On march 23rd we left the base in San Pedro, parting with some of the students from our lecture dts group (:( ), to catch a about 4 hr boat to Chetemal, Mexico where we then went through customs (yes I got a green light-those of you who have been through Mexico know what I am talking about), then got a taxi to the bus terminal where we took a 5-6 hr bus ride to Cancun, Mexico. we then stayed in Cancun for two nights at the YWAM base there and made a lovely breakfast (brittany and I were quite proud of ourselves-scrambled eggs, pico, tortillas, and homefried potatoes oh yea!). Then on March 25th we took a plane from Cancun to Philly to New York Laguardia going through US customs in Philly (never knew you went through customs in your first US city you enter-the things you learn). Then we took a taxi to JFK where we had a lovely dinner and PEETE's(!!!!!) (for those of you that live in CA you know my obcession with Peete's). We then got a flight to Quatar (near Saudi Arabia) on Quatar Airways (actually amazing flight). Im justv going to take a moment here to say, I know the name raises a few eyebrows about the airline but it was pretty freaking amazing, probably the best plane food I have ever had and we got Ben and Jerry's ice cream and oreos on the flight!!!!! Anyway, to continue on, we had a slight layover in the Doha airport in Quatar (no I didnt get a stamp, I know total bummer-Im gonna try on the way back though) followed by our flight to Bangkok, Thailand where we arrived on the afternoon of the 28th and have been since then. (picture to the left is some of the girls on our team rocking the thai pants making our jet lag faces)
All that to be said, we have been in Thailand this last week waiting for our visas to India which take about 5 business days. We have been able to do some good ministry, though, while we have been here as well as get over jet lag and do some cultural orientation. We have done a prayer walk at one of the temples in Bangkok, have been to the slums two times (once to meet elderly and work with a group from the Ruth Center and once to help lead a bible study for the elderly and play with kids), and we picked up trash along the streets. Our time in the slums have been, as always on my travels, so good. It is probably one of those things that people least look foward to when they travel, but it is always sooooo good.
Being in a foreign country and confronted with the sheer poverty that exists there is always a hard thing to see; it makes you question what you spend your money on. Do we really appreciate what we have and how we got it, or do we take it for grated because if we loose it we can just get in our car and drive around the corner to get more? 2/3 of the world exists in a state of poverty in comparison to our developed world and yet we rarely take our eyes off the pretty tourist centers when we travel.
Thailand is a country deeply involved in Budhism as well as ancestor worship which can be seen everywhere. Not only are the spectacular temples all over the country with large gold plated Buddha statues but at nearly every business and every corner there are miniture idols that people pray too and place flowers and other offerings around. Each time I enter a culture so different from my own where idol worship is so heavy it stops me dead in my tracks. There are cultures like Thailand that are so beatiful with generous and loving people, warm hearted and kind and yet completely sucked into their idols. It makes you realy think how it all started.... As I sit here on Easter Sunday on my bunk bed in Thailand, I remenised back to our worldview week back on base and Chris' talk about Issac and Ishamel from the Old Testament. The battle waged between two brothers and they both became the father of a house of religion that still stands today. Our world today is never at a lack for choice in which God to follow and so many choose one without seeing it all, without looking at what it is they are serving.
2000 years ago a man died on a tree bearing the sins of the world in an agonizing death and then rose from the dead three days later much to everyone astonishment even his closest followers. He did this not because of anger or judgement but because of love. He willingly put himself on the tree when he could of ended it at any moment but he didnt because of his great love, "greater love than this has no man than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends". 2000 years ago a friend laid down his life so that I could choose to take it up and walk in new life. We all make the decision of what or whom will be our God and I pray we never take the choice lightly because when we do decide we lay a line.
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