Video Slideshow of the Trip!

Love the Kids...

As I think through the now passed days at the Udon Thani Orphanage and my Dr Seuss routine of here, there and everywhere… I recall Mil and Naeda always greeting me with surprise hugs upon my return from errands, playing checkers and the explosion of construction paper confetti which born the squiggly cut out metallic gold heart on Fred’s chest.

I remember sitting in the library updating stuff and Heather coming in crying saying, “It isn’t fair… why… my girl, Bo, had three teeth pulled out this morning… she’s holding her mouth in pain… it isn’t fair… she hasn’t a mother to comfort… to hold her tight.. to say it is okay.. why her….” I responded only in speechless tears. As you read in Heather’s blog below and she told me later that day, she realized that she was sent to hold Bo tight that day.

I remember the last day, as a troupe of girls came out on stage to perform a Thai dance for us. Just prior to the music beginning, I notice one of the girl’s beaming with delight… and as a smile emerged on her face followed by a tentative raise of hand as to say “Hi Mom”… I followed the gaze of the girl to one of my teammates, Janelle, whose response was a proud smile, wave and the raising of her camera for a photo. As you read in Janelle’s blog below and as she too told me later, it was as if this was her girl’s first time to perform for someone and she was so proud of her girl.

I remember following the dance, a few of us talking with the director of the orphanage and the question being asked, “What nonfinancial item can we provide for the girls?” The director responded quickly, “Come frequently… play with the kids… love them.” As I heard her words, I recalled Fred’s story the night before of one of the older girls who has only one year left at the orphanage and who is still in school and working part time. Fred asked her, “How can we help you? What can we do for you?” Her response, “Love the kids.”

As I return to my Dr Seuss life in the States….here, there and everywhere… I continue to hear the chorus of the kids pure laughter… to feel the pressing of a small hand in mine… the surprise bear hug around the waist. These are not faint memories but very much alive and vibrant... and which only solidify what resounds in my mind and is etched in my heart… love the kids.

~ Joy Allen

culture shock

It almost feels impossible to sum up and convey my thoughts about this trip...so many stories and feelings that I want to share! I will stick with the highlights, so here it goes:

I can't stop thinking about the amazing kids we were able to meet and spend time with. The minute we arrived we got "picked" by some girls and for most if us they stayed glued to our sides the entire time we were there. I was concerned about the language barrier, but amazingly communication wasn't that difficult. And what we couldn't say was definitely communicated in feelings. My 2 girls were May and Dinae (which i discovered on the last day was actually Jenny!!). May is 11 and Jenny is 12. I wish I could tell you their stories and how they came to be in the orphanage, but I don't know their stories. It doesn't really matter how they came to be there, the fact is they are. I can't imagine what it must be like to have no family - no parents to comfort them when they are ill, to be proud of them when they do well, to tell them a bedtime story at night. In spite of this, they are happy, well-adjusted young girls! On our last day there about 12 of the girls performed a traditonal Thai dance for us and both of my girls were dancers. The tears came for me when May, standing up on the stage scanned the crowd and when she saw me her eyes lit up and she got the biggest smile on her face and gave me a little hand wave. Then it occurred to me that this was probably the first time she ever had anyone in the crowd that she wanted to perform for and make proud....even typing this now I can't help but cry. And I was so proud of both of them!! They are beautiful young women and my continuing prayer for them is that they will get a chance to succeed in life and not end up in the sex trade as many of the girls in Thailand do. We are working with the locals there in trying to set up scholarships for the girls so they can attend a trade school there in hopes of providing them a way to make their own way. It's hard not to feel helpless in the grand scheme of things, but I know that our time there just playing with and loving on the girls has made a huge difference and more importantly a lasting impact. To those of you who supported us finacially and prayerfully, I can't thank you enough!! You gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and impcated these children that you don't even know in ways that will affect their entire future - thank you.

Now on to the lighter side! Thailand is a beautiful country and if you ever get the chance to go don't hesitate! We had some amazing food - hot peppers, bugs, ant larvae and all!! And the Thai massage was incredible! Those of you who are my clients (I am a massage therapist) look out!! I stole some pretty good moves from them - get ready to be twisted like a pretzel! As you've seen from previous blogs, we got stuck in the elevator (the sign said capacity was 10 people, but I don't think they meant big Americans!!), fed elephants on the streets & had some fabulous R&R in stunning Krabi. I had a foot massage and pedicure right there on the beach and I went on an elephant trek where I got to ride an elephant (her name was Kamoon) through a rubber tree plantation. Then we got to see how the rubber was made, then explored some caves and went swimming in a mineral springs pond - amazing! Joy and I spent an extra day in Bangkok where we got to explore a bit and then went shopping in the weekend market. We had to cut the sightseeing short though because I was ill - I had been badly sunburned in Krabi - yes, I wore sunscreen!! The sun there is much different though and being a freckled red-head 45 block was no match for the blazing sun! I had heat exhaustion and wasn't able to sweat through my burned skin and sort of went into shock. Fred got me in to see and acupuncturist though and that helped tremendously! This cute little 80 year old Chinese man fixed me up with some acupuncture and some "medicine" that they made for me on the spot - it's like a really foul tasting tea that I'm taking twice a day for the next week - and it's helping! I feel so much better and must say that I'm happy to back in the deliciously cool Seattle weather!

this was a trip of a lifetime for me - thank you to everyone who made it possible!!!

Janelle Wehrman

Back Home...

Well the bulk of us flew back today and arrived safely in Seattle this afternoon. The trip was amazing and a blessing and I am so glad I was a part of it. Just wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone on the trip, it was a blast getting to know each of you! And I can't forget to thank all of you who supported us in every way from home, there is no way it would have been this successful without you guys!

Thanks everyone and I sure hope to be going back next year :)

~Randall

Elephants and Fishes...

Well, after a fun yet hectic week or so in Udon Thani we arrived at the unbelievably beautiful Krabi. God definately had fun when he created this amazing place. It was nice to have a few days to wind down and rest before heading back home. I got a foot scrub and pedicure...ON THE BEACH! It was so great, except that I got so sunburnt on the top of my feet and legs. Whoops! We then went for a sunset snorkel cruise. I actually got in the water and snorkeled - for me that's a pretty big feat. We watched thousands of bats exit their island mountain home to head out for a night of feeding - imagine, standing on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean watching thousands of bats, some as big as dogs, fly overhead. After a great night's sleep, it was time for some elephant trecking. I rode an elepahnt named Chayu through a rubber plantation, explored a cave, swam in the deepest natural pool in Krabi, and got an impromptu lesson on how rubber is manufacutred. It was so fun to get some local flavor and see how some of the Krabi inhabitants make their living. All in all it was an amazing trip. I miss it already, but as I sit typing this in the Bangkok airport I know that I miss you all very much and am ready to come home. SEE YOU SUNDAY!
Loves and Blessings,
Ande

Rest and Relaxation, But I will never forget...

Hey Everyone,
18 of us are in Krabi right now, enjoying the beautiful sun and amazing beaches. Truly a blessing to be here. As I reflect on this experience as a whole, i will never forget the orphanage that touched my heart. Let me tell you about her.
Her name is Bo she is about 8 yrs old. She is quiet, shy, beautiful and sweet. The last day we were at the orphanage she kept holding the right side of her mouth and it was swollen, so i got the translator to ask what was wrong, and she had 3 teeth pulled that morning. After watching her try to eat lunch and could not chew, she tried to be so brave and hold it together, I broke down. I just felt the devastation of living as an orphanage. She has no mom to tell her it will be okay, or to comforter her while she is in pain. She has no one to tell her how beautiful she is, and how much they love her. No one to hug her, or brush the hair out of her face. I thought how can the world be so unfair and what did she ever do to deserve this.
Then i realized God knew she would need someone that day to comfort her. And He loves her so much that he sent some random girl from Seattle to do that. I am forever thankful for Bo and the change in my heart, and am so happy she felt the love of God through me.
That is what life is about!
heather

Second one back to the NW

After a full, emotional last day at the orphanage and a fun series of flights lasting 34 hours from door to door, I just landed in Seattle about an hour ago, and now after a quick shower and change of clothes, I'm off to work. I think I'll sleep well tonight. The rest of the team will be headed back at various points over the next week or two after some decompression time in Bangkok and/or Krabi.

A few lessons from the trip: durian (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian) really does stink, but it's awfully yummy; scorpions are crunchy; prostitution is a sad and prevalent reality (young women walking around with old men can be seen everywhere in Udon Thani); poverty is a hard cycle to break, as it is hard to see beyond the status quo, among many other reasons; poverty and happiness are not mutually exclusive; Thai people are friendly, love food, love spicy food, and love sharing food; deep, honest relationships, with God and with each other, are vitally important to living a fulfilled life.

The entire week has been an incredible experience for me, and working with and getting to know everyone on the team has been a blessing. So, thanks to all of you for coming, giving your time and resources, and working so hard! Thanks also to the many others who supported us through prayer and financially.

Moving forward, my prayer is that God will soften my heart, and all of our hearts, toward the sad realities we witnessed, from prevalent prostitution to child labor to poverty to disease to the emotional needs of the precious orphans, so that we can work together to address them with His help. Working at the orphanage is an important start toward that, which we must continue. By encouraging the kids and continuing contact and relationships with them, we can help them discover that they are valuable human beings, are loved by God, have a purpose in life, and are very special. I know that we can make a difference if we have hearts to listen and hands to respond.
Blessings,

- Andrew Moedinger

First one back to the NW

I arrived back to Seattle a few hours ago after a long flight and a wonderful 8 days in Thailand. I wish I could have stayed a few more days with the rest of the team but need to work Moday.

This trip has been such a blessing to my heart. It is awesome to be a conduit for sharing the love of God with the orphans, my teamates, and the Thai people. I believe this experience will have a lasting impact on each one's heart. BTW, Seattle's cold weather is a welcome change from the Thailand sauna:)

Jeff Chachka

BABY POOP

Well Thailand has definately been an adventure for me. I can't decide which has been the best time: singing Karaoke at a house party, feeding and petting the baby elephant on the side of the road, or getting stuck in the elevator with 9 0ther people and having to be rescued by the hotel staff. All of those rank in the top 10 Thailand memories. But I have to say, the one that I will rember the most, and probably unfortunately so, is getting pooped on my a baby girl. And not just a little poop...were'e talking gurgly, runny, looks like egg drop soup, run all down my shorts and tank top poop. I should have know something was up when she was almost asleep then started getting really fidgety. But, even after being pooped on, I still want to bring her home with me. Never have I seen so many beautiful children than in Thailand. I would bring 10 of them back with me if I could. Hope this finds every at home doing well. Miss you all very much. Keep sending up those prayers.
Loves and Blessings,
Ande

Confetti...

So yesterday found me running around performing my Dr Seus routine again... here and there and everywhere... and when I came back I found an explosion of color paper bits all round the gazebo, tables, etc... awe.. yes.. construction paper, scissors and glue sticks was on the agenda today... you can only smile at such a site as excitement still seemed to cling to the air around... it literally looked as if a huge confetti canon had gone off... randomly cut at rectangles, ovals, hearts and triangles of purple, orange, red, yellow and green abound.

My task at the moment was to talk with Fred Croson, our fearless leader, to discuss the logistics at hand. As Fred approached me... such thoughts melted from my mind and a huge smile came across my face... see... on Fred's chest was stuck a squiggly cut out gold, metallic heart which was born from a child's love of the confetti.

Need I say anymore... for this is why we are here. Joy Allen

Fun at the orphanage... and the hotel!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to put up a quick post with some more pictures! So I shrunk some pics down so they wouldnt take 2 weeks to upload on the dial-up we have here at the hotel. I will start this blog w/ just a ton of photos, and then talk a little about my experiences so far. I tried to get as many people as I could, so hope you enjoy some pictures of your friends!!

(my girls!!)

Before I forget, quick story. So after an amazing dinner tonight at Pi Foon's (sp?) place we all came back to the hotel and everyone was exhausted. So exhausted that no one wanted to wait for another elevator and tried to cram as many people in as possable. I took the stairs to wear off all the food, but those in the elevator wanted me to post this story about their experience!! So just to help visualize, the elevator is around 4 feet by 4 feet. The max the elevator can hold is "ten" people... but that must not be american sized people. Somehow 9 of them got in the elevator and started the journy to the 3rd floor. Usually it takes half a min to get up, so after about 3 min's and the elevator light still showing them on the ground level, they felt something wasn't right. And they hunch came to life as the alarm sounded after the elevator came to a hault. The hotel staff had to come and pry the doors open so that all of them could climb out... and if this story sounds too bogus, check out the pics below!

Ok so a few quick thoughts on the orphanage after a few days there. First off, I am so greatful for how everything has worked out, and a BIG THANKS to Fred, Paul and the others (you know who you are) who put all the hard work into organizing everything. "Thai Time" as you may know, is hectic and unpredictable, and we have made off well with all the little road bumps.

As for the orphanage, it truly is hard to put words to the experiences all of us have had. But just being able to spend time with all the kids is something else! All they long for is attention, and are soooooooo happy everytime we arrive. And when we leave, it is always a 20 min ordeal as they like to see us off and get a hug and a high five.

And it strikes me as funny that we talk about being able to be here and give the kids the much needed attention and love, but it goes both ways. Every day I have arrived I was greeted from my girls with a few gifts. I say my girls, because the first day we arrived, the girls just flocked to each of us, like they picked us out, and so all of us have some special girls that we spend a lot of time with. My girls are very artistic, and their gifts reflect that! Here are a few pics of the girls and their art...

So today was probably the most special for me as I really felt that I was able to connect with my girls. I got a thai conversation book at the mall here and was able to have a guide for communication. They are so excited to be able to communicate as well. For example, there was a prhase in the book along the lines of "I will bring you the photos", and I showed them that, and you could just tell how excited they got! They asked me when (by looking up a phrase), and I told them tomorrow. You must know that most girls have no pictures of them, so this is very meaningful to them! I printed off some (300+!!) photos at the mall and am going to give them to the girls tomorrow.

It is something else being around all these kids, especially knowing what is in store for most of them if they follow the crowd. I just wish I could bring them all back to the states and give them a proper up-bringing. But this girl, above most I REALLY want to sneak back on the plane!!

She is the cutest thing ever, and as I found out today SUPER smart! She is only 8 years old, but can read (thai) extrememly well. Without the phrasebook it was hard to communicate. I would ask her things and she would just smile and giggle... but when she got her hands on the book, she just started reading thru for prhases to ask me. And the first one she read was "I am glad you are here". I usually don't cry, but that one caught me off guard! I had to quickly cover up the tears so I wouldn't have to try and explain to her why, as it took me 3 days just to find out her age!!

As much as we try and teach them, we are learning just as much from the kids! A few days ago the girls taught me how to count to 10, and tonight my "homework" is to learn the colors! I'm mostly there, unlike college, I started this assignment early :)

Well it is getting late, I could keep going and going, but should get some rest as we are getting up and going to a Thai Christian church tomorrow. Hope you are all doing well at home and enjoying some of the March Madness for me! Talk to you all soon!

~Randall

Playing Checkers....

The days here in Udon Thani are shooting by. There's a few of us who run to Makro... like our Costco... literally... every day to pick up items for the team, ie water/arts & craft items/etc. I'm one of those folks, so I don't get to spend alot of time with the kids... I am here and there and everywhere... almost like something Dr Seus would say. When I return from my trips, Mem and Naed are there to greet me. Mem, 10 yr girl, and Naed, 5 yr old boy, though I have to admit... the ages are a gestimate and so is the spelling of there names... but then smiles and hugs erase those facts.

So yesterday... Mem and I sat down and played some checkers. She had grey rocks and I had red. No talking needed. Just smiles, goofy faces and laughing. As we played, and as was throughout the day, team mates would ask with a silent poke of a finger, "What is that faded sticker on your shoulder?" "Ah yes.. that is the sticker Mem gave me two days ago.... it has lasted 5 showers and a dip in a pool so far..." as I say with a beam on my face. As I played checkers with Mem yesterday... I saw she also had the now faded sticker that I had placed on her hand two days ago. I pointed to hers and then to mine... we both laughed and smiled.. and continued our game of playing checkers.

Cheers! Joy Allen

Hot, beautiful, ant larvae

There is not time to write a book, so here are a few words to summarize the experience so far: wonderful, sad, challenging, stretching, beautiful, caring, sharing, hope, need for love, community, fellowship, God, desperate, heat, water, electrolyte packs, roasted beetles, silk worms, ant larvae, and screaming hot chili peppers.

Yesterday we visited two schools in the Chai Wan region to which we donated a computer for satellite-broadcasted classes, clothes, money for school lunches, and books to help fill a library that burned down. We have found that it is essential to give to meet a specific need, as otherwise the money can get lost in bureaucracy and never be used to help. It is simultaneously wonderful to see the kids, who all share their smiles so willingly and heartbreaking to see their living conditions and hear about things like their difficulty in getting wells dug deep enough for sufficient water. We gathered a list of needs from the schools and are now considering how we can best help with them.

One note about the last four items on the list: they are all food I’ve eaten (there is nothing quite like fellowshipping over some insect grub). I first discovered the chili peppers at a Vietnamese restaurant when I picked one up, thinking it looked like an oddly shaped green bean. After taking a bite, I realized that I was mistaken. While much of the food is flavored with some form of chili, the one that was truly screaming hot was at the first school, where they fed us lunch after two groups of kids gave us performances to show their gratitude and after they showed us how they make clothes (and fed us some silk worms they had used to get silk). One of the dishes at the buffet was a basket of whole, cooked fish (complete with head, skin, bones, tail, and intestines), and next to the fish was a sauce that I now know should be used sparingly to flavor said fish. I was not aware of this at the time, however, and ate it like soup. I can say that I have never cried nor sweat as much from something spicy as from that. The burn faded after about 30 minutes, some fruit, and a bit of water. I think you can’t say you’ve had a complete Thai experience without something similar.

As Ryan has already described, our experience at the orphanage has left few hearts no heart untouched. The girls are so friendly; they love playing games, learning English, and teaching Thai. Is it so sad to know that they have no family to support them and that they receive so few visitors - we heard that we are the only visitors who have come to interact with them in the past three months. Many people who give donations just drop them off without playing or interacting with the kids, thus filling the physical, but not the emotional need. Each member of the group has developed a following of girls. My first day I had three younger girls (seen the photo of me from an earlier post with the girl asleep in my lap), and the past two days, I have developed a teenage following of about five girls, from 14-19. One of them is attending a college in Udon Thani and has enough English to converse a little. I have also learned a new version of checkers and a pretty sweet version of Pattycake for four people (though I haven’t mastered the song to go along with it yet, as it is in Thai). Tomorrow we are excited about an all-day water fight.

I will end here before I reach book-length and so that I can get some breakfast before heading out for another full day at the orphanage and then to the country for a traditional Thai meal with Pi Phoon (sp?) and her family, some local Thai friends who have been helping us all week.

Blessings to you all,

- Andrew Moedinger

Also, for the geographically inclined, here is a mile high view of our hotel.

Friday in Chai Wan

What a amazing day! We drove through the beautiful countryside for about a hour and a half enjoying the views of the local people living there everyday lives and the occasional elephant walking by. Once we arrived at the school they were waiting for us with a large banner that read " Welcome Eastlake Community church, Kirkland Wa." The people were so excited to see us. I'm the crazy one who brought her kids, most the people there had never seen blond haired blue eyed kids before, so they were a little popular with the local people. Everyone had to have their picture taken with them and touch their skin. They put on a show for us and then took us into the village to show us how silk was made. Michelle Meeks was handed a silk worm and told to eat it. She politely popped it right in, Ryan was so proud. I have to cut this short and go get the kids up for breakfast. Thanks everyone who has been praying for our safety, Janine

we have to jet out early this morning so there's not much time to post.
thursday was a great day. even though we lost a few to stomach issues and back pain. everyone is back and doing great now. bought the kids a guitar and have been playing and singing together. i think i played more poison, motley crue, skid row and tesla than i ever have.

3 of us drove 1 hour up to a boys orphanage near the thai/laos boarder near the mekong river. we are trying to establish some relationships there to see how we can help on the boys side of things... perhaps there is a future trip there? they definitely have less things to do at the boys orphanage. my idea is to build a ropes course for them. that'd be a fun trip. (plus i like to play on ropes courses)
when we got there, an official was giving the boys (most between 7 and 11yrs) a lecture on the dangers of human trafficking. i can't imagine having to deal with that reality at that age. so sad.

got to try roasted salty soy sauce FLIES. they taste like popcorn a little. i think everyone ate some... even Michelle Galvin let it sit in her mouth for at least a second. little karaoke after dinner at a local thai families home. they are relatives of Julie Chantonee. AMAZING PEOPLE! they spent the whole night just serving us... they were so kind. Julie, if you are reading this - please tell them we were so honored by their hospitality. overwhelming!

by now, everyone has a little entourage that follows them around each day.
yikes, we're leaving for Chaiwan... gotta run... more later
(this dial up takes forever)
rm