the fastest week of my life...

I absolutely LOVED this past week. I laughed to tears more times than I could count. I loved having such amazing friends come over for a visit. They saw the sights.... it was a week jam packed with being a little touristy, eating spicy food, learning new thai phrases, meeting my sweet thai friends, learning how to flush a squatty potty, wincing while watching me drive in traffic, white water rafting on a bamboo raft (not quite the norm), watching me teach, going to thai church, venturing out on public transportation, making friends with Ben the monk, lots of shopping, visiting three countries in one day, dancing, and having a week-long slumber party with 6 people in my fun little bedroom.

Here's a tad bit of our week in pictures!!!

The girls learn how to "wai"

On the boat dock in Laos:

Kids at the Lao market:

The Golden Triangle--- famous for opium and the point where Thailand, Laos, and Burma meet along the Mae Khong River.

Pictures from our trip into Burma:

At a long-neck Karen tribe in Burma (Myanmar)--- our two hour adventure in a new country

Steph trying on the Northern Thai tribal wear:

My friend Sam helps Steph pick out some handicrafts:

Hangin out with some cute ladies in my friend's village near Chiang Mai:

Playin' in the kitchen after house church:

Life in a Karen village:

Steph and Jess made a sweet new friend!

We brought the kids a few treats... they loved their new soccer ball!

This little boy's mom just woke him up from his afternoon hammock nap so he could meet us (and get chocolate milk)...

All smiles...

Relaxin'

Fun with the elephants!!!

Jess riding on the neck of our 40 year old elephant.

Checkin out the rice fields

THANKS JESS, STEPH, RACHEL, JAIME AND EMILY FOR COMING TO SEE ME!!! :) I loved every single minute. I loved introducing you to my little world! Yall were such an encouragement to me! Yall are so sweet--- thanks for bringing me American stuff, leaving sweet gifts around my house, and most of all just hangin' out. Keep working on that Thai.... don't forget to hold out the "kha" as long as possible. The girls at North want you to come back soon! I love yall and miss you already!

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The videos below are for your viewing pleasure... the second one cracks me up... you'll see Steph learning traditional Thai dancing. Watch it while you can... before she makes me take it off of here. :) The girls are at the beach in Phuket now and will return to the States this coming weekend.

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Jettin' across the ocean

I am ecstatic!!!

At this very moment, and many more moments for the next 30 hours, three of my favorite people are flying across the world.

They get to see Thailand!!!

I get to see fun friends from Texas!!!

Giddiness overtakes me about every 11.5 minutes.

It's gonna be SOOOO FUN!

I can't handle it much longer!!! I'm not sure what my reaction in the airport will be--- somewhere between jumping up and down, laughing, screaming, in shock, and maybe shedding a tear.... all of these being very un-Thai things to do.

So if you want to see me act like an idiot.... hop on a plane and come on over. It'll be worth your time.

Check back soon for pics of Steph, Jess, and Rachel in a whole new worrrrrrrrld... a new fantastic point of view... (go ahead... sing along Claire)

A whole new world... Don't you dare close your eyes... A hundred thousand things to see... Hold your breath - it gets better... I'm like a shooting star... I've come so far... I can't go back to where I used to be

Morning with the Monks

Less than 1% of the 6 million Khon Muang of Northern Thailand have put their faith in Jesus Christ.

The Khon Muang represent the third largest people group out of the 70 people groups in Thailand.

As I live in the largest city in Northern Thailand, to me these stats have faces.

I think about my friends M, P, L, D, A, T... and the list could go on.

This past Sunday, Staci and I woke up at the crack of dawn. Being the two people at our school least likely to wake up early on a weekend---- it was nothing short of a miracle. However, after rolling out of bed at 5:30 am, we drove into town.

As Buddhism is one of the core values of the Khon Muang, I decided I needed to see a morning with the monks with my own very eyes.

Every day monks walk down from the temple on the mountain to one of the main roads in Chiang Mai. This road is usually filled with bumper to bumper traffic---- well at least at the normal times of the day when I'm awake.

However, Staci and I experienced a fast drive into town with no traffic!!! Amazing.

Instead of cars, this road is lined with monks. My friend told me, "it's like a sea of monks at 6 am every morning." Staci and I agreed it was more like a trickle. However, we did see about 50 of them during the 20 minutes we were there.

So now you're wondering why they're there.... OK....

Monks eat only off of the food given to them as offerings from other people. What they collect in the morning is their "ration" for the day. I say ration--- but I'm tellin' ya... they get a lot of food.

You'll see the bowl/jar type things they're carrying.... Buddhists drive up to this street, park their car, buy a helping of various food from a street-side vender for the amount of monks as they choose, and then place the food in their bowl things. (Obviously, I need to learn the technical names of this process) Then the monks chant blessings over them.

Buddhists believe this brings them good merit. They try to earn merit for themselves and also to help take care of their ancestors.

You see young people,

old people,

singles,

and families.

For many, it's part of the morning routine on the way to work. Others have monks come to their neighborhoods.

I watched as the man in the video below gave offering after offering... one group of monks would leave and he'd buy more food for the next. You'll notice his wife in the video recording what he hoped to gain him merit. In this humble act of selfless giving, I realized the root of his need is desperation. Desperation for a Savior. He probably gave more food to more monks than any I saw that day... he was trying so hard.


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Sometimes I try really hard. I know there's a sense of desperation in me. I catch myself filling the need with things... sometimes even good things... but yet they're temporary things that don't satisfy.

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The Lord spoke to me this week through His word in John 4:14...

"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

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This doesn't mean we'll never be thirsty--- we'll never be desperate. We are thirsty for real, abundant life. However, WHEN WE DRINK of the water He gives, we are no longer thirsty. Jesus Christ is the well of unending water.

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I want to be more desperate---- not by giving as many offerings as I can before I run off to a day of work---- but the kind of desperation where I sit at my Maker's feet. I want to quench my thirst with water that brings life.