A Different Way Of Life

Watch these guys load the cattle for about 20 minutes or so. That cow did not want to get in that truck. It was quite the undertaking. By the time it was over there were about 15 folks standing around watching or helping push the cow in. By the time the cow was in there was a huge pile of crap steaming in the road, a large and i mean large piece of bamboo that lay broken on the side of the road

Found Homesick

Yesterday i had a bit of a time sharing the two weeks spent in Thailand. It's almost impossible to try to condense a trip like this into a few photos and 5 minutes without selling sort the meaning or magnitude!

I picked up some more rolls of film today from the trip. It's been hard tonight as i sit here and scan in photos from the adventure. These particular images come from a very humble village there in the mountains of Mae Sot. The village is Kilometer 48, named for the highway marker at the entrance to the village. There is a single concrete road up for miles that have countless secondary roads that run off into beautiful red clay paths.

This particular day was our Thanksgiving/Harvest meal there. The rice harvest had come in and we were there at the right time. I couldn't help but feel like a child that gets tossed around from divorced parents where one parent raises them and discipline them while the other parent takes them to ball games and buy all kinds of things. I say this because i know that's not a normal day there in the village. It like the kids never getting to see the bad days of the parent that only has good times and wonderful events planned. I hope this makes sense.

Anyhow, i took a stroll out side of the site where we were hangin out to see what life looked like for the rest of the people there. I was excited to see children out playing and being children.
Running with kites up and down the streets. Stopping only to pull the kite out of the tree it ran into. At first the children were a bit shy and hid off the road from me. Eventually the braver ones ventured closer. i wonder if it was the curiosity that got to them. I had a fisheye lens that i was showing a few of them and them seemed to enjoy looking through it.

Here are some of the photos i have scanned in so far.

Just checking each other out. The little hen starts moving in on Kenny.


Lazy Dog takes notice of the white guy walking through his yard.



Some of the braver ones out from hiding.


Back to playing with the simplest of toys. String, some plastic and a little bit of wood.






i hope that these pictures will help you take note of the simple things in life. Truly take time to stop and watch the children play. Listen to them laugh. Look at them smile. See how totally happy they can be with so little. String, plastic, warm sunshine and the hint of a breeze, that's all it took. See if you can let go of rat race and play. i dare you.

TTFN
Doc




Production Note: Those of you wondering about the format of these photos. Holga that was modified for 35mm film.

Visiting The Little Green Man

Hello everyone
This will be a short post as i dont have a lot of the pictures scanned from the trip around Bangkok. The digital camera's battery died and i broke out the good ole Holga to capture some memories. They didn't allow you to take pictures inside the temple that housed the emerald Budda. While we were here i got interviewed by some high school/college kids from Bangkok.

This is Matt and myself kicking it at the Grand Palace.


Glad to be back in the states. I still got some stuff to take care of today but back to the "normal" work day tomorrow.

Doc

My First Taxi Ride Was A Tuk Tuk

Good evening all. Well it is 12 in the morning here in Bangkok.
We got some sight seeing in here in the city of Bangkok. It was the first time i had ever been to anything like this. This is the view from our hotel room after we arrived and checked in.



This is a view of the traffic that we fought for an hour until we gave up and told the driver to let us out we'd walk and get there faster. Which we probably did. What you cant see in this picture is all the little mopeds that are filling in the nooks and crannies that the cars and trucks haven't filled yet. The the red light just turned green for the traffic on the left.
We had our far share of Engrish (engrish.com, it's pretty funny) sitings but i failed to get photos of them. i wrote them down but done have that ready right now.



Matt's buddy Zach had this program called Flat Stanley where you take "Stanley" out to different things around the world. To help them understand geography better and make looking things up on a map way more interesting. So far in the last month Stanley has been to Philly for a Redskins game and Pearl Jam Concert, Atlanta, Tokyo, Bangkok and Mae Sot. Not bad huh. We guess that this Stanley is the coolest one participating! It was awful nice of him to come along and hang with us some on this trip.


There has been lots to do and see here in Bangkok so there will be lots of images to come once i am able to sort through them all. I do have some quick shots of things to give you a taste.

Here is the palace of the king here in Thailand, it's called The Grand Palace. We had to rent some pants to were into the palace cause they didnt allow shorts or some other outfits. It seemed like the Americans may have been weeded out. Any how the architecture in these buildings was really quite stunning. I enjoyed taking some shots with the Holga and look forward to getting them developed. While we were here we were asked by some students to help with a survey. Basically asking what our name was, where we were from, occupation, what we saw as similar in our home countries and Thailand. It was pretty fun actually. After it was all done they took my picture. i asked if i could take his picture and when i held up the Holga , he said "OH, LOMO!" I was excited to have found another lomographer in a foreign land. I actually met another fellow from Ft Bragg NC that commented on the camera as well. It's funny what will bring people together. Plastic cameras and film will do it some times.


The power-lines here are scary. I felt like i was walking along side a BIG hazard that would start the end of the world at any moment. It is almost as hairy as the moped traffic that we had to deal with.


Here we are on a boat ride after a long day of walking around and being mobbed by street vendors out side the palace. The fresh air and being away from the crowd was a good and much needed change of pace. I think the walking and the heat of the day was getting to everyone. We had people basically putting stuff in our bags and demanding that we pay for what we "purchased". Being that we are about a foot taller than the rest of the population and white as all get out, made me (us) pretty good target to boot. It was almost as much fun to watch Ezekiel take in the sights as it was for us to enjoy them ourselves. Here he takes some pictures form the boat ride.




The Suan-Lum Night Bazaar was a hot spot...literally. It has been 90+ degrees easy here in Bangkok, with the humidity and smog of a big city. The bazaar is just like our US Flea Markets excepted they're jacked up on crack or steroids. It's insane what you can find here. We saw everything from live moneys running around and jumping on unsuspecting people tonight to the normal things like 8" tall Zippo lighters of a bottle of Jack Daniels that have lasers in them too, you know that sorta stuff.



After we were done tonight we grabbed a cab home. This was my first experience with cabs. What a city to have this 'first" happen in. We almost had to scream "Oh crap, they killed Kenny!" After a typical Bangkok car pulled out into the typical oncoming traffic. As you can see the terror has not quite left Kenny's face yet. Being that we are driving on the left side of the road the car about crashed into Kenny's side. It's good to get the ticker up and running makes you feel alive or just slightly soggy in your pants.





Look forward to coming home and seein you all again!


TFFN
Doc

Technical Dificulties

I am having a bit of an issue tonight as the editing portion of the blogger software is not showing up as normal. I am unable to add photos for what ever reason but i will share a few stories and try to get images uploaded tomorrow if i can hack this issue.

(Its tomorrow now and i tried again without any issues so here are the pictures.)
I am still going through many of the photos and trying to catalog the images and stories to share with you all. I have picked a couple more for the trip up to the Orange Tree Village atop the fields of rice and corn. The medical team had been out there all day at the top of this village. They had seen about 70 people when i arrived about 2 or so. Thats a lot of people to see in a few hours. I know Julie comes home whipped after seeing 35 new patients a day. Granted there is phones ringing and paperwork, but thats still moving a lot of people. Dr. Joe we missed you and your help, but i think that you would have been very proud of Bill, Gale, Jane and Wynn as they stepped there game up and handled all that was thrown at them. Which was more than we were expecting. A lot of people were treated!

Chuck had asked me if i would like to go along to take some more supplies up to the village. I was a little hesitant due to the schedule on the house, but decided that i could use a break and experience what the others were dealing with. I am so very glad that i did! It was a complete shock! I had hears Matt, and bill talking a few times as well as Jane and Gail about the sights they were seeing but it didnt have a face to me. Once i arrive at the village it had a face to me! It also had a smell and sounds that i bee working through personally for some time.

I saw these peoples kitchen, standing water where the chickens and dogs were walking around in eating out of the pots and probably tracking in all kinds of wonderful germs and bacteria.
I heard Jane say that she saw the lady they treated for skin rashes on her arms and hands stirring the lunch and serving it out on to the "plates". Sorta makes you nauseous huh?!








Up at the village there is not a lot of word of mouth that take place. However the day before there was quite the opposite happening.The way it was working was people were getting help and medical attention and going back across the River to Burma and telling others. They would then jump in the boat and come over. This is where the team saw a gambit of conditions. There was one boy that came out that had the heel of his foot literally ripped of. This was due to a motorcycle/moped accident. The heel got caught in the spokes and yeah, make me skin crawl with out a picture. but we have one coming.

It was pretty amazing to look out over this river and know that the other side was Burma . People were pretty set on getting to the meds.


The skid row shirt was a high point in the day as it added some much needed comic relief.


Well i am really tired an it is 2 am here wed morning so i should try and sleep some before another big day.

I look forward to seeing you all soon and sharing some more in person.

Doc

glad i got it workin gotta run.

The Morning Events

The wet behind the ear Christians.

Survivors Found From Oceanic Flight 815

Don't get alarmed it just a little fiction reference.

These were taken at Namtok (Water Fall) Pacharoen national Park.


Huge Banyan tree. Kenny and Jaheh put things into perspective.


Matt stop smiling there is a huge polar bear staring at you from behind the bamboo.


Here is a shot of the falls at the bottom. We, Cliff, Kenny, Matt and myself, took a hike up a little further to check it out.


This is what we found. More water, and it's still falling.



Dirt, leaves and some ants that given the chance could probably take large chunks of your flesh home to the colony.


Earlier in the day we took a walk around the village called Kilometer 48, guess where this village is located. I knew i was a pasty white kid, but man this photo makes it look like i'm wearing old lady, light pink pantyhose. And yes, between the red beard and the "pantyhose" i got pointed at a lot. It only took about 10 minutes the first day we were in Thailand for one of the staff to see and put his arm next to my leg for a comparison. It was a pretty good start though, lots of fun conversations have taken place since.


Matty Matt checking some chili peppers that the locals hag out drying in the sun. These peppers were everywhere, on the roofs, in the yard, on the hoods of cars and in truck beds.


This is what lunch looked like today as we sat down for the Thailand Thanksgiving meal. I was really excited about this. It was quite sometime ago that i first saw on TV someone cooking food in banana leaves. It's been a long wait since then to have it be a real part of my life.





I believe tomorrow we are heading into the border market to pick up some more supplies. I am going to try and find a rice hat for the work on Monday. The sunscreen, which i am using Julie, is doing ok but...i want a rice hat.

TTFN

Doc

A Note From Chuck (With A P.S. From Doc)

Hi Folks!

Chuck here. I just wanted to share an amazing experience I had today.

The Med Team was working with some Burmese refugees in the mountains today, and Doc and I went out to see how it was going later in the afternoon.


What an incredible beautiful place! Doc said he was shocked by the contrast of beautiful scenery and poor houses and people. It was truly a contrast.


While there we had an opportunity to meet a newer Christian lady, and her story brought tears to our eyes. Let me try and summarize it for you.
This lady was a Buddhist Animist just a year ago.


Her son (not the little tike in the photo above) was literally demon possessed with some kind of goat sounding demon. He would "bray?" like a goat and couldn't talk when he was under this spell.


These people live by a huge old banyan tree that the Buddhists believe to be the home of many spirits (read demons). The people would regularly come to the tree and make sacrifices, not long ago a pig head was hung on it, which is quite gross, don't you think?


Any time anyone tried to live near the tree, and just have a life, something bad would befall them. When the Burmese came and asked if they could live up by the tree, the Thai's said sure! Not long afterwards the mission here planted a church among these refugees, RIGHT UNDER THE BANYAN TREE!

This lady and her son who lived down the road kept waiting for something bad to happen to the church, and to the workers. But every time she walked by - the church was having a meal - inviting her and her son to join them. They would have worship and sing loud and strong, which she could hear from her house - all the while with NOTHING bad happening to the church and it's people (yeah I know the church IS the people but you know what I mean).


So the woman was intrigued. Her son continued to have these "goat attacks"

The preacher there told her that she didn't need to be afraid, that Jesus was stronger than any spirits living in trees. That Jesus was stronger than any goat demon. And so she continued to come.

About 3 months ago, she and her son were baptized! The boy has been healthy ever since. She gave her testimony a few days ago. She said, "i have learned that there is only ONE GOD, and he has lived with us as Jesus! He is stronger than any thing else that exists. he is my Lord, and he has saved my son! I will never turn away from Jesus!"

What a great witness. I have been blessed to meet this woman and her son.

If we could all express our faith so simply, and strongly.

Thanks for praying for me and the team. Your prayers are truly being felt!
We are praying for you all as well - praying that as you read the stories of our journey, your lives and your hearts will be changed, as ours surely have.

Blessings to you all,
Chuck

P.S.
OK, it's Doc speaking now.
It has been a wonderful day. just finish pluggin in the photos from the Chuck's account of the day and wanted to add a note.

I am trying to think of an emotion that was not invoked today in some form. This probably has been the best day of the trip thus far. I have lots of photos to share and will elaborate more soon. But they may have to come a little later, cause it's Friday night sometime around midnight.

Tomorrow should prove to be another day full of surprises and treasures all its own. I challenge you to really look at your life and see what we do have. May you find more treasure than you thought you had. All to often its get up, go to work, eat the same ole lunch, come home to the same ole spouse or home and then your off to bed before you know where the daylight went. I figure this is getting posted on most of your lunch breaks, so if you do read this...try looking at your afternoon with fresh eyes.

I'm feeling a little like a pirate talking bout all this treasure. Guess that means all of my ECU peeps are getting a shout out. ARRGGH! Thanks for the prayers.

TTFN

Doc

Nothing Short Of Thankful Reprise

Matt hit the nail on the head!

Here are some pictures from the pizza party from last night. I honestly dont think that i have ever been that excited about pizza or any food for that matter. Look at the expression on this kids face!




Take a look at these and let me know if you agree. Also for all the mom's out there, that whole story about starving kids in third world countries not having food to eat...yeah it's a bit more real than i thought. For that matter the variety that we have available to us is pretty much ridiculous.





We have had rice with every meal. With the except of breakfast, when we have fruit, eggs with pancakes & honey or toast. The rice has been dressed up with fried fish (with heads), chicken, pork, pumpkin and pork that you mix in and eat. Julie, if i ever complain about eating something you cook, i am giving you permission to slap me.

We are off to dinner here soon and the dedication for the house will be later tonight. Unfortunatley it will not be completely done by this evening but very close. We still need windows for the house and a bedroom door as well as a coat of paint for the front.

I found out that we'll be going to harvest rice in the fields on Monday! Definitely looking forward to that!

TTFN
Doc

Nothing Short of Thankful

What's up my peeps? It's your boy Mattie-Matt shouting at you from Thailand!

I just want to say thank you for your prayers and support during this entire Adventure! We (Americans - "Farangs") are so blessed with "stuff". Please take a moment and look around at what you have... check that... look around at what God has blessed you with and be thankful. Use what you have to bless others because it's all just gonna fade away one day. (I hesitate to say these things with Thanksgiving approaching because it is expected... to be thankful during this time of year. If we only give thanks one week or one season during the year, we have to step our game up! You can dig it.)

God is opening our eyes to great needs here in Thailand... yesterday (thursday), I saw The Lord work through Nurse Jane, Dr Wynn, Dr Bill and our translator, Moses, as they treated several Burmese refugees... from small babies to the elderly who have absolutely zero access to Doctors and medicines. Be thankful.

Last night we got some pizzas for all of the students to eat... for most of them, it was the first time they had ever eaten pizza! I'm talking 18 and 19 years old, zero pizza until last night. We eat pizza all the time... often, multiple times in one week. Be thankful.

The team is doing well and appreciates your prayers. Chuck is destroying his class on Islam (he's doing a really good job)... Kenny and Gail are crushing English Class... Doc and Cliff are "spot on" with working on the Orphanage... Jane, Wynn and Bill (because of his military medic experience) are preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ without using any words, just love and medicines... and I am speechless at the sight of this "well oiled machine". Be thankful.

thank you for reading... my friend Doc will hit you soon.
Grace & Peace
mattie-matt

A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

If thats the case i've already said to much, cause here comes some a lot of photos.

I got an email today and thought it summed up the trip pretty well. Here is a snip-it,

""The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those
who are crushed in spirit." I pray that God would be
close to you as your heart breaks for the people you are
serving and reaching. It's a good place to be. I also
pray for the broken people of Thailand."

Thanks Jamie!

This is a little late in getting posted but these are from our first sights of Thailand.
Here is a shrine in a little market from the city of Tak. We arrived at 6:15 am Tues morning after driving through the night from Bangkok.


Some wild dogs chillin, wait for the others to get out.


Mr. Bill checking out the area.


Some of the local beauty.


Some of the local not so beauty.

That right it's a toilet. At least it's not a hole in the ground. The "tub" of water to the left is flushing water. There is a little bucket in there that you fill up and pour over your "business" to flush it.


Ok here is some soup that was served at lunch on Tuesday after we got to Thailand. I, of course being the naive ginger that i am, thought the cute little innocent orange shape floating in the soup was a sweet carrot. After i started to chew my food up real good like Julie has tried to teach me i found out that it was in fact pepper...that contained HELL FIRE FROM THE DEVIL HIMSELF and yes everybody laughed at me as i tried to put out the fire in my mouth.



This was round 2. I won. Sweet and Sour Chicken.


A few shots of Mae Sot as we get closer to the banks of down town to do some money changing.



Here is what a power line looks like in down town Mae Sot .

One of the many village dogs. I am surprised at the number of dogs that are roaming around the city and villages.



Ice cream is a universal joy.



This bugger is our alarm clock. I'm still working on getting the snooze installed.

There are a few of these momma hens running with her chick around the campus.



OK now here are some shots of the house we're working on.



Dropping the septic tank down into the ground.


Bamboo instead of rebarb.


This is Ahphu, he's 19 and a good hard worker.


This is a Takraw serve. Basically its soccer and volleyball mashed together with a short net.


This is Ati and me. Believe it or not i had forgotten i had a beard until i saw this photo. I am still brushin my teeth and showering, just don't have mirrors where im doing that. He's been teachin me some Lisu (Lee Sue) Language.


Probably one of my favorite shots from the trip so far. Kids will be kids in any country and at any level of "cast system". Again, it makes you wonder how much better your life would be if we could "unplug" ourselves from the TV, computers, phones, facebooks and of course these horrible blogs. :) We would have time for more of the simple pleasures in life that will mean more to you than that hour spent/lost to technology.


Sorry that im playing catch up on the photos. I am taking a lot more that i thought i would be. The whole upload process is taking longer that i thought and don't want to start updates till the day ends out of fear of missing something with the villages. After all that is why i'm here.

Got some fun shots from today that i'll try and get up soon.

Till tomorrow
TTFN

Doc