If You Expect the Unexpected Is It Still Unexpected?

This might be the only picture of the whole Team to together in Thailand.

 Time for an update on this unusually unusual visit to Hot Springs.

Despite the slower feel to this year's trip, this is one of the first mornings I've had to sit uninterrupted and record some of the happenings.  Sam has arrived safely home and Bill will return from a weekend in Bangkok later today.  It's warming up after a cool-for-Thailand weekend where I admit I was glad for the long pants, scarf and long sleeve jacket I had brought for the mountain.  Still much better than the weather we're hearing about at home.

Saiy came to church!!

Sam's two weeks here has been quite a 'thing'.  We will get a fuller report directly from Sam on Sunday, February 4 when the Team will share their experiences.  For now, I would encourage us to be praying for Sam as he readjusts back to Canadian climate and time zone, and processes all that did and did not happen while we were here.  It is quite remarkable, really, how much of what we thought we were going to do we didn't get to do.  That takes something of a toll on the psyche, and when you're far away from all that's familiar, it takes even more personal stamina to keep on 'going with the flow'.

Hair cut day.

Bill arrived on January 6 and has fit in around here very well for a first timer.  It helps that he has a good appetite for different kinds of foods, and is generally well traveled.  Again, we will hear from Bill directly on February 4.  But it has been pretty cool for me to have someone I've know as long as I've known Bill (since highschool - Ken since kindergarten) come and see my 'other life' here at Hot Springs.

Dow is learning to play guitar. (With Any)

Both Bill and Sam have been huge assets in the ESL support we provide when we're here.  I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but we've set up a reading club where, when the children complete the reading of 24 books they can choose from an assortment of prizes.  The books are a combination of the library they have here (which was far less extensive than I had remembered) and from books we collected for the purpose of going into the locals schools.  When that didn't pan out, we just used them for the book club, and it's been great.  Thanks again to all who donated easy reading books about winter.  They are fascinated with snow and it has helped encourage the reading.

 

Bill reading with Eak. 

I'm pretty sure we're going to do something like this each time we come.  Learning as we go.  Thanks to Laurent as well for contributing to the prizes. 








So that's one thing that's actually worked out like we expected.

Everything else, not so much.  No mountain trip.  No ESL in the schools.  No zip line for Sam.  Even the coffee shop down the street was closed the day we walked there!

It will be the theme of both reports in our series "Expecting the Unexpected".  January 28 we will hear from the Haiti Team, and February 4 from the Hot Springs Team.  While this is somewhat 'normal' for missions trips, I think you will agree, when you hear our stories, that these two trips have required an increased level of flexibility and surrender as we have navigated our way through completely out of our control kinds of circumstances.  Some of it has to to with weather, and some of it has to do with people's decisions, and ripple effects.  All of it stretches us in ways that are often uncomfortable, even to the point to wondering why we came in the first place.

Special couch for the preacher.  Hmm......

When I realize that I haven't actually reported anything since January 2, and here we are two weeks later, it's partly because of this.  So much easier to blog about wild adventures.  But when plans are cancelled and you're left with the ordinary stuff of daily life, and not too much is happening....  Except, I guess this is what Suradet and Yupa, Jaroen and Dtu live out every day.  And to be with them in the quiet ordinariness of that is a good thing too.

Having said that....I did get to go to a Thai Buddhist wedding yesterday.  That's another blog altogether.  Just one learning moment from that experience though.  Thai skirts need to be tied up pretty tight or they'll fall off.  Hard to explain, but it's just the way it is.  And no, mine stayed secure, but at the expense of my comfort at the reception as they kept bringing out more and more fantastic food!!!  Oy!