Thanks for your concern and prayers. We made it through the night, but with little rest. We heard that we would get more water at 2 am (I assume that meant they were opening the dam up river from us again). We were up checking through the night, but the water did not get any higher in my downstairs. Early this morning the water actually began to go down some. It has gone down about 6 inches and it has left a layer of mud on the stairs. My car was moved to higher ground, but a neighbor came at 11 pm last evening to tell me that water had gotten into my car. I have not been able to get to it to check on it. We have enough food for another day.

The problem now is that although the water is slowly going down here, and will continue to do so if it does not rain, the water is spreading further away from the river. Water began rising rapidly at the House of Love and the project's office during the night. I received a phone call at 4:30 am with that report. Water in the yard and driveway at the House of Love is now up to the waists of the adults. Water has not yet come into the main house, but is at the doorway. The children and adults are all safe as of now, and have had some food for breakfast. However, the kitchen and all the bathrooms are flooded. This will become a big problem with 30 people stranded there. Cars can not get in and out of the area. The government is surveying the damage with helicopters and boats, and can evacuate people by boat if that becomes necessary.

Staff who were able to get out of their homes went to the office of the health project about 5 am and were able to move computers and other equipment to the upstairs before the downstairs flooded. Schools are closed. Rice had just been planted, so some farmers have lost their crops. Many people have lost much of what was in their homes. People are stranded without food and there has been at least one death. The flooding is not just happening in Chiang Mai, but in many parts of Thailand.

• Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Thanks for all of your concern. Just wanted to let you know that we were able to safely evacuate the children from the House of Love this morning. They are staying at an Akha hostel in town. Two of the house parents stayed back to care for things at the house. The water rose and entered the first floor of the house; water in the driveway was over some of the heads of the younger children. Most of the children's clothes and the equipment from the kitchen were also salvaged. The water is slowly receding and we are left with the clean-up.

We were finally able to open the doors of my house about 11 am today and to our relief the water ran out of, and not into, the house. It took me and a house guest working 7 hours to get the water and most of the mud out of the house. The doors inside of the house and some of the furniture will need to be replaced, The water outside of the house is still half way to my knees, and has chairs and bottles and other garbage floating in it. Everything stinks. But we are thankful that all of our staff and the children and adults at the House of Love are safe. Everyone is exhausted and we are praying that the rains slow down and that there is no more flooding.

Today, people began to realize how stranded we really were, and several people offered to evacuate us by boat. It is good to know that there is a Christian community here that was willing to help. Many of the Thais living in rural northern Thailand have lost much also.

• Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers.

Kim