Today finds me in a Guest House in Lao again, a place that I hope to avoid at all costs from now on! Oh, I like Lao just fine, but my favorite guest house now has loud music blaring from speakers just outside my window. Not my idea of a great place to stay anymore that is for sure! As shy as I am, I feel like running down there and telling them just what I think of their speakers. Then, add to that the prostitute that is pacing on the sidewalk in front of the motel across the street, and you might just be starting to get an idea of why I don’t want to come here anymore.
The good news is that if God blesses, I might not have to come here anymore! I thought that I had all the papers that I needed in order to get my year visa. So, I went to the embassy this morning, confidently handed over all the paperwork, and was promptly told that I am missing ONE paper! Oh my. I went to the internet, printed off the offending paper, and was then too late to turn it in today. I was also told that I need the original paper, and not a copy, but I don’t have it, so I am praying that they will accept what I have. I don’t have the money to go home, get the paper, then come back, so prayers are ascending!
In the mean time, Roy has a house full of kids to take care of without me. It was heartbreaking to leave my kids right now. Destiny is so little, and Hannah is having troubles adjusting. She is extremely insecure and needs a lot of love and attention. Sometimes we get complacent and forget that these are not “ordinary” kids we are dealing with. They are extremely fragile and damaged kids, that need every ounce of love and care that we can give them. Sometimes I think that I am crazy to need so much help in taking care of the children. After all, we have 4 of us, taking care of 8 kids…that would seem like a pretty good ratio. But, when it comes right down to it, at least 4 of the kids need one on one attention at all times. That spreads us all a bit thin. We could just meet their basic needs and try to be satisfied, but that is not God’s way. We want to follow the bible rule to do everything with all our might and to the best of our ability. (As small as that ability seems) God would have died for just one of us, and that means that we have to treat each child as if they were our only child. Hey, the rewards will be well worth the effort!
When I talked to Roy this morning, he told me that Pawkuhmooeydee’s English teacher told her that if she will not participate in a speech competition next Sabbath, she will be kicked out of school. Chowin’s teacher also told her that she must be at school on Sabbaths, so Roy is having to deal with two different schools right now also. Fortunately, it is still illegal in Thailand to discriminate against religious convictions, so there is hope that we can resolve those issues. But, there is a bit of stress about it on the home front today, and two very nervous girls. One of the great things about being under a foundation is that Phimpa is Thai, and she knows Thai law. That is a wonderful resource to have when you have troubles like this!
Just keep praying that the devil would be defeated and that God’s cause would triumph and flourish.