I have definitely been neglecting blog posting over the past several weeks. It was a bit of a challenge in Uganda with lack of internet, but I do not have that excuse since I arrived in Thailand last Sunday. We have been busy, but honestly I am readjusting to having internet as a normal part of life. With that said, I am really enjoying Thailand. We are working with Step Ahead ministries in Khlong Toei the largest slum in Bangkok. We actually are living in the middle of the slum in a single room on the 3rd floor of the ministry building. It is tight living quarters, but for the first time in a very long time we have a shower, internet, a refrigerator, 2 gas burners, a washing machine and a few other "luxury" amenities. We were like kids at Christmas our first day here.
Much of our ministry time is spent teaching English and interacting with people in the community. We teach English to the staff of Step Ahead in the morning and then to children from the community each day from 4:30 – 6pm. We are eating street food which is really cheap and good if we guess right on our orders. Becca ordered chicken feet last week so since I will try anything once I have now tried chicken feet. I struggled with how to eat them with all the bones. It was definitely not a favorite.
Step Ahead itself is working as a holistic ministry to reach the at-risk in order to improve the lives of families as well as keep women out of the sex trade industry which is so rampant in the country. Other than English classes which we are assisting in, they do computer classes, teach women to make woven purses, and other outreach activities. One of my favorite programs which is in its early stages is a project to partner with families in order to allow them to keep their children. Most children in orphanages in this country and around the world actually have a parent. Unfortunately for many, it is a choice between keeping the child at home starving or giving away parental rights and sending a child to an orphanage where they will receive food.
It costs less to keep children in the home and is better for the child physically, emotionally and spiritually. With this in mind, Step Ahead is partnering with families who might otherwise give their children away to help them become economically stable and self-sufficient.
I could ramble on about this for hours as I love the concept. We are reading a book called Urban Halo as part of our partnership with Step Ahead and I am really enjoying it. If you have time, I would highly recommend it.
As I mentioned, my blog posting has been a bit erratic. I honestly have written a bunch of blogs in word that I just haven't got posted. So, don't be confused as over the next few days I am going to post some blogs from the end of my time in Uganda. I am still in Thailand, I just want to share about some of the really cool things God did in our last few days in Uganda.
Thanks for your prayers and hope you are enjoying winter wherever you are. We got up to run a 10k this morning that started at 6am and at race start time it was a balmy 85 degrees. I miss SD winter, but I do enjoy that I don't need to scrape my windshield:)
