Homecoming

We had our expectations set really low. We were returning to our home in Phon Phisai after being away just over a year. We had only planned to be away three months, so we really had not prepared the house for an extended stay away. In fact, we really had not prepared well for being away even three months because Ingrid had a fall resulting in a short hospital stay and a concussion less than two weeks before we left. Because of our hasty preparations, our living room was a jumble of a bunch of things that would normally be kept outside.

We would not have been surprised if my guitar had been rendered unusable by termites and mold...if the mattress was no longer fit to sleep in...if our printer/copier would not work...if ants would have invaded and nested in our washing machine as they did our previous home assignment...or if mold made it necessary to throw away clothing or furniture. Already six months ago, we had been told that the sun had been eating away at the cover over our truck, so we figured the roof would be permanently disfigured by lizard poop.

To add to all this, we were not sure what restrictions might be placed on us due to travel from an area with active COVID transmission to an area with no active cases. Would we even be able to go out and buy groceries?

Because of all these uncertainties, we were prepared for the worst.

We asked a couple from our church if they could at least sweep out the house so we could have a place to set down our luggage when we arrived.

When the taxi brought us to our door, we were almost afraid to step into the house. But when we did, we were amazed. Our friends had not only swept the floors, they had moved some furniture around to make space and cleared the cobwebs. It was a great homecoming, even if no one was there to meet us!

Front of Our House

Actually, we didn't want to meet with anyone until we had been cleared with public health officials. It was 1:30 pm when we arrived and we had a lot to do. The first priority was getting the washing machine running because there would be a lot of things to launder over the next few days. It appeared to be working. Then I turned the printer / copier on and was happy to see that the print heads had not clogged, so I was able to make copies of documents the landlord needed. Then I put some air in the bicycle tires and went to the public health office. After looking at my documents from the hospital that managed our quarantine, he said:

Live life as normal.

Implied with this was the new normal of minor general restrictions in this area due to COVID. Still, we were happy we would not have to quarantine as it would make life easier. So next stop was the bank to take care of some business there. While at the bank I get a call from Ingrid that something was wrong with the washing machine. Getting home, I checked the washer and found the drain had plugged with some kind of gray sludge. Upon flushing the system, we discovered that some kind of wasp had built nests the outside of the tub—the part you can't see—and running the machine knocked all the mud from the nests off. They must have liked all the small holes in the side of the washer drum.

It was nice that there was not as much mold as we were expecting. It probably helped that we left in dry season so everything was dry when we covered them. This meant that our bed was usable (we had covered it with plastic), we just put on some clean sheets. My guitar was not all covered with mold, as had happened on previous occasions, and the strings were still shiny. The car covers had tears and were no longer water repellent, but they were generally intact.

But the termites had moved in. The hollow door to our bedroom was even more hollow and now even the door frame was hollow. The termites had started building a nest onto the door. There was still some of the nest left, even though our friends had apparently knocked a big chunk off.

Termite Nest and Damage to Door

We walked to the grocery store that is 1/2 km away and bought a few basic groceries and then had dinner at KFC because it was conveniently located in the same building. After going back home and doing a few more things we looked up at the clock and were happy to see it was only 7:15 pm. Wait—wasn't it 7:15 the last time we checked? So after changing the clock battery, we went to bed exhausted at 9:30. It was cool enough that we didn't need the A/C, and we were happy to have the fresh air flowing in the windows bringing in the comforting night sounds of the frogs and crickets.

Day Two - Tuesday

I walked to the bus station and took a van to Nong Khai. I hired a tuktuk driver to first go to the insurance company to start up our expired vehicle insurance. The company had moved their office, but the driver used the same company and knew the new location. But there, even though the office appeared to be open as the steel roll up doors were up, the door was locked and no one was present. So the driver took me to a broker across from the motor vehicle department. After about 1/2 hour getting all that in order, we next went across the street to the Department of Land Transport (called DLT instead of DMV) and I paid the taxes and renewed registration on the car. The truck is older and needs to be inspected first. Leaving there, we went to the immigration office where I checked in our arrival to the area and filed some papers. From there I went back home and was amazed to get back just after noon.

Ingrid had continued the task of cleaning while I was away—and also making lunch, which was really appreciated by the time I got back.

After lunch it was time to try to get the vehicles running. I found out that charging the batteries was not enough, they would both need to be replaced—but that would be a task for the next day. Meanwhile, there was still lots of cleaning to do.

Day Three - Wednesday

We began the morning by taking a walk down to the river, then coming back through town, stopping at a bank along the way to pick up some cash, which I'm needing a lot of these days. We pass through the fresh market and visit O and Nang, the couple that had swept out our house. They give us a report about the church as we visited with them for a bit, buying a a fresh tilapia from them for dinner. Leaving the market, we find a fruit vendor selling sweet, ripe mangoes.

Mekong View From Our Morning Walk

My main task for the day is to get the vehicles running. So I hop on my bike and pedal down to the bus station and find a tutktuk. I have the driver follow me to the house and I load the batteries for both vehicles on the back, I ask him to take me to a battery shop, so he brings me to one downtown. I buy two new batteries and they load them on the tuktuk. Then we head back with a store employee following us on a motorcycle. Right before we get to our house, we notice our neighbor in the street. He is watching a fat cobra that is in the road, apparently flushed out by another neighbor's dog. Back at the house, the battery store employee put the batteries in the vehicles and they both start up easily—though I have to turn the truck engine over slowly a few times to get the oil back up into the engine. However the truck will not go into gear—the linkage appears to be frozen. Need to do some research on that.

In the afternoon, we finally unpack our suitcases, while continuing to do other cleaning. Later in the day we take the car out to visit Tha and Nok's family. We pass one of their sons on his bicycle and he follows us back, Their dog recognizes our car is all excited when he sees it approach. We find Nok in the field behind the house picking tobacco with her daughter hanging out with her. Tha is doing house construction in the next village, so we don't get to see him. We visit for a few minutes, then head back home, stopping at Big C. This time we have a car so we can buy a few more groceries.

Then it's more cleaning till bedtime.

Day Four - Thursday

After a morning walk, I go look at the truck. Even after some research, the task seems beyond what I want to spend time on. So I drive to a garage we usually take our vehicles to and describe my challenge. They send two people to follow me back in a pickup. (Gotta love this small-town life.) They have a tow bar in the back in case they need it. One of the guys is an expert with Toyota trucks. I show him the problem, he then gets in the driver seat and using a trick of trying to change gears while the starter is turning, gets the transmission unstuck in just a few minutes. Because the truck has been sitting for a year, they take the truck back to the shop to change the engine and transmission oil and check it over. Just after they leave, I remember that right before we went back to North America last year, the shop had put up an official vehicle inspection station. So after lunch on our way to get some coffee, we bring the vehicle papers to the garage and ask them to do the inspection as well so that we can renew the registration. We also ask them to change out the cabin air filter—which turns out to be a very wise thing to do.

We then go to our favorite coffee shop, Cake Lamoon. It is fairly quiet as school has not let out yet. A group of three school-age girls are in there, awaiting a special treat they ordered, otherwise, we have the main room to ourselves. We sip coffee and do some reading on our computers. Then we head back home for a bit. About 4:30, I bicycle over to the garage to check on the truck. Turns out a rat had gotten into the area of the A/C filter behind the glove box and, after munching on the filter and some insurance documents, died there. They would keep the truck another day to take care of that.

I decide to take the back way home and along the way I notice a bright orange bastard teak tree blooming in the middle of some fields about 1/2 km away. I know of a field road that goes generally in that direction, so I head that way as far as I can on the bike and walk across the dry rice paddies the remaining distance to the tree. After taking some pictures, I head back home.

Bastard Teak Tree

One of our afternoon tasks had been to get the living room set up. We have some rattan furniture which needs major cleaning and oiling. The cushions had been kept under plastic and were in pretty good shape. Apparently, one of the geckos thought so, too, as there was a pocket of hatched eggs between two of the cushions.

Gecko Eggs on Pillow Cushion

In the evening, we contact a high school girl we know who lives at the beginning of our street. She and her dad helped look after our plants while we were gone. We invite them to come over for a visit now that we have a place for them to sit, and we give her a thank you gift. They brought us a strawberry plant in a big pot that even had strawberries starting to form.

Strawberry Plant Gift from Markus and Samantha

Day Five - Friday

I go for a short walk in the morning to enjoy the scenery of the rice paddies and to check out some house construction in the neighborhood. Power company trucks are busy on the highway at the end of our street—they are running new lines. When I get back to the house, I find the power is off. That means no vacuuming and no fans. The day is spent continuing with cleaning operations as well as pulling out some weed trees that have sprouted in the past year. At three o'clock we go to a coffee shop down by the Mekong River, not so much because we want coffee but to enjoy the A/C for an hour. By the time we get back home, the power is back on. Ingrid finishes vacuuming the last window screen and I bicycle to the garage to pick up the truck. Fortunately, there haven't been any police checkpoints at the next intersection like they used to, as I won't have my new registration sticker until tomorrow.

Rice Paddies Near Our House

Day Six - Saturday

Yesterday I was under the delusion that we were almost done cleaning. But there were more screens to vacuum and wash. And there were some more moldy items found that need to be either cleaned or disposed of. The car interiors needed vacuuming and more cleaning. (Still a little rat residue on the front floor mat of the truck. Found a gecko mummy in the back of car, but fortunately the stink had long since cooked out of it.) By the time we were done with all that, our vacuum needed a good cleaning as well.

At one point the landlord comes by and I show him the termite eaten door and frame. He comes by later with someone who will replace it, probably with steel. Sink your mandibles in that, termites!

Eventually I take a drive to pick up the truck registration papers and then go get 4 jugs of water, since they did not come and deliver yet following my call yesterday. Still left to do yet: get some new tires for the truck and go to the baking supply store in Nong Khai for some specialty items. But no rush on those. Tomorrow is our sabbath celebration and I'm ready for a day of rest.

About 5:30 pm, we drive over to see if Nang and O are home from the market yet. Pla, their daughter, comes to the door and is excited to see us. We visit a couple minutes at their house, then walk over to the church building. We sit and chat there for over an hour. During that time, Somdy also calls on Messenger so we chat with him as well.

On the way home, we swing by Big C to pick up some decorations for the birthday cake Ingrid made for Nok to serve at church tomorrow.

Birthday Cake

Since it's late, we pick up something for dinner as well. It is after eight when we get home. It's life in Thailand, no real schedule, life revolves around relationships. There is a sense of normalcy in our "routine". It's beginning to feel like home again.

Our Desert Rose Waited For Us to
Get Home Before Blooming

Thank you, Lord for bringing us back home safely. For travels on taxis and planes and rental cars. For surviving being stuck in a room for two weeks of quarantine. For friends who welcome us back. For helpful tuktuk drivers. For energy and strength to get so much done this week. For the pleasures of small-town life where mechanics make house calls. For sweet, ripe mangoes. For my beautiful, hard-working, adventurous wife who has been my faithful travel companion for the past 37 years.

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