MISSION UPDATE: Road Trip

Sometimes I literally can't believe this is my life. I mean that in the best way.

Kwan came to live with us when she was 13 and she'll be 18 in a few months. Which means, March will bring us to the first high school graduation of one of our Thai children. Lots of people wonder what the dynamic here is really like. Are we raising these children as if they were are own? Or are we really just running a children's home? My answer is and always be that we are family now.

My heart is so proud of the ways I'm seeing these kids grow. And I also get so mad when they behave in a way they know better than to behave. We encourage them and we also dole out consequences. We leave room for them to make mistakes but we don't leave them without a soft place to land and the support needed to choose better.

Family.

Kwan gets excellent marks in school and she wants to go to college to study English. Out of my eight birth children, five of them are adults but only one chose to go to college. I don't, and never will, ascribe to the idea that college is necessary for a successful, meaningful life. I believe it's situational and I believe it's a personal choice that each person should make with the guidance of God.

Kwan's path seems that it will include a stop at University. We support that and will do whatever God allows to make that possible for her. So first on the list was a road trip to visit APIU, which is a Christian (Adventist) International school, about 5 1/2 hours from us, that is the only of it's kind in the country. With the chance of flooding and the need to evacuate looking less likely than initially thought at the beginning of last week, Hannah and I set out for Saraburi with Kwan, Yim, and Namwan happily tucked into the back seat.

The trip was easy and we were delighted to leave the sights of flooded fields behind us as we drove through provinces that clearly aren't as low-lying as our own. We left right after breakfast and arrived on campus mid-afternoon. After a confusing search for the building where we needed to check in, we finally found a sweet, and very willing student, who led us to where we wanted to be.

Kwan was in full-on panic mode.

One thing you need to know about Kwan is her absolute dread of change. She wants everything to stay exactly as it is, all the time and forever. She's gotten better over time, but it's still a battle for her.

So as 15 year old Namwan led the way, I was beside her while Hannah tried to make sure Kwan actually joined us at the Admissions office for the tour. With as far behind as she was lagging, it was looking more questionable by the moment.

We arrived and Kwan was still trailing just far enough behind that the casual obserber would assume we weren't together. We waited. Kwan caught up, with trembling and the most adorable grimace, entered the AC'd room and took her seat for the informational chat before the tour.

For a few minutes it seemed Kwan suddenly spoke neither English or Thai. The very kind Director of Marketing was patient and simply turned her questions to me when Kwan would hesitate. And after a short time, Kwan warmed up and found her voice. It was funny because it was so authentically Kwan. Like a baby bird edging close to the nest allllmosttt ready to venture out but not just yettt.

We feel the same about letting her go.

As we toured the campus and had our questions answered, we could see her visibly relax. Later, when we were entering the cafeteria to have a late lunch, she actually passed a student who she'd met several years ago and it was obvious she was happy to see a familiar face.

The Admissions office made arrangements for us to stay in a cute little place just off campus so when we finished eating we headed there to rest. The following morning Kwan, Namwan, and Yim were so eager to get back on the road that they slept in until 10am. :)

The trip home was relaxed and pleasant. Anytime we get to hang out and really focus on an individual child, or even just a few at once, the bonds are strengthened and we understand each other better. I was grateful for literally every hour of that trip. God kept us safe, provided for our needs, and gave us time together without other needs pressing in.

We got home and Kwan reaffirmed her desire to go. She wants to try for the more challenging of the English programs so she'll need to test to see if she can get into it. She speaks and understands English (she and Namwan are our translators for worship and church) and she reads well so I think she's got a good shot.

But what I am most praying for her as she pursues this path is that her first pursuit always be God. Too many times kids go off to college and lose their way. They get sucked into the wrong crowd, start making choices they wouldn't have expected themselves to make, and suddenly their hearts feel closed off to God where they were once soft.

Obviously, college isn't the only time or place where this happens and so this risk is very real for every one of our kids who will step outside our gate in the years just ahead, whether they choose college or otherwise. In a country where Christianity is so rare, they need prayer to sustain them.

Finding Christian friendships is a challenge. Matching with a Christian spouse is even more so. If you are following our journey here and you've started to become familiar with some of the faces and names and stories of our kids, please also pray for them. Pray for their friendships and future relationships.

In the meantime, we will be over here soaking every last month, week, and day we have with Kwan before she launches into her next chapter.

The hole she'll leave behind is hard to think about.