We have been incredibly busy the past few days!  Monday afternoon we left to visit Doi Inthanon.  It takes about two hours to get there from where we live near Doi Saket.  When we got to the top of the mountain it was actually cold enough to see our breath, not thinking about the elevation difference and the resulting change in temperature, none of us were prepared.  We froze.  Despite the cold, we had a great time exploring the chedis and surrounding gardens.  The chedis were built to commemorate the king's and queen's 60th birthdays.  They are quite magnificent.  Inside the queen's chedi are a huge buddha and mosaics; the king's contains another buddha and is decorated with painted gold leaves.  Each is surrounded by a large garden.  They are built on the highest peak in Thailand as a representation of the people's love and respect.  The more something is respected in Thai culture the higher it is placed physically.  The people here really love their king, and his pictures are everywhere as a result. 


While we were in the area we visited some waterfalls and went swimming (further down the mountain where it was warm).  The waterfalls here are so much bigger than any I have seen in the Adirondacks!  It is so amazing what God has created!  

For lunch we went to the coolest restaurant ever!  The tables are on platforms built, literally, on the river.  It give waterfront dining a completely new meaning.  We had roast chicken, fish (cooked in salt, but it did not taste salty at all), som tum (green papaya salad), and sticky rice.  It was all very tender and fresh.  It was very nice not to have any spicy food for a meal.

On Wednesday we started classes.  We have one in the morning (Social Context for Community Development) and one after lunch (Thai Cultural Arts).  They are both very interesting and are forcing me to think about things in many new ways.  It is very interesting to look at the the world from a Thai and/or Buddhist point of view, even though I do not believe the same things, and many aspects are in conflict with Christianity.  I never realized how self centered Buddhism really is.  Even though they appear to be very selfless and giving, it is all part of a merit system with the intent of progressing up the hierarchy chain.  Being that this country is over 90% buddhist, it is very evident how much God is needed here.  However, it is very difficult because buddhism is a very accepting religion and do not understand why they need to get rid of what they believe instead of just integrating Christianity into their current system.  It is a country in need of prayer.