Our wonderful hosts, Mike and Margie were awaiting us and helped us load into the back of their covered pick up with benches... that would become our wonderful open-air ride for the week. It was quite a switch to be on roads with orderly driving, without constant honking, and tuks and motos swerving across all lanes (scratch that, in India there were no lanes!). It was apparent we had left India's Hindu culture and entered a land of Buddhism, adorned with gold plated temples on high hilltops.
It had been 3 years since Mike and Margie had left their home in Oregon to join the staff of Remember Nhu (also called HELP Thailand here locally), an organization with Children's Homes for kids whose families are poor and destitute. After they brought us to the Retreat Center where we would be lodging to drop our backpacks, they took us to their favorite roadside Thai restaurant, and we enjoyed a delicious welcome meal and Thai tea in a bag. They filled us in on some of the cultural norms including the way to greet people, which depends on your gender. Women bow and say "Sah wadee kah" while men bow with a "Sah wadee cup."
Next, we got to make a visit to the first of their 4 children's homes in Chiang Mai--the first of the 2 boys' homes. Soon after we spilled out of the pick-up truck, some of the younger boys outplayed Trevor and Shayla in badminton, who had a great time laughing with the boys, although they couldn't communicate with words. Meanwhile Barry was frolicking in a game of futbol with 5 boys, before joining in on "tire-rolling races." I settled in with a group of boys and their house parent playing Uno. I couldn't understand anything they were saying, but it was easy to join in, given all the laughter and banter and silliness. The kids here LOVE Uno, and when I say love....I mean that we played game after game for almost 2 hours, with their special added rules. They must put extra laughter inside the packaging when they manufacture Uno in Thailand.
After our time of playing, we rode along with about 8 of the boys and their house mom to go to the market. What a bounty of new curiosities for us as we strolled from vendor to vendor...swirling "pom poms" swished away the flies in the meat area as we passed by pig heads, fish--lying on the table, looking at us and still breathing thru their gills, dragon fruit (something that Trevor was eager to try), dozens of types of rice (I never knew there were so many!), and the list goes on. The brilliant gold temple stood atop the hill above us. Sprinkled about were Bhuddist shrines where people made offerings. Many of the shops had gift baskets that were pre-prepared offerings. Shayla and I did a double take as we walked past one of the shrines--not only was there food set out there as an offering, but also a bottle of Fanta, with the lid off and a straw placed in it! Would Buddha be by for a sip??...we had so much to learn!
After our market ventures, we went back to the boys' home and visited some more. We got to meet a young Thai couple who was staying at the home for training as house parents, in preparation to launch a new girls' home in another part of Thailand. We will call them Jun and Timo. Jun, the wife, shared heart wrenching stories with us about her experiences during university when she would visit the bars to befriend girls (some who were as young as 12 years old) who were trapped in prostitution. If a man walked up to their table during their conversation and pointed to a girl, she would have to leave for a half hour and do as he wished, and then she would return and resume conversation. Oh, such tragic stories! Jun and her husband's story is so inspiring. They met after schooling, but were from the same tribe, and had each lived in a children's home in their teens....They were each doing outreach to vulnerable children independently when they met. They were meant for each other! We could see that they each had so many gifts and such big hearts, and that God has incredible plans for them to give love and hope not only to their own 2 small children, but also to the 10 children in their new girls' home, and many more to come!
We had our first dinner in Thailand there at the boys' home, outdoors at their big long table, under the thatched roof. We got in the food line with the boys and they served us up a big plate of rice, covered with boiled potatoes and broth. Margie and Mike had briefed us that they don't leave a bite on their plate, not even a single rice kernel. I watched as Shayla (who loathes potatoes) graciously ate every bite. My heart swelled with appreciation for her amazing attitude. She and Trevor have been so unbelievable--always taking the meal they are served (no matter how unfamiliar, or spicy, or bland), and eating it with gratitude. I am so proud of them.
After playing some more card games and Jenga (with only facial expressions and laughter as our language), we said our "good nights." Riding back to our abode together as a family in the back of the pick-up, we recounted all the experiences of the day. We couldn't wait for the day ahead when we would get to meet the kids at the other children's homes, and see what would unfold from here.
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