Many have asked what does a day look like here. Well....they are all vastly different but here is a sample of what we see as we work and live here.
School starts at 7:55 AM. The kids love Grace International and their teachers. (Campus in last picture) New campus to be opened Fall 2019
Sometimes as we drive to about we see some things you wouldn't see in America. Yes that is a water buffalo outside the bedroom. Whether it's electricity wires on the poles, cars or items on a truck. If it fits it's all good!
Shopping here is different. Some things cost more some less. We love the choices we have here we don't back home. Lots of great vegetables at our local market (Dtalad Mea Hia) GREAT fresh guava; a little sour but SO good. Clothes washers are common. Finding a store that sells a dryer for under $800 is difficult. It's so hot here dryers are rare. Comfortable beds are quite rare.
We have lot's of the choices from back home but McD's Burger King and Starbucks are the same price here as in America. Whenever possible we eat local Thai food or Ashley cooks at home. Eating out can cost as little as 45 baht ($1.50) or as much as you want to spend. One of our favorites is Khun Off who cooks food for about 40 baht ($1.33) per meal and it is GOOD!
The 4th picture is gooseberries. Kind of like a tomato mated with a grape. SO GOOD! Lots of the bananas here are the little kind with a very thin rind. You can even eat the flower. Banana and Papaya trees are everywhere! 7th picture may be hard to make out but it is pineapple. 8th picture is Jackfruit. Very unique. Last picture we haven't tried yet. I'm tempted to try some of the local flare but just haven't yet.
Ashley and I cannot wait to have our house. We plan to maintain the bananas and mango already planted there and plant our own pineapple bush and papaya and lime trees.
Some things here are not good or bad just different and sometimes very beautiful. Picture 1-4 just some of the many flowers here. So many orchids that grow so very well.
The beauty of the land is an amazing blessing that reminds us of the Lord's beauty. You do have to be a little careful though as scorpions and centipedes are prolific.
Being here requires a few changes to daily life. February through the first rains in mid April we need to wear a mask outdoors or have our air purifiers running indoors. Some days here the PM (particulate matter) can exceed 200 - 300 PM requiring us to wear a mask. One of the ways we were blessed was having enough to buy 5 filter units for the house.
We and the girls love it here. Life continues with new friends,birthday parties and some unique fun.
Between the kids school, church, prayer time, and daily life is our mission of Discipleship within and in addition to our work at HUG project.
Pic 1 - worshipping with many different Christian orgs here. 2-3 working with HUG. 4-11 HUG office. 12-13 The real lesson: our kids and the kids of the community doing life together.