"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!

Video Test

My walk to the University--April 22, 2010.

After school fun...

I really like when the kids come home from school in the afternoon. They come racing up the walk from the bus-full of stories and greetings and news from their day. Then it is off to put away their shoes, book bags and assorted belongings, and up to the big assembly room on the second floor of the Agape school building to check-in and have a snack. Like any big family-you have to touch base, get your plan for the evening, and make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be! The kids take a seat on the floor, and the one who is quietest gets to go forward first (and so on...) to sign the book and let the nannies on duty know if they have homework or not. Then they get their treat--"Khanom"---and off they go to the next thing-homework, or playtime, or just simply hanging out with their friend Patty visiting from America!

I Missed You Too!!!

A Brief Winter Respite

This has already been a long hard winter-bitter cold, snow, unseasonably "warm" followed by rain and sleet, followed by ice everywhere, followed by more bitter cold and snow.....and on it goes. If Puxatawny Phil the famous groundhog is to be believed (anyone reading this from Gobbler's Creek, PA?), we have another 6 weeks (or more) of this nonsense as the little furry beast emerged on Monday to see his shadow. But, me, I get a brief respite from this starting tomorrow---9 days in sunny, warm, not-so-humid-yet Northern Thailand---Yippee!!! I am going to let that hot sun drenched air soak into my frozen joints and try not to complain even once that it is "too hot"! Hope you will join me for the trip...I'll do my best to bring you up to date on all the happenings at the Agape Home...and who knows, maybe this will be the trip that I hear the longed-for phrase of the coach-class passenger on a long haul flight..."Why Miss Franklin, we have an opening in World Business Class---would you like an upgrade!?" :-)

Prunee Wan Gert Khon Khray!?!?!?

It has became a familiar refrain each day this visit---"whose birthday is it going to be...next week, in 8 days, in 5 days...and finally...TOMORROW"!!! And each day he hurled himself at me as fast as his little legs could carry him, leaping up at the last for a big hug!! YOURS, I would say as we laughed!!! I don't think I have ever known ANYONE as excited about their birthday as this precious boy...and everyday this exchange has been the highlight of my day. Well, yesterday the big day came, and as the cakes came out and the singing started and the presents were unwrapped, it was clear that the day had lived up to his expectations and more!! From the moment he hit the ground off the school bus, the refrain of "happy birthday...happy birthday" sung over and over in a not too bad voice, but sounding a bit like "Happy Birday" ----rang out across the property. He giggled with glee at the sight of his cake, and each present elicited an exuberant WOW...Dii, Kap!! (wow, that's good!!). At the end of it all, he shared and compared his presents with all the other late-Sept/Early Oct birthday boys (4 in all ranging age from 9-13), and I am pretty sure has already started the countdown to next year---his 10th!

But it was that evening before that I think I will hold in my heart forever. After our hug, and our shared anticipation of what "tomorrow" would bring, I said, hey, let's stop for a moment and pray with thanksgiving for your birthday and your life. "Okay, Kop!!" And we did---me with a hand on either side of his upturned face---thank you Lord so much for this boy, for his life, for the joy that you put deep within him and that bubbles out at every turn... I began, and as we prayed together, I realized again how life often gets boiled down to these kind of moments when all else strips away---all the cares and hurdles and bumps in life that seem so insurmountable and are in fact temporal---and we take a moment to simply say thanks for a most precious gift. As we finished, I opened up my eyes to look into those radiantly happy brown eyes---and felt again that peace that passes all human understanding. Happy Birthday dear boy---happy birthday!

Boonmii and Sompong

Can I take your picture for my blog??!! Sure!!! And here they are---gorgeous, no?!?!

My favorite Lanna style!

This is one of the buildings of a wonderful small resort here called the Juniper Tree. This particular building is very Lanna Thai---so-called because this part of Thailand used to be known as the Lanna Kingdom, and the architecture has a distinctive look. This building is made from teak, and has the two distinctive pieces at the top, called "Gallay". I love this look. One year, before Christmas, we were having a grand time putting together a gingerbread house with the older girls. We had a box kit, and tons of candies from here and abroad---and were fashioning quite the winter time scene. Still, when we were all done, something just did not look right. After staring at our Gingerbread "Baan' for sometime it struck me. I reached across the table, and grabbed two of those old banana candies---you know, the semi-soft ones that taste kind of like penicillin? Taking one in each hand, and turning them out like parantheses, I stuck them to the tip of the roof of the gingerbread house to make a "Gallay"!!! The girls cheered and declared the project to be all finished!

Wanee Buddy maa, chai mai kop!?!?!?

That was the question that greeted me last Friday from one of our older boys. Today, our buddy comes, right? The buddy he was referring too is a whole troop of buddies---young people from Grace International School, one of the International schools here in Chiang Mai, who volunteer their own time throughout the school year to establish relationship with our kids, visit them regularly and share a special experience together!! The program began several years ago as the brainchild of the Agape Home head nurse, who had children in GIS. She wanted to develop an experience for our Agape kids that would be similar to Big Brothers/Sisters in the states. What has blossomed is a wonderful relationship building program for our kids that provides fun, nurture and lasting memories! The Grace students are wonderful and commit not only to the time to come out to Agape and for special outings with the kids, but also to extra prep time before the program begins. One family who are dear friends of mine have both their children participating as mentors---and I know they never miss, giving up many other opportunities to be faithful to their time at Agape! Very inspiring...

Happy Birthday Pa Boonmii!!

Wednesday night I had a real treat--an invitation to my friends, Sompong and Boonmii's home for Boonmii's birthday celebration! He turned 46. Sompong and Boonmii both work at Agape, she as head of the laundry (a 24/7 operation as you can imagine!), and he as handyman/electrician/all-around helper! Sompong and Boonmii are dear friends of mine...they helped me in so many ways when I lived here---including Sompong's role as my personal Thai tutor! She loves to have a good long chat, and many an hour we would sit in my home and she would share a story, or we would talk about our faith. She loved asking me about my life in the US and my family---and I loved hearing her talk about how she and Boonmii met and decided to marry. Sompong would speak extra slow for me, and then would describe things, or give me the information in a variety of different ways, to be sure I understood. I learned so much from her----vocabulary, proper expression, tones---it was great! Boonmii, not the talker of the family, would sit with us too, typically nodding along, laughing at all the funny bits, and adding emphasis as needed! My foster boys LOVED him, and would squeal with joy whenever "Pa Boonmii" arrived! Off they would charge with him giving chase, and lots of hugs and tickles too.

It is such a special treat to be invited to a Thai person's home. Kindness and hospitality are almost national traits, and when you are a guest, you are treated with great care and love. On Wednesday, there were about 40 of us together to celebrate with Boonmii, many co-workers from the orphanage, and other family and friends. As you can imagine, the food was wonderful---a special treat called "Khanom Gin"---different kinds of rice noodles with a "spaghetti-like" sauce poured over the top. There was a fish-flavored sauce, and a meat sauce---and Sompong kindly made a special separate batch for me that lacked some of the ingredients that are delicacies here, but might well not agree with my delicate Western stomach! She also made sure that my batch, while certainly spicy, was not to the level that would strip the enamel from my teeth!!! We all had a great time, cooing over their new grandchild, laughing and enjoying each others company and wishing our friend the best of birthdays.

The Ping River and Doi Suthep

The Ping River is kind of like the Mississippi River of Thailand! It starts in the mountains in Northern Thailand, and flows down to Bangkok and out to sea. It was the primary mode of transport for people, armies, goods, etc, between Bangkok and the Northern kingdoms. It still factors into daily life up and down its banks---for fishing, tourism, etc, but the advent of roads, and airplanes means that it is no longer a primary way to move people and commerce!

Doi (Thai word for mountain) Suthep is the highest peak above Chiang Mai---in the photo here you can also make out the huge temple that overlooks the city. In the last photo you can see a wall of rain moving across the sky from left to right, a not uncommon site during the afternoon in rainy season!

Saw was dee Holiday Inn!!

I decided to try something a bit different this trip, and start out by staying at a local hotel for a few days for a bit of a vacation. The hotel I chose is located on the Chiang-Mai Lamphun Road---so named because it is the road that connects Chiang Mai and Lamphun! This road is tree-lined, with massive trees that grow together at the top creating a bit of a canopy. They were planted originally to shade the head of the Kings' daughters as they traveled between the two cities, in days of old. Modern intrusions like traffic, smog, roads built over root systems and other indignities have damaged some of the trees requiring their removal. However, thanks to efforts to preserve the remaining trees, you can still see the elegant canopy and imagine what it must have been like to be transported, probably by elephant, in luxury. It has always been a favorite sight of mine, and one I used to see almost daily, living in a neighborhood called Sunpaliang and driving this road to get into the city. About half-way between my old neighborhood and the city sits a huge, multistory hotel. When I first came to Chiang Mai, it was a Weston, then it became a Sheraton, and now it is a Holiday Inn. It has always boasted a wonderful brunch, the one treat of the hotel that I would occasionally get to enjoy when I lived here. However, I always wanted to stay here---it looked so pretty, and inviting...but was out of reach on my volunteer "wage"! So, this stay is something of a long wish fulfilled...and I have to say the old hotel is living up to my expectations in grand style!! I have a room on the 24th floor, with a view of the winding, rain swollen and rich chocolate-colored Ping River winding its way across the landscape. Today I have enjoyed the breakfast buffet, the Dimsum buffet, and tomorrow it is brunch joined by dear friends! The pool is just as nice as I always imagined, and there is a Thai-massage in my near future. Bliss! Who knows, maybe I'll even venture outside after brunch?!?!

Mae Patty Duu!!!

Remember when you were a kid and you would yell at the top of your lungs...."Hey mom...LOOK!!!" That's what I heard over and over again yesterday, my first day back at Agape. "Duuu" is the Thai word for "look"....at the speed running cartwheel I can do, at the HUGE beetle that is clutching my hand with its curled talons, at my shirt, at how tall I am, at the sewing project I am working on, at my braces, at my birthday cake, at...at...at...!!! What fun! The kids are always full of stories and were talking at me about a mile a minute, testing my sleep addled brain as I struggled to keep up with the rapid-fire Thai. I love every second of it...especially when all of a sudden there is a hand in mine, or a head on my shoulder, or four of the little ones all trying to sit in my lap at the same time. I already feel 10 years younger and so blessed to be here! There are 80 children and young people at Agape now--our biggest census yet. There are several new babies in the nursery, and they will be such fun to get to know. I do his without thinking about the inevitable goodbye in a couple of weeks, savoring each moment for what it is--grateful for the privilege of being part of their lives.