We are finishing up everything we need to do today to be ready for our flight tomorrow night. Ron put timers on two lamps to come and go off at different times. The house is almost clean, and things are in order to leave. Sunday morning after we get showers, Ron will turn off the water and drain the water heater and pipes so we will not need to leave heat on to prevent pipes from freezing during the winter months. Preparing a house to leave for six months is almost as bad as moving. Well, maybe not! I counted that we have moved 19 times in our 64 years of marriage. That doesn't include moving in and out of several different RV's during the 12 years we lived in and traveled in an RV I hoped moving into this house in Woodstock would be our last move, but the last chapter of our lives has not closed yet.
Ron says he has made more than 60 trips to Asia since the first trip to China in 1998. I have made more than a dozen trips. This may be our last one, so we'll try to enjoy the experience and take in all of the fun things like trying to read labels and shopping in the supermarket. We will soak up the sun since the weather will be warm the entire time we are there. The monsoon season of rain usually comes in May or June and if all goes well, we will be back in North Georgia before then.
The minister in Bangkok said the house that has been purchased for the next girl's home needs a good bit of work. Ron will spend the next several months with contractors and workers to renovate the rooms to make this house accommodations a good place to live for as many girls as the house will hold. We do not know the extent of the work or how long it will take to accomplish the remodeling until we get there. Ron will have to deal with the language barrier as he tries to communicate with workers. He uses his cell phone translator, and it works pretty well.
The people who sold the house and property also own a resort nearby. We will rent a room there while Ron is working on the house. They are going to reduce the cost of the room for us down to $11 per night. We have no idea what the resort is like; whether pretty nice or down to less than 1 on the scale of desirability. We don't need a pool, exercise room or other amenities but we do need a good bed and enough furniture for me to do my computer work. If we have to buy a desk and office chair, it will eventually go to the safe house. We will need a small fridge and microwave and then we can make it just fine.
Once the house is completed, we will furnish the house and move to a room there. Ron will interview and hire house parents and begin to train them. Our time with them will take at least a month to go over everything. Ron may go with them to interview potential girls to come to live at the safe house.
As the work unfolds, I will post pictures and progress so anyone who reads my blog can keep up with our life and work in Udon, Thailand.
After we arrive and can connect to an internet server, I will post that we have safely arrived.
Again, thanks to everyone for your love and concern for us. May God be with us all.
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