clean up.

Week 20.

Since we returned to Rangsit, we have had lots of work to do, as anticipated.  Each morning, Beth, Bank, Michal Ruth, and I all meet at Grapevine to clean. 

Our activities include (but are not limited to): scrubbing grout with toothbrushes, washing dishes, sweeping, mopping, scrubbing the walls, dragging out old moldy things, buying new things to replace the moldy things, wiping off the moldy things that are not destroyed, discovering wildlife in Grapevine (fish, snakes, baby mice, huge lizards...), scrubbing some more, scraping, painting, washing windows, tracking the mouse/rat (we are undecided) that is STILL living in our kitchen, moving things, organizing things, scrubbing even more things...

But it is all worth it.  Because somewhere in between all of that, we get lunch from our very own yisiphaa baht (literally, 25 baht)-- the best Thai food restaurant in Thailand.

My two favorite shots so far:

clean up.

Surprisingly, it hasn't even occurred to me to be annoyed that we have to clean all of this up.  I am so thankful that all of us come every day with a positive and willing attitude.  We usually play Christmas tunes and laugh and talk while we are working.  Lots of inside jokes are being formed...  It kinda feels like CCF Spring Break to me, only there are a lot less people.  And we all know how I love CCF Spring Break.... :)

after the storm.

Week 19.

So, I finally got to go back to my apartment after almost 8 weeks of being a flood refugee.  There were ups and downs during the flood, but now it is all over and I once again have a job to focus my energies on.  The first part of my job:  clean up.  The second part: planning.  The third:  working hard til the semester is over.  It will be a challenge, for sure, but I am excited to see what God is going to make of it.

What God does best is transformation.  From night to day.  Darkness to light.  Death to life.  Evil to good.  I am waiting to see what he is going to do with us after the storm that has passed.

For now, though, there is lots of damage to clean up.  Here are a couple pics I took on campus.  Bikes and motorbikes left behind are rusted beyond use.  Sandbags, trash and dirt litter the ground in all directions.

after the storm.

And after the storm,
I run and run as the rains come
And I look up, I look up,
on my knees and out of luck,
I look up.

Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won't rot, I won't rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot.

And I took you by the hand
And we stood tall,
And remembered our own land,
What we lived for.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair. Lyrics by Mumford and Sons. 

red light.

Week 18.

Although I have wasted a lot of time as a refugee these past eight weeks, I was prompted a few weeks ago by a friend to do something a little more meaningful with my time.  So, I decided to volunteer at a ministry here in Bangkok called NightLight which reaches out to women working the red light district.  In order to make money, these women dance naked at night clubs and are rented for the night by foreign men.  I suppose you could call it a 'choice' for some of the women-- the ones who believe, or who have been taught to believe, that there is no other option.  But the reality for a great number of women is that they did not choose this vocation, nor do they have the ability to pick up and leave at any time.  They are modern day slaves.  Their time is not their own.  They are bought and sold like any other good or service.

I plan to blog much more about this and about what I have come to know about the modern day global slave trade.

But for my present purposes, I have a photo for you.  I took it on my second night of outreach in the bars.  The bright neon signs are blinding, paradoxically acting as a veil to cover the darkness lurking just behind the doors they are situated above.  Mind-numbing bass beats bump out of every doorway.  It is an environment where darkness is disguised as red light.

red light.

And yes, that is a Christmas tree.

tat' it up.

Week 17.

The best part of being a refugee is the frequency with which it allows me to see my dear friend Dana.  Not only do I get learn more about her ministry in Pattaya and grow in friendship with her, but she also takes me along to do some really cool things.  Like venturing off to a small tattoo shop just off the beach, to pay a special visit to a talented Thai artist named Mark.  Don't worry, Mark speaks English.

I had the privilege of being with Dana and her friend Collyn as they endured a few painful minutes which will now serve as a permanent reminder of who they are in Christ.  On Dana, the Greek word μαθητής (ma-thay-tes), or, 'disciple.'  On Collyn, the traditional Thai script ลูกสาวที่รัก which means 'beloved daughter.'  Both of which turned out awesomely.  And both of which are beautiful identifiers-- a small mark of Truth on each of their bodies.

Inked.

Of course I took the opportunity to take some photos.  I was trying to make it art-- to capture the scene from my own point of view in a way that others can relate to.  My friend Eric Pitts has posted some shots of tattooing which have inspired me, but he is way cooler and way more talented than I am.