An emotional, spectacular, ridiculous, inspiring day!

What an emotional, spectacular, ridiculous, inspiring day! Grab your seatbelt, something to eat and get ready for an exciting ride! I am going to give an overview of what all went on and then several others will zero in on explicit stories or parts that particularly hit them. Going off of the X-treme teams use of a ton of X words, I want to walk y'all through 4 "S" words. (Sorry to Angela, Duane or anyone else reading these who knows Thai, if I slaughter the phonetic spelling). The words are sabye, sadook, saton, and sanook.

After our quick breakfast of toast and rambuttan (a fusa fruit with neon green spikes), Duane reminded us that we just might want to bring the beanies along today. Well, to make a long story short I brought 29 beanie babies for the children at the "House of Love" and all the boys (bless their souls) have been carrying them around in their packs since we left St. Paul because of course I and the rest of the girls had limited extra space in our bags. (yes, I did say bag with a Nodak accent!) We piled all in the sangtaew (another "s" word) which is pretty much just a truck with open windows and seats in the back. After a dusty diesel smelling but still fun ride we arrived at Kim Brown's headquarters and the sabye which means well-being began. After a small orientation, we headed on over to the Daycare where about 25 kids are picked up from their homes each morning (so that staff can see what their home life is like) and taken to the day care/school. These kids are at the Daycare by day and selling flowers and such in the markets by night. We had been in the markets the night before and had seen several of children now in the class room on the streets. They all recognized and remembered Raphael (from his darker skin) too. They sang a couple of songs for us - welcoming us with the first and talking about the God inside of you with the second. How sweet they all looked with their actions and strong voices. We sang "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" in return and it was no way near as good as theirs. Next came recess time as they all ran up to us grabbing both of our hands and pulling us out onto the playground. Pretty soon I had a train on the slide going with three on my lap and one on my back with them all fighting out where they were sliding. After sliding the guys decided to put kids on their shoulders, well of course all the kids wanted to have a go and pretty soon the girls had kids on their shoulders too (though I never mastered two kids like some of the guys). We had to leave much too soon but there was much more ahead even if we could have stayed there all day.


Our next stop was to break us up into two groups. One group started out at Sri Ping Muang (Lahu ethnic group slums) and the second went to the Klong Ngern (Lisu ethnic group's church) and then we swapped. I was in the second group that went to the church first. What a fascinating idea to open a church amidst a bunch of Karaoke bars but that is exactly what this Lisu church did. The church started from people knocking on the pastor's door for a place to stay and moved on to this church in the Karaoke bar area which is still in need of funding but is surviving. Our group tried with decent success to sing two Lisu worship songs "How Great Thou Art" and "Come Though Fount." Because their letters are similar to English, not like Thai or Karen, we were finally able to read along. It was powerful listening to their gorgeous voices. The Lisu also took us to one of their parishioners humble homes. They taught us "akombo moo" means thank you. We thought we might just fall through the floor boards, but we all survived all right. After that, our groups switched with the other, so we could go see where the children from the daycare lived. What a sobering experience to see where they get their water, how the houses are built on stilts so they don't get flooded during the rainy season but the outhouses still do. We also had the chance to be meet child with abilities (for those politically correct or disabilities for those who are a little confused). Our sabye changed hear to more of a sadook which means convenience. This boy was taken in the Community-Based Rehabilitation Program connected with Kim. He was taken to a school to help him learn to work with his therapy and capabilities. The family unfortunately brought him back and so now he sits unable to use the wheelchair he was given in the unpaved slums. We were then also invited into the pastors home where a three language communication process took place from English to Thai, Thai to Lahu. It was a little confusing but worked.

Leaving from the sadook we moved into saton which means money. It blows me away but most Thai do not cook, they just go out all the time to eat. We went back to Kim Brown's for our Thai take-out and where we finally got to meet the mysterious Alex. HE DOES EXIST! We thought we were the angels like in Charlie's angels where we only could hear his voice on the phone. After I used my password of chocolate we were in, it was fun to see the dynamic he added to our group if only for a short time.

We were off again to the races as we go to see the much talked about the night before Handicrafts at Lyn and Lee Moorsen's house and shop. They took us to the basement where we saw some of the women (infected with HIV/AIDS) painting beautiful snowmen of all things on this truly hot day and we got to meet their designer and director. Their purpose in their ministry is the 4 "S" words I have been using the vs. Matt. 6:10 about God's kingdom coming and his will being done. These Australian missionaries do not receive outside support besides the wood carvings bought by the churches. These people are so passionate about bringing the kingdom done to earth and building a business that can function as a ministry on its own, working themselves out of a job so they move on else where with another ministry. So cool I think and many of us bought little figurines that many of you may soon be gifted! (winkwink!)

Another quick stop was made at the Global Missions Foundation where Duane and his wife worked for eight years before we made our final stop at the House of Love. Kim had given us a run down of several of the young people in their care (they are not just children as one is 22 and didn't want a beanie!). There stories tear your heart out as you hear about Daudeween a 3 year old begging on the street to buy alcohol for their parents. Working in a Karaoke bar doing dishes but also forced to drink alcohol and being taken advantage. Suetee who suffers from hearing loss and his HIV positive. He was abused by his entire village as well as his own grandmother who would throw boiling water on him. He turned into an angry child who hurt other children. You wouldn't know so to look at him today this smiling affectionate boy (who stole Karen's heart I may add) wanting to communicate with everyone. It was armed with these stories that we entered the House of Love where the young people serenaded us in at least three languages (they sing chorals in five). We whipped out two songs, in English, but were still owned by them singing our song again in Thai! (Never fear, we are currently trying to learn "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" in Thai too as well as 2 Karen songs, so please pray! ;-) )

For most of us, this was the sanook or fun part of the day. Once again we were dragged by some of the children outside. My girl took me right to the trampoline where we soared way high up into the heavens or just the tarp overhead. What giggles we had! We also enjoyed a special picnic outside and lots of fun games outside. The children were great hosts showing us where to wash hands, giving us napkins, fruit, and for me lots of meat! (my girl just loved meat!) Raphael was the expert as he got the kids to play duck duck goose, do magic tricks, and rallied up like they were at a concert screaming yaya! It was loads of fun and the rest of us jumped right in too. One of the highlights for me was finally handing out the Beanie Babies. They all lined up and got everything from a dog to a walrus. Man, those beanies are going to get lots of loving! As the children hung on to us as we said goodbye they yelled in perfect English "God bless all of you!" yaya! If that isn't sanook God's fingerprints on your heart, I don't know what is!