaccinations they were.) A westerner coming up the driveway would have had no clue what was going on, it is so incredibly different than the way we do it in Canada. All the kids are crowded around a picnic table while the nurse prepares a needle. A brave kid steps up, gets stuck with the needle, squishes their face in pain... while the surrounding kids laugh. Cheap entertainment I guess? On the flip side, it was a cool thing to see. Vaccinations are what part of the child sponsorship pays for. 

Friday afternoon George, Ruthanne, John McCollum, and I went up to Wiang Pa Pao farm. Owned by Asia's Hope, there is a house on the property where 4 widows live. Currently they're building a widow's house and the current house will be converted into another orphan home. Tutu is the Thailand director of AH and her parents have a house at Wiang Pa Pao as well. They farm many delicious things (Lychee fruit was ripe :)) They also have a bunch of pigs where they have a bio gas system set up. We met up with Ashley there as well. She's a 19 year old intern who has been here for 8 months. It was nice to spend some time with her and to have another person my own age around (NOT that George and RA are old...) We all spent the night and the next day George and RA were able to sit down with John and Tutu and talk about the Highview/Hot Springs/Asia's Hope partnership. 

After our little retreat, it was back to Hot Springs. Our kids are fantastic and it's so enjoyable to just sit there and play dominos or cuddle despite the sweat. I'm still trying to find words to express the joy and contentment of spending time with the wonderful kids! There are so many little stories and amazing moments we've had with them, I can't wait to share more when I get home. It's hard enough to express these experiences in person, let alone over the internet. 

Sunday morning was the service at Hot Springs. RA preached and did wonderfully as always. Before the official service, there was a sort of Sunday School time and George spoke on Faith. During communion, I played a song on guitar while the three of us sang... we basically ran the show!

After church I was driven back to Doi Saket to spend some time shadowing Ashley while the other two stay at Hot Springs. It's been a great experience for me to see what the life of an intern is like. Today there are some people from Campus Crusade who have come to do an English Camp for the week. So much fun. I head back to Hot Springs tonight (not really sure how I'm getting back...but even if we had a plan, it would change!) and we'll spend one more day at Hot Springs before heading back to the Guest House for a day. I know I won't want to leave our kids, but a day at the guest house will help prepare us for the flight/transition back home. 

Sorry if this post seems long... I still feel like I've left so much out! But it's lunch time here, so I need to be off. I hope this post is coherent. If it's not, I blame it on the cold. 

Thanks again to all of you back home for your continued encouragement and prayers. We definitely would not be here without you! 

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.

Plumbing and fashion

George: For those of you more interested in the technical aspects of our visit, this post is for you.
1. The orphanage uses well water. During the dry season (if I understand properly), extra water is brought in with tanker trucks and stored in underground tanks. They also have several cisterns to store rain water. Sewage goes to septic tanks.
In each bathroom, there is a toilet, shower nozzle (on the end of a hose), small bucket, and large pail. (There is another device, but I will let the ladies explain that). So, to take a shower, you fill the large pail with water. Then, you pour the water over yourself with the small bucket. It is a good idea to fill the pail in the evening, since the water stops working at night (for some unknown reason).
2. I am not wearing any socks with my sandals.

A beautiful day

George: It is our third morning at Hot Springs, and the days are starting to blur together. This morning, "Anjean Ruth" and I attended the morning devotion time. (5:00 AM start - good thing the roosters are making lots of noise). We are getting better at our numbers - we can usually catch the page number or chapter/verse. During one of the songs (all the kids singing in Thai, of course), Ruth Anne watched the sun rise over the mountains - beautiful, soft colours. She said it was like a little taste heaven.
We are now enjoying home videos on Ruth Anne's computer. We are clustered around the dining table (tableclothes provided by Air China), watching a video from the first trip in February 2008. (Just saw Jen - hi Jen!!!). Funny, the kids love watching themselves on TV!
Lots going on - yesterday we went to the Hot Springs park with the kids. Today, we visit the schools to pay the tuition. Then, this afternoon, we go mountain climbing! (Well, a hike to the top of a nearby mountain with the kids - bring it!!).

P.S. For now, we cannot post the comments made by people on the blog. We do appreciate your support and prayers!

Small people, big day

George: Today was a big day. A couple of times I had to stop and ask: did we just get here yesterday? Why does today seem so big?
What is a big day? Might be a long day - I was up by 4:30. Could be a busy day - we certainly did many things. But, today was a big day because it was a full day - full of small people with big hearts. People filled with the spirit of God.
People who were up at 5:00 AM for morning devotions (very quietly, unlike the previous evening). People who continue to cook and serve great meals for us. People who love to play games (Dutch Blitz and Funny Monkies in the morning, chess in the afternoon). People who love to look at pictures of Hot Springs and of Highview. People who love to sing to God.
Many things happened today (diverted water during a driving thunderstorm, a trip to spa), but those are stories for later. Today was a big day because we were with the people at Hot Springs.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

NEWS FLASH!!!

George is wearing his vest. Pictures to follow.

We are here! (really)

George: Now the work starts! No more comfortable guest house with a king size bed and ensuite. No more gated community. Instead, think of Camp Mishewa where the "cabin" is a concrete building with screen windows and doors - no curtains, no cupboards, no shelves - just a matress and rug on a tile floor. I do have a table as well.



We are staying in the community room and guest home. Used for group activites when no guests are here. The shower room and bathroom are the same room - try not to get the toilet wet!



We attended the evening devotions / service - some loud singing and a whole bunch of bugs! Ruth Anne did a quick sermon. We also had a group prayer time, I think. Pastor Suradet started, everyone else joined in - saying their own prayers, and quite loudly. A lot of energy here!

Heading Off to Hot Springs

Ruth Anne: It's late on a hot, hot Sunday afternoon for us. In 30 minutes Suradet will be here.

We have rounded off our last day here in Chiang Mai by attending worship service at Doi Saket this morning, and it was completely wonderful to be there. I forgot how much I missed hearing the children sing. Made me cry. But it's okay....George is so sensitive he's offered to bring a pail around with him so he can mop me up off the floor any time this happens in the future :P.

Speaking of George, he did a wonderful job leading Communion this morning, working with his interpretor as if he's done this all his life. It was a bit unnerving not knowing what was expected, since we arrived at the same time the service started and "missed the service rehearsal". Hint: There is no service rehearsal. Whispered instructions as the servers are coming forward was all George had. And he handled it like a pro.

I thoroughly enjoyed "preaching" this morning....a far cry from the dismal experience it was for me first time around in February 2008 when I completely bumbled all over myself in Penohm Pehn. Perhaps I'm just getting used to it, perhaps I'm letting the culture of it sink in better. Perhaps I just know people better and that makes all the difference. Either way, the translator and I worked well together and I felt God's pleasure as I preached.

We have spent the afternoon napping and getting ready....and uncharacteristic to Thai culture, Suradet just drove up. So I will have to close off.

Sorry for the brevity. And here's the thing. We may not be able to blog while at Hot Springs, although George has an idea using the blackberry that he's described to me a few times and I still don't understand but we'll try to make work.

We miss you, and can feel your prayers.

Happy Birthday to Starr, by the way, who turned twenty on the other side of the world.

Sorry....no pictures this blog. My computer is taking way too long to upload and the truck is now packed.

Oh my goodness!!!! Can I stand it? All this lavish wonderfulness from such a generous loving Father!!!!!

Wardrobe Wow!

Ruth Anne: In the back seat, driving through Chiang Mai today, Starr and I agree; we sure feel like we've seen and done way more than a normal 48 hours worth, since arriving Thursday.

We are on our way, past dirty sidewalk stands and glorious golden wats (temples), to order wardrobes. Wardrobes, cupboards - who knew such a rather mundane sounding thing could have so much energy in it, but it does. There are THE Wardrobes! The ones we've raised money for throughout the past several months so our kids could have a place to put stuff, hang clothes, keep it all up and off the floor. We take it for granted, but up until today, our 15 kids at Hot Springs had no hope for such a thing. All their early belongings, not much by any standard, were stored in baskets on the floor and a bamboo stick propped across the corner of a wall. So, in the grand scope of all things Hot Springs, this is big.

Tutu pulls over to the left hand curb to park. An Indian man smiles broadly from inside an unusually bright and airy sidewalk store full of desks and tables and storage cubes. We are shown the wardrobes, two different colours, and we choose the brighter wood-coloured units.

There is some confusion at first. The language barrier, even with Tutu's excellent English, is pressed while we attempt to barter a reasonable price, one within the limits of the actual funds we have brought with us. In addition, there is the option of including a bookshelf for a package rate, and we aren't quite prepared for this. Trying to explain to Tutu that we'd like to, but first we need to determine if we have the money, and next we need to be sure Suradet has the room.

A phone call and some careful communication between George, a calculator, a piece of paper with all this written down so we're clear, and the store owner reveals that Suradet certainly has space, will make space if bookshelves are included, AND the final translated costs is LESS than what we had originally been told! I make George check it over and do the math twice. It's true!

So in the end, we will have 8 wardrobes and 8 bookshelves delivered to Hot Springs sometime next week!!! Wow!!!!

And that's just today's adventure.

Yesterday we went out shopping with Tutu to "Makro" - think Costco only bigger and Asian - to pick up a "few things" for about 160 or so orphans. I thought my shopping was a chore! Tutu's list? Soap (8 packages of 6 bars), toothbrushes (lots), laundry soap (three huge bags of it) and noodles and cookies and cooking oil and chicken (all large quantities). That's two big carts worth, which we then drove out to Doi Saket.

Home 1 is the biggest, and I got to show George and Starr around - the room the Highview Team painted our first visit, the boys' and girls' dorm, the education centre, the nursery. I let Starr hand out the Werthers and she was very popular (not that she isn't anyways :).

Birdie was there, taking care of baby Joshua. It's fun to show her that I'm wearing her beaded bracelet, and to laugh at the height difference between her and George. Ashely was there and we had a drink of cold water with her under a shelter while we waited for Birdie to wait for her son Zachary to arrive so they could....we're not sure. That's how it is, even when it's explained, you're never quite sure, but it's okay, because it's hot and we're on Tutu's time line anyways in these days before Hot Springs.

Very quick visits to Home 2 and Home 3 (Doi Saket) followed, to drop of the rest of the grocery items and take some pictures and hand out Werthers. There was an "orphan moment" when one little guy in particular gave evidence that this might have been the very first time he's ever received a candy. Having trouble opening it, as if he didn't know how, wildly excited by the look and feel of it, almost overwhelmed with delight by the taste, pulling it out and taking another look before popping back in his mouth again, squealing. Beautiful and hard to watch at the same time.

We came back to the Flinchums for some down time, making futile attempts NOT to nap. And after supper we experienced the famous Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. Only about 15 sermon illustrations right there. And it was great fun to try to work through the language and currency differences, bartering when we could. Picture to the left is of a tribal woman (Lisu I think) with her baby tied to her back. Tribal women come to the Night Bazaar to sell their home made crafts.

Today, on top of the wardrobe order, we stopped at a large Thai bookstore for an English-Thai dictionary for Suradet, visited a very large wat (temple) where we were able to see some funeral rituals (an important monk had died), ate out at a Thai-Western restaurant for lunch where Starr was served a true coconut drink and the smallest cheeseburger any of us has ever seen. Then we spent about two hours at a botanical garden and resort area complete with a museum of really, really old Thai stuff.

Which brings me right back to the moment Starr and I looked at each other in the back of the seat and said, "Wow...we've done a lot!"

Tomorrow I'm preaching at the service at Doi Saket and George will lead in Communion. In the afternoon we will make our final preparations - both our luggage and our souls - for the main reason we've come. Those kids are waiting.

So am I. Not well, I admit. I'd like to be there by now, although I am very aware of how important these very full 48 hours have been. We're rested now. We've eaten well. We've had the time to process things so far. The Team has traveled well together, and done these past two days well together. We've spent good time with Tutu and other Asia's Hope Staff and orphans.

But the main reasons we're here are waiting for us up on the mountain. Tomorrow I will take my heart and put it back together, up on the mountain, where I left a piece of it behind.

For Jen

Ruth Anne: This quick blog is for the Teammate who isn't here right now but is.


Jen, it was so cool. Tutu took us to this great Thai restaurant by the edge of a large pond, complete with bamboo floors, a banana leaf roof and lots and lots of orchids hanging by the side. While we were raving about the spring rolls (ruined me for anything else back at home, I'm afraid) a small dragonfly came and rested on one of the leaves on the overhanging plant.

We noticed it. And then almost at the same time, we all said, "Jen!"

The cards you sent each of us, along with the bag of goodies, meant so much to us. Inside were words you chose to encourage and support us. Outside was the dragonfly -- your symbol.

I know it's been hard for you not to be here with the rest of us. But in so many ways, you are.

Thank you for all your encouragement. Thank you for praying for us. We are thinking of you.

We are here!

George: It feels great to be off the plane. After the double red-eye flight, the thought of yet another flight was not exciting. During the long China Airlines flight, one of the passengers mistook me for a steward. Interesting, I thought, considering that in our section there were only Chinese stewardesses dressed in mauve uniforms, and I was wearing my multi-coloured vest, short-sleeved shirt, and khaki pants. I can only assume that he was as numbed by flight as I was.

The last flight (4 hours) felt reasonable. As we got closer to Thailand, my excitement level started to rise. We were almost there! As we approached the Chiang Mai airport, we could see the lush vegetation and the nearby mountains. Landing, then customs - Ruth Anne was growing visibly agitated - I think she was nervous. Then, finally, meeting Suradet, Yupa, Tutu, and eight of the children, along with a handful of others from Doi Saket.

The children gave us several garlands made from flower buds and string (some of the boys laughed a bit when they saw me wearing the garlands - not sure why). Ruth Anne and Starr each received a beautiful bouquet of flowers - roses, lilies, carnations. (The airport itself had numerous orchids and other plants). Ruth Anne was very exited - hugging the kids, saying how happy she was to be there. The kids seemed a little subdued, distracted - they might have been shy in front of the "new" people.

Then, with arrangements made to come to the orphange in a couple days, it was off to the guesthouse. With Tutu driving, we (Starr and I) could enjoy our first look at the main city of Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai is actually the name of the province, Mueang Chiang Mai is the city). In some ways, the view is quite ordinary - there are cars, trucks, gas stations, stores, overpasses, traffic signs. But the differences are obvious and many - huge billboards with Thai script, motorbikes with helmetless drivers weaving between the cars, the profusion of palm trees, the jumble of ornate buildings sitting next to shacks or even empty lots filled with junk and debris.

The guesthouse itself is very comfortable and perfect for our needs. Thank-you very much, Mike and Debbie! The main level includes a common dining / living area with a separate kitchen. Upstairs, we each have our own bedroom and ensuite (Starr and Ruth Anne are sharing a bathroom). The guesthouse is part of a larger community that includes a guarded entrance, a small park, and a pool (just added in the last few months). Each lane is lined with small palm trees, with a large variety of plants on the individual properties.

The final part of our first day here included a trip to the mall - to exchange dollars to baht, to eat dinner, and to shop for groceries. Dinner at the food court included Thai noodles and a slushie - about $1.50 per person - which tasted great. Enjoyed the sunset over the mountains - not the orangey colour at home, but more like a thick, heavy red against the dark blue of the sky and the darker blue-green of the mountains. Then, shopping at Tesco - much like a large Zehrs. A little nerve-wracking - trying to keep Tutu in sight while Ruth Anne went off looking for hair spray - until Ruth Anne explained that she would call Tutu on her cell when we were finished.

What I found most interesting was not the store itself, but the people in the store. I was expecting to see a large number of dark, short people who looked very similar. What I found was a large number of dark people (usually short, but not always) who looked very different. There was a tremendous variety in their appearance - I was not expecting to notice the differences among individuals to the degree that I did, being a foreigner.

Then, back to the guesthouse for sleep in a comfortable bed!

One more flight to go....

Starr: It's 9ish in the morning here... I have no idea what time it is at home, I've crossed too many time zones! I think I've just had about 5 suppers in a row.

We survived the longest leg of our trip! At least, I did. I was lucky enough to sleep a whole 8 hours...I think George and Ruth Anne are happy, but slightly envious that I was able to. Tylenol and earplugs work wonders. The food was disgusting, we accidentally got vegetarian meals! We've already rectified that mistake for the way home though. We had two meals this last flight, both including rice....I think it's getting to RA already!

For me, it's hard to imagine that the 15 amazing kids I've been seeing so many pictures of will be waiting for us on the other side of our 4 hour plane ride. I've been practicing their names for a while, slowly getting to know them through the stories I've heard from Ruth Anne. I've been waiting for this for so long, but now....what will it be like when I see them? Will they be nervous? They know 'Granny Ruth' well, but will they be hesitant to hug these two other strangers? Maybe if I just stand there and smile...ya, that'll be a safe move...

I have no idea what to expect, but that is what is so exciting about this trip! I've accepted the fact that I can only plan and prepare so much. God's timing is perfect, always. Even if it seems so ridiculous to me. I'm so lucky to be able to be here on behalf of Highview, this is such an exciting adventure.

Waiting In LA

Ruth Anne: I am so tempted right now to take a picture of Starr sleeping on the floor of the waiting area of GATE 121 LAX. But, really, one ought to get permission for pictures posted on the web, right? But she looks so peaceful.

What the heck.

We are one third of the way through, at least as you count flights. First part of the trip has been remarkably uneventful, except for how George almost left his Tilley hat on the plane, and how spicy supper was at the restaurant here. We're really hoping we don't regret it later, but we were hungry and the food was really good. Derek, you would have loved it.

Thailand still seems so far away. The kids still seem so far away. We're still in travel mode, so for the most part the reality of the experiences that await us are like wispy memories not yet made. All we can do is look at each other stupidly and make up crazy scenarios involving the possibility of a fireworks display for the kids and the high probability of it going amuck under George's supervision.

We are kept nourished by the many wonderful treats our team mate, Jen dropped by the night before we left. Thank you so much Jen. And thanks for making sure Ruth Anne didn't get the Sudoku -numbers? I don't think so.

We are kept encouraged and strengthened by the prayers of so many. We can feel it. Already we've had conversations with three different people, airline staff and passenger, about Thailand and what we're doing there.

We are kept awake by the excitement of what God has called us to do. And by the annoying airport announcements regarding luggage and boarding instructions.

So...here we go guys. Thanks for going with us.

By the way....we did get Starr's permission in the end. Honest.

Test Post

George: Just trying to figure out how this work. Also tried to adjust for Thailand time by staying up late, but that didn't work.