Buddhism at Its Thickest

I had the opportunity to be a part of a Buddhist ceremony yesterday afternoon at Wat Pho, a temple next to the King’s Palace in Bangkok. As I approached the temple, I could hear the soft sounds of Thai singing. Tall Thai structures pierced the sky in every direction. The architecture at Wat Pho is ancient and beautiful.  I walked through the stone gates and the voices grew louder. My team and I walked up the steps into the temple and took off our shoes and quietly stepped inside. I had never seen anything like it. People crowded the floor on their knees all facing the north end of the temple. My eyes were quickly drawn to the far end of the temple where a large statue of Buddha stretched from the floor to the ceiling. The idol was covered in gold and flowers. The temple was covered in stone, with high ceilings and bright red and gold colours. Everyone was singing low tones of worship to Buddha as they bowed over and over. Monks in dark orange robes lined the west side of the temple, their voices rang above the others. Everyone was dressed in white and sat almost perfectly in rows. Our team observed from the back near the door, however I began to stroll around the side wall and slowly made my way to the front near the base of the giant Buddha. I crouched in the corner behind a large pillar, and faced the crowd of worshipers. I have been to Thailand before, and experienced Buddhism in other countries as well, but never have I witnessed such an intense, ancient, mass gathering of Buddhist worship. As I sat and listened to the worship, I could not help but think about my own faith and the God that I worship. In that moment, I began to pray.

I struggle to even find the words to express how I felt crouched there watching, but that’s just it. I still don’t know what I think or feel. As a Christian, I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel. I know that I feel a bit of sadness, emptiness, fascination, and love for my God. But I’m also left with questions, concerns, and a need to know more. I wish I could feel what they feel when they worship Buddha. Not because I want to worship Buddha, quite the opposite. I want to know what it feels like because I know what I feel when I worship God. Some will jump all over me for that statement and say “worship isn’t a feeling”, and I know, I know. But you know what I mean. Does it feel empty? Do you feel fulfilled? Why are you worshipping? I think about the bible and how it says no one shall create or bow before any idols. This commandment was made physical, raw and real to me yesterday.

There is no conclusion or “ah ha” revelation ending to this blog entry. It’s simply an experience I want to invite you into. It scares me to think that they may never know God. But it also scares me that people at home don’t know God. God isn’t really the “cool” thing in North America. Nobody needs God because we think we have everything without him, and it’s easy to get distracted even if we do care. But I will stop here, because now I’m getting distracted from the initial purpose of this blog. But maybe something written here will make you think...

Peace and Love,

Team Thailand

Thai Town 7

This blog has been a great place to fill you in on some of the details of our experience so far. I want to take this opportunity to let you know how each of us is doing. Each member of this team brings unique gifting and perspectives, which have been highlighted in many situations in our time here so far. I am excited to share with you a spotlight on each member of this team.

Jody has been without a doubt the most outgoing and enthusiastic team member in terms of embracing Thai culture. For example, Jody can be found munching on market delicacies, flipping through thai-english dictionaries with locals, and loving on Kah – a bethel local. Kah is a ten year old boy who lives in the slums outside of the city near bethel Church. Kah came to church on Sunday, and as he opened the door during worship, he spotted Jody and ran to her near the front and jumped into her arms. Jody has built strong relationships with the people we have met. Mr. And Mrs. Krahn – you should be very proud. You have raised one incredible daughter.

Adam has most fittingly taken on team comedian. He is always cracking jokes or making light of intense situations. As you have seen in the blog, he is light hearted and witty, a personality that every team needs! He’s not all fun and games though; he has a soft side as well. It was Adam’s initiative to build BaWao a new deck. He worked tirelessly in the swamp planning, working and creating. He would not stop until the last detail was perfected. He even took the time and energy to plant flowers in a handmade flower bed near her road. He hung plants, fixed lights, and did it all while egging on BaWao with laughter and smiles. BaWao loves Adam, and the relationship he has built with her will be one BaWao won’t soon forget.

Acksanna has been a strong, loving, compassionate and confident woman here in Thailand. Her boldness has welcomed the team into a space of honesty, openness and vulnerability. It’s easy to talk to Acksanna, and she’s ready to listen all the time. She has developed a strong bond with many of the local kids at Bethel. They run to her yelling, “Anna, Anna” the second she steps foot into the community. Acksanna has been vocal about her heart being in Africa but felt God was telling her to experience new things that he wants to show her in Asia. Her heart has broken for these people, and her love seems endless to the locals, the team, and our hosts. I feel so blessed to spend this time with my little sister in Thailand. I am watching her grow into a beautiful, strong and feisty woman for God.

Aaron has really stepped up to the challenge this summer. He is the youngest on the team at a whopping 17 years old. I find myself wanting to tell everyone at home, “look what Aaron’s doing!”. Aaron speaks! Just the other night Aaron spoke in a woman’s home about how God is working in his life. Sixteen of us squished together in the one roomed hut, crowded around two mattresses pushed together. I watched him as he shared, and felt proud of seeing him grow these past few years. He spoke clearly, effectively and with confidence. He opened his heart up to these people and shared for a solid 15 minutes. Aaron Gerhard! Spoke for 15 minutes!!! This wasn’t his first speaking engagement here either. He’s developed great relationships with the youth here, teaching them parkor and learning break dancing. In fact, he just got out of the clawng after bridge jumping with the youth ;)

Sam has developed a strong relationship with Dang Mo, Dee Da, La and her daughter Fasi. These are the women that live at the Lighthouse Church with the girls. They are all Burmese woman who have left Burma to live a better life here in Thailand. Their husbands have left to study the bible while they live here in the church. They light up when Sam comes home, when she comes into the room, or when she helps them around the house. Sam has shown a lot of maturity this summer and has shown great responsibility within the team. Sam has a soft heart and a willing spirit. I fall in love with her more each day. Can I say that on here? Oops..... ! Fasi is “hard to please”. She does not like many people besides her mother, but Sam has recently cracked her hard exterior. Fasi now kisses Sam and runs to the door to greet her when we come home. Saying goodbye will be difficult for both these woman and Sam.  

Jeremiah is another comic relief to this team. His easygoing personality has been a breath of fresh air. He is extremely gifted with music and has spent a number of evenings with the Burmese men at the Lighthouse practising. Most services he can be seen strumming away on stage. He has been such a blessing to the churches here.  You can throw anything at Jeremiah and he’s willing to go. A few Sundays ago, we were asked to plan the Sunday morning for the all the kids. We had nothing prepared but Jeremiah jumped in and began a dramatic presentation of Jonah and the whale. He grabbed kids and had them act out being swallowed by whales, and even gave a convincing performance of the wild storm. Jeremiah has yet to have an ‘off day’ here and continues to motivate and encourage us a team. We would not be complete without him.

I’m doing great. I’m loving Thailand the second time around and my heart continues to break for the people here. I can honestly say I have loved every minute of this experience since stepping off the plane, even through the difficult moments. I thrive in these situations and experiences and look forward to more in the future. God is continuing to give me a heart for the poor, lost and broken. God is challenging me to be bold in my faith. One of my favourite elements of this summer so far has been learning from Dave and Louise. I am inspired and motivated through my time with them. They are living out what it means to truly follow God with your whole life. I value my friendships with both Dave and Louise and will hopefully see them again here in Thailand ;)

Peace and Love,

Team Thailand

Operation Rak BaWao

Today officially began Operation Love BaWao. If you've read earlier blogs, you'll have seen that we have met a wonderful woman named BaWao in the Bethel community just outside of town. We spend every Wednesday night in her home for dinner and small group, we see her on Sunday mornings, and we've crossed paths for outreach events and english camps. We have loved having Bawao in our lives here this summer.


Her house sits right above a swampy area with her floor often level with the water. This past week we have seen some intense thunderstorms and heavy rains. Her home is dangerously close to being taken under, and her front deck is already under water. Operation Rak BaWao was born, and we decided that these conditions were not ok. We moved some dollars around and ba da bing, ba da boom - we started building her a new deck this morning. The four of us boys strapped on our rubber boots and headed into the swamp and began ripping off the old deck. We were elbow deep into black swamp water, not knowing what we would find as we searched for deck foundations. It was incredibly hot and sweat dripped off our faces in a steady flow. As we ripped boards, we would unearth old pieces of garbage, clothes, car parts, shrubs, bottles, etc. You name it, it was in there! I felt like I was in a scene out of Anaconda. I asked BaWao how big the biggest snake was that she has seen here in her swamp. She started laughing and pointed to her arm as she began desribing the width of the snake. As I waited for translation, I was horrified as I watched her describe the length and width with her hands. She saw a boa in her swamp once, but was happy that it never came inside. She just laughed... as I cried inside. Sure enough, Aaron finds a snake as he's digging. It tried to escape as Aaron kept pestering it with his rake. Silly child. It just slithered away into the deeper area of the swamp. That's snake number 4 here so far! We eventually cleared her old deck, and the new deck is now under way. We bought some plants and flowers and are hoping to continue working on her deck tomorrow. The girls may even paint some of her place too! She was so excited to see work being done on her house, and we all just felt happy we could help. We are happy to know that she can come in and out of her house now without getting wet. 

While we worked at her place, BaWao went to the church and cooked for us all morning. She spent all morning just working to make us four boys happy. We have the coolest relationship with her. It feels like all our omas from home combined into one here in Thailand. She is so happy all the time, and you can't help but laugh when you're around her. She continues to love Adam more and more. It's just really cool to see friendships  building with the people we meet here.

A few other updates - I'm sorry to report that GuyWao has passed away. The church mice attacked her one night, and we found her huddled in the corner chirping softly in pain. It was an awful site, and she was in a lot of pain, her leg barely attached to her body and half her side ripped apart. We had to put her down. It was a sad day for our team. I am just happy that GuyWao experienced love in her short life here in Thailand. She was loved by us all, and will be missed.

Jody celebrated her 19th birthday with a party in the Lighthouse. We invited all the youth from the Bethel Church and Dave and Louise's kids too. We played games, made fondue, and just hung out. We spend a lot of our down time with the local youth. They're always at our place. My birthday is tomorrow - Bah! We are celebrating both our birthdays this Saturday as we head into Bangkok for the day. We're going to see some temples, Asia's biggest market, and the king's palace. The team has also planned an evening adventure in Bangkok that Jody and I are both unaware of. Apparently it's going to be life changing. I'm nervous, and rightfully so when Acksanna and Adam are the team fun coordinators.

To my father whom I share a birthday - yet again we are apart. I take full blame. I love you and wish you a wonderful day as you continue to accept old age.

That's all for now folks - we're doing great!

Love,

Team Thailand

A Match Made in Heaven...

Greetings loyal followers! How lovely of you to take another a gander at our blog! And alas, your diligence has been justly rewarded with yet another wonderfully written post. Yes, yes… the wait has been arduous… I understand… but your yearnings for a beautifully crafted and flowing psalm of our epic journey are about to be quenched! But wait…. Something is different!  These words and phrases….. they are so…. sumptuous….  These stanzas…. so intricate…, the charming wit and handsome looks of the author… immeasurable!  I know what you’re thinking…. This couldn’t possibly be Mr. Cory J. Bell and his usual quirky antics could it??  Well your suspicions have been confirmed! Ladies and gentleman, and internet addicts of all ages: I am honored to have the distinct privilege of introducing the CO-AUTHOR of this wonderful blog…. none other than yours truly… Mr. Adam Bergman!

(applause)

Thank you… thank you all for your warm reception! Now sit back, relax, attempt to tear your eyes away from your Facebook page, and enjoy this epic entry while you delve into the world of Team Thailand 2011.

___

I have a confession to make…

 I have been greatly distracted over the last few weeks here in Thai town. Yes the scenery in beautiful, the culture is lovely, and the food is hands-down some of the best there is… but in the midst of all of this… my mind is elsewhere… it pains me, to admit this.. but…

…I am in LOVE!

To be honest, it caught me completely by surprise. All was peachy here for the first week, until that fateful day, walking through the market. I had just downed my third or fourth iced-coffee in a feeble attempt to feign off my crippling jet-lag… when my red-rimmed eyes locked onto the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. There she was… in all of her glory, sitting there amidst the others. The edge of my vision darkened… she was all I could focus on! I couldn’t tear my eyes away! Perhaps it was the overdose of caffeine coursing through my veins, or possibly the mystery meat dish I ate for lunch. Regardless of my compromised judgment at the time, I decided I must have her! So I paid the owner, and I brought my baby home. (For those of your slightly weary as to where I am going with this storey… a) this is a G-rated Christian blog… b) My mother reads this… and c) just trust me J)

For the first time on this trip, I had felt complete. For the first few days with her, I could barely contain my elation! We spent all hours of the day together! There was hardly a time when we were apart. She made me feel…. comfortable, and calm. Just being apart for a few minutes caused me sweat profusely…

Let me just say that there were many and envious glance cast my way in those first few days. Perhaps it was her beautifully sculpted body, or the way you could feel her gaze when she turned your direction.  But overall, it was the jealousy that I had found her first, and she was mine.

Every night, she would lull me to sleep with here harmonious humming, and cool presence. By my bedside, she sat, while I fell into a blissful slumber. And every morning, she would greet me an airy kiss. She is truly the most amazing thing to every happen to me on this trip, and truly, nothing has brought me this much happiness.

She’s the best investment I’ve ever made…

So without further ado, let me be the first to introduce you to my beautiful:  love…

STAR...

Crocs, and Tigers, and Elephants... Oh My!

Yesterday was our first day off here in Thailand. It kind of snuck up on us in the busyness and excitement of it all, but quickly decided that a nice day at the beach would be nice. We decided to song-tao our way into Chon Buri to the Tiger zoo before hitting the beach. What a day of firsts! We held and fed tiger cubs, rode elephants, got picked up by elephants in their trunks, fed crocodiles, and Aaron even braved being covered in live scorpions! The video and photos are epic, some of which can be seen in our gallery tab. Highlights you ask? The tiger show was peachy, observing and laughing at innocent bystanders as giant tigers spray them with their excrement. The tigers would just squat and raise their tales and spray puffs of mist from their arses. Hilarious! There was a group of elementary school kids that got it bad. Am I horrible for laughing? Adam and I paid a little extra to get into the cage with a giant papa tiger and lay next to him for a photo. Adam was a little more courageous and fully embraced the tiger. Haha. I’m still laughing. Watching Acksanna get hoisted up by an elephant in its trunk was too much. Her scream could be heard across the nation of Thailand, and is still echoing all over Southeast Asia.

After the animals, we hit up the beach. We had some lunch, and we spread out from there. Some rented 3 man bikes, others enjoyed the beach, and I even sprung for a thai massage and milk bath. I know, I know... you’re all thinking how typical. But let me tell you, I’ve actually never had a massage in my life and it was a birthday gift from Sam. Which by the why, is on the 28^th. FedEx delivers fast, so no excuses. The milk bath was.... interesting... let’s just say I spent quite some time naked in front of people, just baring it all. Before you get all “bad Cory” on me, it’s apparently normal, I was just as shocked, and I didn’t care at all and fully embraced it.

Jody wins the award for Queen of Thai Cuisine yet again. I spotted her purchasing a bag of shrimp and popping them in her mouth. Straight up shrimp, eyes and all. That night we needed to get back to our place and we were on our own to hire and direct the Tuk-Tuk drivers. We had a blast! Two tuk-tuks racing side by side late at night down some Thai road. Adam and Jeremiah danced hard, Acksanna cackled, Aaron sprayed water into the other tuk-tuk, Sam signed, Jody judged, and I filmed. We are loving Thailand!

We are 1 day away from our half way point. Pray that God would continue to give us energy and strength to finish this last half strong. Continue to pray for safety and opportunity. You can thank God for giving us this day of rest, fun and team bonding. I have some cool blog posts coming up. I want to share with you the stories of a few of the many amazing people we have met here. Their stories are powerful and I’m excited for you to get to know them.

A special shout out to my bro – happy 26^th B-day Trev! Love you man.

Peace and Love,

Team Thailand

GuyWao

Once upon a time, I was walking through the market in search for an egg for my lovely girlfriend who was making a pumpkin pie. We were having a feast that night with the Sinclair-Peter’s at their home with American food. I grabbed my bag, and headed out the door after being told by Sam with only her eyes. Funny how that works....

I got distracted. Low and behold a box of colourful chics. Pink ones, green ones, yellow and red. I was hooked. I bent down, picked up a pink one, and gazed up at the lady and asked, “tow rai?” (how much). “sip baht” she replied. (10 baht – a.k.a 33 Canadian cents)  Done.

As I walked back to the Sinclair-Peter’s yard, with a hardboiled egg in one hand... oops.... and the chic in the other, I was greeted with phrases of shock and discouragement. “What were you thinking!?” and “You’re dumb!” is all I heard. But “I love you” is all I heard in my heart. I was in my glory. I had purchased my first ever mission trip mascot.

The team has since then embraced her fully. Her name is Guywao – (guy - thai for chicken) named after BaWao whom we hope to bless with at the end of our time here. She will receive one bright pink egg laying chicken! She lives with us at the Lighthouse in a small cage covered in mosquito netting. We feed her, give her water, and we all take turns playing with her. She has now grown attached to us and follows us everywhere we go. She is perfect, and unlike D.R Congo last summer, I will not be slitting its throat and feasting on her remains. She has been with us now for three days. I’m a proud papa.

Sam pulled me aside that night and said, “I didn’t know you were ‘that’ guy”. She fears I’ll be the impulsive man who buys a puppy because it’s cute and does not think about the consequences. Does she not know me at all? ...... BAH! ;)

The Community of Bethel

One of the communities we are involved with here in Thailand is that of the Bethel Church. Bethel is located just outside of Chachoengsao. It’s a community that runs along the clawng, a river that twists and turns through the area. Kids swim in the clawng, woman wash clothes and men fish for their food. It’s a different area than the rest we have been exposed to.  Paved streets turn to gravel roads, and small apartments turn into small, one roomed, tin shacks. Many homes are perched above swampy areas where water is level with entrance ways. It is here that we see the most poverty. Bethel church is in the heart of the community backing the clawng. Us guys lived here in what we called “gilligans island” (a small grass hut) up until last week before moving in with the girls for safety concerns. Other than that, we are here every Sunday for church and every Wednesday night for kids clubs and small groups with believers from the church. Last night was an incredible time of strengthening relationships with the people of the community. We arrived around 5 o’clock and gathered all the kids in the local park. We had some songs, stories and crafts prepared. Small crowds often gather to watch the “forang” (foreigners). We have known these children for two weeks now, but last night sealed the bonds we had previously created. Many of our team members connected strongly with the children, while others are geared more towards the youth or adults. It’s a perfect mix, and together we function well as a team. It seems as though all our gifts are being put to good use!

After we said la gone to the kids, we went to Ba Wao’s home for small group. Ba Wao is like the community Oma. She’s perfect in every sense of the word. She cooks for everyone, smiles constantly and simply, breathes love. She has developed quite the bond with none other than our very own Adam Bergman. She constantly refers to his big muscles and will use any excuse to get a hug from him. I sense she has a small crash on him, one we of course tease him about during team times. I look forward to seeing this relationship blossom over the weeks to come. I’m taking some solid video, so stay tuned.

I’m writing this post as a reminder to all of us to be thankful for what we have. In our time together last night, we were asked to say what we are thankful for. Ba Wao was the first to answer that she’s thankful for everyday she has. As I heard her words through translation, I looked around her one roomed tin hut. Water was level with her doorstep, her front porch almost submerged in swamp. The rain slammed down on her tin roof, making it next to impossible to hear anything in our circle. The lightning outside flashed through the large gaps in her walls and I could count about a dozen small lizards crawling on her walls and ceiling. Her husband passed away last year and she currently is on medication for diabetes and fighting problems with her ankles. Ba Wao has every right to be unhappy, yet she shows more joy than anyone I’ve come across in my 23 years of life. That night in team time I asked where we have all seen God at work in the past few days and two of the seven answers reflected Ba Wao’s evident joy in the Lord. We ate together, sang together, and listened as Aaron shared with the group. All this while crammed together in her home, circled around rice plates on her floor. Her hospitality, joy and love have inspired us all. Ba Wao has been such a blessing to our team and I thank God I had the chance to meet her in this life. May we all be reminded how blessed we are.

Our team is doing great, no need to worry. With each passing day, we love it more and more. Dave and Louise have been incredible mentors, hosts and teachers. But I will save a separate blog post for them ;)

Continue to pray for safety, health, opportunity and continued joy.

From Sam, Acksanna, Jody, Jeremiah, Adam, Aaron and I – we love and miss all of you friends and family back home. Thank you for your love and support.

Love,

Team Thailand