ขอให้เดินทางโดยสวัสดิภาพ (Bon Voyage)!
Two Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked on my door this morning. I was in the midst of scrambling to pack for the trip when I answered the door. They launched into a spiel about how wealth is not important to the kingdom of God (“Was Jesus rich? No!”). Under ordinary circumstances I would have been quite annoyed. They’ve visited me before, and I’ve always been polite but very firmly expressed that I’m not interested and don’t appreciate the interruption. This morning though, I listened, and then I told them about the trip I was about to embark on. I asked them if they had any advice for what to say to these children in an orphanage in a tiny village outside Chiang Saen, Thailand, who have been through so much, and have such limited hope. They gave me some ideas and left me with a book about ministering to children.
I don’t think I’ll become a Jehovah’s Witness anytime soon, nor do I think I’ll “minister” to these children in the way that my visitors would have wished, but I do feel that I’ve gained some insight… found some value in the things they had to say to me.
All day I’ve been trying to gauge how I feel about this trip. We are heading into the unknown… not in a sinister or (so I’m told!) dangerous way. Rather, we just don’t know what we’ll find. I don’t know know if we’ll find tragedy or hope. I expect a combination of both, I just don’t know the ratio. Am I excited? Thrilled? Apprehensive? Tired?
After some thought, I realized that’s all just noise.
I’m simply open. That’s the best way I can say it. I’m open to what comes. I’m open to feeling and to learning, and if possible, to helping.
Will update if I can, but I don’t know (are you sensing a theme here?) if there’s going to be internet access in the north.
Safe travels to us and to you, wherever you’re going!
Signing off.
HUGS!! LOVE YOU!!!
