Chiang Mai Flooding

Milky brown cold water lapped our feet and steamed off the hot mufflers as we drove down the highway this morning. The Ping River—normally hundreds of feet from the highway—had now overtaken all within its path as it rose from weeks of previous rain. Today we had language class, and what would normally take 20 minutes of driving time on our motorbikes took an hour as we tried to find routes around the flooded areas. When we determined it was impossible to completely avoid, we plowed slowly through the muddy river water on the highway, cars spraying us as they drove past. We looked down on homes and businesses destroyed, and saw restaurants where we had eaten only days before, four feet deep in the flood.

The people of Chiang Mai need your prayers!Please take some time to pray for the waters to recede, and for renewed hope to come to Chiang Mai from the God of all hope!

Elle.

My eyes are swollen this morning, still remembering the sadness that cascaded down my face last night as I lay in bed pondering the very dearest of friends—one whom I feel my very soul is deeply connected to—my sister. I can’t explain why the pain of separation was so strong at that moment, but it caused the most agonizing tears I have cried in a long time. I remembered our life together—moments captured in scenes in my mind—playing out with the same feelings of joy and enthusiasm as I had when they had first happened. I have loved our life together, and I anticipate enjoying many more years with this one who loves me like no other, and whom I love more than almost anyone in the world. For now our lives are playing out on two different stages, with only letters written back and forth to bring each other into the worlds we experience. Oh Jesus, please, please, bring me back to her arms—home.

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be

Where the Rain Falls

The sky spat on me tonight as I stood in the street awaiting the approaching storm. For an hour the wind had been picking up, blowing the banana leaves violently against the house instead of the normal quiet breeze wandering through the streets of the muuban. Tonight even the dogs are silent, in anticipation of what this rainstorm will bring. I love waiting for storms: watching the light show in the distance, and listening for the sky’s low rumble in response. The leaves tear through the air in their own miniature tornadoes, leaving tree branches lonely. And then the rain finally comes—after the long build up. The clouds let loose in slow increments at first, teasing the thirsty ground. Then it comes in torrents, beautifully abandoning itself to be taken into the earth, to make plants grow, to pour through mountain waterfalls, to provide for the thirsting children who drift in the streets, without a home.

Does it know of all it will accomplish as it falls on the city tonight?

Little Adventures

Tonight I went to a local Thai church service established in a coffee shop near the Chiang Mai University. The service was entirely in Thai, save the few times a friendly farung (foreigner) would translate a phrase or two (but usually only instructions). I loved it! True, I didn't understand 98% of what was spoken, but it was an awesome adventure, and one I would gladly experience again. When we worshiped, our voices rose in our mother tongues--many voices, two languages, one song--all praising the Creator. It was beautiful.

I made friends too! My first Thai friends. :)

And tomorrow I start my Thai language class. Praise Jesus. Pray for grace!

Books and Autumns

Currently reading: Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl, by N.D. Wilson. I started it 2 days ago and am over half-way through, so I must like it. It is one of those books that you wouldn't base your theology on, but is so beautiful to open up your eyes to new perspectives and thoughts about the world and life and the One who created it all. Lately I have been longing to see facets of God that I haven't seen before, and in a small way this book is giving me an opportunity to do so. The last two chapters have been about the "reason for evil", and I liked the author's description. You really have to read the whole chapter to fully understand the context, but I think you'll get the idea:

"The shadows exist in the painting, the dark corners of grief and trial and wickedness all exist so that He might step inside them, so we could see how low He can stoop. In this story, the Author became flesh and wandered the stage with Hamlet, offering His own life. In this story, the Author heaped all that he loathed, all that displeased Him, all the wrongness of the world, onto Himself. Evil exists so that He might be demeaned and insulted, so that the depth of His love and sacrifice could be expressed as much as is possible in the small frame of history."



In my home away from home, autumn is settling in. I can imagine the brilliant colors of leaves and blue skies reflecting on serene lakes. I heard that my friends are starting to turn on the heat at night. Sweaters and hot cocoa. Scarves and flushed cheeks. Crunchy leaves. Barren trees and stars on brisk nights.

Here in Chiang Mai it is a balmy 81 degrees, which is actually cool. The fans are on, blowing around the warm air, but making the room comfortable. It is amazing how quickly you can get accustomed to sweating all the time when AC is just not an option. Rain is in the forecast... for the next 10 days. And 10 more days of heat, of humidity, of shorts and tank tops, of running out to meet the friendly ice cream man as he pulls his cart around the muuban, longing for that coolness to slip down my throat and trying not to let too much melt onto my hands and motorbike, where I like to sit and eat it.

I will miss my Minnesota autumn. But this year it's time for a new experience. :)

I'm rejoicing in it.