I had never really cared about seeing southeast Asia before. I figured watching Rambo or Bloodsport was enough for me, but this month has been really interesting. Thailand is a country that I had never really even though about until 2 years ago when my buddy, Jay, started planning his trip out here. He sent back pictures and shared how much he liked it out here, and then when Linnea and I started to plan for this world race, it was fun to be heading to the places that my buddy had just talked about.
We saw a lot of northern Thailand from the back of a pickup truck. The truck I rode in the most was the luggage truck. Josh and I would pack the gear and set up the tarp, and each time we became a little more proficient at our packing, so our final ride was actually pretty comfortable. We would ride with our backs to the load, looking out over the tailgate, watching where we were coming from as it faded from sight.
The roads were so windy, we averaged 20 km/hr, and we would often sit and wave at people on their mopeds and scooters as they tailed along behind us, breathing the black exhaust from the straining diesel engine. We would wave at the people on the side of the road, smoking pipes or chewing betel nut, and waiting for someone to pick up their loads of produce from the fields.
We would wish the driver of the truck to downshift as we climbed hills and we would breathe in the exhaust as it was sucked back at us due to the drag of the truck. We would pray for cool and cloudy and for the most part, God answered. Sometimes the sun would come out, and it would be so hot, and then it would downpour and we would be soaked, and for mile after mile we looked out at rice paddies, mountains, and bamboo forests, green green green.
As we rode along, we would hear our driver beeping and swerving and jamming on the brakes, and usually it was one of these basenji looking dogs just standing in the road, playing chicken, and from the limps of some of these dogs, they don’t play chicken very well. Other times the beeping and swerving was to avoid a herd of domestic buffalo as it walked up the road, and twice the beeping and swerving and jamming of brakes was to allow the men riding their elephants the right of way. I would say that is my favorite image is the size of the elephant as he walked up the road, just a couple of feet from our truck bed.
All month we had talked about going on one of the elephant tours, but finally when the day approached, we decided we didn’t want to spend the time or money on this, mostly I think, because we had travelled so much and we were so tired. I had hoped to ride an elephant up a river and to go see the longneck women, but, it just didn’t happen.
Last night, as we prepared to leave for the bus station, our contact, Ray Ward, gave a debrief on the month. I can’t believe so much happened out here, we really jammed in a lot of experiences. From the church services to school services to hoeing the land, every day had something new. (for more on our ‘happenings’ check out Rusty’s blogs, because he has done a really good job of staying motivated on his writing).
Over these 8 months, one of the most fascinating subjects to me has been the governments in each country. I am not a political guy at all, but for me, growing up in the US, I just always assumed monarchies were evil. That somehow, our system is based on heaven or something. Here in Thailand, the King’s picture is everywhere, the same way I imagine Saddam Hussein’s picture was up everywhere in Iraq. It just seems to me, that unless I am totally blind, the people here truly respect and admire their king. It seems to me, maybe they have done a great job of censoring stuff, or maybe it is just that I don’t understand the language, but this seems to be a peaceful and generally happy population.
It was very interesting to spend the time with the Karen people, in their bamboo houses, with their agricultural lifestyle and their desire to be allowed to live the way they have always lived. It was also very interesting to hear about the persecution of Christians in Myanmar, and to think that we (maybe just me?) are totally ignorant to what is happening to people that we will be spending eternity with in heaven. These people are our family, and they are getting killed because of their identity. It was interesting to enter the refugee camp for a couple hours and talk to one of the teachers in the bible school and see his emotions as he shared what life is like for them.
As my mind often wanders to where God is leading my family and to what dreams we have for the future, as I think about getting home for thanksgiving and how much I miss my family and friends, I also am reminded what a blessing it is to be who I am. To be able to go home in a few months and see my family, this man we spoke to in the camp has not seen his family in 17 years, and he tells us he thinks the most we can do is pray for the governmental situation in Myanmar. As I start going through all my options for the future, I am grateful for options. This man can’t leave. He can’t go home. He just works with his people, sharing the gospel, and he holds on to a hope of a future…whether in this world or the next.
