Here's a video we put together to sum up our time with the Discover program. We're still processing all that we experienced. It was just 4 1/2 months but we've found since being back that our beliefs and way of life were stretched and challenged. Out of that a strong foundation was laid and lifelong friendships were made. Thank you for walking through life with us and for showing us Christ's love in so many ways. We are truly blessed.
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Showing posts with label Thailand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thailand. Show all posts
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Thailand cont.
(READ THE NEXT POST FIRST!)
We then visited the Rahad ministry which is a ministry that reaches out to the prostitutes. The entire country is plagued with sexual sin. It is common to see transexuals and prostitutes. Stats say 60% of all men coming into the country are there for sex. Many of the women come from the smaller areas for work and when they can't find a job b/c of their lack of skill they get into it in order to provide for their family. It is viewed as their responsibility. It is accepted in their culture for a man to have many mistresses and fathers even bring their sons so they can "know what to do." Please pray for this spiritual bondage to be broken and for protection and healing of those Christian men and women trying to break the cycle. This is a picture of their infamous street where prostitution reigns.
We went with another ministry called Mission To the World to visit slums and put on an outreach event for the children. We walked along the roads recruiting them to come. We sang songs, heard a bible story, and colored. These children's parents are raising them to be Buddhist and many have never heard the name of Jesus.
Chicken fighting in the neighborhood at 10 in the morning!
96% of the people are Buddhist. Their main thought of religion is much like Hinduism in that you have to be good in this life. If you are you will be reincarnated into a higher status. The goal is to reach "enlightenment/nirvana." Buddha is considered one who reached this level and is recognized as a teacher. Spirit ism and animistic beliefs are mixed in with it as well. They do rituals in order to please the spirits and make offerings to idols as well. Most believe that "to be Thai is to be Buddhist." That means that to denounce your religion, you're denouncing your family and heritage.
Temples are everywhere you look. They're basically on each block. That doesn't include all the little idols that each neighborhood has in order to please the idols.
The food was great! Different, of course! But it was fun to try and well just to look at!
The language is also like none that we're used to. It was really fun to hear and learn. Thai is a tonal language so you can say basically the same word in a different way and say a different thing. Here's a typical street. (fun fact:7-11's are everywhere!)
This is the church in Koen Kaen. We were there for it's dedication. They built it with a futsol court because it's such a popular sport.
We then visited the Rahad ministry which is a ministry that reaches out to the prostitutes. The entire country is plagued with sexual sin. It is common to see transexuals and prostitutes. Stats say 60% of all men coming into the country are there for sex. Many of the women come from the smaller areas for work and when they can't find a job b/c of their lack of skill they get into it in order to provide for their family. It is viewed as their responsibility. It is accepted in their culture for a man to have many mistresses and fathers even bring their sons so they can "know what to do." Please pray for this spiritual bondage to be broken and for protection and healing of those Christian men and women trying to break the cycle. This is a picture of their infamous street where prostitution reigns.
We went with another ministry called Mission To the World to visit slums and put on an outreach event for the children. We walked along the roads recruiting them to come. We sang songs, heard a bible story, and colored. These children's parents are raising them to be Buddhist and many have never heard the name of Jesus.
Chicken fighting in the neighborhood at 10 in the morning!
96% of the people are Buddhist. Their main thought of religion is much like Hinduism in that you have to be good in this life. If you are you will be reincarnated into a higher status. The goal is to reach "enlightenment/nirvana." Buddha is considered one who reached this level and is recognized as a teacher. Spirit ism and animistic beliefs are mixed in with it as well. They do rituals in order to please the spirits and make offerings to idols as well. Most believe that "to be Thai is to be Buddhist." That means that to denounce your religion, you're denouncing your family and heritage.
Temples are everywhere you look. They're basically on each block. That doesn't include all the little idols that each neighborhood has in order to please the idols.
The food was great! Different, of course! But it was fun to try and well just to look at!
The language is also like none that we're used to. It was really fun to hear and learn. Thai is a tonal language so you can say basically the same word in a different way and say a different thing. Here's a typical street. (fun fact:7-11's are everywhere!)
This is the church in Koen Kaen. We were there for it's dedication. They built it with a futsol court because it's such a popular sport.
Thailand
Our 2nd week was spent in Thailand. Due to our flight delay in Mumbai we arrived Thursday morning and were really tired but had to "hit the ground running." Bangkok is much more like America than India was. We connected with staff from the Campus Outreach Thailand team. (This is the college ministry that we were involved in during college.) They have been there 18 years and through sharing the Gospel of Jesus and helping people grow in their relationship with God they were able to plant 2 churches - Covenant in Bangkok and Koen Kaen.
Sign at CO "student center"
Campus Cafeteria
With some of the students we went to an orphanage to play games with the children and serve them. We worked hard (very humid, just like home!) in clearing out weeds. This was a great time of getting to know the students. Some were Christians and others weren't. It was fun to hear each one's unique story. Here are some of the ones we got to know.
There weren't as many children as we expected and it took them a while to warm up. But to watch them and think that they don't have any family to care for them was hard to imagine. Once again realizing how fortunate we are and how often we take it for granted. And being able to love on them and see them respond was a blessing to us just as much.
The next day we toured the city with students. We rode on a boat that served as a "bus on the water."
We were able to see how people lived along the rivers. Their way of living was so different than the rest of the city.
Sign at CO "student center"
Campus Cafeteria
With some of the students we went to an orphanage to play games with the children and serve them. We worked hard (very humid, just like home!) in clearing out weeds. This was a great time of getting to know the students. Some were Christians and others weren't. It was fun to hear each one's unique story. Here are some of the ones we got to know.
There weren't as many children as we expected and it took them a while to warm up. But to watch them and think that they don't have any family to care for them was hard to imagine. Once again realizing how fortunate we are and how often we take it for granted. And being able to love on them and see them respond was a blessing to us just as much.
The next day we toured the city with students. We rode on a boat that served as a "bus on the water."
We were able to see how people lived along the rivers. Their way of living was so different than the rest of the city.
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