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.

Hugs of Love

Ever since living with my parents when we arrived here in Toronto, we've been blessed. However, it's been very interesting, amusing, and even trying for us also in many ways. This is mostly due to my mother having Alzheimers. She has been forgetting many things including us, facts, and what she's saying. Sometimes she'll express the same concern over and over such as tripping over the cable that the computer is hooked up to, or one of the kids not in bed yet. But, what stands out the most to us who sometimes sleep later than she does, is how frequently she comes out of her bedroom to say "goodnight". She'll kiss and hug, say "goodnight", then go back to her room. A little while later, she'll do the same thing again. This sometimes goes on anywhere from 6 to 12 times at night. I, Linda, regretfully admit that by the second week of our stay, I was beginning to get tired of the repetitiveness and interruptions of the nightly routine. Thankfully, the Lord made me remember that my mother wasn't really affectionate to me when I was growing up. She became a lot more expressive when she got older but we then went to the mission field and have been there for close to 11 years. That meant I've missed out on being able to give, nor receive love from her in an intimate way (kissing and hugging). Now that she's saying "goodnight" many times each night, I get to receive in an intimate way each time, whatever affection she wants to give me. I realise that we were unknowingly making up for all the lost times that we couldn't hug because of distance and other reasons. Each hug and kiss she gives me each night (be it the 6th or the 8th) is filled with the same sincerity, warmth, and love as the first one. I am grateful to receive massive doses of her affection each night in lieu of all those times she couldn't give them. Thank you, Lord!

Random Act of Kindness

As we joined the line-up to buy tickets to get in the museum today, we (our 4 sons Evan, Eric, Eli, and Ethan, and their two cousins JJ and Jaime) were all quite surprised when an Asian man handed Eli a bunch of tickets and told him to use it today. While we crowded around to examine what they were, the man nodded to me, Linda, and gave a quick wave before he exited the building.

Upon closer inspection, we saw that they were entrance tickets for the museum. There were two for kids (perfect for Ethan and Jaime), two for Youth (Eric and Eli used them), four Adult tickets (for Eng, myself, Evan, and JJ), and a Student ticket. How on earth did that man pick us to give the tickets to? How did he know how many we needed? How could the timing have been so perfect that as we're walking in, he's walking out? Could he have been an angel? The number of tickets were certainly sufficient for all of us to get in the museum for free. Fact is, we even had an extra one which we then turned around and gave to another equally surprised random person.

We can only attribute the amazing blessing of savings to the Lord. With the tickets was a stub showing how much the man paid for them, $79.50. Thank you Lord for providing for us in such a random way. Nothing is too difficult for you!