Street Life

People eat out on the street for every meal. Gas is too expensive for most people to have in their homes. So they eat from food vendors off the street. The vendors are everywhere. Some of the food looked amazing and others were amazingly gross. U.S. standards for food are definetely not followed in Thailand. They hang uncooked meat out in 90 degree weather with flies landing on it. Who knows how long some of the food has been around.
Janelle and I did eat from a food cart the last night there. I would have to say it was my favorite meal of the trip.

McDonald's

After waking up at 3a.m. (Thanks alot jet-lag) and leaving at 5:45a.m. to head to Pattaya, we were pretty hungry. We couldn't get across to our driver that we needed to stop for breakfast. We finally convinced him to stop at McDonalds right as we got into Pattaya. McDonald's never tasted so good. We got a kick out of old Ronny. Every Micky D's we saw he was giving us the Thailand bow. We also stopped at that same McDonald's for lunch. Even at McDonald's we saw the prositution. A table right next to us sat an American man with a young Thai women. It really wears at you. The emotion is so great. You really want to slap him and call his wife. You want to reach out and save her and help her. All you can do in situations like that are pray. Pray that situations in both of their lives will be changed. That God will reach down and save them.

Buddist worship

On our way back to the hotel from the dinner at the mall, we passed this Buddist worship spot. This was a larger one, but we saw them all over. People would lay fruit, flowers all around the statue. They would burn incesence and pray. It broke my heart to watch them. These statues can do nothing for them. They are not God. I know the true God. I prayed and prayed. I wanted to go to them, pull them away, tell them this was not the true way. But I couldn't.
People have their own little worship places in homes, businesses, on street corners.

Ultimate food court

We went to the same restaurant 3 different nights. You could go around and pick from all different nationalites of food. I had my first Indian food, buttered chicken. I loved it. Our first visit was my favorite.

Amazing Malls

Amazing wealth among the amazing poor. These malls were beautiful and I guess for the wealthy Thai, and travelers. We did very little shopping here. We at a restuarant on the top floor.

Traffic

The traffic in Bangkok was crazy. Cars and people everywhere. Here is a picture of our group in a Tuc-tuc. And then a picture of Janelle. Check out the traffic below us. This really was nothing compared to what we saw. In between each traffic lane motorcycles went freely. We never figured out the rules of the road, although I am sure there were some. We only saw 1 bumper bender. People work togethe and do not seem to get angry at each other. It was definetely something we are not used to seeing.

Views from our hotel room

Of course, like any picture, it just doesn't show the detail. Everything looks dirty. It truely is a poor, worn down city. The poverty is seen everywhere you go. Even right next to a too fancy for me mall you see vendors on the street, run down or abandoned buildings.

Thailand

I am having a fantastic time in Thailand. What an experience. Everything is so different here. The traffic is just something I don't think I can ever explain. A 2 lane road has motorcylces inbetween each lane, pedestrians going in and out. It is just crazy. And unlike the US people are helpful and do not get angry on the roads. They all seem to know what they are doing.

We have been eating exceptional food. Not a whole lot of Thai yet, though.

We have been to the Tamar house in Pattaya. A 3 hour drive. I experienced my first international worship service. What a blessing that was. Of course, I do not have enough time to share now, (or enough brain power, due to much lack of sleep and jet lag).

Today we visted the Night Light and the Well, both agencies that support the women with a wonderful means of supporting themselves. We met many of the women. At the Night Light we sat in on their devotional time. Of course it was all in Thai, so I didn't understand a word of it, but still was a wonderful time.

At the Well, we were able to see what the ladies already had in stamping supplies and got to talk to the lady who runs it, Judy. She is very open to our help, which I was very nervous about. Tomorrow, we will shop at a market with a few of the women. I am so excited to be able to work with these women. They are so sweet.

Through all of this, I am realizing how protected I am in the US. I realize how much I love my husband. I realize that God is so good, even the ladies that have had just horrible lives are thankful for the grace that he has given to them.

I am taking tons of pictures and will add them when I can get home. That will really help me to be able to share my experience.

My love to you all,