Best Birthday Ever

Since Evan was going to spend his 18th and first birthday on his own, we were naturally concerned that he might be lonely and sad that we couldn't be there with him. The week leading to his birthday, we started to pray for him, and his younger brothers earnestly asked the Lord that he would be blessed.



I emailed his roommate to see if he could somehow find a way to surprise Evan, but didn't hear from him. Friday (Nov. 14) was his birthday so Thursday night, (Thailand time), I asked my Bible Study group to pray for him. One of the ladies asked if I'd like her to contact one of her friends from Houghton to see if they could somehow bless Evan. I agreed believing anything was possible with the Lord but wondering if we were too late (Thailand just being 12 hours ahead of the US). Lo and behold, her friend no longer worked at Houghton but she had a cousin whom she then proceeded to connect with. Another friend was contacted and sure enough on Evan's birthday, right after we connected by Skype and sang and greeted him in the morning, the friend came around with a cake and a bag of goodies courtesy of the Womens' Soccer Team. The cousin later brought along some balloons! Indeed, the Lord blessed Evan through people he didn't even know, a statement that I knew the Lord wanted me to tell him. Evan did other fun things with his friends and possibly partied too much but in the end, he concluded that it was his best birthday ever.



We are truly awed by our Lord who has seen to it that our son is cared for much better than when we had him here with us. He undoubtedly loves Evan more than we do and is doing a great job taking care of him. Thank you, Lord. He is yours.

Fascinating Laos

From October 19-24 we had the privilege of traveling to Luang Prabang and Phonsavan of the Xieng Khouang province. We were totally unprepared for the beauty, adventure, and painful truth that awaited us. Consisting mostly of mountains, we were blessed to enjoy view after view of valleys, sunflower dotted hills, pine trees, villages, and vegetation with flowers of varying sizes, colours, and types. We were fascinated with not just the beauty of the country but its uniqueness. Where Thailand would at times have elephants on the road, Laos had lots of cows (!) and Hmong kids pushing their bikes up hill and riding them down, depending on the terrain. We visited their waterfalls and enjoyed the adventure of a lifetime trekking beside, across, on, or over the falls. We hiked for 1.5 hours on fallen logs, through a tree trunk, on rushing waters, and even through leech infested areas. The blood suckers got me twice but were thankfully removed before they became fat!


We also visited the Plain of Jars, a site that has hundreds of massive jars. The jars’ ancient use might have been to hold dead bones, or to hold something ceremonially used by their former king. Whatever they held can no longer be visibly seen but the jars are still standing there not willing to reveal their secret. What’s most eerie about the plains is the presence of bomb craters. Huge holes on the ground made by bombs dropped during the Vietnam War (1964-1973) are part of the scenery. The strangeness of huge jars sitting in the middle of a beautiful landscape with massive holes connected the ancient past with the not so distant past. Questions naturally arose. Since Laos was not part of the war, why was it bombed so much? We later found that the country is the record holder for being most bombed per capita in the world. Xieng Khouang is one of the most bombed province in the whole country. What were we doing there? We possibly stood in the most bombed place on earth!

There were actually foot markers so that we would know where to walk. If we left the marked path, we risked possibly stepping on an unexploded bomb. Sadly, many Lao have lost their lives or limbs doing just that, walking, or farming, and tragically connecting with a bomb or grenade cluster. Before we arrived there, 3 preschoolers lost their lives and two others were maimed when they found a grenade. Unfortunately, the effects of the bombs still haunt Laos today as it did then. Each year many Lao continually die. The majority of their un-farmed land is also due to the presence of bombs. The bulk of the countryside remains undeveloped until a team of bomb experts are able to sweep the land clean of them.


Laos is fascinating; stunningly beautiful, but painful to be in. Please pray with us for the Lao to rise above their plight, for progress to come, for healing to happen, and for forgiveness to be given.

Laos facts: in 9 years at least 1.36 million metric tonnes of bombs were dropped in the country. This is equal to 14 aircraft carriers. 1 metric tonne = 1000 kilos. Many of the bombs remain unexploded.

Thank you, Canada!

Last night we decided to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. Thanks to Eng we managed to enjoy a delicious western meal of ham, sausages, mashed potatoes, and salad. It wasn’t turkey, but nevertheless a nice treat for all of us. Our evening included a call to Evan who we’re happy to say will have his own Thanksgiving meal, courtesy of the International Services of his college. Needless to say, we prayed and thanked the Lord for anything Canadian and the following came up: maple syrup, snow, maple leaves or different coloured leaves, Niagara Falls, and Hockey Night in Canada. We decked ourselves out in red and white, and thanked the Lord that we are Canadians. We are truly proud to claim it as our country.



Who specifically thanked the Lord for what? Eric thanked the Lord for maple syrup, Ethan for the snow, Linda for the leaves, Eli for Niagara Falls, and Eng for Hockey Night in Canada. Bonus points if you got all 5!



PS. As we remember how grateful we are to be Canadians, let’s also pray for the Burmese whose lives are in danger as they still get displaced by the Burmese Army and are constantly on the run. Please specifically commit the Free Burma Rangers who are committed to helping out those on the run. Thank you.

"Lab Yu"

He said it again the last time I spoke to him and once again, it made my heart skip a beat. It’s such a blessing for me to hear it. That phrase, meaning ‘I love you’ was from my Tatay (father) while I talked to him on the phone. [He’s living in Toronto while I’m over here in Chiang Mai.] He said it just as I was saying goodbye. I didn’t say it to him first and then him simply echoing me. He just said it and I know he meant it. Thank you, Lord. I know it may not sound like much to you and you may wonder what the big deal is. If you know my Tatay, you’d agree with me that he’d come such a long way. You must understand, he hardly ever talked when I was growing up. He still doesn’t do it much. He’s not only a shy, quiet man, he didn’t hug nor kissed much either. In the past, there were times when I would lie beside him in bed and try and ask him questions or converse with him. Sometimes he didn’t even answer me as he’d be too engrossed in the crossword puzzle he’d be doing. I used to often just leave him in frustration. A little while back, I’d told him on the phone that I loved him and he’d not said anything so I’d add that he should tell me that he loved me too. He’d complied and it was good to hear him say it but since I asked him to say it, it surely didn’t mean that much. Now, he says “lab yu” to me on his own, unprompted, voluntarily, sincerely. Unbelievable. What a joy. I feel loved. “Lab Yu too.”

Remarkable Incidences

Every once in a while we go through experiences that boggle our minds and all we can do is shake our heads in disbelief, wonder, and awe, all rolled up into one. What Eng and I experienced the last week in August falls in this category. Tuesday of that week, I came home and discovered my wallet missing. I figured I might have left it in school where I taught but I couldn't be sure. Immediately however, I started to pray incessantly. I also got our sons praying right away. The reason? It takes half an hour to renew a driver's license in Toronto. In Thailand? It would take a trip to the Canadian Consulate, the police station to report it lost, the doctor's for a medical certificate, and the transportation office for the license itself. It's definitely not a pleasant nor short task to do and that's only taking care of one of the items in my wallet! Eng was on his way here from Canada when during his stopover in Bangkok, he suddenly realised that he no longer had his passport. Panic stricken, he retraced his steps to the shop where he was at to find out if he left it there. He didn't. Like me, his prayers started. Thank you Father, that you can do the impossible, that you answer prayers, that nothing is too difficult for you.
To continue the story, the next day, I got to school, checked my mail box slot, and there sat my wallet! To this day, I don't know how it got there. I don't know who placed it there, I just happen to know who made it happen. Eng's story ended with the shop owner bringing him to the place where he could find out about lost items. A call was placed to the third floor and sure enough, his passport was there waiting for him to pick it up. Details? Who knows? Only God, it's all God. Thank you, Lord!

Gigglehead

Since arriving back from Toronto, life has not been the same. I realise that it's the absence of Evan. And the knowing that he's not living with us anymore unless he visits, doesn't comfort one bit. Life is good and God is till sovereign and great, but it just feels like something is amiss, Evan is missing. Sigh.

I choose to be grateful and glad for all the years we've had him with us. Sometimes, it's just that the gaping hole that he made in our hearts when we left him in Toronto just threatens to swallow us up. Thanks God, for your grace that is sufficient.

The ad above is what we placed in his school's yearbook. Evan was prophesied to be born before he actually was. He was to grow up into a fine, young man. And that, he surely did!

I Love My Husband

Two years ago when I visited my parents here in Toronto, my mother (who has Alzheimers) was well aware that she was at the point when she could no longer remember everything she wanted to remember. One night,in her moment of frustration and resignation, she with hand on her forehead said to my father, "What is wrong with my head? What if I can no longer remember you?" My father very quickly answered, "You may go ahead and forget everything, just please don't ever forget me".

It's been two years since and she has forgotten way more. When tested by her Neurologist just a few weeks ago, she couldn't say where she was (which hospital, city, or country). She couldn't tell what day it was, nor whether it was morning or evening, winter or summer, or what year it was. She couldn't come up with the word for 'pen' when she was asked what it was called, nor the word for 'writing' when asked what the pen was for. It was particularly ironic and sad to hear the Doctor tell his Med. Student that my mother had her Doctorate and used to be a Teacher, then an Administrator.

At this point in her life, my mother sometimes remembers me (her daughter) but most of the time, she doesn't. She's constantly confused as to who my husband and sons are. Once, she wanted to go home reasoning that her parents would be upset as it was already late. We couldn't convince her that she was home! Since her mind was in the past, she couldn't recognize my father either. Thankfully, it lasted for only a few minutes.

At the Doctor's office, she was able to blink when shown the written instruction to do so. She also picked up the paper when commanded to. Lastly, she was asked to write a sentence, then to read it. Without hesitating, she quickly wrote the sentence 'I love my husband', then read it confidently. My father beamed and looked like he was about to cry all at the same time.

Nowadays, very few marriages last, and some of those who are still married, aren't always happy to be in the marriage. My parents are sadly greatly affected by my mother's illness, but in her lucid moments, they are a joy to behold. As they celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary this Saturday, they're definitely (by the Lord's grace) happily married. I am so proud to be their daughter.