A bit of a slower day

 

We were able to spend a bit of time at Naomi House (info about it below - check out the links!)

Today ended up being a bit of a slower day.

We stayed in our apartment until 12:15 today waking slowly, eating slowly, starting to pack slowly, catching some hockey highlights--GO COUGARS GO!!!--and trying to help James find some medicine for his sore tummy and diarrhea (found some, so now we'll see if it works...needless to say, I understand the extreme end of being sick in Thailand!) I think the slowness of the day was a blessing; we will have a long and full day tomorrow, so moving at a slower pace today was much appreciated.

Cynthia came by at 12:15 to take us to Naomi House which we learned about last year as we started looking into Multiply's ministries in Thailand. Naomi House has gone through some changes in the past few years as they have had an amazing opportunity to partner with some companies and become their direct sewing house (such as Adorn in the US), but they still have Siriwan and many of the same girls from the website and the videos there. It was one of the places that Juliet wanted to go see as she found the story of girls seeking asylum as refugees and needing support coming out of really bad situations moving.

After Naomi House we went back to Cynthia's and had a bite of pizza (yes...pizza...and very good thin crust pizza actually!) before hanging out for the afternoon and eventually meeting other Multiply Missionaries, Sarah and Ozz Fast Kumrod (Ozz was sick at home with the littlest child). Sarah was actually part of Team 2000 that came to Thailand 24 years ago (along with Dave & Louise Sinclair Peters and others). It was really nice to be able to spend time with Sarah and her 3 oldest boys and hear about their lives, ministry, and put faces to names :)

One thing that has struck me is that although there are so many missionary organizations and people here--and no, they do NOT know each other lol--it has been in almost every instance that once you start talking to someone they ask a variation of the question, "So - are you here because you're exploring mission work?" The answer we give is an honest one: we want to be open. Lindsay and I have often felt like it's a matter of time before we go into vocational ministry. We have seriously prayed about this over the years in context of camp ministry and church ministry, but we've never felt that specific calling. Don't get me wrong: we fully believe that everyone is called into ministry (Matthew 28:19-20 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age). We also believe that the call into vocational ministry is a specific calling - that is the one we are open to and waiting on. It has been really neat to see what it can look like here in Thailand and we're very thankful for the opportunity we have had to spend the past number of days with Cynthia and here about what God is doing in her context. On Wednesday we will have a chance to start our time with Dave & Louise and we are equally excited - bring it on!

Day 8: The Global Church

 

We joined the Rim Khan Fellowship Church on Sunday night (Uncle Deng, and Deng and Khong's family had already left before taking this photo). In the photo is our family, Cynthia and Maceo, Muay, Aire, Nui, and Noi.

In the morning, we attended Kingdom Life Church

Cynthia had recommended we go to Kingdom Life Church for the morning...we're super glad we did! It is a Thai church that does translation to English for both music (on the slides) and through a radio transmitter and someone who does live translation for the speaking. It was really cool! We can't understand Thai yet we were able to worship alongside an international community in both English and Thai. We were also able to understand Pastor Sidney's message and learn and be encouraged alongside everyone - it was so cool and we're so glad we could attend!

After church we stayed for a quick lunch and talked with a missionary originally from California (Brandon) and another fellow and his wife (he was German and his wife Thai, although she spent many years in Germany). It was a very welcoming church and very vibrant...as James said, "They move a lot" meaning they like to dance, raise their hands, and shout "Amen." From our more restrained Mennonite perspective, it was more charismatic, and it was certainly encouraging to hear their heart for the Gospel in Thailand!

We needed a bit more food (that wasn't spicy for the kids) after church, so walked to a cafe for some chicken nuggets :). We then caught a Grab to Cynthia's place and prepared for church with Rim Khan Fellowship Church. We planned out some activities that we could do with everyone (origami), soccer, and badminton, and grabbed some donuts to share from Dunkin Donuts.

When we arrived at Aire and Nui's house they had their carport empty and setup with some folding tables and chairs. They also had a projector screen and had just been given a new projector and speaker to use for videos! Cynthia loaded up some Thai worship songs from YouTube, and after spending some time socializing, Juliet and James lead some origami crafts (a bookmark, a ball, and a throwing star...) and we started with the music. We had no idea what the songs were, but it was great to be able to be part of it! The kids stayed for that part of the church service.

When the songs were over, the kids (both our kids and Deng and Khong's and Maceo) played soccer and badminton while Cynthia did a study on Blind Bartimaeus. We couldn't understand what she was saying, but we could tell that she was emphasizing that he was an outcast and pushed aside by everyone. He then--out of faith--called out to Jesus begging for mercy and his healing...and Jesus heard him and called out to him. Jesus heard him in his suffering and in his low place in society. Everyone seemed fairly willing to share and speak, which was neat to see their active participation.

When it was over we all ate dinner together. Nui made some rice, fried cabbage (yummy!), panang curry, and soup, and there were donuts. It was great to sit with everyone and although we couldn't understand each other much, we were able to connect over food, faith, sports, and origami. It was a great day!

Day 7: Elephant Day!

 

We spent the afternoon at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary

This was a last-minute booking. We had 2 bigger touristy things we wanted to do while in Chiang Mai: spend time with elephants and go to the Sticky Waterfalls. The complication came in trying to schedule everything in! We hadn't thought through things far enough in advance so busy last night (Friday) we were at the computer trying to figure out what to do and sending messages to people trying to figure out what we could book. We decided to do a Saturday afternoon trip to see elephants!

We were picked up at our apartment at 11:30 and after picking up 5 other folks from another hotel (all from Utah) we drove an hour and a bit out to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Chiang Mai. There were 3 busses of people who came out, so about 25 people total.

When we arrived, we all put on Karen Tribe shirts (well...those of us who didn't find it too hot...) and were given some information and safety instructions before we started with feeding the elephants bananas. After, they put out piles of grass and corn (as in the picture) for the elephants to eat while we able to get closer to them, pet them, and get photos with them. There were 5 elephants, 4 adult female elephants and 1 young male elephant (beside James and I in the photo).

After that, we made these "vitamin balls" for the elephants to eat that is supposed to help with digestion. It was a mix of young green plants, rice, tamarin, probiotics, and bananas. We then fed these to the elephants before taking them to the river to play in the water.

Playing in the water was pretty cool! We all splashed the elephants and they seemed to be fine with it (...I suppose they might enjoy it...I just know that as I don't like it when other people splash me so I have a hard time not projecting my own feelings on these kinds of situations lol). We then took them to a mud pit and spread mud all over them. The elephants use the mud to protect their skin from the sun, wind, and bugs, which is why that is the last thing, after the river.

We then cleaned up, had a quick dinner, and hopped back on the van to come back. We got back to the apartment around 6pm and headed out for a late stroll at the Saturday night walking market. It wasn't nearly as busy as China Town in Bangkok, which I think the kids enjoyed. Each kid was given 200 baht (about $8 CAD) to purchase something. Juliet bought a dress and some small stuffies (she also had to contribute some of her own money) and James bought a toy and some sun glasses. He didn't have enough money to buy the sunglasses so he tried bartering...no fear in that child! He didn't get much a discount, but I think the lady thought he was cute for trying so he did get a bit of money off.

We then grabbed a late night snack of crepes with bananas and strawberries and came back to the apartment...it was a late night and was good to get to bed after that!

A little of everything

 

Lindsay and Juliet really enjoyed the orchids at the Royal Gardens

It's hard to imagine this was our 6th day in Thailand already! Time has flown, and maybe for the first time, the kids have yet to seriously complain about missing home! Praise the Lord!

Cynthia took us to Grace International School first thing in the morning for a tour. She volunteers there once per week and Maceo attends, so while they were busy, we received a tour from the admissions office. It is quite an amazing campus! There are multiple beautiful buildings, large hallways, open-air hallways, every classroom has lots of windows, and the general look and feel is very crisp, clean, and professional - it was quite something to see! They are a Christian school and although it is largely made of missionary families, there are kids with no church affiliation who attend and come from all over the world - it really is an international school! Within the school they actually have three (3) language options: English (the majority), Thai, and Korean. All of the non-Thai teachers and staff are missionaries who raise their support while the Thai staff are salaried. James and Juliet were a little interested and concerned that we were going to come here to teach and pull them out of Cedars...we told them "not yet" lol

After the school we took a Grab to the Royal Park Rajapruek which is a large gardens. It isn't quite Butchart Gardens, but there were some nice flowers and elements to it. It was also quite a large grounds so they have a mini bus that goes around every 15 minutes and allows people to hop-on-and-off. Everyone was allowed to pick 1 area they got to explore and even then we ended up being there for probably 3 hours!

For the afternoon we had a short pool time before Cynthia and Maceo picked us up to go out for dinner and Kung Fu Panda 4. All the kids were quite excited and it was good for them to be able to spend more time together.

A different perspective to Chiang Mai

We spent some time with Deng and Khong and their young family

 

Cynthia took us to an elephant cafe to feed and pet some elephants

When we were here in 2009 I remember mostly doing the tourist-y things (see these two posts: Back from the Bush & Day at the Zoo). I suppose we maybe had a few other experiences that weren't exactly tourist-y, but largely the memories that I have are of the tourist-y things. That isn't bad, and certainly we will do some of those things while here this time, but today provided a different perspective.

We met up with a missionary from Multiply, Cynthia Friesen, this morning and went out for coffee together to get to know each other, learn about her and Maceo (her son), hear about the work of the church in Thailand, and find out what God is doing in Thailand. We met Cynthia through some of the other Multiply missionaries that are connected to Westwood (Dave & Louise Sinclair-Peters and Bob Davis, also from Multiply).

Side-note: we went to Bella Goose Cafe which also has an interesting story as a social enterprise that helps provide employment and vocational training, English training, professional development, and sponsorship to people coming out of tough conditions (such as juvenile detention). They seek to equip and empower people to change their family tree through holistic care and support...very awesome!

Cynthia has been called to plant churches and raise up Thai leaders in the churches. After the coffee shop, we stopped at a 7-11 to buy rice and eggs that we could take with us as we go visit some of the new believers in the village they are church planting in Rim Khan (Rim Khan Fellowship Church). Before heading out we quickly met up with Aire, one of Cynthia's teammates, who lives in the village and who hosts the church in her and her husband's (Nui) carport on Sundays.

We have lots we would love to share about some of the wonderful people we met, but would prefer to share in person, so we'll keep things simple here :)

The first stop we made was to the house of Deng and Khong. They are a young Myanmar couple with 5 children, including newborn twins! Deng first came to know Jesus during the Christmas outreach event they ran at the Buddhist temple in the village, and Khong afterwards. Deng has such an infectiously big smile!

The next person we went to go visit, auntie Mai, was actually at work, but her daughter, Ning, was at home so Cynthia and Aire talked with her for a bit and then went to a nearby store to get her some small cakes she really enjoys :)

The final person we went to visit was Uncle Deng, who is an older gentleman who came to know Jesus only a few months ago after the Christmas Outreach. He has experienced the transformation of Jesus in such amazing ways in his life and testifies to the goodness of God.

There was so much to take in during even these 3 short visits...we are still processing it and we know the kids are as well. It is amazing to see how in their poverty and brokenness, people are meeting Jesus...it really is amazing...but isn't it also exactly what Jesus meant when he said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:31-32)?? It's also amazing to see the contrast between what we know in Prince George and what some people here know in terms of access, money, and privilege. We are still trying to sort out how to think about it so I'll leave it here for now.

After the 3 stops we had a short amount of time to drive to an elephant cafe where we were able to feed and pet some elephants! It was very cool and was something that was on "the list" to do.

For the evening, we went back to Cynthia's place as Maceo was done school and ordered a bunch of Thai dishes and ate dinner together. The kids played and we talked. Our kids are all the same age and in the same grade so it gave us some easy talking points and frames of reference for understanding each other...after all...busy 9-year-old boys are always worth talking about :)

Days 3 & 4 - Two very different days of travel

 

Spending time in the Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market)

Outside Wat Arun at sunset

Today was a busy day with lots of "things done" which made Lindsay and I quite happy! Oh...there was still complaining...buuutttt we were able to still make use of the day and there wasn't any trips to the pharmacy for Juliet!

We left the apartment at 9am and took the BTS to Sathorn Pier so we could take the Hop On Hop Off tour on the big river in Bangkok, Chao Phraya River (yes, we managed to convince James to take another boat lol). This tour is on a large boat with a rooftop sitting area and an air conditioned inside. We took the 30-minute trip all the way up the river and hopped off on the first stop, Phra Arthit. We didn't take much time to explore as the next boat came 30 minutes later, but we got to enjoy a bit of quiet green space.

The next stop we hopped off at was Tha Maharaj which was a short walking distance to the Grand Palace. We didn't want to spend the 500 baht/person to enter it as we knew the amount of time we'd get the kids to last wouldn't be worth it. Instead, we wandered the streets and stood outside the Palace...annnndddd sure enough the kids started to complain so we pulled-the-plug and hopped back on the boat.

With frustrations high, we forced them to endure another stop at Rajinee so Lindsay could enjoy the flower market. Surprisingly, we lasted here for over an hour! It was in the bottom floor of a GIANT warehouse so out of the sun, and with all of the flowers, both Juliet and Lindsay were interested. There was fresh fruit, plants, and flowers.

We then went back to the apartment for 2.5 hours to cool down and quickly go in the pool. Afterwards, we got a Grab (like Uber) to Wat Arun for the final hour that it was open. It's quiet a fascinating temple due to the design, restoration attempts over the centuries, and the intricacy of all of the porcelain used to decorate it.

Once we finished there we took our last boat trip to the other end of the line at Asiatique. It is a large open-air tourist area with many stores, outdoor eating, shops, theme park rides, and beer gardens. It is all on the river so really a beautiful setting. We were out until 9 (which was a surprise!) and went back to the apartment.

Today was another day of travel, but this time it involved a VERY LONG and heavy-traffic Grab ride to the airport (1hr 40mins), a 1hr delayed flight, and 1hr 15min flight to Chiang Mai. We left the apartment at 9:20am and didn't get to our new apartment until 3pm - yuck!

We'll be in Chiang Mai until the 26th so we took the time to unpack, set things up (it is a nice 2-bedroom apartment), and go for a nice dinner...actually, we figure it was the best food we've had in Thailand and it was less than $20 CAD!

We're looking forward to meeting up with one of our missionary friends--Cynthia--tomorrow. She also has a son, Maceo, who is the same age as James and Juliet! They are excited about that - stay tuned for an update then :)

A good 2nd day...often cut-short...but good :)

 

Lindsay and the kids standing on the main street of Chinatown

I remember searching for internet cafes, bringing our digital camera and USB cord, and only able to post things in areas with good internet...14 years later, I'm sitting in bed with my laptop while Lindsay searches Google on her phone "what is a planters wart?" for Juliet. Things are certainly different this time around!

We ended yesterday by heading back to the nearby mall to find dinner and grab some groceries. The mission was accomplished, but the kids were tired so we didn't last long with the mix of smells that bothered James and Juliet's complaining about her wart and a sore tummy. Speaking of Juliet, due to her ailments, we stopped at the pharmacy twice yesterday and had to buy her a new pair of socks! The only thing I'll say about travelling with kids is that everything takes longer to get to and then once you're there you leave much faster!

Today, we got rolling around 10:30am. We decided to try Grab--the Thai version of Uber or Lyft--for the first time and then proceeded to use it 3 more times. It's much cheaper and faster that even the metro lines when you have 4 people, so it's very worth it.

We started our day at the Golden Mount Temple, climbing to the top. We all enjoyed smoothies on the way up, and with the breeze, the temperature was actually quite nice, despite it being in the low-mid 30s while on the ground. The kids had a good attitude and seemed to enjoy the activity, although later in the day Juliet expressed that one of the statue scenes of dead bodies being eaten by vultures she didn't like (which I definitely understand!)

From there we took a Tuk Tuk to Khaosan Road. The kids REALLY wanted to take a Tuk Tuk, and although Juliet seemed to like it, James might not have as much. He was the eager beaver who wanted to go on one, but we're guessing he found it a little too "dangerous", much like the boat ride yesterday. We'll see if he's up for one another day.

At Khaosan Road we walked the streets and eventually grabbed lunch at a place that definitely was into selling weed (which is now legal...also different than 14 years ago). After an overpriced lunch, we went back to our apartment to cool down, slow down, and have some pool time. At 6pm, we then decided to head out to Chinatown, which Lindsay and I somehow missed when we were here before!

Chinatown is bustling! Lots of cars, lots of people, and lots of shops and stalls. We grabbed a little bit of street food before sitting down to eat, and spent some time wandering around. It was likely the combination of time of day (7ish), that the kids were up since 6am, and the business of the market, but again, we had to leave a bit sooner than we would have liked due to an overstimulation(?) of people and craziness. We know that Bangkok will be the busiest place we go while we are here so perhaps once we head on to Chiang Mai our kids will find things a bit more comfortable (in a social sense). We think this is a lot for them, but for their first cross-cultural experience, they are jumping in with two feet!

Tomorrow is supposed to rain, so we'll see how it goes and what we get up to - maybe it will be an "in-day" :)