We are in Thailand, in a small village called Baan Ton
Mamuang. We are just a few miles from the border of Burma, and surrounded by
mountains of jungle. We are told that there are still wild tigers running free
in the mountains toward Burma, snakes in the tall grass, and scorpions under
the piles of cassava that we pick up. There are malaria infested mosquitoes,
and poisy.on ivy. We live with no walls, and a leaky roof above. Heavy rains
and strong winds often cause damp hammocks and moist clothes. Gnats have become
my best friends, and a fly that I call George visits me whether invited or not.
A blue tent is set up just next to my hammock underneath that leaky roof, and
above a dim light provides some visibility in the later hours of the day, but
as the sun sets many black hornets come out and land atop that tent. There is
no air conditioning, there is no shower heads. There is no toilet, and there is
no fan.
These are the conditions we are living under, and yet we
have all that we need. We are comfortable, well fed, clean, well rested, and
safe. Even in these conditions I still feel like I have more than I need. I
have the comforts of electricity that provides power to my laptop. I have ice
that comes from a freezer in our kitchen. I have 3 meals a day, a place to lay
my head at night, friends to talk to, and I have beautiful landscapes to take
my mind off the heat of the day.
We work in cassava fields by day, talking, singing,
planting, harvesting, fertilizing, joking, and laughing. We have tired bodies
by night that pass out around 8:30, sleeping, snoring, and well that’s about
it.
This is life, and life abundant…
