While we were in Australia Isaac frequently had what the doctors called “growing pains” in his knees and occasionally his elbows. We saw doctors and specialists about it. He had blood tests, x-rays, etc. Coming to Thailand and the problem, if anything, got more frequent. The problem always seemed only to occur in the evening or night. Most nights he would wake in great pain, and often tears.
We were talking and praying one night, when the thought of it being food related came to mind. But what ingredient can cause joint pains? We wondered if MSG could be the problem. We looked up if MSG can cause joint pains, and sure enough it could. We looked up what foods had MSG, and both in Australia and Thailand nearly all processed food products contain it in some form. It is hard to avoid in Australia and harder in Thailand. Note that MSG is rarely labelled MSG (Mono sodium glutamate), but is hidden in variety of other names. The problem in MSG is that it is a “processed free glutamate”, so many other products which technically are not MSG, but contain “processed free glutamates” are include in our foods. So we did a trial with Isaac and gave him a diet with food which had nothing with MSG and he now seems free of these so called “growing pains”. He seems quite sensitive to it, as adding a slight amount of a product that has MSG (e.g. soy sauce or chicken stock), then the pains return. (We now make our own chicken stock).
So I thought I’d mention it, in case your child has “growing pains”, you may want to look further into what they’re eating.
Heres what you may find on food labels that contain MSG - Processed free glutamate (Check your pantry/fridge and you might be surprised).
The following list contains at least 78% factory created free glutamates: MSG, Gelatin, Calcium Caseinate,Monosodium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Textured Protein, Monopotassium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP), Yeast Extract, Glutamate, Autolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast food or nutrient, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Caseinate, Autolyzed Yeast,Vegetable Protein Extract, Senomyx (wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)
The following list contains some factory created free glutamates in varying amounts: Malted Barley (flavor), Natural Flavors, Flavors, Flavoring, Modified food starch, Barley malt, Reaction Flavors, Rice syrup or brown rice syrup, Malt Extract or Flavoring, Natural Chicken, Beef, or Pork, Flavoring "Seasonings" (Most assume this means salt, pepper, or spices and herbs, which sometimes it is.), Lipolyzed butter fat, Maltodextrin, dextrose, dextrates, Soy Sauce or Extract, "Low" or "No Fat" items, Caramel Flavoring (coloring), Soy Protein, Corn syrup and corn syrup solids, high fructose corn syrup, Stock, Soy Protein Isolate or Concentrate, Citric Acid (when processed from corn), Broth, Cornstarch fructose (made from corn), Milk Powder, Bouillon, Flowing Agents, Dry Milk Solids, Carrageenan, Wheat, rice, corn, or oat protein, Protein Fortified Milk, Whey Protein or Whey, Anything enriched or vitamin enriched, Annatto, Whey Protein Isolate or Concentrate, Protein fortified "anything", Spice, Pectin, Enzyme modified proteins, Gums (guar and vegetable), Protease, Ultra-pasteurized dairy products, Dough Conditioners, Protease enzymes, Fermented proteins, Yeast Nutrients, Lecithin, Gluten and gluten flour, Protein powders: whey, soy, oat, rice (as in protein bars shakes and body building drinks), Amino acids (as in Bragg's liquid amino acids and chelated to vitamins), Algae, phytoplankton, sea vegetable, wheat/ barley grass powders
Sometimes they use a number instead the ingredient name: 620, 625, 621, 627, 622, 631, 623, 635, 624
Why do children end up at Mercy International at the towns of Phrae, Petchabun & Khon Kaen in Thailand? I don’t feel at liberty to share individuals personal stories so I’ll keep it general. So some of the reasons children come to Mercy are:
Children are unwanted and abandoned, some leave them in the bush by the side of the road, others are brought to Mercy by their parents.
Parents may being dieing of Aids related diseases, and want someone to care for their children. (Aids is a big problem in Thailand, mainly due the amount of promiscuous relationships).
Either one or both parents have died, and can no longer provide adequate care for the child.
Some children are born from adulterous relationships or fornication, and in some cases families wont accept these children, and so they give their children to Mercy.
There are parents who are drug addicts, and cannot cope with raising a child and give their child to Mercy.
There is no social welfare in Thailand, the extended family provide support to other family members. Some poor families have no way to support additional children, and so children are given up.
Well it was great to have Mum and Bill visit us in Thailand, but we're are still waiting for the rest of you to visit us. We went to Bangkok, Phrae and Chiang Mai with them, hopeing to show the many tourist attractions, but what did they do instead? Shop. I never new my mum liked shopping so much. It was great to spend some time with them, and mum even got to do some sewing here in Phrae. Yes, if she sees a sewing machine, she gets sewing cravings. But it was a real blessing to have her recover a couple lounge chairs. Bill got to use his many talents to assist us in making some childrens play equipment, and to do a bit of plumbing. Bill also showed a couple of the Thais how to use fishing lures, and then the Thais showed Bill how to actually catch a fish. But after all the time they spent in Finland and then here I bet they're glad to be home. By the way Bill even tried eating a fried bug. I tell you, it wont be long before you see a McBug store open in Australia! Nart has set up a light outside to attract some bugs tonight, I think we will have a fiesta of fried bugs tommorrow.
My mum and father-in-law came to visit us in Thailand, on their way to Aust. after their holiday in Finland. We traveled down to Bangkok on the train last week to meet them. We knew the trains ran a bit late here, and as a train pulled up about 1/2 hour after it was scheduled, we hoped on board. Someone was sitting in our seats, so we politely asked them to move after we showed our tickets. (we wouldnt have minded, but we wanted 4 seats together with our boys). Whilst travelling the ticket collecter checked our tickets, handed them back, looking puzzeled asked to see them again, then we find we are on the right seats but on the wrong train. We were on the slower train to bangkok (fortunately the right direction), so we hoped off that train at the next station and when ours arrived we got on that. It was great seeing a bit more of the Thai countryside travelling on the train.
We have never really liked Bangkok that much due to it looking so dirty, breathing sewer smells walking the streets and the busyness of it. But this time it we enjoyed it a lot more. Though there is a stark contrast between the rich and the poor. You see the shanty shacks of the poor, the beggars on the street, and then see some amazing affluent shopping centres, expensive cars etc.. Something is just not right there!
We are back at Phrae for a couple days, but will drive to Chiang Mai on the weekend to see Mum and Bill off at the airport.
Genetic DNA is written in its own language. Isnt it amazing that a single human cell has enough genetic information to fill 4 complete sets of the encyclopedia britanica (1 set is 30 volumes). This complexity is just for 1 cell, Im no mathematician but I’d say the random chance of that happening is 0.
Isnt it amazing that if all the genetic information in a person was connected end to end it would extend to the moon 552,000 times.
Isnt it amazing that genetic mutations reduce genetic information, not increase it.
Isnt it amazing that the Law of Biogenesis states that life does not arise from non-life.
Isnt it amazing that I ate venomous cobra and survived.
Isnt it amazing that the Second Law of Thermodynamics states that “Everything tends toward disorder”. This is in direct opposition to the Theory of evolution.
Isnt it amazing that the Big Bang Theory means there is a definite starting point for our universe, and the matter for the universe had to come from somewhere. Yet some scientists exclude God as even a possibility, as evolutionist Richard Lewontin said “we cannot allow a divine foot in the door.”
Isnt it amazing that when we see a painting we know there was a painter, if we see building we know there is a builder, so when we see creation we know there is a creator.
Isnt it amazing that the bible is supported by true scientific facts. But today, it is hard to distinguish scientific facts as many theories are taught as fact.
We went to Burma/Myanmar to update our visa's on the weekend. We thought it had a different feel to Thailand, maybe just because we are used to being in Thailand now, but we both thought Burma was less safe, the people we sadder and just felt darker. Many people there (at the border) spoke Burmese,Thai and some English as there are many tourists crossing the border there. I was able to give out some tracts and share the good news of Jesus with a shopkeeper. That country needs help. There are many beggars on both sides of the border, which is a sad sight. Some parents send there kids there to beg as they know people will feel compassion for them. Please pray for the Burmese people.
The mountains surrounding the border are amazing, unfortunately it was raining most of the time we were there so we didnt get many photos, so I guess you'll have to go and see it first hand !
Tommorrow we are off to Burma for a border run, which we need to do to get another stamp in our visa, so we can stay another 3 months in Thailand. Hopefully we'll get some good photos, as the scenery there is really nice.
Well today was a bit of fun. The village people (YMCA) came to House of Mercy, the politicians came, the press came, and some school kids came. A bit of ceremony, really to get House of Mercy known in Phrae. Even though they've been here for a while not that many people know we are here, as we are not in a town, we are in the sticks on a road to rice farms and more rice farms.
The kids all looked very cute in their Thai farmer costumes. Lisa and I just looked hilarious, not that I actually see the Thai farmers really wearing what we wore, we were more like the posh wanna be rice farmer. We actually were lent our clothes from a shop for the occasion, and were told not to get them dirty (how is that possible while planting rice in the mud???). Lisa got changed for her go at planting.
We often take for granted the food we get, and plants growing, thinking we make the plants grow. We plant and water things, but the scripture comes to mind "neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow". It is God who makes our food grow, it is God who breathes life into our mortal bodies, he is our provider, and sustainer of life. Who but God knows if your next breath will be your last. If it is your last breath, where will your soul go?
As sometimes happens here there was a slight lapse in communication, and the new little boy was actually a new little girl. She is 1 years old and very little and very cute (see our picture gallery). She had here first swim in the pool here, and of course Lisa was quick to assist in looking after her there.
Isaac and Jed were given a special Thai Farmer costume, in which they look really cute. It was given to them for Friday's first rice planting celebration here. The students in Thai schools wear a different uniform each day, and this is also one of the uniforms they wear. Isaac and Jed think they are Thai kick boxing outfits which they thought was really cool. But I just gotta watch out for all those kicks and punches that come with it.
We have had some great electrical storms here, with loud crashing thunder and lightning. There are plenty of crying kids as a result. Fortunately like me and Lisa, Isaac and Jed love it. Great to watch.
Tommorrow a new 1 year old baby boy will be arriving here. Dont know his name or anything about him yet, but Im sure he will be well loved by all the staff and other children here. Please keep him in your prayers. We will post a photo later in the week.
About 5 meters from our back window, the ground has been ploughed up and ready for rice planting, this will be done later this week. A lot of people from the area are coming to help plant the rice, as it is to help the children at House of Mercy. Also the local govenor is coming with his enterage, and Im sure the local press will follow him to make it all seem grand. So hopefully next friday, I will give rice planting a go. Im sure it will be fun ...for the first 5 minutes.
I have tried to not mention crazy food in this blog entry, but I just have to mention our "Last Supper" at the school. It was our last day at Nalam school and they normally give us lunch and its really nice. This time as it was being dished up, at first I saw noodles and thought "Great I love noodles" and then they opened the lid of "That Bowl". I was then thinking "Oh Ohh, thats my bowl there putting that stuff in. What is it. I dont want to be rude and refuse it." At this point our interpreter Tik, read my mind and told to them to not give us the black stuff. My bowl was then swapped with regular teachers bowl. We asked Tik what it was, and she said is was congealed chickens blood. Im sure you wondered when I'd get there, but yes thats where I draw the line.