I have pictures…but not with me right now. More’s the pity. I’ve been on Koh Samet Island for a few days of Debrief along with newly arrived Squad C fresh from Africa. Squads A & B will be leaving first thing Monday morning to go to Cambodia until the first week of October. We will probably debrief our Cambodia leg in Cambodia and then come back to Bangkok a few days before moving on China on October 12.
I’m sure the other racers have posted pictures already. Our little island paradise is just that. It’s not the biggest tourist location by any means (although the crowds have picked up some during the weekend). It is a beautiful and restful place though. The emerald green water is warm and the waves are just right…slightly smaller than a decent Wave Pool. I went snorkeling earlier today with Becca and some of the guys. You can see pretty clearly about 8 feet deep I guess and there’s a variety of colorful fishes and coral reef.
Some of the guys have rented ATV’s and motorbikes to cruise around the island. We’ve enjoyed Fire Dancers on the beach every night. All three squads enjoyed a cruise around the island a few nights ago courtesy of our Debriefers from the States. It was a Dinner Cruise at that- the crew grilled shish-ka-bobs and potatos and corn on the cob for us and anchored in a quiet harbor to let us jump from the top of the boat for a swim. Food is cheap. There’s a 7-11 close by to handle late night Coke Slushy and Oreo runs. We have beds!
It’s been a great debrief. Thailand has been an intense month for some, especially our girls working in the sex-trade/prostitution industry. It’s been a great month though. This is a place I could come back to for ministry.
We talked alot about finding our “dreams” at this debrief. It’s inspiring to watch some of the other racers discover their dream- God’s call on their life. Some of them know now what it is they will do when they get back home. I think my immediate plans are coming into focus. I’ll write more about that later.
I also want to write about my last week of ministry in Thailand. After an awesome week+ with YETI in Burriram I returned to Bangkok where I plugged in to some of the ministry to the bargirls. I’ve been surrounded by beautiful nieces since I was a ten year old. I’ve been blessed in 15+ years of student ministry to have had the most amazing young girls in the world in my life. To come to Bangkok and witness firsthand the lives of these “kids” was almost overwhelming. Most of our WorldRace guys were kept away from the prostitutes and the red light districts. I connected with the leader/founder of one of the ministries specifically for the purpose of trying to look these girls in the eye the way I’ve looked at my nieces all these years. To tell them (even if I couldn’t speak their language) that they are loved and safe with me. I only went out two nights. Men certainly have to be careful in a ministry like that. But with the proper safeguards in place… men are so needed here. These girls need a daddy. We need to both tell them about The Father…and be the father for them.
This is a good place to add: GUYS. Twenty-somethings. Wake your butts up. The World Race is dominated by young women (who are awesome)…but where are you? Why wouldn’t you want to strap on a backpack and hike volcanos and ancient ruins with us? Why wouldn’t you want to go deep sea fishing and snorkeling and mountain climbing? Why wouldn’t you want to toss boulders off of a mountainside like a bowling ball just because you can and there’s nothing below to hit? Why wouldn’t you want to ride in the back of a Four Wheel Drive truck halfway across the most rugged land you’ll ever see? And why wouldn’t you want to take the Kingdom of God to those that most need it all over the world?
