Busy days

As we reach the middle of the week life continues to come at us more rapidly. The team split up on Tuesday which worked out pretty well. The newbies made it home in one piece, with a few things from Laos in hand, and having a greater appreciation for why Eden House exists. The newbies got to meet Ampon, one of the older girls who left Eden House and moved back home on the village trip so that was coll for them.

We ate dinner here at the Mantrini last night (the hotel we are staying in) and were treated to quite possibly the best meal that many of us have had in years. To up the bar even farther, the family who owns the Mantrini, gifted the entire meal to us. Jenny and Pat run the hotel for their mother and father who are all friends of Vern and Audrey's. During dinner last night, Jenny and Pat hung around with us, and then mom and dad arrived and through all the formal polite and gracious processes that Thai's naturally operate in, let us know that it was their anniversary that day and because of that they wanted to make our day special by gifting us our very lavish meal. For those who had participated last year you know what a treat the banana coconut chicken curry was, and we asked for it special this year when we thought we were going to be paying for the meal. As we told them how much we loved the food, we also told Jenny we wished that we could just hang out in the kitchen and watch the cook prepare the meal and get pointers on trying to make it back here in the states. Next thing we knew, Pat had arranged with Erik (one of our team members) to had their italian trained cook provide lessons for several of us on Friday night. WOOO HOOOO!!!!!! Maybe if you are really super nice one of the team members might make you something for dinner when we come home... there is so much more to this story but it is so late I need to get to other things.

Today (Wednesday) we started at around 7AM. We left the hotel and caught up with the kids and staff and headed toward Doi Tung (the king's mothers house, gardens and commemorative hall). She was a huge help to the hilltribe people, specifically the Akha and we saw quite of few things from her life. The gardens were absolutely gorgeous. Imagine Buchart Gardens only in a tropical mountain paradise. It was incredible, and this coming from a person who has put Audrey off for 3 years on doing this activity. We all got a little bit of sun, some got a little bit more than others and turned sii deng (red). The team decided to grab some pineapple from a roadside vendor with the warning from me that they will never want to eat pineapple from home again... I believe that I was correct. Mango's, pinapple, gnots, mangosteens, dragon fruit, papaya... once you eat them here, everything back home tastes like a cheap knockoff. It might do the job, but it leaves you feeling unsatisfied.

Tomorrow is going to be a VERY long day. We are going to Doi Wa Wee, a village 2 hours away and up some very treacherous, bumpy, dirty, and dusty roads. We are going to be painting a church, doing a health clinic on lice and another on teeth cleaning, playing games with 30 or so kids 10 and under and working on some crafts with the ladies in the village. We will be there all day, return home to get showered, eat and head to the night bazaar. We may not write at all tomorrow, but not because we don't want too, only because we won't have time or are completely exhausted.

Please pray for us that our travel will be safe, that our time in the village with be helpful to the people there, that we would be a blessing to the pastor we are working with, and that our team would stay healthy. The village brings more health risks of water borne illnesses, and while we have taken precautions, several of our team members have been working through intestinal issues with the safe food we have been eating. Don't worry mom's it isn't any of the kids. Please also pray for strength. We are getting into the beginning of the end and we are all getting pretty worn out. This trip will only push that envelope farther.

We are going to be leaving here at 5PM your time back home and traveling until about 7PM, working from 7PM to 12AM and then traveling back home. If you could pray for us this evening, or even today prior to our trip as we are asleep that God would supernaturally give us added rest and energy for tomorrow.

We love you all and look forward to sharing more soon!

Steve

Another great trip to Eden House

We are having an incredibly wonderful time in Thailand. This is my second trip to Eden House, and I came here with high expectations, but things are going even better than I anticipated. Everybody is bonding really well with the girls, and our team is really committed to supporting one another and the Eden House ministry during the entire trip.

Today is a "split day" for our team. The seven rookie members are traveling into the northern villages and to the Golden Triangle with Vern, and the remaining fifteen team members are at Eden House with Audrey and the rest of the girls and staff. The girls have completed an art craft activity, and we just finished a scavenger hunt. We worshipped with the girls in the morning, a little before a wonderful noodle, spinach and chicken lunch at Eden House.

Yesterday was a fun day for me. We played a game of soccer in the afternoon. I think we had about 20 people in the game, and seven-year-old Nonticha was the star. She is fearless, fast, and a joy to be with. I wish I had her energy.

Thank you for your prayers.

Mark

hello to everybody back in the states! hope this blog finds you all doing well. this is my second trip back to thailand and it has been great. we just finished up doing a scavenger hunt put on by jill and it is hot!! we have had a great week being here with the girls. god has blessed us with days that have ran smooth without issues.
being here really puts life into such a perspective. i love these girls here and everybody at eden house. the culture over here is so interesting and different. these girls have such intense stories, it is so clear that god's hand is at work here in thailand. on my first trip here it was a little hard for me to learn where the girls have come from and what they have been through. this trip has been a lot of just sitting back and getting to know the girls, their thoughts and their dreams. they are truly amazing, doing every craft above and way beyond epectations, they take artistic to a whole new level! the girls are so talented and loving, it's really cool to see how they have become more comfortable here with us since my trip back in 2006.
i'm so blessed to live in a wonderful country, for a awesome family, and for oppurtunities like this! glory be to god in the hightest place, he is doing amazing things here. hello to my dad, ton, bran, cam , lex, eric and grandpa. i love you guys so much and continue to pray god will do wonderful work in your life, like he has in mine on this trip. miss you!
aleah schwindt

Early Evening

It is evening now and we are just finished with dinner. This is one of my most favorite times at Eden House. It is not so hot, the sun is low, and so the girls like to go outside and play. We all take walks down the driveway, play volleyball, frisbee, and badmitton.
A small group of us took a field trip to Baandu market today, which is always amusing. Raw meat sits out all day on the tables, people walk by, touch it and walk on....how is it that people are alive here? I decided that I have wimped out on trying durian for three years now and would try it this trip, so I was on the look out, but couldn't find it. Durian is the fruit that smells like kerosene and isn't allowed in the hotels here...some people say it tastes good though....we'll see :) This morning I tried a fried cake that had both fish AND fruit in it, I would not recommend it.
Of course the very best part of being in Thailand is seeing our "family" here. I miss them a lot during the year and felt at home as soon as we got here. I love these people and wish Thailand was a short drive from Washington.
We are all just so grateful that God has given us this time here at Eden House. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am off to play! :)
Carla

WOW!!!!

Sawadi, I cannot believe how much the girls have changed in only one year! Some of the little girls are not so little any more. I feel so very blessed to be able to come to Eden house for the second time. The very special thing for me is that although the girls I bonded with last year remember me ,I am making new friends with the younger girls. I can still see the huge need to make sure these girls have the security and stability of Eden house with them for a long time, even after they leave Eden house.

Today we had " Soang Kraan "a little early. That is a holiday in Thailand that is essencialy a week long , country wide water war. I don't think any one did not get wet.

We have been here for four days and already we are bonding well with the girls as well as the teem. We have been using our strengths to balance out our weaknesses and that has been a real blessing.

I am looking forward to the outreach into the village where we can plant some "seeds " and pray for their growth. I would ask for your prayers for continued endurance for the team.

I thank you for your prayers of support, Ian Sturm

Wow, there is so much to say about this beautiful place. I went to Eden House last year and it was so amazing to be a part of these kids lives.When I arrived this year I felt as if I had only been gone a short period of time,even though it had been a year.When ever I am around these kids I feel like I am making a difference,to them and the team.Eden House really does have an effect of how I see the world and how I live my daily life in America.This place makes all who come back so humble and spiritually filled.I know that I am a part of something huge and life changing to these girls, it is such a blessing even to see them smile.These girls are so loving and open to people that they don't even know it just amazes me every time I think about it. When I'm not with the girls when I am here I am always thinking about them that is the effect that I love the most about these girls.I truely do love being around all who are at Eden House.

Jill

Enjoy Enjoy!!!

Howdy,

It has been a great day! We went to church today..It was fun with the staff and the girls. After the church service we all had lunch with the whole church, okay that is the way to do it. I think this is one tradition we should take to Northlake. I am enjoying getting to know the staff more this year. Gun the house mom for the little girls has been a joy to get to know more and more. I do wish I could talk to her without a translator. The team is having so much fun with the girls and each other, right now as we speak Miss Jan is getting soaked with water by Sam and Keifer, if I was them I'd watch it...God is so good I love how he is just using all of us for His glory..It's time for dinner... We miss you all and can't wait to tell you all the stories and show you all the pictures. We serve a great God!!!

Carrie