It’s amazing what a difference a couple days can make on one’s perspective. My team and I just got back into Chiang Mai after spending the last few days with one of the hilltribes up in northern Thailand. These are no doubt some of the most amazing and loving people I’ve ever been around. And I felt so privileged to be able to help them out. We spent most of our time remodeling their church. The ceiling tiles were disgustingly yellow because of water damage. The place also needed some support beams put in the roofing structure and the roof itself needed a little work. We mostly cut out new tiles, painted them and installed them. The locals did a lot of the roof work. However, we did buy all the supplies so I felt like we really got a chance to make a difference. So any of you folks out there who donated to my trip indirectly donated to the remodeling effort. Another purpose of this trip was to offer encouragement. It’s very important for these local Christians to see outsiders come in and offer a hand. It lets them know they are not alone – they are cared for and loved. And these folks need all the encouragement they can get. This church is a light in a very dark place. Most of the villages around them are not Christian. And persecution does take place. Plus the past few years their crops have been washed out because of too much rain. So right now they’re struggling, and that’s why it’s important this church remains strong.
Now it wasn’t all work we did got a chance to have some great worship times as well. One morning we ventured down to the creek. This also just so happened to be the place where I bathed each evening. It was freakin’ awesome. This really is the life!
But by far the best part of this experience were the people. They truly showed us Christ’s love. They feed us incredibly and put us up in the best sleeping accomodations they could provide. We had an amazing worship service with them Thursday night. Let me tell you, I’ve never seen anything like it. They don’t speak a lick of english, well one does kinda, but here we were two totally different cultures praying, singing and loving on the same God. I am so blessed to have been a part of it. The Holy Spirit was very much present that night!
Here’s Rapatree cooking us breakfast. Check out this kitchen!
Breakfast is served. This is the dinner table. The locals eat everything off the floor.
Here’s where I slept.
Take a look at my bedroom. What do you think of this MASSIVE bug net? Oh yeah, the folks here sleep on the floor!
And here’s the bathroom. The toilet is a little tricky. You flush it by scooping up water out of the bucket next to it. Then you throw it down the hole. If you do this about 3 or 4 times it should be flushed.
The view from my deck. Every house or hut is built on these stilt thingies. Apparently they have some pretty severe flooding around this place.
Hope everyone back home is doing great! I got a bunch of more pics just go to the “browse my photos” link.
