Final Memories in Thailand

I am sitting in a Japanese coffee shop, in Bangkok, using their Wi Fi . We left Mae Sot Thurday and traveled back to Bangkok with a caravan of two cars, a truck and one van from the Church. We were all returning from a great Pastors Conference and many of the College students also taught at an English camp. The trip took seven hours and someone asked Mark how his legs felt. I responded with, Oh we just cut them off each trip and reattach them on arrival. Remember Thai's are short and they don't have much leg room in their cars, buses etc.

Have I mentioned that Thailand has hugh bugs. We have seen several ten inch millipedes, snails that would be a gourmet's feast, and large, ugly cockroaches. We even found one baby frog in our bathroom. The market in Mae Sot is full of buckets of eels, snakes, frogs and a lot of fried bugs to munch on. We always love to take people there and watch them experience Thai delicacies.

You know you are back in the big city when you have to head to Pizza Hut for a Cesear Salad. In Mae Sot when you got a salad it was two small pieces of lettuce, loaded with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and an occasional worm. Tonight we may even try to find the Sizzler in the Mall.

Neil, Diana, Noi 1, Noi 2

Oasis Coffee Shop

Final Days at the Oasis

Today was the final day I will be able to go and spend time at the Oasis Coffee Shop with my friend Diana. Tomorrow we begin a conference for two days and then return to Bangkok for our final few days. The girls in the picture are Noi 1 and Noi 2. They have such servant hearts. Noi 2 does not have a mother so she loves to give and get hugs from people. These girls work from 8 AM to 8 PM six days a week. They work 2 extra hours on Wed and Sat nights for functions at the Oasis. I gave them each a plant with flowers as a going away thank you and they told Diana that Christians have big hearts. They are Buddhists but have ask Diana to pray for them at various times. The mural in the background is being painted by a Burmese artist who is working to make some extra money to support herself. The Oasis is truly that for many who come to Mae Sot and don't have any friends. Diana makes them all feel welcome and offers much information to those who need help. I will miss your smiling faces and friendship.

water buffalo

waterfalls

MAE SOT WATERFALLS

Yesterday, Neil and Diane Gilbert, missionaries to Mae Sot took Mark and I touring for the afternoon. It was a perfect rain free day, one of the few since we arrived. We visited two waterfalls and traveled the back roads between Burma and Thailand. The country is so green and lush, we even ran into some water buffalo's, not literally. They were grazing on a hill. We only have one more week in Mae Sot, our conference begins next Tuesday and on Thursday we will travel to Bangkok.

MOTHER'S DAY IN THAILAND

Happy One Mi !! Today Aug 12th is Mother's day in Thailand. It is the queen's birthday. In December they celebrate Father's day, the King's birthday. The school's and banks are all closed. All the mothers were given flowers and honored at the school's yesterday. I received a flower from the missionay's wife who has the Home of Hope, they have 19, at risk children, who call her mom.
She was honored by all 9 children that attend the school. So Happy Mothers Day to you moms out there. When in Thailand do as the Thai do.

The Team

Mark and Debbie in Thailand

Our Time In Mae Sot Thailand

This is our third week in Mae Sot since the team left in July. We spent a week teaching some Pastors from the Hill Tribes a program called Community Health Evangelism. After that we spent four days in Chang Rai where we were able to cross the border into Burma for a day. We visited the church and orphanage of the pastor whom we have known for years and able to see the new progress he is making. We were also able to see Ron and Debbie Grosser, our friends, who came over years ago after taking one of our trips, they now have a home for nineteen at risk children from a Lahu tribe. This was the area where we were going to make our home.
Last week Laura Bush, the First Lady arrived in this small town to visit the Burmese refugee camp and a medical clinic for the Burmese. We were able to go to the same clinic the next day. We were given a short tour of the place and if you think our county hospitals are bad. They had at least 75-100 people listed who were all waiting to have cataract surgery. The place sure could use some cleanup. It is better than nothing but sanitary it was not. The young girl in the picture is 29 yrs old and had her legs blown off in a land mine accident. She has prosthetics but they don’t fit well and she has no one there to help her. The families are expected to take care of their loved ones and bring them food. We were able to pray with her. We also had an opportunity to pray for a young man who was there because of stomach problems. He takes care of his mother and younger brother but they were back in the refugee camp about an hour away. After we prayed for him he told the interpreter that he felt heat all over his body. God’s anointing is awesome. We are believing God for his total healing.
Saturday night I was able to speak at the English Church that they have started here. I shared about our getting here and our future plans. There was a group of young people there from Colorado and they had just arrived from Cambodia. They saw some powerful times of ministry as they shared the gospel and God did some great miracles.
We will be here until the end of the month and then we will leave for Vietnam on Sept 2nd.