First Experiences in Thailand

I've been in Bangkok for about 10 days so far and it already feels like home. I have my favorite street vendors to go to for fresh smoothies, my preferred 7-11 to hit up, and I'm able to ride the sky train like the best of them.

Rather than go through everything in excruciating detail, I'll simply highlight some of the things that have been going on.

• Visited the Old City and saw a number of buddhist temples and sacred sites
• Went on an outreach at night near the red light district and saw a couple of healing's and salvations and faced a bit of persecution which was more fun than anything
• Seen the largest market in southeast asia, J.J.'s, which is more of a labyrinth than anything
• Eaten some of the most amazing foods I have ever had in my life and burned my mouth in the process
• Worshiped on the top of a skyscraper
• Met with a ministry that helps to relocate girls out of prostitution
• Prayed with lady boys that are employed at a coffee house ministry (lady boys are often men whom either believe they are women trapped in a male body or have been raised by their family to believe that they are a woman)
• Connected with the Iris Ministries team that is currently long-term in Bangkok

For about the past two weeks, God has really been highlighting India to me. As such, I'll be traveling there starting the 19th, so long as my visa all comes back by then. 

At church, I had a man come up to me and invite some of us to come to his village and his wife's village whom there are no christians at and to use his bungalows and motorcycles to travel around these remote tribes and share the good word. Needless to say, reaching the unreached is precisely what I'm wanting to do and am planning on going with a few guys to the Karen people just after our trip to Isan.

Now for some of the fun things that I've been eating of since my last blog post: dog (while the head was looking back at me), pig heart, frog, dragon fruit (which is now one of my favorite foods!), and I'm currently on the lookout for some insects which I've been told will be easy to find once we travel up north.

I'll keep you all posted on more adventures as they come to pass.  Until then, enjoy the pics!

The Village of Peace

Since the last post, a lot has happened but I'll just keep it all short and sweet. The pictures can show some of the story. We helped out at a church service and sang a song in Pohnpeian and performed a skit. We've had two outreaches since then with loads of dancing, singing, hanging out and getting to know the locals. 

We also went to a Village called Peace. All I can say is that it was the most amazing time I've had while here and possibly one of the best weekends of my life. The love that the people showered on us was so humbling. They would wake up at 4 AM after having just gone to bed around 1 in order to make us food. They would pass up eating themselves and would spend all over their money to take care of us. Clothes were given to us as gifts and I have never experienced a sense of family as I did there. All the families lived together and everyone shared everything with one another. It looked as though they had nothing, but they were abundantly rich in things that are priceless. Every person we prayed for was healed including: back pains, swollen limbs that couldn't be moved, a leg grew out, the blind could see, deaf ears were opened, chest pain was taken away, and plenty more that I can't share here. The best part was we had children pray for the majority of the healings.

Side note, we've been having gold dust appear all over the place lately. It's been showing up on people's shirts, computer screens, books, guitars, hands, faces, and I too had it first appear on my hand. What a fun little treat.

Our group welcoming people to church

People receiving the love of God

Lady had her leg healed

This woman couldn't bend her neck until we prayed

Her leg grew out after we prayed and alleviated her hip and back pain

Always a good time for a coconut

Played tag with these kids for awhile 

My adopted brothers 

All the village kids sang to us while we ate

More food than I could handle

Preaching at night where loads of people were filled with joy and healed

Indescribable

The village elder

Our tribe and the village

Our translator and a wonderful leader

After we received our gifts

We had an eating contest of five pancakes. We both defeated the beasts. None others dare to attempt.

I have had such an amazing time down here and within the next 10 days I'll be heading to Bangkok for the next steps.