our friends say the darndest things.

So many things were said this week I don’t want to forget.

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I’ve been sick recently–really sick for a week and then a cough and runny nose that stuck around for another week. One of the girls had her arms around my neck as I was coughing one day.

“Oh, Kelli. When we are sick you take us to hospital, but when you are sick, there is no one to take you to the hospital.”

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Stephen had gone to watch a movie with a friend one evening, so I let a few kids play games in our house while I worked on a painting project. Around 9:30pm, we shared a bowl of pretzels before they headed back home. As one of the girls left, she hugged me and said, “Your house is so happy. I like it here.”

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I was baking bread to take to church with us and chatting with Thida in the kitchen. She was commenting on our two ovens—which have both been given to us—and that many of our friends give us so many nice things, which is very true. I agreed and told her that foreigners are often coming and going, and they are very kind to give us things.

She suddenly panicked, asking, “You’re not going to move back to America, are you? You can’t move back.”

“We will stay for a few more years at least, and then we don’t know. We like it here, but we aren’t sure. We talk about maybe moving to Burma someday…but not yet. We won’t leave Mae Sot yet.”

“Oh, you cannot go back. I will cry and cry and cry. You cannot go back. Where do you want to go in Burma?”

I told her a few places we’ve considered, and she said, “Oh, in a few years, your Burmese will be so good! I will come to Burma to visit you. I’ll look around and ask, Where are Stephen & Kelli? And all I will see is Burmese people! You will be Burmese!”

Yeah, something like that. I’m sure there is only thing that makes me stick out in a crowd around here 🙂

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This guy is always saying the most adorable things. If he hears the washer—spinning, water coming in, changing cycles—he comes running, shouting, “WATCH! WATCH! WATCH!” If I’m cooking, “Up! Up! Help! Help!” If I’m holding another child, he whines, “No, not (other child’s name). Hold me! Hold Zen Yaw!” If we’re singing, he knows, “Hallelujah!” And if we’re saying goodbyes, he has learned the English for, “See you tomorrow!”

Melt my heart.