The Very Best Place.

I awoke early in the morning and made my way downstairs for my daily peek at the clock. Like usual, the time registered 5:30. I'm nothing else if not consistent! Making my way towards the controller, I turn the air con on, hoping for some relieve from the rather oppressive humidity. April had told me that the air con "sings" when it gets turned on. I heard the singing and put the controller down, only to hear the air con mournfully belt out a last note. Dismayed, I tried turning on the air con again, but to no avail. The machine simply refused to work! I did some things while waiting for one of the other girls to get up. She tried it too, and was just as successful less as I was. Chagrined, we trot out to the van where the air con was at full blast. Finally, some cool air!

Pulling up along side the Thai church, we file out and dutifully leave our shoes at the door, along with dozens of other sandals. We enter in just as Sunday School is finishing up. Taking our place towards the back, we girls sit down with the ceiling fans feverishly working to cool down the rather warm room. Soon the service starts with a song. We girls sing in English; the rest gathered in the rather large room sing in Thai. An awesome sound penetrates the air as the Thai and Philippino members worship the Lord in a language that is sounding more and more familiar with each passing day. Giving me the goosebumps, my mind wanders to that one day in the future when every tribe, tongue, and nation will be present to do the very same thing we were doing at the moment.

After one song, the pastor gets up to the pulpit. Although he opens no Bible, he begins to talk very animatedly. Within a few minutes, hands start to raise all around the room. I lean towards Susie to ask what in the world is he talking about and Susie whispers back he'll let us know if it pertains to us. Finally the pastor says in English there is a trip taking place sometime in October. It finally dawns on me that he had been making announcements for the past five minutes! Satisfied that the people really weren't being disrespectful to the Pastor or God's Word, I wait until the announcements are over before I pay close attention again.

Once again we pick up the red covered hymn books and praise the Lord in song. The song service ends after another hymn and a young man from the States gets up and sings "In Christ Alone". With our hearts prepared for the service through the singing, the pastor directs our eyes to the book of John. Although the young lady doesn't come back to translate until half-way through the service, I read the chapter and let the words sink in.

I notice the pastor beckoning to Bro. Tom to come forward and sit in a chair. It is the classic illustration of putting your faith in a chair by sitting down and then he parallels that truth to Jesus. I contemplate that as I listen to the national young lady translate for Susie and I. The service soon ends with a song sung to the tune of Edelweiss. With that, we are invited to stay for lunch and fellowship with the church members.

We return home and are quickly reminded that the air con has not had a miraculous resurrection. Now hot, sticky and a little tired, we girls get Pookie to call the air con guy. While we wait for him to come, Psalm, April, and I go down to Pookie's house where the air con is working at full speed. We step in the door and just soak up the cool air. Not minding the dead cockroach on the floor, we meander our way through Pook's house and wind up in her room. One homemade movie (The Gaudet Team 2007) later, with our sides aching from laughing, the air con guys come and fix our air con. We consider asking them to check out our bedroom air con too, but are stopped dead in our tracks when Pookie quotes us a price of 8,000 baht ($246) to fix the living room air con. Deciding that we don't need it checked after all, April runs over to Krinny's house to borrow 3,000 baht. Between the two of us we pay the air con man, decidedly cooler but much more poor. Thankful that there were four girls here to split the cost, we shudder to think how much of a financial strain that would have been on just two girls.

The evening service begins with Bro. Tom speaking from Ephesians 3:13-4:17. Psalm is soon in tears from a jet lag-induced headache and she goes off to bed. My eyes begin to droop as well, as jet lag is still affecting me. As the service ends, I head for the stairs with a call over my shoulder to wake me up at 9. I blissfully fall into bed for a 2-hour nap and wake up in time to get ready to watch LVBC's morning service online. Pookie chats me, asking me how to view the service, so we chat back and forth a few moments. During that time, the service was put on "live" so I settle back onto the sofa with my Bible on my lap and watch a very familiar auditorium come into view.

Having the privilege to be a part of three very different services that day floats through my mind as I head for the stairs. Sunday sets the tone for the week and as I settle down for the evening, I think to myself that is why Sunday is always my favorite day, no matter what country I'm in... no matter what problems may occur during the day. I close my eyes, thankful to be in the very best place of all: God's will for my life at this moment!