just thinkin'...

No pics today... Today, I am sitting in a new Vientiane cafe called 'True Coffee' with my man. We are veggin'. Probably more than we should. Its a holiday today and we spent the am taking our tribe to Joma for breakfast and then ran errands... Gabe got a few new pants and shirt at some outside vendor for a few bucks and we picked up some groceries.. typical things families do. David and I then dropped them off at home in the care of our very reliable (ahem....) teen boys and went for coffee so we can have some talk time and find a place to use our computer and work. Internet is still down at home and I have given up trying to get it fixed.
But, now its early afternoon and we are sitting in some comfy chairs with our coffee, jazz music playing, and Dave is in another dimension and zone... apparently in the last couple of weeks the Cafe has added a flat screen tv. up on the wall and Premiere League is on... I think Dave will leave having gotten no work done, but feeling rested. :)
We have been thinking about our next week and all the things we slotted in without realizing that they fell on the same weekend. Oops! David agreed to speak on Sun. pm, but didnt remember he has exams to write and give this week at school, and since a Senior in our Inside/Out group just told us he was leaving on the 9th, we are rushing to have a goodbye party for him and basically all 4 Seniors on the 8th in the pm. Sat. pm we will have a coffee house for Candlelight, but this time not at our house. That will help for sure! My biggest concern out of it all is that Dave will get time to work on his sermon since I know he takes lots of serious time for it the week before.
However, even with all of our 'yikes we are busy' thoughts, I feel we are layed back compared to many friends. I wonder when we get to the US, how we will be able to fit in and how the boys will handle the level of activity others run at, but they wont necessarily be able to join. Maybe it will be different than I think.. its always so much harder to plan when your 1/2 way around the world and cant see it.
Im holding out right now for Australia and my time there with Nathaniel. I keep praying that G would REVEAL, REVEAL, to him..... I think Im asking Him to reveal His purpose for Nathaniels future, His vision for Nate in ministry and His great Love over Nate. I know N is ready to receive it.
Ok, lots of work to do. Just wanted to say hi and think a bit outloud.
Jen

Beauty and Life on the Road to Bangkok

Leaving Udon Thani heading to Bangkok

the Thai King has his picture posted not only on walls in EVERY single building in Thailand, but there are monuments by the bijillions and life size posters of His Majesty at practically every corner. He is Highly revered and in fact you will be jailed for defaming his picture or speaking ill of him. The Thai worship HRM.

a lovely temple going up on our way down.. very ornate.

Chok Chai! Good friends traveling

with us mentioned a Hamburger joint on the way down and said we HAD to stop... which of course we did and loved having a good American type hamb again!~

We cant figure it out, but on the streets of Thailand there will be sections of the road that for mile stretches have mini stands selling random items. The thing is, EVERY stand sells the SAME thing...our dilemma is always 'geez, which one do we stop at?'... normally we stop at the one with the most little kids dancing in front of their stand. This was the first time we had seen weiner dogs flapping outside in the dust. (eww!)

This lady is selling sweet sticky rice with corn or sweet potato chunks, stuffed in a bamboo tube.. its been grilled and is sooo tasty!

the LONG stretch of bamboo sticky rice...

the LONG stretch of fruit

What a wonderful place to live! Can you imagine sitting out on the freeway all day selling fruit, sausages, rice or any number of other foods to travelers? And no crossword puzzles to keep you intertained! Just weird quizzical foreigners! hehe

Unique Bedtime Snacks...

I think you dropped it Isaak! :)

Fried crickets and silk worms

Brave Brothers bite bugs...

The boys just helped me clean up after another fun-filled Coffee House. We had a special guest this time tho as the Cama USA director was in town. He had graciously stopped by the market to bring the boys a special treat which I thought was extremely thoughtful. Some of the boys were still hungry and ate away, some were already exhausted and in bed. Oh well, I think they will not go bad by tomorrow. Cheers!

Co-op 1st and 2nd graders :)

A few members of co-op at breaktime.

Josiah is in the 2nd grade, Gabriel and Ariana are in 1st grade. We just finished a section on the Amazon and are trying to create jungle snakes!

Reading happens ALOT in our classroom. We just finished reading about the Yanomamo Indians in our morning time together.

Its neat that we are from all over the world, living in S.E. Asia, and prying for Indians in Venezuela! :)

These are great kids. We are a very culturally diverse homeschool co-op, living and learning alongside each other in Asia. Its a delight to be together every day.

Of course, I love that Im with Gabriel for his first and second grade years! He is a great helper for me in our room and quite a good memorizer Ive found. We have done LONG passages, about 10 verses or more at a time and he can spit them out fast! Good stuff! :)

I realized the other day that these kiddos have been in SE Asia longer than they have in the USA. I said 'bologna' after a tall tale they told me and none of the three knew what I meant. Thats so weird to me.... to have to say 'lets go google bologna!' Weird.

An Ivy I.V.

Unfortunately, I am not allowed to take pics of government buildings. The hospital happens to be one such place. I understand... while not completely in the sticks, its no Bumrungrad (5 star hosp. in Bangkok). I drove a friend and his son to the hosp. today to pick up a new baby. We sat in what I assumed to be the maternity ward until a gurney came screeching around the corner with a man on it and several nurses yelling at me to get out of the way. We found some seats and of course, as always happens, everyone in the -(apparently open commons area of maybe several wards ...) shifted in their plastic seats to stare at us. I started to engage the 5 year old by telling him stories of me going mud slidding in Peru when I was a little girl and playing mud soccer because I figured it would keep his attention (and it did!) while his daddy was talking with nurses.... The problem was that all my hand motions and drama (meant for the 5 year old) drew everyone elses attention as well and within minutes several gmas and the babies they were watching were parked right next to us. They didnt care about my story or that I wasnt finished, and they started poking at the poor little boy and jabbering away about us being foreigners.... he did great and said 'hello' in Lao 800 times very patiently. Good on him!

Then, the tike and I realized that the gmas were at hospital watching their little grandbabies who were sick. While I thought they were visiting and sitting in strollers, I realized and pointed out that they all had IV's and bandages etc... The little girl closest to us was 2, and gma said she had the 'runs' big time and was dehydrated. Her IV was actually attached to a huge, knotted stick, leaves and all, with a groove carved out of the top for the bag to hang from. It was stuck in the back of her stroller. I mentioned to her gma that she might want to change the 'runs' since, as she had no diaper on, it was oozing out the side of her leg. Poor baby! Another little girl had an IV and was walking around with a proper pole, and the IV in her hand was held in place by a huge piece of folded up cardboard and tape. I was shocked by the Ivy IV, but I guess as long as the stuff inside doesnt get out or contaminated its no big deal right? Just hold it really... Last week we were heading to a friends house late at night and it was in the dustiest, poorest part of town (well, if there is a poorest part).. and some guy was riding his motor bike across the street in front of me with an IV above his head... whatever!

:) Im pretty sure it wouldnt even matter how long I lived here.. Id head to Bumrungrad..

Around Lao

One of Davids classes Soupy & kids!

Olivia and Nampung Samchai

friend at a party at Namphou fountain

Joma at night Scandinavian bakery

selling tamarind

Hopefully you remember Soupy from the first years we were here. She has had two gorgeous children. Nampung means 'Honey' in Lao and she is definately that! Olivia is about 6 months older than Nampung and passes all her clothes down to her.

The tamarind truck is just one example of fruit for sale on the side of the road. Everything you can think of is sold and the price is a tiny fraction of the fruit sold in an import store. While tamarind is hard to eat (takes forever to get the fruit...) its so amazingly sweet and wonderful! :)

We head to Scandinavian and Joma bakeries for yummy breads, coffee and a quick escape from rice.

We are blessed to live in such a beautiful country surrounded by the beauty of not only the country and its luscious fruits and vegetation, but its people as well. I continue to be grateful that Father sent our family here and please know we would love you to visit anytime you can!

Beautiful, Beautiful Baptism!!

What a ceremony Baptism is! I love everything about it. Friends, water, music, and the inevitable overwhelming joy and Smile of the one baptised as they practically spring from the water. Ive been to many dunkings around the world. Ive sat through normal church settings with the tub filled part way and its usually situated atop a platform of sorts.. Ive been to the family cabin and seen our two eldest sons brave the frigid cold crick with their dad in front of just a few friends and family in order to engage in Obedience. Ive seen dunkings in the Ucayali River off the Amazon, thick with wama, and watched MK's take the plunge. There have been many other places, but I was remembering that no matter where I have been, I cannot think of a time when the one going under doesnt come up expressing utter joy in some physical appearance! Not only is the physical change different than when they started (soaking wet from all dry!) but there is definately a 'sense' of 'Ive just done something grand'.

Isaak was baptized this past Sunday. This one took place in a pool. Isaak is 11 and we have been talking about this for months knowing the opportunity was going to come. While nervous for the longest time, he finally acknowledged that when it came down to it 'God said to do it, and I cannot wait.' When he came up from the water, he started giggling and I was able to capture some of it. I asked him about it later and his comment was 'I know mom, I just had to laugh, I FELT different and am SO glad I didnt wait.' ' I feel different somehow'. It was precious and a sweet moment for our family. Just wanted to share with you. :)