Songkran Festival!

This is the Thailand New Year! Everyone typically goes back to their home town for this 3 days to a week long Holiday. For Songkran people go to the elderly in their home town and they bring them gifts-a way of showing their respect for them.

Songkran is also a party-an awesome excuse-for what is traditionally the hottest week in Thailand...to have a water fight. People will stand on the side of the road with Big things of water and throw buckets of water on the people driving by. If you are walking they will not only throw water on you but put baby powder on you (supposedly this makes one cooler-heat wise). Some of the children played Songkran at the Youth Conferences (see Pics above). But, we really felt it when we were riding for hours in the back of the pick-up truck. We got nailed with buckets of water as we went through each town and then for a few hours straight while going through Chiang Mai.









Yes...this is us in the Pick up Truck getting drenched!!
I was shocked at how we could be going 40mph and the children would surprisingly nail us with the water. As we were going through Chiang Mai...Dave took the Liberty of "egging the children on in Thai" and then as they threw the water...I was doused. =) It felt good with the hot sun for the day time. But by 5:00pm it was cooler in the day and I was shivering! So, Sam switched me places and I sat (still in the truck bed) but up against the cab of the truck and Sam took my drenching spot. It was fun because I was sitting by Naam Fon and we would watch the flow of water hit Sam, and Dave...drenching them (probably 15 times)...then Naam Fon would look at herself...then look at me...realizing that neither one of us got more then some sprinkles of water...and then put her hand up for a high five...with a huge smile on her face...saying, "Just Sam" as we high fived. Still This moment brings a smile to my face if not a few chuckles. It was a memory (maybe a had to be there moment...you tell me ;) )


Here is a picture of our team (minus Pastor Dave, Pastor Boonchu, P'Oh, and Spy...I do not know where they were when we were taking the picture...) the morning after we arrived into the city of Chiang Mai. We were saying our good-byes after a wonderful God given time together in the mountains/villages of the Karen tribes. Pastor Luke, his wife Kris, their son Sam, and Dave were catching a flight back to Bangkok that night. Pastor Boonchu, His wife P'Oh, and their son Spy were going to stay a few days before heading back up into the mountains to some other villages. Naam Fon and P'Charin were catching a bus back that morning and Sarah "Ky Mook" and I were going to stay two days and spend time with our friend Poppy.

These Last couple weeks have been a time to remember =) Read the following 5 posts below to hear all about God's workings within the past two weeks at the youth conferences!!