Our trip last week (see previous post) took us to the border of Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). As is the case along many borders around the world, this area feels different from the rest of the country. I was impressed again by the mixing of cultures, police checkpoints, refugee camps, poverty, and the resilience of the people who live in that unstable area.

We spent some time with Karen people who have been forced from their homes by Myanmar's military and their offensive against this people group. In one informal settlement where our friends are working the 15 or so families living there had recently experienced the deaths of several young children. Some of the families had been close to making a decision to follow Jesus when these deaths caused them to reconsider. While we were there another child was sick and we spent time praying for her. After we left we heard that she was not getting better and that the entire settlement was considering moving elsewhere because they had seen or heard a ghost and were afraid that more people would die. A Christian lady and two Christian teenagers whom she is discipling used this opportunity to reach out to them again and share about the freedom from fear that they've found in Jesus. Today I called to find out if there were any new developments and was blessed to hear that the girl has recovered - and that many of the refugees have decided to be baptized this coming Sunday!

Please join us in praying for them - that they would grow in their faith, that they would not become discouraged, that God would continue to protect them physically and spiritually, and that God would use "the least of these" as witnesses of his love and power.

-Tom

We all enjoyed the cooler weather (even a little too cold some nights!) and the break from the city. We were awoken every morning by roosters crowing. Claire especially enjoyed seeing the stars - something we just can't do in Bangkok.

On our next-to-last day there Claire was bitten by the pastor's dog. (She now knows the literal rationale behind "Let sleeping dogs lie.") As a precaution we took her to the local hospital and she was started on a rabies vaccination program. So far she's had two shots and still needs 1-3 more. I guess they used to give these injections in the stomach - thankfully they're able to do it in the arm now!

Here are a few pictures...

-Tom

My friend/tutor Ju came over one night bringing us dinner- crab fried rice, omlettes, and...

Donuts! This was before Eliza stomach bug. By the way, she is doing great now. She's done with her antibiotics and feeling great.

We put music on for the kids to dance to and read books to them and Ju and I got caught up. I was so happy for the company!

Uncle Seri spent time over here this week too- he always brings an orange or two to feed Silas and sits and talks or cleans up in the yard. Silas likes to hang out with him.

Ulai and Seri also came over this week to harvest bananas and cut down another banana tree. Doing pretty well for their age, wouldn't you say?? :) (Ulai chopped down the tree with a machete).

Silas inspects the harvest. (why yes, that IS spit out banana on his outfit)

Colleen, our team mate, is also back safely as of yesterday from her 5 weeks of English teacher training. She's coming over this morning for bagels. I'm glad to have my friend back!

Thankful for grown-up visitors this week! Looking forward to Tom and Claire's return tomorrow night. The English camp is going well and Tom is helping in a variety of ways- mostly translation and helping come up with games and activities when plans need adjusting. Yesterday afternoon, they had a little fun outing to a hot springs.
In bad news, Claire was bitten by a dog and had to go to the clinic for rabies vaccine. The dog was a pet and healthy but they did the shot as a precaution. The wound isn't too bad and she told me "she learned a lesson" about picking on dogs. Poor girl. I'm sure they will be telling you more about their adventures here on the blog soon.

-Candice

Eliza's least favorite parts:
1- needle stick for IV
2 -20 + trips to the bathroom with IV in tow
3-porridge for every meal
4- medicine

Candice was thankful for:
1- friends who pray
2- Jesus, who cares when I feel alone
3- sporadic phone calls with Tom when he was in cell phone range.
4- a good night's sleep for Eliza
5- friends who help.

My friend Chaweewan was at the hospital within a half hour of my phone call and was wonderful enough to care for Silas and even sleep at our house so he could be in his own crib. Chaweewn, you're awesome!

Eliza was in the hospital due to a bacterial infection of her intestine and was treated with antibiotics and rehydrated via IV. She still has some stomach pain and diarrhea but is much better and has three days of medicine and mushy food ahead of her. Thanks for praying for her! This just happened to happen at a time when I was totally alone with the team all away, so I was very thankful for my Thai friends who helped and even a stranger who called to check on us after meeting us in pediatrics.

P.S. A note about the travellers....
Meanwhile, out in the villages, Tom and Claire are of course worried about Eliza, but they are safe and having a good time. They are sleeping on bamboo, experiencing cold nights, playing with kids, swimming in rivers, traveling in trucks, and praying with believers. English camp starts tomorrow. We are very glad for your prayers for them as well!

-Candice

One of her favorite birthday gifts- a swing at last! She's been longing for one so she had to try it out in her nightgown.

At breakfast, she loved opening her packages and cards! Thank you grandparents and LCF friends, Aunt Anita, Aunt Gail and Uncle Del, etc! You guys make birthdays great!

Very specific breakfast ordered by the b'day girl including kiwi, bacon, and cinnamon rolls.

For Claire's birthday surprise, we took her and Eliza to Dream World, an amusement park on the other side of Bangkok. It was our first time and all of us had a great day!!! We loved the water rides, the roller coasters, the shaved ice, the petting zoo, the 3D movie, fairytale land (recreations of houses like the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel and the giant's house from Jack and the Beanstalk), etc.
Here is my favorite mini-roller coaster picture!

At petting zoos, Claire is always mad at the bully who's eating too much and rooting for the underdog who's not getting his share. :)

Pretending to be Pa Ingalls being chased by the wolf pack. :)

Tom risking his life on the Hurricane- the kind of ride that makes you feel you're falling to your death. (Claire was probably more scared than he was, just watching).

For dinner, she chose Pad Thai and practiced her chopstick skills.

After opening her presents and box from grandparents (lots of books- she's happy!), she had some birthday cupcakes which she helped make.

A few of the things I love about her....her love for Jesus, her kindness to others, her freckles, her love of books, the way she runs to help Silas and plays school with Eliza....and so many other things. Happy Birthday Claire!!

-C

Yesterday Silas hit his mouth very hard on a ceramic/pottery pot in our living room and had a cut lip, was bleeding and obviously in a lot of pain. Later in the day we discovered that he was missing a tooth. We weren't able to find the tooth and after reading on the internet are worried that the tooth went up instead of out- we can definitely see tooth up inside his gums, so it either broke off or went into the gum. Tom is taking him to the dentist this afternoon and we're all dreading what that might be like. Please pray for Silas today. Thanks!

-C

-Tom/Candice

The birds owner was gone all day Saturday so I had to wait until Sunday to take the bird (still perching on my shoulder every time I left the house) down there and explain what had happened. She was very apologetic and since then has been keeping the bird locked up.

-Tom

We realize that the area where we've chosen to live and work is one that is filled with people in transition. Many people come to Bangkok to find jobs and almost all of them are determined to leave again as soon as they've achieved their financial goals. Of course that makes discipleship more difficult - but it also presents us with a great opportunity. As these new believers go back to their homes they will be taking the Holy Spirit with them. And that is exciting!

Here are a few pictures from our "sending ceremony."

Silas is becoming continually more social and he was in rare form that night. Here he shows off some dance moves.

And shares a hilarious joke with Tukdaa.

We did the string-tying ceremony for Pon and Piak - reminding them that they are still a part of our group, that we're bound together by God's love, and that we will continue to support and pray for them.

Pon (left) and Piak (right)

-Tom

Claire reading the card that she made to Eliza.

From: Eliza/To: Dad

Silas was really delighted with his valentines and gummy bears. He kept wai-ing and saying "dank you!"

Going for a visit.

Ice cream for lunch??? Hard to beat that.

Le Cafe Siam. Tom and Candice were lucky enough (Thanks for babysitting, Reachers!!) to get a night out in Bangkok!

Happy Valentines to all our family. We love and miss you so much!

This neighborhood shrine was crowded with people leaving offerings

Many people celebrate by ordering chickens and ducks for their parties, so the shops were full of hanging fowl. :)

A lot of temporary shops popped up for the week also, selling Chinese treats and paper goods to be burned.

Burning paper products (like fake paper money and bars of gold) in order to provide for ancestors in the afterlife. (I read that this is a ritual of Buddhist Chinese only).

A temporary shrine set up for the day.

This lady was selling Chinese sweets and we bought a bag- yum!

Grinning with a cheek full of peanuts and sesame seeds :)

We also saw lots of little girls dressed up in Chinese dresses (mostly red). My English student, Sao, is Chinese/Thai and she's been telling me about her family's New Year traditions- the most important being that the entire family gathers together and pays respect to the elders and have an enormous feast together.

Happy Chinese New Year!
-Candice

Pon serves the sticky rice (Wanna's on the right in orange).

Wanna's amazing food.

Claire makes a new friend, Focus.

Silas and his buddy- Wanna and Utai's oldest son, Num (our group has prayed for him a lot in the past because of his health problems).

It's so hot here now- we're definitely headed into the hot season. Your snowstorms in DE and VA are hard to imagine! Enjoy some cool weather for us and we'll do the same with the warm!

Remember when I told you about Lin Ping, the baby Panda born in the Chiang Mai zoo? Remember when I mentioned that Thailand may be a little obsessed with her (daily newspaper reports, etc)? Well, it's gone to a whole new level! There is a now the Panda Channel. A whole channel on TV, committed to showing her every move, LIVE! Any time, day or night that you may wonder what Lin Ping is up to, you no longer have to wonder, just turn on the tv and check her out. ! We've seen her wrestling with zoo staff and her mom, but mostly we see her sleeping, on a log outside or in her pen. It's pretty riveting stuff!

It had been a long time since we were at one of our favorite places- Leo Land! And the slides are now re-opened, so Claire and Eliza both had an exciting time going down slides with daddy....

I love the varied expressions on each face! :) Silas couldn't get enough of this slide and kept begging for more!

All kinds of goodies from yak meat and spicy tofu to hoisin sauce (which I can't find in Thailand!) and marshmellows filled with peach jelly. They also brought us some paper tigers to decorate the house for Chinese New Year (coming up on Sunday).

Claire making use of her new drawing book. Our whole family has been having fun with this!

All of our kids at the pool.