Sunday in Mae Sai 03-18-12

Today was a busy day for us. We started out by putting on our Sunday clothes, black socks and long pants for me. I must say, the pants I bought in Laughlin, Nevada with our friends Michael and Charlotte, during our Super Bowl trip, felt very nice in this topical climate.

We made the trip to ChildLife for a little Sunday service with the kids. It is always uplifting to be with them and Pastor Lota.

We then headed to Rev. Sunit's church for the regular Sunday Morning service and lunch after the service. It was nice to see old friends and to meet a lady from the Netherlands that will be here working the next two years to help the Christian fellowship. I liked her because she laughed at my off-beat humor.

We were also invited to a party at Rev. Sunit's new home. It is to celebrate three things, he and his wife's birthdays and the finishing of there new home. The party starts at 4:00 PM today.

Our next item for the day is a little dental work. I need one filling and Daeng has two teeth that need work. When we got to the dentist Daeng wanted me to go first. Mine was pretty simple, just a filling. By the way, the cost for one filling was 400 Thai Baht (about $13.00 USD).

When Daeng got into the dentist's chair, the dentist looked at the cavities and suggested that some major work be done, a post put into the tooth that had already had a root canal, molar repaired and then a three tooth bridge made to replace the tooth that was already missing.

She took a new x-ray of the two teeth and said she could do all the work including the porcelain, three tooth bridge for 15,000 Thai Baht (about $492 USD). We talked about it and the alternatives. Daeng was concerned about the money and I assured her that she was worth it.

The process would be done over three visits. Today would start with the repair of the front tooth and installing the fiber post in the root canal. Return in a week to repair the back molar, prep both teeth for the bridge and take the final impressions. Then return about a week later and install the new bridge work.

We agreed and she started the process. Daeng was in the chair for a little over an hour but did not have any pain except a little pressure when the drill got stuck once while drilling out the old canal filling. It was down about 14 mm. More x-rays were taken to be sure the tooth repair was okay.

It was now time to go to Rev. Sunit's home for his celebration and party. It is a very nice home on a very large lot just outside town. We stopped at the church on the way to see if anyone needed a ride to his home but everyone had already been transported.

When we arrived they were already having a little service to be thankful for everything and to with the Sunit family the very best in the future. All the clergy, at least the ones that know me, laughed when I told them we were just there for the food and the whisky.

It was a nice party to celebrate the birthdays and the new home. The food was delicious and the chocolate cake was wonderful; just ask the kids.

Tomorrow we are going to head south the visit Chom-nom. He is about 400 Km south of us. We will probable make it a 4-5 day trip also stopping for a few days in Chiang Mai.

Church at Childlife

We got up early, about 6:00 AM, had coffee and Pa Thong Ko at the Bann Pa Meat morning market. It was a little overcast but you could see the mountains from our bedroom window.

By the time we got to Childlife the sun was starting to come through the clouds. When we arrived we could hear someone

playing the drums in the worship area. Yep, it was Pastor Lota.

We talked to some of the kids as we sat around the table outside the building that we would meet in. They are a great bunch of kids. It is always wonderful to spend time with them. They are also growing up very fast.

The church service was a happy, fun service as Pastor Lota has lots of energy and the kids just get into singing and

having fun. He believes as we do: "If you don't have fun in what you are doing you probably won't stay around very long."

Here is a little one that looks like her sister that we

featured in another story. To read that story just CLICK HERE.

We said goodbye to everyone as we are leaving for Bangkok on Tuesday morning and then America the following week. We will miss them all.

On the way home from Childlife we stopped along the dirt road to watch the farmers trash the rice the old way. Most of the rice in Thailand is harvested by machines except in the

smaller rice patties that the machines can't get into.

This little country of Thailand is the largest exporter of rice in the world. Jasmine rice is from Thailand.

It was a wonderful morning.

Kids at Childlife and "AKHA" Thanksgiving

We have have been spending so much time working on our home that I haven't written about much else. Two weeks ago we got up early on Sunday morning and traveled on our motorbike to Childlife which is just outside of this small border town of Mae Sai.

We had to take it pretty slow on the dirt road as with all the rain the road was in poor shape. Daeng was driving and managed to miss most of the big mud puddles and pot holes.

We arrived about 8:00 AM, the Church service starts at 8:30 AM. That was nice as we got to talk with some of the kids we know. School was out for mid-semester break so many of the kids were visiting friends and relatives. About a hundred and fifty kids live there when school is in session.

Childlife is a special place started about 11 years ago by Guljohn Jeamrum to help "Street Kids". We were lucky because he was also at Pastor Lota's service and we got to say "Hello" and give him a big hug. If you would like to read more about Childlife just CLICK HERE. Our friend, Pastor Lota, teaches the spiritual meaning of life at Childlife, as well as many other places in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). He is really great with the kids and they love him.

Because Childlife is out in the rural area they have to make their own electricity. Here is their present power plant.

The church service is always great as Pastor Lota completely involves the kids so they have fun. We believe, and so does he, that if the kids don't have fun they won't stick around very long.

One of the little girls is seven years old. Here is a picture of her standing by the water treating system. We are amazed that she is so in touch with her situating at 7 years old. She is one of five girls who's Father died. Two of the girls are over 15 and moved to the big city of Bangkok to earn a living.

She and two sister live at Childlife most of the time.

She does see her mother on a regular basis. She plans on living at Childlife until she is 15, finishing public school and then move to Bangkok to work, also.

She says she has fun at home with her Mother but living at Childlife is even more fun and she has lots of friends. This seven year old girl talked like an adult, completely in touch with the reality of her situation. It was refreshing.

One of her friends was missing her two front teeth. We tried and tried to get a picture of her smiling but we weren't quick enough with the camera.

After the service, Pastor Lota, invited us to a Thanksgiving celebration at his "Akha" village about 20 Km away. We told him we would love to go with him.

He had a short bible study class while we walked around Childlife. Then we hopped on motorbikes with us followed him. Most of the trip was on paved roads.

There is no set Thanksgiving Day here in Thailand but most village celebrate the rice harvest in the fall with a Thanksgiving Celebration of some kind involving eating. About 60 percent of the population are farmers and this small country is the largest exporter of rice in the world. Jasmin rice is Thai rice.

The "Akha" ladies had on their full celebration outfits.

We did eat to much chicken and pork but it was fun being involve in this celebration.

Church, Food, Childlife Kids & Flowers

It's Sunday again on the border in Northern Thailand.

Today is a special church day for two reasons: first, one of our friend's daughters is having a birthday.

For her birthday Daeng did flower arrangements for the service today.

The second reason today is special is the kids from CHILDLIFE are at church.

Hlong, Daeng's sister-in-law, is doing much of the cooking for over a hundred folks, mostly kids.

That is a lot of noodles!

Because the church is small and will only seat about 70 people many of the kids stayed outside, sang hymns and played.

Daeng and I hung out in the cooking area and played with the kids, as well. At my age, I'm pretty much back in the child stage, again anyway.

The other nice part of being old is I now can do things that people criticized me for in the past and now they just say: "He's old, leave him alone."

After the service the big folks ate inside the church area and us kids ate outside. The noodle soup with pork and vegetables was wonderful.

I watched as many of the kids ask for seconds and thirds. There was plenty of food for all.

I spent a little time talking with Pastor Lota about his plans for the week.

We did get a call from a family member that, let me try and get this correct, Daeng's sister-in law's Father was very ill. He was about three hours drive north of the Myanmar (Burma) border.

We had made arrangements last week to go into the mountains to see the kids and the shelter in the AKHA village of Ban AYO. We talked it over and decided to go into Burma with a few other family members to see him.

We'll make the trip on Tuesday.

Trip Home & CHILDLIFE

We had coffee and joke at Jan's coffee stand. Jan is Charlie's girl friend. Charlie is our friend from Canada who is now retired here in Thailand. Joke is a boiled rice, kind of like oatmeal but with rice.

We then went back to guest house, packed and headed to the clinic to get Boonreang's Government Medical ID Card.

When we got the the clinic it only took a few minutes to have the temporary card in hand. The permanent one will be mailed within the next two months.

We then headed to Daeng's brother's home outside Chiang Rai and he is the keeper of the family's book of record. He was busy building a new bed.

We visited a little and then headed to our friend's Peter and Nok as Nok had made sun dried pork for us. It is the best dried pork I have ever tasted. We spent most of the afternoon with them and headed back to Mae Sai.

When we got to our room in Mae Sai we showered and watched the news. We then got dressed and headed to the final night of Pastor Lota's four day camp out at CHILDLIFE. Over a hundred kids from the local area, within 60 Km, had come to CHILDLIFE during the four day camp out to have fun and learn about the Bible's teachings.

It was about 7:00 PM and dark already so we had to make the trip a lot slower than in the daytime. When we turned off the paved road we could hear the music and the kids singing over a kilometer away. When we arrived at Ban Nana, CHILDLIFE, It was great to see the young people singing and having fun.

They were having contests between five groups of kids to see who could act out stories in the bible the best. Daeng and I were asked to help hand out the prises.

At the end Pastor Lota ask me if I would do a couple of minutes about "Smiles and Hugs". It is about how it is hard to be mean to someone you have hugged.

I was worried about how it would work with a English to Thai translator but the translator worked well and the kids took part by everyone hugging each other.

It was hard to get the kids to laugh at the part about me being so big, fat and old but finally got through to them that they didn't have to be afraid of me because I had eaten dinner already. Thank you Pat LeBorio for that great line!

It is always wonderful to visit the kids of CHILDLIFE and Pastor Lota.

Sunday at CHILDLIFE

It's Sunday morning. We showered and dressed for the motorbike ride to CHILDLIFE, also know as Ban Nana, to see Pastor Lota and the kids for Sunday Church Service.

The trip is only about 20 minutes from where we are staying so we arrived just in time to have breakfast with the kids. Rice and a glass noodle soup was the fair for the morning.

I added a little to much chili pepper to my soup so Pastor Lota had to give me some water.

The kids all love Pastor Lota as he gets right down with them and does extremely well with the older children. He makes learning and worshiping fun. I feel he understand the philosophy of If they don't have fun they won't stick around very long.

Singing and being together was very enlightening.

Guljohn Jeamrum, the founder of CHILDLIFE, announced his marriage will be on November 14th and invited all to attend. CHILDLIFE was founded ten years ago.

We are always happy to be with the kids. To learn more about CHILDLIFE just CLICK HERE.

To watch a video about the CHILDLIFE cause CLICK HERE.

We are going to try and make the trip up into the mountain to Ban AYO this coming week to visit the new children's shelter. We talked to Chom-nom on the telephone as he was with his wife in Chiang Mai having a baby.

The baby is a little girl and Mother and baby are doing well. I don't know how Chom-nom is doing but he sounded very excited on the telephone.

Another Party - Sumo's Birthday

As you already know, from reading our stories, the folks here in Thailand love to party. Last night was a nice little party for a little girl's eight birthday.

All the kids in the family and many of the adults got together to celebrate.

Sumo is just fun to watch as she is very active and loves to show off to the camera.

The cake was good, too.

And opening presents is always fun.

We're sure that from this picture you can tell who Sumo's Dad is.

Sumo's Dad invited us to visit him at his TEA plantation up in the mountains by the town of Mae Salong.

We told him we would love to visit him but we had already commented to join Pastor Lota for the 8:00 AM service at the children's shelter of CHILDLIFE on Sunday.

If you would like to see more about Mae Sai, Thailand and CHILDLIFE just CLICK HERE.

He said to come see him and spend some time with them before we return to California for the winter.

04-05-09 Church in Mae Sai, Thailand

I just wanted to add to yesterdays blog my visit to the Rev. Sunit's temporary Church in Mae Sai, Thailand. I don't consider myself as a religious person although I do have some spiritual beliefs. If you don't think that there are powers greater than yourself, the next time you are at the beach, try to stop a wave.

One of the things that I have noticed over the last 67 years is that children that are taught in religious ways tend to be better citizens. Whenever I see kids at Church, or Temples, or what ever name you use for the gathering of people to worship, it also makes me fell good.

Yesterday, after Daeng went to work at her Som-Tom Papaya stand, I got dresses and walked about a mile over to the home that Rev. Sunit had moved into this week. He was going to try and use it as the temporary church, as well.

As I walked up the road I could hear the sound of people singing. When I got the rest of the way up the road the building was full and people siting and standing outside the church, too.

Kids from Ban Nana, "Childlife", were there, also. If you would like to learn more about "Childlife" here is a link to the video: "Fences Between Us!" .

It was nice to see Daeng's Mother there, also. She is the lady in yellow.

Both Daeng and I want to wish the Rev. Sunit, his family and the congregation the very best with their new home even if it is temporary.