Monking Around

Some of you remember the friend of my husband's who decided to become a Buddhist Monk in Thailand. Some of you have even asked how he's doing. So, I thought I'd give a little update...


But first....


My husband, Crystal's husband, the Buddhist Monk, and (as you all like to call him) Will Ferrel have all been BFFs since they were .. oh two or three. They all grew up in Bakersfield together, and most of them went to high school together. They were in boy scouts and play groups with each other. When college came, they all went their separate ways (from UCLA to Cornell).

Left to Right: Andrew (aka Will Ferrell), Mario (Crystal's hubby), Brandon (mine!), Sean (the now, Buddhist Monk). 

When Brandon and I first started dating and I learned of these friendships, I was a might bit intimidated. I had had boyfriends who worshiped their friends to the point that no girl ever stood a chance. Even before I got a chance to meet these guys, I knew right away that .. oh my gosh.. not only do they have an incredibly special friendship... they have healthy relationships with each other AND others. These guys are fabulous role models for what friendship should be.

Yesterday, we got some pictures in the mail from Sean's ordination ceremony. He also sent an email telling us that after the ceremony, they travelled to northern Thailand for a retreat. Here are his words telling about the trip back to the temple: 

On the last day of the one month program, we boarded another double-decker touring bus to return to Bangkok. Our driver was in a hurry, so he sped through the windy mountain turns dangerously, narrowly escaping cliffs that dropped hundreds of meters down into a river. But the last turn proved too twisty for our driver, so our bus fell off of the road and began to roll down the mountain. I thought we were done for. We all did. Fortunately, a big tree at the edge of the final precipice stopped our momentum. If the tree wasn't there, I would not be alive right now.

After a few days in the hospital, he's now back at the temple and we were able to talk to him last night.  He seems quite happy with his decision, and plans on remaining at the temple for a while. 

Here are a few pictures of the ordination ceremony... 

Now, I don't know if Monk's are allowed to blog, but Sean... if you are, I highly suggest you start! ... Congratulations! (Is that what one says to another after they are ordained?)