Conquered.

I've been told by many people that I am persistent, relentless, and determined. And stubborn, too. It's true, and it's characteristics like that which allow me to accomplish goals like running up this mountain:

I had been training for the last few months, going to Doi Suthep every couple of weeks to run up its steep road. I made it about half way up the last time I trained, which was about 1 month ago. Since then I had been too busy to run at the mountain, but next week starts a whole new schedule and I knew my time was about to become even more limited. So although I wasn't physically ready to run to the top, mentally I was. :) As a result, my persistence, diligence, relentlessness and stubbornness brought me to the top of the Wat Phrathat overlooking Chiang Mai in 1 hour and 34 minutes. Pretty stellar, I think.

Today, I'm sore, and my left hip flexor is yelling at me, but otherwise I feel physically strong, and mentally accomplished. YAY for achieved goals!

ครอบครัว

I have grown up in a culture where families are often taken for granted and, many times, despised. It is only the grace and favor of the Lord that allowed me to grow up in a home where my family cherished each other and sought to bring others into that same love that perhaps they never knew. I'm sure that in many ways the family in Thailand has been skewed as well, but it is something that I have found to be incredibly important to many Thais. Not anyone can be "part of the family" here, and when you are considered such, it is a big deal.

My teammate Kayla and I have recently found ourselves becoming part of a Thai family and it is so exciting. We have been visiting some friends from the local flower market weekly for a little over 3 months now, and the more we visit, the closer we get with them. Granted, they speak only Thai, so our relationship is entirely dependent on our study of their language! In the beginning we could hardly speak at all, but now we hold simple conversations with them for over an hour at a time. And we have SO much fun with them.

For New Year's we were invited over to their intimate family gathering at their home, and were then invited to join them on their family vacation! What?! I'm totally serious.... and so were they. Incredibly, a simple relationship has turned into a family bond. They love us, and we love them. Now they let us help out in their flower shop instead of insisting that we just sit and watch as the guests. Now, they'll leave the shop to us for a few minutes if they have to run a quick errand. Now they treat us like family, and we love it. Now, we have an even greater opportunity to bring the light of Christ into the darkness in this family! The Lord has truly blessed this relationship, as it was never something that we were looking for, but He graciously gave.

=)

Breaking

This is the moment when they all look alike, and your heart starts pounding at the back of every head. That’s him. For a split second you’re sure it must be, but with a turn in your direction you are proved wrong and your pulse momentarily slows. So many warring thoughts run recklessly through your mind. You long for the actual sight of him, yet dread it as well, knowing that with it comes the need for you to deny his love, to kill his hopes. You know very well that this is the thing you hate doing most in the world. You feel like a murderer, awaiting your unaware prey, but you’re killing a part of your own heart too.

You feel sick. So sick. And you can barely breathe, hardly move…….............. there he is.

And afterwards, as he walks away, you sit in the parking lot and cry.