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Happy birthday Amanda Ardemagni! Amanda turned 22 last Friday and we just celebrated with Debbie Tingley's banana bread made in a brick oven. We're so grateful to have Amanda back after her visit to the hospital earlier this week.
This trip, I chose to read through the Book of Acts, drawing on the similarities between the early church and our trip to Thailand. Acts 2:42-47 describes the focus of the early church and the result of their faithful walk. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking bread and prayer. They met daily, both in large numbers and small groups. They shared their belongings. They had favor with all the people, not just other believers. That was the focus: diligent commitment to the process. The result is that God added to their number daily. When we focus on the process, God shines through us. When we focus on the result, it ends in disappointment.
That is true here. The last few days of work in the village, one of our teams made bricks. These bricks will help build a classroom and church that will serve this community for years to come. If we never return to Thailand, we will never see the result of our work. All we know is each brick will do some good, and in the words of Loongwin, the villager leading the team, the bricks are "perfect." A second team filled small bags with mulch. These will serve as starters for coffee plants. The villagers will be able to purchase the seedlings and in a couple years, start harvesting and selling the fruit to ITDP for Lanna coffee. Each tree costs 1 Baht (approx. 6¢) and will help these villagers feed their families.
We play such a minute role in the great work being done here. Working alongside the villagers, children, and staff kept smiles on all our faces.
We had an uneventful trip back to Chiang Mai yesterday. Roads were clear and there was very little rain. On the way, Richard Mann and I joked about making an audition tape for the Amazing Race...we'll see.
We spent last night in Chiang Mai, enjoying the Night Bazaar and food. We slept in real beds and it was glorious. Today is filled with excitement as we head out in a few minutes to enjoy elephant rides, the Tiger Kingdom, and a debrief with the ITDP staff. They have been amazing! Then, I'm looking forward to picking up a few more souvenirs for my kiddos at the Night Bazaar tonight. At 8am tomorrow, we head out to the airport to begin our long trip home.
Leaving De Bu Se La Co was difficult. But I will be back. I miss my family tremendously and I look forward to bringing them back here one day soon.