Tonight Hannah and I went to a birthday party. It was for Khruu Khwan's son. It was awesome.

There were these two missionaries there from Australia. One of the ladies works up in Burma with a specific hill tribe group working on developing a written language in order to translate the Bible for those people. We were all sitting around talking about learning languages and she told us about a man she works alongside.

He is a Burmese man who speaks eight languages. Eight....crazy, right? But that's not the craziest thing. The craziest thing is that God has actually given him a few of those languages (I forget how many...). What does that even mean? I thought the same thing.

She told us this: He was going to a group of people in order to establish contact with them. He brought along with him a good friend of his who spoke the people's language in order to translate for him. He began speaking in his language...but the words came out in the language in which he did not yet know. He was thinking in his own language, intending to speak in that language, but the words came out as the people's language. So...God literally put the words into his mouth. God taught him the language.

Okay...confession. When I heard this I really could not believe it. But than I thought about the numerous times this summer when I have had the same reaction to a story, either read in a book (Brother Andrew...see a previous post) or heard from missionaries. Even from talking with a Korean man in Cambodia at our hotel (ask me to tell you that story sometime). Each time I've heard some account where it could only have been God working, I have stood there, opened mouth, wondering about the truth of it. And than realizing that it is in fact true. That my Father could actually work in those amazingly unbelievable ways.

And I finally understood tonight something that God as been try to teach me all summer. Something he has been trying to teach me through the stories and accounts I have heard. The lesson is this: my understanding and belief of what God can do, how he can work, is too small. My belief in God's working in this world is too small. I have put God in a box...thinking he is powerful. But not believing he is powerful enough to literally put a new language in someones mouth. Or make seeing eyes blind (as Brother Andrew experienced). Or provide for every single need of George Muller. And the list could go on.

I have always easily accepted the stories of miracles Jesus did in the Bible. Healing people. Raising people from the dead. Feeding thousands from a boy's small offering of five loves of bread and two small fish.

But why than do I find it harder to believe that He can still work in similar miracles ways today? Why is my faith so small? And my unbelief so big?

I want to believe that He is so powerful that He can still do similar acts today. And I want to believe that He is still working this very moment to care for the forgotten of this world and to melt hearts of stone. I was thinking of camp songs the other day. Paw, the girl I teach English to, always wants me to sing songs with her. To teach her new songs. So I was trying to remember the many songs I have learned over the years at camps and Sunday school and vacation Bible schools. And God remained me of this one: "My God is so BIG, so STRONG, and so MIGHTY there's NOTHING my God can not do, for you!" How true that is.

So slowly, God is reminding me of his power. And I learning to believe that he does have the power to protect the thousands of hill tribe people in Burma fleeing their villages as the army burns them down. And He does have the power to cause reconciliation between Thai people and hill tribe people. And He does have the power to come into the urban slum where Paw lives and give those girls hope for a brighter future. A future where they can become teachers or doctors, not prostitutes. And He does have the power to make his name known in a nation where over 90% of the population are Buddhists. And He has the power to direct my path for the future.

Things I like about Thailand:

1. the rain
2. being able to look outside and see the mountains
3. Khruu Khwan (my Thai teacher)
4. talking with Mrs. Veldt...and soaking up her wisdom
5. dancing with the Veldt's in their living room
6. spending time with my girls at House of Love (the orphanage)
7. walking through the markets
8. Tim Tam sucking parties
9. riding rot dangs and song-thaws
10. the Sunday market
11. eating dinner on top of the East wall of the old city
12. running in the rain
13. the funny things Cal and Tristan say (Hannah's brothers)
14. drinking Sprite in the huts next to the lake
15. browsing used book stores
16. teaching Paw English...and having her teach me about contentment finding joy in the small things
17. riding on the back of Phii Kay's motorcycle
18. the food...and learning to enjoy spicy food
19. having a ton of time to journal, read, and pray
20. people watching
21. learning about what God in doing in this part of the world up close and personal
22. hiking the mountains
23. talking with Phii Kay and Phii Dao...they practice their English while I practice my Thai
24. watching the beautiful Thai dancers...and learning to appreciate new cultures

Things I don't like about Thailand:

1. knowing that people try to charge me more because I'm a farang (Westerner)
2. the heat in the middle of the day
3. the smell of the meat area at the markets
4. the fact the Chiang Mai is filled with farangs

About a week ago the Veldt family, their friends Liz and Dave, and I all piled into a truck at 6:30 am...heading for Burma (now called Myanmar).

Our mission: border run. We had to renew our visas.

It was about a five hour drive up north. Once we arrived we headed across. And once we crossed into Burma we were immediately face to face with the people of Burma. Most of whom are probably internally displaced peoples (IDPs). The streets were full of people wanting to sell the farang (Westerner or Caucasian person) anything from tours of Burma to CDs. Here's a picture of one of the streets. We didn't spend too much time there since Mr. Veldt and Kevin (our friend from Wheaton) were waiting on the Thai side of the border for us.

After we left the border we headed for a village where some the the "B-people" live. Liz, Mrs. Veldt's friend, works with Bible translators. She lived on and off in this specific village for five years learning the language and working to create a written language. She still works closely with these people and she's still is very close with many women in the village. She invited us to visit her there and have dinner with them. It was one of my favorite memories thus far.

Before dinner, we went on a walk around the village meeting many of the women. And than we headed for the rice fields. And I quickly discovered one of the most beautiful places in the world. The pictures I took really do not do it justice. Each family owns a certain portion of the fields that they are responsible to care for. And that is the rice they own, both to eat and to sell. Although the fact that they care for their own portion is individualistic, the entire layout of the rice fields depends upon the community to survive. They have a way of directing the water from a near-by stream to different parts of the field. And if one families' land needs more water, they all will work to redirect the water in order to support that family. It's beautiful the way their way of life is so dependent upon community. Sometimes I often wonder if we in the West have gotten it terribly wrong with our teachings of individualism.

We spent a lot of time just walking around the fiends learning about how rice is grown. And enjoying observing God's artwork. Here are a few pictures...again they really don't do it justice.

We then headed back to the village to have dinner. And once again I was struck with the fact that much of Thailand is a mix of old and new. Around Chiang Mai it is not uncommon to see people working the fiends by hand (the way they used to before machines) right next to shopping malls. And here in the village the same is true. At one house we passed there was a HUGE satellite dish right in the front "lawn" of this simple looking house. Liz said that television has really begun to change aspects of village life. For example, meals used to be the time when the family came together. They would talk and tell stories. Now it is not uncommon to find them around the television. Sound familiar?

I know these people's lives are hard. They work literally all day in the fields, only to come home needing to complete chores and make dinner. However, I sometimes wonder if maybe their way of life is better. Simpler. How different my life is from the lives of these "B-people". They do not have many "things". They do not have a closet full of clothes. Or a new car. Or the newest iPod. But they are happy. They are generous. And brave. And beautiful. Seriously, I think they are the most beautiful people in the world.

And I began to wonder that if all I owned was taken from me, could I still be happy. Sure, I liked to believe that the "things" I own don't make me happy. That if it was all taken away, if I lived as they did with very few "things", I would still be content. But I wonder how much of that statement is true. And how much of it is just talk.

We then went and had dinner. It was delicious. And definitely the way to experience a meal. We all sat on the floor in a circle with big bowls of food in the center. It was really fun sitting in that home listening to them talk and hearing about Liz's experiences of working with these people. She has so much wisdom. And once again was thankful I was able to spend time soaking up the wisdom and advice from the missionaries here.

In other news: I climbed a mountain on Saturday with my friend Christa. Chiang Mai's Guardian Mountain to be exact. The final destination was Wat Phra That Doi Suthep...and the trail followed waterfalls all the way up. It took us five hours to complete...but probably should have taken us about three. That's another story for another time. I'll try to post picture from that adventure the next time I get the chance.

I hope this finds all of you doing well, where ever you are in the world.

Some of the day care kids the day I went to the Chiang Mai Zoo with them. The little boy in the orange shirt (on the right, second row), Som Sak, was my buddy. He's very energetic and talkative...it was an awesome day.

Umbrellas. We went to a place where we watched artists make this beautiful craft.
Christa, Kevin, Hannah, and I on the 4th.

Tristan and Cal getting ready to partake in the Watermelon Eating contest.

Cal got second. Tristan got third. We were all pretty proud... The whole group celebrating the 4th of July at the American Consulate...
in the middle of Chiang Mai.

Today is the first day of July.

Weird.

It's crazy how fast time goes.

Last night Mr. Veldt, Tristan, and I took a night drive up to the top of one of the tallest mountains in Chiang Mai. The view was amazing! You could see so far...and besides a few passing cars there was no one around. It was funny to think how busy and crazy the area bellow us was. And here we were up on this mountain almost completely alone. Away from all of the busy streets and noisy markets.

At one point we got out of the car and walked over this neat bridge. I thought the bridge would lead to a Wat (the name for the temples). However, it just lead to this neat field that dropped off over looking the city.

The only noises we could hear were crickets and frogs. No airplanes. No cars. No people. No music.

Just frogs. And crickets. Just creation singing a song of praise to it's Creator.

And we had the privilege of eavesdropping.

"The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The MOUNTAINS melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory."

~Psalm 97:1-6~