Yes I have eaten them buggers. They are considered delicious in Thailand and are high on protein. Not my favorite choice for a meal, but a man gotta eat.
Author: philipp (Page 12 of 35)
I was sitting in the car this morning and thought what I really should be doing is writing the Newsletter and let people know that we are coming to Switzerland. But here I was coming from the Immigration office trying to get everything in order to transfer the Visa into the new Passport of two of my kids. Then prepare for the English lesson at four thirty, get ready for my Thai lesson at one o’clock, copy all the documents for Immigration, take my two oldest to the Immigration office to show them they are real at three o’clock. After teaching English at six go meet with the fellow musicians for a practice.
What a crazy day today.
Today is one of those days where my soul cannot follow my body and I am totally exhausted. To exhausted for even a nap in the afternoon.
Two nights ago I could not sleep because of severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. I still feel some of the affects. I went through some sorts of emotional roller coaster about things happening with people around me. Then I was somewhat overwhelmed by the circumstances in the Prao boarding home. And in all this my soul was dragged along. We are going to Switzerland and there is so much to do. I was just waking up this morning when I got a phone call from the office landlord. They needed to change the sewage pipes. So I went in on a Sunday. Did some work while I was waiting for the workers to do their work.
The on the way home I got a phone call from the landlords son. totally happy and thanking me for the bible I gave him two month ago. Another Thai women took the phone and also thanked me with all her heart. I didn’t get everything they said, but they were definitely excited about having a bible. So I want to end this rather complaining post with the thought that there can be something encouraging around the corner if we are willing to stick our head around it and I really need to learn to let my soul catch up with me once in a while.
This morning I went to the boarding home in Prao we help supporting. Every time I go there the poverty and needs are kind of overwhelming. I wish we could help more. There is a constant lack of food and other things. The sleeping quarters are appalling. It is difficult for me to go up there and bring money every month and know that it would need at least triple the amount of what we can give. Every time I end up giving a lot more then I planned to give having compassion for the children and Kampan and Nabu who run the home. The children were sleeping under ripped mosquito nets getting bitten by mosquito’s, so Lillian bought some Mosquito nets for them. There are now 87 children living on a very tight space. The refugee camps I have been too were better equipped. I know there are a lot of worse places in this world and children suffering a lot more. Still these are the ones God seems to have put on my heart.
On the way back I wondered why can’t I just live an "normal" egoistic life just thinking about myself and how to advance myself? Why in the world do I spent my life, money and heart for the poor?
But then what do I follow? Success? Riches? Security? Self-actualization? Or do I follow Jesus who said: "if you want to follow me take up your cross and follow. If you want to keep your life you gonna loose it, but if you loose your life for my sake you going to gain life". Looking back all these years I don’t regret the path I have followed. Thinking and writing about it takes away the doubts. It is like in the Robert Frost poem "The road not taken" We make choices in our lives that will change the outlook of our live. I think the road I have taken so far made all the difference.
Yesterday we practiced for the Friday night gig at the UN Irish pub in Chiang Mai. Here is a link of an introduction to the pub I found on the Internet. It also shows a video where we play in the background.
I think we have been playing on and off together for the last two years. From just coming together to play in different pubs a more steady group has formed. Since about half a year we actually practice sometimes. I must say we don’t sound bad at all 🙂 and we have lot’s of fun together.
Anybody who wants to hear some traditional Irish and other folk music. We play this Friday the 30th. of May about pm 8.30-ish. After that it’s usually the last Friday of the month.
Yesterday was a long day. I drove up to the Fang to meet with my team and to see the progress in the water project in Hui Ba Rai. I had a very good day with Enoch talking about what God is doing. Cati and Mida also said that they have up to 30 children coming to the meetings and to learn the Lahu language. Since Cati is around there are a lot more boys coming as well. There is a big drug problem in the village that is very disturbing. I will not write any details here.
In the Hui Ba Rai water project the villagers finished the water collection area. Yesterday we took out the dirt from within the water collection. It was a very long but very rewarding day.
In a few hours I will get up for another trip to the mountains. I need to see if the Hui Ba Rai water project is finished. It rained so much lately that it was not an easy task for the villagers to do it. I will also visit Hui Kau Laam. So it will be a busy day.
Last time I was in the jungle bringing building material for a water project I encountered extreme noise. It came from this cricket (at least I think this is what it is) There must have been hundreds of them in the trees in one section of the forest making so much noise that my ears started hurting. Further down the path it stopped. So they were only in one part of the jungle.
Hier is a link to a post about a Zikada I found in the jungle. These are probably the biggest and noisiest insects I know.
Sometimes life gets so busy and I don’t know why. All the things that happen around me as well in the wider circle of life. What I mean is family life, relationships, but also all the news I get from things I have absolutely no influence in. Like the Storm that happened in Burma and the ongoing suffering of those people and the earthquake in China with people dying under the rubble. Sometimes I want to shut all the news out and just have not to deal with any bad news from the world or close by. It starts hurting when it comes closer to home…
Yesterday my youngest son fell and cut his lips needing five stitches. He is so brave and I am proud of how he took the pain and the fixing up in hospital. I thought why can’t we have a brake from things like this. I realized under how much stress I am lately from the things going on in my life and around me ( not only my 40th. birthday 🙂 . How quickly can things without warning or preparation, how little control do we have in our lives.
I know as a follower of Jesus we suck it up and say He is in control. I believe this and experienced it many times in the past. Still there is no guarantee that we or loved one’s won’t suffer. This is sometimes hard to bear and not easily discarded with a slogan or a some bible verse. This is where faith gets tested, where we will hang on or let go, the place where we just might cry out to God and wait in desperation.
I have waited for this the last 100 days or so. I kept a count down widget on my desktop. Today it displayed fireworks. I am officially over the 40 years barrier….. and …….. there is no difference to 39. So far.
I guess I went trough different faces the last few months
Indifference
From
Not barely being aware of my age and honestly not thinking about it.
to
Realizing in (specially) while doing sports, that a teenager can beat you
Denial
From
"Age is not important, it is how young I feel".
"I am not old, I am just getting more mature"
to
"Midlife-crisis is a myth
to
"Help!!! I am getting bold
Devastation
From
"my youth has faded, I am old" to "I’m going to die"!
to
"This is the last day of my life"
God give me grace to face the next forty years!
… and to all you out there hitting forty soon, it is actually not that bad after all.