Part 2
Our return from Khoa San Road was pretty late considering I still had to pack and be ready by 7:30 am the next day. People were so happy to show off new purchases, piercings and tattoos. I was VERY thankful for 2 of my teammates who did some shopping for me so I could go on my adventure. So after catching up for the night and sort of packing we all headed to bed. Some woke up earlier than others to finish packing, getting ready and finding one more iced coffee from a street vendor. We had a large 'goodbye' prayer time for those leaving early (India was all squad month so this is the first time to be separated in a month) and we headed to the bus station.
We had all our bags (packs, backpacks, personal items, pillows and bags of purchases from the day before) and had no idea what was in store for our travel day. Thankfully, YWAM sent a translator with us so we were able to purchase tickets and get on the right bus for Selaphum where we would spend our next month.
I don't know why I had it in my head we would get to choose our own seats, but I did. When we got on the bus it was about halfway full and they sent our team to the back. The first two girls were seated together by the conductor, the next two boys sat together, I was sent to a seat by myself and the two after me went to the very back row. For a quick second I thought 'sweet, I get to sit by myself,' that was quickly replaced with the realization that a Thai person (stranger) would be seated next to me. Sure enough, a young Thai girl sat down next to me. I pulled out the handouts from Gift (YWAM) and tried to introduce myself. My Thai is extremely limited and so was her English and she spoke so fast, I have no clue what her name was but we just smiled a lot at each other.
Thankfully I had the window seat so I could just look at the country pass by for the next 8 hours and just be in my own little world. That was my plan anyway. Our bus pulled out of the station and off we went. Not 30 minutes into our ride, I felt something on my shoulder. I looked down and my new friend had made herself comfy for a nap, which included using me as a pillow. I read the handouts shortly after receiving them (yes, I'm a need like that) and knew there is not much personal space in Thai culture. I didn't care too much, it was a little awkward since I didn't know her name, but when in Thailand…
I was pretty tired too and tried to nap off and on during the ride. Apparently, I was comfortable enough with her to rest my head on her head that was on my shoulder. Yay, new friends. And she shared her snacks after our lunch break, if you share food with me, I'll always be your friend ;).
After an 7-8 hour ride we finally arrived to Selaphum and met Tik, our translator. Tik and her parents
helped us back to the house/church where we would be living/working all month. Tik's father is the pastor of the church, so we call him Pastor and I have no idea her mother's name. When her mother introduced herself, I think she may have said her name. Then she said, 'you call me Ma,' so we all call her Ma.
Ma and others cooked spaghetti for us the first night!!! They have been a huge blessing since the very beginning. We have bed mats to sleep on, fans in our rooms (girls in one and guys in the other,) a western toilet, showers (and they like to be clean, so showers every day!) and great food.
Ma calls what she cooks for us 'Bangkok Thai.' It is different from what the family eats. While we eat fried rice, chicken stir fry, spaghetti, beef steak, peanut chicken pad thai, fried chicken and other delicious things; her family eats shrimp (small small), frogs, bamboo and other traditional food. We all share white and sticky rice at every meal. There is a coffee 'bar' available all the time in the Pavilion where we eat and have church.
This month Team Aperture is doing construction. Ma wants us to have the walls finished and 'very beautiful' by the end of the month and we think it may be done! We make the bricks by hand: sift sand, mix sand and cement with garden hoes in tubs, add water and then put the mixture in a mold/brick making machine . The bricks then 'set' overnight to be used in the next day or so. The team has also visited Ma's rice paddy to do some work. She wants the rice paddy extended and a 'very beautiful' dirt road made from the main road to the hut. I say 'hut' but it's really more of an awesome bungalow. There are bamboo chairs, a hammock, a kitchen, a bathroom, a loft to sleep upstairs and a swimming hole. It was amazing to spend time there.
The work is not easy day in and day out. We have had breaks, on Sundays we do church which is very similar to US church, Monday is our day off and we have visited the Leper Colony and a local school.
This month has been a whirlwind. Tik and her family have accepted us as there own. We have traveled to Roi Et city to shop at Big C and the mall, visited the Mekong River/Laos border, stopped at a waterfall, gone to a chlorinated swimming pool paradise, taken local kids to visit an Elephant Study Center where we rode an elephant and visited a zoo.
Thailand has been great so far. I think I can speak for the whole team saying we really enjoy the food, availability of wifi, our host family, access to showers daily, fans, a washing machine (with a turbo air dryer) and our ministry.
Two of my teammates still need funds to meet the next deadline at the end of THIS month. Please check out Sarah and Will's blogs and join us in prayer for funds or by supporting them if you feel lead. I am still in need of about $3500 to being fully funded!! And if you feel led to donate towards toiletry items (aka deodorant and soap), my team and I would appreciate it. If you want to help donate towards these items, please contact my sister, Ashley Beggs at [email protected] with my name in the subject line.
Stayed tuned for more Tales from Thailand, including Tour de Thailand.
Love to all
