It is always a joy to receive cards and letters from our friends and supporting churches in the States. Especially at Christmastime, when we miss family life and church life during this special season. We thank all of the many people who sent kind notes and cards to us. You make our day. We use a private post box service and whenever a letter comes in, they give us a call to come pick it up. We have received calls almost every day and it is all good stuff (no envelopes with windows... they are always bills or business).
One day, we received a stack of cards from our sisters and brothers of Belfast UMC from the great state of Maine. Each envelope contained a hand-made card and a bracelet made of colorful beads. It was fun to open and enjoy each card and hand-crafted bracelet.
In Thai culture, bracelets are a symbol used to bestow blessings upon those you love. There are many occasions during the year, such as Mother's Day, when bracelets are placed upon someone's wrists to let them know they are loved and special. It is very common to see young children wearing bracelets that parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and friends have placed on their wrists. We will be using the bracelets from Belfast UMC to bless people in Thailand.
