Sorry for the delay...

...but my sisters have been here!

Allison and Rachel came to visit for about 10 days. Actually, I'm taking them to the airport in about 7 hours.

Their visit carried a lesson along with nostalgia from home. I was super-excited for them to come. Since my first trip to Thailand in 2006, I have been wanting to share the experience and culture first-hand with family and friends. Now, almost seven years later, it has happened. The purpose of their visit wasn't a mission trip, studying a foreign language or world religions, or even learning how to cook Thai food, all of which are admirable. They came to say hi to their big brother and see what his new life is like on the other side of the globe... also to assure our mother that I am not lonely or shacking up with tons of Thai girls. There were ups and downs to their trip, I'm sure, but I get the overall feeling that it was fun. They had a few new experiences they would otherwise never have had and did some routine tasks but in a totally different setting. I hope that the trip, although short, will help them grow mentally and emotionally.

The lesson I learned: actually, it was more like a refresher. Sadly, I had to work most of the time during their stay. I was either working or trying to make sure my sisters were getting the best experience they can. I didn't have time to myself to rest and recharge, do tasks essential to maintaining my sanity, hang with friends as usual, or do other things I have been taking for granted. I learned that the recharge time is necessary. It's easy to exhaust yourself. We need the same renewal and refreshment spiritually as we do physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's easy to gradually take away that time we have set aside for relaxing and reallocate it when we introduce new diversions and become overwhelmed. It takes conscious effort to maintain and balance a routine during changes or chaos.