Reflecting on Thaiand Part 1

There is a lot for me to process on all the events that have transpired since I last wrote. It has taken me awhile to put it all together but perhaps my struggle to put into words how I feel may encourage you somehow in the reality of walking with the Father and how there are times when the storm hits and it is hard to make sense of any direction.

I think I will start with our trip to K-town. That seems like a life-time ago but I feel like it was pivotal in our work here…

After Christmas we were invited to spend the New Years (American New Years) with our friends in K-town to catch up and encourage. We were looking forward to the trip for two reasons. One—we wanted to see our old friends again and have time to really talk and see how they are doing. Two—we wanted to see our old friend who just became a “b” and give her some stuff we weren’t able to when she first visited us.

Josh’s experience was much more encouraging than mine. He was able to meet up with a friend who has just begun an HC (house club) that is focused on young people (single and couples). This is the first of its kind in K-town and super exciting. It was great to see their passion and excitement in what they were learning from the Word.

I spent a lot of time with our old friend whose faith I found to be on the shelf. She is one who strives to be the healthiest and best at everything. She thinks that as long as she makes a plan then everything should work out how she feels like it should. And from what I gathered, being a C was a good idea because it seemed to be something she could do that was good and healthy for her family. Now, she is very much discouraged. Her relationships have taken a hit and she is so lost on what to do to fix them. She was so sad and I had nothing to offer that she wanted. It broke my heart.

After a couple days, Jaden got a pretty strong cold/flu. His fever was quite high and the meds I brought weren’t really helping. Being in a local’s home was difficult because they didn’t shower (Jaden had sweated thru the night and was in need of a bath), they didn’t use hot water or soap to clean dishes and a squatty potty sprays pee everywhere in the bathroom. Our friend’s son was also sick with a bad cough. We ended up having to move to a hotel (to properly register) and that place was so dirty I finally said “we’ve got to go”.

We decided that Josh should stay to meet up with a few more people. But Jaden and I got on a train and headed back home.

We had about a month until we left for T-Land. At this point the air pollution levels were getting at their worst and we were barely hanging onto to our sanity as we waited for our tropical hiatus to arrive.

Our time in Thailand started off really well. Jaden did great on the trip and our first hotel had us all sleeping in the same bed together which was kind of sweet (minus the 2am feet in your face moment). When we arrived at the resort we were overwhelmed by its beauty and open space. Jaden could run to his heart’s content without fear of traffic and we were surrounded by breathtaking landscape. We were blessed to be able to be a part of corporate worship and actually chat with families that work in various cities in Central Asia.

Walking back from class

The most difficult aspect that week was the morning drop-offs for Jaden. I know he had a ton of fun in his class (this was the only thing that kept me taking him each morning) and there was such pride in his voice when he talked about what he did. But every morning you would think I was leading him to the worst thing in the world. He would cry and wail ON THE WAY to his class. I would be holding his hand and he would just walk while crying and asking me to stay with him. It broke my heart every time. The teachers would assure me that after I left he would stop after 5 minutes or so and when I picked him up he was so proud of himself and excited to tell me what he did. But that drop off killed me a little each and every time.

Josh and I tried to switch off nap-time duties. Usually during this time there were seminars that we could attend but with all the sun and excitement Jaden barely made it TO nap so we knew we couldn’t let him miss it. Being 9 weeks pregnant I tried my best to keep up but when I had nap duty I totally zonked.

During our free-time we were able to explore the grounds that included swimming pools, play grounds, a small zoo, gardens and ponds to feed the fish. By the end of the week, Jaden had a slight tan, skinned knees and a love for the outdoors. I was in heaven.

Afterwards, we headed into town where we stayed in a “hotel” that was run by other workers. We had our own little house/room and then there was a communal dinning room, a few playgrounds and swimming pool. Jaden loved the freedom it offered. We rented a motorbike and spent the afternoons exploring the town. Our first hiccup of the trip was that Josh left his passport in his pants that we sent to be washed. Thankfully, the washers were honest and gave the passport to management (post wash) and his visa stamps had not washed away. Thank you, Father!

Silly with Dad at the Zoo

We visited the zoo and got to feed elephants, spray water in the mouths of the hippos and walk a ton. It is a no wonder that Jaden fell asleep on the motorcycle on the way back (don’t worry, I kept him from falling off). The market was my favorite with tons of clothes and jewelry for really cheap. You would think you could buy things in China for cheap but in reality clothes are really expensive AND poor quality so I rarely buy anything. The market in Thailand was a whole other story…so fun!

After about three days, we then flew back down to Bangkok (would you believe that the ticket was only $20!). That night Megan arrived and Josh went to pick her up. We had prepared a special journal for her to write in and a note surprising her with our baby news. It was really fun to watch.

We love Aunt Megan!

Our next destination was Ayuthaya. It’s an ancient city with amazing ruins to explore. But the excitement of a trip is its journey not just the destination. And let me tell you the journey was unique!

First of all, we rode a shuttle to the airport where we then grabbed a sky train to the interchange station. From there we continued to haul all our luggage to the subway station where we took the subway to the train station. Here, the trains are SUPER old. It was like we stepped into an Indiana Jones movie. The train was old, no AC with those dilapidated fans screwed/taped to the ceilings, the seats were broken and the windows dirty. With each stop vendors would walk through the aisle selling drinks or fruit.

Of course, Jaden loved looking out the window and eventually fell asleep in the heat. These circumstances always hit me that for me “this is crazy!” but for Jaden it is a totally normal way to get from A to B.

How old is this train?

Riding elephants, I think the driver had the most comfortable seat

Our hotel, in Ayuthaya, was pretty nice and we were able to find some good places to eat. We rented motorbikes and explored the town. We got some good shots of the ruins and even splurged on an elephant ride. Jaden was pretty nervous at first, but as our big elephant plodded along he relaxed and enjoyed the ride. We even got sprayed while the elephant stopped for water.

Next stop…Koh Mak Island…we probably should have stayed in Ayuthaya…