Manistry month has taken us all over the country of Thailand. First we went to Chiang Mai for setting up a little home base, then to Mae Sot to get some painting done on the kids home, back to Chiang Mai to get some R&R, through the mountains to Mae Sariang, and down the Salawin River to give love to some real remote villages. It doesn’t really matter where we go but there always seems to be similar things:
Smiling Thai Faces
Waterfalls, Rivers, Lakes
Opportunities to be sharing the Love of Jesus
I have loved getting the opportunity to learn more about the many types of people living here in this area. Some have lived in Thailand their whole lives and others are coming over from the neighboring country of Myanmar (B-urma) trying to escape a life of abuse. There are some people that speak English (though not many), some that speak Koren (the native language of the Burmese mountain culture), and some that speak Thai.
But something that i’ve notice about this group of people we are getting the opportunity to meet is that they are just as willing to meet us as you are willing to meet them. It just takes getting bold and shedding a little discomfort (or even just the thought of being uncomfortable), pushing past the normal and going on toward making a lasting difference in someone’s life. Think about it. Give it a whirl, and let me know how God shows up.
The Manistry River Trip took place on a cold (it was actually really hot & humid), blustery (it was perfectly calm) day in Myanmar (we never left the country). but many of these things we would have loved to have had. It actually began a 10 am with 3 different trips to the same 7/11 getting supplies 🙂 , 11 people packed in a pickup truck, a long drive through the mountains along bumpy roads, and a river jumping all before the day really even began… man, you can’t ask for a more perfect set-up. “River Jumping!”… The missionary contact actually stopped on the side of the road during the mountain pass and told us we could jump into the river… 🙂 there was some really cool cliff jumping down along this part of the river. So we spent a little over an hour hanging out, floating down, and jumping into the refreshingly cool river.
After getting to the main harbor for the Salawin River, which runs right along the B-urmese border during this part, our adverture finally began. While, the countries wont allow us to cross the border into B-urma illegally (weird) they will and can allow us to be praying for the amazing people and the beautiful countries within Thailand and B-urma. Never can the current of even the strongest river keep the prayers of a loving heart from crossing to bring Hope to the people that need it. Keep on praying for beautiful things. 😉
In addition to this amazingly well sculpted materpiece of a blog… i have also created a video blog to further capture the motivating moments of growth on the river. I’m just kidding, its just a bunch of silliness really 🙂 Ennjoy! Love you guys
Love Love
Joshua
