Time for an Update

I've been here in Thailand now for - wow- 16 days already!  It's been an incredibly busy time, and I've given more attention to the Team blog - Highview to Thailand http://highviewtothailand.blogspot.com/-  than my own personal blog.   I'll suggest you go there to get more details about this 2013 Trip and the adventures of the 10 Highviewers who are here for another incredible visit with our Hot Springs kids.

For now, for me, I just want to introduce my new little guy Eg.  These past six years I've had the great privilege of sponsoring Thim, a lovely young lady who will graduate this year and head off to university.  She's here now still, and beautiful and strong and ready to take on the next steps of her emerging adult life.  I'll continue to sponsor her, for sure, as is our option as Sponsors with Asia's Hope.

But last year when Suradet asked if we could add three more children to our Hot Springs family, I agreed to take on one of them.

Here he is.

It's a surreal thing to make the connection.  The language and culture barriers, although SO much less than when I was first getting to know Thim, still make for some shyness for both of us.  I don't want to come on too strong, or be in his space too quickly.  I am after all, a stranger, and an old white lady from Canada to boot.

But...he's so cute!!!  Eight years old but very small.  Looks more like five, really.  However, what he lacks in physical stature he makes up for in spunk.  This little guy is the first to volunteer when I ask for a child to come help me tell a story during devotions time.  He's right in there on the football (soccer) field with all the bigger kids, running like crazy and afraid of nothing.  And his little face is concentrated and joyful when he sings for all he's worth during worship time.

Already I love him.

I do.  It's what happens.

Someone once said, "Love like you won't get hurt."  That's what I'm doing.  And I know it.  These kids are so vulnerable, even now in their rescued state.  They grow up.  They leave home.  Just like here.  And my heart wants to stay connected with Thim, but she's under no obligation whatsoever.  I'm hoping that the fact she calls me 'mother' is a good sign.  Eg is a fair bit aways from that yet.

Five spaces are opening up at Hot Springs.  One child most probably already has a Sponsor, I just have to confirm.  But there are four more faces, just like Eg's.  For more lives.  For more children who will receive a roof over their heads, nutritious meals every day, an education, an identity, some dignity.  Four more children who are waiting to be adopted into this incredible family.

If you want to be part of the love, you can email me at rabreithaupt@buildingbiggerhearts.ca.  I'd love to tell Suradet, before I leave on April 4th, that all five children are spoken for.

Cleared for Take Off!

The doctor gave me the green light today.  I'm on my way with our fantastic Team, heading to Thailand to visit our beautiful Thai family at Hot Springs.

Down to the wire, this was.  Glad for this, oh so glad!  I believe something good is about to happen, something important. 

Thanks for all the support and love and prayers.  Will keep you posted.

7 mm of Uncertainty

My ticket says I'm to get on a plane around lunch time on Tuesday and fly away to Thailand.

A 7 mm kidney stone that decided to 'journey to the light' starting last Thursday says, "We'll see about that."

After 15 months of completely symptom-free living with the diagnosis of kidney stones, and a mere 10 days before my next trip to Hot Springs, things have gotten dicey.  There's a Team of 10 of us from Highview all set to visit our Thai family and to partner with them in running an ESL Day Camp for neighbouring children.  We've be working hard for months.  We're basically all packed already.  Supplies are gathered and purchased.  Lessons are set to go.  Hearts are ready to both give and receive.  There's a mere three days until departure as I write this.

But when last seen via ultrasound last Monday, a 7 mm stone had not yet made its way all the way.  And due to the time it takes reports to get to a specialist and the rather demanding schedule of a specialist, I can't get in to see the specialist until the day before.  I'm not kidding.  The day before I'm set to lead a Team half way around the world is the day I'll know if I'm clear to fly - or not.

This presses every first-born-female, Type A, anal and structured button in me.  And believe me, I have a lot of those.   A last-minute, seat-of-your-pants decision on something like THIS?  Come on!  Yes, I have mellowed over the years.  Ministry and children and age and grandchildren and reality will do that to you.  But, come on!

And yet.

It occurs to me that I mean it when I sing those songs of utter surrender in church.  I'm very sure I mean it when I pray those Mary prayers of being His maidservant and letting it be unto me as He has said, in private.  I know that I mean it when I raise that white flag, and lay my palms upward, and step aside to get out of His way figuratively and actually.

I do.  Belong to Him.  I. Am.  His.

And I mean it.

So there's no wailing to be done here.  No questioning.  No begging.  Yes, I've been prayed over and I'm praying even now that the stone will be gone and I'll be released to do this unbelievably fabulous thing I get to do each year with these heroes that somehow call me friend.  I've 'let my requests be known' to the Father Healer.  I've laid out the desires of my heart to Yahweh, just like He asked me to.

But I'm not demanding.  I'm not freaking.  Instead I find myself in a new place of resting.  I think, I think I actually do trust Him on this.  Go or not go.  Even this, as important as it is to me.  It's up to Him.

Don't like the not knowing.  Don't like that 7 mm is causing all this uncertainty.  Don't like putting the Team in this place.

But God's got this.

So...my part right now is to drink and pee, pack and wait.

So will you hear from me next in Thailand?  I'll keep you posted.