Hard days in the rice fields

Nothing like a "hard day's work" to remind you what you're on this Earth for.

For three days we sweated, bled (really) and the tears that were shed were from when the sweat that rolled in our eyes and stung us to a painful irritation!

After working at the Im Jai House earlier in the week, we headed North to some new ministries beginning called the "Faithful Heart" Homes. It's being orchestrated through the Im Jai House managers Dave and Shirley. These homes are for another group of orphans in Thailand who have no family to care for them.

Much less off than Im Jai, 10 kids and a few adults live in homes big enough for what Americans may consider "cozy" for two parents and a kid or two. Shower is a hole in the wall with a pipe-like water hose for the shower head. The team worked their tails off building a grass hut and an outhouse in the rice fields, preparing the area for the rice season. With our help, the families can get to planting the rice and cultivating the fields, and not have to worry about the dilapitating huts that we replaced. In 3 days time, we were able to build these huts with the help of two Thai construction geniuses. The huts are used during the hot summer months in the rice fields for a shady shelter and to work with the rice stalks once they harvest them.

Our brauny, arrogant minds wanted to take over and say, "Step aside, we'll not only build these huts for ya - but we'll build them better, stronger, like a 10-foot high skyscraper type hut that "The Jones's" in the next rice field would be jealous of!!" The first day and a half was the most humbling when we had to swallow our pride, look to God for guidance, and realize that these construction guys were here to show us how to do it "the Thai way" and for us to also realize that they may not want or need it done "our way." Thai folks have been building these huts for centuries; through tsunamis, and other stormy situations and have done just fine with them. We're here to help them do it - not to build them a better mousetrap.

After we sucked up all the pride, the missionary team melded so well that the outhouse hut went up in four hours! Solid as a rock, and all done before lunchtime. Thai helpers and the "western team" (us) were singing worship songs as we tied down each roof piece with twisty-tie bamboo pieces. It was like tieing off a loaf of bread - several hundred times.

Later on, on the third day, part of the team went to the local market and bought roughly 3 to 4-thousand small fish ( I bet that vendor was happy) and threw them in a pond in the village with the purpose of starting an eco-system and providing a natural food source (as the fish grow up for years to come).

"These are the days that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in them," I thought to myself.

Hard work never felt so good. Bedtime was also a blessing when it came on those nights too!

While part of the team was building huts, another team was at the house giving them an overhaul paint job inside and out! They did such a wonderful job that once they finished the outside, they were asked to do the inside too! It was like the outside paint job was a test of skill for worthiness to paint the inside. It was a funny thought anyway. I noticed a huge difference in how the house "shined" after coming back from the rice fields. Great job to all teams! I'm sure God was smiling from ear to ear!