Learning Thai

Silas and I had a very good week in Laos. We accomplished our purpose of getting a visa for me and we had a very good time with our friend Pon (and his dog, Dig). This was the first trip that I've taken with just Silas and he handled it very well. He ate all kinds of different food (including cow placenta!), stayed up really late, and thoroughly enjoyed the train rides. The only part he didn't like was getting so much attention from strangers.

I was happy to reconnect with Pon. He is doing really well and it's good to see him feeling at home in Vientiane. He'd lived in Bangkok for a number of years and when he first moved back to Laos to study he didn't really like it. But now he feels like that's where God wants him and he's excited about possibilities for the future. He's in his third year of college and is also starting to pursue a singing career. We got to meet some of his friends and it was encouraging to talk with him about the potential for "kingdom expansion" in Vientiane.

We really miss having Pon in Bangkok - his musical abilities and spiritual maturity were a real asset to our meetings and discipleship here. But we're also glad that we can continue to work with him to see the same kinds of things happen there.

Other highlights for Silas included playing with the dog, seeing lots of animals, and going fishing for the first time.

Our mode of transportation for the week. The dog never wanted to be left behind!

-Tom

Posted by T and C at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonight Silas and I are leaving on the train for Laos. We'll spend about a week there, getting a visa and spending time with our friend Pon. Lately he's been busy recording a CD and now he's making music videos, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that's going. I hope that our visit can be encouraging for Pon. We miss having him as part of our group in Bangkok but we are excited about how God is using him in Laos and we want to continue supporting and mentoring him as he develops a ministry there.

Silas is excited about the train ride and the prospect of playing with Pon's dog. Claire and Eliza say that they'll miss us, but I think that they are also excited about a week of girl time without their disruptive younger brother! We'd appreciate your prayers for all of us - for God's leading in conversations with Pon, safety in travel, protection over those staying behind, and a favorable result at the embassy.

In flood news...we are still dry. The local schools have been postponed for another week and there are still food shortages as people are hoarding and the supply chain has been disrupted by the flooding. This flood has severely affected millions of people and over 500 people have died, but for us it's been a surreal waiting game. We keep hearing about "critical days" that come and go with no flooding, but as soon as we think we're safe, there's another dire prediction about how the water IS still coming. Sandbag and concrete walls have been built throughout our neighborhood but so far we haven't seen a drop of flood water.

-Tom

Posted by T and C at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)