NO SILVER BELLS BUT WE'VE GOT CITY SIDEWALKS

Christmas makes you feel emotional

It may bring parties or thoughts devotional

While here in Asia our lives may be

Just a bit different than you might see...

This is Thailand

Busy Thailand

Without holiday style

And this guy kind of looked like my nephew.
(Well, he had mannerisms like him and he sort of looked like him.)

People laughing. People passing.

Meeting smile after smile

And above all this bustle, you'd hear...

"Where're you from?"

 "Where're you from?"

It's Christmastime, here in Thailand.

Ring a ling.

Hear them sing.

Soon it will be Christmas Day!

We had a great two Zone Christmas Devotional in Udon, Thailand. Our Mission President and his wife really know how to make us feel loved. Christmas was in the air. We took a bus from Laos over the border about an hour or so away from the Friendship Bridge. Did you notice, in the pictures, which side of the road they drive on in Thailand?

We headed back to Laos the same day. We traveled with the Elders and didn't realize they didn't know what time the last bus leaves for Laos. We headed back to the bus station and the last bus already had it's motor running and it left 5 minutes after we boarded. We would have had to wait until morning to get home if he hadn't caught that bus. Yikes. We didn't take a change of clothing or toothbrushes with us. :)

Part two of this post is a video of the children practicing for the Christmas program in our branch here in Laos. They are so cute.

We hope your Christmas is filled with happiness and family and joy.

Love,

The Singleys

A WINTER MESSAGE--NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But to us it's just delightful
The locals think we're insane.
Let it rain! Let it rain! Let it rain!



For a few days we have been having cooler than normal temps here. At 72 degrees our students were coming to school with scarves and jackets on. We, of course, were enjoying the cool down and went to school in our normal attire. But, this morning, even we were wearing light sweaters in the early morning hours and evenings. We're going soft.

Then we got a huge rain storm. They haven't had weather like this since 1964. They were appalled that it would rain that hard during the dry season. (They have two seasons, the dry season and the rainy season.) People actually got out the blankets and were bundled up like they were in Utah. 
It feels like Los Angeles winter days. (High of 72 degrees and low of 53 degrees). And that, my friends, is freezing weather for Lao people. You can imagine, since it is normally so hot here. They look at us like we are crazy when we don't wear a jacket. They are sporting parkas and scarves. This is the first week that we haven't had to have the air conditioning on. But, don't get me wrong. There would never ever be any need for a furnace here like we have at home. We don't even have a blanket on our bed. We have one but we don't use it.

Now here are some fun photos that don't have a theme....a potpourri of fun pictures that I thought you'd enjoy on this winter day. Ha ha ha.

This is a guy with his pet raccoon that he takes out walking every morning. Now Brad, don't get any ideas for a new pet.

How many Buddhist Monks can fit in a Volkswagen?
I don't know but you can't believe how many can fit in one of these Tuk Tuks.

Some are sitting but most are standing and they are packed in there like sardines. We saw about 25 get out of one today.

This is before it got cold. I don't know what they are wearing now it's cold. I hope they've got something warm to wear or just more layers. But still, they don't wear shoes.

This plant at the church is not one to tangle with. Self preservation is the name of the game.

View out my back window.

BEAUTIFUL WATERFALLS AND WATERWAYS IN SOUTHERN LAOS

Tad Fane

For the beauty of the earth;
For the beauty of the skies;
For the love, which from our birth
Over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of greatful praise.

Khone Phapheng

Riding in a boat to Khone Phapheng

This was early in the morning the day we flew back to Vientiane after our rice delivery

Tad Yuang Gneuang

Wandering Through Wat Phu: Ruins of a Khmer Temple

Have you felt the ancient ruins call

Where looms of time weave moss?

And do you yearn for one small glimpse

Of those who suffered loss?