On January first, I went on a bike ride up the Ngao River Valley (The district we live in is basically the Ngao River watershed). This is usually a good time of year for biking because we don't have the clouds of rainy season and it is still relatively early in the burning season so the air is still somewhat clear after the morning fog burns off.
On this day I rode to to village of Chedi Thong (roughly translates: gold pagoda). This is a Hmong Village and home of some of the teenagers that come to study English in our home, including a young woman named Lai, who has come to have a special place in our hearts. (Lai won a very nice scholarship to study English overseas and last week she and 6 other students from across Thailand appeared on national television when they had an audience with the princess.)
The photo is taken looking northwest. (It's actually two photos stitched together.) The hills in the back mark the border of Khun Tan and Chiang Khong districts. On the valley floor are rice paddies, some of which are already black from burning. The road winding through the photo is the main drag through our area. It heads south from the Mekong River up through the mountains to Thoeng District. It is a pretty drive, and the road on which most of my bicycling happens.
My photo from the last day of 2015 was taken just a few kilometers north of the first photo.
The village of Wang Pha was having a Khmu culture festival. We had friends visiting us and we didn't leave the house until late morning. By the time we got to the festival, it was almost over. Many villages from the area participated and each village was charged with demonstrating some aspect of Khmu culture. When we got there, the village of Huai Jaw was just finishing up showing a particular meal that is used for special occasions.
Uncle John (leaning over the baskets) is one of the leaders in our church in Huai Jaw.
Interesting that the two photos are connected to two of the hill tribe groups in our area. The Hmong are the dominant ethnic group in our district. The Khmu are one of the minor groups in the area but they are the people with which we spend most of our time.
While the ethnic diversity in our area is great, we serve a God who loves all of these people groups. I, myself, have only a minor grasp of one of the languages of our area (Thai), but God understands them all.
People of all nations, celebrate God! All colors and races, give hearty praise! - Romans 15:11 (MSG)
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