Landed!

Just getting my baggage now. Home again.
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No Brain to Blog

The "shed" at Yupa's Mom's house.
The whole village looks just like this :).

In Seol. Who knows what time it is? I think it's about 6 a.m. Thai time, and actually, I didn't sleep at all on my first flight of five hours. That means I've been up for 24 hours straight at the moment. Ew. Sounds worse now that I just typed that.

Keyed up, I guess. And processing.

Tried to journal on the plane, but with three weeks of intensive Thai immersion still swimming in my head, I could hardly catch any English to put down coherently. Just lots of ramblings and musings, barely connecting with each other.

They're good ramblings and musings. I am filled up and over flowing and over flowing the over flow. What a beyond-sensational trip this was, on just so many planes (no pun intended). Best part, hands down, was the clear observations of significant and on going improvements in the general standard of living and the overall well being, inside and out, of the kids.

They are stunning!

Living among them for three weeks, it is easy to see why any kid would thrive being brought into this environment. This family knows community like community should be. Lots and lots for us to learn there.

Suradet and Yupa's values of community and unleashing and stewardship are reflected in every corner of the property, and in every smile on a kid's face, and very song of praise sung every morning and every evening until you think you're going to die, it's so beautiful.

And the passion there for kids in need is rivaled only by a passion to see their friends and neighbours come to understand the freedom and light that Jesus offers. With increasing language skills on both sides (more on his than mine), Suradet and I were able to have more Pastor to Pastor talks. Talks about a vision for the future of Hot Springs, and how Highview can partner with our Thai family in more meaningful and effective ways.

For example, Suradet regularly gets asked if he would teach English to neighbouring children who are not in any way connected with the church. Not only do they know that Suradet is learning English himself, but they have observed all these farangs hanging around the place, and figure it's a good bet someone might be willing. See any ideas coming out of that? Suradet does.

And there's more. Tons of stories, a lot of them hilarious, about language mistakes, and how the kids were so helpful and completely made fun of me at the same time :0). About how Fruk got blamed for the earthquake, and a silly nursery song to teach Thai children the names of eyes and noses and such, that somehow turned into a yabbadabadoo song.

To my amazement, I actually went "shopping" by myself once and carried on the entire transaction without letting on I was functionally illiterate. AND, I made brief conversation with the woman sitting next to me. I think my tones are getting better because I am greeted with less and less of those totally confused looks :).

Okay...enough for having no brain. I need to go find something to eat. :).

On my way home.

Leaving Hot Springs now. The journey home has begun!
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Packed

It's good not to be rushed.

That quieter sort of Sunday afternoon expectation must be cross cultural, at least for Pastors' families, because all three Sundays that I've been here it's been like this. I think everyone's asleep, being still in the heat, enjoying Sabbath.

I tried to sleep but my mind won't stop packing even though I've basically finished my preparations for home.

So I'm awake, enjoying the beauty of a northern Thai afternoon, revelling in the sounds and smells and the warmth that will all too soon be the vivid memories of this particular trip.

By 12:30 pm Sunday afternoon Canada time, I will be in the air on my way to Korea. I have a 3 and a half hour layover in Seol. This will be a good amount of time to get connected to the internet and hopefully down load some pictures, go on Facebook, and eat a light meal. Then at about 11 pm Canada time on Sunday (I think), I will chase the sun across the Pacific in a 13 hour flight that will only register as 5 minutes on the international clock. Such is the weirdness of the jet lag for the way back.

Abby has emailed me telling me "we can't get rid of the snow, Gramma" so I expect to feel quite chilly upon my return. But in every other way, even considering the heart breaking goodbye that I have yet to face this evening at the airport, I am coming home with a heart spilling over. Can't wait to feel Ken's arms around me. Can't wait to kiss and kiss the faces of my grandchildren. Can't wait to be back at Highview with the people I love so much more because of what together you have allowed to happen here.

I have such a sense of this Regions Beyond thing being one of the best things we've ever done; it's just that right and good and true. On Sunday morning, April 3, I will bring a brief report around the beauty of Isaiah 58 and how God has been good on His promise, rewarding Suradet and Yupa's astonishing compassion, with the courage to do something beautiful.

"Thank you." Suradet says it all the time. "Please tell members church, we praise God for you, we thank you for love children".

Thank you. For releasing me to this big soul stretching experience once again.

And now, I am on my way home.
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God's Nudge Home?

After an emotional, beautiful circle of prayer, surrounded by praying, sniffling, emotional, beautiful Thai friends - no, family, I wondered how I could possibly wrench myself away from them all tomorrow.

But just now, a rather large scorpion joined me in the shower. Let me see. Would that be enough to make me want to leave? Um. Nope. ;)

The girls took care of it for me. Squished it with the handle of the toilet brush, just like that. And then they've just had a yogurt snack, brushed their teeth and are settling in beside me on the floor.

And I fight for composure, but give way again to what I hope is quiet crying in the darkness, knowing that for some cosmic reason I can't explain and do not deserve, God has seen fit to let me be part of their safety and hope.

Sponsors, if I haven't said thank you enough it's because there aren't words enough to explain what you've done.

I do want to be home. I just don't want to leave this. Scorpions notwithstanding.
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Shaken, Not Stirred

It was 6.9 apparently, and close by, near to Burma's border where one person was killed and several injured.

I felt the tremors, one around 9pm and one closer to 11:30pm our time. They were moderate but not overly significant. Enough to shake me on my bed, which is noticable because these buidlings are on slab concrete, no basement, really solid. Which was enough to make me get up to see if anyone else was acting like something was happening. And when everyone else seemed calm, and it didn't last longer than a minute, I decided I would just ask about it in the morning.

But when the second one came, even though it was smaller and shorter, I got my passport and address to the Canadian consolate at the ready in case I needed to make a mad dash.

As I laid back down, I did not feel any sense of fear or anxiety. Even with the images of Japan, so recently before us. I know that I am in the hands of a Sovereign Lord and the days of my life and the purposes of my life are under His direction. It's all covered, and it's all good. Chai, leuri!

So I guess, to borrow from the famous British spy, I am "shaken but not stirred" in a way. And I could say the opposite is true as well. I am not shaken in my spirit. But my heart is stirred to praise our BIG God for all His wonders, and His provision for all that I need.
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Time For Pictures

A grateful Suradet, sporting his Canadian T-shirt.
He is ALWAYS saying thank you to Highview Church for our love and support.

In am in Chiang Mai at Mike and Debbie's for an excursion out. We are sewing sheets for the kids right now, and afterward we will bake chocolate chip cookies...my favourite recipe. Love that I get to do that for our Thailand family :). Meanwhile, I'm just going to post a few pictures to catch you up on what's been going on.

Me, Debbie, Mike, Suradet, Yupa, after church on Sunday.

Doi Sutep, Chiang Mai look out point.

Nam took! The waterfall before the snake :).

Entorn is sponsored by our KidsROCK children.

Our girls on a Sunday morning.