Hiking with our staff and College students..not much of a view, but deliciously cool temperatures!

The trampoline is a big hit!

The boys were diggin' Tarzan!

Greetings from Thailand!  (Though soon to be America!)

On June 13th, we embark on a 27 hour marathon of Thailand, China, New York, and then Ohio, and we are praying for good health.  Audrey and I have been sick for the past week and can't seem to kick this cold.

But we are excited to see so many of our family and friends (who feel like family) in America!

A friend once told me that I ask for a lot.

And I couldn't argue.

And as I get older, my asking has both increased and decreased.

Increased because I want more things that are harder to get (food for hungry people, education for those without it, opportunity for work, etc.)

and Decreased because it takes less and less materially for me to be happy.

My favorite author once said that God is very easy to please, but very hard to satisfy.  

What he meant was that God was pleased with even the smallest effort towards anything good.

But that He would never be satisfied until all things and everyone, everywhere were good.

If you think on that a while, how could it be any other way?

I hope I am growing more like that---easy to please, hard to satisfy.

First, for the sake of my own happiness: if I can learn to be happy with less, than I will be happy more often. 

It only makes sense to put yourself in a position where you can be happy as often as possible.

But another key to happiness, strange as it may sound, is discontentment.

I think we were made to strive for great and good things.

It isn't that flipping burgers is such hard manual labor that people don't want to do it long term, but because it usually engages so little of our potential.

Stunning Beauty!

Lots of good food

Making custom tribal clothes!

Secondly, for the good of our neighbors: if we can rejoice over every good thing, every step of progress or improvement, while still striving for even better things, we will be in position to love them well.

No parent (or any halfway decent friend for that matter) spends all their time telling you how great you are.

Anyone whose love is worth anything, is also helping you strive for better things, including a better you.  

That is what love does.

Love sees the good in you, the incredible, God-given potential, and says,

"Wow!  What an amazing thing that person is!  Imagine what they might become!  How can we help them along that way?" (to becoming the best version of themselves)

But here is the great part--

Not one of us is merely the "helper" or the "helped."

Our redemption, individually and collectively, is tied together.  

When you give a homeless man a meal, or a dollar, you are not just helping meet his physical needs.

He is also helping you meet your own spiritual needs.

(Just for fun, try that the next time you give someone some money.
Say, "Thanks for this opportunity, I needed it.")

The mist gives you great looking hair!

The girls getting ready for photo day!

Praying in Thai for our Fire Safety day!

Here is the beauty of the life we share together:

My joy is found in your joy, and your joy is found in my joy.

I think this is the heart of the Christian faith.

It is simply another way of saying what Jesus said above loving our neighbors as ourselves.

Because love always seeks the ultimate good of the beloved.

It doesn't just accept, it doesn't just approve, it doesn't just condemn or criticize.

It works and suffers and pushes and strives for joy.

And the greatest joy is joy in the the joy of others.  

Because there is no shadow there.

No selfishness, no greed, no guilt trying to ignore or avoid the pain or suffering of others.

New kitchen gear and shirts for our Mae Chaem Dorm

Ez trying out the ladder at fire training...no fear

Sporting new shirts!

Hot Springs visit!

And here there is no loss, no loser.

Sacrifice is certainly noble when given in love.

But it is not the goal.

Heaven is not a place of suffering saints, but joyful people.  

While sacrifice is necessary it is beautiful and good.

But the goal of sacrifice is joy for all.

We temporarily lay aside a lesser joy to lay hold of a greater joy.  

I like cool stuff.

Before I graduated high school I owned 3 different cars, (one with an performance engine I ordered from Japan) an 1100cc motorcycle, and a pretty massive stereo.

But joy was an elusive thing because selfishness is contrary to joy, and the two cannot coexist for long.

Samoeng dorm liked their shirts too!

I still like cool stuff.

I love fast cars and fast motorcycles, and I love loud music.

But I have found much more joy taking our girls shopping, or introducing our boys to a trampoline, or eating dinner with our house parents, or proudly attending the graduation of one of our students, or learning a new Thai joke from our dorms, than I ever did in all my stuff.

Because it is a shared joy, not a selfish joy.  

Experiencing their joy with them gives me more joy than anything I could possess.

And it was cheap.

5 girls got some newer clothes for less than $25.

5 boys played for hours (and will for many more) on a trampoline that cost $180.

Dinner for 12 cost $40 at the local market.

School fees for a child in Thailand are a couple hundred dollars a year.

Try it yourself and see!

Find your joy in your neighbor's joy.

And may God bless you so that you are easily pleased and hard to satisfy!

In hope and joy and love,

Matt, Audrey, Ezra, and baby girl!

It's a girl!

Shopping day!

Laura is hard to catch sitting still

World Cup potential!

Ez has lots of buddies!