I was up at 5AM this morning and started working on this blog, thanks to my body’s lack of ability to adjust to s a perfect time to blog! Of course, being that it was 5am, my thoughts were not very coherent… so I thought a photo essay would be a good solution. :0)
Connie and I arrived Thursday night after a 21+ hour travel day/plane ride. We spent Friday and Saturday running logistical errands, learning the area, and soaking up as much Thai culture as we can. Both of us noticed right away that there is a reason why this country is called “The Land of Smiles”. Everyone here smiles and is so nice!
Last night, the first team came in and we spent time getting to know them. Today (Sunday) starts the first day of ministry. We went to an Anglican church in the morning, then prayer walking in a trafficked district in the evening. Then I’m teaching the team on Listening Prayer. This is a great way for us to ease them into the kind of ministry we will do and to adjust to the time change/culture shock. Monday we start going into bars and sitting with girls.
So here are some pictures of the past two days. I hope you enjoy them!
This tree is wrapped with flowers and scarves because the Thai people believe spirits live in this tree.
The Floating Market is in a village built on canals. This is us on the “main road”… so cool!
We came up the steps to see two elephants. They were grabbing at tourists and their trainers were selling sugarcane to feed them! One grabbed Connie’s arm with its trunk and tried to take her bag… quite a “big” pickpocket!
Ministry is really all about making relationships… um, i prefer to never meet these creatures ever again. They were heavy! And creepy. At one point, both of them were wrapped around me. ::Shudder:: **First photo by Connie Rock**
Some of you have seen stories of the flooding in Bangkok. While it hasn’t rained since we’ve been here, there’s been more rain here than there has been in the last 50 years. Parts of the city are underwater…. not the part we are located in. However, the government is doing a “slow release” of the build up in order to avoid the same tragedy NOLA experienced in 2005. Everywhere we go, sandbags are stacked in front of doors and windows. These have Arabic characters, which I thought was cool.
While walking by a mall, Connie and I heard music. I kept looking around for musicians and dancers, because it sounded like a live show. Then I saw the band, and the two stuffed animals on the sidewalk, which were “dancing” to the beat (seriously… they were dancing. Had to have been battery operated). The next thing I know, Connie is over there dancing with them. It might have been the funniest thing I’ve ever seen….and the band as well. They were laughing so hard they barely finished their song!
That’s it for now. As I finish this blog, it is Sunday afternoon. The church service was amazing. Soon it will be time to go out on the prayer walk and then for my teaching. The more I learn about this culture and the heartbreak of what’s going on, the more I pray specifically for the people I will personally meet on these three weeks… that God will give me the words to say and that they will feel His love through me.
Thank you all for praying!
