Wide World of Missions

Greetings To All:
Sorry, I know it's been a while since the last update. Some may be wondering if we're still in Thailand. Yes, we are still in Chiang Mai. What are we doing? What have we been doing? Are there pictures? How's Dakota? How much longer will we be here? Questions, questions, questions. If either one of us held any answers to anything, we would let you know. Oh, I do have an answer, sort of: there are no pictures (for now.) We'll put some new ones up at a later time. (It's a little game we like to play in order to make you keep checking our blog.) Oh, and Dakota is doing fine.
For this past week and this coming week our group is spending time with the orphans from the Home of Joy. Yes, the same children we took to the zoo on that one Saturday. We've taken them to a swimming pool, the library, the park, and played with them in their home. After one week they are starting to warm up to us a little. There are seven boys and one girl. You all can probably imagine the energy level in that home. Their hesitancy to relate to new people has led me to reflect on how I involve myself in forming new relationships. At first I don't want to throw myself out into the relationship arena and simply stay to myself. I wonder if the people in the arena are trustworthy. If they are, then I might put myself out there. Security is involved. When some one is available to interact with me in a positive way (I wouldn't have attempted to interact if I knew it wasn't going to be positive) I will pursue the relationship. Of course at first progress will be slow. Eventually it will speed up. Then it will slow down. Then it speed up.

If I can get to a more personal note (I'll get back to news later) I'll explain how the speed of development changes. For me, and I suspect a lot of us, it has to do with conflict. And not just conflict, but the ability of all involved in the relationship to handle conflict. If through conflict promises are made, but then after the conflict they are not acted upon, the relationship will probably not grow as fast if at all. The broken promise doesn't promote trust. "Sit in your seat and you can have a candy." If the child sits in the seat, and doesn't receive the candy, how would that relationship be strengthened? (Of course, asking a five year old boy to sit in a seat doesn't involve only asking once.) If there is no conflict, then there might not be any growth. There might actually be separation. When the parties involved are not asked to examine themselves and their lives, they may stay in a rut. Two ruts from the same cart rarely cross each others' path; they rarely come together. (If they ever have, I'd like to see the cart.) After all of that, then I wonder about the length of time the relationship may last. The longer it may last, the more likely I am to become involved in a deeper level. I'm not saying this is right; I'm saying this is the way I view it.
Okay, back on track. This coming week we will be doing most of the same things with the children again. On Saturday we will be leaving for Musakee (sp?). That is another town about four hours away from here. What will be doing there? We polled 100 people and their answers have been recorded. Survey says: no idea. We'll be there for almost two full weeks, and then we head back to Bangkok, and then we as a family fly to China. Oh, last Thursday we had to run to the border to get our visas renewed. So, each of us has actually set foot in Myanmar. On the way to the border Dakota threw up in the van. Kathy was in the front seat holding her, and she threw up a lot. We think it was from having orange juice and dairy in her little tummy. She did fine the rest of the trip. We have been blessed with how well she handles most travel. She has her moments, but for a vast majority of the time she does well. Praise God.
Well, that is all for now. If we can get internet connection in our room again, we'll post some pictures. Thanks for reading our entries and keeping up with our lives. We would also like to hear from you, and not just what you think about our blog. Please keep emailing us.

God Bless You,

Carson, Kathy, Dakota