Friday night, 10:40 p.m. I'm going to have to blog quickly because Jeff has already gone to bed and I told him I wouldn't be long.

Last night we did the Jerusalem marketplace for all the kids so the M's could have a couple's night out. It was a long three hours, but it was absolutely amazing for those kids. We were all in costume, with all different booths. Like I mentioned yesterday, I was working the butter and cheese booth. It really was exactly like it sounds. We had crackers that we spread butter on, and we crumbled up cheese for the kids to try. Other booths were dried fruits, dried fish (nasty), bread, basket weaving, carpet weaving.

The most awesome part was that our rhythm section guys were all given Biblical time instruments, and within about ten minutes they had figured them out and were making really good music. These guys are so talented. I think they had more fun than anybody, because they basically had a jam session for three hours. By the end of is they were making up songs like "Sweet Home, Jerusalem," and other variations of cover tunes. It was hilarious. But by the end of three hours, I was about to take the recorder from Mike Lawrence and throw it through the window.

Today I produced the group meeting. I'm telling you, if it could have gone wrong technologically, it did. The demons in that room are unbelievable. We have struggled so much with sound. Doug Diamond is doing an unbelievable job of solving ten problems at a time and keeping a cool head the entire time. It makes me wonder if he ever goes into his hotel room and punches the wall and yells at the top of his lungs. I kind of doubt it, but it's a fun thought.

Today was family fun day for the M's, so they picked up their kids at noon. Then almost all of us loaded up in 4 buses and headed to the elephant camp. This is an experience I will remember my whole life. Today was the first day that I wished my kids were here with me. Not that it was the first time I missed them, but the first time I wished they were here. They would have absolutely loved that place.

When we first arrived, we went to watch the elephant show. These elephants all have their own individual trainer that works with them. They played soccer, did a bunch of tricks, even gave a guy a massage. The most amazing part was when they painted. And when I say painted, I'm not talking abstract. They made bonsai trees and beautiful orchids and a few other things. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it. I was really expecting them to just throw paint up on the canvas, but they were extremely purposeful and delicate in what they did. It was something I can't even get my brain around to understand how you would train an elephant to do that. I probably don't want to know.

Because there were so many of us, we split into two groups. One group went on to do the ride, and our group walked down to the elephant nursery. We were able to take a lot of pictures with the elephants. When I sat down on one of them, it was so prickly. The elephants were definitely good sports, because they just sat there forever letting one after another of us pose with them. During this group photo, a couple of the elephants got a little overly familiar with my friend Vicki. Those of you that know her will have to ask her about that. Let's just say she felt a little violated. :)

We were able to feed the elephants bananas and sugarcane for treats. If you wanted to tip the trainer, you could fold the money lengthwise and give it to the elephant. They knew not to eat it and would hand it to their trainer. It was so cute.

Afterwards we got to ride an elephant for 30 minutes. This was amazingly fun, and yet terrifying at the same time. It was nothing like riding around in a circle at the zoo. We were riding up and down gigantic muddy hills in the middle of the jungle, in the elephant's own environment. There were times when we looked around and it literally felt like being in Jurassic Park. At times I keep having to pinch myself and remind myself that I am in Thailand, halfway around the world from home, and all these people that I love are here experiencing it with me. It's been like youth camp, but a whole lot better.

We did get nasty hot at the elephant camp, so when we stopped at the butterfly and orchid farm on the way home, we were all kind of over it. My dad would have gone nuts there, because there is nothing he loves to photograph more than flowers. He could have gotten some incredible shots.

Tonight we went to dinner at a resteraunt called Riverside that our tour guide told us about this afternoon. It was the Lamberts, the Forresters, Brandon, Debo, Jeff and me. They were laughing at me because I was so giddy when I saw our table down by the river with these gorgeous Japanes (or is it Thai?) lanterns and beautiful sunset. It was one of those moments that you just want to burn into your memory because everything is just completely perfect right at that time. I will never forget it.

I love being in Thailand. I love doing what we're doing. I think it's sad that tomorrow is our last full day.

But I have three sweet little ones at home who share my face, blood and name, and being separated from them this long leaves a gap that nothing else can fill. I miss my babies. If only there was a way to get back to them that didn't involve a 30-hour commute and four planes, that would just be some kind of good. But that's not going to be the case.

Tomorrow will be incredibly hectic with getting through a normal day and then getting as much as we can packed up so we don't have to do it on Sunday. We have to be checked out by 2, and I think we'll be on our way to the airport before 4. I wish we didn't have to spend the night in Bangkok, but I guess there's no way around it. I'm just really not looking forward to going back to that hotel. Yuck.

Hopefully I'll have time to blog tomorrow, but it could possible have to wait until the plane. Just a few more days and this will all be a memory. Thanks for sharing it with me.