May 16, 2010

In many ways, I think our lives too often lack encouragement. It’s easy to overlook the thoughtful gestures of our loved ones, expect and not give thanks for the people working around us, or feel too “busy” to keep one another accountable. The women who contribute daily to this blog are so real, so raw, and so right! I know I’VE been inspired by their honesty, wit, and hope.

Sooo, not only do I get to brag about how wonderful (In)Courage is, but I get to share my first feature with them! I was so blessed by my experience in Thailand, and was given the opportunity to recap lessons learned and some images. Please visit my story, and leave any comments for me there!

THANK YOU!!!

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February 3, 2009

I’ve hit it, and the momentum for change is unstoppable. I’m talking about the tipping point, of course, and we’ve crashed. Adana and C’Zarke sacrificed the last six months of their lives to the Bangkok Refugee Center. To them, the sacrifice has been a bullet of heart wrench and gratification – an experience that has transformed their inner beings for eternity. I watched their souls crumble as they shared the stories of families facing certain death upon deportment, but through the pain, it is so evident that they have found what makes them whole, apart from one another.

So this tipping point… It’s been a month since I pulled my luggage through customs, trembling in doubt about my decision and placement. Today, I sank at the thought of ever leaving these people. HOW does someone walk away from all of this… reverting to the old, with expectations of a white-picket life. I shudder at the thought of future conversations – questioning if I had fun in Taiwan and then proceeding to explain the real tragedy of gas prices going up again. It’s not necessarily anyone’s fault, but that’s how human nature operates… we have our own lives and live in our own world.

What’s a Refugee? If your government wants to eliminate you and your family from this earth, and maybe you watched them murder your neighbors, you have reason to fear persecution. In response to this fear, you will rightfully do everything in your power to escape. When people and families arrive in Thailand from Somalia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Palestine, Korea and so on, they must register with the UNHCR as “Asylum Seekers”. This status grants little recognition from the government and doesn’t provide them with any financial support. Consequently, Asylum Seekers face rampant homelessness, malnutrition, and inadequate healthcare.

The next step involves applying for “Refugee” status via extensive paperwork and an interview. The interview is impossible for families that have little or no English. If a person is unable to communicate his or her circumstances, the applicant is denied. One appeal is allotted, but if denied a second time, the person or family is extradited immediately to their home country where a death warrant awaits their arrival.

These people can be plucked from the streets of Bangkok at any moment and thrown behind bars. There is no socializing, no security, and no freedom. Adana and C’Zarke detailed how the Bangkok Refugee Center held an event one weekend for the Asylum Seeking families. A busload was arrested on its way.

Because I, nor anyone else here, believe these four months are it for me… the refugee population has laid heavily on my heart.

Adana and C’Zarke: you inspire me. The love you share for each other and the people you’ve served is a witness to so much of God’s desire for us. Your future will be amazing, even in its uncertainty. Thank you for who you are and the strength you’ve shown. You will undoubtedly remain in the hearts of a hundred nations… 

These small shoes have witnessed horrors I can only imagine…

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January 31, 2009

No one should ever have to wave goodbye to perfect weather and beautiful beaches… Especially if they’re from Syracuse. Over the last week, Adrienne and I headed south to work at the Siam-Care office in Phang Nga (Pun-ga). The vast sand and low prices draw tourists from all parts of the world, but that hasn’t always been the case.

The southern coasts of Thailand were devastated four years ago by a fatal tsunami that took everything, including family, from 50,000 children. How could there have been absolutely NO warning? Visitors and locals experienced a tragedy few will ever fully understand, including me.

Siam-Care is one of the only organizations that still functions as an active support to the poverty-stricken and HIV/AIDS affected communities. Three women currently run the effort, and I had an amazing time getting to know them. I was in the office all day, everyday, so I’m still in desperate need of a tan! Krista – BEACH!

The photos in this post are pretty random, but a lot happens during one week!

 

I sincerely apologize to everyone in NY…

Sunset. 

 A home visit. This man’s hips and legs are basically useless, so he spends most days sleeping… on the ground.

This is his wife showing us the medication he takes three times a day. Not one packet is labeled with a name or dosage. Typical Thai-style…

This woman is 50 and spends everyday hunched over in the burning sun, separating recyclables from trash. She earns the equivalent of $0.02 for each kilo of garbage. Ahhhh…

 I met a fantastic family that makes a living harvesting mushrooms. 

The Siam-Care ladies earned an “Anytime” shoot with me! I think everyone deserves to feel beautiful and have pictures to remind them.

Lot’s of laughs… This is P’ Ne and she’s amazing! Pray a good man into her life; She needs to be loved on!

 

My little P’ M. Dress look familiar?   ; ) 

P’ Ying! They don’t speak too much English, but we still managed to have a blast!  

The blazing forest was our view at dinner one evening.

I discovered the best fruit on earth. No, really. It’s called Mankut and if I could describe it, I would. 

This photograph has a fantastic story behind it. First of all, it’s Pear’s dog’s name – woot woot! But to share my little fruit obsession with the world, I chopped this red ball in half with a butcher knife on my floor… and enjoyed a side of finger. With a delightful blood pattern on my dress, I ran down the street to buy whatever I could to disinfect and wrap it. Still pale and shaken, I walked back. A scent caught my interest and I noticed a man making crepe-like deserts. Bottles in hand and blotched with blood, I waited five minutes for a pastry – HOW GINA IS THAT?! The man stared in horror as he took my money. HA!

So yeah… Mankut. I’ll try to smuggle some home.

 

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