December 16th - Free Day to Explore

We're giving the Tuk Tuks a day off today (they’re wonderful machines but do need their beauty sleep).

There are no activities planned for today – we can hang out by the infinity pool or alternatively there’s a great 8km trek right from the resort (with added dogs who walk with us as guides – not joking!)

If swimming or trekking don’t appeal then we can head into town to explore, visit Wat Doi Kong Mu the most important Temple in the area with amazing views over the town or even take a river boat trip and visit different Hill Tribe villages (our guide team can arrange).

Here's what we chose:  the boat trip to visit a hill tribe village. The reason: last night at dinner, Yuth said he doesn’t recommend the hike because people get lost, have to backtrack, get lost again, backtrack again and the hike is straight up the mountain and back down. He also suggested we wait until this evening to go to town because we are going as a group to the night market and street food. He recommends the boat trip for today so all 6 of us agreed. 

Breakfast this morning is a huge buffet of treats with an egg station and chef to prepare eggs your way: fried, scrambled, omelette, your choice. 

A few photos on our walk over to the restaurant. 

Camp fire

The other swimming pool

The grounds

A vine hanging from the tree 

Many vines hanging 

Because it’s the Fern Resort, there are ferns stamped in all the walkways. 

We arrive at the boat to take us to the long-neck village 

This is our boat - yikes! It’s already almost underwater and 6 adults are about to get in it. 

The day starts off overcast and cool

The water was a little bit rough in places. 

There’s the village

Long-neck village Kayan Hill Tribe

Trying on a hat that folds up like a fan 

A hen and her chicks

Hey, maybe if I wore one of these I wouldn’t have to go to decompression to stretch out my neck all the time. What do you think Dr. Kellie?

One of the few, older women remaining who truly wear the long brass bands. It seems that the younger women are only there working the stalls and the rings aren’t as many. It’s a tourist attraction for sure. 

Eeeew 

Drying chilis 

Drying beans

One of the women walked us over to the school

The children came out when they saw us

This is the woman who took us. She speaks very good English. 

School buildings

Lisa brought koala and kangaroo keychains from Australia to give the children 

All their shoes lined up outside 

We stopped at the shop in town before getting on the boat to buy treats for the women and children 

Juniper handing out treats 

Hedgehog cactus

Red junglefowl 

Bronwyn handing out sweets

They were so kind to let us interrupt their school day 

They all bow and put their hands together to say thank you

We were offered the front plank to sit on going back

Looks like a sturdy boat, no?

Look at his feet and the way he’s sitting. I would never be able to get up. 

Back at the boat house where we load up into the van that will take us back to the resort. 

And look what’s waiting for us when we return. 

All our laundry neatly folded

After sorting our laundry out, we headed to the infinity pool cafe to get something cold to drink and a bite to eat. 

Coconut water wrapped in banana leaves 

Crane flower

Indian shot or arrowroot 

We shared an appetizer of fried chicken in leaves. It was delicious!

We’re meeting at 5:45 to go into town with the group. 

Interesting building. 

Goofy hat

We had dumplins with chicken, fried mushrooms, and chicken skewers. Only got a pic of two of the dumplins 

The sun sets on another beautiful day. 

  

By Thine own eternal Spirit, rule in all our hearts alone

I'm going to study these two lines of the song today since they seem to really belong together. 

The first question I asked myself is, do I have trouble asking for help? The answer is a resounding, YES. How detrimental to our spiritual lives is this aversion to outside help. Think about it. Who among us can honestly say that we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength as Scripture commands (Deuteronomy 6:5)? None of us! And yet, so often we live as if we can. But this pretense does great harm to our relationship with the Lord and others. It drives us into shame when we inevitably succumb to temptations, dilutes the power of God’s grace, and erects a wall of pride between our heavenly Father and us.

I am convinced there is a better way to live, and it has everything to do with the Holy Spirit. Thank you Anna for enlightening us with your study and teaching of the Holy Spirit. What a blessing and thought-changing study it has been. Before Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide us “into all truth” (John 16:13). I think His disciples would have immediately picked up on Christ’s allusion to the Old Testament promise detailing how God would one day put his Spirit within His people to cause them to follow His ways faithfully (Ezekiel 36:27). This was one of the last promises that Jesus made before His ascension, which should demonstrate for us that our Savior knows that we need divine help as we work out how to follow Him in our daily lives. Well, Christ guarantees that help.

He is the One who removes our “heart of stone” and gives us a heart that is alive to the will of God (Ezekiel 36:26). He is the One who writes the gospel message upon our hearts so that our lives are grounded and directed by His redeeming purposes (2 Corinthians 3:3). The Spirit’s presence in the life of a believer is essential, and by God’s grace in Jesus, it is also guaranteed. As Paul writes, “In him you also were sealed with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13).

 

If you are in Christ, then His Spirit rules in your heart. The question is, are you listening to His voice? We all need help following Jesus, and through the indwelling of the Spirit, that help is guaranteed. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We don't have to walk this road alone!