MISSION UPDATE: Under the Weather

We’ve been battling a virus. (No, not that one!) The children love all my natural remedies and vitamins and herbs. (No, I’m not being serious.) Also, none of them are overly dramatic when taking a few drops of oregano oil. Especially not Sky. (Yes, actually, Sky is dramatic to the point that she nearly convinces us every time that she’s dying from the horrible taste.)

But the stuff works and so we’re mean and make them take it. They’ll thank us later. On second thought, they probably won’t.

Not a single one of my adult children have ever thanked me for the many herbal concoctions and treatments I blessed them with. I think they must have forgotten how grateful they were because all they seem to remember is the taste of things like elderberry syrup.

Grudges aren’t healthy and they dampen attitudes of gratitude. Someone tell my kids. :)

But for real, the kids have been battling this bug all week but overall they're doing well. Last night Namwan was ironing her school clothes for the next day and she was telling me she’s happy to be well. She still has a cute, residual cough on occasion but overall she’s much better.

So much better that I’ve begun to teach her how to crochet. She finished preparing for school and then came and asked if she could get her hook and yarn and work at it some more. Her enthusiasm makes my heart leap a little. Yarn should be dispensed for anxiety instead of medications. The only side effect is peace and calm.

I, of course, gave her permission to crochet. And so she sat in the office at my desk and worked those stitches in happy silence. And when bedtime rolled around she proudly came to show me her progress. She’s not actually making anything right now, just practicing chaining and single crochet.

She’s a quick study and I didn’t even have to pretend to be impressed!

In other news, I don’t think I’ve seen a snake (alive) for about a week. I think all the rats that are running around above my bedroom ceiling and in my kitchen must have eaten the snakes.

I’m pretty sure the food chain is supposed to work in reverse but what can I say? The snakes are gone and the rats are large and plentiful. And they’re so gross that I almost want the snakes back instead.

Almost.

What I really want is the snakes to eat the rats and then die of indigestion. But I don’t think that makes me a very good missionary so I’m trying not to wish that. It’s hard.

Robbie keeps taking the kids on hikes and when I see pictures I swallow my heart. All I see are places where snakes are surely lying in wait. Is it possible this reaction is something akin to PTSD? I don’t know but it’s taking me awhile to stop seeing every tall blade of grass or log or tree stump as a hiding spot for a venomous or constricting creature.

Tomorrow the first people arrive for camp meeting. It’s a gathering of fellow missionaries who are positioned around Thailand. We don’t live near to each other and most live in areas where the work sometimes feels lonely. So these camp meetings have been happening every two or three months or so and they’ve been a blessing.

Right now it sounds like we’ll have around 35 guests coming, which puts us over 60 when you factor in our group here. It’ll be fun but the point is to come together to study our Bibles and pray together so each person is encouraged to connect more deeply with Jesus.

The meetings run through Sunday and so the landscape around here is about to be peppered with tents. Good thing the guys here got those extra outdoor bathrooms built.

I’ve offered the use of the pond for bathing many times but nobody gets excited by my ideas. I cannot understand why.

Until next week...