If we ever moved to Thailand...

Don't worry, Dear. We're not moving to Thailand. But if we did, we would live here in Chiang Mai. The people are so friendly and open, and it is a truly beautiful part of the world. We drove through the mountain range you see above on our way to live with a hill tribe for a few days last week. As it turns out, the village is half Christian, which makes it quite unique in 96% Buddhist Thailand. And the church in the village is of the Baptist variety, which made my world a whole lot smaller. I had quite a conversation with the pastor, and am seriously thinking about bringing a team back here some day.

As you may have surmised, this trip has been one of the most spectacular I have taken over the past few years. But it's also been one of the most challenging, physically and mentally. We hiked through a cave for a kilometer or so, and then to the top of the mountain above it. I will need a Thai massage before I can use my legs again. We'll spend the rest of this week in Chiang Mai, before taking an overnight train ride to Bangkok for Sunday and Monday, and then flying to Phuket in the south for the rest of the trip - rock climbing, snorkeling, beach crawling.

But it's also been tough to be away from my family, especially as we prepare to move home. Lynn is doing alot of the leg work, packing stuff up, and she deserves kudos for that. I am really thankful for Skype - I talked with my girls for over a half-hour today and yesterday for free, and even chatted with my Dad for a while this evening. They are on the exact opposite side of the world, and it felt like they were right next door.

Did I mention that I have the best family in the world? If I mention going away again this year, hit me in the head with something solid, would you?

You can look at more of my pictures here!

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