Ticks

6 October 2013

Dear Phyllis,

This is very non-spiritual, but the biggest thing in my life for the past two weeks has been ticks. They are like the plagues of Egypt. I have had dogs all my life but this is a new experience.

Shortly after we were married the Lord gave us a lovely little puppy, Black Canyon. I suspected that the dog would be a major domestic problem, as I doubted that Pammy would have the same attitude towards raising dogs that I did. To me, dogs are like children, and have nearly all the privileges of children in the house. Pammy won round one as we discovered as soon as we brought Black Canyon home that she had fleas, and got relegated to be outside for a while. But as we got on top the flea problem, I was pleasantly surprised that Pammy's heart softened up to where Black Canyon had more privileges in the house than I thought I could negotiate. For two years Pammy's heart has moved up and down in what Black Canyon was allowed to do in the house, but basically she has had a very fortunate dog's-life.

Thais are very dog minded people. Dave Moore once remarked, “Is the a house in Thailand that doesn't have at least two dogs?”. Dogs are everywhere, and very few are tied up. The muban (housing area) where I live is really a very nice neighborhood. The people are all very friendly, and we have extremely few problems. Nearly all the dogs run freely. Black Canyon has the run of the entire muban with many friends she plays with everyday; and – to a large degree – she was allowed to be with us in the house. It would be hard to desire a better life.

Several months ago we realized that Black Canyon had acquired a large population of ticks, which caused a reduction of liberty in the house. Upstairs and the kitchen were generally off-limits. We did our best in trying to get a handle on that problem, but still noticed a number of ticks on the floor in the house.

After Pammy left two months ago Black Canyon's status was radically up-graded. She became my sole companion. She is the only one there when I came home at night. She is the only one with me as I eat supper, and she choose to sleep beside my bed on the floor beside me. Ever since she was a little puppy, she has always sat with me on my chase lounge chair in the morning for my time of devotions. This is a ritual we both enjoy very much. She is my only companion in the house.

In spite of my best efforts to control the ticks, I consistently got 20 to 30 ticks off her every night, and the house was alive with them. Singha, from the kindergarten, gave me some effective trick powder that has helped considerably. I give her a bath once a week with dog anti-tick soap, and the tick powder has cut down on the population 90%. But the house is like a farm or a zoo for the ticks.

There seem to be two categories. There are the large juicy blood suckers that are the size of water melon seeds. And there are smaller little black ones that look like sesame seeds. They are 2-3 mm (1/8 inch) and very hard to kill. The only way you can kill them is with your finger nails. Squashing with your thumb doesn't do a thing. The big juicy ones are almost gone. I seldom find one, but the little back ones are like pepper on mashed potatoes. I find them almost any place I look. The other night I thought I better check my bed before I went to sleep. I found 10 of them on the bed. Then I checked my pajamas and got 6 off them. It is not uncommon to feel something crawling up my leg; and, on more occasions than I wish, I find one crawling on me. I have had to scrape some off with my finger nails. But I think I am winning, and day by day there are fewer. I have been too poor to buy a can of bug spray, but I do hope to get one soon. If I can get some spray and clean the house, I believe I will generally be on top again.

There is another strange phenomenon that has happened in that I have come down with a number of bug bites on my body like I have never had before. For some unknown reason, most of these bites are in the part of my body where the sun never shines, and it never gets tanned. I have to inspect a lot of these sores with a mirror. I don't know what is causing these sores but I hope I can get rid of them soon.

Along on the medical front, this past week has been a bit challenging. Fifty years ago I severely damaged my kidneys by Spartan living. I was like the man who trained his horse to live on only fresh air and exercise. He cut back on hay, a little less each day, until he got the horse trained. Tragically, after all that effort, the horse died. I was doing the same thing trying to see how little I could eat and still stay alive. I was doing quite well until I collapsed. I wound up in the states for a medical furlough. The doctor told me that I had a lifelong problem with my kidneys. The Lord healed me, and I generally have been fine ever since. Ten years ago I was coming back from Laos when I started to have a crisis of having to go to the bath room every 15-20 minutes; and there simply was no holding it. I was passing blood with each trip to the toilet. It was a long night on a VIP bus from Udon Thani in far east Thailand to Chiang Mai, but I felt much better the next day. Ten days ago I had a similar attack where I was going to the bathroom every 15 minutes passing blood each time. I stayed home the next day, and felt fine. But then Wednesday it kicked up again. The second time it was worse. I have been working at Gary's house which is about 20 minutes away. I left work early, and was concerned whether or not I could get home on my bike fast enough. As a safe guard I stuffed a large wad of rags in my shorts as a poor mans Kotex.. That was a good move as I didn't make it. But by resting and refraining from coffee, my problem has cleared up. Everyone is insisting that I go to a hospital, but Jesus is a much better physician than they have in the hospitals, and He is much cheaper. Really, I am fine today.

I have been in a terrible financial trial for many months. In July Pammy drew two months support out of our account. That meant that I had to go two month with nothing of my regular support from Japan. The other day Singha gave me an envelop with “for rent” written on the outside. I have no idea how he knew what my rent was or that I had no money. But that covered the rent. Then the other day a man stuck a paper on the post in front of my house. I asked Singha what it was. He said it was an electric bill. The electricity had not been paid for two months, and, if I didn't pay it that day, they would disconnect my meter. He asked me if I had money for it. Silence. He asked me several times how much money I had. I really didn't know what to say. Finally he demanded, “Show me what you have in your wallet.” I showed him 90 baht. The bill was for 485 baht ($17). He then gave me 500 baht and told me to pay the electric bill. The Lord has been good in meeting my needs.

Gary asked me if I had any money in Japan. I said I didn't know but I planned to send Hirota an email that night. He said, “Why don't you call?”. That seemed impossible. Then he pulled something that must be one of the greatest technological miracles of the past decade. He got his computer and asked me Hirota's number. I told him it wouldn't work, but he gave me a head set with a mike. Seconds later a voice on the other end said, “Moshi moshi” (hello). I couldn't believe it. Oh my goodness, it was just like being back in Japan talking to Miyuki. Another miracle was that she works every day, but happened to be home when I called.

Miyuki is one of the greatest Christian women I know. I have told you about her before. She is one of the greats. Watchman Nee said the greatest problem in the church today is the fact that the people with one talent aren't using it (Mt. 25:14-30). Miyuki is a faithful two talent Christian. She is not outstanding. She can't sing, preach, or lead a meeting. She has never done anything like that. But she is one of the most rock solid faithful believers I have ever met. And she has one of the most unusual testimonies.

Miyuki was a career woman with no interest in marriage. She had been in business, and – through no fault of her own – the business went belly up, and she got stuck with a terrible debt for bankruptcy. She was at a cross roads in life, and had to start all over again. She didn't want to make a mistake the second time, and decided her best bet was to inquire through a reliable fortune teller. She had a close friend, Kajino san, who had got stung badly by a false fortune teller. She felt Kajino san was the best person she could ask for an introduction to a trustworthy fortune teller. Kajino san told her the best fortune teller she knew was Bill Cook in Ikoma. Miyuki called me and came for a fortune teller session.

When she showed up at the house, I asked her what she wanted. She told me her circumstance, and wanted someone to give her reliable advice about what path to choose in life. I told her, “You have come to the right place. I know the best One you could possibly ask”; and I introduced her to Jesus. Miyuki was going to New York in three weeks to be the manager of a Japanese restaurant for six months. I told her to come every night until she left for the states. I was planning on leading her to Christ the next night, but when I asked if she wanted to accept Jesus, she told me she already had. “When?” “Last night. I did want you told me.” I couldn't remember that I had told her that much but obviously there was enough in the conversation so she had asked Jesus to come into her heart to be her savior.

Hirota had been coming to our house for about six months before then, and Kajino san had asked Hirota to take Miyuki out to Ikoma to see us. I had no idea the interest he had in her, but soon he was on her like a bird dog on a pheasant. He wrote her every day when she was in New York . After fulfilling her contract in New York, Miyuki returned to Japan, but had no place to live. We invited her to live with us. That was one of the best moves we ever made. Hirota was out to our house every night holding her hand as they sat in front of our fireplace. He was determined to marry her. She had no interest, but she saw in the scripture that God made woman to be a help-mate for man, and Hirota was a man who needed help. Simply in obedience to Christ she married him.

What a mess! You talk about a dysfunctional marriage; now there you have one. It would be hard to get worse. Miyuki said if she wasn't a Christian that marriage wouldn't have lasted six months. They are totally different. She is as responsible a business person – or in anything else – as you will ever find. And he is as irresponsible as it is possible to be and still stay out of jail. He had his own business, but seldom went to his office or answered phone calls, His irresponsibility drove her mad. The rascal was a 12 year old spoiled boy in a mans body.

But Miyuki was determined to honor Jesus. She supported her husband and placed herself under him. By doing so she made him to be a man of God. She had no interest in cooking or being a house wife, but she has become a legend as one of the finest cooks you will ever meet. Her meals are five star. And their home is as Christ centered as you can get. They have one of the best marriages I know. Not because they are a good match, but because only Jesus could make it work – and He has.

Yesterday I used my ATM card for the first time in many months and I hope I am out of the wilderness for a while. Thank God.

                                                                                 bill