Still Unpacking

 

For me it’s Friday morning and with the delay in the arrival of our luggage we are still not fully unpacked.

This is messing with the ‘what day is it’ deal even more than usual.  Last Sunday in Ontario we lost an hour.  But I’m sort of feeling like I’ve misplaced a couple of days.  Friday?  How can the week have already gone by and our stuff is still in such disarray?

With a Team of five, it meant we could bring more.  So, when I say ‘our stuff’ it’s not just our clothes and personal items, but five large suitcases full of teaching supplies for Bible lessons, prizes for our English reading program, and an array of crafts for both some fun and also a little special something for our Sponsors (shhhh).

As an added bonus we’ve also been able to bring along significant material to teach both reading and writing skills, courtesy of some generous hearts with professional expertise who will be named, but later.  I have yet to fully unpack all of it, as I said.  And their contribution is worthy of a separate posting complete with pictures of the children interacting with what they’ve sent.  So, stay tuned.

Today we should have the space and perhaps even less-spinny heads to sort and organize.  Yesterday we headed to Chiang Mai to exchange our Canadian dollars into Thai baht, and visit Yupa’s Mom in hospital.  Our timing was perfect as we got to pray with her just before her surgery.  To respect her privacy, I’ll just say that this is a welcome outcome after several months of health issues, and she is expected to be home and on the mend very soon. 

Also of note, is that this was at McCormick Hospital which I referenced in last Sunday’s (was that just last Sunday?) online sermon at Highview on Daniel McGilvary.   It was an additional bit of historical interest for the Team, and another moment of respect and awe for me towards this truly inspirational pioneer missionary to Northern Thailand.

Later in the day we got to do our first reading time with the kids.  Honestly, there’s something pretty rewarding when they asked already for us to do this on Wednesday, our first day.  And when we asked for another day to recover from the trip, they were understanding but clearly disappointed.  So when we finally did bring out the books and the little ones came running, well…  It’s one of those pictures I keep in my heart to remind me why we do this.

It's not lost on me, as we sit and work out the difference between “chick” and “chuck”, or “goat” and “toad”, that these two eager young lads in front of me are not lethargic from hunger.  They were when they got here.  In fact, one of them had to be lovingly coached not to overeat to the point of vomiting, a response sometimes seen in children who still don’t trust that there will be enough to eat tomorrow.

Our jet lag has settled down into mostly being just about not sleeping through the night.  And it’s hot, so there’s that to add to the late afternoon sense of hitting a wall.  But we remain in good spirits, taking care of each other, curious to seek what God’s got in mind for our time here.

Have I mentioned how great this Team is?  Have I mentioned it’s not the same without Megan?

I think I promised more pictures in yesterday’s posting.  Let’s see if we can do better today.