Hey Gang,
A couple more entries from my trip journal.
Looking forward to bringing this all to life with photos on Sunday!
See you soon.
bert
Sunday 10:46pm EDT
It’s actually 9:46am here in Bangkok. I called my wife and my parents from the Business Class lounge at BKK using the Skype app for my iphone. A small fee paid ahead of time, and I can use wireless internet to call any phone in the US for free. Amazing!! I love technology.
Right now I’m back on board another plane, this one bound for Manila. It’ll be my first time in the Philippines and I’m always excited about visiting a new country.
Before boarding, I was looking through my passport. The last stamp came from my departure from Bangkok in October of ’07. I have noticed in myself the marked difference in my attitude between this trip and that one.
That trip was marked by incredible curiosity which was met with unspeakable horror. It left marks inside me that still bleed sometimes. But this trip is so different. I walked the streets of Bangkok yesterday with a sense of wonder and joy. And as we approach Manila, I can hardly contain myself. I’ve now seen completed pictures of the chapel and the treehouse and I can hardly keep myself from weeping at the thought of them. I can’t wait to meet these girls who will grow and be blessed because of the generosity of our church. I feel so privileged to represent True North to them and to have the opportunity to see with my own eyes what the Lord has done there.
What an amazing life I have!! How ridiculously blessed I am!! Praise God from whom all blessing flow!
Thursday, 10:38am EDT
Well, I’m on another plane, this one bound for Los Angeles. I do dearly wish this bird was taking me right back to JFK, but that’s not a complaint. It’s been an amazing trip.
My journey to the Rounded Home was life changing. Our church has done something absolutely righteous. In a world full of grey areas and compromise, it is an absolute good. The grounds are peaceful and nurturing and the chapel is nothing short of inspiring. I truly love it, and I’m so proud of our church. That chapel and that treehouse are there because of the generosity of the people of True North.
Those buildings stand as a monument to a group of people who decided that serving others must come before serving self. People who followed in the footsteps of Christ who came not to be served, but to serve.
The girls are wonderful. It’s easy to forget among the dancing and giggling and beautiful smiles that they were sold. Purchased. It’s hard to imaging them cowering in a room listening to the footsteps in the hallway. Wondering what the night would bring. How many clients? How many new scars? How many new cigarette burns?
It’s hard to imagine, but it happened.
But not anymore. Now they’re being helped. Healed. Loved. Restored.
Because of a bunch of people form Long Island whom they’ve never met. Jesus fed 5,000 people with a little kids’ lunch. He’s still in that business and it’s never any less of a miracle when he uses our little gifts to do miraculous things.
And I’m so unbelievably glad that once in a while, its our humble gifts he chooses to use.
I am tired and I have many more thousands of miles between me and my family.
Goodnight tribe. I’ll see you all soon.
B
