"The Yellow Flowers"

Someone told me today that summer has arrived when the yellow flowers bloom. Just recently my home here has been surrounded by beautiful trees that bloom a very vibrant yellow flower. It was just a few weeks ago that these very same trees shed their leaves as if it were fall. I remember thinking that the trees looked ugly and bare, little did I know that they were about to turn into something very bright and pretty. 

I think back to the distant time when I first arrived here. Everything was new and unfamiliar, scary and yet exciting at the same time. It's now eight months later; with a little more than a month left, I see the end approaching. It's funny because there hasn't been a day where I haven't thought about my time here. With every new day, a new experience occurs and again I am one day closer to the end. It's such a bitter sweet feeling. Sometimes all I can imagine is being home, because no matter where I go there will be no place like it. But at the same time, I also can't imagine not being here. Recently Andrews mission department sent me a package and in it was a letter. This letter was full of encouraging words; there was one part that hit me more than all the rest: "I know you may be super excited to come home, but let me encourage you to make the most of your last days there. Soon it will all be a memory, and believe it or not, you'll wishing you could go back!" 

It's already started; the battle. It's a fight against time, part of me wants to fly through this last month with no looking back, but there's another part who wants to savor it forever. When I made this decision to come here, I could have never expected all that has happened. I just want to treasure this simple life a little bit more. Going home is a great thing, but it also means going back to the real world. I've grown accustom to this simple life. But there's a bottom line to all it, just like yellow flowers. They come every year, it's expected. I came here and I embraced the new experience, but now I have to start letting go and accept that eventually it'll be a memory. 

Ashley in Ubon

We have a little more than a month left here in Ubon, but it's never too late for our fellow Bangkok missionaries to make the journey here and visit Erin and I. Just this last Tuesday, Ashley was able to do just that. I was so happy to finally see her after not for so long. It felt great to share our home with her. 

Ubon is nothing like Bangkok, where there's tons of options for food and activity. But still is was fun showing Ashley the simple life we lead here. The first day we took her out on Ubon's Song Tao into town, where we visited the starbucks. It was funny because right outside the door was a photo board and guess who was on it?! Erin and I! haha. That night we showed her the park and the night market. Ashley happened to come on one of the busiest weeks we've ever had, with that being the case we had to teach a lot. Unfortunately that limited our 'hang out' time with her, but we made the best of it. We took her to eat at our favorite Italian restuarant and introduced her to our Cha Yen/Coffee Lady. We all went out and got facials and our hair done, it was so much fun spending time with her again. 

This morning, before we had to take her to the bus station; we made pancakes. It was nice to have some familiar food with good friends. It was our last time seeing Ashley in Thailand, but I look forward to the future and the fun times ahead. 

My Church Family

All grown up with her back pack ;]

Some of the church kids...

After getting our hair braided...

Children's Sabbath School

These kids make it all worth it.

Yay for PUGS!

It seems with every student that crosses Erin and I's path, we make certain connections. Thai people; in general are very socialable and quite eagered to be your 'tour guide'. Today was no exception. Recently, man came to our school to be tutored; at first he was my student but then my schedule got too full and he was given to Erin. So we both had somewhat of chance to get to know him. Apparently he breeds dogs. Most people who know me, know that when it comes to anykind of animal I get pretty excited. But this man doesn't just breed anykind of dogs he has PUGS! One of my all time favorite kinds of dogs. I think they are so cute, with their squished faces and their pig like qualities. This student was very generous and invited us both over to his home to meet his family of dogs. I'm not quite sure on the exact number...but he has a lot. Not all pugs, but others too.

I just love being around animals. It was so much fun to just hang out with them. Not to mention being around some healthy animals for a change was nice.

The Country Life

Yesterday I had the chance to visit a church member's house out in the country. Pastor and his family often do this, and this time they invited Erin and I. We knew it would be a full day, with that and teaching in the afternoon, but we thought it would be cool to see another part of this area.

We drove about 60 kilometers, it took about an hour to get there. When we arrived, we were surrounded by a small community of simple houses, all them resembled the same structure. The people we were visiting, I knew from church; a small Thai family, consisting of a single mother her two children and their grandparents. On the drive there, I couldn't believe they drove that distance each Sabbath.

The family welcomed us warmly, and we made ourselves comfortable on their front patio. We lounged around for awhile, and then the Pastor's wife asked Erin and I if we wanted to see the COW! I of course was on my front at once. She showed around back where there was a pen with one very cute cow. Baby chickens were running everywhere...they were so cute!! After a little while of trying to catch one, I finally did!

Since this was a school day, Erin and I had to be back for our afternoon classes. After enjoying a traditional Thai lunch we said our good-byes and headed back. But it's days like this when I'm so thankful for these spontaneous trips outside the city, they're such a wonderful opportunity to see the Thai culture at it's finest.

The Beginning of the End...

Today is the start of new term, the FINAL term. It's my last first day of school here. In approximately 10 weeks I will be on a plane bound for the United States. There have been big chunks of this year that I have spent contemplating and thinking about the future. The time when the end would be near, and now the end is ACTUALLY near. I have been in Thailand 30 weeks, that's so mind boggling. Because even though I have been here a long time, sometimes it doesn't feel that way. Maybe because it's almost over, I don't know. The other day I hanging out with the pastor's family. More specifically the kids, little Joel and Edan are so precious. Joel randomly gave me a hug, it was so sircere. And a thought popped into my head, I would have to say good-bye to this family. I hate good-byes, thinking about almost brought tears to my eyes. It's a bitter sweet feeling, because I have so much waiting for me back home. That's exactly what it is, 'my home' and I have to go back. I knew before any of this, that it wouldn't be easy. I mean it wasn't easy saying good-bye to my life back home and moving thousands of miles away. And now it's the other way around, this place and the people have become my home...the good-bye is inevitable. But there is hope in all this, God gives us that hope. These good-byes aren't final ;]