Full Moon

I used to love full moons. I somehow thought they were very romantic and all about love...I guess. I think I was young and naive. (Not sure what that makes me now...Old and enlightened?)

But now full moons have another meaning to me all together. This is the view of the full moon outside our house tonight. My little point and shoot doesn't do it justice. It really is beautiful.

But a full moon also has another meaning for me now... Many peoples of the world who have a particular belief system or way of life revolve their ceremonies or days of w-ship around the moon.

Here there is a special day for Buddhists and just like every other day, it always corresponds with the moon. In fact, traditional Lao people don't take weekends. Instead they have a day off every 15 days, in line with the moon. And on those days they go to the temple to make merit to wash away their "bad things".

Today is an extra special day though. Today is Ok Pansa - the end of Buddhist Lent. During this time, people are supposed to abstain from drinking alcohol and having wedding ceremonies.  But on this day, everyone goes to make offerings at their local temple and the night is finished off with the release of hand-made boats with candles that are let go at the riverside. It symbolizes the washing away of sins and a new beginning. 

Our neighbors also have a row of lit candles surrounding their house tonight. Not sure what the meaning of all the candles is. Somebody told me it has to do with new life and a new start.

It's more like...the start of all the festivals and all the partying. My neighbors have already kicked off the party/festival season and their music is pumping into our house (thankfully my air conditioner mutes the sound quite a bit).

I'll never look a full moon the same way anymore. And I'd like to recommend that the next time you look up and see a gorgeous full moon shining in the sky, thank Him that you have had a chance to know the One who created such beauty, rhythm and order in our universe; and also lift up those who have not yet had a chance to hear of Him, and who have settled for something else to explain their world and their lives.

Halloween Get-Together

Since coming to Laos, Halloween has become one of my favorite holidays. No, I don't like the scary, spooky, creepy part of it, but there are a lot of other aspects that are just a lot of fun. I often feel like a kid again! 

Today a group of students came over and carved pumpkins, did apple bobbing, had a team costume contest, did indoor trick-or-treating, and ate some delicious caramel apple cake (and I learned how to make caramel popcorn...so easy and so delicious!)

Here are a few pics from our fun day...

 Pumpkin carving

This is one of my favorites...this young man dressed up as a deer (And, I guess in this case, dressed up should be taken literally since he's wearing a woman's dress)

 Each group had a theme and this group's theme is Holiday stars...Spiderman, Cowgirl and Michael Jackson

 This group won the prize for best theme...Mafia woman and her bodyguards.

 Check out my eye make-up...not sure what I was supposed to be :) Everyone said I looked like a fortune teller, but that's not what I was going for!

 Apple Bobbing

 This is Shana...one of the new teachers that came in August. She joined us for the activity.

So, apparently the thing to do with your jack-o-lanterns is to put them in a tree...

 And, the spunkiest, smelliest, naughtiest cowgirl ever...Lily! She couldn't get enough of all the people and tried to get more than her share of snacks.

Taking a Break

I'm now in the second week of our almost three month break.

Because of international meetings in Vientiane and the Asian University Games, our university doesn't have class until January.

At first I thought, "What in the heck am I going to do for all that time?!"

But it has been so nice (granted, I'm only on week 2!).

Sometimes life can feel so hard here, and the unseen realm can be so exhausting that I often feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water. Not to mention having the responsibilities of being an English Teacher at a university! This semester has been especially difficult since S told her folks she didn't want to follow their traditions anymore. It has been a lot of struggle with unseen arrows wanting to pierce hearts and homes.

I honestly feel like the Father has blessed us with a fresh wind during this time.

It is 10:50 am and I am blasting Truth via a Travis Cottrell CD. I've had plenty of time to journal, read the Book, and another book by one of my newly-discovered favorite authors - Hannah Hurnard. She wrote Hinds' Feet on High Places (a must-read, and truly changing paradigms and perspectives in my life here), and her other not-as-well-known book Mountains of Spices.

For once I feel like there is more Truth than lies flooding my mind and heart.

Another cool aspect of having a break is that I have time to study Lao! There is a school that teaches Lao here in Vientiane and Christa and I are taking a class on Book Stories.  It's been challenging, but also really awesome, to read and discuss stories like the Prodigal, Calming the Storm and Jairus' Daughter in Lao and to talk about how we've seen Him do similar things in our lives, or experienced similar difficulties.

Our teacher is a precious Lao lady who is 35 and still single (which is very rare here). She has been like-minded for 15 years and continues to serve Him faithfully in the midst of difficulties and facing the prospect of never getting married. She told us about one of her friends who gave up waiting for a like-minded spouse because it was too hard, and is now married to a man who beats her and forbids her to go to Fellowship. Unfortunately, that is not a rare thing here I believe. But,it has been such a blessing getting to know her and hear about His faithfulness in her life.

Next month, our household (C, S, N and me) are going to the beach! We found an awesome deal on AirAsia for flights to Bangkok and then we'll bus to the beach. About $67 round trip! And N has never been on an airplane or seen the ocean! So excited for some roomie time together, and for the blessing of roommates that want to go on a trip together because we enjoy each other so much!

Here are some recent pictures for your viewing enjoyment:)

Lily getting a bath...she gets the nastiest, most ginormous ticks here and no matter how many times we bathe her, they don't go away. 

N practicing on our new keyboard! Christa has been teaching S and N

 

So thankful for my roomies. This was a special meal - fried ribs, eggplant sauce for the rice, and broccoli/cauliflower stir fry - because N was going back to her hometown for the break the next day.

Ok, I better get to my Lao homework now!