It was three days of non-stop singing, dancing, and adventure with my new little munchkins. Child sponsorship is one of many outlets Siam-Care dedicates itself to. This youth camp was specifically for children who receive financial support from individuals overseas. They participated in activities on sexual health, child protection, and learned some important life-skills.

We bussed about three hours from the city to a great spot, far from the hustle and bustle we left behind. I’m exhausted, so the pictures will have to do the speaking.

Dance, dance, DANCE! I was afraid we were going to fall through the bamboo…

This picture doesn’t do justice, but I’m pretty sure my camp days weren’t filled with assorted seafood, baskets of fresh fish, and endless crab… the food was am-az-za-zing.

After lunch, the guys felt macho and bombed off the hut.

So this was pretty much the coolest activity – EVER! We went out to plant trees… in a mud swamp!

This is someone’s joooob! So crazy.

The mud you’re lookin at is the same goo we spend hundreds of dollars on at home in the spas. Ha.

We had so much fun!!!

Rinse off before dinner.

Such a great time with these amazing kids, and as always, my awesome coworkers. I learn so much from everyone.

Off to Cambodia for the week… please pray for safety. Happy ALMOST weekend!

A good friend of mine passed a man on the streets of Bangkok and hasn’t lost thought of him since. This man has no legs, and with one hand, pulls himself up and down the crowded sidewalks of the shopping district every night, led by an empty bowl for change. He is kicked, stepped over, ignored, and rejected by many of the thousands that pass him daily. I was asked to find him, listen to his story, tell him about Jesus, and offer a wheelchair from my friend. Easy enough, right?

As suspected, this man is under the control of a gang. He was trafficked from Cambodia at a young age, then disabled (had his legs cut off). Everyone knows the worse you look, the more money you’ll bring in. What he earns is immediately pocketed by the gang leader, who has total control over these peoples lives. This man was one of oh, so many, and was hesitant to share details. If anyone were to find out he talked to us, he’d be beaten.

I brought my closest friend from work to translate, and the three of us sat on the filthy pavement for about half an hour. Before we left, I asked if we could pray with him – ALL eyes on us. He gave a sincere nod, and held our hands. My friend prayed, and I must say… I was SOOO proud of her! It’s one thing for me to lie on the sidewalk holding the hands of an exile – I’m foreign, so these things are expected. But for a Thai woman who is normally so reserved and concerned about everyone’s opinion, she was incredible. He knows about God, and said he prays when he needs help.

I left feeling… uncertain. How am I supposed to truly help this man? If we give him money, it goes back into the hands of monsters. He was willing to accept the wheelchair, but I honestly believe it will get sold. Wheelchair = less desolate appearance = not as much income. Please keep this man in prayer, but if you have ANY ideas on ways we might be able to help him, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE share them. I’m genuinely at a loss.

When I talked about this with Marcus, he asked about the feeling of helplessness… why God put this situation in my life… and if there’s anything to be learned from it. I guess it reminds me that in many ways, we’re almost always helpless. But through God’s grace, and learning to depend on it, anything is possible…

Photoless posts should  be illegal, but I didn’t feel it was appropriate to photograph the man. Therefore, I’ve included a pic from my shoot with Manny. I could be corny and say something like… “what do you really see when you look in the mirror”… but I’d rather not say anything at all. Ha.

Leaving at 7am for a three-day youth camp outside of Bangkok, then I’m off to Cambodia. Looking forward to sharing the deets. Love.

Maybe He just knew. I had a somewhat bummy day… not necessarily missing home, but missing all things associated. Homemade pizza and pashta with the company of my boobear, family, and our senseless dog was at the forefront of my mind for hours. So, bum-e-dee-bum-bum, then BAM! The sky above split in two, maybe three, and sent its fury to my world. Like a 4-year-old counting the seconds between booms, I could not have loved every minute more. I love that I love storms, still.

I’ve been obsssssessed with storms for many, many years. I’m pretty sure there was even a point I prayed God would call me to a life of twister-chasing. Well, here I sit. The queen insider of all outsiders is soaking in the droplets of heaven and oooing over the bursts of skylight. This is the first downpour in Bangkok, and it was OH-SO-GOOD. The gloriously exotic flowers released the most fragrant breaths, and the sweltering heat was pounded to the ground with each layer of rain.

As I lean against the window to hear every splash, I’m taken back to a sleepover at my crib, many moons ago, when we lost electricity. Everyone crouched together for the duration of night to color by candlelight. I’m sure my parents would have preferred sleep, but I loved that night, and that storm. Thank you. I love that I love storms… 

Now you see what I see. This is outside my apartment window.

XOXO