Top Twelve 2015

This is my annual review of the year, by picking my favorite photo from each month.
Well--I cheated this month and picked two from November, so call it a baker's dozen.

The photos are not necessarily picked for their artistic quality, but more for special memories from that month.

January

In January, we made our first trip across the river to Laos.  We were only there a couple of days.  The first day we took a speed boat down the Mekong River south from Houay Xai.  The second day we made a road trip north, stopping in several Khmu, Lao Lue and Hmong Villages.

Our last stop was at a Hmong Village called Huay Dom Dam.  Just as we were pulling away, this young woman carrying her two children gave us a beautiful smile.  The picture is not as sharp as I would like, because we had already started moving.

February

Every Saturday afternoon, we open our house for young people to come to practice English and hear Bible stories.  Sometimes we mix things up a bit.  Since Saturday fell on Valentine's day, we had the students decorate cookies, then we told the story of St. Valentine after which we made Valentine's cards.

Since it is an English class, we had the students make their cards in English.  (Except me--I made one for my sweetheart in Thai.)  The young people had lot's of fun and got to bring some cookies home as well.

Our Saturday activities with the youth are our favorite time of the week.  To be with these young people who are eager to learn is a gift for those of us who like to teach.  And it contrasts with much of our week when we are with people who seem like they know everything already.

Several of the young people in this photo will be headed off to university later this year, and it reminds me how valuable is our time with them to teach and show them about the love of Jesus.

March

In March, we had to head to Chiang Mai for some meetings.  While we were there, we took an afternoon and went to visit the Siam Insect Zoo.  This is a small institution located north of the city.  While there was a lot to see in the way of insects, they also had some non-insects to observe.  This horned lizard probably likes living in an insect zoo, because there is plenty to eat!

While we were intent on observing the various critters in the zoo, this one looked equally intent on observing us.

April

In April, we were invited to a house dedication in Huai Jaw--the nearest Khmu village to where we live.  When we got there, we could not find where the house dedication was supposed to be.  Instead we got invited to where a wedding dowry ceremony was taking place.

There were lots of interesting things being presented.  An official dowry inspector was there to make sure everything was of sufficient quality.  Here, the inspector is checking the chicken legs and wish bone to see if they are auspicious.  The father of the bride, in the blue shirt, looks on.

May

One of the bike rides I like is a windy, forested road that leads to a forest temple about 9 km southwest of where we live.  As one approaches the temple, the vegetation changes from wild forest to a mix of wild and ornamental plants.

In that mix of plants one day, I was delighted to find see this beautiful flower spike.  It was hard to miss, because the spike itself is about a foot long and sat atop a four to five-foot long stalk.  While I had not seen this particular bloom before, it is closely related to galangal, which is commonly planted all around Thailand.  I don't know an English name for it, the Thai name translates "wild galangal".

June

One of the most attractive fruits in Thailand is the dragonfruit.  The beautiful pink fruit belies its very bland flavor.  The dragonfuit is a type of cactus.  One hardly sees the open blooms, however, because they open at night.  During the day, the blooms wilt and eventually turn brown.

One day I was fortunate in that the clouds seemed to have fooled this particular dragonfruit plant, and its blooms were still open even at about 10 am.  The blooms are several inches across and have an interesting palm-tree shaped pistil surrounded by many stamens.

July

In July, a team of college students from the US descended on our training center in Wiang Kaen.  This group of young people visited several nearby churches to put on activities for children.  In Huai Ian, the team was leading some songs.  Jake was playing percussion.  He invited one of the local men, Wat, to join with them.  Wat was thrilled at the opportunity.  Though Jake could hardly speak a word of Wat's language, his smile communicated all that was necessary.

August

I was on my way back from a few days in Mae Salong, and I saw a sign, in Thai, for a waterfall park.  I'm usually somewhat leery about such things, because sometimes destinations noted on such signs can be a long ways away or perhaps the road or trail doesn't go through anymore.  But this time I decided to investigate.

Huai Kang Pla did not have any large falls, but there were some small and medium sized cascades.  I was the first one in the park that day.  It was quite humid and I was soon drenched with sweat as I wound up the trail to the waterfalls.  It was the last day of my short vacation and I was trying to keep my brain in vacation mode.

The vendors at near the park gate were setting up as I got back.  They said the falls are more popular in the winter when people stop on their way to the mountain areas, or in the hot season, when people go to cool off in the pools.

September

One day we made a rather spontaneous decision to take an afternoon trip and head 25 km up the road to a small cave.

Pha Lae Cave functions more as a religious shrine than a natural resource.  The cave itself is small and it has quite a few Buddhist worship elements in it.  However, it is located in a pretty spot along the Ngao River so it is a nice place to relax.

We got there just as the monks were putting out bananas for the monkeys.  They must have known it was feeding time, because they had begun to amass even before the bananas were set out.  There were monkeys of all sizes, from tiny babies to big papas.  I thought it was cute how this baby was snuggled up to momma as she kept a watchful eye.

October

Pha Tang Creek flows out of the mountains that border the country of Laos.  As the creek nears its confluence with the Ngao River, it gets a bit flatter and these areas are formed into terraced rice paddies.  The creek itself is diverted into irrigation canals such as the one seen here.

On this day I decided to take a drive down the rough dirt track at the far end of my bike ride.  There butterflies were out enjoying the sunny day.  I paused to relax and reflect that this is one of the things I like about Wiang Kaen--the sleepy valleys surrounded by hills and mountains.

This particular area reminds me of parts of the Haut St. Marc, where we spent our first year in Haiti over 30 years ago.

November

In November we took our first real vacation together in a long time.  We decided to go to a resort area in the province of Krabi on the southern peninsula of Thailand.

What a beautiful area.   (That's why a posted two photos for November).

We stayed in Ao Nang.  Most evenings we had thunder storms and the mix of clouds made for awesome sunsets.  We would go for a walk to dinner and catch the sunset along the way.  Tourist season was just beginning and the beach would begin to fill with people watching the sky as the colors shifted with the drowning sun.

Most of the long-tail boats would be parked in a harbor a few miles north for the night.  But there were always a few moored on the beach.



Many of the tourist activities involve being packed with hordes of people in a van or boat.  One day we decided we wanted something a little more free-form, but we did not know our way around enough.  So we opted in for something in-between.  We went on a guided kayak trip.  There was only us and two Korean couples in our group.  The Koreans opted to hire locals to paddle their boats.  We paddled our own (felt that for a few days).

We were in tidal channels in a mangrove forest in Bor Thor, on the north side of Krabi.  One of the channels went through a cave.  As we broke through the back side of the cave-tunnel with the light filtering through the green leaves, it was like a mix of romance and a scene from some kind of adventure movie.It was quite beautiful.  Now that we know the area, I think I would go back and just rent the kayak and go at our own pace.

December

December means Christmas activities.  Being associated with a group of churches means we can stay quite busy, even if we don't go to all of the events.

The Sunday after Christmas we were in Huai Jaw.  PK was giving a message in Khmu, so we did not understand all of his message.  I drifted outside with my camera and used it to break the ice with some children.  They would climb up this small tree then swing themselves off of it from the branch that they are holding in this photo.

The smiles from these kids help melt away the stress of a busy holiday season.



My work this past year, especially the latter half, have been quite difficult for me.  I'm grateful for those things that help to relieve some of the stress of life--going for a bike ride, studying a flower, hanging out with children, watching a sunset, paddling a kayak. In all these things, we can see the hand of the Creator.  And I am reminded just how great He is.

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29:1-11 (NIV)