Fun Day!

Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
Or stand in the way of sinners
Or sit in the seat of mockers
But his delight is in the law of the Lord
And on his law he meditates day and night
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not whither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Since today was our last Saturday on this trip, we set aside today as a play day with the kids! We took them to the local park. It charged admission but was actually very nice! It had everything a kid dreamed of in a play day! A playground with a rope bridge, an animal park, and ice cream! It was great!!

From Jan '09

From Jan '09

From Jan '09

From Jan '09

We even wandered upon an Indian festival, where some women invited us to go and dance with them. We were more than happy to jump right in to join them in their fun dance! Not even a second after the song was over they had put food and tea in front of us, ready for us to feast with them! They sure were welcoming of us to their family’s party!

From Jan '09

That evening we had one last night of devotions with our children. Our entire group said a short encouraging word, and had to say our good byes, at least for now. It was extremely difficult, as most the kids hugged us with tears in their eyes, as we gave every effort to not show the tears in out own. We will miss them very much as we are gone.

This has been such a special week! We have learned so much about the people here in this impoverished nation and have seen how gracious and kind they are. As you walk around on the streets, you see people in their best clothes everyday, putting their best face forward, even when they have nothing. Even when the world would expect them to give up under the pressure, they keep on going. And they keep on going with smiles on their faces and songs in the street. Keep praying for this nation, even now God is preparing and empowering his church to carry the seeds of revival to the outermost ends of the earth.

From Jan '09

Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Golden Towers and the Beautiful Orphanage

Daniel 3:17-18 (New Living Translation)
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.

We had the opportunity today to make our way out of the city to the countryside where a small orphanage is hidden away with 18 children. This is not one of our orphanages, but we were invited to speak there and wanted to meet these very special children.

We couldn’t help but notice on the way the countless Buddhist pagodas that lined the street, each neighborhood seemed to have their own. But what was truly sad, was the shacks made out of any wood scraps and tin sheets that could be found to put together the small lean-to houses. Many of them housing families of four to six children! Yet the golden pagodas soared high above the houses as their symbol of hope, for the next life.

We have seen too many Buddhist monks to count, they are pretty much everywhere you look. And we soon realized that they are the only beggars on the street, and the only ones who ask us tourists for a handout...constantly. We have had the chance to speak to some Buddhists to find out what they believe. And it seems that many have different focus depending upon which region they are from. For instance, there was a Buddhist group from India called the “sun worshippers”. They sit out on the entrance to the large paya, looking directly into the sun for an hour a day in search of peace! They are almost completely blind, but say that they get an icy tingle sensation during that time and think that is some type of enlightenment. Someone should tell them, it’s just their retinas getting fried by the sun! Even the local Buddhists think the sun starers are a bit crazy! Inside there is a 90’ tall Buddha, one of the largest in the world. According to our Lonely Planet guide, this is said to be one of the top tourist attractions, and every good Buddhist try to make at least one pilgrimage here in their lifetime. They come to worship the last 8 hairs of the Buddha and the massive stupa, which has accumulated 53 tons of pure gold and over 5000 diamonds and 2000 other stones (as of 1995). While talking to some local Buddhists, they told us that they bring sacrifices and worship Buddha for what he can do in their next life, their focus is to serve, protect, and love the Buddha. Buddha is too weak, for he has to lay down or sit. He is too weak, for the people have to shelter and cover his head. Buddha requires money but never gives in return, in fact the people say he never gives at all, that they will get it in the after life. Buddha is a weak, selfish, lazy god who does nothing but take up the peoples time, tears, and money....It is simply a works religion. We are so glad that we serve a risen God who wants a relationship with us! We serve a God who is alive and who we love because he first loved us and has so many abundant, free gifts for us!

Our time was short with this orphanage. But we treasure the time that we did have with them. It was a small, modest home, and so unlike the golden towers that we had passed on the way. But there was a true hope in this home, and the home was dedicated God.

From Jan '09

The older children and staff run a small business out of the home in which they make intricate cards made out of dried flowers and plants, and also nice little beaded key chains. All of the money that they raise gets put back into orphanage for expenses and the building project they would like to begin soon on the new piece of land they have just acquired. The home is very focused on Jesus, and we know that because of this there is so much peace and hope throughout the home. They are a beautiful family and so gracious for inviting us into their home for the day.

From Jan '09

They even gave us our first yellow watermelon! We’d never seen anything like that!

From Jan '09

Rebuilding After the Cyclone

James 1:22
Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice.

Today we rode about an hour outside the city to a small community which had been hit hard by the cyclone. After our group had given an encouraging message, we held a short discussion with the small church of twelve to assess their needs. All had lost much in the cyclone. Many lost their homes with all their belongings, and some even lost family members. Many were left with next to nothing. Here are their new homes, rebuilt since May:

From Jan '09

Being able to speak with the people on a more personal level worked well for we found out much about their individual plight. Imagine their sacrifice every Sunday morning- many walk four to five miles to the church no matter rain or extreme heat. The pastor's wife affirmed that they often come in drenching in either rain or sweat. Nothing can keep them away! Upon asking who needed a Bible, one woman jumped to her feet with the widest smile, before we could even finish the sentence! We felt very fortunate to be able to bless them with new clothes, blankets, umbrellas, oil and rice. We hope to come back soon to further help them get back on their feet.

From Jan '09

From Jan '09

A general consensus was reached upon the families speaking of businesses they would like to start, but are unable because they lack the finances. A $500 loan would seem to go a long way. In further questioning of their potential businesses, many already had a detailed plan down to the cent! Talk about industrious. Instead of handing out "fish", we'd much rather teach or enable them "to fish". It is encouraging to see how far they have come in rebuilding their lives since last May and without government help!

After listening to their stories, it is pretty obvious they already live on meager incomes averaging between $1 and $4 per day, eat meat four times per month, and never leaving the table satisfied. Most of the village seems to have the same health problems- headaches & breathing problems (I'm venturing a guess... the smog?) and loose stools (again another guess... the pale orange colored drinking water?). Our drinking water we purchased cost roughly $.75/gallon- much too expensive for them, unfortunately.

There were two young widows in the church. Both had very young children, one with a three year old. She has been a Christian for some time and after the cyclone hit, she rebuilt and was able to invite the other widow and family to come and live with hers. Through this Christ-like love, the other widow came to know Jesus and has been coming to church with her ever since! Their stories are amazing as they trust in the Lord for all their needs and are forever joyful! They continued to thank us for coming to speak to them and said what a blessing it was to have us there. But, we feel they blessed us!

From Jan '09

From Jan '09

Home Group

II Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

There is a revival going on here! The longer we are here, the more we see how God is setting up his mighty throne here in this nation. Tonight, we met with a home group of believers and teach them. Many of twenty were new believers and have such a deep longing to learn more about God. The kind woman who invited us to speak started this home group to bring them up in the word through weekly meetings. She told us how she had made it to America on refugee status and found a job that she loved as a caretaker for the elderly. As she could have easily stayed, she felt God calling her to return to help her family and her people.

Lori shared about the importance of our thoughts and meditating on God’s Word and Anders gave a powerful message about faith and the power of God within us. It was such a blessing to be able to bless them!

The Orphanage

Lori decided to try to get some traditional clothes to wear to the meetings. Her handwoven, custom tailored dress cost only $2.80! The market was full of beautiful treasures. Since this country is known for their rubies, sapphires, and jade we thought we should check some out, and most of us know Lori never minds shopping for jewelry :-) We found some very beautiful stones, but since we are not the discerning gemologists, decided it best not be taken for a ride. It was sure was fun looking around though!

We also learned something interesting today about this city from on old local. Before the war began, Singapore was looking for a city to model their country after. Can you believe, they picked this one? One could have never guessed; but if you squint, you can make out what once was a neighborhood of gorgeous and exquisite buildings. The last 60-70 years has not been good to these buildings without maintenance. It is clear, however, that underneath all the overgrown mold and much needed paint, this was once a prosperous city.


The guys had fun playing "The Claw" as you can see. It is like hacky sack, but having to kick the ball over the net as in volleyball.

The natives have skill. Anders, not so much.


This orphanage is supported though Life Impact and a number of other international organizations. We were excited because tonight is an electricity night! We stayed though dinner and had devotions with them once again. One of our young staff of "B" heritage, also a member of one of the first safe homes was able to speak to the children and share his personal story. He and one of the orphans shared the same native language (Karin), so she (10yrs) translated the entire message for the 3 children that only spoke "B". Each one listened so intently.

We were also able to capture some of the children's stories. As our videographer will be producing a documentary on these kids, you'll have to wait to hear them yourself! Can't spoil a good movie! They are unbelievable and might pull tears.

A Night by Candlelight

Psalm 30:11-12
You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance;
You have taken away my sorrow and surrounded me with joy.
So I will not be silent; I will sing praise to you
Lord, you are my God; I will give you thanks forever

Today we reminisced about what it was like to be a kid! We played with them from the time they arrived from school until dusk. Monday and Thursday nights, there is no power in the city, except for those having their own generators. We stayed as long as we could as they did their homework, ate dinner, and played Connect 4, all by candlelight.

From Jan '09

From Jan '09

It was wonderful to become acquainted with these precious children. They all were so affectionate and playful. We wouldn’t have imagined that children having recently gone through such tragedy (less that one year ago) could be so full of joy and hope! But, our God is one who heals the broken hearted and replaces sorrow with joy. It was difficult to avoid their affection- at any given time between 3 and 5 kids were hanging on you, wanting to play or most often, just a hug. You'll never look over to see anything but a bunch of smiling children, giggling with joy! It was such a memorable evening- we got out all the Christmas gifts from yesterday and played for hours. We have to admit, we had soooo much fun ourselves!

From Jan '09

From Jan '09

They also showed us how they make the paint that you see on their faces. It’s made from ground sandalwood bark and it made to protect their faces from the sun. Check out this video illustration.

They even decorated our faces (actually just Lori's- I managed to escape)! I think Lori's attempt to look like a local was in vain...

From Jan '09

Despite the power outage, much of the downtown seemed to still have power, as business depends upon it. Anders and I were alone tonight, so we decided it would probably be a good time to do a little “venturing out”. We found a little restaurant full of locals (it’s usually a good way to tell) and walked right in to find the last open seat in the place. Have you ever walked into a place to have 50 sets of eyes all turn to stare in astonishment at you at once? It makes you wonder if your hair has gone whack or are dressed like the wicked witch. Either they have never seen the likes of white people before or it was Lori's face paint (again, her trying to blend in with the locals).

Even the 9 cooks in the back windows came and stood in the windows for about 10 minutes to stare at us too. Now we REALLY know what it’s like to not fit in.
Don't worry, everyone was friendly, just curious. As soon as we smiled and waved at them, they gave some huge grins. After the celeb status disappeared (thank goodness) we ordered the only item on the menu- fried noodles topped with a neck of duck and an egg. Fine dining, I suppose. Finally we realized that Lori was the only girl in the whole place! The men are much more social around here, and it is common to walk into a tea shop and see only men, lots of men sitting on miniature stools and drinking from play size teacups in groups, probably speaking of the latest silly tourists pretending to be a local. Now here's Mike, trying to be a local...

From Jan '09

It's Never Too Late to Celebrate Christmas!

Isaiah 61:1-3
The Sovereign Lord has filled me with his Spirit.
He has chosen me and sent me
To bring good news to the poor,
To heal the broken-hearted,
To announce release to captives
And freedom to those in prison.
He has sent me to proclaim
That the time has come
When the Lord will save his people
And defeat their enemies.
He has sent me to comfort all those who mourn,
To give to those who mourn in Zion
Joy and gladness instead of grief,
A song of praise instead of sorrow.
They will be like trees
That the Lord himself has planted.
They will all do what is right,
And God will be praised for what He has done.

Today is Sunday, the Lord’s day, and we have been called to speak at a couple of the local churches. Two churches had asked us to speak during the morning service, so our team split in order that we could minister to both. We brought a message of encouragement and hope. Many in these services were new Christians, most since the May cyclone. You could observe their hunger through their attentive listening, taking careful notes and never once having looked at the clock or for that matter not even worried about the power outage.

Lori shared a message about God only looking for willing hearts and having big plans for his children, while Anders spoke about God answering prayer and working in miraculous ways for His kingdom. Sharing in front of the congregation (probably only 50 people) still is quite new to us. But, we prayed, and the Spirit came through AGAIN to share with the hungry!

From Jan '09

After the service we were able to sit down and speak with the pastor of the church (also our talented translator!) of the recent discipleship conference for those entering the ministry. Someone had forgotten to make the weekly notice to the government about the training extension, so 14 students were arrested. They were held for two weeks while the church visited daily, bringing food and bribes requesting the group not be treated violently.

On another account, our teammate, tried to bail out one of the street kids out of jail for being wrongly accused. He witnessed the darkness firsthand as he saw the 16y/o boy weeping in his jail cell, knowing what abuse was to come. Can you also imagine that every prisoner (innocent or not) must be brought food daily by family or friends? Yes. If food is not brought, then the police allow them to starve. And we're worried about Guantanamo! Not only that, police strolling by at night, reeked of alcohol and some could barely stroll back to their station to join the large group drinking and playing games. The abuse of power and willingness to accept bribes seem to trickle down from the top.

This Sunday evening we also had a service at the orphanage for the safe home kids and locals in the community. The top story of the orphanage has been converted into a church, being used for regular meetings.

From Jan '09

Tonight, the kids led worship, and we couldn't help but feel the Spirit reign down! The language barrier never seems to be a problem; even when a translator's not present, it is still easy to communicate with the people through a smile or a hug. Ryan (a member of our team) shared a message directed to the children. He spoke of how God uses anyone, even they, who are still young. Ryan concluded by having the children pray for the adults.

And then we celebrated Christmas one more time! Kids are always ready to celebrate Christmas anytime of the year. And for most of the children, this was their very first gift for Christmas.

From Jan '09

Lori again shared the candy cane story and Christ’s gift to us. Each were given two canes- one for them-self and the other for another.

From Jan '09

Present time! We gave each child a new backpack filled with a bag of candy and treats, a pencil bag of school supplies, a small bag of toys, and a blanket. Their excitement was priceless! They ripped open those gifts with such enthusiasm! Most of them, upon seeing their backpacks were so overjoyed they put it on and began modeling it around the room for everyone to see! If only you could have seen their faces when they realized that there was even more inside! Here's a little glimpse:

From Jan '09

This was truly a precious day! It was wonderful to be able to love on these special children, most who had lost both parents and siblings to the recent cyclone. Hearing their stories just made me shake my head and believe in my heart that they are still here today because God had a greater plan for their lives. One child said he woke up atop a Coconut tree the morning after the cyclone, not knowing how he got there. He reported the landscape was littered with dead bodies and he too could not find any of his family. Being able to laugh and worship with these kids, one can definitely be encouraged of their great love for Jesus!

From Jan '09

Taking It All In!

Today we arrived in a nation that very few ever lay their hands upon, and we soon realized why! Today was the biggest cultural jolt of our lifetime (thus far, that is). We arrived in the capital of “B” not really knowing what to expect. Well, we certainly couldn't help but notice the quite eerie aura around the airport. Talk about sticking out like a sore thumb! It seemed as if everyone’s eyes turned straight to us as we began to see what’s been told to us about this extremely oppressed nation. It is estimated that 1 in 10 people is a spy for the government. However, today in the arrivals terminal, we are sure the number was far greater. You can feel the big thumb of the government as there is always someone watching your every move, and within listening distance of every word coming out of your mouth, and asking you questions about why you are here and where you are going. We're definitely not in Kansas anymore!

From Jan '09

We took the 30 minute ride to our nice downtown touristy hotel, complete with 24 hour electricity, clean running water, and a mini-fridge. Choking was our first reaction to the city. On our way through town, we witnessed the most unbelievable density of smog. If you think that LA, Bangkok, or even Mexico City have anything on this place, think again! It is by far the thickest smog we have ever encountered. You feel just as though you are sticking your mouth over the end of a VW bug tailpipe running solely on dirty motor oil while breathing as shallow as possible.

From Jan '09

The nation is so impoverished by endless war, and is very apparent everywhere you look. We see leftover war metal being used as a drying apparatus for herbs or whatever else needs to get some sun. People on motorcycles are using old army helmets for their riding protection. The military walks around with big guns to exert their appearance of power, and spies follow everyone, keeping track of everyone's coming and going.

From Jan '09

Even our hotel rooms are tapped, any phone calls or internet traffic is tracked and recorded. It seems to us that their strangle hold is coming straight from the depths of their paranoia.

We hit the streets to find some local flavors. After wandering down the street a couple of minutes some street kids found us.

From Jan '09

They were not like any other street kids we have met anywhere else before. They weren’t begging us for anything, but were simply overjoyed to have someone paying attention to them. We decided to take the 4 boys out to lunch with us. They, of course, had some great recommendations so we all sat down to a full lunch with noodles, chicken, vegetables, rice, spring rolls, and fruit for a total of $2.50 for all 6 appetites!

From Jan '09

We found out they are only able to attend school “sometimes” but must spend most time downtown selling postcards to support their families. Amazingly, none of the boys ever begged for anything from us, even though in their minds they must have thought we were rich. We also came to find there are approximately 3500 street kids in this city alone, doing pretty much the same thing, trying to sell something. Many of these children of the street sleep in the train station, for a price. For about $1.40 they are given a paper bag to sleep on and another bag as a blanket. The floor is scattered with families and children struggling on their own. Even 12 month old babies are sleeping by themselves.

From Jan '09

The police despise the street kids and for some reason seem to think that this is one of their nation’s greatest problems, as if this is what keeps tourists away! But we suppose it may be because the kids all speak English very well (and have learned on their own, might we add) and as everyone knows- kids are honest! As we sat for that short meal, we saw a few undercover spies who were yelling at the kids. We kindly told them the kids were our amigos and to leave us alone.

But in the midst of all the oppression and dirty air, the gentle and amazing people make it all worth while. Even admist all the chaos, the people still greet with the sweetest smile. While wandering the streets, we felt as though we were taking in a culture unlike any other we have ever witnessed. We have seen photos from the web and heard countless stories from those who have gone before. But now we were in the midst of these dark alleys, walking these streets and gazing on the beautiful and singing faces, trying desperately to take all this in. We have entered “B”, the land that screams in silence.

From Jan '09

Lonely Planet Excerpt

We quote verbatim, "Most people in Myanmar lack just about every material thing, get abysmal health care and have scant chance for advancement, since the government holds the economy in its fist and doesn't play fair...The banks are under governmental control, so savings can be (and have been) completely wiped out at the whim of the rulers...Peaceful political assembly is banned and citizens are forbidden to discuss politics with foreigners."

Pause in our Posts...

Hello again to our faithful readers! We are going to Bangkok for two days to get a visa into "B", then departing for "B" for one week. We will be visiting our other children's homes to share Christmas gifts, ministering to a few churches, and assessing the current situation. Please pray for our safety, that each of our team will be able to obtain visas, wisdom in handling situations that might arise, and continual guidance by the Holy Spirit. Look forward to a full report upon our return!

Today we welcomed back our fearless leader with our New Years hats! I think she was a little embarrassed!

From Jan '09

But that's not all! We finished packing our bags with toys, blankets, and children's gifts; fixed the bathroom light fixture (so we don't have to take showers in the dark) , repaired Lori's camera (so you can now see more pics!); and met with our dear friends, Chris & Sarah serving nearby. What a great encouragement to see friends whom Anders met way back in Jr. High, now right here in Thailand!

We finally have Life Impact's website up and running! Check it out in our list of Links below or click here.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
~ Hebrews 4:16, NLT

Joyce Meyer Too!

How encouraging to hear Joyce Meyer speak the truth! PTL for thousands that accepted Christ in her two crusades this weekend and the many more who committed to living a life for the one purpose for which we are here!

From Jan '09

But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
~ Psalm 13:5, NLT

Hillsong and Health Screening

We set out to get our Thai driver’s and motorcycle licenses today. It is quite a humorous process, at least for the "farang" (foreigners). First, you need a health screening. This is a 1.5 minute exam where they take your blood pressure, weight, height, and ask, "Are you dying?". I'm not joking. The Dr. did't even see Lori. Then, you pay them $3 and leave.

We figured the difficult part was over, but not so fast. We learned that we need additional paperwork from the immigration office. But the more humorous part was that while we were driving and looking for the immigration office, we made a right turn into oncoming traffic on the opposite side of the road! Fortunately there wasn't an accident, just a bunch of confused drivers coming the opposite direction! If that wasn't funny enough already, we looked to curb to see two police officers standing outside their truck staring at us with a dumbfounded look on their faces! How funny would that have been though if we got pulled over for driving on the wrong side of the road? Imagine if they had asked what we were doing!

The Hillsong band (from Australia) came to Chiang Mai for a free concert tonight... and tomorrow morning and tomorrow night... and the next night!! It was absolutely fabulous!! We got there a bit early (two hours to be exact) to get close seats and there wasn't anyone there.

From Jan '09

But after three cover bands, the stadium was completely packed out with three to four thousand people who had traveled from all over Thailand! It was worth every penny and was so uplifting! We learned Hillsong never charges for their concerts as they intend to serve Christ and spread the gospel without restriction.

From Jan '09

From Jan '09

From Jan '09

The Spirit at Work!

One new friend from a local village invited us to come see the beautiful hill-tribe knit creations made by the women inside the eegufer camp. Our hope is to help them support themselves by purchasing their knits to in turn sell to boutiques, thereby also supporting our mission here. Additionally we're trying to help them obtain English teaching books for his class. We're searching for beginning & intermediate English textbooks. We're currently looking at books from local elementary schools. But, we invite our readers to please pass along any good titles or samples they might recommend!

-Amazing Story-
As this day approached, our friend couldn't obtain clearance for us to enter the eegufer camp in time. Apparently the guards needed more advance notice. This is a difficult situation, for when we enter the camp we must set it up at least one week in advance and provide a great deal of information.

We drove there anyway, figuring we could take a peek at the sample knits from outside the fence. But to our absolute disbelief, when we drove up to the gate, the guards just opened it and let us in!! It was a miracle! There is absolutely no way being as white as we are and obviously looking like we don't belong there, with the guards not asking one question, we could have been let in on our own free will. In fact, in looking back, they appeared a little fearful. We absolutely still to this day, cannot believe it!

School had already been dismissed hours before, but the students waited and prayed, hoping by some chance, we were able to enter and see them. What hunger! Immediately upon entering his classroom of thirty, our friend asked if we would deliver a one hour encouraging message! What? We looked at each other, in much disbelief, I have to admit. Having never felt more on the spot before in our lives, we amazingly felt great peace and gave an emphatic answer of "Yes"! So, both Lori and I and our friend Ryan (a visiting videographer) all preached for one and a half hours! It definitely wasn't our words. There is no way Lori and I, without any experience public speaking, having not been prepared with a message, speaking without any "um's and uh's" could speak Christ's message, captivating every student's attention for fifty minutes straight!!

Ryan followed up with a great message of Christ's power and invited anyone to come pray with us individually. When all was said and done, the class of thirty turned in forty-five (with many peering in through the cracks of the bamboo walls), six people came to accept Christ, two students rededicated their lives, and one dedicated her life to be a missionary in the hill tribe from where she came! Additionally, we prayed for ten students' healing and anointing of the Holy Spirit upon their lives. We rushed out twenty minutes past closing time (without any problems, of course because we had been reminded that God is in charge). It was most amazing experience of my life and any credit goes to Jesus! It is incredible how well the details all work out when He is reigning!

We're still smiling about the miraculous events of that day!

Building Methods: Western or Hill Tribe?

Today we put our heads together and made a dish-wash area outside, complete with table and drying rack. It was fun to build with Pati, one of the staff's father who is helping out for a few months. He has great experience building using the "hill tribe method". That means using local natural resources and basic hand tools. For example, he showed us how to make wood slats (for the dish rack) out of bamboo, and how to incorporate an old tree limb out of the river for the dish rack supporting post! It was exciting to combine our methods of "hill tribe" and "western style" construction. He used a machete and handsaw, I used a skilsaw. He used bamboo, I used a two by two. He used old rusty nails and I used screws driven by a power drill, which sometimes tended to fail!

From Jan '09

From Jan '09

Before this rack was built, dishes were being washed right in the middle of the patio becoming a mucky mess. Additionally, the dishes were then carried back into the house creating a slip hazard indoors. This seems to be working much better!

Safe Home Improvements

Overcoming a few minor power outages, electrical glitches, and water leaks, our hot water system seems to be performing great! We've observed that the staff and children really seem to enjoy it after catching the five boys having a waterfight in the bathroom the day it was installed! Now that we have hot water, we're wondering how much it will increase the utility bills?? But, we figure, warm water is a good tradeoff for preventing the exacerbation of fewer colds and other illnesses.

Now it’s time to move on to other household necessities. We're trying to avoid putting too much time in improving the home, as it is a rental. Here, if something breaks or needs improvement, the tenant is responsible. Not only that, if too many improvements are made, the rent is raised on the tenant, as the rental property now has greater value! That is just the "Thai way" for which we just must learn to adjust!

Yesterday we installed a fire extinguisher and Anders gave a short workshop to the staff on fire emergencies. We're hoping to find an extinguisher refill shop in town in the near future so we may borrow and have the staff practice using them on an authentic fire!

Back to the border-town

Today we arrived back in the bordertown to meet with a local chapter organization about the future of children's homes in the area. We work closely, as they don't have any other place to place potentially exploited children. Fortunately, they're able to keep us updated of local situations and impending rescues from their vast network of contacts. Additionally, they provide us with the legal backup and necessary paperwork to help avoid problem areas! Thanks World Vision!

Recuperating

We have spent the past few days healing at our home office near Chiang Mai. When we say healing, we mean both physically and spiritually. My cold is pretty much over, but Lori is now battling the same one =( Spiritually speaking, we are recuperating from the various outreaches and other projects we recently finished. (i.e. a person can't keep going and going, working in the various afflicting situations without a break for themselves) This has been a much needed break. We have enjoyed a taste of home with Campbell's Soup for lunch and Frosted Flakes for dessert today! Yum, Yum!

An Italian Date!

No, no, no did we date an Italian... we tasted probably the most authentic Italian food served in all of Thailand on our date!

We were once told by a wise man to go on a date at least once a month to continue building our relationship. So, we took the advice to heart and took to the streets of Chiang Mai!

Happy New Year... and Merry Christmas again!

Happy New Year to all our family and friends!! Welcome to 2009! Joining together with the staff at our office, we held a little Christmas and New Year celebration together.

From Dec '08

It was complete with a Thai massage and pseudo-American dinner of ribs and burgers thanks to our team leader!! It was such a treat, Thank You Lana!

On our way home, Anders took a little detour to check out the lights dotting the night sky. We stumbled right onto the launching point for these miniature hot air balloon-lanterns.

From Dec '08

We found them to be simple paper sacks with a candle strung below to heat the air, causing it to rise like a hot air balloon. It looked like so much fun, we tried it for ourselves... twice!

From Dec '08

Some others were hanging fireworks from their balloons. Check out our video!

At the stroke of midnight we celebrated with a few fireworks of our own. Christmas and New Year’s celebrated all in one night! This was a truly memorable evening!