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!