A Bunch of Burts

Hard to believe we only have two more weeks out here at CDM. Isn’t that always how it is, just when you get used to a place, familiar with the stores and begin to build relationships, it is time for us to move on again.

We are eager to move on to our other adventure this summer, our week with a team in the NE getting our village or upcountry orientation time and seeing the culture and language learning in a non-school environment at work, but sad at leaving behind the friendships we are building here.

We do have plans to sneak back at some point for a visit before they are done with the whole course of study.

Just wanted to share some more pictures of the gorgeous area we have been living in for the past month or so. God’s creation is so wonderful, and we cannot help but praise Him for His mighty hand and be in awe of His greatness.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For His Name alone is exalted:
His glory is above the earth and heaven.
Psalms 148:13

Not your typical field trip destination.

There were no free samples.

Actually this was a very interesting field trip. It was all day though, and I do mean ALL day. We left the school at 6:30am and did not get back until almost 8pm.

The museum is in the Golden Triangle, but unfortunately we were not able to convince the driver to stop so I could take a picture of all three countries at one time. Next time.

The late Princess Mother (the current king’s mother) initiated this project to educate people about the dangers of opium and all its derivatives and in conjunction began rehabilitation programs and re-education/retraining programs for the people groups whose main source of income was growing opium poppies.

The museum was very well done and I would like to take the rest of the family back there sometime.

As we walked through, I heard echoing in my head the inane arguments I have heard about how if we just legalized some of the illegal drugs in America, we would generate a tax income based on sales, break the grip of the drug gangs and mobs, and it is a personal choice anyways, so why are we forcing morality on everyone. (pardon my run-on sentence)
Everyone who has EVER thought this need to come to this museum, or research the history of the opium trade and become educated.

Ok, off soap box.

The trip up was gorgeous and I would love to be able to do some exploring in that area and visit some of the many national parks we drove by. This is up by the one of the areas we are considering working in, so the opportunity may be there for that!

One of blogs I have been reading, HeavenlyHomeMakers has a weekly theme of gratitude.

I know I can always use practice in being grateful, in cultivating an attitude of thankfulness everyday. I encourage the children towards this, and then find myself griping and sniping, both aloud and inwardly. If participating in this theme will encourage me to verbalize specific things to be thankful for, so be it.

So today I want to delcare my gratitude to my kids. They tend to give me more grace than I give them. They are always eager for a hug and kiss and cuddle, even if I have been short with them. When they can see that I am low on energy or not feeling up to speed, they ask me what they can do.

They are my gifts from God, my precious children whom the Lord has entrusted to me. Notwithstanding their own emerging walk with the Lord and learning to live life in the Spirit as opposed to the flesh, they often choose what is right, just, honorable and kind.

We have moved them all over the US and now across the world, and yet they claim each place as home and trust us for our decisions and encourage us to serve God where He leads. Although they miss ‘home’, they know we are just where the Lord would have us and find things to like, love and enjoy in a country they still feel like strangers in.

I love them very much and am grateful that all three are my kids.

Thank you Lord for them and each day that you give me with them.

Do you remember that scene in Castaway where the Tom Hanks character is desperate enough from a nasty toothache to use an iceskate to knock it out of his head?

I feel his pain.

I have had a bully of a toothache for the past two days, and I am already fantasizing about taking a pair of plier and RIPPING the offending member of my mouth straight out of my head. Too bad Greg took the tools with him to CDM.

The English speaking dentists in the area are of course also the more expensive options. There are much cheaper places, but not likely to be able to understand me as I try to explain what is wrong and the odd condition of this tooth that has already seen some dental work. Work that has clearly been compromised.

Then we have heard a couple of disturbing stories of dentist offices that seem recluctant to use novocaine. Why? Why would you NOT want to give a shot of novocaine to a dental patient? An important question if you ask me.

My Thai teacher has offered to take me to the dentist she just saw, and help me make myself understood. I had been hoping to hold off on the dentist until the last day of the month, when we recieve our vouchers, but I do not think I will make it.

Unless some of you have a tip on how to stave off tooth pain for a couple of days? Do you? Please? Pretty Please?

Whew!

We had good news from the vet this week. She is not a hemophiliac. We wait one more month and then check again and if everthing is still OK, we can get her fixed. Because taking her to the country with that task undone, is NOT an option.
As my friend Shelley said, those dogs out there are loose in both meanings of the word.

It is completely cold-hearted and stingy of me to have had a part of me wishing the dog did have a problem, that would cause us to have to get rid of her? Just a part.

But Leah had been praying for the whole week that Ginger would be OK and we could keep her. Her prayers were answered, so I will praise God with her.

Hopefully, she will be a bit calmer too, afterwards. I can hope, right?