Hello again. It's 2:45 p.m. on Thursday which means it's 2:45 a.m. back at home. That really stinks, because I'm wanting to talk to my littlest guy really badly. I haven't had a chance to hear his voice since Sunday, and that's a really, really long time. Especially since I'm with other people's babies in my childcare rotation. They are getting lots of extra hugs and kisses from Miss Leigh Ann this week. Jeff is with Bryant's age group, and he's had one little boy virtually attach himself to him. It's funny how little guys seem to like having big guys around so much! It's helping him with missing Bryant too, so I think it's a good thing.

Yesterday was about like the day before, except that we had M's singing with us on stage, which I think made a huge difference. The group was much more open than they had been the day before, and I think I started sobbing about halfway through the first song when we had some verses up on screen about all others being idols and the nations will praise. Just looking around that room and thinking about what those guys deal with day in and day out was a little bit too much.

We had a group dinner out by the pool, which I will definitely have to take a picture of and post because it is so amazing, and then we all kind of went our different ways. A bunch of people went to the gem factory, which was especially opened for our people. But Jeff, Brandon, Debo, Scott Harris and I decided to go to the movies. We rode in a Sung Tow over to the airport plaza because that was where one of the M's said to go. When you get to the movies, there is a screen there that shows which seats are available, and then you get to pick the seats you want. It was so cool. They had three different kinds of popcorn to choose from, and it was dirt cheap, as are most things here. The seats themselves reclined pretty far back, so it was very comfortable.

In Thailand, after the previews and before the movie, they play the national anthem. This is taken very seriously in Thailand. We all had to stand up to pay respect to the king while they played a montage video of images of his decades of monarchy. I couldn't help but think how different America would be if we had just a little amount of that kind of respect for our leaders. Something to ponder anyway.

We had a very interesting experience trying to get out of the mall. It was closed, and we were trying to figure out how to get back out because Scott had told our Sung Tow driver we would meet him back there at 9:30. We were wandering around the closed mall and then the parking garage like a bad episode of Seinfeld, but it was totally hilarious to us. We couldn't find our driver, so we ended up taking another one, who charged a bunch less and got us home in about half the time, so we figure it was good that we didn't get ripped off by the same guy again.
This morning's session was AMAZING. I can't write nearly as much as I want to about this, but please just know that it was powerful. We sang our favorite Travis Cottrell song, "ICO," and over half of the audience had both hands in the air and voices as loud as could be. It must have sounded so sweet. One of the M's shared a word with us that was so heart-breaking, because she is not in a good place right now. She's wondering why nothing is working, but believes that she can endure because she's given that word from the Father, and can't imagine leaving at this point.

At that point, Jamie and Meredith were supposed to do a sketch, but Vicki and Jeremy had already decided to cut it because it just wasn't right, and when he got to Meredith and Jamie, they were both saying, "We don't need to do it." It was just a very obvious moment, and it was neat to see them not care a bit about all the work they had put into the lines and everything it took to get ready. I love these people I am serving with so much.

So instead of doing that sketch after this incredibly powerful testimony where the entire room was in tears, we went immediately into "Still." Those of you that know the song need to just think through the words and soak that in. It was indescribable. I wish you all were here and could experience this with us!

Scott has been speaking about Jonah this week. It's so interesting, because what he is talking about, disobedience and reluctance, along with the consequences, couldn't be more pertinent to all of us. You don't have to be an M to struggle with your calling. I have been seriously challenged by his words, and I'm so thankful that he is here with us.

My childcare rotation is immediately after the service. These little ones are getting REALLY tired already, and the workers who are in there with them all day are exhausted. They could really use some of your thoughts, as well as a few days of sleep. We have two little baby girls in particular that cry all the time unless their mommy is with them. You can imagine that having this from 8 to 5 is a little bit wearisome.

Tonight we are doing a marketplace, so it is all hands on deck. I am working the butter and cheese booth, whatever that is. I'll have to let you know tomorrow.

We are all weary. Jet lag is not finished with us. Singing this morning was very hard for all of us, because our voices are incredibly tired at this point. Please lift all of us up, no matter what area we are serving in. I don't think anyone is ready to go home yet, but we could all use rest.

One more thing before I go. Because there are so many of us here, we are all still meeting each other as the week goes on. There is a lady here that I knew that I recognized, but I didn't know her name. Of course I assumed that I just knew her from Brentwood. I had even made a little small talk with her yesterday. Today she stopped me in the hall and said, "I know that I know you from somewhere." I, thinking that I was joking around with her, said, "Yeah, do you go to Brentwood Baptist?"

She said, "No. I'm from Alabama."

At this point I was taken back and realized that she had on one of the FAMS nametags, and not one of the BBC nametags. She said, "I used to teach there."

I said, "I used to teach in Alabama. Where did you teach?"

She said, "Berry Middle School."

So I have come halfway around the world, ten years after I quit teaching to reconnect with someone who taught 8th grade Language Arts the same years that I was teaching 7th grade Social Studies at Berry Middle School in Birmingham, Alabama. I left and moved to Nashville. Apparently she left and moved to Korea to teach MKs. Doesn't that just blow your mind???

We truly live in a small, small world. Think how it must look to our Creator. Amazing.