Hello everyone!

This is our first blog from Thailand!  After months of planning, we’ve actually arrived.  At times I blink just to be sure we’re not in a dream.  We spent two nights in a guest house adjusting to the time change here and now we’ve moved into a suite in the office building of Imagine Thailand.  Rather than write a few paragraphs about our many initial experiences, I thought I’d give you bulleted sentences to describe them:

• All our luggage arrived with us!
• Olivia had a fever arriving in Seoul, Korea and her fever was one degree lower than what is allowed for her to continue on travelling. (There is a great concern about H1N1 flu in Asia). Hannah also had a cough on the plane. Then it passed on to me and now Isaac.  It appears that Irislee and Ellie have missed this particular Canadian flu.
• We’ve enjoyed all kinds of fruit and meat from street vendors.
• Air conditioning has been available in every place in which we’ve lived.
• The air is so humid that any amount of physical work (including walking) leaves you glistening or dripping with sweat).  After loading our 9 duffle bags, 3 rubbermaid bins, and 6 rolling suitcases onto the back of a truck this week, I was a dripping mess.
• People here think Olivia is really cute. – blond hair and white skin. She has received a lot of attention including people reaching out to touch her skin just to see what it feels like! She is NOT impressed and brushes them away when it happens! Olivia has no problem with assertiveness…..:)
• Thailand has a huge awareness and openness to the spiritual world…much more so than in Canada.  For example, the stairs in our building have steps of various heights, on purpose.  Reason:  to confuse evil spirits if they attempt to come up the stairs.
• Thai people are extremely friendly.
• Our kids have enjoyed riding in taxis throughout parts of the city.
• Over the next three days, we begin our orientation for working with Imagine Thailand and then we’ll head up to Mae Sot for a few days, to get moved into our house, before coming back to Bangkok for a staff retreat with the whole Thailand team.
• Isaac found a frog and he named him Sheldon (a temporary substitute for “Hamy” his hamster).
• Olivia saw her first lizard on the first morning she arrived.  Seeing a lizard was one of her major wishes.  It was a baby monitor lizard.  She also saw a little gecko a while later.
• We miss you.  All of our children have expressed a bit of homesickness at one time or another.
• Isaac appears to be surviving…He continues to eat and live.  Eating Thai food was one of his biggest concerns before arriving. He not only is eating every time food is offered, he is also trying new foods even when “normal” food is available.
• We’re heading to church in a few minutes.  We’ll wear headphones to hear the English translation of the message.
• We’re all learning “taxi” Thai here…hopefully enough to get around town.  The kids are doing quite well…based on the friendly smiles and waves we’re receiving when they talk.

Well, that’s it for today.  Please continue to pray for us and stay in touch.

Sincerely, the Koch Kamotion!