JBF to Thailand "Work-Hard,Play-Hard"

Mike and I believe in a "work-hard, play-hard" philosophy when teams come over.  There is so much to learn from the Thai people and culture and we aim to expose as much as we can to them.

Breakfasts were either at the hotel or at a quick 7-11 stop, lunches were at the work-site, and then after stopping work for the day we'd go out for dinner. Of course that was after showers at the hotel because- believe me- you did not want a whiff of 12 sweaty bodies after working in the heat all day. They were very adventuresome when it came to trying new Thai dishes (most of the time).

After work the last day, we visited a Thai museum and enjoyed this 360 look out tower all around the area of Songkhla, which is a big fishing area of Thailand.

Chloe and Hannah were two of the sweetest, hard working, lovers of Jesus,  high-schooler's I've ever met. They both came with their dad's who were also on the team.  I love these father/daughter bonding mission trips.

We took them to the Songkhla Mermaid, which is the symbol of Songkhla. The girls got a short horseback ride on the beach.

And I was thrilled to see this beautiful rainbow on the beach. 

We made one last stop to look for the monkeys near the temple.

We didn't have to look very hard, as once we stopped the van and they saw Mike buy some food- they quickly found their way to us. 

Some of the monkeys were quite aggressive, which was not a fun time for some of us. 

We've heard that the team is back to Jesup enjoying their own beds again- but changed for the better as a result of spending their vacation time here.  Thanks again JBF!  We are so thankful for each of you and your continued prayers for Thailand.  We miss you already! 

JBF to Thailand- Pope's Finished House!!!!

This was the view that we woke up to most mornings.  The hotel that we stayed at was near the city of Songkhla  right on the beach facing the Gulf of Thailand. Some of the team got up early and enjoyed walks on the beach while others of us, hardly set foot on the sand.

Starting each day, Joe would give us the broad strokes of what the plan for the day was.  He was a great leader. directing the team from the time this vision started up until it was over.  We teased that Mike was the general contractor and Joe, the head foreman. They were a good team.

After getting the primer on all of the outside and inside,  we had the joy of seeing the paint really change the appearance of the home.

Kate went with Pope to the hardware store to help her choose the colors. 

They ended up with a beige on all of the walls and brown paint for the floor. 

Here are a few pictures after all the painting was done.  This will be her front living room.

Her small bedroom.

This is looking from the kitchen toward the front door; the area that she wants to use to teach children and the Bible to people who God brings into her life.

This is the kitchen.  So far, for furniture, Pope only has this sink and a small refrigerator.  She is trusting God to eventually get more furniture. 

There is an empty field out her back window.  I love the view of these palm trees. 

Pope shared with the team her testimony of becoming a Christian through the ministry of Thailand Campus Crusade for Christ on her university in Chiang Mai, back in 1994 and her vision to reach out to the Muslims in her neighborhood and her family and for them to follow Jesus also. 

She needs to be very sensitive and cautious in her area and yet she prays consistently that God will use her there.

Pope has been through a lot of medical challenges but trusts God and has so much faith in Him that He will use her in spite of all her struggles.

It was encouraging for all of us to hear her share her heart and know how to pray for her. 

This was our last day of work as the house was almost finished.  Here stands one proud team of hard working Iowan's!

Caleb doing some final wiring.

Chad showing us the kitchen sink with running water.

Here's the team with Pope and her sister, Nung, at the house before we said our goodbyes. She'll be moving in soon and I just wish we would have taken a photo of the team handing her the keys. 

One final celebratory photo!  Yay!!! The house is done!  You were a beautiful testimony of working together cheerfully in spite of the extreme heat, unusual foods, 12 sweaty bodies riding around in a bumpy hot van, and daily changes that kept you flexible. Good job JBF! God was glorified through you! 

JBF to Thailand- Working on Pope's house

The main goal of this team was to finish a building project that was started last year.  Our team that has come and built homes for several years came last year and laid the foundation on a home for Pope.  You can read about it here.  The JBF team raised enough money to finish the home, so that Pope can move in and start using. it. The goal was to wire the electricity, the plumbing, and paint.

It was so exciting to watch the house get finished up in four days of solid work by this team of 10. The first day, they got primer on all the cement walls.  Looks like Chloe had a bit of fun with this job.

They divided the team up into teams of focused work.  Caleb was our chief electrician, with Dan as his assistant. 

Marc was the chief of painting with 3 very hard working girls. 

Chad was the experienced plumber, with some painting also as everyone filled in where needed. 

The painting was really one of the most time consuming jobs. 

Erik did a little bit of everything, wherever the demand was greatest.

Same for Darin- he did a bit of everything- but painting was his forte.   This team was one of the best we've ever had.  They always had servant hearts and great attitudes.  We'd love them to come back anytime they want.

Lunch was always Thai food at the work sight. This was a favorite when the grilled chicken, sticky rice, papaya salad motorcycle vendor came right to us. Stay tuned for photos of the finished project. 

JBF to Thailand- Day #3- Ranong Kids Home

The early risers said their goodbyes and  traveled back from the island to the mainland by boats on Saturday morning.

This little guy had made a handmade boat out of styrofoam that he found around the island. (who needs Lego's?)

Life is so simple on the island.  Some just stared and watched the farangs out the window of their hut without much expression, while others engaged as best they could and waved good-bye thanking us for our visit.

It pretty much rained the whole week that the team has been here, but we were thankful it let up during our boat trip back.

Good-bye Koh Chang till next time! 

Uan, (the dorm mom) and the older girls cooked a delicious dinner for us Saturday night at the kids home.

We divided the team up to sit with the children and practice their English together.

The kitchen crew joyfully washed our dishes for us.

The team planned a fun program with the children.  We weren't sure how well "heads up-seven up" would go- but it was a great success and fun was had by all. Especially when the winners of the games were rewarded with new hats and t-shirts. Prizes tend to make the games more competitive. (thanks again for those donations)

Here's some happy kids with their new shirts. Do you recognize any of those t-shirts and hats with Iowa logo's on them? Go Hawks!

After some singing, (if you see them, ask the JBF team to sing the Thai song that they learned) and testimonies from both the kids and the team, we treated the kids to ice cream sundaes.  They only get ice cream when we treat them to it- so it was pretty special along with the American candy they enjoyed also. 

Once again, I'm not sure who was blessed more- the children who enjoyed the games and gifts or the American's who were touched by their lives, songs, and testimonies. 

JBF To Thailand -Day #1-Bangkok

I know that there are a lot of eager family members in Iowa wanting to hear updates on the team they sent to us and it seems this is the best place to share some photos and stories. I started this soon after they arrived but there has not been much breaking- so here's some delayed updates.

The team arrived at an untimely hour for international travel - about 5:30 am.  That's always a difficult arrival time, because with the 12 hour time change- their bodies are telling them that it is about time to go to sleep  for a good nights sleep after a long trip across the ocean.  But if we let them do that, then their bodies will get their nights and days mixed up and its a vicious cycle of wanting to sleep during the day and being wide awake at night.

So our goal for the day was to show them around Bangkok, be in the sunshine, and keep them awake.

After checking into their  KT guesthouse, showering, some orientation to Thai culture, and some of the best 'khao pot gai' for breakfast, we did a 'planes, trains, and automobiles' kind of day. Their transpo the first 24 hours was a plane, taxi, tuktuk, subway, skytrain, riverferry, and lots of walking. 7 modes of  getting them around did a good job of keeping them awake.

Hannah and Chloe on the riverboat.

Kate and Caleb exploring Bangkok.

Our river boat stopped at Wat Arun. (one of the most famous temples.)

The spire is over 70 meters high and is decorated with tiny pieces of colored glass and porcelain placed delicately into intricate patterns.

It is also known as "Temple of the Dawn"- a place where Thai's go to make merit. 

Later afternoon, we took them to the tallest building in Bangkok for a 360 view of the city. 

It never ceases to amaze me that you can see tall buildings as far as the eye can see in every direction across Bangkok.

It is usually a great place to watch the sunset over Bangkok.

We were so proud of the team and the way they stayed awake and enjoyed the day.  We ended up with a little souvenir shopping and dinner.  As they were waiting for their orders, one by one, they started resting their heads on the table  and it turned into this. Hmmm- do you suppose we may have pushed too hard? It definitely led to some good laughs for all of us.