Some people know about my love affair with Thailand. I was first introduced to this beautiful country while in London, England in December 2004 when I read an article about sex tourism in Thailand. And just while Thailand was on the forefront of my mind, the tsunami hit South East Asia on December 26. Ever since then I’ve been committed to praying for Thailand.
Now on to movies. To be honest, I don’t really care for movies. I feel that more than anything they are a waste of my time. I come away from 2 hours feeling as though my life was robbed rather than enriched. Rarely does a movie stay with me after the credits have rolled. And more recently I’m noticing how sensitive I am to certain material – how often I find myself thinking, “I know that I can’t shelter my children from this world, but I sure as heck hope they’ll have the discernment to know when something is garbage for their mind and turn it off.” That’s another post.
Now on to The Impossible. Rarely do I endorse movies, because rarely do I enjoy them. But you should watch The Impossible.
The Impossible is a true story of a mom and dad and their 3 boys who were vacationing in Khao Lak, Thailand over Christmas, and who got caught in the destruction of the tsunami. I was crying the moment I saw the first wave, and I’m pretty sure I had a continuous stream of tears falling from my right eye. And I’m on the verge of tears now just thinking about it.
I don’t like movies. Most movies don’t affect me. I think most movies are garbage.
But I think that you should watch The Impossible. Rent it this weekend on iTunes and have your life enriched.
A year and a half ago I sat in the airport crying as I was waiting to board one of three flights that would take me to Thailand. Despite my excitement to go, I was actually pretty scared, and at the last moment I wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave my family for 6 months and move yet again. I listened to the same song on my iPod over and over (for increased dramatic effect) wiping away tears as curious passengers looked at me with pity. When my body didn’t move during the boarding call I considered not getting on the plane. But then I coaxed myself out of my chair and made a promise that I would at least fly to Toronto and take it from there.
A coffee from Tim Horton’s seemed to do the trick, and once in Toronto I boarded the plane to Beijing with more excitement than nervousness. Partway through my flight, however, I began to question why I was actually going to Thailand, and wondering if it was a smart decision. Suddenly I wanted to get off the plane, but I was 6 hours in to a 13 hours flight. Shoot.
And then I got to Beijing where I was greeted by the most chaotic airport security in my life. At that point all I wanted to do was sleep, which is what I did during most of the 6 hour flight to Bangkok.
But then I was in Thailand, and the moment I stepped outside of the ice-cold airport into the warm, spicy 2am air, I was in love. I was at home. It was exactly how I pictured it.
One year ago today I left Thailand and began life in a new reality. In Bangkok I spent 6 months dancing on a mountain top, running wild with hope, and living in complete joy and trust. I felt more like Natalie than I ever have.
And though it’s been hard to get that Natalie back, I know that it’s not possible to live on the mountain top. We walk out our lives in the valley, with the vision that we gained on the mountain. I spent much of this past year wondering where that vision went, and wondering what it’s supposed to look like in this context. I can’t tell you that I actually know, but I’m learning to find grace for myself and to regain all of the joy and trust that I had when I was in Thailand. It’s definitely a long and hard journey, but I’m believing that it will be one with great rewards.
A few weeks ago I went back to the Ruth Center with my friend Salman to help out for the day. The kids were at school but there was still plenty to do!
Salman and I got to work on preparing the materials for The Dream Project. The Dream Project exists to help the elderly in the slum community earn a living by selling bags and t-shirts. Basically volunteers cut out words such as “Hope” & “Love” from fabric and the ladies of the community do the sewing.
I don’t think Salmon anticipated cutting out the word “Love” all morning, but he was a good sport!
Khun Noi took out us to lunch and in the afternoon we walked around the community to talk and pray with the elderly to encourage them. I really wished I could speak Thai! They proudly showed us some of their handiwork.
Khun Noi was excited when I told her about my plans to go back to school in the fall to enhance my communications skills so I can work with a ministry and share what’s going on through different forms of media. She asked me if I could help her with her newsletters and even mentioned that they desperately needed English teachers, and they even had a guesthouse where I could stay for free…
Of course then I got pretty excited, but then I remembered that I’m trying to make more logical decisions with my life (I’m thankful for my rational friends who help instil that logic in me…) Big picture-wise I know that going back to school is a great idea! Plus…I really want to!
That’s all from the Ruth Center for now. I look forward to the day when I can return. In the meantime, they’re still looking for an English teacher. So if you or anyone you know is interested in teaching English to some super special kids in a slum community in Bangkok, let me know!
It’s probably pretty clear by now that I’m obsessed with stories. I love telling good stories and living good stories, but what I love most is telling God’s stories – the ones that God writes us into in ways we never could on our own.
Let me tell you one of those stories…
I used to live in the Vancouver area where I worked for an international church planting organization. I was the reporter, meaning I was writing stories all the time. Back then I didn’t realize how significant story telling would become in my life.
One day I decided that I was going try out Abbotsford’s transportation system and take the bus to work rather than hitch a ride with my roommate. For no particular reason other than I felt like it.
As I walked toward the bus stop I saw an Asian girl standing alone under an umbrella in the drizzle, looking about as gloomy as the sky on that overcast morning. I felt an overwhelming prompting to go and talk to her…but I didn’t. But that didn’t stop the story from taking place, because she walked over to me.
“Would you like to share my umbrella?” she asked.
“Yes! Thank you.” I replied.
I noticed an accent in her voice and asked where she was from.
“Laos,” she told me.
“That’s awesome!” I said, and she looked at me skeptically as though she didn’t quite believe I had even heard of her country.
“You know Laos?” she asked.
A week prior to this divine appointment, I knew virtually nothing about Laos. I told her about the organization I was a part of and how I had recently interviewed a Laotian pastor working with the Khmu hill tribe. Because Christianity is viewed as a foreigner’s religion, the only churches permitted in Laos are those that are government approved (only 3 of which exist in Vientiane, the capital of Laos), prohibiting the congregation from sharing the gospel outside of the church. As a result, the man I had interviewed had been imprisoned several times.
My new friend La knew exactly what I was talking about. She is a christian herself, and attends one of those government churches in Vientiane.
We carried on talking about what she was doing in Canada and she revealed her loneliness and struggle to adapt to a new culture. As the bus pulled up to her stop we exchanged information and made plans to get together soon.
I never actually ended up seeing La again in Canada. Shortly after our encounter she returned to Laos because her dad became ill. Her mom had already passed away so now she had to go home and take care of her sisters.
Despite only meeting once, La and I have kept in contact during the past 2.5 years. After she returned to Laos I wrote to her saying that I believed God crossed our paths for a reason, and I believed we’d see each other again – and that next time it would be in Laos!
Well, that’s exactly what happened last week! As the plane touched down in Vientiane I found myself thinking, As if I’m actually here! As if I’m actually reuniting with a girl I met “randomly” at a bus stop nearly 3 years ago!
The Reunion
Yep, these are certainly the kind of stories I love.
I had the opportunity to attend La’s church, Anou Evangelical Church. It was incredible.
Author of Life
I have lots of God-written stories similar to this one. Like the time I interviewed a videographer about Pikangikum – an Aboriginal Reserve with the highest suicide rate in the world – who travelled there to capture stories of hope. A year and a half later I found myself in Pikangikum with Beautiful Unique Girl to share my own stories of hope…
And then there’s the time I read a book called Chasing Daylight by a pastor called Erwin McManus. I remembered that the book was all about seizing divine moments, so I decided to take a risk and come to Thailand. And then on an average evening here in Bangkok I just so happened to run into a group from Erwin’s church in Los Angeles, befriend his wife and daughter, and meet a Thai girl named Jolie who decided to seize her divine moment and say Yes to God…
And then of course, there’s the story of how I came to Thailand. This is a story I began writing in a book one year ago with the belief that all of those major milestones in the past 6 years were leading me to Bangkok…a book I planned to finish when I actually got here. (Guess I should get started). At the “end” of this journey (I actually think it’s just the beginning…) it’s crazy to think that I almost said No because of fear.
As I leave Bangkok on Sunday night and begin yet another adventure, I continue to remind myself that God is an amazing storyteller. As long as I’m faithful to pull out my pen and paper and write stories with my life each and everyday, God is faithful to take my scrawlings and turn them into a beautiful masterpiece that brings Him glory.
Last week I decided to grab my camera and roam around the office doing some impromptu interviews. Though some people didn’t enjoy being put on the spot, I’d say everyone was a good sport about it. I had to cut out a few people (Jake, Melissa, and Wanchi) because the background noise was too loud or the light was too bright. I also missed most key people, who were locked in the basement for Board Meetings for the week.
Hopefully this video won’t leave you feeling more confused about what ECPAT does.
I finish on June 30 which means I only have 4 more days at the office! I’m going to miss this crew…
Here’s a vlog I made from Kamala Bay in Phuket, Thailand. One day maybe I’ll have Final Cut Pro (I’d even be happy with iMovie) but until then I must use Windows Movie Maker. Not the greatest in terms of quality and functions but hopefully it still captures the message. I hope you enjoy!
The air is thick, the streets are clean, and despite the Asian faces all around me, I can’t help but feel as though I’m in the Western world! (Then again I went to UWaterloo, so I’m used to that – Hello Asia!)
At the moment my friend Kathleen is in one of her last Engineering lectures of the term at the National University of Singapore and I’m sitting under the fan in her room sipping bubble tea and trying to wake up.
In the meantime, I thought I would share some photos from my awesome trip to Phuket.
You know time is flying when you can’t keep up with your calendar:
(Yes, I’m learning French in Thailand. Well, kinda. I say “Bonjour” to my French co-worker.)
After an hour-long Thai massage ($6!) and Vietnamese food with two lovely ladies I am sleepy and satisfied. Extremely thankful and blessed to be living out this adventure.
The Sun Also Rises, a book by Ernest Hemingway that I read in my undergrad, and also a piece of scripture from Ecclesiastes 1:5:
The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose.
And of course, the reason I say such things is because today marks one month since my arrival in Bangkok. Wow!
I’ve been thinking about how remarkably true this is over the past few days. One thing that we can always, always count on is the passage of time. The sun will rise and the sun will set. A new day will come.
[Some thoughts after one month]
What was I thinking?
I’ve already re-packed some clothes that I brought that are completely unsuitable, ie – anything that’s not loose and light
I worked at a shoe store before I came here. A smart cookie would have bought shoes. I did not. And my feet aren’t dainty like most Asians
A flat-iron? Are you serious?! Sometimes I wonder why I bother with my hair dryer. Blowing hot air on my face only speeds up the time it takes for my make-up to melt off
Make-up. Really?! My beauty supplies have been reduced to chap stick and mascara
I can look forward to the fact that it’s only getting hotter. Every time I comment on the heat I’m reminded by my colleagues that this is winter. “Just wait until April!” they say. “It’s unbearable!”
I wish I brought:
Some good books. I did bring books, but mostly biographies and non-fiction stuff. I’d like a nice, easy read for my seaside vacation
DVDs. I know what you’re thinking – that I could buy some ripped “just released” movies from a stall on the street dirt cheap, buuuuut…I just don’t believe in that. It’s tempting though
My running shoes. Cuz sooner or later all this yummy food is going to start having some negative effects on me…
From a dream…
Last summer I was looking at my friend’s photos from Thailand on Facebook, and I thought to myself, When am I going to go to Thailand? I whispered a prayer that it would be soon.
A few days later I hung out with my dear friend Kathleen between the ceremony and reception at the wedding of some university friends in Toronto. Kathleen told me she was planning to study in Singapore for a semester starting January 2011 and then travel Asia for a few months after. Naturally I got really excited and asked if I could tag along. My hope was to go to Thailand as a journalist visiting different safe homes and red light areas and even interview ECPAT while in Bangkok. Ha! How ironic. Anyway, this is me being Asian as we pose for a picture in the parking lot at the church.
…to reality!
And this is Kathleen and I posing for a picture in Bangkok at a restaurant in Ari!
After the “reality” set in that I wasn’t going to land that sweet job I thought I deserved, and instead, ended up working at a shoe store, I took an honest look at my finances and scratched Thailand off the list. It was just going to have to wait. But I suppose it really didn’t have to wait at all, did it? In fact, it happened sooner than anticipated.
Kathleen was one of the first people I told when I was offered the job. I also told her that I was pretty sure I was going to turn it down. But then of course, she knocked some sense into me, “Haven’t you wanted to go to Thailand for a really long time?!”
Though I like to consider myself adventurous, when compared to Kathleen I’m actually rather tame. This girl has travelled all over Canada, lived in Yellowknife (NWT), Malawi, most recently White Horse (the Yukon), and now she’s in Singapore (and you can read all about her adventures here)! Kathleen visited me in Bangkok at the beginning of the month and she graciously helped me unclog my sink. And believe me, it was disgusting.
I visited Kathleen during her work term in Yellowknife back in February 2008. Cuz really, why not go to the artic (kinda) in the dead of winter? I couldn’t resist.
Well, the sun has set here in Bangkok. And tomorrow it will rise again. It’s time to prepare for a new day. I will leave you with Brave Saint Saturn, “The Sun Also Rises.” Props to you if you remember this song!
Sunday was a reality check. Sunday reminded me why I’m here. I’m glad for that. I needed it.
Why?
Colourful street stalls, beautiful people, amazing food, an enchanting culture, quick & easy transportation, and cheap EVERYTHING.
I’m in love. That’s why.
More realistically…I’m in the honeymoon phase. (How long do these things last?)
But on Sunday I found myself – for the first time – experiencing the less than glamorous side of Thailand. My friend Grace and I had just been to the movie theatre (The Green Hornet – I quite enjoyed it) and decided to go for a walk to find some dinner. We were walking for a while and the sun began to set behind the pollut– uh, clouds (because that happens early here, around 6:30). Suddenly all those bright and colourful street stalls became something much darker. We passed one table after the next filled with dvds of porn – and not “just” porn, but child porn. I kept my eyes focused straight ahead of me and walked on. When we finally found a place to eat Grace asked me if I had noticed the men handing out “menus” of women. I hadn’t. I’m glad I didn’t.
Until Sunday, all I had experienced of Thailand was the good side, the amazing side, the romantic side. Ah yes, the romance of culture. I am an explorer by nature so I’m easily allured by new sights and sounds and beauty. Ironically, in the days leading up to Sunday I had become aware of the fact I had yet to experience the things I’d been warned about. The things I was learning about. The things I was writing about. Sex tourism. Child prostitution. The trafficking of kids as young as 4. How can I work for this organization that’s fighting against these very things and do so from my safe and comfortable office? I became determined not to turn a blind eye to these issues.
I could keep uploading silly vlogs (and I will) chronicling my adventures in Thailand, but ultimately that’s not my goal. I didn’t come here just for “a good time.” I want to go to the dark places. Not to be foolish and put myself in danger, but to use my voice as a means of communicating what I see and hear. Shedding some light on these issues. Raising awareness to people like you.
It also needs to be said that what I saw on Sunday isn’t just happening here in Bangkok. It’s happening in Canada, too. In Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto. And those are just a few cities that I’ve mentioned. The difference is that in Canada the exploitation of women and children is a hidden manifestation. Perhaps that’s why I constantly hear people ask me things like, “But not Ottawa, right?” Yes, in Ottawa. And likely in your own city as well.
I read an article yesterday at work that reminded me of our nation’s pitiful track record of combating human trafficking and the need to advocate to the government on behalf of victims. Timea Nagy came to Canada from Hungary with a dream, but as soon as the then-19 year old arrived in Toronto she was sold for sex.
I don’t want to forget my purpose in coming here. In the midst of being romanced by the culture and indulging my travel bug (which is fine!) reality checks and wake-up calls are necessary to readjust my sight and bring clearer vision. And that warm and fuzzy feeling I have inside reminds me that there’s an even greater romance taking place: the one where Christ relentlessly and passionately pursues his people.
Living with my Parents 