Together but far apart

I am in Canada right now; I came to share all the wonderful things that God is doing in Thailand. But everything went crazy, and the world grounded itself, and I can’t even go home. So, to take advantage of the situation, I am improving our communication with you, finishing a book I have been writing, and embracing a slower schedule. All we have is our faith and our attitude, And I am going to nurture mine.

In the photo, you see Anchalee and I, and our lovely children. I am separated from them and have no idea when I will get back to them. But we communicate digitally, and I know they are healthy and safe.

Anchalee is mom and dad now. She takes the kids to the field every day, no school. She has built some structures that will be very useful for our future: An 11,000-liter water tank, two field huts, and a building for migrant workers stranded in our village. In addition, she has fought a forest fire and killed a cobra that wanted to fight.
She continues to preach, and the village still does house church and Sunday church. But the village itself is locked down and you can’t go down the highway unless you have a very good reason. I desperately wish I could give her a hand, But God is on top of all things and He will not forsake us. He will bring us the help we need. And we will get back together again.

The Blog Returns.

Glowing Hearts Family in tribal outfits for Church

The Blog Returns.

We're back. I can make all sorts of excuses as to why I didn't keep up the blog, but what difference will that make. I apologize for the nearly five year delay. But look how lovely everyone turned out. Especially me (back row middle)

A lot has changed in the last few years, and I know that life moves on and things need to be shared. So, I am starting again, and I hope that this new blog will be received with the love that we had received previously. 

This entry is about the kids. They are bigger and they eat more, people tell me this is normal. They are in great health and doing well. All of them are becoming their own people and are very different from each other.

Jessica (16) bloomed into a beautiful teenager. She is the boss around here. She cracks the whip (figuratively) and all the kids snap into action, finishing their chores, doing homework, and getting showered up. But she is an example as well and she does more cleaning than all of them combined. She likes to clean - how very strange. Jessica is also in a band at high school and is taking Chinese lessons in her limited spare time.

Genesis (10) is the sensitive creative one, too much for her own good I am afraid, but she is always being herself. She loves to draw and to sing and dance. She loves all animals and she will sit for hours at my computer, as I show her animal pictures and she thinks up questions to ask about them. Eventually, she needs to be picked up and removed, she will not leave on her own.

Gideon (10) is doing very well. We felt at one point his autism would seriously limit his life, but Gideon finds his own fascinations. Gideon is doing well at school, which is a surprise. There is no concession made for autistic kids here, no teaching assistants and no special treatment. It is sink or swim, and Gideon is swimming. Gideon is also still the best dancer of the kids in church. He is always the lead dancer whenever a special number is performed.

Shiloh (7) is silly, that is the best way to describe her. She doesn’t take anything seriously, which is fun for her but can be a challenge for everyone else. Rest assured, sure she is having more fun than anyone.

Benjamin (5) is a confident go-getter. He does everything full force, but he always makes sure everyone is included. Ben is clearly brilliant; his daily observations are often surprising, and his language skills are at a higher level than any of his siblings at his age. But he is also the baby and man does he know how to make that work for him.

So, it is 2020 now, and we are blessed. 2019 was very challenging but that just means God thinks we are worth upgrading. We have new ideas and a new vision. Our expectations are for good things for next year.

I am going to leave off the rest of the details though. I expect to be in Canada from late February through March and I don’t want to use up all my stories.

God bless everyone and I hope to see you soon.