Mortars!

Today for the first time since arriving in Thailand I was afraid. The house was rather chaotic with many things going on: we had a visiting dentist who lives 7 months in Cambodia and 5 months in Sweden, who came to donate her time checking all the children’s teeth. What a blessing. Many teeth were pulled, cleaned and filled. Because of the dentist was set-up on the porch part of the children were waiting in the house for their turn, that was noisy. There were several of us in the kitchen preparing lunch and we were noisy. 

Moa Wah, Ju Ju, Saw Que Lay & Nihgeh

The babies; Ju Ju (18 months), Nihgeh (18 months), Moa Wah (3 y/o) and Saw Que Lay (5 y/o), were playing and they were noisy. Will was outside working on the table project he has been working on right outside the kitchen windows and running the skill saw he was noisy. But above all the noise that was being produced at the house, a much louder noise began to be heard...loud land mines! 

Not only were the land mines going off in a sickening way, but then the big guns... missles, started going off. Instantly, most of the children disappeared to go pack and get ready to flee if necessary. That is what they always had to do while living in Burma, when the eneny came in, they ran for their lives. The only thing that was really heard after the fighting started just across the river was Ju Ju screaming, with her little chin just quivering in fear. I picked her up and held her to my chest snuggly, giving her some warm security which instantly calmed her. The loud, big guns only fired for about 10 minutes or so, not long, but long enough for me to know I didn’t want it any closer to home. Even as it was, it was uncomfortably close. The teachers had the students all go down to the school which has more protection than were the Adams house sits, since it is up above the school with only a slight hill hiding it from the direction the gun fire was happening. All this was happening on a mountain that we can plainly see.  

I have never been so close to a battle before. It is very sobering, especially when you realize people are getting killed while you are listening. Apparently, from what we have heard in the last week several different soilders not sure about others, have been killed by land mines and possibly gun fire. There is a battle raging and both sides are wanting to win, even though many will die in the process. This battle is for keeps and there is no mercy for those who run to slow or are in the wrong place and the wrong time.

How similar this situation is to the battle that is going on right now for our souls. It is also for keeps. Satan will do anything to keep us out of heaven and out of a relationship with Jesus and Jesus will do anything to protect us so if we choose to serve and love Him that we will not be left standing outside those heavenly gates. 

Getting Sick

Amazingly, I have done really well, as far as staying well during our time here in Thailand. I was ill and down for 1/2 a day with a fever and cough, but was then able to carry on with the various tasks I needed to do even though I still had a cough for a week or so. But now when I need my voice more than at any other time, I am loosing it! I began feeling a sore throat a couple days ago and began treating it with all the arsonal of fighting herbs we brought with us, but unfortunately, I’m afraid I’m loosing the battle. This coming Sabbath evening I am scheduled to present the Truth 4 Youth talk on Health and had some ideas on some different demo’s and ways of helping the young people catch the importance of wanting to live as Daniel did. Also, I was asked to be the narrator for the promotional DVD that is being filmed this week here at Sunshine Orchard to help bring awareness on the critical need we have in raising funds. 

These funds are the money needed to pay the first 1/2 of the total sum which would allow us to actually occupy the property we have been praying about across the road from the already owned 6 acre piece. Once we can occupy we can begin to building and complete the various projects that need to be completed before the new year begins. This new year will be quite different from previous years with the beginning implementation of the vocational training program and all that that will entail. The deadline for this first 1/2 of the total is due next month! We believe God will supply as he has promised in II Corinthians 9:8, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” NLT

Will, teaching Chai Htoo in word working

So why am I getting sick right at this very time when I need my voice more than ever? Maybe the young man who is volunteering here for the past 2 months who is very health conscious, is better suited to present since he is still a “youth”, where I am only a youth want to be. I have always loved to work on helping myself and my family be healthier, and I love teaching it is so much fun to help people understand something they never understood before. But I am not young anymore, younger ones will probably have more influence over what is presented then someone my age! I know there are others who can narrate the DVD. I was very excited to be able to do something behind the scenes and yet be a blessing, but I’m not that good with words so others who are better can take it and make it more descriptive. So I have had to give both of these looked forward to things to the Lord and know that if I broke health principles in any way that illness is only a consquence. If it is because I have gotten overly tired then it is time for me to rest so I can get well. All in all, I am hoping that I don’t start feeling really bad, but that I will just have a softer voice for awhile.

I had just recently begun to make a habit of drinking much more water than what I had previously and to walk every morning after morning worship. Miles goes with me at times which I really enjoy, as it gives us a chance to connect and talk. Even though we live just a few huts apart, we see very little of each other with our busy schedules. But if Miles can’t go I usually just go myself. I try to walk to the next little village north of us Mae Salit Noi, a bamboo village on the Thai side of the border river. I don’t always make it that far though. 

Girls waiting for their tea

One would think that since I am drinking more water and walking consistanlty that I would be healthier, but I have been taking care of many sick little girls every morning and night. The Nafie girls gather these little coughing ones and brings them to the Adams house where I have been making various blends of herbal teas to which I add, lime juice (we are located in a lime orchard so no shortage of limes), fresh garlic and vitamin C powder. First one of us distributes a few pills, such as garlic, grape fruit seed extract and olive leaf. Then they are given their tea which we water down a bit to get more water into them (the Karen do not like to drink water. Some beileve that it is unhealthy and even bad for them.), then someone gives them a drop of Oil of Oreganol  and finally they get 1/2 a dropper of children’s echinacha/golden seal. We have already run out of the vitamin C tablets that we brought, but I’ve been filling in with vitamin C powder we brought along. I hope we have enough to get these 15 or 16 little girls well and sleeping through the night again before we run out of what we are using and before we leave. 

Jennison giving Jaw Day Paw Oil of Organo Drops

I think the girls think it is quite an adventure drinking all this bitter herbs and taking all these strange “medicines”, but they do it and seem to find it overall quite amusing. I really appreciate Marianne and Jennison bringing them up morning and night and helping to dispense what we give them. Lexi helps each time too, and Laren and Anna have both helped at times to squeeze the limes. Josiah and Davis go lime hunting as we need to resupply. It takes quite a team to keep these little ones well or return them to health. It is such a joy to be a part of this work. I am really hoping to take care of my ankle issue and see how God leads us in the future. There is so much work to do throughout the world, lonely people, sick ones, anxious ones, fatherless children, divorced children, etc, etc. I know many love vists, encouragment, to be prayed with or just knowing they have someone they can call on. It doesn’t matter where God has us just that we are faithful where we are. 

Hope you are staying healthy where you are and that you are a warm spot of encouragement and cheer to those around you where ever you are and wherever you go. 

The Garden

The gardeners hut is barely seen on the L of picture

How the garden looked after the first weeks of "gardening"

I think if I had time exposure on the garden we would be able to literally "see" the garden growing! It is looking so beautiful and expanding so quickly! A beautiful miracle from God in deed.

The garden at the end of January

There are actually two parts to the garden right now. One garden is on the South side of the school and the other, larger garden is to the North-NE. It is this second garden that is growing so quickly and that is only because it is in a location that there is space to expand....well, let me explain. 

We have outgrown the 6 acre piece that Paul and Lena bought with the last of their retirement money over a year ago now. It has been a spot where they have been able to build the girls and boys dorms, bathrooms, learning center, teacher and staff housing and where the chapel building was already located; in and among the lime trees in the orchard. Not an ideal situation, but it has worked and allowed the children to have a home where it is fairly safe, much safer than where they were, for sure. 

Looking at the Gardeners hut across part of the garden

As they have outgrown their space, they needed somewhere to start the gardens and to place some of the volunteer housing. They talked with a man from the forest service and found out that if they paid a fee, they would be allowed to use some of the forest service land. Kind of like a lease, but I am unsure if there was any time limit established during this transaction. So in order to begin the gardens that is needed to help, not only to feed the children, but also to give the children a good way to have healthy practical physical recreation, land or space was needed. 

Laren and the Gardener

Watering with watering cans

Before we arrived the gardener, a quiet older man, began making beds 

and planting the garden in this mentioned location. Once we came, Laren met with those at the school that are especially interested in gardening made some plans on expanding, composting, mulching and what seeds to start planting. Then the garden really took 

off! Every morning from 7:00am - 8:00am and then from 3:00pm-4:00pm, (There is also a watering team that goes out from 

Some of the little boys doing their part with the watering!

12:00-1:00pm to water again as we are in the dry season right now). The children are out there clearing land, watering with watering cans, hoeing, harvesting and composting the garden.  It goes so quickly with so many willing and eager hands helping to make it happen. If you were to walk along the creek from the Adams house to the foot bridge, you would hear laughing, singing, talking and hoes or rakes in all different degrees of volume. 

Water gourd w/plants benefitting underneath

Some of the things that have been planted are: water gourd (they eat the gourd when it is mature plus the greens now), morning glory, several kinds of water melon, several kinds of musk melon and banana melon, tomatoes, yard long beans, radish, mustard greens, pumpkin (but we would call it winter squash), eggplant and basil. They are also preparing a place for papaya trees and a banana grove. To bad we couldn't be here until each of these will be harvested. But some plant and some harvest; guess we are the planters in more than one sense.

The new water lines

After the "fee" had been paid, it was found out that this "fee" probably was nothing more than a bribe. It makes our stomach sink, just thinking about it. So we are using this land that a forest service man said we could use, but really the three little huts that have been built on it should not have been built there. Despite all the land issues, the garden in this area is growing wonderfully!

There are water lines being laid to bring water from farther up the mountain down to the garden for easier watering ability and better pressure. The compost has been brought in by the 50# sized bags by the hundreds with the willing muscles of the big boys, who collect it, bag it, and then haul it to the truck and from the truck to the garden, Miles, Laren and some of the teachers of the school. It is a 

Cleaning the picked greens for the cook

Water buffalo compost waiting to be added to the garden

dirty job, but to build up the soil it must be done. Trellis's have been built for the gourds and tomato garden areas. Bamboo poles have been placed for the beans and taking advantage of the shade that the 

water gourd relies provides plants have been planted underneath the canopy it provides. Good honest work that makes a healthy, beautiful garden, but it isn't land we can use like we would like, but such a blessing as we wait for God's 

timing on the property across the road from where the gardens are located currently.

Many hands make lighter work!

We are looking forward to doing all this again on Sunshine Orchard's legally owned land that needs to be purchased as soon as possible. Please keep this specific prayer request in mind as you bring your praises and burdens to the Lord. I recently updated a previous blog about 

the property that the down payment has been put on. Please refer to it for more info and to see the pictures that speak much better than my words. 

Our school cook Mu Dah is using these greens daily now!

Proverbs 22:9 “Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.” There are poor people all over this planet, and these are some of them that are not only poor in this world's goods but do not even have a safe place to live without fear of stepping on a land mine or 

being destroyed by those that hate them. Please 

pass on any of these blogs to anyone you think would like to have a part in purchasing this land and praying about it. Thank you and may the Lord bless you as you serve Him.

What To Do About Rats?

The front view of our "home", here at Sunshine Orchard

As you can imagine those of us that live in the little bamboo huts have other creatures that would like to call it home such as geckos, lizards, termites, spiders, rats and the occasional snake or scorpion. I do not believe God intended us to live with these creatures after sin like this. Studies even show the dangers and risks of contracting diseases when rats, dogs and cats live inside of our homes. Although we use to have a dog and 2 cats inside our home, after finding out Miles was very asthmatic and that having pets inside was contibuting to the problem, we gave our cat away to another family who loved her and who wanted her inside, and we had lost our inside dog several years earlier and decided to not start that over again. Miles’ lungs greatly improved without the cat dander around, although we still had cats outside, that didn’t bother him. Well, none of us like menagerie of living things that comes uninvited into our hut. We haven’t known of a snake or scorpion to come in yet which I am very grateful, but we do have at least 2 rats that frequently come in, yuk!  

Thurston & Eugene dreaming of catching the big rat!

I have known people that are petrified of mice/rats, going into screaming extremes from fear. I’m not that way, I’m just not a screamer, but I do NOT like mice or rats in my house. In fact, trying to get rid of them is a goal of mine. Some missionaries who just recently left Thailand gave their 2 cats to the Adams since they could not take them back to America with them. We didn’t want to poison the rats because of the cats. Paul said he would get some live traps, but they have been gone and unable to obtain them yet. I thought, what is better rats or cats. Well, I definitely vote for cats. So Laren went up and “kidnapped” one of the cats (not sure if it was Thurston or Eugene), and brought him down to our hut. He was as happy as could be to be here with us. He was purring, wanting to cuddle and sleep with anyone of us. That of course would not work since we are all in our mosquitoe “tents”. How would he get to the rats when they came if he was zipped in? Besides, it wouldn’t be to healthy to cuddle up with him either. 

He stayed down the whole night and all the next day, but after that he would rather go up to the house were he got more attention as more people are always around there than at our place. I don’t think he got either of the rats, but it was comforting having him here even though it was brief. 

Looking out the master bedroom window

One day Laren and Davis came into our hut to do something in the middle of the day. Guess what they found? At the time Davis was getting over his illness and so was still blowing his nose quite frequently, sometimes with quite a little mound of used toilet paper before he would throw it into the trash due to the zipping and unzipping of his tent. Well, one morning he did not take care of his dirty tissues leaving them in his tent. It was that morning that he and Laren came into the hut. There in Davis’ tent was a big, ugly rat which had chewed his way into his tent and now was trapped inside, running around trying to figure out how to get out. He was after those dirty tissues!

Wow! There are a lot of lessons one could learn from this story. The first one is keeping our room, tent, or house clean is very important! Just as it is important to keep ones mind clean from evil thoughts, or unhealthy conversation where the “rats” would come in and chew holes. Or, cats (or put anything here that may be distracting from the most important parts of life for you), are wonderful pets, but do they pull their weight contributing to the overall scheme of things or are they just a “want”, something fun to have around, but an extra? Do I have things in my life that are just “wants, fun, comforting or extra”, that are keeping me from doing what God has for me to do or to believe? Or is that thing, whatever it is just comforting but not made of any real substance? I'm afraid as I begin to really ponder these thoughts, I will find those things that are time consuming, but not life enriching. But that is a good thing; to learn and to grow, even if sometimes painful! God bless as we search out those useless things in our lives for Him.

An Unexpected, Negative Break Through

Ever had an unexpected break through? Maybe you finally understood how to  _???? that you never could understand before.Or you could finally relate to a person that you had been having trouble connecting with and now you finally could, or it could be any number of things. Well, that is not the kind of “break through” this is refering to. This is refering to the time not so very long ago when I was getting up to head to the outhouse on one of my, all to common trips, in the middle of the night, to go to the bathroom, and it was a little more, shall I say, eventful, than normal. Before I get out of our mosquito net, I try to always use my head light to check the floor for any unwanted “pests” that might have found a spot to sit as they are traveling around our hut, such as a snake, rat or scorpion, before I step down. Nothing noted, which I was thankful for, I then grabbed my toilet paper roll and my glasses and I was off. I opened our “door” and stepped down onto the little porch like step made of bamboo that we use to get in and out of our hut. It is made of about 9-2” inch in diameter bamboo poles laid length ways about 10 feet long. One of the bamboo poles tends to bow upward and it is a bit uncomfortable to step on since it is only about 2” wide and can put quite a bit of pressure on your foot since it is not supporting a very big area, so I try to avoid that particular pole when stepping in or out of our hut. It is quite a big step from out of our hut to this step and then again to the ground so you can build up a pretty good momentum by the time you transfer your weight from one surface to the other. 

Our step after I broke the bamboo pole.

So as I was heading to the outhouse bathroom, and because I had to go quite badly and was rushing, I dropped my weight down to take this step and the next thing I knew I had fallen noisily onto this step because my left foot was caught in one of the bamboo poles that has deteriated from age but it is not so rotten that it just breaks, it brakes but pinches my foot in it’s grip. 

The broken pole right in the middle of the others.

First, I checked to see if I woke anyone up with my loud crash. No one seemed disturbed that I can see or hear.  The closest hut to ours on that side is Thra Da Boo’s hut with his wife who is expecting. No sound came from their home, I was glad. Didn’t bother anyone in our hut either, so that was good. Then I had to figure out how to release my foot. It was quite painful so I was hopng I hadn’t cut it. Just that day, one of the students along with quite a few of the big boys, Miles, Laren and some teachers were up on the mountain cutting bamboo for a new hut when one of the bamboo poles came crashing down, deeply cutting under his big toe. We still aren’t sure how it cut underneath his toe but it did. Thankfully, Gayle was here and put in 5 or 6 stitches after Miles, finally, with a lot of time, got the toe to stop bleeding. So that was fresh in my mind as I tried to figure out how to release my foot and get it out. 

The cut toe

Once I got up on my knees, I was able to sort of pull the bamboo apart and got my foot out. Then, finally I could finish my journey to the bathroom. My foot was scraped a little but not cut which I was very thankful for. But it was and still is quite sore. It was swollen and now is turning a purple

color. But no snakes, rats or scorpions were seen going 

going either direction, which made me happy. But we all have to be extra careful when we go in or out of our hut because of the broken pole which hasn’t yet been replace. 

Micah assisting his mom, Gayle, suturing the toe.

There is always a lesson we can learn in everything we experience and this is no exception. We must be careful where we walk. We depend on whatever we step on to hold us up and bear our weight. I trusted the bamboo step to hold me, but just one out of the 9 poles was rotten and I still came crashing down. We each need to be careful where we step or who we depend on, because it probably isn’t as it appears. Jesus promises to carry us, to protect us “lest we dash our foot against a stone”, He will never let you down! But we need to make sure we are stepping where He has trod, following in His footsteps every step of the way so we do not fall through rotten 

bamboo poles, step on a scorpion or even set off a land mine. Bad things could and will happen, as we have been promised. If we walk where He walked working through Him, He promises to hold us and carry us through whatever situation the results of the sin of this world takes us through. He promises and I believe Him. How about you?

Gayle, working on the "porch clinic"

Thara Sub Let, encouraging the student and blocking his vision during suturing.

Alert: Prayer's Needed

Singing during evening worship

I love to hear the children sing during worship time. Worships happen at 6:00 both AM and PM. When it is time to sing they can really make their voices ring. It just makes me smile when I hear their love for singing and hear them putting all of themselves into it. What is so amazing is they are singing about a loving God, a King, a wonderful forgiver of sins, etc, and for so many it is all a new and different concept. 95% +  of the students, (I do not know the exact statistic), are Buddhist & Animists not Christians at all, never been around any people that were Christian. 

A group of children doing a special song for worship

Registering students with Thara Sub Let's valuable help

I have been registering all the students to keep the records up to date and have a system to assist in helping to keep us organized. One of the older boys, a new student this school year, was telling Thara Sum Blet, my translator, that he does not know how to pray. He gets asked to pray at worships and after many times of refusing finally prayed but he did not know when he was suppose to stop. Sabbath, the same thing happened. It was time to have prayer during the church service and the leader asked how many needed help to pray, 17 hands went up and this group of children met with one of the teachers who helped them through the process and understanding of who they were praying to and how it is done. Please pray for these children, they really are precious, each one of them, and each one was died for and is longed for in Heaven. 

Sometimes it seems so chaotic, and disorganized, not enough help, teachers not showing up for days at a time so therefore the students have no teacher for that particular class or classes, students needing serious medical care ie. surgeries and tests, vocational training program teachers, a plan and space, and so on. But despite all the inadequacies God still can reach the hearts. He can work in the most confusing and frustrating situations. Although there are always the results of when we did not do our part when we were supose to do it with the resulting consequences. I know there are many lost opportunities that do not happen because of our slowness or stubborness or whatever, preventing us from going forward in God’s timing. I am thankful God can reach Buddhist children’s hearts right here while they are singing out praises to the God of the universe that they still do not know or understand. But He is wooing their hearts and making them want to know more so they can make a decision to follow and know Him.

One of the many temples in this land

As I worked through (I am still not even half way through), the registration process, I wrote down many children’s desires for the direction they want their lives to go, like: village Doctors or traveling Doctors to many villages, nurses, teachers, soldiers to protect their people and to become better helpers for their parents. I wish we could find sponsers for these students who really want to go on so that they can then turn around and help their own people during this difficult war torn time. Please let me know if any of you who read this blog have ideas or suggestions to go about making this happen.

One of the volunteers here from Canada, a very kind and helpful young man of 24 years, got me moving about getting the Truth 4 Youth and the health presentation programs we brought started soon. As I was going through them I realized I needed to copy off the script so we could prepare to present the programs. We thought we were going to go to town tomorrow to get that done, but found out it is Chinese New Year 2255 tomorrow, so guess we won’t be going tomorrow, but that is something to get done right away so we can begin these programs and help these young people learn more about the Bible and God. Please keep this specifically in your prayers as we prepare and then as the Truth 4 Youth and Health programs are presented. It will not happen without spiritual war. We need prayer to protect us and all who will be or should be listening and watching and the translators who will be putting into their own language. I will keep you posted as I can with the intermittent internet we get here.

Praying or sleeping which am I doing?

Two new volunteers arrived recently from Southern College. They are sisters and are real sweet, and a bit shy. I am looking forward to getting to know them better. Maria and Jabez are now down at the Sharons to do Karen language study. Emily Adams does the cooking for our 2 meals, one at 8:00 AM and the other at 1:30 PM. It is very delicious food, she does a good job making tasty things for us to eat out of very simple ingredients. When Lexi is around she assists Emily both with cooking and helping with the orphans living at the house. I hope Lexi learns how to cook Karen style so she can make some of these same dishes when we go home. Maybe we will get to cook for you sometime! 

Thanks again for your earnest prayers on behalf of the Truth 4 Youth meetings, the students, the teachers, the help needed to begin the vocational training program, for wisdom and Godliness among all who are working with the Karen people group and for the strength needed to go through all the “fires” and “polishing” that God puts His people through that they may be found “without blemish”, at His soon return! 

Adjusting

It is so disappointing that internet is so difficult here. I have gone down 2x this week (2 weeks ago now), to add to our blog but both times was met with difficulty being unable to post, plus I lost a whole blog! But I will continue to write and will post as I am able. 

Our Home at Sunshine Orchard 

Our first week has gone amazingingly slow. I suppose it was because there was so much adjusting to do. We had to adjust to the heat, a new living arrangement, living in a bamboo hut, new house pests (not guests), bathing, laundry and bathroom adjustments, new people, a new language and ways of communicating, new food, etc, etc. I know it will speed up especially as the time goes and we still have so much to do and get into place before we leave.

This past week, each one of us in the family has made new friends, except Lexi. She is so enjoying baby Jabez that she isn’t really interested in getting acquainted with any new girls. I am encouraging her to reach out and not let language limitations or her love for babies interfere. Plus she has been quite busy helping Emily in the kitchen cooking for us Gulah Wahs (white people), and helping take care of the 

Emily preping a delicious lunch for us to eat!

The Pantry

4 little orphans that live with the Adams in their 600 sq foot house.

My first two  friends are named Jaw Day Paw and Ei Ei Tway. Jaw Day Paw is 11 y/o and Ei Ei Tway is 9 y/o as best we can 


estimate. None or very few of the children know what year, month or day they were born. They may say, my birthday is during the rice harvest, (that is difficult in itself, as there are several rice harvests per year!), or during the water festival (in April) or they just add a year to their age each time they begin a new school year. One girl is named July Paw, and she is actually born in July, but doesn’t know what year. During 

My Friends Ei Ei Tway & Jaw Day Paw

the whole first week of taking my baths and doing my laundry, Jaw Day Paw somehow always saw me going as I headed off to the little spot in the creek where I usually go for such duties and here she would come, jumping right in and helping wash or rinse my clothes, or carrying my tub with all my laundry in it. She speaks next to no English and I speak no Karen. So we smile and communicate with hand motions as best we can. She is a very sweet and helpful girl, quite serious. I don't know her whole story, but I have heard she has had an abusive home where she had to work hard. Ei Ei Tway on the other hand finds everything funny. Everything! She giggles how I wash my hair, or when she and Jaw Day Paw are wringing out one of my skirts, or when Jaw Day Pay tells her to do something useful. She is a happy child. I know nothing about her except this is her first year here at the school and both girls are from Buddhist-animist homes. Please pray for both of these girls that they learn and grow in this safer environment and will learn to love and follow Jesus with the hope of eternal life that Buddhism does not give.

Thara Sub Let - A Prior Principal

Miles has made lots of friends, especially with the teachers. Thara Da Boo and Thara Sub Let who are true teachers, teaching him things like how to tie his lungee, (skirt), correctly, and teaching him the Karen language. Miles has been rooming with Micah Habercam and Thara Sub Let in an older 3 room hut (small rooms), so each have their own room and actually one of the “rooms” is the big covered porch where Sub Let sleeps as he is usually only here on weekends. The rest of the week he is gone for Thai language study. He is a really sweet young man. He used to be the principle here at the school, but he is now working with Thara Moo Gayle when he is not here on weekends or doing language study. Please pray that more Godly, children loving, teachers will be found to teach here at the school. It is very needed! 

Davis next to his friend Ehka Hoo

Davis has a whole group of little friends that he enjoys being with despite the fact they do not comunicate much in words, more with hand motions and laughing since neither group can use much of the other persons language. They can certainly do little boy things together and they love doing that. Everyone here in Thailand loves his hair. He got tired of everyone touching him all the time, strangers on the street or going to the market, but he has been a trouper and just smiles knowing he is a facination to them. I asked him what the names of his friends were, but he didn’t know. Why let something so mundane as a name slow a person down. Names are not his thing, that is for sure. I did find out that one of the friends he enjoys being with the most is around 10 years old (we think), and his name is Ehka Hoo. He is much smaller than Davis, which you would expect if you often did not have enough food while you were growing up and what you did have was mostly white rice, and you had to run whenever the enemy came to try to destroy you and your village. But like most of the people here, it is a way of life, and he does not let it get him down. He is always cheerful and enjoying the life he is now living here at Sunshine Orchard.

I think back on my 2 years that I was teaching on Pohnpei back in the mid 1980’s. At that time there were 400 students from K - 12 grades with the majority of the teachers being college students, 13 of us SM's along with 3 national teachers. Jack and Betty Penner were the Principal and Office Secretary/Nurse/Hair Cutter and Mother away from home. They were both wonderful and did a great job leading and making something of that school. It was the best school on the island. That meant we had all the children from the King's family, the government officials and foreigners enrolled at our school. If any of us were sick or had to be away for any reason we found someone to substitute or we didn’t get sick. There was school when scheduled. It was a calm peaceful place, and I say that meaning there was consistency and accountablility in the leadership. It was only a day school so weekends we had off as far as being around the school students, except those we went to church with. I believe but do not remember for sure, and if anyone knows differently, please let me know, the students did pay a small amount to go to our school, which helped the budget of the school and put value on what they were getting. Although I know there were some very poor students, so not sure how all that worked.

There are lots of similarities, but a lot of differences between the school back then and this school here now. The Adams do not have education or administrative training to lean on, neither did the Penners; It was a day school, this school is a boarding school plus orphanage so that adds much more complexity to the dynamics. Both Adams and Penners put much of their own money into making their school happen, with Penners building a beautiful grade and high school facility with large outdoor gym and Adams working toward that end. There  was much training to improve healthy lifestyle and living by God’s standards and I know that is desired here also, etc, etc. This school is made up of students that have so little and no 

Lexi washing her clothes 

where to go that is safe, which is different from the school in the ‘80‘s. I see lots of things I hope will happen here, but first a system and the much needed help such as additional staff, teachers and builders, besides all the prayer that each of you participates in, which makes such a difference. Thank you! 

                                                                                      

Lexi and Davis' Mosquito Tents in our Hut

This first week, has had a learning curve to it. We have been learning to adjust to the local way of doing things and trying to learn and uphold all the cultural ways of doing those things without offending. What a blessing to be able to see and be a part of another culture and see the different perspectives that come with it. I think it makes one more knowledgable and understanding to how to work with people in general when a person has had these various opportunities while in another culture; seeing things from a different perspective. I am so glad God knows each person in every 


country around the whole world and doesn't need to adjust!