Hola mi amigos. First just one quick thing- I’ve been reminded recently to watch what is posted on this site, considering that it is a public forum and not secure. Please remember that I am in countries where security could be a concern. Thanks!

On another note…I don’t know if any of you have paid attention to the news on Sri Lanka, but it looks as if the peace agreement is falling apart and the country could be on the verge of open civil war again. I read an update that described several coastal cities that have been almost deserted- the inns and restaurants boarded up, people afraid to go out after dark, rubbish littering the beach, while the jungles are being burned to flush out the rebels. Just last week 10,000 people fled their homes because of airstrikes and are currently displaced. Many countries are in this type of situation- and usually I would read the news compassionately, then quickly move on. But the cities described in Sri Lanka are beautiful places that I have been to, places that I know. And that makes such a difference. Please pray for peace.

Hello.  The staff meetings in Pattaya are over, and almost everyone has gone back to their field.  Hannah and I are still in Bangkok today Sunday afternoon, and we will fly out early to Phnom Penh tomorrow morning. 

Pattaya beach was beautiful, and our hotel was very nice.  I had a wonderful time catching up with the workers from each of the different countries.  I’d met them all last fall at the retreat in Malaysia, so it was so good to see them again.  Really gives a regional perspective of what God is doing in the area.  We have a new worker in Bangkok- Janice from Canada.  She is a 40 something year old lady who has been working in Israel for 12 years.  I loved drilling her with questions about what it was like there.  We had an especially good conversation about how to show the love of Jesus in restricted countries, such as Indonesia.  She had many insights from all her experiences.  On Friday she led us in Passover/communion, which was so rich with all of her knowledge added in.

We went down into Pattaya city a couple nights.  It was an altogether depressing experience.  Everywhere you look there are old white men with young Thai girls on their arms.  And the neon lights of go-go bars lining the street after street….I’m serious this place needs some workers to come and break down the strongholds.  The sad faces of the bar girls there and here in Bangkok are breaking my heart.

I'm in Bangkok for the weekend....and going to Pattaya beach on Monday.  Don't look it up on the internet because it is famous for being the biggest red light district in the area.  But it is also a beautiful beach, and we are going to the far end.  You've got to consider the budget when picking retreat sites, and this is what fit ours.  It's going to be great...I've seen pictures and they look gorgeous.  Clear blue water, white sand.  Have i said that the beach is my favorite place on earth recently.  IT IS.  God has met me by the sea at so many points in life....I always know I can find him there.  Ok got to run, more later. 

What a crazy week it has been!  Asha and Sharon got sick last Friday.  I think I’ll go ahead and start with the moral of the story- Banda Aceh is not the ideal place to get sick.  First of all, it is difficult to find a Dr. in the first place.  The first fully operational hospital we went to did not have a single dr. on site.  She was away at lunch.  The second dr. we saw told them both they were tired.  I’m not sure how you can get a high fever from being tired, but apparently you can.  Anyway three doctors and three DIFFERENT diagnoses later, we have determined that they did not have typhoid (as we thought) but did have Dengue fever, what I had last fall.  Thus another moral of the story- lab results from a blood test are not objective.  Everyone who looked at the darn pieces of paper read something different.  So we finally heard of a decent private hospital, and took them there.  We saw the doctor, who said that they should be admitted immediately to be rehydrated.  But he was very sorry that they had no room in the inn.  He called the 2^nd best hospital which was also full.  So rather than take our chances which choice #3, we elected to take two spare beds in the ER.  I walked the girls over there, it was next door.  Screaming met us at the door, there was broken glass all over the floor and a hysterical thrashing man just across the room.  The nurse told us everything was fine, which was OBVIOUS as we picked our way through the glass.  So we went to the room next to the screaming man, separated by more glass, and were told that he would be taken away soon (which he was).  Luckily they were taken to a real room the next day, which was pretty decent.  So all day yesterday we camped out at the hospital, and I fielded questions from HQ and their respective insurance companies.  My phone has not stopped ringing for two days….but the good news is that this morning Asha was evacuated by private jet, and Sharon left by commercial airplane this afternoon.  But that leads me to my third moral- when you are going to Indonesia select your insurance company carefully.  It can make a big difference in how fast you get out of here, and how easy the trip is.  Asha was picked up by two Singapore nurses at the hospital and flown by her own jet directly back.  Sharon and the rest of her family had to take public transport and won’t get back until late tonight. 

I’m not really sure why I told this whole story, I guess because its been my life this week.  Its quiet on the home front this Saturday night before Easter, now that everyone except 3 of us have been evacuated.  Its especially quiet without Sam (the 9 year old son of Pat and Sharon, who is a lot of fun).  I’m scheduled to return to Sing on Friday, and they told me I could go ahead and come back whenever I wanted.  I think I’ll try to finish up a couple of loose ends with some projects and then head on back before another crisis occurs.  Maybe on Wednesday.  Tonight just chilling out and recovering from all the drama.  I’m probably gonna go to the beach in the morning, and church in the afternoon.  Have a blessed Easter everyone.  Assalam malaikum.

It has been such a strange experience coming back to Banda Aceh.  So many emotions and memories attached to this place.  I’ve been trying to sort it all out this week....quite a process.  Actually when I left here in December of last year, I really surprised myself with my lack of emotion.  Banda Aceh had become my home (of sorts) last year, and usually when you leave a “home” you feel a tug, some sadness, a feeling of loss.  I actually did not feel any of that when I left here last year.  Didn’t cry a tear, didn’t give a second glance.  Of course I gave hugs and said goodbye to my friends, but I practically skipped onto the airplane to get back out of here.  I was tired of the work, tired of the stress, tired of the place, tired of earthquakes, tired of the devastation, tired of the sadness, I was so tired…

Coming back, I suppose I expected to still feel that same detached, “I”ve had all of this I can take feeling.”  But somehow that’s not what has happened.  Something about coming back here in a new year, to a new team, with a friend along, having had some rest….has made such a difference.  Coming back here has caused my heart to come full circle- I feel as if I’ve put behind me the difficulties and tears of last year, and I still have the good things left in my heart.  My time here really was so amazing- the learning, the growth, friendships cemented in high stress situations, Jesus walking by my side every day.  What a place this is…and I’m glad to be able to call it one of my homes.  It has been such a joy to see all that has been done since December- new houses springing up everywhere, more debris cleared away, grass covering the tsunami wrecked coastlines.  I find I’ve missed the people, my friends, my favorite spots.  I can honestly say that it is going to be very hard to leave again.  No, I’m still coming home in May.  But it will be difficult to leave a place that needs so much help and come back to my wonderful home.  It is a blessing though....i can leave here knowing that I served and loved- a closure and a finished, complete feeling that I wasn’t even looking for.  God is good!