It is good to be home, though.

Dustin

Again, I can’t state enough how amazing and eye opening this trip has been to me personally. This trip has made me want to travel, travel often, and go to all parts of the world and be continuously reminded that God is God everywhere.

He is God everywhere.

Dustin

We’re back. After 30 hours of marathon-air-travel, that included three hours sitting on the tarmac in Bangkok and missing our connection in Tokyo, we’re back. The trip has been incredible and definitely unforgettable. I have some more video footage that I’m going to put together for one last video and post that later today or tomorrow, but to give a rundown of what’s happened since the last post about me being sick.

We finished up our time at the resort and the missionary retreat on the 19th and took a double decker bus back to Bangkok. That evening, a large group of us went shopping at the Suam Lum Night Bazaar in the middle of Bangkok where there is some downright amazing shopping and killer deals where you can bargain and negotiate prices. The next day we went shopping, again, at a mall known as Central. This place was more like the malls we have here in the states and the prices on items here were about the same, if not more, than back in the states. Although Lindee and I did find an asian American Eagle clone we nicknamed “Thai Pigeon” as the bird on their shirts looked like a pigeon.

After our time at Central on the morning of the 20th, we met up with Ruth and Inchai from the Thai Faith and Music Foundation where we rode around in the bed of a pickup truck and went around Bangkok visiting their projects that they had setup in a few of the slums. Here are a few pictures of the first slum we visited.

A couple things that I noticed while visiting these slums was that rich or poor, eastern or western, a child is a child. When you look at these children, you see the same joy, hope, and innocence that you see with “more fortunate” children.

After visiting the slums and spending some more time with the leaders of the TFMF, we all went to dinner at a restaurant that is very popular with locals that foreigners rarely visit. This was cool because when you go to places like this that don’t really see foreigners, you get a taste of what Bangkok and Thai food is really like.

The next day, we spent more time visiting TFMF Projects and hanging out with the leaders there. They took us to a food court building next to a weekend market where we did more shopping before heading back to our hotel. After we got back to the hotel, we went shopping, again, at Suam Lum. We got back to our room later that evening and turned in for the night as we had to meet in the lobby at 3:15 the next morning to ride in the van to the airport to catch our flight.

Again, this has been an amazing adventure and something unforgettable for all of us who went. More of the trip will be revealed as time moves on and I share, either in conversation, or through more posts on here as what’s going on relates to something seen or experienced on this trip. Thanks for following the trip and for your prayers, we appreciated every one of them.

Thank you.

Dustin

It was hard for me to acknowledge that I was in fact sick and to not help out with the session this morning because this is what we’re here to do, and I had this feeling that with being sick and not helping out in the session, I was deserting my team. But I know that’s a total lie.

A large group was going snorkeling today at an island about an hour and a half away by car, and then another 20 minutes by boat. With me being sick, I decided to stay here at the resort and just rest. Rest was exactly what I needed. I took a nap for a few hours and just overall had a very easy, restful, and relaxing afternoon. And I think that this afternoon was exactly what I needed.

Please continue praying for me and the team. That we would feel strengthened peaceful during our last few days here at the resort.

Thanks.

Dustin

Seriously, this place is amazing.

Dustin

There’s such a startling contrast between the closeness of the haves and the have-nots. It’s hard to put it into words, but it’s something that deeply saddens the heart to know, and see first hand, how some people on this planet are forced to live. Seeing this has made me question and take a look at the imbalance in our own culture, and how that affects the imbalance of the entire planet.

I know that the same contrast exists in our own consumer driven culture where you’re judged on what you have, but I think it’s a lot harder to see because it’s what we’ve always known to be there; and from what we can tell, this is how it is. The beggar in the market is no different than the single parent struggling to keep their home. I heard a quote that says, “People aren’t so different, cultures are different, but people at their core are pretty much the same…” We have the same imbalance that is present here, and in the rest of the world. People are literally burdened by their wealth while 30,000 will die today because they don’t have the money to eat.

This world is crying out for a Savior. It’s crying out for something, someone, to save and restore balance to this place we call home to the way it was meant to be. Where will this start? Where will it begin? I have no idea.

But I want to be a part of how God restores the world.

Dustin

Thanks to all of you who have left comments here on the blog as well as on Facebook. It really means a lot to know that there are people back home who are continuously praying for us. Thanks.

Miss you all,

Dustin

I tried to post this last night, but the internet here at the resort died so I had to wait until this morning, it’s Sunday morning here, to post it. To get back to a more regular schedule with the posts more closely following what’s going on. I’ll try to post another update with video later today, but all that is dependent on the internet working.

I’m off to the beach,

Dustin

I also have a thrown together video of Friday, our first full day in Bangkok. I’ll post that later today or tomorrow sometime. Until then…

I’m going swimming!

Dustin

Tomorrow, we explore Bangkok with Neil fearlessly leading the way.

Goodnight/morning,

Dustin