a few more pics i missed

Walter, Adriana, & Cora in Argentina

With Brian, Anita, Ami, & Bradley Biedebach in South Africa

thailand highlights

Catching up & posting some pics from the final leg of the trip in Thailand!


Boat ride in Bangkok

Buddhist Temple in Bangkok

Phuket Sunsets

Boat Ride to Railay Beach, Krabi w/ Jon

Railay Beach

back in so cal...off to omaha

Well, I am slowly getting back on schedule here at home! Gotta love jet lag...waking up all hours of the night and early morning wide awake and ready to go. The only times I am ever a morning person and ready to go! Tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon I leave again for big adventures in Omaha, Nebraska! I serve on the Word Made Flesh board and the board has meetings this weekend. I will stay some extra days having fun with Christian, Sonya, Adina, and Elliott Gray and catch-up with good friends in O-Town! Looking forward to the week ahead!

After Omaha, I am looking forward to some time back home in May and June before I begin phase one of my WMF internship in Brasil.

It was soooo good to see so many of you on Easter!

home!

In case you are still checking this, I made it home safe and sound this morning (Saturday). Now if I can just stay awake and up until bed tonight! So good to see my parents at the airport! If I try to write much more it probably won't make sense. :)

a memorable ride to the airport

It's Saturday at 8 am in Seoul, Korea airport. Just completed my first 24-hours in transit home. The morning began in Railay, Thailand with a longtail boat ride (the good news is that the tide was higher, so we were able to manage our bags easier). We reserved an a/c mini-van ride to Phuket airport (3 1/2 hours). Well, it was not quite what we expected, but, hey, as long as it got us to the airport in time...the price was right.

All was going pretty smoothly in the crammed, old, and slow van...but it was suspicious when our driver who did speak any English handed Jon the phone about half way to the airport. The lady on the other end asked what time our plane left. Wierd, we thought! Well, about 15 kilometers from the aiport the van just stops. The driver again hands the phone to us. The lady was really hard to understand, but we did understand "wait for another van for an hour" and "police." At this point we and the young Swedish couple with us were really getting frustrated. We tried to make the drivers take us to the airport, but they would not budge! Finally, they said "police" and put their wrists together behind their backs to make the point. At that point a man in a truck pulled up and we quickly decided to pay him to take us to the aiport!! One kilometer up the road was a police stop. It started making more sense, apparently our driver and his friend didn't want to meet the police up the road. HA! Who knows why?? All we know is that we made it to the aiport safe and sound with a memorable ride to the airport.

Now I have 7 more hours to kill before my final plane ride to LAX! I arrive Saturday at 10 am, So Cal time!

with gratitude!

70 days, 10 weeks, 6 countries, 11 cities or towns, and 21 boarding passes later...I am on my way home to So Cal! What a full and memorable trip around the world this has been! I am so thankful for all the prayers, emails, and words of encouragement along the way.

I began this trip by reading "Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life." The book tells about European refugee children during WWII who were too scared to go to sleep. They were given pieces of bread to give them peace of mind that they did not need to fear hunger when they woke up. The authors relate the story to the Ignition prayer of Examen. We remember the things that we are grateful for and give us life. We also remember the things that are difficult and drain us. Throughout this trip I asked myself these questions of consolation and desolation. I have much to be thankful and grateful for! God has blessed me with wonderful memories and huge lessons along the way! It is ideal to share these things with your community of family or friends. So, I'll just give a sampling of some of the memories I am grateful for with my "blogger community." Warning...it's a long, grateful list!

Argentina...
- Sharing life with the Forcattos and seeing them so at home in Buenos Aires
- Drinking mate with the Forcattos
- Argentine asado with the Forcattos and thier neighbors
- Seeing Walter love and care for the kids on the streets
- Cora morphing my name Didi into Deeders
- Date night with Cora with panchos (hot dogs) and a candle at home, while her parents had a date night out
- Meeting the Forcatto's family and friends; worshipping at their church

Rome...
- Experiencing all the history and culture this city has to offer
- Walking up the steps to the top of the dome of Saint Peter's
- Hanging out in the piazzas and people watching
- Visiting the Sistine Chapel
- Good coffee

Prague...
- Enjoying views and walks on the Charles Bridge
- The cool and diverse architecture of Prague
- Old Town Square
- Slowing it down a bit for a few days

South Africa...
- Holding Bradley Biedebach for the first time and him falling asleep in my arms
- Singing "I'm So Happy" with Ami in the car
- The hospitality of the Brian and Anita; feeling so at home
- Game reserve days with the Bied family
- Feeding a baby lion cub a bottle
- South Africa brai (bbq) with the young adults at the church
- Experiencing the Apartheid Muesum
- Seeing the Academy Award Best Foreign Film, "Tsosti" in Johannesburg, where it was filmed
- Visiting a rural ministry called MCDC that is serving in the frontlines of the AIDS crisis
- Hearing the African MCDC women sing praises to God as we toured the area
- Touring the townships of Cape Town and sharing a meal at a township home
- Meeting wonderful people responding to the poverty and AIDS crisis with the love and hope of Jesus
- African men and women singing songs of freedom on the boat ride to Robben Island (where Neslon Mandela was imprisoned)
- Views from the top of Table Mountain
- Cape Town beaches and sunsets

India...
- Staying at Jon Derby's pad and seeing his life in Mumbai - neighborhood, friends, work
- Hanging out in beach huts in Goa
- Goa beaches and sunsets
- Hearing the hopeful excitement of the WMF women (Sarah, Kristin, and Beth) about all God was doing through the ministry in the Kolkata red light district, Sonagahci
- Visiting Sari Bari and meeting three women who are free from life of prostitution through this ministry of small business
- Seeing Sarah Lance interact with the Sari Bari women and hearing them sing praises to Jesus!
- Volunteering again at Kalighat, the Missionaries of Charity House for the Dying in Kolkata after nine years
- Celebrating Jon's birthday in Mumbai with his friends in India
- Getting pushed and shoved and crammed in a Mumbai train ride (okay, maybe this did not give me life, but it was memorable!)
- Haircut, old skool shave, head and face massage in Mumbai
- Coffee with Jon at his favorite coffee joints - Coffee Day and Barrista

Thailand...
- Boat ride on the river in Bangkok
- Foot and leg massage in Bangkok
- VIP movie experience in Bangkok, including a shoulder and back massage and recliner seats
- Thai food
- Visiting the slum Klong Toey where my friends Tim & Amy Hupe hope to return to live and serve...meeting some of their friends there
- Empty beaches near Phuket
- Swimming in a warm pool during downpour rain
- Thai beaches
- Final night sunset in Railay, Thailand - the most beautiful sunset of the entire trip...thank you, Lord!
(Of course, I didn't have my camera with me)

Last, but not least...
- Emails, prayers, and words of encouragement from family and friends

I'm sure I have neglected to mention a ton more! But, this is probably enough to show my gratitude to God for an amazing around the world trip! You get the idea. Thank you for being a part of my life and this season of my life!!

reading around the world

It is my final day in Thailand and I am half way through the last book I packed! Thought I might share what I read...

Thirteen Cents
By K. Sello Duiker
- A book about a 13-year old boy on the streets of Cape Town. Really shows the sad, desperate, and ugly realities of the "other Cape Town." A tough and graphic book to read, but gave me new eyes for Cape Town and the kids on the streets I saw. (See me before reading it.)

Under the Unpredictable Plant
By Eugene Peterson
- A book that seeks to reclaim the spiritual demensions of pastoral call and vocational holiness, using the example of Jonah. Solid stuff that give me a lot to consider and chew on!

Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives you Life
By Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn, & Matthew Linn
- European refugee children during WWII were given a piece of bread to hold at bedtime, so they could sleep in peace and not fear homelessness and starvation again. This book takes this example and applies it to the Ignition prayer of Examen, where we ask ourselves what we are grateful for and what gives us life, as well as what we are not grateful for and what sucks life out of us. More on this later!

More then Equals
By Spencer Perkins & Chris Rice
- The story of friendship and racial reconciliation between a white man and black man in the South. Spencer Perkins is the son of John Perkins. An important book for me to read in South Africa, as I examine my own heart and racism at home. (The film Crash also brought these important issues to the surface for me.)

History of South Africa
By Leonard Thompson
- A great book on the history of South Africa and the racism that has existed from the beginning. Now I just need a book that picks up recent history and issues, post-2000.

Sacred Rhythms
By Christine Sine, MD
- I'll finish this one on the plane ride home. An excellent book that focuses on taking our spiritual pulse and finding a spiritual rhythm to our lives. Good stuff for me to consider, especially as I spend time in new cultures that can be overwhelming and exhausting.

wrapping things up at railay beach...

Well, it has come down to this...two more full days before heading home. Jon Derby and I are at Railay Beach in Thailand. Yesterday was a memorable day getting here! We neglected to realize that you can only get here by an 8-person longtail boat. We were quite a sight with all our bags! You come here with a backpack and you pack light! Not the case for me after two plus months of travelling. Plus, it was low tide, so we had to carry our stuff through a stretch of muddy sand and through some knee deep water. HA! What a trip, getting all the stuff in and out of the boat. Felt like I was on Amazing Race or Survivor, but way overpacked! Gonna just enjoy the beauty here and unwind a bit from this amzing trip.

Oh yah, I made the mistake of calculating the hours between getting up here in Thailand and going to bed in Cypress, So Cal. 50-plus hours! Two long layovers are what will kill me. FUN times!

quiet naithon beach

We are wrapping up two quick days at Naithon Beach near Phuket, about an hour away from the busier tourist area. We almost have the hotel and beaches to ourselves! The hotel just opened six-months ago, so it is super nice with a huge pool. It is so quiet and peaceful. What a perfect way to wind down this full and amazing trip! Today it poured down rain. Some kids were swimming in the pool in the downpour. I decided why not? The pool and the air was super warm, as the rain poured down on my head. Loved it!

Tomorrow Jon and I head off to the final stop on this trip...Krabi Beach. It is about a three-hour bus ride. I'll post Thailand pictures when I get home.

More soon, from Krabi! Have a blessed and meaningful Passion Week!

mumbai, india

Hey all! Just backtracking some and posting pics from my time in India from Bangkok.

Final night in Mumbai...celebrating Jon's birthday!

Mumbai Sunset & Auto Rickshaw

kolkata, india

Jon and I with the WMF staff in Kolkata

Sarah, Beth, & Kristin

Jon and I with Andy Baker (WMF Bolivia Staff, Visiting Kolkata)

goa, india

hitting the highlights in bangkok

The Lonely Planet travel book for Bangkok gives six suggestions on what to see and experience in a short timeframe. Jon and I accomplished five of them...without really trying.

1) Make a "pilgrimage" to the Buddist temple, Wat Phra Kaew
- Had to rent some long pants. It is amost 100 here! So if you know me, you know I was not wearing my long pants! The famous Emerald Budda is at this temple.
2) Catch a cool river breeze from the back of the Chao Phraya River Express at sunset
- This was the best way to see the sights, getting on and off the tourist boat.
3) Getting completely lost in Chinatown's crowded sois (streets & alleyways) and markets
- We pretty much got turned around walking the narrow side streets and had to ask several people how to get back to the pier to catch our boat before we missed the final one. But we made it!
4) Visit the hip MBK & Siam Square
- Five-plus story mall and what a food court! Just don't tell anyone I ate Thai food at a food court. We did eat some yummy street vendor food earlier in the day, if that makes up for it? :)
5) Enjoy VIP luxury at Bangkok's ultra-modern movie theatres
- Included a 15-minute head and shoulder massage before the movie, reclining seats, a Coke, and a blanket. And, oh yah, we saw "Inside Man." All for just a couple bucks more then a movie at home.

What was #6, you ask?? "Cheering along with a betting crowd at a muay thai boxing match. "

Well, there is always tomorrow....

man pampering...india style

My final afternoon in Mumbai I went and got a haircut, an old skool shave, and a face & head massage from the local barber! All for $4! My face and head didn't know what hit it...so relaxed! The barbers also so graciously offered to color my hair, as they pointed to the gray. Classic!

Had a great dinner and then topped off the final night here with a trip back to Jon's on the commuter train! WHOA!! The crowds, the pushing, the cramming in together! Like nothing I have ever experienced. I think boarding and exiting the trains here may just be a national sport for Indian men. What a way to round out my time here!

kalighat

This afternoon I volunteered at the Missionaries of Charity House for the Dying, known as Kalighat. Kalighat is considered Mother Teresa's first love. It is the first home she started in Kolkata, where those who were dying on the streets were taken to die with Christ's love and dignity. There are fifty bed for men on one side and fifty bed for women on the other side. This house for the dying was opened right next to the Kali Hindu Temple, where people will come to apease and offer sacrifices to this Hindu god. What a contrast! Volunteering there for a couple of hours is not nearly enough to jump into this ministry to the sick and dying. In fact, you really feel more in the way then anything. The sisters and regular volunteers have a definite schedule to their day and and they are very focused on what needs to be done to care for these sick and dying people. They are gracious to allow new and awkward volunteers to jump in and serve. Today I shaved a man's beard, served some food, and helped clean-up after the meal. Our summer team volunteered there a few times back in 1997. So, I was thankful for the opportunity to return. It all was just as I remembered it. Especially, the awkwardness and uncomfortableness of trying my best to serve and be available the patients and volunteers. But, those seem to be typical feelings I experience when serving the poor for the first time in new ways.

We have a day and a half left here in Kolkata. We head to Thailand in a few days.

kolkata

Hi all! My friend Jon and I arrived in Kolkata last night. Honestly, I was anxious to be back here knowing the poverty that rocked my world nine-years ago. The poverty prevalent everywhere you look here, there is no escaping it. If you read my first prayer letter earlier this year about stepping outside the gates....I had that same feeling on the comfortable plane ride here. Not sure what to expect when I arrived and in my heart resisiting facing it. I prayed much of the plane ride for God's best for my few short days here and that I would not resisit it!

God is good! We were met at the airport by two Word Made Flesh staff, Kristin and Beth. Much of the taxi drive to the hostel they were telling us about the amazing work God had been doing here in just the past weeks and months. The WMF women here spend time with women who prostitute in a large red light district here. Many of these women are forced or trafficked into prostituiton for many reasons and have a very difficult time breaking free. The WMF staff here have just started an opportunity for women to work and sew sari blankets that will eventually be exported to the US for sell. The business is called "Sari Bari." God has brought some amazing pieces together in just a short period of time, which is amazing here in India where the wheels can turn extremely slow! There are currently three women who have finished training and will be employed by Sari Bari, women who are now set free from prostitution! Praise God! I will be learning more about Sari Bari in the days ahead, so I'm sure I will write more soon.

Today I came with Jon to the International Justice Mission office here. Such dedicated staff and lawyers working to rescue girls from prostitution. An amazing and difficult work here.

I got off the plane expecting to be bombarded with desperation and hopelessness. But, instead I was met with stories of compassion and hope of what God is doing through His faithful servants here.

More soon....