Top Twelve 2019

In my annual review of pictures this year, I tried to contain myself to 12 photos, but in the end I ended up with a baker's dozen.

January - Follow your heart in Phu Ruea

For my birthday, I told Ingrid I wanted to go to the mountains. Going to the mountains isn't as easy here as it was in California, where I could be in the mountains in just over an hour. From where we live now, we are talking about a 5-hour drive or longer.

We decided to go to Phu Ruea (pronounced poo rur-ah), which means "place of the boat." We've driven through Phu Ruea on several previous occasions, traveling back and forth to Northern Thailand. I had always wondered how a mountainous area is named "place of the boat," a name that would seem more fitting for a beach town. It turns out that viewed from the valley below, the mountain is shaped like a boat.

There are several national parks near Phu Ruea, one of which bears the same name. You can drive almost to the highest point in the park. From there, you can hop on a tram (pickup truck with benches in the back) or walk to the summit. We opted to walk, and we had the trail mostly to ourselves, as most people took the tram.

Phu Ruea has a flower festival over the New Year's holiday, and we came in on the tail end of it. So many flowers! The dominant flowers were poinsettias in red, pink, yellow and white. The main theme of the flower festival is hearts. Flower gardens shaped like hearts. Big heart-shaped signs. And even heart shaped pavers winding through the poinsettias. For more photos of Phu Ruea, see here.

Heart-shaped pavers in Phu Ruea

February - Phu Phrabat

Our second entry also has a "Phu" in it. (December's entry does as well.)

In February, we had a visit from a couple from Canada. They are friends of our co-workers and we were told that they like outdoorsy stuff. Since we have a vehicle and know about many of the outdoorsy activities to be had in the area, our co-workers made us responsible for one day's activities. So we put together as list of possibilities and presented it to our visitors. They decided to go to Phu Phrabat.

We like Phu Phrabat because it has some of the most well-groomed sets of forest trails for walking in the area. The park is considered an "historical park" and is run by the Arts and Culture ministry rather than the forestry department. That must be why the park has one of the classiest restrooms in Thailand!

The geology of the area includes some hard layers of sandstone which are underlain by softer material. This has contributed to the formation of lots of unusual rock formations. Several hundred years ago, these features were used for human settlement, either for living places, animal shelters or religious worship sites.

The picture below is from one of the most famous structures on the park. It is called Hor Nang Usa (หอนางอุสา), which means, "Ms. Usa's Tower". Nang Usa is a character in the anecdotal stories of the history of the structures.

More pictures from Phu Phrabat can be found here.

Hor Nang Usa - what would happen if you jumped up and down on the part that sticks out?

March - Tokay Geckos

Anybody want a pet lizard? I'd be happy to part with these cute, (no so) little, lizards. The tokay gecko is the type species of the gecko family, hence its scientific name, Gekko gecko. I like the Thai name, tookay (ตุ๊กแก) because it aptly describes the sound of this creature. Nothing like the "tookay, tookay, tookay" blasting from the ceiling from above your bed to wake you up at night.

The home of the creatures in the photo is above our front porch. They even have a trail mark from the hole where they get in and out. I would seal it, but I don't want them to die in the attic because the smell of rotting gecko bodies makes the fragrance of a dead rat like sweet perfume in comparison. Mama and papa had two babies this past year, one of which shows in this photo. They are cute, in a way, with their turquoise colored bodies covered with bright red spots. (The photo doesn't really do it justice.)

Calling Geckos on the wall of our house

April - Pretty in Pink

We're always in the mood for a good coffee shop. When your home is your office, sometimes it's nice to have an "away office." There are lots of chain and independent coffee shops in Thailand, but price, coffee quality and quality of internet connection vary greatly.

Sometimes on our day off, we drive north to a place called Pak Khat for dinner. Along the way there is a small town called Rattanawapi. There are several coffee shops in the town that have closed, but one day we noticed a new one, Ban Card Coffee. For a while it seemed like this one, too, succumbed to poor planning because it closed down soon after it opened (a common occurrence with restaurants and coffee shops in Thailand).  But then, to our surprise, it reopened.

The staff in this cozy establishment are friendly and they make our coffee the way we like it. Prices are good and so is the internet connectivity. And it has some cuteness value—especially if you bring along a pretty girl with an outfit to match the decor.

May - Dining Adventures

On most Thursday evenings, we meet a with a couple that helps lead our church, Tha and Nok. Nok is from Laos and she comes from a poor background, so she has learned to live off the land. She amazes us with the food she can prepare from whatever they caught or scrounged up in the forest on any given day.

One day, we were presented with a plate of...

   ...something.

April is the season that the termites swarm. These species of termites (Macrotermes sp.) somehow manage to acquire wings and they gather by the thousands around light sources at night. The Thai name for these, Malaeng Mao (แมลงเม่า) refers to their appearance being like a way that rice is sometimes prepared (Mao). The insects are very fragile and usually the floor under a light is covered with the bodies of these creatures, On many individuals, the wings may have already fallen off.

It is easy to gather a huge bowlful of these creatures. After pulling the wings off, they can be stir-fried and served with your meal.

Bon Appétit!

June - Cutting the Cord

On a steamy Wednesday morning, several of us piled in the truck and headed off to Ban Klum Pattana—a village about 14 kilometers north of the main town of Phon Phisai. We were on our way to visit some people who were interested in hearing the story of Jesus.

Our first visit was to a man who has had difficulty walking for several years due to a motorcycle accident. The second was to a woman who had an inoperable condition in her spine. In each place, we explained the gospel message to the people, then they prayed to confess belief in Jesus.

What happened next was the string cutting. Sacred strings are tied around the wrist to indicate a binding commitment. In most cases, it is as symbol of belief in Buddhism. But even some Christians will use these cords as part of a marriage ceremony, akin to the wedding ring used in western weddings. To cut the string means to say you no longer trust in the old way of doing things as a way to earn religious merit. Instead, you confess that you are now placing your trust in Jesus.

The man we visited first that day later bowed to pressure from family and reneged on his decision. The lady, however, has remained true to her new faith.

For more about family relationships and choosing Christ, click here.

Tha cutting the string from Bor Wan's wrist

July - Seven Hearts

In a previous blog, I wrote about our Sweetheart Plant (Hoya kerrii), and the patience it took to wait for a leaf stuck in the soil to take root and start growing. Once the vine started growing, however, it put out new leaves relatively quickly. By July, about 11 months after it started putting out its first leaf, the Hoya had amassed seven leaves.

Seven leaves. Seven hearts.

I grew up in a family of seven, and while my parents are no longer with us on this side of heaven, I still think  of our family as a family of seven. So my Hoya with seven hearts was a symbolic reminder to me of family.

Interestingly, the vine has not made any new leaves in the six months since then. It still sits in its small pot with seven hearts attached to the vine.

August - Celebrating Life

We had big plans for our 25th anniversary. But when the time came around, our life was full of too much uncertainty, and not much happened. So we figured, maybe we'll do something big for our 30th. But when that came around, we were in the midst of a very hectic schedule and settled for a couple of days in Monterey, California. Five years later we took a few days attached to a retreat I was on in Switzerland, but it was still not what we had in mind. So we figured we'd do something special this year.

We made plans to visit some relatives who live in Jordan, and to combine that with some visits to some Biblical historical sites.  We had most of the details figured out, but had no peace about them. "I need to visit George," I told my wife.

My brother-in-law had a rare form of cancer, and we did not expect him to be around much longer. Better to visit him while he's alive than to pay homage to a box of ashes after he's gone.

George was not very strong during our visit, but he did rally a bit and made it to church one Sunday, when this photo below was taken. I'm glad we went. A month and a half later, George opted for a better life with neither pain nor sorrow. Since I could tell his days remaining were few, I penned a eulogy ahead of time, so that he could read it. Better to enjoy the company of our loved ones while they are with us than to regret it later.

Enjoying our last weekend with George

September - Yung Thong Waterfall

Our wet season this past year was less than spectacular. The rains were fewer and they stopped over a month sooner than usual. Usually, September and October are a great time to visit waterfalls, because it is the end of the wet season and the rivers are at their peak.

In spite of it being so dry, we decided to visit a waterfall a 3 hour drive west of where we live. The last time we visited Nayung Namsom National Park it was dry season and the waterfall was nothing but a rock bluff.  This time around, things were slightly better. The climb to Yung Thong waterfall is challenging in some places, and we did not go all the way to the top because my knee had still not fully recovered from an injury incurred while in California the previous month. We did make it to the main viewpoint of the waterfall, though. And while the waterfall was not spectacular, as waterfalls go, if was a nice quiet day for a walk in the forest. And a bonus was that we did not have to pay to visit the park!

Yung Thong Waterfall in Nayung Namsom National Park

October - Reunion with Friends

Shortly after we moved to Phon Phisai, we made friends with the proprietor of a coffee shop in town. Yai is a man from the southern peninsula of Thailand. Yai's wife, Rung, is a police captain. Rung had recently been transferred to Phon Phisai.  They have a daughter named Khao Hom. Khao Hom came to the English / Bible story classes we had and often her mother would stay and listen to the stories as well. Rung is originally from Kalasin province, about a four-hour drive south of Phon Phisai. About once a month, they would travel there because they were working on building a house there so that at some point, Rung could move back to her hone area.

It seemed like we were just getting to know this family when Rung got a transfer to Kalasin province. Since they were the closest friends we had made, we really missed them.

The missionaries working in the Isaan region gather to pray together about three times a year. We meet in various places. We don't get to join with them all of the time because of our schedules. In October, the meeting was in Kalasin. We made use of the opportunity to visit Yai and his family. We had not seen or spoken to them since they had moved, but they were happy to see us again.

Rung Arun, Khao Hom, Ingrid and Yai by their new home 

November - Nong Ngaeng

One of my favorite bike rides is to follow some irrigation canals to a pond called Nong Ngaeng. (That's okay,  I can't pronounce it either.) The Acacia mangium trees planted along the east side of the pond provide a shady respite from the tropical sun. Often, while riding under this treed canopy, I will take a break to enjoy the peaceful setting.

November happens to be the month with the clearest skies. The rainy season clouds are gone and the smoke from burning all the forests and fields hasn't started to build up much yet. On this day, it was early enough that the morning breezes had not picked up yet and so the water was very still. The blue skies reflected in the pond made a nice backdrop for the red boat.

Red Boat in Nong Ngaeng

December - Phu Tawk

My photo for December is similar to my photo for November, last year.

In December, my sister came to visit from California. It was her first time traveling internationally by herself since her college days. Originally, she had hoped to come to Thailand with her husband, but that was not to be.

On one day during her visit, we visited Phu Tawk (variously spelled Phu Tok or Phu Thok). The skies were nice and clear and the cooler than normal temperatures made it more comfortable to climb the hundreds of stairs.

Phu Tawk is not for people with a fear of heights. Our teammate, Somdy, was with us and he was  constantly commenting about the safety of the handiwork. I've never heard of anyone dying here, so I'm guessing it must be fairly safe, even if it doesn't always look that way.

The mountain is a sacred site, and there are several shrines scattered about. They say there are seven levels, but I'm not sure how some of the "levels" are called such, except that seven is a sacred number (though 9 is more so) so it helps it the top is level 7, I suppose. Probably most of the people we saw were at the mountain as part of a religious pilgrimage, hoping to obtain special merit by making an offering  at level seven, if they make it that far (there are merit making opportunities on several of the levels).

For us, it was an opportunity to get out and get some exercise and marvel at the handiwork—not so much of the people who put all of the walkways together, but instead at the handiwork of God, who put the mountain together.

For more photos of this big, red rock, click here.

Ingrid and Dawn on the wooden walkway

December - Bonus pic

With our last wet season being not so wet, I was surprised at the number of people planting irrigated rice in the dry season. If water is less, why are we irrigating more? I've seen people pumping water in places I had not seen since moving here.

The reason for more off-season planting is that because the rains quit early last summer, the rice harvest in the area was much less than normal. Some fields were not even harvested because there was nothing to pick. Those fields that were harvested had a smaller crop than normal. For this reason, many families did not harvest enough rice to eat, let alone sell. So there is a push to get another crop in. We pray that the water supplies will last, because even the Mekong is at its lowest level Inver 50 years--and there are still several more months of dry season left.

A side benefit for us, though, is that even our neighbor decided to plant a second crop. So he plowed and smoothed his paddies, making a nice reflecting pond for us, at least until the rice crop comes on. So we finish up the year having to put up with sunrise views from our house like the one below.

Sunrise reflections in the rice paddy

And so another year has gone by. Some things have gone as expected, many things have not. There have been good times and challenging times. All of which makes it a normal year.

I count it a blessing to finish the year with the same wife that I have shared the past 36 years with. Not everyone is so fortunate.

I also thank God for His faithfulness in helping get through some challenges during the year. Several times, I have wanted to give up, as my faith and strength were not up to the task. Fortunately, God is up to the task.

There is a saying that God does not give us more than we can handle. I'm not sure where this comes from, for my understanding from scripture is that God never gives us more than He can handle. As Paul writes, "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.  Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."  (2 Corinthians 1:8-9, NIV)

We don't know what the coming year will bring. My prayer is that, no matter what happens, good or bad, we continue to rely on God.

Happy New Year

Traditions

Family traditions.

We grow up with family traditions. Without thinking, we assume we will carry these on all our lives. When we marry, we have to figure out how to blend two sets of traditions, which can be a source of conflict. Then we end up adding our own spin on things and figure we will pass these new traditions down to our children.

Christmas tree from the early years
before Alan was taller than the tree.

One tradition I remember is that on one of my brother's birthdays (December 15th), we would drive down the hill to a Christmas tree farm. Dad would go pick a tree his height and we would cut it down, bring it home, and decorate it.

On Christmas Eve, we were allowed to open one gift.

On Christmas morning, we kids were up early. We were allowed to open our stockings early, while our parents were sleeping. Then we would have breakfast. The staples of Christmas breakfast were scrambled eggs, Brown 'n Serve® sausages and Pillsbury Pop 'n Fresh® cinnamon rolls—two kinds: orange glaze and caramel topping. To drink there was orange juice and hot chocolate served in Santa Claus mugs.

Modern version of traditional Christmas breakfast

Ingrid's traditions were a bit different. Christmas Eve was a time to celebrate in the church, where the children would receive a Christmas Tüte, a brown paper bag with treats inside. In her house, the parents set up the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve while the kids were out of the way.

I remember our first Christmas together we had to work out what our blended family traditions would look like. What things would we like to pass on to our children? Even the Christmas cookie offerings had to be figured out. From my childhood there were almond snowballs, Starlight mint surprise cookies,  thumbprint cookies (yuletide gems), and peanut butter blossoms. Ingrid brought Pfferneuse (which for many years Ingrid's mom made and sent to us) and Stöllen into the mix. Both of us were used to the sugar cookies and cookie-press cookies. A sister introduced us to almond Rocha.

But then there were no children. No one to pass family traditions down to.

And then we ended up living places where we could not get the things we associated with family traditions.

So we improvised. One year, some friends sent us some coconut-based fruit cake. They did this for several years and eventually we started making our own. A new tradition was born, added to the various cookie receipts we inherited from our families.

Many years I ended up making my own cinnamon rolls. Brown 'n Serve sausages were seldom an option, but usually we could find some other kind.

When we lived in Haiti, after breakfast on Christmas Day, we would drive two hours to our mission's main office to have dinner with the other missionaries. Then we would head to the beach house in Montrouis for a few days. There they had palm trees naturally decorated with green, coconut-shaped ornaments. Now that's my kind of Christmas tree.

Montrouis, Haiti, a nice place to spend Christmas

One year we spent Christmas Eve in Morro Bay. In our hotel room on Christmas morning we turned on a television station that had a video of a burning fireplace with Christmas carols playing. Lunch was a picnic on a cool, misty beach with smoked salmon and crackers.

But this year, things are really different.  In addition to the usual busyness of Christmas outreach events (one of which was on Christmas day), we are preparing to leave for the US for a few months shortly afterwards. So our theme for presents was things that took up no space and had no weight. There is also a lot of prep to do before traveling back to North America. Add to that all the stuff to do for visa renewals.

Who has time for Christmas? Not much time for tradition. No Christmas cake this year. Limited variety of Christmas cookies.

No tree this year—not even our tiny artificial one. But we did take out some manger scene ornaments and set them out on a table.

Christmas Eve was mostly working. So for Christmas Eve dinner, we picked up a cooked ham leg at the grocery store on the way home from rehearsing music.

I did not make homemade cinnamon rolls this year, as we are trying to empty our cupboards and didn't have all the ingredients. But there was some leftover sticky rice in the freezer from some Khao Lam someone gave us a couple weeks ago. How about we add some cinnamon and coconut milk to that? And there were some British-style sausages in the freezer, too. No orange juice, but fresh oranges instead. Thus, Christmas breakfast is born.

On Christmas Day, I told Ingrid that as I thought back over all of our Christmases together, there is only one constant tradition—that we spend it together.

I was never one for much in the way of Christmas decorations, and this detachment from tradition makes that tendency even stronger. But this year even I felt myself missing some of the trappings of the season.

Some may decry me for lack of "Christmas spirit" since I don't buy into all the glitter and glam. But, on the other hand, I think I have even more "Christmas spirit," for what makes Christmas special is not a tree, or stockings, or a fat man with a long white beard in a red suit. The Spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Jesus, whose birth we celebrate on this day.

Here in Thailand, many think that Christmas is Santa Claus' birthday. That is probably more true than I like to admit, because December 25th is more closely associated with Santa Claus than it is with the actual birthday of Jesus. I actually don't have a problem with separating Jesus from this celebration of   stuff that happens each December, because I don't think Jesus is all too happy if we get the latest toys and tech gadgets and then let those things take us further from Him. The greatest Christmas present of all time was wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.

It makes no difference if we have the greatest nativity scene in town and then live our lives as if Jesus doesn't exist.

We may not have much in the way of Christmas traditions, and even if what we do have should pass away, I pray that my heart, like a manger, will continually be a place where the Spirit of Christmas dwells.

The angel said,

Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

Luke 2:10, 11

The Lame Will Walk

And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. (Luke 7:22 ESV)

We first met Wari in November last year. For over a year she had suffered from a condition that left her unable to walk except with a walker, and when she did walk it was with great difficulty and great pain. The doctors said there was nothing they could do for her.

We went to visit Wari at her home. We explained the good news of Jesus to her and she made the decision to follow Him.

Each week we would visit Wari's house to sing songs, study the Bible and pray for her. Slowly her condition improved.

By January, Wari felt strong enough to get baptized. At that point, she was still using a walker and we had to help her into the pool. But God continued to heal her, eventually she no longer needed a walker or cane. By springtime, she was able to ride a bicycle and in June she started riding her motorcycle to worship services. Several weeks ago, our truck got stuck in the mud when we were visiting another church member. She was quickly out the door of the truck to help push.

If you see Wari today, you would not recognize her as the person we first met. Her face is full of joy and she stands tall with confidence in Jesus.

God has given her a great voice which she uses to help lead praises to God during worship services. We praise God for the work he has done in her life. We praise God for the work He has done in her life. She is becoming one of the key leaders in our church. We are grateful to God for the miracles He has done in her life, but the miracles don't end there.

Wari’s father worked in central Thailand, but he developed a health condition that left him unable to work, so he came home. The first week he was back, Somdy, our team leader, went to visit him. At that time he didn’t want to hear the gospel. But the second week when Somdy met him he said, “If God will heal me, I will believe.” So Somdy prayed for him, he was healed and he put his faith in Christ and was baptized. Soon after that he returned to work in Central Thailand because God had healed him well enough to do so.

We thank God for these occasions when His love is poured out in the form of healing from medical conditions.

No less important is the miraculous work God does in our souls.

We lift our praises to the God who loves us inside and out.

Usury

usury - the lending of money with an interest charge for its use: especially the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/usury)

Déjà vu. I'm sure I've heard this before, though it looked a little different this time. This person is in financial crisis because of debt. Again.

One of the major social problems in Isaan is debt.  Sometimes people borrow money because of real needs. But often it's just something to improve one's image—and having a good image is important in Thai society.

Sometimes people borrow from legitimate banks—there are 6 in Phon Phisai—but typically people don't qualify for these loans unless they have regular employment. But for government workers, getting loans easy. We know a school teacher who has unsecured debt of about US $200,000! She will probably not be able to pay it off in her lifetime, but the banks don't seem to care.

Even students aren't immune. We know a 16 year old high school student who got a 20,000 baht loan (about $600 USD) from a government bank to help with school expenses. And this is for a public high school! The worst thing is that the loan does not even cover all of her fees. Some of the fees are likely to pay for expenses that the school receives funds for, but then staff use the money for their own benefit. If the student is unable to pay back the loan when she graduates (that;s when it is due), she'll probably have to borrow more money to pay it back, essentially beginning a life of slavery to the government bank. Or perhaps she might look for an illegal was to make money to pay off the debt.

The next place to try for a legitimate loan is one of the 10 loan companies in Phon Phisai. Interest rates are higher than banks, but loans for vehicles or real estate are fairly easy to get.

Non-bank formal lenders in Phon Phisai

A more insidious kind of loan is something like a cell phone contract. The companies will give you a phone at a really low price but you have to pay the agreed-to plan for one to two years.  This was the kind of thing that got my friend in trouble. They thought that if they threw out the SIM card they wouldn't have to pay, but now the company was wanting the amount that the phone prices had been reduced by when they got them. And this was for phones for their young kids.

The worst kind of loan to get is in the informal loan market. These kinds of loans are very common and the cause of much grief in Thailand. Everyone dreads the motorcycle approaching with the rider dressed entirely in black. Typically you will pay twice what you borrowed—providing you pay it in time. We heard from one person who borrowed 4000 baht (about US $130) and pay off 8000 baht in 20 days! Why not wait twenty days and it would be like having an extra 4000 baht to spend!

The loan sharks often end up seizing the land of the borrowers, and they become very wealthy people.

One person we know borrowed a large amount from a loan shark and when they did not end up needing the entire amount, rather than pay off part of the loan, they just used the money for other things. Some was used for some fancy clothes and jewelry. In the end they ended up losing some land. Seems like a high price to pay for things that don't last.

Another problem with debt is that it can affect ministry. Sometimes people want to be in ministry or receive some training that will help their ministry, but they need to work long hours in order to pay off their debts and the opportunities are lost.

I don't think this issue is restricted to Thailand. How often to folks North America end up with large debts in order to have things to impress others? And the enemy is right there, throwing temptations at us 24 hours a day: "You need this!" "You can't do without this!" "Only $100 per month!"

I remember once going to buy a car and it was hard to find the price for a particular vehicle. All that was posted was the monthly payment. "How much if I pay cash?" I asked. The salesman gave me a weird look—this wasn't covered in the sales training. He had to go ask someone.

Here in Thailand the car dealers do the same thing. Poor people buy new cars because they get a good deal on payments. Car dealers will even throw in first class insurance (insurance for "collision" coverage) for the first year. After the first year, the owner usually can't afford this kind of insurance, and they just keep a very basic policy. If something happens to the car, the end up with no vehicle and big payments.

I get the feeling that debt is considered a normal part of life here--many people seem to resign themselves to it.  Even if some people acknowledge the problems caused borrowing money, they do it anyway. They may be aware how much the debt will cost them, but they still take the cash.

We read in Proverbs 22:7, "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender."

Those with money like the system of usury, though, because they profit from it. Even though there were scriptures prohibiting Jews from charging interest to fellow Jews (e.g. Leviticus 25:36, 37), they still did it. It got so bad that people were being sold to pay off debts (Nehemiah 5:1-8).

Desire for money.

Desire for stuff.

No wonder Paul warned us, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10 NLT)

The sorrows mentioned here are evident here in Thailand. Money worries are the cause of many sleepless nights. And it is not unusual to hear of someone committing suicide because they are so overwhelmed with debt.

Jesus warned us about money, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

Money is not usually a problem if we are the ones using it. But too often it ends up using us. Perhaps that is the root of the term "usury".

Lord, give us wisdom to manage the financial resources you give us. Keep us from voluntarily making ourselves slaves to money and debt.

Cave Man

Earlier this week, on our way driving south to Cha Am, we noticed this small limestone mountain jutting awkwardly out of the otherwise flat landscape to the east of the highway. We've driven by this place several times in the past, but today we weren't in any rush so we decided to check it out.

Many caves in Thailand turn into Buddhist shrines, and this was no exception.  Inside the cave there was a large reclining Buddha and several smaller Buddha images to which people were sticking pieces of gold leaf purchased from a monk seated nearby.

Since all the merit we might ever need was already paid for by Jesus, we did not spend a lot of time in the cave. We quickly left for the sunny, hot exterior. When we got outside, I noticed some stairs going up the mountain. Double temptation--a mountain to climb and a path I've never been on before.

We weren't to the top yet when we saw a broken-down sign about a cave. We veered off the trail a few steps and found some more stairs, only these were going down into a cave.

I'm an introvert, and my introvert tendencies are not near the middle of the scale. (As the saying goes, one's company, two is a crowd), I also have a slight propensity towards claustrophobia. These two natures clash when I find a cave. Down the stairs we went.

If I had grown up in Thailand, I would probably ended up as a monk living in a cave, spending my days thinking and writing. As a child, my need for other humans was like my desire for a steaming cup of coffee on one of Fresno's hottest days. And when I was around fellow humans,  my interactions did not always end on a positive note. This would cause me to further retreat from humanity in what became an endless cycle.

But I'm thankful that Jesus burst into my life like beams of sunshine piercing through the musty, guano-scented darkness of this cave we were in.  The great love of Jesus displayed through His people brought new life to the deadened parts of my soul.

Upon discovering such a great love, I became aware that some things in my life needed to change. As Jesus was a light shining into my life, I now discovered that we were supposed to bring that same light to people living in darkness. Jesus said, "In that same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16 NET)

And here I am, forty-four years later, living in a country and culture that bears little resemblance to what I grew up with, trying to let the love of Jesus shine through my life to those around me. And in the midst of this trying to figure out how going to a meeting with a bunch of other people can somehow have the word "retreat" in its title. I'm an introvert who spends a lot of time working with people. If I am going to retreat it will be to a place where the beaches are empty and the view from the mountain tops are uncluttered by structures made by mankind.

As I wander through the cave, God reminds me that we are no longer people of the darkness. We are people of the light who bring light to those who still live in the cave.

At the retreat, we sang a song about being adopted into God's family. Paul writes, "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 1:5, NLT)  It's like being adopted out of a bad foster-family. So I find myself crying a lot. Crying for the young people I've met whose parents love them, but don't treat them so nice when they get drunk, which is far too often. I cry for others whose parents don't really want them around. I cry for the many thousands whose parents left them to go work elsewhere, leaving them with grandparents who aren't really sure what to do with them.  I weep for those children whose first sexual encounter is at far too young an age with a relative or friend of their parent. My cheeks are dampened because of the young women who, missing love from a father they never knew, chase the first promise of "love" from a man only to find themselves pregnant and abandoned by the one who said he loved her. All around I see smiles worn as a mask to cover the hurt and pain lurking beneath.

I'm grateful to have been brought up with a human family where there was love.  I'm even more grateful to be adopted into a bigger family of those who love God and one another and want to be a blessing to those around them.

God, give me grace and strength to go back up the stairs out of the cave.

Expecting the unexpected

You think I would learn.

On our first trip to Thailand back in 2007, I went into a Seven-Eleven and bought myself a cinnamon roll. Or so I thought. Turns out it was made with raisins and pork floss. Pork floss? Is that even a thing?  I would not have understood it, even if I could have read the Thai at the time.

Pork floss is shredded pork that has been dried. It has a medium brown color and looks like manila fiber. It is used in different foods, usually sweet pastries, and is sometimes used as an edible padding around fragile foods.

One time we bought some sweet breads to serve as a snack and found one filled with pork floss and raisins. (Though this time I could read and bought it intentionally.) You probably won't find that in your 7-11 in Canada or California.

Sweet bread filled with raisins and pork floss

It turns out that things we think of as "sweets" or desserts aren't necessarily the same here.  For example, corn is normally found in desserts of various kinds. Like this corn sundae that they used to sell at KFC.

Corn Sundae at KFC

So now that we've been living in Thailand a long time, you think we would have this dessert thing figured out.

A few weeks ago, I bought a bag of mixed puff pastries. They didn't specify which fillings were included. So I try the red one, guessing it is strawberry and it turns out I guessed correctly. The dark one is a bit of a mystery though. Mulberry? Black sesame? Those are two kinds of fillings one might expect with that dark color.

But I was nowhere close. The mystery dark filling was...

(and you knew this already, right?)

   ...seaweed.

So now I have to differ with the writing of "The Preacher" who wrote, "There's nothing new on this earth. Year after year it's the same old thing." (Ecclesiastes 1:9b MSG)

There are a lot of new things we've had to get used to here in Thailand. Many of them have become normal for us.

So if we ever move back to North America, and we invite you over for dessert, don't be surprised at what you might be served.

Why Wait?

Note: This is an open note to my Brother-in-law, who will remain unnamed.

Dear Brother-in-law,

It was with sadness we heard, several months ago, that you had been placed in home hospice care. While we don't know what this means as far as how long it will be till you get to be with Jesus, it will likely be before me. (None of us really know how long we have left on this planet, we just pretend to know by looking at longevity statistics.) But I'm glad that you hung around long enough for us to come visit you these past couple of weeks.

I wanted to write to you now, because in our culture we have this strange practice of waiting until people are no longer with us to eulogize them. I think it's kind of a sad practice, because the person the eulogies are directed at doesn't get to enjoy them.

My history with you is not all that long, as far as our life-spans are concerned.  At first I was a bit leery when my sister met some stranger online about 18 years ago. She was still hurting from the loss of her first husband and I was feeling a bit protective of my little (if older) sibling.  But any fears I may have had about this stranger soon passed.

I first met you at your wedding.  In our culture, when we get married, we have these vows we repeat.  The vows are kind of like a contract with the fine print written in invisible ink.  Or, to use terminology from your former career, it's like obligating yourself to a cost-plus contract when you currently don't have the resources for the cost, let alone the "plus". This is because we do not know what our futures hold for us. We pledge "for better or worse", but we don't know which proportion the better's and worse's will come in. We all hope we'll leave earth peacefully in our sleep together with our spouses on the same night.

But that doesn't happen too often.

I want to thank you for coming into my sister's life at a time when she needed someone like you.  You came not only into her life, but you also took her children as your own as well.  That doesn't always happen with step-parents. I like watching how you interact with my sister's kids and grand-kids, even if they aren't genetically yours and even if you first had to bribe the grandkids with M&M's to get them to come to you. (I'm easily bribed with M&M's too. Just want to let you know before our next visit.😋)

You have made sure my sister was well cared for, not only in the present but also looking to the future. I appreciate that.

I like your sense of humor that shows you don't take life too seriously. Your house has always been a fun place to visit and I have a lot of fond memories from there. You even manage tp smile and laugh in your present condition, which is rather admirable. And people always feel welcome at your house.

You have a generous spirit, which, in my mind, was exemplified when you took a lot of time and patience to make a dulcimer just to give away as a gift.  (I had kind of been hoping you would make me a new guitar for when we eventually move back to California to replace the one I currently have that has suffered a bit from the hot, humid climate here 😁 )

Your generous spirit showed as well when you opted to take care of your ailing mother at home as long as possible, rather than send her off some place where no one knows her.  You even made a little "apartment" so she could be independent but always close by.

All this shows that you value the people in your life, and since these are many of the same people that I have in my life, I consider it an honor have you as part of our family.

But there is a greater family that we belong to, and that is the family of Jesus.  To all appearances, you will get to see Jesus before I do.

Paul wrote, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I don't know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." (Philippians 1:21-24)

We are called to worship and serve the Lord Jesus only until such time as He sees fit, and then He calls us to his side.  So while I like having you as part of my family in this world, one day we will all depart to join the greater family in heaven.

In the meantime, remember that you are loved not only by your Father in heaven but also by so many of us on earth.  And we realize that you love us, even if you can't always give voice to it.

Thank you for being a part of our family.

Ten Years

Today marks 10 years since I quit my previous job. Ten years since I stepped out in faith to begin a new venture.

If I knew then what the next ten years would bring, I might not have made that step.  It's not that the ten years have been bad, but there have been a lot of challenges along the way.

Ten years ago we left our North American lives behind ready to give up our lives, if necessary, for the sake of the gospel.

But first, I think back to another August, 27 years prior to that.

As I write this blog, I am in the town of Barrhead, Alberta. Thirty-seven years ago this month I passed though Barrhead, crossing the country on a Greyhound bus. I was traveling from where I was living near Seattle to begin a new job in Alabama. I decided to make use of the 1-week Ameripass I had purchased to visit people along the way.

I came to Barrhead to visit the woman (who is now my wife), whom I had been on a team with in Haiti for a year. I didn't know at the time that this beautiful young woman would become my wife, but my choice to visit her at that time had consequences. As I visited her family farm, I was struck by the huge fields of ripening grain. (Huge to me, small compared to the farms in Southern Alberta.) In order to get these fields laden with grain, the farmer has to make a sacrifice. He has to take grain that is perfectly good to eat and throw it away into the soil. Short-term sacrifice for long-term gain.

How many bushels of wheat we sacrificed to get the bountiful harvest?

Jesus said that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it cannot bear fruit. (John 12:24) While Jesus was likely referring to the death he was to die, he also spoke to many who would give up their lives rather than give up Jesus.  This verse also speaks to the things in our life that we need to put to death in order to bear fruit for Jesus. Paul writes, "if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:13)

Ten years ago, when we said we were willing even to give up our lives for the sake of the gospel, I'll confess, I didn't fully understand what it means to give up one's life--what it means to die. While we have not have physically died in the past ten years, we've had to put to death a lot of things. One of those things we have had to put to death is some of our dreams. It's not that the dreams were bad, it's just that God had something better and perhaps bigger in mind. When I put to death sinful deeds, it's not so bad. But putting to death dreams can be much harder. We've had let go of several dreams in the past ten years. And while in the long run we don't regret giving those up for better things, it hasn't always been easy.

These past two weeks, as we've been in North America visiting and helping family, we're reminded of some of the other costs of following Jesus. We miss our families when we are away from them. We also miss some of our favorite haunts from when we lived in the area. True, we have gained new "family" and have new favorite places to visit, but it's not quite the same.

Putting to death these things, however, has enabled there to be the birth of new things. We've seen people who have never heard the name of Jesus receive new life in his name. We've seen churches born where before there were none. We've seen ordinary men and women who were once slaves to sin become reborn as leaders in God's family. It has been worth it to have some things die in order that other things might come to life.

As we look forward, we have no idea what the next year will bring, let alone the next ten years. But we pray God will give us grace to put to death what is needed in order to ensure a great harvest in the future.

All in the family

Recently, one of my siblings wrote a blog about how we are distantly related (so many "-th" cousin, so many times removed) to some earl. The name of this earl did not mean anything to me so all the connections were of little interest to me.

But it did get me thinking about family.

Several years ago (and I'll date myself here), I started a job in a factory and one of my new coworkers, upon hearing my name, asked me jokingly (I think), if I was any relation to Bill Russell. I know very little about sports, but I did recognize the name, so I replied, "only in skin color."  That, too, was a joke, but I probably do have more in common with Bill's skin color than I do his ability to handle a ball. I'm not very dexterous when it come to handling those round things and while I can probably dribble on a ball, I'd be hard pressed to dribble with one.

Bill Russell (not my relative)

Image from:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49648716

Family, then, is more than just a name.  We, with our rather nomadic lifestyles, tend to think differently about what makes family.  In our missionary family, we are "aunt" and "uncle" to a number of missionary kids. We are commonly called aunt and uncle by Thai people.

But there is another family we belong to, and that is the family of God.  This past week, during our church meeting, we read together from Galatians 6:10: "Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone--especially to those in the family of faith."

The family of faith is awesome. I've been to many places around the world and every place I've been there have usually been some family members. I can feel "at home" even when far from home.

Dinner with Family

The significance of this family of faith is especially important in the culture here.  After our worship service last Sunday, we we're making plans on giving rides home to people from the next township over. One woman, Wari, who had come with us in the morning, said she would go home later. The reason she was staying, she said, was that she wanted to spend some time with the family.  Those were not actually her words, but that was the basic meaning of what she said.

When a person decides to follow Christ here in Thailand, it is a family matter.  To go against the religion of the ancestors is generally not well accepted, and a person who does so is often rejected by family. These days there is more tolerance than in the past, but in the region we work, the family pull is quite strong. To lose the support of family is also to lose the support of the village. Since this is the main method of socioeconomic support, people are reluctant to go against the wishes of family.  If a person does decide to follow Christ and stick with the decision it is because they have found a suitable replacement family in the family of God.

A few weeks ago we visited a man who was injured in a motorcycle a number of years ago and now has difficulty walking. He lives on the same compound with his wife's family, as is typical in Isaan, but he is currently estranged from his wife and is building a small house for himself behind the family compound. He was interested in the gospel message, and he repeated a prayer to follow Jesus, after which he let us cut the sacred strings from his wrist. Then we prayed that God would heal his legs so that he could walk normally. He received a Bible from us and was looking forward to having us visit more in the future to talk about the Bible.

Cutting Sacred String
A way of showing you're joining a new family.

But then family intervened. While they had been willing to let us come talk with this man, it was quite another thing for him to quit the family religion. It's okay to add Jesus in with the other gods on the altar, but not so okay to dispense with the other gods.  So the man's in-laws told him that if he persisted in following Jesus exclusively, he would be kicked out of the family compound. They even told him that they did not want us to pray for his healing.  Better to be crippled than Christian, they said. The man had no place place else to go. So he decided against joining the new family.

To follow Jesus is to be adopted into a new family, sometimes at the expense of the old one. Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household."  (Matthew 10:34-36 ESV)

We Christians in North America do not tend to have this kind of experience, but it is very real for people in Thailand.

 It is very important, then, that the family of God be the kind of family to which one would want to belong. If our family is beset with problems and a lack of love, one will not want to risk losing their earthly family to join this new one. Instead, we should have such a love in our new family that we become the talk of the town. Jesus said, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35 ESV) If we fail at this, all our words spent preaching the gospel become unintelligible. (1 Corinthians 13:1)

It's not always easy. There is an old rhyme that goes something like:

To live above, with saints we love--

that's glory.

To live below, with saints we know--

that's a different story.

No wonder Jesus prayed, "And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one." (John 17:11 ESV)

So, if you think about us here in Thailand, pray for our family of faith. Pray that we will be one as The Father and the Son are one.  Pray that we will be the kind of family people will want to be a part of.  It's not always easy. We've had a couple of occasions where people started spreading untrue rumors to try to sow division among us (this by people who call themselves Christian). So far, fortunately, those who have tried to divide us have only caused us to draw closer together. The enemy wants us fighting and bickering rather than loving and accepting one another. He wants us to be ugly, and not attractive.

My hope is that it may be said of us who follow Jesus what Paul wrote to Philemon: "because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints." (Philemon 1:5 ESV)

Sad

A picture is worth a thousand words. Read it and weep.

Adventure-us

Ten years ago this month we finished up a week in Abbotsford, British Columbia. We were participating in an event called Spring Adventure. Little did we know that the adventure would begin after that week.

Spring Adventure was a time for us to get to know an organization called MBMS International and for them to get to know us. While there, we stayed on the campus of Columbia Bible College.

Less Adventurous

There were times for meeting in groups and some times for more adventurous activities.

One adventure we had was to hang on some cliffs.

More Adventurous

At the end of that week of evaluations and such we were invited to continue to further explore working with MBMS International.

The ten years since have been quite the adventure both for us and our organization.

The organization has changed a couple times and and with each change came a new name. The first change came shortly after we joined, to MB Mission, and more recently the name has changed again to Multiply.

As for our adventures, well, the most obvious has been the moves.  First to Canada for a few months, then back to Fresno for just over a year. Then to Thailand.  Just over a year in Bangkok, where living in a mega-city was a bit of an adventure for us country folk. After conquering the concrete jungle,  we moved to a nearby province named Chonburi seven months. That Christmas we moved just north to Chachoengsao where we lived for almost a year.  After a few months in North America, it was onto the far north of the country to Chiang Rai province for a few years. Then a few more months in North America before settling into Nong Khai in northeast Thailand for the past two years.

New places. New faces. New assignments. New languages.  New teams. New opportunities to see God at work in different circumstances. Opportunities to see churches birthed and to see people come to new life in Christ. Opportunities to have our faith challenged.

It's good that God has blessed us with a love of exploring.

We're never too old for new adventures. Abram was a young 75 years old when God told him to leave his nice home in Haran and go to a place that God said He would show them. (Genesis 12:4) He didn't have his first kid until he was 100! Imagine having to wait until you're 122 years old to watch your first kid graduate college.

Sometimes, though, we'd like there to be a little less adventure. While getting to live in different places and meeting different people can be fun, it can also be a bit wearying.  As we age, we find we don't have the energy that we used to have.

One thing we are sure of though is that the changes will keep coming.  Ten years ago, we went to Spring Adventure.  Since then there have been ten years of adventure.  In the next ten years the adventures will continue. We will meet new people and make new friends.  We will experience joys and sorrows, blessings and loss. At some point during that time we will probably officially retire (whatever that is). We will probably move at least one more time.

I thought it was hard to start over in my 50's! I hope that when I get to be 75 I will still have faith like Abraham and be willing to embark on whatever new adventures God calls me to.

Flambouyant Memories

Recently, as we were driving back from Fao Rai district, where we were teaching English and guitar, we passed a beautiful tree.  The tree goes by a couple names, royal poinciana and, very appropriately, flamboyant.

Viewed up close, the flowers are especially pretty. The white "banner" petal tends to turn more yellow as the bloom ages, giving the tree an orangeish hue as in the picture above.

Occasionally, one might see and orange-flowered variety.

The seed pods are quite large (that is my size 14 foot).  The pods can be carved as handicrafts.  They can be used as musical shakers when dry.  The seeds are very hard and are used as beads.

But what struck me today was a memory of the first time I ever saw a flamboyant tree.  In 1981, we would drive past a flamboyant tree on the way to Amani-y beach near the town of Saint Marc in Haiti.

Flambouyant Tree on the Way to Amani-y Beach

This beach was a place our team would go on occasion to take a break from working in a village above the town of Saint Marc.

Amani-y Beach

The infrastructure was not well maintained, but there were always people nearby to sell a soft drink or make lunch. Casuarina trees (Australian pine) had been planted which gave a little shade.

One of the amazing things about this beach, was that it was right on the edge of the bay.  The bay is quite deep and the water at the time was very clear.  At the north side of the beach, there is an underwater cliff and the water goes from about 2 meters deep to 25 meters or more deep.  In spite of the depth, you could still see the bottom.  I loved to snorkel over the top of the bluff.  The dark blue water in the background of the first photo is where the water depth changed.

Best thing about the beach was the pretty girl

I have no idea what condition the beach is in these days.  When we returned to Haiti about 5 years after these photos were taken, the water was already getting cloudy from the soil being washed off the mountains.  But I'm glad to have memories of the time when the water was still nice.

Not only has Haiti changed a lot in the last 40 years, we have as well.  My hope is that, instead of worsening with time, we would become better.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.  Ecclesiastes 7:8 (ESV)