Last Blog in Thailand

Well March was a pretty bad month for blogs, but with a serious lack of internet, it wasn't really my fault. Anyways, as you can read from the title, this is my last blog in Thailand because I am at the airport right in a VIP lounge for China Airlines. The reason I got into the lounge was becase they changed my flight from 5:00pm to 8:25am, without giving me enough notification, so I went to one of the counters and complained a bit and had to wait for about an hour, and the guy finally got clearance to let me into the lounge. It has all sorts of stuff in here, like a free massage chair, free food/beverages, and of course free internet access. It is pretty sweet. So since the last blog, I went back to Mae La because I was going to be going to visit other camps with Pastor Robert (the man in who sent me out to the refugee camp). That never happened because his truck was broken down, so I ended up staying a little longer at the camp. At the time I was disappointed that I wasn't able to visit anyother camp, but in hindsight I am actually glad I never went. It is not that I didn't want to go, but if I had gone then I would have never been able to work with the other missionaries that came to visit/work in the camp. It was very fun hanging out with these missionaries for the few days that I got to know them. They had all gone to a missionary/theological school together in the Philipines, and had been sent out by their school to the camp, and they were going to visit other countries as well. The group was made up of 5 Chinese (from China, 2 guys, 3 women), 1 Philipino (woman), 1 Naga (from Nagaland, India; woman), and one American (man). It was so sweet when we were eating a meal together because on top of the team that was from the Philipines, there was other missionaries as well. So we had Karen, Chinese, Korean, Canadian, American, Philipino, Naga, Scotish, English, Australian, New Zealander, and at one point Irish, all sitting down at one table in a refugee camp in Thailand. That's 12 different nationalities who are all family, brought together by the Lord our God, our Daddy to sup (KJV) with each other. Man our God is so cool! So I left the camp on Monday morning, but on Saturday night, they had a huge going away party, with around 150 Karen and all the other missionaries attending, for me, which was kind of a surprise party, because I didn't know that it was for me until like half way through it. It was also simultaneously a welcoming party for a Korean woman who will be staying in camp for 10-11 months. Anyways it was pretty cool. Then on Monday, the morning that I left the camp, Dr. Simon's wife had arranged a special breakfast for me. So we went to a pastors house in the market district with the team from the Philipines, and several Karen where they had prepared our breakfast. It was a very big meal and they even had lots of grapes, which wouldn't normally be a big deal, except for the fact the grapes are very expensive in the camp. Most things in the camp are cheaper than somewhere else in Thailand, but grapes are ridiculously expensive, so to see so many grapes, was impressive, at least to me. There was also alot of meat, and good meat too, which is quite hard to come by in the camp. Well needless to say I was quite blessed by just how far the pastor went out of his way to bless a foreigner he never met before. So it was a fantastic meal, one of the best that I have had in the camp. Then the team from the Philipines, started to give me all of these gifts. Things that they had made or bought in another country because it meant something important to them. Things that they had been hualing around in their bags for who know how long, simply to give them to some one they only knew for a week. One of the Chinese women had bought a Christmas card in the Philipines, not because she was saving it for next Christmas, but because it looks like a Chinese traditional card, so the whole team signed it and wrote an encouraging not in it too. Then the same woman also put a rabbit thing in with the card that she had made out a fabric in China. Another one of the Chinese gave me a heart shaped thing to put on my cell phone. It heart was made in China, says Korea on it, was bought by a Chinese woman in the Philipines, and given to me, a Canadian in a Karen refugee camp in Thailand to take back to Canada. The Naga woman gave me a braclet of hers (made from wood), and the Philipino gave me an extra braclet that she had made, and happened to be carrying around. One of the Chinses men gave me a necklace that he bought in the Philipines, that says "brotherly love" on it in Mandarin (Chinese). The Karen gave me some of their traditional clothing, and they also prayed for me, and prayed a blessing on me, and then sang me a Chinese blessing song in Mandarin (even the Naga, Philipino, and the American sang it). Needless to say, I was well bless when I left the camp. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way" (Psalm 37:22). So I went from the camp, up to Chiang Mai to visit Craig (a friend of the family), and also because China Airlines had cancelled my ticket and I was advised by people from home to go and stay with Craig because he would take care of it, which he did. So praise the Lord that everything worked out! Just before I came on my flight to Bangkok from Chiang Mai, Craig and I were invited to go and visit the Morse's (the family with all of the kids) one last time before I left Thailand for a while, which was an awesome time of fellowship yet again. I am so glad and blessed that God keeps putting such awesome people like the Morse's in my path. I am never disappointed to spend my time so well, as in the company of such awesome people of God. Our God is so FAANN-tastic! I guess He knows what He is doing, eh? Anyways, I am really starting to ramble on now, considering that it is 2:20am right now and I didn't sleep much last night. Well may the Lord our mighty and awesome God, bless you all, and thank-you for reading my blog (and for leaving a comment, hint-hint).