Ready for home

Having a great time...but I’m ready to be home. I’ve been on many trips like this before, and I’ve learned how to manage being away from my family for a few weeks at a time. For some reason, this time it seems like I’ve been away from home for months.

Maybe it’s the addition of the Thailand leg of the journey. Having another orphanage means that I have another 60 kids whose names and faces I don’t yet know, another city whose streets are unfamiliar, and another language to butcher. I love Thailand, but this portion of the trip has been exhausting for me. And though I’m glad to be coming home, I’m not looking forward to another 60 tearful goodbyes.

I think that having my dad on the trip has also made me miss home more; when I’m over here and don’t have any direct contact with my family, I can sort of close the door on America for at least a few hours at a time. When I’m with my dad, I have an increased awareness that the rest of my family is missing. I dunno.

At any rate, I continue to be amazed at what God is doing through the ministry of Asia’s Hope, and I’m still impressed with a deep sense of gratitude for the wonders of the Kingdom of God. Yesteday, we drove a couple of hours into the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai. We passed through some unbelievably countryside to visit a Lisu village. Unfortunately, the village was not exactly representative of most Lisu communities; it was relatively upscale. No running water, but there was electricity, and the roofs of the houses were corrugated aluminum, not grass. We’re heading out again to visit some places that will give a more accurate video depiction of the life most of our kids have left behind.

I can’t wait to get back and show you my pictures, and tell you my stories. I hope that this journal has been informative, or at least entertaining. Please keep praying for our team and for our ministry partners in Cambodia and Thailand.