Josh's Post

I am trying to remember how to do this! It has been so long and hopefully most of you that read this blog have been able to keep up with us through our friends and family this past month. We have been through so much since I last wrote, and I am really not sure where to start. I know Austin well give you details that have made this trip so memorable. I don’t think I would have noticed half the things I should have if Austin and I weren’t traveling together. It has been such a good time, we have had way good times and there have been way less bad times for sure. I could talk any day or any place we have been, there have been so many good times. But there have a few times that I hope we as friends will never forget. I feel like I should go back to when we were riding trains across Europe with Clay, but I will save those stories for another day.
I think I am going to bring you right up to date with what we what we did today! Or at least what we have been doing here in Thailand. On the 22 we landed in Bangkok and not much happed there, we spent one night there and then got on a 12 hour bus to come to where we are now Chang Mai. I am going to start by saying this about Thailand, there food is so much better than India’s and I am “lovin it”. We got hear at about 6 in the morning and then went and hung out in Burger King till things started opening up and then we went across the street to McDonalds, because things weren’t as open as we though! After waiting and eating McDonalds food for a while longer we decided we should find a place to stay. That isn’t hard, everybody here wants to help you it is just a matter of how much you will pay them. We got a room in a cheep but really nice guest house, and stashed out bags and headed out to the main part of town. We had one thing on our minds…scooters! Austin had been talking about getting scooters ever since before we left and by now we were both so ready to ride everywhere. We spent maybe one hour looking before we found a shop that would rent us two scooters for around fifteen USD for five days. The reason we only got them for five days is b/c that is all the time before we head up into the hill tribes to work on the hospital and water system. We got our bikes and were of, we had to stop for some gas, and then it was up to the temple on this hill that over looked the city. We had to figure things out but it didn’t take us very long to learn how to drive on the left side of the road. I am just hoping we remember how to drive on the right when we get back. After we saw the temple we went on a super long ride into the country and ended up going by a elephant farm that we are going to be going back to when we get back form our project. I am really excited about that whole deal I have been wanting to ride an elephant ever since we got to India but we didn’t get around to it there and now it is just a matter of a few days and we will be taming wild elephants. I was also kind of disappointed that we didn’t get to see any tigers while we were in India, but on our ride we found a tiger farm, so we went and got to see tigers. Chang Mai has it if you want to see it!
The next day was Christmas and we didn’t really know what to do with our selves. We got up at noon and had no plan so we decided we were go out to eat at a nice place to eat, get something American, and just take the day slow. We were on our way out and we meet up with a guy we meet in Bangkok, but he was from London and came on the same bus as us just the morning after. So we felt like we had just meet up with a old friend so we all went out to lunch together. Had a huge cheeseburger, which I think is the first time I have ever had one of those for Christmas, but it was good. After that we just took it easy and that night we got to do a lot of skypeing and talk to our family and friends. It was so good! But it wasn’t anywhere close to Christmas at home. It really turned out to be a great day for us. And I don’t think I am ever going to forget Christmas in Chang Mai.
Really that is all we have been up to. Riding our scooters and exploring this place and talking. We have a tradition that started the first night we got here, what we do is we ride are scooters down to the night bizarre and but a mango strawberry smoothie and we each get one banana chocolate rote (kinda like a crape only better) It is probably not the best thing we could be eating. But if it tastes good it cant be to bad. After walking through the bizarre for a while we come back to our room or just go exploring a new part of town. And today we have done some bloging some skypeing and have just got back from the temple on the hill. And I am trying to finish my part in this blog. But over all it has been such a good time for us, I am ready to go start work again but I am so glad we have gotten to spend these last week just hang out. It has been good and I am so thankful for all we have been able to go through to get to where we are. Thanks so much for all your prayers and here are some things that you can be praying about with us.
><>Pray that our focus will not be lost, and that we will glorify God in all we do as we travel.
><>That our time spent with the team from S.D.C.C. would be a time to encouraged and build each other up.
><>Safety as we work in the village, and that we will be able to accomplish a lot with the time we have.
><> And for myself, pray that I would have wisdom in the planning of the next part of the trip.
><>And praise God for His faithfulness to us everyday.

Thanks again and I know I really didn’t say much at all in this post so please feel free to ask any questions!