"Please step over here-we need to check your passport..."

Words to chill the heart of any "world traveler"...spoken to me by the nice Japanese lady who was boarding our flight from Tokyo to Bangkok! Oh no, what could this possibly be about I thought in my sleep-deprived brain, wrapped in a throbbing headache that 10+ hours at 36,000 feet can bring on with such a vengeance! I was even more concerned as I have two traveling companions joining me on this journey-the daughters of friends who trusted me with their care. As I stepped over to the side of the check-in counter...watching my passport undergoing some unamed scrutiny...all I could think of was what happens to the girls if I get sent back to the states due to some issue with my passport?!?! Silly, I know-but that is where one's mind can wander when official looking people ask for your documents in a foriegn country!! Imagine my surprise then when- after what seemed like hours later (but actually only a couple of minutes)-my passport was returned with a new boarding pass placed inside...with an upgrade to BUSINESS CLASS!!! Oh what joy, what bliss---the full reclining seat-a down pillow-slippers and a toiletries bag-a real dinner on real china-oh,and did I mention the comforter and down pillow?!?! I could not believe my eyes-or my luck.

Now, lest you think me totally heartless-my companions and I were already going to be sitting in three different locations on the plane, and were not able to get seats together even after we got onboard and asked people if they would swap seats. So, after getting them settled, and meeting their seat mates (all very nice people), I walked forward and sat down in seat 5B---and not long after take-off, pushed the seat back, opened the pillow and the comforter, and had the most comfortable ride I have ever had on a long flight! The girls? Well, they too were fast asleep in thier places as I made my swing through the cabin during the flight to check-in with them. They are both outstanding travelers--the next post will include a couple of photos from the journey for their moms and dads!!!

Opening Day!!

With a heart full of immense gratitude, it is my pleasure to share with you scenes from our opening day celebration of Baan Jarawee!!! Thanks to God---thanks to so many people who have shared their time, treasure and talents, and love and support for this project and for the Agape Home Family. Thank you!!!

The Night Bazaar

Perhaps the most famous of all of Chiang Mai's shopping areas is the Night Bazaar. It is located along a main street that cuts right through town and is a series of stalls, tables, shops and restaurants that open each day at about 4:30 and stay open through the evening until about 11. On a typical visit, and especially during this time of the year, it is nearly impossible to walk through the "gauntlet" of stalls around all of the tourists trying out their bargaining skills in search of the perfect souvenir or present for someone back home. This trip it is a bit different-as the number of tourists visiting is clearly impacted by the news of the difficulties in Bangkok. On the other hand, it was kind of nice to be able to stroll through and take some video to share without having my toes stepped on, or elbows in my side!!

Moving Day!

Today we celebrated the move of 6 more of the Agape Home kids into their new home! This is the fifth of five homes that we built and will "officially" open tomorrow. All five homes are fully occupied as of today, as we moved three pairs of natural siblings-one pair of sisters, one pair of brothers and a brother sister pair into their family home. What a great day! There was excitement, joy, and a bit of palpable nervousness as these kids contemplated their new surroundings and the enormity of this change. They have been getting to know their house parents slowly over the last three months, and tonight they will spend their first night together in a new---and different kind of family then they have enjoyed and come to know back in the Agape Home. Change...it is never easy, eh? But along with the anxiousness comes the excitement and promise of something new. My heart is full of all these things as I write this---and full of gratitude for all of the many people who have helped make today and tomorrow possible. Here's to new things, to acknowledeging that they can be scary, and to hoping and trusting that joy will come in the morning!

A Big Storm!

It is so hot here right now that the earth is actually shimmery in the heat. However, in the afternoons, these big huge winds have been blowing up promising to deliver rain...and then often just simply fading away without any relief. Today though, the rains came on the heels of the wind-a HUGE gully-washer complete with something my friend Mae Kiaw had never before seen ("Mai Khury Hen")---HAIL!!! She screeched with such delight that you would have thought it was pure gold raining down from heaven! Then, just as fast as it blew in---off it went---taking the brief cool respite with it!!

A Morning Out!

Going on outings with the kids is always a favorite part of the work day. Back in the day when I was here full time, I tried to get out at least once a week with one of the groups-but my time on these visits is usually so jam-packed that I can't get away. Today was different though, and I got to join the young preschoolers for their expedition to Carrefour (kind of like Target in SE Asia!). Off we hurled in the Van (with Avis at the wheel, the speed of travel is never sedate!), to our destination---in search of Khanom and adventure. Of course, this is also an opportunity to pick up a few things for the home so after we arrived, we split into groups to get the shopping accomplished. My cart passenger was quite a good companion-munching on some cheese twists and commenting on things as we walked past. I needed to pick up some tissue-and as always enjoyed comparing the brands available with what we have at home (to this day my all-time favorite is the "Sit and Smile" brand of toilet paper!). Here instead of Puffs infused with Vicks Vapo-Rub for that cold, there is Kleenex infused with Eucalyptus, and instead of the small boxes with flowers on them there were triangle wedge-shaped boxes that looked like fruit slices--green for Som-O (Chinese grapefruit), and red for Watermelon (Dangmoo). As the clip below will attest, my faithful passenger was just delighted with these---especially the watermelon that looked so real you could almost take a bite out of it!

Tuesday April 27, 2010

Hot season begins in Thailand in March, revs up to peak intensity during April, and begins to wane into just plain hot and humid rainy season by about the third week of May and into June. This means that the "summer" school holidays in the Thai school calendar run from about March 20-about May 20. That is a long way to say that it is school holiday time here and the children are home during the days!! What bliss! Although my visit is short this time, I am actually able to see and be with the kids more this visit because they are around all day.

Now, I know that the idea of 80 some kids all home for school break at the same time has many of your hearts pounding with empathetic panic! Long and short of it-there are very few day long programs that we can sign the kids up for!!! No matter though...for many years now lots of dedicated people begin planning way in advance to make sure that the days are full of a variety of fun and interesting (and at times even educational!) outings and activities for all the various age-groups to enjoy. In just the two days I have been here there has been constant activity---two visiting teams bringing their own day camp experience right to our door-arts and crafts---special outings to exciting locations like the Bua Tong (snake belly) limestone waterfall that you can actually walk up and down---in the water---on the limestone which is amazingly easy to find traction on even as the water rushes underfoot (-really---I have been there a number of times and can attest to this from first-hand experience!).

But, for me, today was really sweet. You see, every Tuesday during the noon hour, the nannies gather for a time of worship, prayer, study and fun in the big "Sala" area in the front of Agape. It is always wonderful to hear them singing and laughing together. This week, and during the summer school break---the "middle-aged" (9-12 or so) kids get to joing them---and the sight, and sound of it always brings a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye. The video clip below will, I hope, give you a small taste of this very precious time! Oh, and if you hear a slightly familiar voice chiming in near the end...that would be me...momentarily forgetting that the same camera capturing the kids and nannies voices would also capture mine!