Landed in Chiang Rai

After a 24-hour-long flight journey with two stops in Taiwan and Bangkok, Rebecca and I finally arrived in Chiang Rai in the late afternoon local time on Nov 3rd. Ken and PY had already landed at noon after a short visit to HK ahead of time. Liu Lee’s flight was delayed by one hour. Wendy CM picked us up in three rounds from the airport to the hotel. She did not want to let us wait at the airport until everyone had landed, considering we needed rest after the long flight. Mercy, the daughter of Wendy CM and Pastor Zhang, also came with her mom to welcome us. We definitely felt the love from these dear sisters. Chiang Rai is now in its winter season with cooler temperatures around 80°F but humid. Rebecca caught a cold three days before departure and had a fever after we landed in Taiwan. The noise on the flight caused her to get no sleep at all. Please pray for her quick recovery and good sleep at night over the next couple of days. I had good sleep on the leg to Taiwan. Thank God for the help. Before I left, I had some anxiety about pushing through a demo and a potential layoff. God put me at rest after my 1:1 with my manager and a good sleep on the flight.

On the last leg of our flight, we saw a young lady reading the Bible on the plane. It was beautiful, comforting, and encouraging.

Once Liu Lee arrived at the hotel, we headed off to the church for dinner. Teacher Wang, a wonderful chef and one of the deacons, prepared delicious traditional Akha-style dishes for us. We were so delighted to see her and two other coworkers at dinnertime, and to see a few new faces. They are middle schoolers living in the church school. Most of the prior students have moved out for college.

Pastor Zhang (in black T-shirt next to PY in the above image) was just discharged from the mental health hospital in Chiang Mai. He stayed there for two months for bipolar disorder. It might have been triggered again by recent difficulties. His arms and legs were bound for two weeks to calm him down in the hospital. Doctors tried different pills on him to help. The sisters and brothers, his mom, and he himself were so worried that he might die this time. He even left a will for his kids—Mercy and Jacob—and his wife Wendy CM, as it felt real to him that he was walking through the valley of the shadow of death. We praised the Lord for healing him and also giving him rest. He can sleep now. Before going to the hospital, he could not get any sleep for days. Pastor Zhang shared that he knows the people in the villages love him. When they saw him again, they cried hard together with him and offered him the best they could. On Wednesday, we will have a thanksgiving celebration for Pastor Zhang’s recovery. Praise the Lord for all His goodness. Pray for us the good coordination of the coming day’s medical treatment and church member visiting. Thank you so much!