Sharps Abroad

My Pictures Have Vanished

2006-03-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

I changed hosts and lost some pics...all the pics here are now gone.

I'll be closing this blog down momentarily. Head over to our main blog here.

Cheers!

My hope...

2005-10-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

I just thought I'd post some of my hopes for travelling for this next year. These are just perhaps. And that means perhaps they might not happen at all. I just wanted to get them out of my head and on virtual-paper.

Jan-March 2006 - West Coast tour

April/May 2006 - Nepal (with our friend Emma), India, and Pakistan

May/June 2006 - Switzerland (at L'Abri Fellowship)

July 2006 - Western Europe (France, Spain, Portugal, Austria)

August 2006 - UK & Ireland (for Greenbelt, driving the Irish countryside, and a visit to the Joneses on Orkney Island)

Again, who knows, but there are some thoughts.

A Swingset

2005-10-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

Holly and I were in Thailand this last summer for 6 weeks. We had some connections that allowed the Relational Tithe to be involved in getting a swingset for some very sweet orphaned children we had met.

Here is a note I recieved a week ago from our pastor friend who was helping to get the swingset set up...

Hello my frinds.

Thank you for swing.

last time i give swing to school

3 swing many child happy

and Jan her say meet you.

God bless you for work

To see a slide show of the swingset, click here.

Jan's Story

2005-10-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

You might recall Jan. She is the woman who's wall we helped to rebuild. She then connected us with the children of Khao Lak who had been orphaned. Below is her story of the tsunami a year later...

..............................

On beautiful Sunday morning, 26 December 2004, I got up in the early morning
as I have been doing for years to take the cool and pleasant morning air.
Having had breakfast and heading for school with no inkling that catastrophe
was about to happen in the next few hours. The killing Tsunami , this name
would perpetually imprinted in my mind.

At 9.45 am. I showered my dogs and cleaned my house and never thought that
it was the last day my car served its owner. I walked through the corridor
to the front of the house at which the door was already opened. Looking
around my house, it was the same scene I have seen everyday. Villagers
drove motorbikes around ,
I started working, being focused and hoped that half a pile of work would be
finished by noon. As time went by, I heard people shouted from the other
side of the road and I saw they were running jittery in the same direction
towards high land up to the mountain. They screamed, cried for help and
looked for their children.

I realized I had to run for my life if it true as their shouted should have
the water wall taller than two story building came so fast and strong. I
rushed to my car. Unfortunately, it was too late. The first wave pushed my
car and threw into the air. My car was thrown by the killing wave. The
water was came up to my neck. I do really shock I don‚t know what happen.

After recovering from a shock, I started looking around myself. A horrible
scene was looming and became vivid to my eyes. All area were covered with
water. Few mangled cars were pushed from the Bangniang beach and stuck
against the wrecked building. The only thing that could identify my house
location was the temple.About five minutes past, the water receded quickly
and the whirlpool drew every thing back to the sea.

Recovering from a shock, just like being popped out of hypnosis, I came down
the bamboo tree and walked back to my house to witness sadly the damages
and casualties. What I saw was the horrible scene I have never experienced
in my life. More than 30 of dead bodies, debris were scattered around on
muddy ground. I try to looked for my dogs but I cannot found any .I knew
that my life was changed when I lost them.

In a blink of an eye everything was washed away. Thank god, it was Sunday
and there was no my activities near by the beacch. I could not imagine what
would have been if it was my working day . What could have happened with my
life?
On 27 December 2004, I went back to my house a day after tsunami. Everywhere
was devastation. People were searching desperately among the debris for
their beloved ones. Some were looking for any valuable belongings that might
have been left. Some were stay on higher ground under the shading which made
from banana leaves.

Life must go on, I told myself that I could not waste a minute thinking
about this tragedy. I have to do every possible ways to start my life again.
With the cooperative effort from Nationwide volunteers and donors, I cannot
talk about how the government help us. That is not my important thing to
think about that.

Change is the law of life, being given a new life, a survivor from tsunami
disaster, I have learned to give more and more.

Difficult time may set us back, but we can brave through all hardship and
live a normal life again.

I vow to spend the rest of my life helping my students cross the bridge of
trouble water and walk gracefully towards success.

Loving, Caring, Sharing and Giving are happy words for all .
..............................

The government's plan to build the tsunami memorial inside a national park
sets a bad precedent, a leading environmentalist said yesterday. Suraphol
Duangkhae, of Wildlife Fund Thailand (WFT), said the plan to place the
tsunami memorial and museum in Khao Lak Lamlu National Park in Phangnga
province, one of the areas hardest hit by the killer waves, was made
without permission from the National Parks Committee - a process that is
required by law.
..............................

On 26 - 28 December 2005 We shall have 1 year ceramony along the beach and
village whice the wave attact. If you have a plan to coming back please let
me know. Because I stay at my mother's house and wait till the situation
back to normal then I shall move back. I want to have my pets again.If I
stay in Bang niang I cannot have any pets at all. I don't want to lose them
anymore. We shall stay in touch.
ragards
Jan

Thanks Emma

2005-09-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article. It's a hopeful thing that developping countries aren't necessarily getting into the whole oil/coal or other 'normal' ways of getting energy. This shows that not every other country has to follow the same industrialized narrative that the West has had. This is hopeful.

A Generous Asian Orthodoxy

2005-08-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Sivin for this fascinating essay on Postmodernism in an Asian context. It is interesting because we felt some of this when in Thailand... this embracing of Western (particularly American) culture in order to follow Jesus... when Jesus was from and lived in Asia!

...[the Asian churches] are interacting not with local culture, but with popular Western culture. Essentially, they are propagating a different form of imperialism, shifting from high-culture imperialism to low-culture imperialism (which could be worse?).

Tsunami Report

2005-08-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

I am republishing this because I was unclear about it when I first posted it. This is a report from a friend who was in Thailand when a smaller tsunami hit July 24th (yes, just weeks ago)...

On the 24th night around 12:30 am, we were woken up by a phone call from a friend who warned us of some terrible danger that was about to happen, and she asked that we watch the news too. So we turned on the news and there the prime-minister of the country was announcing that there was a 7.3 degree of quake erupted in the Andaman sea and a small to medium scale of Tsunami was predicted to hit Karon and Kata Beaches first. Karon is the area where we were residing. And we only have less than 20 minutes to flee to higher ground. We were less than 5 minutes walk away from the beach, taking in consideration of waking up 3 deep sleepers plus gathering up important documents with us, run down the stairs to the road, that would probably take us 15 minutes. Then what? 20 minutes is not enough to do anything. On the other hand, the road was packed with panic residents who were trying to be first to get out to higher ground but because no one want to be left in danger, so instead slow down the traffic flow. What to do? We have no choice but to stay back in our room and stay on our knees for His Great Will to be done. When Chris went down to the lobby/restaurant to find out first hand from the locals for more details, I was left alone on my knees in great peace seeking His Plan. I forgot how long I knelt, but half an hour past, then 1 hour, then 1 and a half. I knew He wants us to stay on to continue to be use by Him and therefore Tsunami was steered away from us! Praise His Name!

In following up, she told me that the tsunami did not kill anyone, but it did destroy some stuctures and stuff of that nature.

Update on Projects at Hui Mai Pai Village

2005-08-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

Just got an email from Pastor Chatchuwan saying that some of the projects we gave money towards are being completed. Korp-kun Pra-jow! Here's some photos from the email he sent me.

For Mr. Jarok, we gave him some start-up money for a barbershop and some funds to help buy a boat for fishing...

For Ms. Chain and family, we bought a boat motor. Many motors were destroyed in the tsunami because of the rise in the water levels and the salt water corroding the mechanical parts...

For Mr. Yawee, a fixed boat...

For Mr. Nad, a boat...

For Ms. Pa-Yam, a new motorbike (and hopefully sidecar soon)...

Before we left, we heard about a baby who had lost both her father and mother in the tsunami and was being raised by her grandmother and grandfather. Her name is Sanwear. They need help with milk/formula/food for the first 2 years. 18,000 BHT... about $450. We are planning on helping with this, but would need some help. Anyone want to go in with us for a one-time $50 or $100 or more donation? Let me know.

Other's Reflections

2005-07-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been tracking, there were 5 folks who went with us to Thailand... and they have now recounted their trip there with us on their own blogs...

Heath and Rhianon Wilhoit
Lisa Sharp
Ben and Chara Cote

Jetlag, What Jetlag?

2005-07-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Yah. It's 6.15am on Friday morning and I have been up for about 2 hours now. Holly, unfortunately, never really got to sleep last night. "Just a series of naps," she says.

The first night home, I got a solid 16 hours of sleep. Holly got about 12 hours. Lisa, 13 hours.

Last night though, the jetlag set in... or should I say that this morning at 4.30am, it set in... or that for Holly, it has just been a continuation of the bad sleep we got in Thailand.

Pray that we get back to normality with our sleep. But for now, off to Denny's for breakfast!

Home

2005-07-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

We are home. Got in today to LAX around 11am or so. Chara was so kind to pick us up.

Drove home with a quick stop at Wendy's to get some grub American Fast Food. Mmm. (What a hypocrite I am for eating fast food!)

Got home, unpacked, did some laundry, and cleaned the place up a bit. Now to sleepy-time.

Thanks for following our journeys. Cheers.

In Osaka

2005-07-19T23:49:00.000-07:00

We just arrived in Osaka and are getting ready to re-board the plane. Don't understand why they take us off to put us back on the same plane, but oh well.

Much turbulence. I kinda wondered if we were above the typhoon the whole time.

Anyway, it's midnight in CA right now and we will be home in about 10 hours. Sweet. More to come. Pray for no more turbulence please!

Someone is Watching...

2005-07-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

So, our internet has been sketchy at best during our time in Thailand, but the last couple days has taken it to a new level. Now, someone is choosing what websites we will and won't get access to. For example, I cannot even check out our own sharpseven design site or check my finances with my bank. Heck, I can't even get onto apple.com!

Here is our latest photo gallery of our last couple days in Phi-Phi.

It was a good time to be in creation, on hikes, underwater, with friends.

We did a hike to the top of one of the hills to get a view of village where the tsunami hit so hard.

Before the tsunami...

6 months after the tsunami...

Already 7000 tons of rubbish removed... wow.

Tonight I do some music and some teaching at Hope of Thalang Church. Tomorrow we clean the house and car and then pack and get on a plane. A day or so in Bangkok with the gang and then home.

Hope you are all well. Thank you so much for all your support. Cheers!

Back in Phuket

2005-07-16T02:39:00.000-07:00

Holly and I arrived safe and sound back in Phuket. Probably the smoothest ferry ride yet. Both of us are really wiped out. She is not feeling well again today. I think that the heat takes its toll on us more than we give it credit for.

Heath and Rhianon and Lisa are still on Phi-Phi, volunteering on the island. Holly and I noticed the higher number of tourists on the island this time over. That is really good news, since the island was pretty much empty the first time we came over here. Just a hundred or so volunteers. I'd say the island is getting back to normality.

This has been a good trip, if for no other reason than to be out of our comfort zones... and to be with friends. Many are asking if we are going to just stay here and never come home, but it's not looking quite that way. Truth is, this has been a very hard trip for us (as I am sure has come out in our posts), and I think we will need some time to decompress and debrief before we consider our next trip abroad. Right now I think Holly and I are just ready to get back to the 814, sleep in our own bed, and eat some American food! Is that awful?

We leave in less than 2 days for Bangkok and then to California. Please pray for us a strong ending to the trip. Thanks everyone.

Phi Phi... take 3

2005-07-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone.

We have been on Phi Phi for the last 2 days... having a lot of fun... and getting some much needed rest.

Ryan and I will be heading back to Phuket today to be with Chris and the church in the first sea gypsy village. We are looking forward to visiting the family that adopted the baby boy we bought milk for on our first trip.

Lisa, Heath and Rhianon will be staying here in Phi Phi for another night to spend a day or so working with HI Phi Phi.

Thanks so much for your prayers. We are feeling much more encouraged.

New Pics...

2005-07-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

This just in: Heath and Rhianon now have a blog. Make your way over if you can.

Here are some photos of the last couple of days. Wow, what great days.

Here's a sampling...

It was good just to play with these children. Seems as if they've been pretty neglected. Also good to time to spend some time in our second Sea Gypsy village today. Met some needs there. Kind of adopted a village through some Anchor Point funds. Good stuff.

More thoughts and reflections later. Tomorrow we leave for Phi-Phi at the crack of dawn. Prayers for great connection and opportunity please. Love and peace.

Wow.

2005-07-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

What a great day. Just wanted to post that.

We were with Chris Bowman and half his family all day as we ventured up into Phang-Nga to see Jan and the kids again.

Wow. What a great, encouraging day. Pics tomorrow? I think so.

Spinning Plates and Furrowed Brows

2005-07-10T03:36:00.000-07:00

This is a bit of a 'debrief' posting just so you know...

Hoping to come out here relationally, we established ourselves with the local church and a few other folks before we came this time. This has been both a blessing and a curse, the details of which I could go into on a personal basis.

Our time in Thailand has for sure had its ups and downs, but overall it has felt a bit chaotic and not-as-we-expected. That is not always a bad thing; in fact, it is often a good thing. But this trip has possibly tipped the scales in the opposite direction as far as this goes.

I think we hoped for too much. We hoped to set a sustainable rhythm of life that included working, volunteering, hosting others, serving/learning in the local church, resting, and reading. Our first two weeks established that we would not be setting up any such rhythm. So we opted for flexibility. But such flexibility left us floundering in some ways.

Then, once no longer sick, we left the country for an excursion that perhaps wet our appetite for something that was not to be found in the Thailand we have known thus far. Now we are back and in our last week and we want to make up for all the lost time in all of the above areas (work, volunteering, resting, etc...).

What do you do with disappointment when you feel that you have done the best you could do? We came here to build relationships, bless people, and expand awareness of the needs of our neighbors across the world. I guess we have done that in small ways, but damn, don't I long for some great project to have been completed in our name! There is my ego again.

I don't know if qualifiable results is an American ideal or just a human one, but it has had its stranglehold on me for the last part of this trip... for me and for the others of us that are/were here in Thailand. Wanting to be a good host, I wanted for people to feel as though they made a difference. They did. And those here still are... but again, the small things don't always seem to measure up to any one giant thing.

Not sure where this post is going, but I felt like it was a necessary sidenote to keep everyone in the loop. I don't feel as though this trip was a waste or was misguided and who knows what will happen during our final week here with Heath and Rhianon and Lisa... and I guess that is where this post is going: please pray for our remaining time here.

We have sustained a good relationship and built repoire with Jan (whose fence we helped rebuild back in March) and she has allowed us into her sphere of influence with some orphans. Yesterday was spent kicking a soccer ball and playing on the swingset and teaching Thai and English.

We also would love to figure out how to communicate with our groundskeepers here at the house. They have been so kind to us and we would love to bless them in some way.

We feel a burden for the churches we are working with out here. There are so many remnants of some of the worst parts of American XNity out here... but we cannot seem to navigate our way through this, whether it be to confront or avoid. God help us.

Ben and Chara are home now and I am sure might post some reflections soon... so make sure you check it out.

Who am I to understand your ways, O Lord?
But who am I just to sit here and do nothing at all?
When I'm of you and they're of me
This creation-wide family
God help us
Try to open our eyes

Chiang Dao, Day 3 and more...

2005-07-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

Woke up at 4am because of the roosters. And then it's like they were on a sleep alarm every 30 minutes following. Awful sleep really.

We hiked another hour and a half and then came to the crest where we met the main road and, more importantly, met a truck that would carry us back to our starting point.

Here we are at the end of the hike...

We did an elephant ride next. Please do not ever do these... no matter how well they say the treat the animals. We'll tell more later. Here is Ben getting in touch with his jungle-self...

And finally after a long day, the motorbus back to the train station...

Caught an overnight train. Then dropped Ben and Chara off at Bangkok airport and went looking for Heath and Rhianon. 2 hours and 3 times across a 3-terminal airport later, we found em...

Flew with them back to Phuket. More to come...

Chiang Dao, Day 2

2005-07-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

Our second day in Chiang Dao.

Our wonderful guides were Sam and John. Sam is a Lisu villager who happens to be Christian. John is Chinese (near the Tibetan region), but married a Lisu wife. He is Buddhist. It's incredible to see the harmony they seemed to share.

What a day of hiking, good food, and good (albeit limited) conversation.

The mud/clay was gnarly. Seriously...

A cave we tried out...

John made chopsticks and plates out of raw bamboo... a bamboo tree he cut down himself. Wow. Sheer talent...

Beautiful bamboo all around...

Minutes after lunch we heard the rain in the distance, seconds later it was on us.

And we finally arrived after a beautiful day of hiking through the monsoon rain to a Karen village. Here is our abode...

And a night of Rummy with John and Sam before bed...

All in all, a good, tiring day.

Chiang Dao, Day 1

2005-07-08T03:56:00.000-07:00

Plenty of pics...

So, Monday Ben and Chara and Holly and I took a plane from Phuket to Bangkok and then caught an overnight train to Chiang Mai (12 hours northwest of Bangkok) where we were picked up by a minibus and taken to Chiang Dao (just 1 1/2 hours north of Chiang Mai).

Sounds like a lot. It was.

We arrived a few hours late (because the trains run on Thai time) to meet our guide and begin our excursion.

Wait, let me back up: About a month ago, we booked a 3-day excursion in Northern Thailand where we stay with 2 different hill tribes and hike through remote jungles, caves, and waterfalls. Chara's idea...good stuff.

So, we arrived just in time to grab some amazing egg sandwiches and head off to meet our first guide, Alope-eh. Took us to a cave. Spooky. The girls got a few hundred meters in and stopped there. Ben and I and Alope-eh continued on crawling on all fours at times. Beautiful, spooky, trippy. Holly was pissed that I left her and Chara in a dark cave with bats. That's fair.

After lunch, we met up with Ta-ta. Cool kid. 25. A wife and a kid and a house of his own. A Lisu guy. The Lisu are one of a few different hilltribes of this area. He took us to a cool waterfall. He taught us some Thai and we taught him some English. It was a fun trip. Chara fell in the water. Ha!

Ta-ta took us to our village we were to stay at that night. A Lisu village where we stayed in Elema's guest house. Nice. Mosquito nets. Wooden floors and GI JOE sleeping bags. Yes!

Nice dinner and then some Lisu moonshine and some cards. Wonderful people. Incredible view. Seriously. It looked like we were looking out on the Peruvian Andes. Not sure that I got a picture that really captures it. Perhaps Ben has one...

And we met Sam. Sam would be one of our two guides for the next day and a half. He was an incredible individual. Here is him with his home-made bagpipes.

We're back.

2005-07-07T23:43:00.000-07:00

And Heath and Rhianon are with us. And Ben and Chara are on a plane back to the States. We have tons of photos and stories to share so please be patient.

Talk soon...

Off to Chiang Mai

2005-07-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Not much time, but wanted to tell you we are back from Phi Phi Island and we are heading to Bangkok this morning to then take a train to Chiang Mai and then take a bus to Chiang Do. From there we will trek across the mountains of northern Thailand for 3 days. Wow. Seems unreal.

Then we meet Heath and Rhianon in Bangkok to come back to Phuket. Lisa arrives here just a couple days later.

It's been a great trip with lots to think on. Encouragement and discouragement woven together.

On Adopting a Village

2005-07-01T02:22:00.000-07:00

So, we are in Phi-Phi right now. Holly got sick yesterday. I'll let her tell the story in her own words. Today is the sabbath for volunteers on the island. Working on a video for HI PHI PHI though. Today was a mini-vacation for us. This trip (in our non-sick days anyway) has felt like part relief-work-trip, part-vacation, and part-learning/unlearning/critiquing, part-relationship-deveolpment. Wow.

Today we scuba-ed. All of us but Holly. She read. Good times. I am getting certified here in Phi-Phi. Wasn't planning on it, but alas, here we are.

So, the day before we left to come to Phi-Phi was an incredible day. One of the best days here in Thailand.

Pastors Sujit and Chatchuwan showed us to a village in the Phang-Nga province. Their churches seem to have a heart for the Sea Gypsy people. That's where they took us... to another Sea Gypsy village. Beautiful.

We got a glimpse of some needs there, prayed for people, and committed to come back and assess needs more fully and give money and support. We are thinking about adopting the village all together. Meeting all the financial needs we can and then try to visit when we can. Much of the need is for repairs of fishing boats and motorbikes, but some will be small grants for new businesses. When I say business, I mean like a barbershop for the village. We are exploring what it would/will look like to request that this money be used for the bettering of the village, not just the individual. Pastor Sujit says that will come once they come to know Jesus. I think they can come to know Jesus by learning to share... and that is the Kingdom as I see it. Preach about it later. Teach them to live it first... that's what I say anyways.

Found out that I will be preaching Sunday night. That'll be good. I'm just gonna rip off a Doug Pagitt sermon I really like. That's fine though, as it contains many scriptures and thoughts that have been actively brewing in my mind for some time.

Tomorrow is more of a work day and some scuba as well. Then back to Phuket Sunday for church (and to preach). Then Monday we leave for Chiang Mai. We will then meet Heath and Rhianon in Bangkok the morning of the 8th. Lots to do once they and Lisa are here. Lots to do.

Continue to pray for our health please. And for more opportunity. And for our family back home in the States.

More stories soon. Cheers!

An incredible day.

2005-06-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

What a great day. Drove up to Phang-Nga province today and saw many needs we are going to be able to help with. Got to chat with Jane. That was inspiring. Dinner with Emma. All good stuff.

Photos here. Sorry I cannot do more. Hope they tell the stories! And it is not KL, but Phuket.

I am so stinkin' tired and must to bed be.

Tomorrow we go to Phi-Phi. Hope there is some internet there so we can update, but not totally sure. Worse case we will update on Sunday.

Prayers for health, connection, and opportunity please. Cheers!

BBC NEWS :Malaysian tsunami funds queried

2005-06-28T04:52:00.000-07:00

From the BBC: "Malaysia's anti-corruption agency has announced it is looking into nine alleged cases of misuse of tsunami relief funds."

June 27: Melacca and KL

2005-06-28T01:26:00.000-07:00

Got a good night's sleep and that was so important. Grabbed some breakfast, and then Sivin picked us up to take us to historic Melacca, where the Malaysians triumphed in Independence hundreds of years ago...

We arrived, grabbed a yummy lunch, and walked around the old Portuguese fort that was built there. We learned about the spread of Islam from Melacca outward. We experienced what a traditional Melay wedding ceremony looks like. Very cool stuff... museums, old structures, etc.

Sivin, all distinguished...

Also discovered that just an hour south was a matriarchal tribe alive amidst the very patriarchal eastern Asia. So fascinating how that seems to have affected the architecture and everything.

Stopped by Sivin's old seminary, grabbed some candy, and headed back to KL. Got some Indian food... just bread and curries really. Then some more amazing Malaysian tea. Then the Twin Towers for an evening shot...

Then home. Tomorrow we leave back to Phuket.

I shaved my face tonight for the first time I can remember in almost 2 years. Maybe I have shaved in that time, but it seems like since we moved to Oceanside I have not fully shaved my face. Kind of a season of rawness and 'just as I am'-ness. Last night the hair fell off my face; it feels so strange today.

But it feels like God granted us this get-away in order for us to get some perspective, encouragement, and health (all-encompassing shalom, really) to head back to Phuket to serve. And I think it was significant that I shaved my face... in new covenant as we head back, this time with new perspective. God, help us keep perspective.

We are all feeling infinitely better. Really. Infinitely. Still a straggling cough for me, but no big deal.

Excited to get back to Thailand, visit some villages in Phang-Nga, then Phi-Phi for a couple days, then Chiang Mai, then Ben and Chara are off and Lisa, Heath, and Rhianon join us... and the journey begins again.

This will not be our last time to Malaysia. Thank God for the people we have met.

More pics here. And please check out Ben and Chara's blog.

June 26: Kuala Lumpur

2005-06-28T01:13:00.000-07:00

What an incredible day. After church we grabbed some food and headed back to the hotel for some rest. I wasn't feeling too well. Woke up around 4pm for Sivin and Kea Meng to pick us up to take us to the Batu Caves... a sacred Hindu place built within these beautiful caves in the middle of KL. A hundred or so stairs to climb...

Strange though... it didn't feel so sacred per sé... rather more touristy to say the truth. But an interesting place all the same. With plenty of monkeys...

We then headed to a Malaysian state monument commemorating their triumph in a few wars. It was at a beautiful park. Group hug...

And afterwards, a Shandy... lemonade-beer... mmm...

Then... the MEGAMALL. This will be our 5th visit to a huge mall since arriving in Malaysia, which we will affectionately refer to from here on out as MALL-asia. Grabbed some food... many choices... this place has such incredible diversity. Still I stuck with my Penang Malaysian food and Holly stuck to her beloved Japanese cuisine. Then Malaysian Desert...

Kea Meng joked out loud that we had visited several places of worship today... first, church this morning... second, the Hindu Batu Caves... third, the State Monument... and now fourth, the Consumer Temple that is the mall... Hmm.

In the evening, we picked up Robert (an Irish friend) and Justin (I think, right?) and headed to Chinatown...

...and then out for tea. What an incredible time of dialogue, inspiration, amazing tea... Malaysian tea... Mmm...

Ask me sometime to tell you some of the things Robert mentioned about indigenous religions... particularly the Karen (northern Thai/eastern Burmese hill tribes) folk religion. Wow. Interesting stuff.

This weekend has been a conversation on contextualization. Such interesting things to share, but I must debrief with myself and others and then blog on the other site.

These people have become friends... and this will not be our last trip to Malaysia... for certain.

Church in Malaysia

2005-06-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

Wrote this this morning during service and prayer...

Hear O Malaysia
The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus
In your midst

This God
Found in the warmth of a smile
In the cries of a child
In the love of a friend

Do you know?
Have you seen?
Have you heard?

The LORD God is One
The LORD God is Love

(The LORD God is not from the West)

This morning we were at Sivin's Church. Wonderful people... with a wonderful wireless router!

It was great to share this morning. A couple songs...

...and a couple words from Matthew 10...

Good stuff. Then Ben and Chara and Holly shared...

Good stuff. This has been an enchanted time here. But I am feeling sleepy. A nap before our evening activities? You bet.

June 24-25: Malaysia

2005-06-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

So we arrived safe and sound... only a short flight from Phuket to KL. On the plane we met Elmie, a Melay who was very helpful in trying to make Holly as comfortable on the flight as possible. He also became a new friend. He told us to skip taking a cab and instead take the train with him and then he would drive us to our hotel. Sweet. We're hanging out Sunday evening with him in Chinatown.

Oh, so step back: Before we left Holly and Chara still didn't feel well... especially Holly. So we gathered right before we left for the airport and I prayed that somehow the sickness would leave us and stay here in Thailand, so as to not take it with us to Malaysia. I do not know how prayer works, but surely Holly and Chara are feeling a thousand times better after a day in Malaysia. Wonderful!

So, after riding the train and Elmie getting us to our hotel, we met Sivin Kit and Kia Meng. Very cool people. Both Chinese Malaysian. The history of Malaysia is interesting. Because of British colonialism, it is a very diverse place. Probably more diverse than the US. Grabbed some dinner and had wonderful conversation. A great time to debrief about our trip in Thailand so far.

Malaysia is very different–very different–from Thailand. It sometimes feels like the city of the future!

Slept in Saturday and then Kia Meng took us around town. Saw the (dare I call them) Twin Towers...

...they used to be the tallest buildings in the world, now the tallest in the Southern Hemisphere. We also did a short trip around downtown. Then we headed to the Emergent Malaysia get-together. Really cool.

It was amazing to meet people in such a different place embracing some of the same hard questions about God, life, church, spirituality (and all its implications) as we are in our small circles back home. So cool to be a small part of it. We discussed the baton that the older generation passes on to the next generation and why the younger generation doesn't want to embrace it and is it the church's or the family's responsibility. I say the older generation is often times trying to make an evolving baton into a static one. There is no pure baton... only a contextualized one. History, if nothing else, shows that clearly. But the eyes of modernity say that we (whoever we are) have the pure baton and must pass it off to the next generation so they will carry the same pure baton. Rubbish!

Anyway, that was cool to be a part of. More pics here.

Malaysia? Check.

2005-06-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

We made it. And we have made several friends. Wow, what an incredible time. What an amazing place.

And everyone is feeling better! Praise God! Seriously. Wow.

Okay, I'll blog more later with pics and such, but for now suffice it to say that we are here and we are well.

5.30am

2005-06-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

...and Holly's headache and fever are back. Please pray for us as we are trying to leave for Malaysia in 7 or so hours. Please pray for health and healing.

And another one bites the dust...

2005-06-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Chara is down. We have a Chara down.

That's right. Our last healthy person (the strongest of us all) was up all night with the sicko-blues. Bummer. But Ben says that she is still denying that she is sick. Perhaps food poisoning?

But the better news is that Holly is feeling better. Lots better. After reaching 103 degrees last night around 9pm, her fever finally broke. Over the next 45 minutes, her temperature dropped back to normal. Wow. Korpkun Pra-jow! Thanks be to God!

No going to Takua-Pa today. Hoping to go to Malaysia tomorrow.

Please pray for us shalom in all areas... physically, mentally, spiritually, in all ways... thanks.

Tug of War

2005-06-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

This was Holly this morning at the hospital. The doctor said she could go home around lunch. Yeah!

Since she has been home, her temperature has risen and she has had vomitted several times. We bought some anti-vomitting pills and right now she is struggling to hold them down while I am feeding her ice to hydrate her (water does not sound good to her stomach) and cool her off.

Again, your prayers are covetted. It's probably nothing more than a stomach flu/bug, but still she is in a good deal of pain and just can't seem to sleep.

If she is feeling better, perhaps we will head to Takua-Pa tomorrow and see Jane whom Relational Tithe helped her to rebuild her fence. We shall see tomorrow morning...

Please Don't Freak Out!

2005-06-21T03:41:00.000-07:00

Holly is doing well now, but we had quite a scare this morning when we had to take her to the doctor... which means taking her to the hospital. She was still feverish this morning and ended up vomitting, so we figured it was time to seek some 'real' help!

This is a nice hospital with nice staff and fairly high standards.

Here is her fairly back to normal this afternoon...

When we arrived this morning, they rushed her into the Emergency Room (not at our request!) and diagnosed her with tonsilitis! What?!? They put her on a drip (which was trying for both of us since neither of us like needles!) to rehydrate her and that has been a really, really good thing. Fluids can only help...

I signed off on us staying at the hospital for at least one night... maybe two. I got her the 'nice room'. It is a private room with a beautiful view and a nurse to attend to her when she needs it. She has gotten a little rest since she has been here...

Holly has had a painful headache since she has been in Phuket, so they have given her some good pain medicine and that has helped immensely. The staff is really nice.

We are not sure what she has, blood work will tell us tomorrow most likely. Most likely it is a simple virus like a non-fatal influenza or dengue fever or something.

Please continue to remember us in your prayers... this has been quite a shock for us. Pray that Holly can get a solid night's sleep tonight and continue in recovery that we might be able to leave tomorrow. Also, I still have a bad hacking cough, but haven't sought advice from the doctor yet. Perhaps if he comes in tonight.

In good news, Ben and Chara rented a second car to drive up to Phang-Nga to help with a volunteer organization that needed some data entry. We will hope to see them this evening.

Okay, we will call family as soon as the sun breaks to let you know that we are doing well!

For more pics, click here.

alive and kickin'

2005-06-21T01:39:00.000-07:00

so contrary to Ryan's last email...I did not throw up... but I was hovering over the porcelain a few times just in case...

I had a bit of a scare though. I had a really bad fever last night and a good part of today. You know something is wrong when your wearing a beanie, sweater and socks in Thailand and your still shaking because you're so cold. Our friend who lives in the same complex as us here and has worked with many American groups over the years told Ryan today that it could be malaria (not to freak us out though) and if I didn't feel 90% better tomorrow morning I should go to the hospital just to check it out. I laid on the couch all day today with my bucket by my side (just in case) and I slowly started to feel better. Hopefully with a good nights sleep I will be totally better tomorrow. No malaria for me! It would have made for a great story though. Thanks to all those who have been praying for our health.

-holly (perhaps I will try this blog thing more often now)

Sea Gypsy Village

2005-06-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a good day. A pastor from Bangkok drove down to meet us. Wow. So cool. Good lunch with David and folks from Hope of Thalang.

During lunch, it monsooned on us. Wow. So beautiful.

After lunch, we headed to the Sea Gypsy village on the north part of Phuket. Played some songs for the kids and then went over to find the baby we bought milk for last time we were here. In our broken Thai, we conveyed what we needed to to find the baby. It looks as though he has found a good set of adoptive parents. That made Holly very happy.

My sickness continued...

Today Holly is still very sick.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will head up to Takua-Pa and Nom Kem and to the Resettlement Camps. Please pray for us vision and health. Cheers.

Phi Phi

2005-06-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

(Reminder: all the below photos are low res versions of the full-gallery photos there on your right...)

So, Ben was on the mend, so we decided to head to Phi-Phi Island, one of the most devastated areas and one of the slowest to rebuild because of little to no government aid.

This is one of the most beautiful places on earth...or at least the few places on earth we have seen. Wow. And to see such trash and refuse everywhere is beyond words. They said they have already taken off 7,000 tons of garbage since the tsunami. The government can at least be thanked for that.

We arrived there and found a hotel (thanks to Moo for her help in getting us discounts on the ferry and on our lodging...it's good to know locals!).

Immediately after unloading our stuff, we headed to Hi Phi Phi, where you can just sign in for the day (or week or month) and volunteer. Easy system really. Our project for the day was to help create a small garden near a bar on the back side of the island. The earth was so packed down and full of debris, that it was quite a job to get it 'garden-able' if you know what I mean.

While walking to our gardening spot, we got to take a look at the wall that we built last time we were here. We also got to see the restaurant we helped with and of course the house that we helped to clean out (which is now the Hi Phi Phi tool shop).

Ben took some good shots as well.

After finishing this, we headed to the pool to cool off...then some dinner...missed the meeting...checked in with a local bar to see if I could play some tunes...and then headed to a Bible study type thing that Moo set up with other Thai Christians on the island.

As soon as we were done, we headed back to the bar for me to 'gig'. Aw yee, it was sweet playing an out of tune, knock-off ovation with no strap. Actually, it was quite tricky, but fun all the same.

We found out that our second day there was Hi Phi Phi's day off. This is primarily because it is a Muslim-dominated island and Friday is their sabbath of sorts. No worries, we took a 2-hour tour of the tsunami's effects of the island. Be watching for Discovery Channel to do a great special on what actually happened out here. Interesting stuff... and interesting who knew about what was happening. Oh, also this day, I woke up sick...

Grabbed some lunch, did a little shopping for gifts and reading, and then back on the ship to head home.

The trip back to Phuket was very different than the trip to Phi Phi...really. 10-12 ft. swells left Ben puking of the back and Holly and Chara and I hanging on for dear life for about 3 hours. Moo sat inside clutching a life-jacket. All in all, a fun experience (but perhaps not for Ben), but one that did make me wonder if we would die. Check out Ben's thoughts here.

Landed, headed for some food and then home.

Hoping to do some work in Phuket and Phang-Nga this next week before heading to Malaysia and then spending most of our last week on Phi-Phi...it just seemed to be a place where we could be used easily. Please pray for us: vision and health. Thanks.

Phuket

2005-06-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Where to start? Hmm...the internet.

So, part of this trip is trying to balance some work (part-time albeit) back home with some volunteer work/pilgrimage in Thailand. So, the internet would be of great importance. There was little we could do before leaving; we just had to wait to see what it would be like.

We requested high-speed (which turns out to be 72k...wow) and waited a few days to get it. We would be told one day and then the person would not show...so we ended up 'wasting' a few days on the front end. But with Ben being sick, it was okay. Plus we got some work done in advance.

So, after a few days here of settling in, trying to get internet, and trying to nurse Ben to health, we decided to drive the island so that Ben and Chara could get a feel for Phuket Town (the big city) and the beachfronts. We visited several markets.

That evening, the internet came...

...and that's the line being run...

The next day, Ben was still sick, so Holly and I ventured with Emma (have we introduced you to Emma?) to Phang-Nga provice...specifically to the village of Takua-Pa.

Emma is a cool girl we met once out here who is presently... 'displaced' shall we say? as she is waiting to hear if her schooling for this next semester will be in Bangkok or not. She is an American who has been in Asia for 18+ months (I think) now. She has done a great deal of education work in smaller Nepali villages, teaching English, helping to expose child sex trafficing, and for the last several months has been living in a community center that helps young Bangkok prostitutes get off the street, away from the life of prostitution, and helps to develop their skills and give them a hopeful future. Wow. Inspiring person to be around.

Anyway, Emma and Holly and I went to Takua-Pa to help paint their church/tsunami relief center.

We met Wong and Pastor Chatchuwan. Here is Wong helping us repaint our lines. We found out that we sucked painting the Thai way! Wong was so kind to us.

Did some more painting after lunch and then dropped Emma off in Khao Lak... In some ways her life reminds me of the unfettered life that I hear Jesus talk about when explaining to Nicodemus that the life of one born of God is a life that is blown about by the wind.

God, please help Holly get better... and please give us direction... we are beginning to feel a bit lost out here... please pray for us, dear friends...

Catching Up

2005-06-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long between posts. My hope was to post once a day or at least every other day. Turns out it has not been that way.

It's always so interesting the difference between how you think things will go and how things go...

For example, since arriving in Phuket, at least one of us has been sick. Started with Ben who had a throat thing, then an overall sick thing, then it moved to me and I am still recovering, and now Holly feels possibly worse than Ben or I felt, and then last night Chara said that she wasn't feeling so hot.

That puts big kinks into our 'plans' you know? And we sit at home, thinking about how we have been planning on doing this for so long, talking about it, etc, and now that we're here, we're all sick... It sucks.

Please pray for our health. I never thought that would be the big request, but it is hindering doing much of anything.

Okay, I am going to post photo galleries soon. Hang on...

So tired...

2005-06-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

A good day in Takua-Pa. Me and Holly and Emma and Chatchuan and Wong.

Right now, we must go to sleep. Early day to catch the ferry to Phi-Phi, where we will be for 2 days.

Please remember Ben. He is still pretty dang sick.

More to report on later. Perhaps I'll do a catch-up on Saturday or Sunday.

Please pray for us opportunities to serve and develop relationships and offer help.

More Phuket Photos...

2005-06-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

All of the below photos are thumbs of the real pictures that are available by clicking any of the side galleries. Cheers!

Just after our last meal in Bangkok, posing for GAP Bangkok: Fisherman's Pants...

Some cleaning pics...

Holly and Pe-Nong, our amazing friend and hostess...

Hon-beeng, the little girl who runs around our housing complex. Her parents both work in this subdivision...and they have trained her to be very polite. She gave me a kiss the other day for giving her a Coke!

Cutting the cake for the one-year anniversary of Hope of Thalang Church. What an honor that they decided to include me in this...

Durian (aka "Stinky Fruit") is Thai for "golden pillows". It is an unusual fruit that most farang (foreigners) do not like. We tried it at least...

Some of the Sea Gypsy children doing a dance...

June 11-14 - On Phuket

2005-06-14T03:45:00.000-07:00

We made it safe and sound into Phuket. Such a beautiful change from noisy, polluted Bangkok! We were greeted with new and old friends at the airport.

On Saturday, Pe-Nong showed us to our house and we cleaned and prepared it for our 6 weeks here.

We were greeted with a gift of papaya!

Sunday was a Hope of Thalang Church's one-year anniversary, so we celebrated with them for most of the day, with a little cleaning of the house in the afternoon.

Monday was a work day for us, but also a Thai language night. Nice to trade some Thai for English!

Here is Chara diligently doing her Thai homework!

Tomorrow (our Wednesday) we head up to the province north of Phuket (Pnang-Nga) to help with construction of a church/tsunami relief center...and then on to Phi-Phi for Thursday and Friday.

Hope to have internet in the house by tonight and be able to update more regularly and check our voice mail!

Some Phuket photos here.
And don't forget to check out Ben and Chara's blog as well.

June 10th - Bangkok Intl. Airport, Domestic Terminal

2005-06-10T00:16:00.000-07:00

Sitting in the airport awaiting our flight to Phuket.

We woke this morning at 5.30am to make it to the Chatachuk open-air market early for cheap fisherman's pants. We arrived at 6am at the market and we were four of maybe a dozen other buyers there...it was too early to buy.

So...we bought some coffee and sugar-coconut bread things and chilled. Eventually, the shops opened and we began our day of shopping. Mind you, I hate shopping...but somehow today was a great day all the same. Got loads of pics here.

Lunch was good–a little chicken and rice...now we wait for our flight...

June 9th - Bangkok

2005-06-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

The whole day in Bangkok. Crazy. Incredible. Wow. Seriously...what a great day.

Slept in until 8.30am or so. Actually, tried to sleep in until then, but we were all pretty wide awake around 6am or so...no big. Got up, grabbed some free American breakfast (save Ben who got a Chinese breakfast) and walked to Siam Square. Lots of vendors. Oh the sites and smells and tastes! Some fruit here, some tea there. Wonderful stuff.

After a good hike into downtown, we decided to grab a water taxi and head towards the wat (temples). We made our way to the Grand Palace where we discovered that it was a Buddhist prayer day–a high holy day of sorts. We observed the worshippers. Sitting in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, I prayed that God would lead these seekers to truth, set the oppressed free, loose the chains of injustice, give sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. I prayed this same prayer in Rome and almost every time I pass a church in the US.

It was cool how the wind was blowing today. It reminded me that God is here and at work, redeeming his world, calling people into covenant with him, etcetera.

After some time at the Grand Palace, we took a 1.5 hour boat ride through some small canals...and eventually made our way to a snake farm. Yah, a snake farm. Wow. It was a carnival. Wow.

After the boat ride, we grabbed some BBQ chicken and sticky rice...mmm, good...and headed to Wat Pho to get our traditional Thai massages. Wow. As good (or better) than I remembered them to be. I think everyone called this a high point in the day! Then saw the largest reclining Buddha.

We hailed a tuk-tuk to Khao San–a hip street of vendors, backpackers, and entertainment. Think Third Street Promenade meets Big City Bangkok. Had some drinks and people-watched for a while. After grabbing some pad thai and chicken, we decided to call it a night and head back home.

Tomorrow we are getting going around 5.30am to hit the Chatuchak Market where incredible deals on clothes and other stuff abound. Time for sleep. More photos here.

June 8th/9th - Samran Place Hotel in Downtown Bangkok

2005-06-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

Stopped over in Osaka. Landed at the airport that has been built on the water. Like the one you probably saw on The Discovery Channel. Amazing. The Japanese and Chinese always seem to be on the forefront of invention and progress.

Arrived on time into Bangkok (about 11pm), bought our train tickets for our early July Chiang Mai excursion, found a taxi, found the hotel...now we need to find sleep.

Tomorrow we will cruise around Bangkok, get some cheap food, visit some wat (temples) and see the city.

We are all wiped from the trip, so pray for us some healing sleep. These first couple nights are crucial in trying to get our bodies re-trained from jetlag.

June 8th - LAX-BKK (via Osaka, Japan)

2005-06-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

We woke this morning at 5.30am, grabbed breakfast, packed into Chara's brother's Ford Mustang (yah, tight), got the last of our travellers' cheques, and made it safe and sound to LAX. Not much time to spare once there...just enough to catch our breaths.

Ben and Chara and Holly and I boarded at 1.40pm and we are now 35,000 feet high over the Pacific Ocean. Only 11 hours into Japan and then another 5 from there to Bangkok.

Chara and Ben seemed to have found a way to sleep on the plane!

A little Thai desert dish...mmm.

Okay, the adventure has begun. More to come.

Some new pics...

2005-06-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Just posted these pics and more in this gallery.

We will be handling a good deal of the photos on the trip this way. We won't have time to comment on every photo shot, but would love to make as many pics as possible available to you, so we will use the blog as a sort of journal with accompanying photos, but we will use the photo gallery as a place to put all the photos. Cool?

1 day and counting...

Our phone number in Thailand

2005-06-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

...should you need to reach us...

1-858-882-0806

Yes, it is a San Diego number. No, it will not charge you international long distance or anything.

Also, if you have an AIM or iChat account, please let us know so we can add you to the list and video-chat you from time to time!

2 days and counting...

2005-06-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

Me getting my 2nd part of our Hep A treatment...er, I mean, immunization.

The house is cleaned up and ready for our renter. Most of our funds have come in for projects, and we all seem to be pretty ready to get out there.

Again, your prayers and thoughts would be much appreciated...for vision, clarity, inspiration, guidance, etc.

6 days and counting...

2005-06-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hey yo, just wanted to say that we are 6 days out. Lots to get done by the time we leave, so we are moving quickly.

I haven't decided yet how I am going to do our Thailand updates. Would it be easier to just post on this blog or do more people read the cobalt season blog? Or ought I just post on both? Or links from one to the other each time I post?!? Too many options, but would love some guidance.

Okay, in the meantime, an update on funds. We raised between $750-1000 personally so far. Anchor Point is also going to clear out much of it's funds for projects on the trip...hoping that'll be about $2500-3000. We are hoping to bring about $1500-2000 from the Relational Tithe. The RT is an incredible community we are a part of. And we are still waiting to hear back from a private foundation about supporting some of our projects. So we seem to be nearing the $10,000 mark that we were hoping for. There is still much to be done post-tsunami in SE Asia.

Okay, enough blathering. Time to get back to work. Pope-gone-mai!

Some pics...

2005-05-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from Joel Vestal from ServLife International.

One of the things we will be doing this summer is helping in the cleaning and reconstruction of this building (see pics) in order to make a longer-term tsunami relief center out of it... kind of a safe place to come and get resources. We will be working with Pastor Chat at The Hope of Takoa Pow Church north of Phuket.

hiphiphi.com

2005-04-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is the website for the organization on Phi Phi that we will be working with.

Wilhoits are a check.

2005-04-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

That's right... Heath and Rhianon got their tickets! Seats 69J and 69K. That means on their return flight, they sit behind us. Killer.

Garage Sale = Cha-Ching!

2005-04-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

So, we held a garage sale this weekend in Oceanside. In an act of ridding ourselves of the crap that has built up in our closets for so long, we sold off or gave away a truckbed full of stuff.

Stuff, stuff... where does it all come from?

At any rate, between Holly/I and Ben/Chara, we probably made about $300. Not too shabby for a throw-together-kind-of-thing.

Heath and Rhianon are getting their tickets today. Cool.

Things are looking like we might swing down to Malaysia for a few days in June. Please continue to pray for our connections and opportunities in SE Asia.

Lisa is onboard...

2005-04-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

A little while ago, Lisa (our sister) bought her ticket to Bangkok, for she is going to be joining us in Thailand for 10 days. How exciting.

Please remember us in your prayers as we are still trying to get some details hammered out.

We think that Heath and Rhianon are going to be joining as well, but they are still making sure.

More to come later.

Trying to land on a book for this summer...

2005-04-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

So, I am thinking it might be good for us Thailand-trippers to read a book together, no? Some discussion and some soul-food. There are a couple books I am wading through. Anyone have opinions on any of the below books?...

There is this book or this book or this book or this book or this book or this book...

Anyone read any of them or have ideas regarding them? I'd love any feedback I can get.

Photocard

2005-04-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

If you'd like, click the above photo and print it out. It has ways to keep us in prayer. Is that vain to ask you to print a picture of us out and put it on your fridge? Hmm...

The Cotes

2005-04-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ben and Chara's blog is up and running. For those of you who are last-minute thinking, "I sure wish I could go to Thailand, but I don't have my passport or...", let their blog be an inspiration as they race to get immunizations (not entirely necessary any more), get passports, and haggle prices on airline tickets with only a few weeks left to go..

814 N. The Strand #B

2005-04-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Rent our place and help send us to Thailand!

Bombs in Thailand

2005-04-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

This news I just heard on NPR: "At least two people were killed and several dozen wounded in a series of bomb blasts in Thailand's deep south, including one at the region's main airport, officials said."

This area is considerably further south than Phuket (where we will be) and is not an area we planned to head to. For those of you who heard this or saw this and were freaked out for us, you can rest (at least somewhat) assured.

My prayer is that people within Islam would rise up and denounce these types of things. There are many reasonable Muslims, and it is high time for the world to see that. Or is this part of the prophecy over Ishmael that he would always be at odds with the rest of his family (whether that meant other offspring of Abraham [ie. Jews and Christians] or all of humanity)?

Rent our place for 6 weeks?...

2005-04-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

So, as you know, Holly and i are returning to Thailand for 6 weeks this summer (we are gone June 8-July 20). 6 weeks means quite alot in rent and car payments back home...

Might you be interested in staying at our place this summer? For a week? or two? or all six?

We live right on the beach (literally). It could be a great place to sabbatical, to rest, to write a book, to get some sun...

We are also considering throwing our car into that mix.

So, how great could that be? Come and stay at our place for a very competitive rate and get a car as well?!? And these are shots from our front door/porch area. More pics to follow...

If you are interested at all or know someone who is, please contact me. Thanks.

(PS - We are just trying to get our costs covered, which is _way_ cheaper for the renter than a hotel or other rental on this beach.)

It's sealed.

2005-04-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

We bought our tickets to Thailand this morning. We are over there June 9 - July 20. If you care to join us in person or spirit, please let us know.

Hong Kong

2005-04-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

So, I never really said a whole lot about Hong Kong except that we got to hang with some cool people and have some cool conversations. I hope I see some of them again.

HK is a cool city with a fascinating history. It had a feel that day like Portland on the Wilamette River. Wonderful.

Here are some pics...

Interested in Joining the Team?

2005-04-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

Hey there. I see Holly is now online. Sweet. She will get to share some of her thoughts as well. That is a good thing. Get some different perspective.

A couple things: I don't think the whole 'raising miles' thing is going to work since it would be about 180,000 miles to get us from LAX to Bangkok in Economy Class. We have but 40,000 miles all together. Unless there are some very generous souls out there, we are forgoing that idea.

We are trying to get our tickets as soon as possible to lock in dates so that everyone who wants to join can get their's as well. We have found tickets for $1750 for the two of us. We are most likely going to purchase these in the next couple days. If you are interested in off-setting some of the cost, we would be most grateful. Checks can be made out to Anchor Point Church, 814 N. The Strand #B, Oceanside, CA 92054 since we are being, at least in a sense, commissioned by Anchor Point (and others) to do this. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt with each donation. As needs come up, we will post them here. We are expecting the trip to cost us in the neighborhood of $4000-5000.

If you are interested in coming out for a week (or longer) to join us, please email me the dates you would like to come out. We are planning on being there June and July. Figure that it will cost about $1300-1500 for basic expenses to get out there, eat, etc. We would love to have as many of you join as possible.

I hope to have a sort of 'vision statement' (how lame is that...) soon that will clarify kind of what we will be doing during our time out there this summer.

I'm here too...

2005-04-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

So I have joined the blog world (finally) and now my voice will also have a residence here.

more to follow....

-holly

Major Earthquake Strikes off Indonesian Coast

2005-03-31T16:08:00.000-08:00

NPR: "A powerful earthquake hits off the west coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Island. The U.S. Geological Survey says the temblor was a major quake measuring 8.7 -- likely an aftershock of the Dec. 26 earthquake that killed more than 174,000 people. Initially, USGS put the magnitude at 8.2. Officials warn of a possible tsunami. So far, there have been no reports of injuries or damage in the region."

Now the update is saying thousands dead and hundreds still missing...

Raising Miles...

2005-03-31T15:17:00.000-08:00

So, as Holly and I have said, we are planning on returning to Phuket and Phi-Phi this summer for 4-6 weeks. We have been looking for airfare and have found nothing less than about $1100/person. Almost twice what we paid for the first trip! We have been told, however, that $1000 is pretty normal for tickets to Bangkok. Ouch!

So, instead of just raising monies, we thought we would try raising some miles. I'm still figuring out how it will work and what airline will be best and who the codeshare partners are, but, if you would like to help out by donating some miles to help get us there, it would be much appreciated. More on that later.

So, the original figure of $1000/person to come out and help us this summer might have just greatly increased to $1500/person because of the current airfare prices.

As soon as we get dates set in stone, we will let you know so that you can begin planning when you can come out to help...

Day 9

2005-03-31T15:15:00.001-08:00

Well, here we are, in the airport, awaiting our little plane to take us to big ole Bangkok. In some ways, it will be nice to be back home in our own bed, but it is hard to believe this trip is over. We are really ready to be back this summer.

So, that much is pretty much solidified: We are coming out this summer for a tentative 4-6 weeks (4 weeks in Phuket, 2 in Phi Phi). Holly has to make some arrangements with work and we need to get some people to help manage our affairs at home (like we just went into the negative because we couldn't transfer monies properly), but other than details, we are set.

Want to come out to help us? We figure it will cost about $1000/person to come out for a week with airfare, food, and lodging. We are planning on renting a house for our month out here, so you would stay with us. You won't need a car because we will be renting one for a month. All you need is that $1000 or so and an attitude of service. Interested? Please let us know. We are asking people to consider coming out for a week or so...

This morning we had a final meeting with Pastor Sujit and his wife. They prayed for us; we prayed for them. Good stuff. Then we packed... oh the arduous task! Next time we will travel lighter. We used less than half the clothes we packed. After meeting with them, we treated ourselves to reflexology massages... I know what you are thinking (if you have been following the blog): Two massages each on a relief trip? What's with that? You're probably right, but they cost less than $20 for the both of us to get a one-hour reflexology massage!!! And our traditional Thai massage we got our first day in Bangkok was even less!!! Wow. Perhaps I am more of a tourist that I'd like to think...

Anyway, we got the massages and then grabbed a quick lunch of chicken, rice, and chili sauce... mmm. And now we await our flight to Bangkok.

Thanks for all your prayers and thanks to those of you who have decided to help get us here and who have helped sponsor some of the projects we have been a part off out here. We will continue to make information available as more projects come up.

Our hope is to set up a blog that is dedicated to our ventures in SE Asia (just what Ryan needs: another blog...) so that you can keep updated and even make donations right there. You will also be able to track stories and whatnot.

Okay, we are about to board. Hope you are well. Looking forward to sharing our stories with you soon. Sawahdeekrap laa lahgohnkrap.

Day 8

2005-03-31T15:15:00.000-08:00

[Listening to Ben Harper's "With My Own Two Hands"]

Didn't sleep too well, but oh well. Grabbed a breakfast at the hotel and then headed down the volunteer center. Today we would be laying bricks and building a wall. We didn't bring extra clothes since we thought this was going to be a day trip, so I washed our clothes in our outdoor shower.

After the tsunami, there was only 1 business that stayed open. Now there are almost 100 businesses that are re-opened. Things are happening. We bought some clothes and stuff here. This area really needs the cash. So few tourists right now, but it is an incredible place.

We didn't know exactly what we were doing, but we did an okay job I think.

Met a Canadian couple who are on a 6 month trek from Indonesia through Malaysia up to Thailand and then they will head north east to Laos, Vietnam and on into China (I think that's the intinerary they told me). Cool people... got to talk about a new kind of Christian that is out here in Thailand. Good stuff.

Took a look at some of the other beach. The tsunami hit hardest there on this island. It literally knocked the top off some of the palm trees.

After lunch, we helped wash dishes for a restaurant owner who was trying to open tomorrow. Much work had been done to her place by volunteers, so it was about ready to re-open. Here is Holly in hyperspeed-wash-mode.

Caught the 2.40pm ferry back to Phuket. Beautiful weather. Rained just before we left, so it was nice and overcast. Ahh...

Had some coffee on the boat and chatted with some of the workers on the boat. I tried out my Thai, they tried their (much better) English (Ang-grit).

Bye Bye to Phi Phi...

Once back on Phuket, we picked up Chris and Vicki and family and headed up to take them to the airport. On the way, we met up with Suvit and Dok for dinner. Mmm. Then Nong and Mr. X joined. After dinner (which was really very good) we headed to the airport.

Suvit and Dok...

Some pics of Chris and Vicki's kids...

Suvit owns a massage chair company and they have several of their chairs in the Phuket Intl Airport so he comped us some free minutes on the chairs... yah...

Our friends here... just a few really...

We then went home and got our clothes washed from the week... Tomorrow we leave the kingdom of Thailand... sad.

Day 7

2005-03-31T15:14:00.000-08:00

Wow. We had no idea what was going on out here on Ko Phi Phi Don (the larger of the two or so islands), but when we arrived, we found out.

We took Peter with us to snorkel. That was an experience. I don't think he had ever swam before! But he was a good sport, trying it out. It was a beautiful time snorkeling near "The Beach" in the same bay. But sad, too. So many boats and so much pollution in the water and in the air. But hey, I was playing tourist that morning, so I can't complain...

On the way there, Holly and I met some Swedish fellas who we shared some common music likes with. Cool people. I got to talk with Marcus (left) for most of the trip there (about 2 hours). We talked about American politics and how in the world George Bush could call himself a follower of a man that 2000 years ago said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God". It was an great conversation. It was good for me to articulate the story of God as I see it and experience it with him. He was turned off to religion (as most young people in Sweden are, he said). I don't blame him. So many wars, so much hate, so much competition. It's ridiculous. Good talk. He gave me a CD of some of his music (he plays guitar in an acoustic pop band... good stuff, too...) and I'll post his website sometime soon...

Finally got on the island and wow... I have a whole slew of photos from this part of the trip that we can share with you if you would like. Really tragic stuff. But a great deal of hope there... there are so many volunteers helping rebuild.

We planned to come over for the day, but we found out that they needed volunteers, so we extended our stay. Very organized for day or week volunteers. You just come over and help out. Dee-mah. Very good.

We asked Peter if he wouldn't mind going back without us so that we could stay. He was cool so we stayed. He helped us for the few hours he was there. We cleared out an old Kodak shop where a family lived upstairs. In retrospect, we should have taken before and after pics, but we didn't have time. We hit the ground running. So sad how much of these people's lives were just destroyed. Wow.

Here's Holly working hard...

After work (just a few hours really), we headed to the beach and grabbed a beer and some food, like this Thai pancake. Mmm. Think thick crepe with bananas and peanut butter... mmm.

At 7pm, there was a meeting about the volunteer work for tomorrow. We decided to lay brick. Never done it, but what the heck...

This is a cool place. Many international travelers that are just here to help. Mostly Europeans and Canadians, some Americans, too. Thinking about coming back here on our summer trip out here.

Went to our hotel after some bbq chicken and rice. Need to sleep to be prepped for work tomorrow.

Day 6

2005-03-31T15:13:00.001-08:00

Today we had plans to meet Chris and family at 11am down on the south part of the island. Chris has been a very unexpected blessing on this trip. I think I mentioned before that Chris is kind of a consultant who travels between Thailand, China (where he now lives), Tibet, and other such places aiding and inspiring leaders. He's an aussie, so he has a certain sensitivity to Western involvement that only a citizen of a British commonwealth state could. What I mean is that he is really into empowering the indigenous peoples as opposed to colonizing them with Western Christianity. That's the last thing that is needed here... I'd like to think that we have been at least somewhat as sensitive.

So, since we had until 11am, Holly and I drove to the east side of the island to hike to a waterfall. Not much water, but found a little friend along the way. We were pretty much the only people around...

Beautiful drive there and back...

Afterwards we headed down to Chris and Vicki's hotel. And we had lunch and talked about what God is doing in this part of the world... good lunch... good stuff...

After we finished with lunch late in the day, we drove up to Thalang to meet Pastor Sujit and Peter (our friend from China who was visiting with Chris) to head up to the Thai Mai fishing village. We decided that it would be better for the gypsies to find a technician on their own and then pay for it. This way, the Thai Mai men are performing their duty and not just having everything done for them. This is a huge thing in attempting to help, but not Westernize: Help them do it themselves. If we had more time, we would find a boat builder and rebuild the boat with them... but we are leaving soon.

After we spent some time in the village (which we found out has a couple hundred people), we headed to dinner with Peter and Sujit. It was cool talking with Peter about the history of China and their religions. We both recognized that God has been at work there for a long time. It's interesting that I had heard in my world religions that in early (before common era) Chinese thought, they worshipped God (shen)... in fact, many Chinese still call China Shen Zhou or God's Land... but later on, they worshipped heaven (T'ien) and now (Peter says) they worship man. That is his critique of communism (and many a person's critique). I guess in America you would say that we have gone even a step further and begun to worship "stuff". At any rate, good conversation.

After dinner, Peter and Holly and I journeyed to a cell group and worshipped with them.

Then we headed back down to Chris' hotel to stay the night and catch the morning boat to the Phi-Phi Islands. This is where the movie "The Beach" was shot. It was also destroyed badly by the tsunami. We plan to be there for the day and come back in the evening. So long for now. Lah-gorn-krap.

Day 5

2005-03-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

Day 5 and we are not wanting to go home. It was a heavy day. It was a hopeful day.

Grabbed breakfast on the beach. Amazing fresh fruit and awful instant coffee. Yes, Lent is officially over on the Sharp calendar.

Pastors Suchit, Chat, and Port picked us up at 9am so that we could all head to the resettlement camps and see where rebuilding was taking place and find, again, those who had slipped through the cracks and figure out how to help them. All the places we visited today are north of Phuket Island on the mainland.

We first visited this area of remembrance and body storage. This was the central place where the Thai government, assisted in large part by Norway, brought all the bodies of the dead for people to pick them up for proper burial.

Kind of morbid, but these are the refrigerators they store the bodies in.

We left there and headed further north. The church that we are working with in Thalang, Phuket is assisting building two houses north of Phuket. Why so far away? Because someone called and said they had a need so the church met it.

It is an amazing way of doing things in a time such as this: When a need arises, see if you can meet it. It is better than just getting overwhelmed with how much destruction and hopelessness there is. Of course you cannot help every person, but help those who come to you. That is what we are trying to learn to do.

A car that was crushed by the tsunami. Many cars like this.

We met Jen, an internet cafe owner who lost all her computers and who's home was partially destroyed and the back fence obliterated. She lives alone so a fence is a big deal. She came to us for help. We are helping her. We need to raise $1250 to build the fence. I have promised the money, so if it is on your heart to help, please let us know.

After we promised her help, we left to Nom Kem, where the worst damage was. Of the 10,000 people who were in Thailand that died, over 1,000 of them died in Nom Kem. Tragic area. Hopeful though.
Here is a boat that was pushed in 100 meters or so from the ocean. This was not uncommon. Huge boats pushed several hundred meters in are everywhere where the tsunami was in this region.

Pastors Suchit and Chat knew some folks in the area, so we grabbed lunch with them. I was practicing my Thai all day. Poot dai neet noy. I speak a little. Good thai lunch.

Lunch turned into an impromptu church service with singing and preaching and people wanting to hear more about Jesus. I shared about how following Jesus or knowing God is not just about going to heaven after you die. It is about bringing goodness into the world now. God did not save us for later, but for now.

Holly shared as well...

Holly's new friend and a new Christian...

Destruction in Nom Kem... these photos just do not convey fully...

Dropped Chat off at his church. He is also a 28-year-old pastor...

We finally made it to the art tent at one of the resettlement camps... It was a hopeful place, but needs were already met, so we gave all the art supplies we brought to the church to use with the sea gypsy children.

Tonight, Holly and I were a part of the church staff planning meeting and one of the ladies who works with the gypsy kids shared how grateful she was for the art supplies. She was praying because she did not know what she was going to do next week with so many children... perfect. We worshipped together and had one of the more moving spiritual experiences of my life. Just a dozen or so of us.

We have family here now. Pastor Suchit is very supportive of us coming out for 4-6 weeks this summer. He is also very supportive of us moving here.

Everything is up in the air, but we are thinking about moving out here indefinitely in late fall of this year. I just throw that out there to ask you to pray for us wisdom and consider how you might be a part of this with us: visiting to join in assistance, helping financially (there will be a great many needs and projects), moving out here with us, or even something else.

Tomorrow we meet with Chris which should be good. Also finding the technician tomorrow since we didn't have time today. Thank you again for your prayers.

Day 4

2005-03-31T15:12:00.000-08:00

Good day. Finally got a chance to see Phuket City and venture along the west side of the island. That is where the greatest tsunami damage was. It was a day of exploration more than anything really.

After driving past Phuket City, we saw this tower on a hill, so we drove to it. You can see all around the south parts of Phuket from the top.

We found a little hole in the wall place to eat. Really, most places here are little hole in the walls so you can feel good about the money that you give to people because it goes immediately to support their families.

The Thai make a beer called Singha, so I had to try some.

Mmm. We also had some chicken, fish and rice. Then for desert: papaya. Mmm.

We met a couple at lunch who told us about several key places to see about the tsunami's effects: Patong Beach (think Waikiki), Bang Thao, and a small village north of Surin Beach. So we went to all three places.

Most of Patong was already built back up. I guess that is the nature of a place that derives so much of its revenue from tourism. Grabbed some fruit for an afternoon snack. We have eaten so much fresh fruit. This time, we ate a yellow-colored watermelon.

We then headed up further north and saw some disturbing stuff. I plan to post a video once we are home. But for now, just some photos...

A small memorial on top of a sunken palm tree on Bang Thao Beach...

The foundation remains, but the rest was swept away...

Remnants of boat stuff high in the trees...

It's so sad how much the post-tsunami lack of tourism is affecting the area...

A hut that was sandwiched between the ocean and a cliff...

For an afternoon snack, we stopped at a little cafe on the beach. No one was there. It was also pouring down rain. Beautiful. We had a chance to talk to our sever(s). They looked bored to tears. We got to hear some stories about the tsunami in broken English. Half of the Sheraton Hotel staff on this beach were killed apparently. Wow.

Holly and I talked alot today. We talked about how we felt guilty that we weren't like building a house today or something else that was amazing. Truth be told, we were on our own today, and the best we could think to do was survey the damage, see the island. We talked at great length about moving out here. We are really considering a longer term trip this summer if we would prove helpful. I think we have found some connection with the sea gypsies, but we shall see.

I am also seeing the dire need to channel monies back into the economy by tourism. We have been trying to tip ridiculous amounts since most servers out here must be hurting... most of those in the tourist industry must be... So those whom I critiqued earlier before we left are perhaps more saintly than I gave them credit. Tourism is a tricky thing, but I guess any service-oriented industry can be. All that to say, if you were wanting to come to an amazingly beautiful place that is very tropical and friendly, please consider Phuket. It is so inexpensive once you get here. Housing for like $10-30/night and food for like $10-15/day.

Please continue to pray for us as we go tomorrow to the resettlement camps and then to find a technician to help rebuild the boat of the gypsies.

Day 3: Church

2005-03-31T15:11:00.001-08:00

Got up this morning and went to a nearby beach to see the water and get some pineapple for breakfast. Mmm. The fruit out here is wonderful.

10am church service. 3 hours or so. Wow. Good stuff. It is amazing to hear this part of the world preaching the notion of "we are blessed to be a blessing". Somehow I think the American church misses that point mostly.

After the morning service, we share lunch together. Lots of good traditional Thai food on this trip, and the southern Thai food is spicier than the northern Thai food. Mmm.

They truck in what seemed like 2 dozen kids from the gypsy village for church, so they pile 'em back into the truck and head back to their village after lunch. We, on the other hand, head off to another church service.

On the way there, we drove with Peter and Chris. More about them later. Amazing people to meet. Wow.

After a slightly shorter service, we sat around and ate traditional Thai desert. Mmm. This is Chris here. He is an Aussie living in China. Amazing person.

After leaving the church (which was just north of Phuket province), we headed to the gypsy village to give the baby food to the caretakers. So many people taking photos of this moment. It felt kinda cheesy, like some World Vision photo shoot or something. You be the judge...

They were so grateful and took the food and fed the baby. The baby has a cold or a fever or something. Please pray for the baby's health.

After leaving the village, we journeyed to Joel and Elise's home for a short breather. Then back to the church in Thalang (which by the way is Hope of Thalang Church) for dinner and another church service.

Oh, we stopped for Cokes on the way. (I know... I just broke my Lent commitment!)

Holly with some friends from the church...

Holly helping make dinner...

Me helping with some guitar... very fun...

Went home to blog for you... thank you for keeping us in your prayers... great connections are being made. We are being able to both serve and explore future potential. Wow. Good Night.

Day 2

2005-03-31T15:11:00.000-08:00

We took a short flight in and were greeted at the airport by Suvit and Dok. Kind people. Southern Thailand has a charm that Bangkok lacks! They took us to get our rental car. I hadn't done my research to find out that the Brits brought the auto to Thailand, so I was a bit suprised to see that I was going to be driving on the "wrong" side of the road, sitting on the "wrong" side of the car. Oh, one more thing: The jeep was stick-shift. All worked out fine though.

We hit the ground running. After a quick lunch with Suvit and Dok, we headed to a sea gypsy village on the north part of the island. To the Western eye, it looks like one of the poorest places in the world, with 5-10 people living in a common shack made of palm fronds and sheet metal and sticks.

The local church we have been working with did a sort of Bible school for the kids in the village, so we helped out with that. We met some other Americans here who were over to help with the tsunami aftermath.

In the village, we met a woman who was caring for a baby. She was asking for money, so we grabbed Pastor Suchit to help us translate and talk with them. He told us a great deal about these sea gypsies or Thai-Mai or New-Thai as they are called. We found out that this baby's father took off months ago and the mother just died in an accident. The baby needed formula and other help. We promised them that we would return the next day with some formula and money.

As needs were asked about in this area, a few men told us that this boat needs repairs. Fishing is their industry, so without a boat, they have no money. And though the tsunami didn't sweep away their homes, it killed one of their boats. So we told them we would help find a technician to get the boat back to working condition. It will take about 50,000 baht which is about $1250. If you want to help with this or any other needs in the sea gypsy village, please let us know. There is much work to be done here.

After a while, we left the village to go see a small home church and eat some snacks. Holly and I later took Pastor Suchit and his wife out for dinner and talked about churches in different parts of the world. There is something happening here in the Thai church that is very refreshing. I am completely disarmed. God is doing something very good here. We crashed so tired this night.

Day 1c

2005-03-31T15:10:00.000-08:00

Bangkok. Wow. What a wild ride.

We headed out from our hotel just after we showered and got our bearings. We walked 5 minutes or so to the subway (which was a good experience compared to Rome's subway!) and took it to another tram. Hopped on that and then got off at Siam Square. (Darin, we had asked for directions to "Time Square" as you said and this is where they sent us!) Once at Siam Square, we hailed a tuk-tuk.

Okay, so a tuk-tuk is like a 3-wheel motorcycle with a seat for two in the back. Our tuk-tuk driver was called Alan and he was our guide for the afternoon.

First thing: driving in Bangkok is obscene. Really, you always feel like death is as close as your own breath. Yet these drivers are very good. I guess it just looks messy. The yellow lines that divide you from oncoming traffic? Yah, they're just suggestions. Here is a short clip of a near-death experience.

At any rate, he took us to several wát (temples). Here are some phots from the various temples we visited.

The largest reclining Buddha in the world.

This is an interesting thing: in Thailand (which is 95% Therevada Buddhist), most men become monks at some point before they get married... pretty wild, ey?

While we were at Wát Pho, we heard that there was a traditional Thai medicine/massage school there where you could get cheap massages in a fan-cooled room. Oh, and this is something I haven't really mentioned yet: it is as humid as Arkansas in the summertime... perhaps even more so. At any rate, Holly and I got a 30-minute traditional Thai massage that we swear was like an hour and amazing. Wow.

Back in the tuk-tuk for more. We asked our tuk-tuk driver to take us to this market (think "The Beach" in Bangkok where Leo drinks snake blood). Some of what we saw...

Some other shots...

Some other reflections: Being here in Bangkok actually feels a great deal like being in Rome... from a religious standpoint. Rome was where Christianity was really taken into the Western world and there are so many ornate, huge churches there. Here in Bangkok is one of the places Buddhism spread to when King Ashoka decided to make it a missionary religion. The temples are amazingly (almost grossly sometimes) ornate. It just feels similar, you know? And as I see so many of the golden buddhas being bowed to or being sold, I cannot help but think that perhaps this is not what Sidartha Guatama intended, you know? Like, I wonder if he's ever like, "You're missing the point. The point wasn't me; the point is emptying yourself." I sometimes think Jesus might say a similar thing, "The point is YHWH, not me." But I dunno, and I am sure there are some of my orthodox friends out there who are just shaking their heads at me!

Okay, well, we are now in the Bangkok airport, waiting for our flight to Phuket. While Bangkok was great, it feels like the trip begins today once we get there. Please remember us in prayer. Thank you.

Day 1b

2005-03-31T15:09:00.000-08:00

Arrived into Bangkok with bags intact. Good stuff.

Went through customs, bought our tix to Phuket for tomorrow and hailed a cab. Our cabbie, Len, was very kind. When traveling abroad, you sometimes wonder if people are out to get you or not... and of course, I have heard that Thailand is wonderful, but you still have to watch your back I'm told.

Read this on the wall...

And today is Holly's dad's birthday, so here is a little note from Bangkok...

We are hopping in the shower now (nice after 24 hours or so of flying) and then going to venture out into the city to see temples, markets, and Thai life. More pics this evening.

We are blessed that things have gone as well as they have.

Day 1a

2005-03-31T15:08:00.000-08:00

A 14-hour flight into Hong Kong turned into a 14-hour flight into Taipei so that we wouldn't run out of gas. That's a good thing. Then about an hour on the ground and another hour and a half to Hong Kong. We arrived safe and sound, just in time to see my brother (another story for another day) and hop onto our flight to Bangkok.

I am surprised at how awake we are. There were children crying on the flight, but thanks to some sleeping pills, some ear plugs and some big ole headphones, we were able to catch some sleep here and there. Not so bad.

Also got to watch a couple movies (or at least parts of them since my attention span was limited and I was in and out of sleep). Saw "Murder By Numbers". Stupid. So predictable. Shoulda known. Then watched some of "Closer". Disturbing. I didn't catch the ending. Saw part of "The Incredibles" which was fun, but my favorite was "Kinsey" which I only caught the first hour or so of. Great film about sexuality and the questions everyone has but is afraid to ask. People tend to feel so alone on topics that they cannot talk about. I cannot tell you how many couples that we have heard say, "You mean, we aren't the only ones going through this?" No, you are not the only ones.

Landing in Taipei and Hong Kong reminded Holly and I that most big cities in the world look the same from an airplane. Perhaps we are not that different after all?

At any rate, we made it. Not sure if our bags did, but we will find out once we are in Bangkok. More on that later. Lah-gorn.