Merry Christmas (in case the mail didn't make it)

Cold weather in Thailand is unusual

Ezra know how to work the fire

Greetings from Thailand!

As I sat in prison on Christmas morning, I had time to reflect on my decisions that brought me to this point.

(No, I had not been placed there, but had chosen to go).

At Faithful Heart Foundation, we decided it would be good to visit some of the 8,000 men who currently live in prison in town of Mae Taeng. If you have never entered a prison before (or an Asian prison) it is a strange experience to pass through security checks to enter a place that can feel very insecure.

But the prison was bright and clean. It was remarkably organized and non-threatening.  As I sat there looking at these men, young and old, who seemed not so different from myself, I couldn't help wondering what set of circumstances had occurred which led them there.

And likewise for myself.

No photos were allowed inside, but this was our crew.

Josiah graduated from YWAM's discipleship training program and is getting ready to enter college!

One of my favorite authors, CS Lewis, once explained that life is like a race in which no one starts at the same start line and in which the contestants have all manner of different disabilities, health problems, and handicaps.

His point is that it is absurd for us to look at another and judge or measure.

A healthy sprinter with two legs, strong lungs, and a family that could afford to feed him cannot possibly be compared to a double amputee born with tuberculosis and living on the brink of starvation.

Few of us would cheer that sprinter's victory or condemn the amputee's loss.

For all we know, the sprinter may have been lazy and never reached his potential, where the amputee may have run the most heroic race anyone in his position possibly could have.

Yay Mountains!

Our sweet friend May is expecting her first baby and needed some practice!

Hot springs at night

So here I am in prison.

I grew up in a loving, supportive, educated family.  I never lacked for anything in my life.  I was born in good health and always had everything I needed to grow and flourish (and a lot more).

And here are 8,000 men in prison with me.

Where did they grow up?  What were their families like?  Did they have a chance to get a good education?  Did anyone tell them they were loved?  Did anyone believe in them and support their dreams?  Did they have enough to eat?

That is a room full of questions we don't know the answers to.

It would be foolish to assume all these men are innocent of any wrongdoing.

But it would be equally foolish to assume all these men are guilty of wrongdoing, or at least, more wrongdoing than the rest of us are.

Singin' in the cold

Two boys and a balloon

Christmas carolers and snacks!

 So what should we do? 

We need to redirect our lives towards justice and joy.

How we each will be able to do that will look vastly different, depending on our circumstances.
But it is something we can all do.

Life has a way of dragging us along with or without our consent. 
And we often ended up directed by our circumstances, rather than directing them.

It seems tragic when so many of us have so much freedom to choose the direction of our lives, and we surrender without a fight to the highest paying advertiser.

Christmas exchange at church

We love these two!

Sienna is ready!

Its all about the intensity

Sooo many people we love!

As we begin a new year here, it is more inescapable to me that my good fortune is more than good luck.  I have been given tools to make my world better and it is a terrible wrong to deny them to those who most need them.

But the responsibility is two-fold.

God made all of us, those with plenty and those with little.
His concern is the joy and well being of  all his creatures.

His secret is that those with plenty will find their highest joy in helping their brothers and sisters.

In a world where we are constantly told our neighbor's gain is our loss, is it possible to believe our neighbor's gain can be our joy?

Yes.

Unequivocally and absolutely YES.

College students gift exchange

Jumanji with the college students and the Parkers! Auntie Claire

I sometimes wince when people talk about charity.
Charity?

For someone with a background like me, before we can talk about charity there is first the question of justice and fairness (what Love demands I owe my neighbor).

And in all my "giving", I have not yet come close to fairness.

But, contrary to much of our bad religious thinking, Justice and Joy are intertwined
(as are Justice and Mercy and Love---that for another time).

If you have joy without justice, you are selfish and cruel.

If you have justice without joy, you are unhappy and confused.

Painting

Tree house should also double as a guest room, so come visit!

New Year Selfie!

Aslan?

But if we direct our lives, not towards the greatest financial reward, not towards the greatest recognition of our peers, not towards personal achievement, but towards the good and flourishing of our neighbors and our world, we will help the moral arc of history move forward...be it ever so slightly, and we will find our own highest joy.

In this new year, take up the tools you have been given to make our world a better place and put them to work.

Greatness is service and service is joy.  May they be yours.

This crew is incredible!  So grateful to work with them.

First Staff Meeting of the New Year!

Faithful Heart Update:

We have plowed right into the new year at Faithful Heart.  We had an all day planning meeting to work on our calendar for the coming year and talk about our goals individually and as an organization.

We are excited to work on 3 new projects this coming year to extend our reach in helping children in Chiang Mai.

1.  We are starting a project to help single mom's keep and care for their own children so families are not broken apart.

2.  We also are working with several other foundations and the Thai government to introduce Foster Care in Thailand.  The government has said it wants to move away from large children's homes to a foster care system where children are placed into families.

3.  Lastly, when children can be safely reunited with their biological families and wish to do so, we want to help them make that transition and provide ongoing support and encourage them to continue to pursue higher education.

These all are exciting and very new for us.  Please keep us in your prayers as we try to do more to help children and families in need in our community.

Thank you for your support and love.  Here's to a New Year of growth, joy, and justice together!