My first international flight was to Nakhon Phanom, Thailand for a short-term missions trip. I had a terrible experience above sea-level on our way to the Land of the Free. I had to be supplied with oxygen an hour or two before the plane lands. I had a hard time breathing prolly because of elevation and exhaustion. I was a bit embarrassed for the attention that I got from a pretty flight stewardess and other passengers.
It was still dark when we arrived in Bangkok. I had my first authentic Thai food in the airport. And I must say that Thai food is really pleasing to my taste buds and since then, I started to look forward to eating more of its kind for the next 13 days of our stay. From the
Suvarnabhumi Airport, the country's main international airport, we headed to the bus station. We had a rest for three hours before we started our road trip to Nakhon Phanom, a province in the north.
We rode on a glossy pink bus from seven to seven. On our way, I observed that the taxis have the same skin too. In the bus, we made friends with an old woman named Sopit who barely speaks English. She was nice and sweet. We exchanged foods. Later, we learned that in Thai culture, people who value old people go to heaven.
There were two bus stops. At one stop, I got up close with Thai fruits. The scene behind the fruit stands reminds me of Bukidnon.
Without the TV on in the bus, it could have been a boring road trip. The melody and the lyrics of the song we were hearing from the boob-tube sounds so funny.
I was with Ps Homer Eduave in this trip. The two of us were sent as strategic coordinators. We visited our missionary to Thailand, Ps Alex Dane. And stayed in Dr John Middlewood's place. We hoped to strengthen our tie with the latter who is a veteran of World War 2 and to pave the way for more missionaries from our church to Thailand.
The almost two-week visit to Thailand was so memorable for me. Other than the fact that it was my first trip over Philippine seas, I met wonderful people, particularly the young Thais at the house where we stayed in and in the elementary and college schools we went to. They are all wonderful and charming people. Their smiles are contagious.
I had a privilege of teaching English language to kids and interacted with school teachers and officials. I was able to observe a study defense of a group of college students in a university.
Thais admire Filipinos for speaking English fluently. There is a big market in Thailand for English teachers. I believe that it pays well. I reckon that Thais would rather learn from Filipinos rather than from native English speakers because of the common denominators between Thais and Filipinos
I also had the chance to get close with a person stricken with AIDS. My ignorance of how the disease spreads caused me to stand at a distance from the victim thinking that getting near him would make me infected with the to-be-dreaded virus. Shame on me. Ps Homer asked me to pray for the victim. It was an emotional moment for me. I pity his children who were infected too. Later, I learned that Nakhon Phanom is one of the major suppliers of prostitutes in the capital. Poverty is a major factor why they get into this profession, which is considered as the oldest. And culturally, I have been informed, parents do not mind if their children get into prostitution. Some elders even push their children into trading their flesh in exchange of money.
Thailand claims to be the Land of the Free. But on second thought, it is not. The song God of this City by Bluetree, popularized by Chris Tomlin, was a song of declaration after this Christian band from Northern Ireland had a gig in one of the strip clubs in Bangkok. (Please see story:
Bluetree fights sex tourism)
In one of our strolls/prayer walk down town, we visited a provincial office of the agency of tourism. From the brochures and other promotional materials, I can say that Thailand is so rich in culture.
We also went to a Catholic school and met with an excellent young student (I forgot his name, it sounds like Kent). We dropped by a public hospital too. Eating lunch in a resto over looking Mekong River and Laos was one of the best dining experience I had. The river is one of the world's great rivers. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. I would have wanted to cross and step in Laos.
In between the day we arrived and the day we left, were busy days of visiting mostly primary schools where our missionary is affiliated. We also spent a lot of times in prayer. A political commotion was also starting to heat up while we were there. On the day we headed home, the political unrest was getting worst. We saw barricades in one of the places we passed by. And there were rumors that the opposing party would shut down the airport. But thank God, we were not stranded. We arrived safely in the Philippines. And over lunch on the day we arrived home, we learned from international news stations that the main airport had shut down. God is great! We were not caught up in the heat.
The song Home by Chris Daughtry, I noticed, almost always followed us on the background - in the bus going to the capital, in the plane and even after reaching home, while we were having lunch in Mang Inasal. It was the right sound track to hear.I miss the place. I miss the people. The memories of the trip we had will forever be in my heart.
Other photos I took while in Thailand:
A young man watches a monk pack his bag outside the resto where we ate lunch.
This is the dormitory in Dr Middlewood's property where we stayed in for the sojourn.
Blessed are the feet, not of those who wear sneakers, but of those who bring the good news.
The windows in the classrooms are so wide open, allowing the fresh air in. 
I caught sight of this inside one of the classrooms; a T-shirt waiting to be sun dried. 
This vast green rice field outside a village school; a source of food for the schoolchildren. 
"I will be still, know you are God."
The setting sun on our way home made me nostalgic. The sky feels so laidback.
My first international flight was to Nakhon Phanom, Thailand for a short-term missions trip. I had a terrible experience above sea-level on our way to the Land of the Free. I had to be supplied with oxygen an hour or two before the plane lands. I had a hard time breathing prolly because of elevation and exhaustion. I was a bit embarrassed for the attention that I got from a pretty flight stewardess and other passengers.
It was still dark when we arrived in Bangkok. I had my first authentic Thai food in the airport. And I must say that Thai food is really pleasing to my taste buds and since then, I started to look forward to eating more of its kind for the next 13 days of our stay. From the Suvarnabhumi Airport, the country's main international airport, we headed to the bus station. We had a rest for three hours before we started our road trip to Nakhon Phanom, a province in the north.
We rode on a glossy pink bus from seven to seven. On our way, I observed that the taxis have the same skin too. In the bus, we made friends with an old woman named Sopit who barely speaks English. She was nice and sweet. We exchanged foods. Later, we learned that in Thai culture, people who value old people go to heaven.
There were two bus stops. At one stop, I got up close with Thai fruits. The scene behind the fruit stands reminds me of Bukidnon.
I was with Ps Homer Eduave in this trip. The two of us were sent as strategic coordinators. We visited our missionary to Thailand, Ps Alex Dane. And stayed in Dr John Middlewood's place. We hoped to strengthen our tie with the latter who is a veteran of World War 2 and to pave the way for more missionaries from our church to Thailand.
I had a privilege of teaching English language to kids and interacted with school teachers and officials. I was able to observe a study defense of a group of college students in a university.
The song Home by Chris Daughtry, I noticed, almost always followed us on the background - in the bus going to the capital, in the plane and even after reaching home, while we were having lunch in Mang Inasal. It was the right sound track to hear.
