One Week Inside

Hello Friends,
I'm one week into my voyage here. And I believe it would be safe to say that I'm sure I am only standing at the door of all there is to come. Let me rewind the past seven days for you, and try to bring you up to speed.

I left Billings at 4:55 pm. Wednesday. (May, 28th) After a quick stop in Salt Lake, I continued on to L.A. It was my first time in that airport, and I got pretty lost trying to find the international terminal. I didn't want to believe the airport employees - who kept telling me I had to go outside and walk a few blocks to find it! Turns out, they were right!

My flight into Bangkok was 16 hours! But I had the company of some really nice seat-mates, and the hours didn't seem as long as they could have. One of them even helped me find my next gate when we landed. I arrived in Chiang Mai at 8:50 a.m. Friday. (May 30th) My bag looked like like it had gone through allot during the trip too! But it was there, I was there, my friend's who were picking me up were there, and that's all that mattered!

For the past week I've been staying at the LINK MANSION. It's about 1km. away from Sean and Anne's home, and just down the road from the City Gate Church. I've been helping Sean and Mirijam (the Pastor's wife at City Gate) get there coffee shop started. They plan to open in about one month, and none of their staff had ever made espresso before. So I've been training them on the machine and teaching them how to make the different drinks. Sean even made an 'instructional video' of me making a latte, and talking my way through all the steps. It came together really well. Sean said it was good enough from the food network! (But I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. He just better not put it on U-Tube. That's all I've got to say!)

Tete came into Chiang Mai last night. She stopped over at Sean and Anne's home (where I happened to be, at the time). And explained that she had some work to do in the city for a few days. We had originally planned on going out to Musekee today (June 5), but now we're going on Saturday. She said that before I go up to Musekee, she would like me to meet her Uncle Peter. The one who helped her come to Thailand, all those years ago. She expressed her fear that he will pass on, and there will be nothing left behind. No memoir, no journals, no letters. Nothing to tell of the life he has lived and all that he has done for the Lord. She hinted to some secret missions he has been involved with, and that he has led a rather daring life. "His life would be another book for you! If you can get it all, that is." She said.

Today I had the honor of meeting him. Tete and her Husband drove me downtown in their yellow SungTow (Taxi Truck) to Uncle Peter's office. It was in an area of town that I had never been before, a business district. We visited for about an hour and a half. Not long enough, to even come close to part of his story. He was fascinating! (I can see where Tete gets it) I won't get into all that I learned this morning. I'll save that for the book. But I am planning on visiting with him again, probably when I get back from Musekee, in a few weeks.

In the past 7 short days, God has been breaking my heart for the Karen people. I'm sure allot of you have never heard of them. I know I hadn't, until I came to Thailand last year. But even at that time, I didn't know their story. I didn't understand who they are as a people. What they've suffered. How they continue to be exploited, and cheated out of the hope, of ever having hope. Not to mention freedom.

I am compelled to do some thing to help them. To get involved somehow. I have no idea what I could possibly do, to bring any kind of relief or support. But I've got to do something. And I feel that one of the biggest problems they have, is the simple fact that nobody knows they're here. Tete's work has been among their different villages, with their children, and widows. And so..inadvertently, they are already apart of the story. I've decided to start do allot of digging, and try to learn as much as I can about them. I've been fortunate enough to know people who (who know people, etc.)who have worked with them for decades. I can't understand the importance of the work at Musekee, without understanding the Karen. And I can't write about the one, without the other. That is my big assignment, now. Who knows where it will lead? But I just have to keep walking. Keep on taking small steps of faith, until I figure out what it's all been for. We don't need to see the big picture every time we see a problem. We just need be willing to be the answer...

It's not heroic to want to help. To see and hear the injustices that have been committed and not be moved to action, would be inhuman (barbarously cruel and unfeeling) of me. Or anyone.

Thank you for your letters of encouragement and your continued prayers. I cannot do this, without them! And I have noticed their effect day by day. God has indeed gone before me. I am not doing this alone...
We are all connected - One body, united in Him, by His Blood, for His purpose - to love Him and make His great love known to the nations.