The Little Things...

(Ugh...I can't believe it's been a year since I've posted. It's a lot easier to post on Facebook every day than to blog in this season of our lives, so please friend us on Facebook if you haven't done so already.)

In the States, we tried to live knowing that things we considered basic necessities were actually luxuries in other parts of the world. After coming to Thailand, we've learned to live without some luxuries. And still, we know we live now with so much.

I remember when our first opportunity to move abroad fell through and we had sold most of our possessions. We reassessed our situation, moved into a small 1-bedroom apartment in West LA, and hoped to start a family. I quickly became pregnant with Ian and then we endured one of the hottest summers in LA in 2006, on the 2nd floor of an old apartment building with no A/C. We eventually splurged and bought a portable A/C unit for our bedroom, but it only blew cool air in one area, so David sat sweating in the corner at his desk, while Ian and I had some relief near his playpen. It was so hot that when people dropped meals off for us, we asked them to call us so we didn't have to wait in in our living room to hear the knock on the door. As I sat there nursing Ian, dripping sweat, I knew there were people in other parts of the world more uncomfortable than me. It inspired me to be thankful and content. But God has always been so gracious to us. After just a few months, our dear friend's family allowed us to move into an amazing apartment with the luxury of an A/C.

Here are David and Ian in our first apartment:

We see though how those small things we take for granted in life can make a significant impact in practical living, saving time, health, energy... In our 2 years here in Thailand, one of the little things that brought big changes for us was Terro ant bait, which made our 2nd year completely different than our 1st because I used to spend an hour several nights a week managing ant attacks in our home, we used to have to seal every food item shut, no crumb could be left on the floor, we couldn't leave any food out for even a few hours, and I was worried about the toxins from all the insecticides, especially while pregnant and with young kids.

Here's video of Terro doing its magic:

Having a decent couch (after returning the one that had larva coming out, then selling the one that lost its cushion, then not having one) has been wonderful.

What came out of our first couch:

What happened to our 2nd couch:

Oh...the luxury of having the option of an epidural:

We're managing fine with a toaster oven (no oven):

We've learned to stay indoors during seasons with bad air:

Well, I'm so excited to share that after 2 years, we now have warm water in our kitchen. This took many trips to the hardware store, returning wrong purchases, language barriers, misunderstandings, figuring out that we needed a new electrical line from our bathroom to our kitchen, purchasing a new faucet that had 2 separate lines, realizing our pipes can't handle the very hot water some water heaters produce, and of course, money. We've been managing fine with a quick boil kettle:

But I have to say that simply being able to open the faucet and have warm water running actually makes me want to cook more raw meat because it's not as hard to clean the cutting boards and knives. It feels so nice to wash the kids' cups and utensils in warm water with the family getting sick so often. It's easier to clean the greasy film that's left on the dishes. I'm still concerned whether the kitchen can handle this extra electrical usage, and even more concerning was watching the electricians take photos of the device showing that the electricity was in a safe range. But I am thoroughly enjoying this luxury.

God is so gracious to us. He provides more than we need. We are blessed with so much because of your love and support.

From LA's Skid Row to Bangkok's Klong Toey Slums, simply having food to eat, clean water to drink, and a safe place to sleep would significantly improve the quality of life for countless families.

It's not hard to understand how children end up being trafficked as you consider the poverty and lack of access to education and opportunities that they come from, and what impact having these basic necessities can have upon simply surviving. But rather than feel guilty for what we do have, I pray that we would live each day with thankfulness and a desire that leads to action to help others.