Visit to Maesariang
Over Thanksgiving, we had the pleasure of spending the weekend with another NTM family in Maesariang, a town about 4 hours away from Chiang Mai.
Of course we had a huge meal too. There we are in the middle, in the blue and black shirts.
The Hansen family serves with NTM at a training facility for national believers called CDM, Church Development and Missions. It is sort of like a bible school/missions institute all rolled into one here in Thailand for local believers wanting to study the Word and learn discipleship.
The accomodations for students there are a bit different from what we had at Bible School in Wisconsin. I will never complain or make a disparaging remark again about my apartment at Bible School or the two other stops in the training with NTM! 
This is the kitchen for the girls dorm building. The two door at the back wall are the bathroom. Squatties of course.
Here are living/sleeping quarters for the same dorm building. Cozy.
We had a great time in the country, breathing fresh unpolluted air and just enjoying some friends and fellowship together. The kids of course ran around the grounds enjoying themselves with the children of the two families that we were there with. Some big kids too.
A beautiful day for frisbee golf
I wanted to stop and take some pictures of the view on the way home, it was so beautiful. But there was no shoulder to speak of, and apparently, there are no scenic pull-off spots. In some places, there was hardly any road either.
Ok, easy enough to notice in daylight, but with no flaggers or lights at night, a bit perilous.
This I did take while we were driving. That multiple shutter function does come in handy.
At every valley you could see terraced rice paddies just tucked inbetween the foothills of the mountains.
Some more views I thought were pretty at CDM.
How could I not like any picture with my sweetie in it!
Beyond those mountains is Burma, a land still largely closed to the light of Gospel.
As difficult as it is some days to be here in Thailand, and although we grow discouraged with language learning, always being ‘the falang’, and never quite fitting in, we are so thankful to the Lord for bringing us here, allowing us to be a part of His work in Thailand. When we open our eyes and look, and ask Him to help us see, we can clearly see His hand in our lives, leading and growing us ever into the image of His Son.
What do you see when you take the time to look for His hand in your daily life? How is He leading you today? In what directions?
December 5th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Tina, what a tremendously beautiful land you are in. Just gorgeous. Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us.