a few things that are different from life in the States.

Most of the food we eat here is fresh, and unprocessed. Every day we ride our bikes to the market and get fresh meat and vegetables to cook for dinner.

We know where our meat comes from. Often we hear it dying or see the process of our dinner being killed in front of us.

Sites like these are common places to fill up your motorbike with gas. It's a small station where gas is pumped from a barrel into your bike.

We get to eat lots of interesting fruits that we don't have in the States. This is one of them (Dragon Fruit) that is currently in season here.

Foods are not necessarily breakfast specific. It's common to eat foods like Pad Thai (fried noodles) for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Apee Meeyo.

Apee Meeyo is one of the grandmas in the Akha village that Luka is from. Libby lived in this village for the past 1.5 years and has now left Thailand to return to Seattle. Apee Meeyo loved Libby and was always the one looking out for her, asking where she had been, when she will return...etc. Since Libby has left Apee Meeyo has had some serious blood sugar issues, so I've been going up to the village occasionally to check on her, as well as for some Akha lessons. Yesterday Apee Meeyo wanted to make a video to send to Libby. The first video is her teaching me how to say, "crying" in Akha...this word is super hard for me to pronounce. Give it a try. I will try to visit Apee Meeyo weekly to practice my Akha...which has a very LONG way to go.



Below is Apee Meeyo's message to Libby. My friend Ae helped me translate parts of it below, but it is a rough translation for sure...



"Libby, I miss you. Now I'm very sick, so please pray for me. Now you aren't with my anymore, but one day well meet in heaven with Lynette's baby. God is with us. Everything that happens in my life is God's plan, and evidence of His love for me. God is like medicine for us in the ways he cares for us. Even today he takes care of us. I want to tell you how much it has meant to me that you have cared for me so many times. Now you are gone but Lynette will take care of me."

"Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life." -brian andreas.

photos from our time in Lynden/Seattle.