So we have been busy getting stuff done around here (as I mentioned a few posts ago). We aren't as far along as we had hoped we would be but it's coming along. I keep telling myself, it's coming along. Just today, I nice gentleman with a very tall ladder came and painted our stairway. Done. That was a task neither Pun or I was looking forward to. Tomorrow someone else will come help Pun put up all (I hope!) of our curtains. A huge job drilling a hundred holes into solid concrete. The addition is all but done, a few little things need to be fixed, but we have already moved boxes in. We have done a little work out side, but have big dreams for it and little time. Pun keeps telling me it will happen. Or he will change his encouragement tactics and say, "someday we won't even be here!" with a smile, of course. Wherever we are at in this process of making a house our home, I am so thankful to be here in my home. I truly love it!
As I have mentioned before, I don't get out much, at least not on my own. It's just to difficult to commute, especially with 3 little ones. The other day, it was time for a yearly visit with the immigration office. To do this as efficiently as possible, we asked Pun's parents if they could watch Helen and Daniel while we took Sam with us. We left our house and drove to Pun's work where parked the car and walked to a nearby bus stop, caught a bus which we rode for 45 min, got off and immediately hopped into a taxi for another 5 min ride to the immigration office. After we finished (well, not really, because I have to go
again on Monday!) we caught a song-taow--a pickup truck with two rows of seats in the back and rode it to a shopping area where we could catch the subway back up to meet one of Pun's co-workers, who, after they finished their business, drove us back to Pun's office. Does it tire you just think of it? I was wiped out! So I don't go out often. About the only form of transportation we missed was this one:
We don't have TV connection, which I like except when the Olympics were on... But I was beginning to feel in the dark about all that is going on. Maybe you have heard, but if you haven't, Thailand is struggling once again politically. It's been heating up and I was completely unaware until one morning as Pun was leaving earlier than usual he told me in a nonchalant tone that the government might be dissolved that day so traffic could be bad. I had no idea. Like I said, I am pretty isolated here. Apparently it has been rather ugly in the areas where they protest, but it seems to stay right there. We live quite a safe distance from these hot spots. But we appreciate your prayers for peace, discernment and understanding here.
In light of my ignorance about Thai politics and for that matter US politics as well, I have gone a bit crazy with my RSS feed. Do you know about these? I love watching blogs but spent too much time going to each sight to check to see if they had written anything new. I had no idea that I could be informed when they did. Now my Google Reader tells me when there are new posts. (If you would like to set this up for yourself, my friend
Brian has an excellent
tutorial. If I can do it you can, too!) Then I saw that I could add all the top stories from the Bangkok Post, Fox news, and other interesting news sites. I even added the word of the day to help increase my vocabulary! Now, I am in the know... Of course, I rarely have time to actually read the articles, but if I do, they are there! I love the internet.
Lets see, what else is new...oh yes! We started home school. And I
love it! I was a little worried. I have only thought of and prepared for this since Helen was born. It would be a shame if I didn't like it. But we are having a great time. Daniel is joining in and doing quite well. And Sam is even cooperating for us, at least for now. I will post more later about what we are doing.
One other thing, about my last post, my mom asked me if I was having a bad day then. I don't think it was really a bad day so much as I was catching myself not being thankful for right where I was, even if it was less than what I would wish for. I was thinking about what I didn't have, or how I wish the kids would behave, or...you know what I mean. Making the mental shift to embrace what God has allowed in my life right now to transform me right where I am and bring Him glory in that moment, and be grateful for it, this is my hope.
And my hope for you as well. Miss you all.
Last weekend we had the opportunity to visit an orphanage. I really didn't know what to expect. This particular one was started 30 years ago by a monk because soldiers kept bringing him children after killing their communist parents. I haven't completely processed my thoughts about this experience but I want you to see what we saw. So many children without a dad or a mom or any family to love them...
Everyone who donated items to the orphans came up to the pile of stuff and placed their hands on it to receive back the merit for their good deed. This is a picture of those who did so just after.
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