Happy New Year — Chinese style!
The Chinese New Year is a big deal here, lasting for days. Makro had tables full of celebration decorations and special foods. I looked them over with interest. The packets of something wrapped in leaves weren’t appealing, but those cupcakes that looked like angel food cake with decorative icing looked wonderful. I could hardly wait to get home to bite into one. I discovered they melt in your mouth — into a gluey paste that sticks to your teeth and is impossible to swallow. The taste was familiar…. I had it! Cough drops. Definitely not angel food. I heartily recommend them for dieters. No danger of overeating these awful things!
Firecrackers pop all the time in honor of the new year. Unfortunately, some of our students have disappeared — gone home to celebrate in their villages. In a society without television, video games, or computers, you take every opportunity to liven up your life, I guess. They’ll be back after the new year’s parties are over.
I was particularly sad that the young mother from Pa Sak #2 left. She was staying while her three-year-old boy was under the doctor’s care for his horrible skin problem. It didn’t look to me like he had improved much, but she left with him yesterday to go to her village’s celebration. I hope she comes back. Brother Anond says she just doesn’t know how to take care of her little boy. She is afraid to give him a bath because he might get cold. He was dressed far to warmly for weather in the upper 80s. He had on a long-sleeved shirt, sweat pants, and a sweater. I tried to take his sweater off. His mother didn’t object, but he certainly did! His poor skin is covered with a red, scaley rash. I feel so sorry for him — and worried about him. Please pray for this very quiet and withdrawn little boy.
Life is falling into a familiar pattern by now, but we do have something new on the horizon. Next weekend we will be traveling north to Cornerstone, near the Myanmar (Burma) border. We will spend the night there — a first for us. We’ll be staying in a bamboo hut and will be taking part in their Chinese New Year celebration. Paul preached there last year on the way to Ya Pen Eh. They had no building at that time, although they had already purchased and cleared the land. They also had no pastor. Now the building is finished and they, at last, have a pastor.
Today is Saturday and we are in Chiang Mai again. Brother Anond dropped us off at the condo early this morning. He had to take one of the boys to meet the bus for a day-long camp. (They seem to have a lot of camps). The boy wasn’t wearing his boy scout uniform, so I’m not sure what kind of camp it was. They have snazzy uniforms — khaki with hot pink kerchiefs and trim.
At any rate, he had to meet the bus at four, so it worked out well for us to come to the condo early and Skype. It was so good to see all our sweet grandchildren! (And their parents, of course.)
Bro. Anond had to go on to a wedding at Long Koad. He asked us to go, too, but we hadn’t dressed up enough and, anyway, my camera was at home. I would have liked to take pictures of a La Hu wedding for you. I’m sure there will be another opportunity, though.
I had my nails done and did a little shopping. Guess I’d better get this posted before Bro. Anond returns to take us back. I guess he is planning on picking us up. We may need to go back in the taxi. I hope not, though, I really don’t want to carry the computer case up the hill again!
Blessings from Thailand,
Susan