Day 7

Today we started a little later due to a change in program that meant we didn't have to teach in the morning. We only had to return to the school from the previous afternoon to do a Gospel presentation at 2:00pm. Robert had requested to take over the exhortation slot so he could share something with the team. So it was that he told us of how God had led him to decide to leave Glory Church. It was what he had shared with me on the plane. It's long and kind of complicated so I won't go into it here except to say that I wish him well wherever the Lord is leading him to.

After that, it was time for breakfast. That took a little longer to start as some of the younger trippers took some time to release some emotional tension brought about by Robert's sharing. Some were crying, so I decided not to hurry them along. Anyway breakfast got underway eventually.

After breakfast, we went back into the girls' house to hear Gif give his testimony. I realised that it was a longer version of what he had shared the night before by the fire. Basically, when he was young he had questions about where Man came from and who created the world. Nobody could answer these questions, not even his parents. When he grew up, he got married and his wife gave birth to a daughter. However, his daughter, Jenny, was born with a heart defect which required expensive treatment. So it came to be that he decided to work overseas. Before that, he had a dream one night. He saw himself standing before the statue of a Buddha. A man and a woman were there as well. Suddenly, the Buddha statue disappeared and he found himself transported to scenes of creation and nature. When he awoke, he remembered his dream but didn't know what it meant.

When it came to deciding which country he should go to work in, he thought of going to South Korea. However, the way wasn't open for him to go. However, there were openings for him to work in Taiwan and the United States. Yet he felt strongly that he had to go to South Korea and decided to wait for an opportunity to go there. Before long, he decided that he would go there on a social visit pass and try his luck finding a job. That was a risky choice as he would be deported if he was found out. Anyway, he flew to South Korea and lay low in a small hotel.

While there, he had another dream. He dreamt of a tree and four people. Once again, he didn't know what the dream meant, but he decided to keep it in his memory as the dream sort of reassured him that someone was looking after him. In the meantime, he had made a friend in a fellow Thai who is a Christian. Gif thought he would pose the questions he had from his youth to his friend. His friend pointed him to the Bible and the creation account. Gif began to read the Bible and soon he came to the realisation that the one who created Man, the world, and the universe, is none other than the Almighty God. He began attending a small church where he met Taeho and his wife Sunhwa. He soon realised that they were the two people from his first dream. He told them of his belief that God created everything and expressed the desire to be baptised. However, he was asked to study the Bible first that he might have a proper understanding of God's word before he got baptised.

Gif was disappointed, but he did what Taeho said and with diligence in reading and studying the Bible, he soon was able to be baptised. By now, Gif had come to believe that the God who created him had a plan for his life. He believes that everything in his life, from his questions to his daughter's illness, to his coming to South Korea, all these things are part of God's plan for Gif to come to salvation.

Gif then knew that he did not come to South Korea to find money, but to find God. He now decided to return home and share the message of the Gospel with his family members. Through his testimony, his brother Naam came to know the Lord. Now, Gif sees the grace of God at work in his and Naam's life, and even in the life of his daughter. If you had the chance to see Jenny, you wouldn't be able to tell that she has been suffering from a heart defect as she is so lively.

Naam himself also shared his testimony, but that's another story.

After all the sharing, we prayed for Gif and Naam and for their family members. Then we went outside for lunch. I had asked for lunch to be scaled down as we had eaten a late breakfast. After lunch, we loaded everything on to the coach as we would not be coming back to the house after visiting the school. Saying our goodbyes to Gif's family, we thanked them for hosting us and together we took a group photograph before we got on the coach and left for the school.

Arriving at the school, we found the students assembled for a Christmas event. Actually, it was an Xmas event (Christmas is secular in Thailand, and school term runs through December so it's possible to celebrate Christmas in school). We got set up as quickly as we could before running a short program. Acaan Jaey got the students warmed up, at one point inviting the teachers to dance the "khwaam suk yuu nay cay chan" dance. We also invited students to join the mission trippers in performing the actions of "naa rak jang". I pulled up a student from the class that I taught the previous day. He resisted but there was no resisting as he was pulled up from the floor to a chorus of cheers from his classmates.

This was followed by the dance item, the skit, and the song "haak chiiwit". Jaey gave a message as well. With that, our public ministry had come to an end. The school thanked us for coming and gave us a present before I presented our last two soccer balls to the school. Then we said our farewell and left the school.

I should actually say we began to leave the school. For some of the students came after us wanting us to take photographs with them. Even I had to take some photographs with some students, unusual for me as normally nobody wants to take photographs with me or get my autograph. Vivien actually had someone ask her to sign her girl scouts scarf at one of the previous schools.

We finally managed to get on to the coach for our journey to Bangkok. I thought that we had done our best and now we could get some rest. On the way, I saw some familiar sights, such as the EGAT dam reservoir that I always pass on Northeast trips. As Khorat is in the Northeast, we would pass the dam reservoir on our way to Bangkok. I have fond memory of a trip where our coach broke down just as we were passing by the dam reservoir on our way to the Northeast. While waiting for a replacement coach, we had dinner, enjoyed the sunset, and learned "rak khong phra caw", complete with actions. Ah, nostalgia.

Back on the road, we passed by Phak Chong. On my first trip, we spent two days at a resort in Phak Chong before embarking on the ministry part of the mission trip. This time round, we stopped at the Phak Chong tourist market to take a short break. I managed to buy a hot dog in 7 Eleven. I love hot dogs; they are one thing I have to eat when I'm in Thailand.

By the time evening came around, we were nearing Bangkok. We decided not to stop for dinner but to press on to the hotel where we would have dinner instead. So it was that we arrived in the familiar surroundings of Ladphrao around 8:15. As the coach turned into the street where Town in Town Place Hotel is located, I noticed a lot of activity along the street. I had not seen so many hawkers there for a while. Further down the street, a steak house had appeared just next to the hotel. I am sure I will dine there in the future.

Only a few of us managed to alight from the coach before it had to move forward as it was blocking traffic. I decided to start the check in procedure and so I walked into the hotel up to the reception desk. After so many trips, it was actually quite easy to check in. Actually, all I had to say was "Santhiphap" and the receptionist produced the registration form and the room keys. I made a request to cancel one room and to add an extra bed in another room. By now, the rest of the team had come down from the coach and brought their baggage into the hotel lobby.

Dinner at the hotel restaurant was fried rice, tom yam prawn, and stir fried vegetables. I was feeling tired by now and I decided that all I wanted to do after dinner was to pack my things and sleep. Anyway, after dinner, we said our goodbyes to Acaan Thiang, Acaan Jaey, Lum, Naam, and Bui. Acaan Thiang had tears in her eyes as she said goodbye.

Then I briefed the team, telling them that there would be no curfew, that they could go anywhere and do anything provided a Thai speaker went with them. As all the trippers who wanted to go out were going to the same place, I didn't feel worried.

Going up to my room, I put my things down and went to check that everyone was alright. A bag stood in the corridor. Nobody knew who it belonged to. I told logistics to hold on to it first. Right now, I just wanted to take a shower and go to bed.

The trip had been great and now I needed to rest.

End of Part Seven