Northeastern Activities

Here I am a week after my previous post writing from Bangkok, the home of 6 million people, smog, overpasses and insane congestion.

We started our journey at about 6:30 Saturday evening after loading the van with all our supplies for the week. After driving quite some time and passing through Bangkok we came to a road side gas station to stop for a bathroom break. Dave, feeling a bit of cabin fever from sitting for so long was talking and dropped a red bull he had just bought. He gave a 100 bot bill to Josh and send him in for more. Josh spend all the money and came out with about seven replacements. What followed was Dave releasing some of his pent up energy by slamming 6 of them. After the excitment died down we climbed in the van and continued on. No more than five minutes later Dave ripped open the window and hung his head out. We promptly pulled into the next gas station and then waited while Dave spent some time in the stall removing the energy drinks from his system. Upon inspection we noticed a the words, Max. 2 per day on the bottles.

We arrived in the small village of Baan Muangklang at about five in the morning after a short stop at the morning market of a neighboring town. We met Angels family, unpacked and then layed down to rest from our journey.

An hour or so later I awoke with a strange feeling in my stomache. For about 15 minutes I layed there, trying to convince my body not to puke until finally I gave in. After finishing up the first round and filling up the bag I had grabbed from near my bed I headed downstairs to finish it off in a more civil manner. While downstairs, Joel unknown to me at the time was also puking. He had been awake thinking the same thoughts as me when suddenly He heard me explode and then gave in as well shortly after. After a half-hour or so we were both empty stomached and ready to lay down once again. From that point forward the daylight hours went fairly well and both Joel and I were digesting again before bedtime commenced.

Later in the day many neighborhood children ventured in to see the strange white people who mysteriously arrived as they dreamed dreams safe in their beds. It wasn't long after they discovered us that there was a small crowd of kids congregated in the front enterence, playing games and having fun with those of us who would partake.

The next day we perfomed at the local High School. We started doing some games with the kids and setting up while that happened. Things were almost ready to go when with out so much of an ounce of warning the amplifier quit working. A mad dash followed as the teachers grabbed a portable system, portable mixer and then improvise a bit in order to plug in our dvd player. Everything came together and about the time the stage game became unbearably repetative we were ready to go. The girls performed and then Angel preached and one girl boldly came up asking for prayer and a bible afterwards. We then did a skateboard show, ate food with the principle and taught some english before heading out.

After the school we spent some time at a local swimming/fishing hole. Joel caught some dinner and I explored some of the cow trails that went off in the bush. One thing I noticed is that Thailand can be very green, but it is also very hot and dry. So while there are many trees and many different types of them there isn't always a whole lot of undergrowth, grass and such. That I miss a little, a lush grassy covering on the ground.

The next day we went to the Primary school to perform. We arrived to find a small stage constructed of old school desks tied together. Despite this the girls made some room in front of the stage and made due. The performce went off without a hitch and we followed up with a small skate demo under the hot hot heat of the sun. After lunch we said goodbye to all our new friends and headed just up the street to our home. The kids, most of them already knowing were we dwelt from hanging out with us the nights before came promtly after school for games of "stella stella ola" and to ride our boards around. Unfortunatly that night we couldn't show them the same hospitality as we were preparing for out big show.

The show that evening was at the elaboratey built, eccentric looking but slightly run down buddist temple across the street. We were to perform around 7:30 8:00 and the show would consist of dances and speaks, no media.

At about six o'clock we realized that the temple didn't have a sound system capable of playing music. There was some panic as we rushed back to the primary school to see if we could borrow anything. When we got there we realized the school was closed for the day and we might be out of luck. Fortunatly though someone came along who could help us and we managed to gather together a sketchy but funcional system. With that stress out of the way we headed back and started to prepare for the show.

The show started with some quick words at about eight o'clock and followed with a mix of fire dancing, normal dancing, speaking, and then some more fire dancing. To our relief the fire dancing went perfectly and Joel didn't have to use his emt training to deal with any degree of burning, scathing, or searing.

After the magnificent display of dancing with fire the girls took to sitting and Angel stepped up to the plate to deliver the message on her heart.

After preaching to her home town the gospel, and the life that She's found in it, She called to the crowd and invited anyone up who was interested in or needed healing. Bold words, inviting people up to get publicly and miraculously healed by God through Jesus name, in a buddist temple no less. Well, a few ladies came up, one of them being Angels own Aunt. She had a knee problem that had been limiting her for years and after explaining Angel and Sonja(one of our leaders, Joels wife) began to pray. The prayers ceased and Angel asked how her knee was, her Aunt excitedly began telling of how She could now move her knee fully and felt no pain. They handed the mike to her and asked if She would tell the people. She did and soon after we were rushed with all kinds of requests, for healing and prayer in general. This lasted about an hour or so, us moving through the crowd praying for people until slowely, as the crowd died down things started to get a little weird.

Drunks slowely started moving in and gently hasseling the girls and a the mood began to change. About this time we decided that our time was up and pulled out as quickly as we could.

We met up at the house and many stories were shared. One lady my teamates Sonja, Dave and I prayed for reported being healed after we finished. Since I moved on before Sonja was done I never learned of this until after and it was really encouraging since I never saw anything directly from my prayers. Later that night Angels mom was also relieved of cronic shoulder pains after Sonja and Angel layed hands on and prayed for her. It was a tough but amazing evening in the end. We retired, tired, and outside the dogs in the village which we had never heard or noticed before barked and fought through the night.

The very next day, we slept in and relaxed. In the later part of the afternoon we travelled out to Angels family land. There we had the chance to chill, eat sugar cane and experience the true Thai country side. It was so beautiful and peacefull.

Later in the evening we travelled home and a chicken was killed. We watched them drain the blood, pluck the feathers and then make soup what remained. We were offered a meal from it but didn't accept as the boiled cubes of chickens blood that we're added to the soup acted as a bit of a turn off.

Next day and our team headed to Bangkok were we stayed at a church for three days.There we shopped and then performed at a house warming for Angels family. (I'm now finishing this entry from back in Pattaya).

The ten of us and Dee-Dee, a temporary team addition from a neighboring towns bible college will head south in a few days to the full moon festival.

From what I know the full moon festival is a big open party with lots of drugs and free lovin. A little like a modern day woodstock from what I gather. Again if you're the type, continue to pray and God bless you all.