Thoughts from Thailand (Part 2)

a little boy I met named "Bwey"

Hello good friends and family,

Here again is some of an email that I just sent to Kayla. There is not adequate time to write to each of you that might read this. I wish so badly that there was, but you'll have to forgive me that I don't have enought time to do it. I look forward to talking in private with as many of you as possible in the weeks after I return.

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You are right...you would be a bucket of mush most of the time. Today, would have broken you. In fact, I can't even write to you about it yet, it was so horrible. Just know that it has nothing to do with my safety.

We traveld on a 13 and 1/2 hour train ride last night, have just showered, eaten and are about to get on our next train that will take us from Bangkok to a city just east of Buri Ram, called Krason (I don't know the spelling). This train ride is a mere 7-8 hours so we will arrive at about 3am for our final stay at Charles Harvey's place, called Grace Ministries. He has been traveling with our group the entire time and is one of the most amazing men I have ever met. When he speaks it is as they said about Jesus..."a man who speaks with authority"...and not the kind of authority that is earned or taken by any means; only the kind that is granted, in grace, by God.

Yesterday and the day before we were with two different homes: "Asia's Hope" which is a home for about 50 children. They were lovely and I woudl have taken three little boys home if I thought for a moment that I could get throught American Customs without being arrested. The children were so loving. I was the first to get out of the vehicle and a boy named Bwey came running as the children do when I come home from work, threw his arms around me and we later played for some time. They were the most affectionate and sweet children I have seen since being here. They served us dinner, sticky rice and KFC, if you can believe that. When they prayed and sang you could see the intensity of their prayers in their faces. Good kids.

The other home, "The New Life Center," was for older girls, probably 12-19 years old. Many, if not all of those girls have literally been brought from the sex trade industry and are now provided with vocational skills, education, health, love, a training in their human rights, they are given full citizenship if it is at all possible (with I have found out is the largest problem, I'll say more later). They are also taught life skills so that they can adequately take care of their future families. They cooked us a lunch that was so good: Pad Thai, which was the closest thing I've eaten to the Golden Leaf there in Newberg. As an aside, I ate a meal worm and a very large cricket yesterday as a tasty treat...quite good, I recommend them if you get the chance. Perhaps Fred Meyer's will take requests in the meat department.

Each of these places is doing very good work yet there all so very differnet in their approach. One tremendously good thing is that through Remember Nhu they are becoming good friends and are benefiting one another in significant ways. Each minitry is stronger for knowing and working with one another and they would have otherwise not known of each other.

We'll have two days at Charles Harvey's place and then head back to Bangkok to catch our departing flight to Tai Pei, Taiwan which will then bring us to Los Angeles.

I believe that I will be return to you a different man. I'm not sure I can stay the same old Josh Reid any longer after experiencing what I have experienced. I hope you will still love and like who I am, but if not, I'm afraid I have no choice.

I need to go now. Peace be with you, in your heart, soul, mind, and strength. May you know how loved and treasured you are.

josh