Change of Address

On Saturday, September 17, 2022, as family members lovingly watched over her, Betty Engler changed her permanent residence from Barrhead, Alberta, Canada to Paradise.

Betty Engler 1930-2022

Betty has changed addresses many times in her life. She was born on the island of Rügen off the northern coast of Germany in August, 1930. A couple of years later, her family moved to Groß Zastrow, near Greifswald, on the mainland.

The House on Rügen

In 1950, Betty married Werner Engler and moved back to Rügen, but only stayed there until 1952 when they moved back to the Greifswald area. They were only there a few months when they decided to sneak out out of what had become communist East Germany. In West Germany, after a brief stay in a refugee camp, the Englers lived in Lünern for a while but later settled in Lerche.

The House in Lerche

In 1963, Betty and Werner, along with their four children, moved to Alberta, Canada, living on a farm in the community of Freedom, near the town of Barrhead. It was during this season that I became a part of the Engler family.

Farmstead in Freedom, Alberta

The Englers lived on the farm until about 10 years ago, when they moved to a house in the town of Barrhead. However, for the past two years, Betty has been staying at Shepherd's Care in Barrhead.

The House in Barrhead

It seems Providential that we are here in Canada at this significant point in our parent's lives.

For some time, I had been feeling weary from our work, and have desparately been in need of a break. We planned to make a trip to Canada to visit Ingrid's parents. But there was a lot of uncertainty about when the best time would be. Our preference would have been earlier, but circumstances on the Canadian side caused us to plan a trip for September.

Our idea was to be here to help Ingrid's dad move into some senior housing in Barrhead, and then help get his house ready to sell. After that, we planned to get a few days of actual vacation in the mountains. On our first Sunday here, Betty came out of Shepherd's Care to have dinner with all the family that had gathered. However, she wasn't doing very well. Early the next morning, she was sent to the ER. and later that day she was admitted to the hospital. After a 92-year run. it looked like Betty was getting ready to change addresses for the last time.

As word got out, many family members gathered to help Ingrid's dad move to his new address and to be with her mom as she moved to hers. While her body may eventually lay in Manola Cemetery, Betty lives on with Jesus in Paradise and in the hearts of all who knew her.

Betty with her Husband, Three of her Daughters and one of her Sons

Dad's New Apartment

Many years ago, before I was married, I heard advice something like this: if you want to know what your wife will be like in the future, look at her mother. When I was thinking about marrying Ingrid, I followed this counsel. I saw in Ingrid's mom an intelligent, multi-talented, hard-working woman. I figured if Ingrid turned out like that, that would be awesome. And the sparkle I once saw in Betty's eyes, I continue to see in her daughter, my wife.

Betty's smile and laughter will no longer grace our dinner tables. But the physical challenges she faced in the past few years are now vanquished.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.  For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
     “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
     “O death, where is your victory?
       O death, where is your sting?”
           1 Corinthians 15:51-55

An Appointment With Jesus

Today we received word about one of my wife's uncles. The message we received from his daughter via my sister-in-law was:

"My dad is in heaven I can hardly believe it! He had breakfast, walked to his room and sat in his chair where he reads his Bible and they found him there."

It seems that Uncle Garry had an appointment with Jesus. This was a little different than the previous ones, in that it started in his usual meeting place in the care center, but ended in a much more glorious one in the presence of Jesus.

Parkinson's had robbed Uncle Garry of his mobility the past few years, but not his mind. He had much wisdom to offer those who had patience to listen, as his physical limitations made it difficult for him to speak.

Uncle Garry and his wife, Connie, had spent most of their adult lives moving around Canada and Europe to tell and show people about the love of Jesus. In his later years, his ministry was to international students living in Canada.

We actually did not see him very much, because he was usually living someplace away from the rest of his siblings. (In that way, they were a lot like us.) He was a soft spoken man, and when I think about him I am reminded of the words of Paul, "let your conversation be always full of grace." (Colossians 4:6) I hope I can speak so well as I mature.

Uncle Garry passed his love of Jesus on to his children who continue to minister that love to others.

Uncle Garry with my Father-in-Law

We will miss you, Uncle Garry, but we're happy that now you can lift your head to see Jesus face-to-face.

Cousins

Genealogy is a popular thing these days. There is something exciting about doing some detective work to research who your ancestors are. And now, affordable DNA tests can shed a little more light on your genealogical research.

When you've done your research, you can boast about your pedigree with phrases like, "Queen Elizabeth is my nth cousin x times removed."

The thing is, by using that formula, you can demonstrate that just about everyone who has ever lived who is not in your direct lineage (ancestor, descendant, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew) is your cousin. You may just have to use some large numbers for n and x. You just have to go far enough back down you family line—maybe as far as Noah, or Adam, or, if you don't like the Biblical accounts, whoever is our first Homo sapiens ancestor couple.

Everybody is your relative. It doesn't matter if they share the same skin color or language or ethnicity. We're all related to each other. We're all family.

I was recently going through some old photographic slides and I found this photo I took of a billboard back in the early 1980's when I was living in Alabama:

I don't want to get too nit-picky about the commandments that were chosen for this billboard or the choice of commandments chosen to place over each person other than to say with a caption that talks about worship, I find it strange that the first commandment is not listed.

What struck me was that at the time, and particularly in the South, the idea of worshiping together with people of different ethnicity was almost unheard of. Even in recent days I have often heard the quote, "Sunday mornings are the most segregated time in America."

What I like about the billboard is the first part of the caption: Love thy family.
My family. My brothers and sisters and cousins of every shade of color and who speak one or more of 6500 different languages scattered all across the globe.

In these days in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing, we are hearing many stories about how people of color are looked upon differently and treated differently, and not in a good sense. It breaks my heart to hear about such things happening in my family. Because ultimately, George Floyd is a distant cousin of mine. And what's sad is that Derek Chauvin, the guy who knelt on his neck—well that's also another distant cousin. I suppose such violence between cousins should not be surprising when even siblings can sometimes get so upset about trivial things that they don't speak to each other.

For the past several years I have had the privilege of working with distant cousins in another country whose language and culture differ drastically from mine and whose skin color is a shade or two darker. I've learned how easy it is to offend, or be offended by, people I love due to misunderstandings in language and culture. And when these offenses have happened, we've had a choice to make. We could hang onto the offenses and let them simmer until we do something stupid and/or violent. Or we could take a different path involving humility, grace, forgiveness and reconciliation. The latter choice is not always easy, in fact, it can be very difficult. It's often easier to hang onto an offense than to humbly ask forgiveness for where we screwed up. And sometimes I would rather nurture a grudge than forgive someone who has offended me.

I'm grateful, though, that God doesn't struggle so much with these issues. Through the blood of Jesus, He forgives all of our sins—not holding onto grudges. How many times have I had to go to God, for the umpteenth time, for some silly sin I repeated again (redundancy intended). I'm glad God doesn't have a three strikes law, because there would be no hope for me. Jesus, when asked if we needed to forgive people for an offense as many as seven times, said that we needed to forgive 70 times 7 times; but the implication was that we need to be ready to forgive even more than 490 times. (Matthew 18:21, 22)

This same Jesus said that when we pray to God we should say something like: "And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us." (Luke 11:4 NKJV) In that prayer, we are asking God to forgive use based on how much we have forgiven others. If that is the case, do I want to be stingy with forgiveness?

There is a lot of talk these days about justice. Justice is a good thing, it means everyone gets what they deserve, no more and no less, and all are treated the same. The Bible talks a lot about justice—about not showing favoritism to different classes of people. The prophetical books in particular point out the injustice that was prevalent at the time: the rich and powerful used their money and power to the disadvantage of the poor and the weak. Does that sound familiar? In our day and age people are still treated less favorably because of the color of their skin, or their accent, or the shape of their eyes, or because of their age, or something else. But these people who look, talk and act different than us are still our cousins. Why should they be treated differently?

And while I like the concept of justice, there is another concept in the Bible I like more, and that is mercy. You see with justice, I get what I deserve. And because I'm a sinner, I deserve death. In Romans 6:23 we read For the wages of sin is death. But that same verse also points out the mercy option available in Jesus: but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Emphasis mine)

If we're really honest with ourselves, we'll admit that we don't want what we deserve, we want better than we deserve. We want mercy.

One time, King David screwed up really bad. He raped a women and had her husband murdered. If there was ever a case for the death penalty, this would probably qualify, and he knows it. David didn't appeal to justice, he appealed to mercy:

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.
³ For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
Psalm 51:1-3 (NIV)

James makes a challenging statement about justice and mercy:

¹²  Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, ¹³  because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! (James 2:12-13 NIV)

Mercy can be sorely lacking. We can be quite hypocritical about justice and mercy. When we are offended or when we stand to gain, we will cry for justice. We shout, "I want what's mine!" or "I want what's coming to me!," but deep down we have to admit we want more than we deserve. However, when the tables are turned, and we are the ones who owe, we appeal to mercy. We want others to pay up, but we don't want to have to pay up ourselves.

So if I am offended or hurt by one of my cousins, regardless of the color of their skin or their appearance or the language they speak, I need to think carefully about how I will respond. And if somebody does something wrong or commits a crime we need to consider our response.The offense may even be so grave that the person deserves to die, according to the law. But that doesn't mean they should be put to death or punished to the max. Instead, we can chose to respond with mercy the same way God shows us mercy.

Especially since they are family.

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

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.

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)

Going Back

Recently, my brother posted a blog about memories of growing up in Wolcott, Connecticut.

I, too, have many memories of growing up in Wolcott, many similar to the ones he mentioned, though not all the memories are good.

But there is one good memory that stands out.

Sometimes, on the way home from church on Sundays, we would take the back way home and in so doing, we would pass a Dunkin Donuts store at the end of Lakewood Road at North Main Street in Waterbury. This was before Dunkin Donuts became famous for being a coffee place and there weren't that many around. ( I don't think that particular store is around any more--it was across from the Burger Chef (the fast food place we went to before we had McDonalds)).

Occasionally, we would even stop at Dunkin Donuts.

It was at Dunkin Donuts that I learned the term baker's dozen, which meant if you bought 12 you got one free.

Dunkin Donuts originated in the nearby state of Massachusetts, and for many years was generally a regional chain. After moving from away from the Northeast, this brand eventually faded from memory.

Until 2010.

In 2010 we visited Thailand to begin to explore the country to which we would soon be moving.  We traveled around a lot, by just about every means of transportation possible (not by choice, it was just that's how we got to the places we were going.)  One of those trips brought us to the Northern Bus Station in Bangkok.  We were looking for the vans to Lopburi, and fortunately there was someone who knew a little Thai with us, because there were almost no signs in English.

Except this one:

I was amazed to see a Dunkin Donuts in Thailand as we did not even have them in California.  We did not have much time, so I only paused long enough to take this photo.

In Thailand there are two major donut brands: Mister Donut and Dunkin Donuts.  For many years now, these brands have both been owned by the same corporation.Mister Donut is far more common in Thailand, and franchises can be found at shopping centers even in small towns like Phon Phisai, where we currently live.

For many years I hardly ate donuts, but since moving to Thailand, we will occasionally stop at a Mister Donut for a morning coffee break.

To get to a Dunkin Donuts, we have to go to the larger city of Nong Khai, where there are two outlets in two different shopping centers across the street from each other.  Last week, as I walked past one, I noticed a somewhat familiar looking sight:

This looked somewhat familiar, like the Boston Creme donuts that were my favorite as a child.  I looked at the label and sure enough, there were the words, in English, "Boston Creme."

A few days later we had to go back to Nong Khai, so I dared to get a Boston Creme donut to see if it was anything like I remember.  They say that memories can be tricky, and can even change with time.  It's probably been 40 years since I had one of these, so my comparison may be bit off.

First, the most obvious, the chocolate.  The donuts I remember from youth did not have a full covering of chocolate on top, like this one.  It was also creamier. (Eating Nutella actually brings back memories of that chocolate.) This chocolate was a bit hard, which may be a good thing, given the climate here.  Flavor is okay, but certainly something I can pass on.

The donut.  The donut is a bit chewier than the ones we had growing up.  But I actually prefer that. So that, for me, is a positive difference.

The creme.  The thing I really liked about the Boston Creme donuts as a child was the filling.  The filling in this donut was a big letdown.  Reminds me of the vanilla pudding you buy prepacked and ready to eat.

There is a saying, "you can never go back."  I don't know the context of the original saying, but for me it means that over time places and circumstances you remember have changed and you have changed, so that things or places you once thought you could never leave behind you now no longer want to go back to, or, if you could go back, it would not be the same.

Unlike my brother, who has kept in touch with many of his high school classmates, I have kept in touch with only one, and even that one I lost track of about 6 years ago.  My high school memories are generally not that wonderful.  I don't have a desire to walk those halls again. 

The one thing that sticks out to me from the end of my high school years is being rescued.  Rescued from depression.  Rescued from misery.  Rescued from the darkness I felt inside.  Rescued when I discovered that no matter how miserable I thought I was, Jesus loved me enough to give up his life so that I might have life.

Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Rome, "For while we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly."  (Romans 5:6, NET)  That was me. Ungodly.  Helpless to do anything about it.  I've been rescued from that and I don't want to go back.  I'll treasure the positive memories and leave the rest behind.

As for the donuts,  I'll stick with the memories and not eat these Boston Creme donuts in Thailand any more (though maybe on my next trip back to New England, I'll give them a try).

Top 12 2016

This is my annual review of the past year, choosing a favorite photo from each month.  Though I confess that this year I included two in some months that included being in more than one country, so it actually comes out to "Top 15"

January

Pleasure Cruise



In January we brought together several leaders from Canada and Laos to share stories with each other and encourage one another.  My main job was logistics.  I was instructed to set up a fun outing on one day, so we arranged a boat ride for the group from the Changing Life Center to a restaurant in Chiang Khong.  While many of the folks from Laos have probably been on the river many times in their lives--even if just to cross to Thailand--this was different. There were 45 of us on the boat and we passed the two hour trip upstream singing and telling stories.  It was great to see the folks from Laos enjoying this once in a lifetime trip.  The return trip only took half the time, as we were going downstream.

February

Ngao River



The district we live in consists of the watershed for the Ngao River.  The river can be quite tame in the dry season but usually floods at least once in the rainy season.  In my bike riding I've explored many parts of this watershed.  This past year I tried a field road that I had not been on before.  The road eventually fords the Ngao River.  This is a quiet spot and sometimes I like to ride there just to detach myself from life's cares and concerns and enjoy God's presence.

March

Women's Conference



This past year, we held the first Khmu Women's Conference at the Changing Life Center that featured women speakers.  We had hoped to also have it planned by women, but that was not to be.  Ingrid was one of the presenters, and it was her first time sharing at a large group in Thailand.  So I captured this glimpse of her speaking.  One of our Khmu leaders, Pat, was translating for her.

March-Vietnam

A taste of Mexico



In March, I had to opportunity to travel to Hanoi to observe some training.  While I was there, I decided to visit a Mexican Restaurant that was near our hotel.  The hotel was not in a tourist area, so I was surprised to find a Mexican restaurant there.  The proprieter (In the red sweater) was happy to have someone to practice English with.  When I asked her why she opened a Mexican restaurant, she said that she once worked at a Mexican restaurant in the tourist area, but it was quite expensive.  She wanted to make Mexican food available to the common people.

I also chatted a bit with her husband, whose English was fairly good.  While I was explaining the kind of work I used to do, he responded using some technical words in English that not many Americans would even know. That's how I found out that he works for the Environmental Ministry.  Before I left, they wanted a picture with me.  So we grabbed the sombreros that were hanging from the walls as decor and put them on for this pose.  The food may not have been as authentic as what we find in California, but it was quite tasty. And the atmosphere was great.

For more pictures from Hanoi, view here.

April

Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden



In April, we ended up making a trip to Chiang Mai.  While we were there we took a few hours to visit the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden.  The place was quite awesome, and I easily could have spent several days there.  Or maybe a few months.  It was hard to pick a photo from all the flowers I photographed there, but I especially liked this water lily, which seemed to glow like the sun.

May

Doi Pha Tang Park



About 30 kilometers from us (20 miles) is a mountain park called Doi Pha Tang.  While it is quite close, It takes over an hour to get there because of the steep, windy, narrow roads.  Every once in a while we like to go there just to enjoy the cool mountain air. When you make the short walk from the parking area to the crest of the mountain, you are standing on the border of Laos.  Looking down off the cliff, one can see the Mekong River making its way towards Louang Prabang, the ancient capital of Laos, and eventually out the South China Sea in Vietnam.

June

Butterfly



Not far from where we live is the ancient city of Wiang Kaen, which is now a forest.  There is a dirt road around this forest, where sometimes we go for walks.  One morning, the butterflies were particularly active.  While I never discovered the name for this particular butterfly, it seemed particularly pretty in its rather simple white, gray and black colors.

July

Voodo Lily



The voodoo lily plant is fairly common around our area, but I had never seen it flower.  Finally, while I was walking around the forest that was once the city of Wiang Kaen, I saw this unusual white flower spike. Upon approaching it, I noticed a strong and not particularly pleasing smell.  Apparently, the plant uses these strong odors to attract the flies that pollinate it. What an amazing creation of God.  For more about this plant, view here.


July-Laos

Tat Xai Waterfall



Towards the end of June, our visas were expiring.  It was necessary for us to leave Thailand to apply for a new visa. We decided that the least expensive option was to travel to Vientiane-the capital of Laos.  In order to time the expiry of our visas with our MINA plans, we stayed several days.  One day, we took an outing to Phu Khao Khouay National Park.  We drove about an hour then we boarded a small boat which took us up river.  Since it was rainy season, the rivers were running high and I noticed we were boating over the tops of some small trees.  (Most people make this trip in the dry season when they do less of the travel on water and more on foot.)

When we got to the base of some nasty rapids, we disembarked and a guide helped us find our way through an overgrown trail up to a waterfall.  It was quite pretty along the way, and at the top, the tour included a gourmet picnic lunch.  Fortunately, there was a picnic shelter, because at that point the rain had started to fall.  There was an impressive amount of water going over the falls and the water was brown with mud.  But it was a beautiful place to hang out and listen to the water crashing on the rocks below.  For more photos from this trip to Laos, view here.

August

Rice Paddy Reflections



Rice is the main crop grown in Thailand.  We grow both paddy rice and upland rice.  Where there is sufficient irrigation water, they may grow three crops a year of paddy rice.  Often, the farmers depend on rainfall even for the paddies.  Down the street from us is a creek bottom that they use to grow rice using primarily rain water, but also supplemented with water from the creek.  After one particularly heavy rainfall, the paddies were quite full and showing reflections of the hills and clouds.  Shortly after this, the fall rice crop was planted.

September

Skull Mountain



In September we were finally able to get away for a short break.  We went to one of our favorite places in Thailand, Sam Roi Yod (Three Hundred Peaks).  We like it because it has a mixture of ocean and mountains and parks, but it is not overdeveloped.

On one day we rented a scooter and drove up to Khao Kralok, which interprets "skull mountain".  It receives its name because the cave openings in the limestone hill give it the appearance of a skull.  There is a really nice beach there, that is quite popular.  But if you are brave enough to walk the rugged trail, you can walk over to the back side of the mountain where there is a nice, secluded beach.  We had it all to ourselves.

October

October Surprise



On a Sunday afternoon towards the end of October, we were getting our house ready in order to go on home assignment.  But before that we were leaving the following day for a week-long conference in Chiang Mai.  I was doing something in the back yard when I heard a motorcycle drive up.  To our surprise, it was Ching and June--two Hmong girls who had studied English with us and were now in their first year of university, Ching in Bangkok and June in Chiang Mai.

We were not at all expecting them as we thought they were away at school.  But they had come back for the weekend to attend a wedding and they didn't want to miss seeing us before we headed back to North America.

This visit was one of the highlights of our year--like having your kids travel a long ways to make a surprise visit.  Sometimes we wonder if our work has an impact on others.  The visit from these two young women showed that their relationship with us was more important than learning English.

November

Buntzen Lake



In early November we were in British Columbia.  One day, Ingrid's sister and her family took us on an outing to Buntzen Lake.  There was a trail running alongside the lake through the evergreen forest.  The humidity in this part of the world meant that everything was green with moss.  At one point, our nieces and nephew (who love to climb trees) found this small mossy tree beside the trail. In no time, they were up on its branches, and the bright colors of their clothing stood out like beacons in the dark, mossy forest.

December-New England

York Harbor



One of the things I like about New England is the rocky coastline that has lots of crannies in which there are sandy beaches.  One of such beach is at York Harbor.

We had awaken one morning in Montpelier, Vermont, to several inches of snow on the ground, with more rapidly accumulating.  We had planned on traveling almost due east to central Maine, but that would have meant driving in heavy snowfall the whole way, because we would be tracking the storm eastwards.  We opted instead to head southeast to southern Maine. It was my first time driving in snow in a many years.  Fortunately, the vehicle we had borrowed had all wheel drive with traction control, so we didn't slip and slide too much.  We arrived in York Harbor in mid-afternoon, just as the snow was ending.  Not much snow had fallen there, so before it got dark we went for a walk along the bluff trail.  As we were coming back to the Inn, the sun was going down in a way that made it seem the sky was on fire.  What an awesome end to a tiring day of driving.

December-Canada

Christmas Gathering



The latter half of December found us in Canada, staying with Ingrid's parents.  On Christmas day, we went to church, and came back to finish getting dinner ready.  Soon, family members started to arrive. It was nice to be surrounded by family members as we celebrated the birth of Jesus, even though we were two short as Christian was in the hospital and Karin was with him for the holiday.

Alive!

 ​​​​​​​​The grass withers, the flower fades,
        but the word of our God will stand forever.
                                                                Isaiah 40:8

First a cousin.

Later a sister in Christ.

Now we rejoice that Pat has gone to dwell forever with the one who has been the object of her praise and worship for many years.

Pat and I grew up living less than 20 miles away from each other, though in separate towns, in central Connecticut.

We were not only close in distance but also close in age, being born only a couple of months apart from each other.

We mostly saw each other at family gatherings, though it was always a special treat when we went to visit their house, because they had a swimming pool.

At about 5 years of age, sitting across from each other. 

I didn’t see or hear much from my cousin after high school.  She had gone off looking for something and ended up finding Jesus and a husband.  But I really knew little about where she was or what she was doing for many years.

But then our lives intersected.  We ended up moving to Bakersfield, California, only 50 miles from where Pat was then living near Lake Isabella.

Steph, Pat, and Don (and Josh's legs)-sometime in the early 90s

It was a difficult time in the lives of both of our families.  We were in the process of adopting a child, an adoption that, in the very last minute, did not materialize.  Pat was recently separated from her husband and trying to get established on her own.  In spite of her own difficult circumstances, she was a great encouragement to us.

We saw each other a lot that first year we were in Bakersfield.  We traveled to Lake Isabella almost every weekend and ended up putting in a vegetable garden in her back yard. We had commonalities in that we both played guitar and liked similar worship music.

It was fun to be a part of her family as she raised her two children to love Jesus as much as she did.

Eventually, we moved away from Bakersfield to Fresno, but we stayed in touch and were glad to celebrate her reconciliation to her husband—a testimony of her great faith in Jesus and her love for her husband.

Reconciliation Celebration

Our lives continued to intersect in Fresno as we were both involved with a movement to get the good news of Jesus Christ to those people in the world who have not had opportunity to hear about Him.  Our common interests brought us together at missions conferences.

Later, after moving to Thailand, our paths would again cross as we served in our different roles for a common purpose: Pat with Global Teams and ourselves with MB Mission.

Pat with Steph and Frank visiting us in Bangkok

Pat's life wasn't without struggles, but she faithfully served Jesus through it all.

Pat was able to be at her husband's side while he battled cancer.  But Jesus called Don home a few years ago.  Only in the past two months did she marry again.

Today, we received word that Pat has gone to be with her first love.


This isn’t the first time that Pat has died.  Many years ago she made the decision to die to self and live for Jesus.  And while she may no longer walk the dusty streets of earth with us, she is more alive than ever in the presence of Jesus.

We will miss you here, Pat, but glad that you are home.

Thank you for touching the lives of so many with the love of Jesus during your sojourn with us.

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.  Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.  Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
John 12:24-26 (NLT)

Top Twelve 2013

I thought it would be fun to look back over my year by picking out a favorite photo from each month.  When I first thought of doing this it seemed a bit daunting because I have several thousand photos to pick from covering quite an array of activities.  And the object was not to pick out my best photos, per se, but ones that stand out to me for one reason or another.  So here it goes.

January-Egrets

It was with a bit of trepidation that we had moved to Ban Phrueksa 36 in rural Chachoengsao in December 2012.  It is not far from Lat Krabang, which was just over the line in Bangkok province.  The thought of living in such a tightly packed subdivision was a bit overwhelming.

But as we toured around, we discovered that there are a lot of birds adapted to the rice paddy/fish pond environment that we found ourselves living in.  So we started to enjoy bicycling, walking and driving around just to see the rural landscapes.  Often, on the way back from church, we will take a scenic route, where the roads are less crowded and the driving more relaxed.  And I usually keep my tripod in the car in case a photo op comes up.

At other times, we just hop in the car, go find us a cold coffee somewhere, and drive back along the back roads.  It was along such a trip we happened upon these frolicking egrets (mostly little egrets--Egretta garzetta--similar to snowy egrets).  The reason I liked this one, of the many I took, was the way the one egret flew with his legs hanging down.

Little Egret-Egretta garzetta-Ardeidae-นกยางเปีย

Little Egret-Egretta garzetta-Ardeidae-นกยางเปีย

February-Consultation

In our kid's clubs and other activities, one little fellow really took a liking to us.  This young guy, Toon (or perhaps his twin--I have a hard time keeping them straight) would tool around the neighborhood on his mini-bicycle with training wheels.  If we were outside the house, he would usually stop by to chat.

He happened to be visiting with Ingrid on this occasion.  I grabbed a camera quick and snapped the shutter.  If I had more time I might have set things up for a better exposure.  Still, I think this one came out really nice.

Ingrid and Toon

March-Rice Rat
We were taking a scenic road home one day when we happened upon a combine harvesting rice.  We thought it would be great to grab a few shots of the brightly colored combines that they use here.  But it was while doing this that we noticed what we found was a common practice here--alongside the rice harvest there is also a rat harvest.

It seems to be the practice when they harvest in the dry season (the ground is too wet for this in wet season harvest) that some people will walk alongside to combine carrying sticks that they use to kill rats that are flushed out of the field by the combine.  This is not for pest control purposes--it is for dinner.

In these parts there are even roadside stands selling BBQ rice rat.

Harvesting Rice Rat

April-Frog Legs

On one of my coffee runs, I decided to take a round about way home.  There was a rice paddy that was flooded between harvests, awaiting being tilled.  Birds love to hang out in these kind of fields.

Amongst the many photos I snapped that day was a Javan Pond Heron eating a frog.

My camera's auto focus was not working well and my eyesight is not so good anymore, so getting an in-focus shot through my telephoto is sometimes a bit of a challenge.  But this one came out reasonable.

Javan Pond Heron eating a Frog

May-Snake Roots in Khao Yai

In May, Ingrid's nephew moved to Thailand to begin teaching in an international school.  When he first arrived, he stayed with us for a few days before moving to Bangkok.

While he was here we took a trip to Khao Yai National Park, located about a 3 hour drive north of here.  On our way to Heo Narok waterfall, we detoured down to the river that feeds it.  There was this interesting tree with snake-like roots that were reflected in the ponded water of the river bed.  It seemed like a scene out of some fantasy movie.

Tree along Heo Narok River

June-Courage

My June photo is actually not one that I took--that's because I was more involved in the process of getting it set up.

In June we had a team from Heritage Bible Church in Bakersfield, California, come assist us.  There were three adults and 6 young people.

The first week they were here, we held an English Camp in a nearby school.  One day I noticed this big strange-looking beetle crawling on the floor.  I was thinking that with many beetles, they are similar in to a Saint Bernard--because of their size, Saint Bernards can be quite intimidating, but the only danger from them is if, in the process of kissing your face, they knock you over and you get hurt.

Using that line of reasoning, I reached down and let it crawl on my hand.  After I let it crawl on my hand a while, I asked if any of the young people wanted to give it a try.  ONLY ONE volunteered--a young woman named Dani.

I was really impressed by this act of courage.  If I was a young man looking for a potential spouse, it is this kind of behavior that would land someone in my "possibiities" list.  (Thirty years ago, I did, in fact, marry a courageous woman like that.)

I think the photo was actually taken by Bri, another young woman on the team.

Dani and the Beetle

July-Making Cupcakes with Neighborhood Children

For much of the time that we lived in Ban Phrueksa, Ingrid has given baking classes. Typically, he students are adults, but sometimes the young people want to get involved as well (mostly because they want to eat the results.)

This particular day, we had two groups.  The adults were working one table and the kids on another.  I like this photo mostly because it reminds me of some of the fun time we had with the neighbor kids in the house.  You can tell by the photo that not all of them actually participate in the work.  Mostly it is an excuse for them to hang out together and have fun.  And eat cupcakes.

Making Cupcakes with the Neighborhood Children

August-Double Rainbow Over Mill Lake

We had only recently arrived in Abbotsford and had stopped to visit Ingrid’s brother and sister-in-law.  We weren’t planning on staying long at their place, but they asked if we wanted to go for a walk.

It was late in the day and the sun was getting quite low.  I didn’t think that there would be many photo ops, so I didn’t bother to reach into the car to get my camera.

Then, as we’re walking around Mill Lake, just at sunset, there was a beautiful double rainbow.  Not only did I not have my camera, but Ingrid did not have her phone (which has a reasonable camera).  So I used my old Samsung phone with it’s 640x480 camera and snapped about 5 photos with portrait orientation, which I later stitched into a panorama using Adobe Photoshop Elements.  It is not the greatest photo in the world, but it is a nice remembrance of the awesome rainbow that we saw.
 

Double Rainbow over Mill Lake

September-Columbia Icefields

After we were finished with all the necessary meetings at our office in Abbotsford, it was time for some vacation.  Ingrid's parents had driven down from the Edmonton area.  We drove back with them, taking the scenic route through the Icefields Parkway in Banff and Jasper National Parks.

While we have been through these mountains many times since we got married, we had not actually gone down to the Columbia Icefields.  When I was a child, our family had stopped here on one of our cross-country trips, during which time we had gone out on the icefield in one of the Snow Tracs.

This time we decided we had time to walk around a bit.  The place where we parked to walk up the terminal moraine was pretty much the edge of the glacier when we had visited there in 1970.  Now were were able to walk along that area which had been buried by ice back then--and we never even got as far as the tip of the glacier.

This photo was take with my little Fuji Finepix--the only camera I had brought along.  I used the built in panorama ability to capture the photo.

Columbia Icefields and Athabasca Glacier

October-30th Anniversary Trip to Monterey

October marked ur thirtieth anniversary.  Because of all the changes that have gone on in our lives the past few years, we never even made the big trip we wanted to take for our 25th.  Now, for our 30th, we still had little time or money to make much of a trip.

We decided to go to Monterey for a few days, only this time we stayed close to the beach in a better facility than the Motel 6 in Marina that we have typically stayed at in the past.

Our main activity was to walk along the beach and shoreline.  It was on one of these evening strolls that we happened on these brown pelicans on the rocks below.  I braced my little Fuji camera on the guard rail as I zoomed in in order that the picture would be somewhat sharp.

Brown Pelicans in Monterey

November-Birthday Trip to Morro Bay
This was a hard month to pick photos for  because we visited our two most favorite places in California: Lake Isabella and Morro Bay.

In the end I picked this photo taken from the trail to Valencia Peak, showing my favorite person in the world and Morro Rock and the Sand Spit in the background.

We have climbed Valencia Peak many times, but often the fog obscures any decent views.  We were happy to have such nice weather and an unusually warm day.  This was the first day I have been to Montana de Oro State Park where I did not wear a windbreaker while walking along the bluffs.

On Valencia Peak Trail in Montana de Oro State Park

December-Two Heads are Better than One

As our time in North America came to a close, we finished off by spending Christmas week with my sister and her family.  Her daughter and son-in-law and grandkids were there that week as well.

I spent a lot of time playing with the twins.  I tried to get some photos of them, but it was hard as they were little balls of energy--seldom sitting still long enough to pose.

Then, on one occasion, they were sprawled out on the floor, so I sprawled out on the floor in front of them to grab this photo.  In the photo, it looks like the twins share a single body with two heads coming out of it.

The Twins at Christmastime