Tough few weeks but happy days as parents arrive!

We had a great couple of weeks with Sue and Kez and really enjoyed seeing how much they enjoyed their time here.

Unfortunately I was ill the week before they came and got worse the first few days they arrived so stayed in bed ... I had done well to avoided sickness up until then!

The night before Kez and Sue left one of the Sisters in the congregation (Boo) thanked us for coming to the hall and all the friends that have visited.  This was funny because we were worried whether it might be a distraction meeting so many different people and changing every few weeks.  However the fact is many of the Brothers and Sisters haven't been abroad, some haven't even been to Bangkok, so when Brothers and Sisters choose to spend their money and time visiting their little congregation in Phayao they really appreciate it and love meeting Brothers and Sisters.  Whenever anyone has left someone says 'we will see you in the paradise'.

Something that made me laugh is the other week we had a thunder storm during the Sunday meeting and the hall just started to leak so Brothers were going up and down the hall onto the platform with buckets, towels and mops trying to catch the water!

Ministry has also been difficult as quite a few times we have turned up to ministry groups with no one else there!

At first we were a bit discouraged, but you remember that we came to the congregation to help so we know things were not going to be perfectly organised so we just get on with things.  If anything it has been good because it pushes us to try harder at return visits and calls ... these can be a struggle with the limited language we know but we have had some good conversations!

We are enjoying time with the congregation more and more.  They now love the Monday night picnic and football and even one of the oldest members in our hall came to watch with her zimmer frame and chair .... I asked if she wanted to play but she declined!!

One of the young studies in the hall was working in the market every night but one night was short of  staff so Mel and I offered to help him out.  So we put on the aprons and cooked these Japanese dough balls in the evening market.  You could tell all the locals were wondering what we were doing there!

Many people have asked us about the trouble in Thailand yet so far we have seen no trouble in Phayao.  We do have to live by the curfew and are back in our house at 22:00. (Easy for us early birds)  If you stay out then an army van patrols the streets with a big spot light.  There are a few soldiers around the lake and bus station but nothing to worry about.  In fact, I even asked for a picture with one young soldier and he was obliging.

My parents arrived to Phayao on Sunday which is brilliant and we were both very happy to see them.  They are already loving their time here.  Were all going to Chaing Mai for a few days next week which will be really nice.

Sorry it is a bit of a scatty blog but its hard to remember everything that has happened and I just type as it comes into my mind.

Sue and Kez (and 2 rabbits)

So we had a brilliant trip over. It was a long flight but we loved it…especially Sue because she could go and make friends with the cabin crew. Each time she came back with armfuls of food. Brilliant!

We arrived in Chiang Mai and went straight out to a street food market…thrown in at the deep end! We had a great time in the city. There is such a relaxed atmosphere and everything was so easy it’s unreal! While there we visited the zoo which was amazing….. 

We also visited Tiger Kingdom which was the most incredible experience… 

We had an earthquake while we were in the city that was a magnitude 6 which was pretty scary. We were in a big old building shopping when the walls started shaking and people started screaming and grabbed us and pulled us out onto the street. We then had tremors all through the night and we could feel the whole building moving. Was a bit worrying but we survived! 

Then it was down to Phayao to meet Mel and Simon. The drive was beautiful all through the hills and countryside. It made me fall in love with Thailand more and more. Phayao is not what either of us expected, it is a lot bigger and more civilized! The lake is beautiful and the people are lovely, although being white we were quite a novelty.

Going on the ministry has been brilliant…so much better than in England! All the people are so hospitable and want to listen to you…even if they don’t understand you. We both tried to speak to people in Thai which I think people appreciated and it was nice for us to feel involved.  

We spent one day working around some paddy fields talking to the workers there. 

The congregation are lovely! Most of them don’t speak any English, yet they still want to come and say hello and make an effort with us which is really sweet. The young ones are a great example as they have really worked had in the truth, often without the support of family. We can learn a lot from their determination and zeal. 

The meetings have been an experience. We don’t understand anything but it is obvious there is a real need here. With only 3 elders and 2 ministerial servants, one brother could have 3 different parts on the meeting as well as being on platform duty. One meeting there was a talk about how different ones came to be a witness. As all the congregation knew each other so well, the brother thought it would be nice to get a different story so asked Sue to do the interview. It was lovely that they asked her and she enjoyed being part of it. Picchakorn translated it and Mel read it out. She did really well and everyone understood it. 

The only issue we have had is that the pavements are a little uneven meaning Sue has fallen over 3 times…poor thing! The scenery here is incredible; I love to see the mountains and the greenery. One of the best bits is seeing the sunset over the lake. It’s been 2 weeks but I’m still not tired of that view! The heat is a bit of a struggle but we have managed. We tend to stay in when it gets too hot and go out later when it is cooler. Oh and the food!! It is all so amazing, and so cheap! It is quite incredible to be able to go out for a delicious meal and only pay £1 or £2. I am going to go home such a cheapskate.  

I love the markets too. Some of the food markets are a bit gross, but the craft and clothes markets are great. I bought lots of presents for people back home just to have an excuse to buy all these amazing things! We have had plenty of new experiences, riding on tuk-tuks, motorbikes and side cars as well as trying new fruits and vegetables left right and centre! 

One of the most exciting moments was when we rescued 2 baby rabbits from a lady selling them at the side of the road. They were so small and skinny, we couldn’t just leave them there so bought them home in a box. They have become a major part of our little lives with much time spend feeding and fussing them. Fortunately they are thriving with the TLC they are getting and are looking much better. We didn’t think they would survive the first night but they are doing so well, it is looking good for their little future. Simon is like a proud dad constantly making adjustments to their living quarters, and Mel still can’t get over their cuteness…they are like proud parents! 

I have completely fallen for the way of life here. Everyone is so easy going, there is no stress and I think we have heard only one siren in 3 weeks which is impressive. I can see why Mel and Simon love it here. There are doing so well with the language, it sounds really impressive to us!  

It is sad that we have to leave just when we are starting to settle into the routine of life here but it has been such an amazing experience, I will remember it forever. I definitely want to come back to visit for longer. For now though, we have a couple of days left in Chiang Mai where we are staying in an elephant camp which will be a lovely end to a great holiday!