I am Sam Wise, the brave.

This is cross posted from Missions and Theology. I started cross posting because Jared is now considering deleting this blog for obvious reason (he feels nobody read this blog anymore). In case he might do it one day, you can still read the posts on the other blog. Now for the good news, we have a pet. Read this.

Since we came here, our children wanted to have pet so badly. I know they prefer to have a dog. We had a wonderful pet back home named Duke he was good and smart dog. But two months ago we received news that he has died. So, we were always on the look out for a puppy. Here they don't give out their puppies. In the Philippines you just ask for them and they will give it to you right away here even if you are somebody important, they will refuse. Here, puppies cost 500-5,000 baht of course, it defends on the breed. So every time we would saw puppies for sale, we would look the other way, pretending not to see anything. Today, at the Grace Home Kindergarten Center, a puppy was waiting for us. The kids are happy and excited... they finally have a pet. We named him Sam. (After our favorite character in TLOR- Sam Wise, the brave).

Jared's Birthday

Jared celebrate his 14th birthday in a very simple breakfast candle-blowing celebration. All fo us celebrated our birthdays here this year. We miss home a lot.

My children are not living a life that normal children should be. They don't have permanent friends because we have moved five times with in their lifetime. We moved from Cainta to Pangasinan to Baguio, back to Cainta again in six short months and finally moved here in Thailand.

They never experienced the joy of childhood both Narlin and I had. We never left our respective homes until we were married. We have permanent friends and best friends who grew up with us. And althoug distance keeps us apart, communication was never lacking. We grew up in our respective home church with people who love us and treated us as part of their family. (These people are the ones who are supporting us here in the mission field). We matured with them both physically and spiritually. My children never enjoyed this kind of relationships.

Jared is in the second year of his teenage life. He never had friends who grew up with him. (My bestfriend lived in the next house and we were together until I responded to the call). Jared hates school. He always thought that teachers do not teach but talk to the (black)board. The only teacher he was fond of was his grade 4 teacher who took him under her care. And as a parent, I was greatly grateful to that teacher who perhaps changed Jared's perspective about education. Jared hates home schooling as well. And if I were him, I will feel the same. Home schooling materials are the most boring educational material I've ever read. But we are thankful for home schooling and for the people who made this possible for us because it is the only way he and his siblings can have their education. He likes computer. I think he learned to use the computer first before he learn to talk. He can create his own website, he knows how to mess with html code,he maintained and designed this blog (and the other blog), he knows how to install and configure Linux from the root terminal which I didn't learn and perhaps will never have a chance to learn.

In his 14th birthday, he is holding on to his childhood for as long as he can. He doesn't want it to go. And I understand it... I want him to enjoy it as long as it last because his childhood will be gone sooner than we thought. We thank the Lord that we are here in the mission field together. We share everything, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the joy and the sorrow, the love and the hate, the excitement and the boredom. I'm not afraid that my children will be lost from our side... because we are together in responding to God's call. Happy birthday Jared!!!

Loy-Krathong Festival

Today the whole Thailand is in festive mood because of the celebration of the Loy-Krathong festival. Here in Mae Sai it feels like Christmas. The people are walking outside the main streets with their family relaxing and celebrating. We also have "perya" here but better I guess. Only very few rides but the carousel really looks impressive. The big inflatable giant slide is attracting a lot of children. There is also a tiangge hosted by the Chinese near their temple for fund raising. The long and wide road leading to the border is full of people selling anything foods, dress, jackets, lanterns, books, finger foods, kakanin, almost anything.

Nonetheless the most important place today for Thais and Burmese Buddhists is the river. People come to the river to float their Krathong. "Krathong" is a "lotus-shaped vessel made of banana leaves". The Krathong usually containts a candle, three joss-sticks, some flower and coins. And "loy" means "to float."

The festival is considered by many as Brahmin in origin in which the people offer thanks to the goddess of water. Under the light of the fullmoon people light the candles and the joss sticks, make a wish and launch their krathongs on canals, rivers or even small ponds. It is believed that the krathong carry away sins and bad luck , and the wishes that have been made for the new year starts. It is indeed a time of celebration as people thought that their sufferings and bad luck are floating away.

Here in Mae Sai the festival starts on Saturday night and will go on until Sunday night. We will be back at the river tomorrow to observe the festival. People from all walks of life, young and old, rich and poor, Thai and Burmese will be together in this festival. After making a wish as if in deep prayer they would gently release their krathongs to the water and let them drift away until they are out of sight.

There are also people who sell fishes, crabs, and whatever water creatures are there and people will buy them on their way to the river. I see some of them hold the plastic in their two hands as if in prayer and press it on their forehead and after making a wish they release the fish to the river. I guess they do it to attract good fortune.

Although there are lots of symbolisms in this festival, the people are now doing it for fun. If there is religious significance in it, I am sure that only very few are taking this activities for spiritual reasons. Of course, I believe that Christians should not participate in this activities not because of its religious meaning but for the lack of it. We enjoy the festivities as casual observers. I hope to see more of it tonight.