Snowing? In Thailand?

This photo was taken just seconds before we were about to head in to the Chiangmai Snow Dome. I can tell you we were sweating like crazy with these big jackets on in the heat but within a minute, we literally found ourselves standing in minus 7 degrees... Brrrr!
As a combined celebration of Jess and my birthdays this week (yes, still celebrating!!), we decided to go to the Snow Dome at the Chiangmai Zoo on Saturday. They open up for 20 minute sessions and provide gumboots and jackets. Tobiah and Eliana were intrigued by the ready-made snowman and igloo but poor Spencer looked like he went in to an instant state of shock. We couldn’t really explain to him what was happening and besides being wrapped in a jacket 20 sizes too big, his little gumboots kept falling off and the big hood on his head made it difficult for him to see!
Tobi LOVED the tube ride down the icy slope, ditching parental supervision and going on by himself! Unfortunately, for him, twenty minutes just wasn’t long enough but it did give him a taste for more icy-fun in the future (next time we’ll have to take them to the ‘real’ Australian snow I think).

We didn’t manage to see everything at the zoo on Saturday so we’ll have to make a time to go back again. I especially wanted to see the Australian Animals Restroom!! Huh? Maybe next time.

I asked Dave to take this photo. Eliana was swamped by students wanting to have their photo taken with her. This was after about ten minutes of her posing with various groups- you can tell her smile is getting a little less ‘natural’ by this stage!!

As we were leaving the zoo, a big parade of people started passing us. Check out this group who were all carrying an animal with them. How’s the guy with a creature on his head? WHAT is that?

Anyway, on the home front, we seem to be finding some rhythm again now with the school year in full swing, Dave’s new schedule in place and I am TRYING to keep everyone’s activities flowing smoothly and the house in some kind of order.  

The children have all had their turn at getting a 48 hour, high temperature sickness that was going around, but they all appear to be coming better now.  There are many mosquitoes around at the moment due to the wet season but I just received notice in the mail this morning that they will be spraying our entire moo bahn (estate) tomorrow to get rid of the mosquitoes... I’ll be interested to see if we notice any difference.

I went in to ZOE last Wednesday to attend the three hour staff meeting followed by the childcare training (that Dave ran).  He amazes me as to how he has adapted to his role at ZOE. I was so proud to be sitting in the classroom as he conducted the child care meeting with confidence and sensitivity.  The house parents are a truly amazing bunch of people who I have utmost respect for.  They do an outstanding job and have very big hearts for children.  I am looking forward to being able to get in to ZOE a bit more now and developing relationships with the Thai staff and house parents further.

Well, I am off to sew twenty beanbags now for Tobi’s class teacher.

So this is ...

THE END!

Guest Blogger: Gary Lewis

"LIVING STONES"

Throughout history and in many cultures, stones and rocks have been used as markers. Markers of significance used to identify a location for direction along a journey, as a place of remembrance or even as a place of worship. The Bible is pocketed with many such markers.

Last week Maree and I had the great privilege of visiting our daughter Andrea, her husband David and their three children Tobiah, Eliana and Spencer in Thailand. This trip was significant not just because it was our first overseas experience, but also because we were their first visitors from Australia.

I have long found that the use of stones and pebbles to also be significant in my life as a symbol of remembrance, and so I was determined to make sure that as far as possible I would collect a pebble at many points along the way. 

For example: this stone was found at the place of the Mae Elephant Camp where we witnessed elephants being bathed by their trainers in the river … where we fed then bananas … where we saw them playing soccer … where we saw them painting … where Maree was cuddled by an elephant’s trunk and where we rode on the back of an elephant! What a wonderful experience to remember. It was also the place where Tobi and Eli held a snake around their necks.

The next pebble was found at the spot where we stopped to fix a rear-wheel blowout. Dave could not locate the key to the spare wheel and so he called one of the other missionaries who came to pick us all up. It was hot – and neither Dave or Andie knew the name of the road we were on or the locality. (They actually identify locations by ‘landmarks’ interestingly!) We were approached by some soldiers who seemed amused at these westerners’ plight. We used various objects as safety markers on the (fortunately not so busy) road as many Tuk-Tuks,  Songthaews and motor scooters passed by — their drivers and passengers seemed also intrigued as we stood on the side of the road.

The third pebble was picked up at the site of new ZOE Children's Home construction site. After we had visited the current ZOE premises the day before and saw first hand some of the work being done for the sake of these precious children; this pebble holds great significance —symbolising not just the construction of a new building, but the expansion of a wonderful ministry ‘…to the least of these …’

These rocks / pebbles / stones — whatever term you prefer (as well as the others I collected) are also symbolic of Dave, Andie and their children. As the Apostle Peter says‘…living stones …’ (1 Peter 2:5-11) ‘being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood … as aliens and strangers … that they may see your good deeds and glorify God …’

Maree and I were blessed over and again by the beauty and colour of the land – its fruit and its flowers and the friendliness and politeness of the people. But most significant of all by the privilege of sharing this marker in time with the Cross family.

Gary Lewis

A Week of Firsts!

It’s been a week of “firsts”.  

It’s my parent’s first trip to Thailand… and overseas in fact!

We had our first “Thai” themed birthday party for Dad, our first flat tyre over here, we’ve fed elephants, Tobi and Eli held a snake around their necks and we’ve even eaten traditional Thai style, cross-legged on the floor! 

Other news: 

Two new children arrived at the children’s home this week.  They seem to be settling in well.  

The new ZOE buildings were a buzz of activity when we visited yesterday.  The deadline to have them ready is getting closer!

Dave’s learning curve steepens as the ‘camp’ he’s helping to organise also draws nearer.  He is feeling the excitement build as more people start to get involved and take on tasks.  Walls are going up and being painted to create the different spaces I explained about in the last blog. 

(Photos: Mum and Dad ride an elephant, flat tyre... wondering what to do when our key to the spare is at home!, Tobi and Eli bravely let a real snake hang around their necks...ewwww!)

It’s been a real treat having my mum and dad stay with us this week.  You wouldn’t know that they hadn’t been here before with their adventurous spirits and “ready for anything” attitudes.   

We still have a few more fun things planned to do before they go back to Australia and saying goodbye is not something I want to think about right now.

It’s not the first time we’ve done that and I just don’t know how I’ll be able to do it again.  

For today though, I will enjoy the time we have, appreciate every moment and be glad for their “first” trip … hopefully there’ll be many more to come!

Blessings,

Andie

The Journey Home from the Fair

Out the car window...

Yes, that’s correct.  It’s an elephant and I took this photo from inside the car... that’s how close I was to it!

Dave decided that we should be adventurers on the way home from the fair today (“like Dora the explorer” he told Eli) to which we all agreed and set off with nothing but the satellite navigation system and a couple of bottles of water...

The trip soon had me leaving the camera in my hand permanently and counting how many different animals we saw either right outside our windows or on the side of the road.  Amazing.

What was more amazing was the scenery.  We were so overwhelmed by the complete contrasts we saw literally between one bend in the winding road to the next.  

So the animals we saw included buffalo, chickens, elephants and dogs (of course).  And the scenery varied from national park/ forest to rice fields, manicured resort-style gardens, barren unmade roads and really, really rural farming properties.

Check out some of the pics we took “out the car window”.