Ten weeks gone.

So, we're in Thailand. Our visa for M is only a 10 week visa, so every 2 and a half months, we fly to Thailand, go to the M Embassy and ask them if we can go back. It's actually a really nice little break from the pressure and what we feel like is a very real spiritual oppression in M.

So, we're getting a little break. All foreigners in M have to do this. We flew to Thailand on Wednesday morning. Went to our guest house, dropped off our bags, and went straight to the Embassy where we put in our new application for our new visa. 24 hours later (Thursday afternoon) we had our new visa! It was exciting, and amazing how easy it was. So, at least we know we're going back!

Our first ten weeks was intense. I wish I knew if it was intense just because we were living in a new culture for the first time, or because of all of the weight of Cyclone Nargis slamming us. When I was living in Florida, I always wanted to experience a small hurricane, just so I would know what one was like. I'm talking small, like a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, just heavy winds, and very little damage. Cyclone Nargis was a Category 4 hurricane. And it was huge.

I'm used to having a warning for a storm like that. When a hurricane is coming, we have 3 or 4 days warning. In M, we had 3 hours warning. Someone said in passing, "There's a cyclone coming, you should go home and close your windows." Of course, we know the rest of the story. There were winds from 135-150 mph, it lasted for about 15 hours throughout the night, and our windows somehow lasted through the night, though they rattled as loudly as anything I've ever heard before. It was a long, scary, loud night. At the time, we had no idea how big the thing were experiencing really was. Even for the week following, we didn't realize the extent of the damage. Our communication with the outside world was pretty well completely shut off for about a week, and we didn't realize the whole world knew what had happened.

I have plenty of thoughts about the aftermath, and how it has been handled. Most of them are angry thoughts. For the first few days, there was no authority present. Regular citizens we literally directing traffic, and doing all of the clean-up. I've struggled a lot with being angry. Psalm 10 has been kind of the theme for our thoughts for over a month now, take a look, and see how well it describes the aftermath.

And of course, you have probably heard how the relief aid project is going. Not well.

So, our first ten weeks was dominated by a massive storm, and the terrible response to it. We've seen sights we couldn't have imagined seeing. Learned things we will never forget.

Thanks so much for your prayers. We'll be in Thailand until Sunday morning, will eat McDonalds a couple more times, watch another movie or two, and enjoy the free air, before heading back. We'll do this every ten weeks or so, so if you want to talk to us, we'd love to on Skype. We come on and off every now and then.

We miss you and think of you often. It's been a hard 10 weeks, and we appreciate so much your prayers.

Later guys,

Matt