A Review of 7 Months in Thailand

Only $1 for a bag of bugs

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

I'll be honest with you, living in Thailand was a blast.

Each day offered new adventures and challenges, whether it was trying to figure out exactly what you were eating, or getting through a crazy morning commute, you always had to be on your toes. Each day was also rewarding, as I learned more about Thailand, and worked on exciting projects for Stop Slavery.

There were plenty of struggles and stresses along the way, but these are just opportunities to learn and grow.

I want to share with you a short graphic that hopefully gives you an idea of some of the things I did, and experiences I enjoyed:

Click to view full - A short graphic with some numbers

There were plenty of exciting stories from my time in Thailand (like riding a moto-taxi through Bangkok). And I will always remember the villages and orphanage I visited in Cambodia. These are experiences that I can learn and grow from.

Pastor Paul handing out Bibles

I am amazed at how much I learned from spending just seven short months overseas. I learned a great deal in my field of work, getting more experience with blogging, social media, internet marketing and WordPress.

I learned a lot about the current situation of modern slavery not only in Southeast Asia, but throughout the world and had the opportunity to meet people and see organizations heavily involved in anti-trafficking efforts.

God's faithfulness and blessings in my own life were incredible to see, and experience.  I come away recognizing that sometimes when we take small steps and risks, God blesses it in big ways.

I also developed awesome new friendships and was encouraged by so many people who are living overseas because that's where God wants them, and they were willing to go.

Smiling kids in Cambodia

We each have opportunities, whether in our home town, or across the globe, and these opportunities might be challenging, but they often lead to greater things. I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Thailand, and what a fun time it was.

Thanks to everyone who supported and prayed for my trip. It has left an indelible mark on my life and I am grateful for the opportunity.

I have plenty more I would love to share, so if you want to learn more about Thailand, stay tuned to this blog, or get in contact using the form on the contact page.

Thanks for visiting!

Coming to a Close

7 Months Goes By Fast

In just a few days I'll be jumping on a plane and heading across the pacific, back to America, as my trip comes to a close. It is amazing to me that I've been living in Thailand for seven months now.

White temple in Chiang Rai

My time in Thailand has been incredibly rewarding as I have learned many different things, and gained a lot of life experiences.

The work I've been doing with Stop Slavery has remained interesting and fun as I've used some of my marketing skills, and learned some new ones, to help generate awareness for modern slavery and get Stone in Shoe going.

The experiences I've had I can't put a price on, from the places I've seen, to the people I've met, this trip has been invaluable.

But probably the best part of the last seven months has been learning more about who God is, and recognizing His guidance and direction in my life. The way things sometimes just 'work out' are clearly not by chance, and it is fun to see this occurring in my life and situations around me.

I don't have plans for the future yet, but I'm pretty sure someone does...

A Big Thank You!

Finally got around to riding an elephant

I do want to say a huge thank you to everyone who encouraged me, supported me and prayed for me while I've been in Thailand. What a great blessing it has been to have a team of people across the world joining with me to fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia.

It has been very encouraging to hear from people at different times while I've been in Thailand and I am looking forward to getting back to the states and seeing many of you.

Until then, I would appreciate prayers for the travels ahead.

Thanks again, and God Bless.

Sunsets and Sunrises

A Month to Go!

Palms at Sunset

Lately I've been stopping to enjoy the sunsets and sunrises in Chiang Mai and it has given me time to reflect on the 6 months I've already spent here in Thailand.

I am amazed at how fast 6 months can go, it seems like just days ago I was setting out to Thailand to work with Stop Slavery. At that time, I wasn't quite sure what I would be doing, but I was ready to jump in wherever needed.

Upon arriving I quickly joined in on the exciting project of starting Stone in Shoe, an artwork company with the dual purpose of selling great art, and supporting anti-trafficking through awareness and funding.

My background in internet marketing made it easy for me to join in with the small team in launching a start-up. I enjoy working on the SEO and Content Marketing, figuring out how to market and develop the site.

Dew at Sunrise

And now, almost 6 months later, we have a website (mostly) finished, relationships with artists, printers, framers, and suppliers created, and a pretty good idea of where we are going. There have been a handful of challenges along the way, and some things have just taken longer than expected. In other areas we have found surprising breakthroughs, so its been an up and down ride so far.

But sometimes I wonder if I'm doing enough, if I'm accomplishing what I thought I would get done.

I want to make a difference, to do as much as possible, but I have to remember two things: First, I have certain skills and abilities, and I should focus on using my strengths in the ways I can (I shouldn't, for example, try to write and perform a song to raise money or awareness, because that would end terribly). Second, God has prepared things for me to do, and so I should focus on doing the things created for me to do, and not worry about things I shouldn't be doing.

It is quite freeing when you start to realize that you're not supposed to do everything.

Krabi, Thailand

So over the next month I'll be focusing on doing as much as I can in the areas I can make the biggest impact, especially, the Stone in Shoe project.

If you're interested in learning more about Stone in Shoe, you can follow the link to the website, or contact me in a comment below, or on the contact page.

Thanks for reading, and I hope that you are also living in your strengths, and not worrying about the things you're not called to do.

PS - Hope you enjoy these pictures of sunsets and sunrises from Chiang Mai.

Sunrise in Chiang Mai

Travels - Cambodia

February has been Filled with Visiting Several Amazing Places

This month has gone by fast as I enjoyed two separate trips. The first trip was 5 days in Siem Reap, Cambodia where I visited the Stop Slavery Orphanage, several villages and Angkor Wat. Then a few days later I left for Bangkok, and Krabi, Thailand.

It has been incredibly fun to visit these different places and I am thankful each day for the opportunity to see new places, and learn new things.

I'll cover my trip to Cambodia in this post, and make a 'part 2' for my travels to Krabi.

Cambodia

I went to Cambodia with Buddy Rathmell, founder of Stop Slavery, on a quick five day trip at the beginning of February. We checked in on the orphanage sponsored by Stop Slavery there, and looked into several other mission projects at nearby villages. We also did a little sightseeing at Angkor Wat.

An enclosed area at one of the temples in Angkor Wat

Visiting Cambodia was en experience I will never forget. Angkor Wat was an amazing collecting of temples, each with a massive number of intricate structures as well as carvings on almost everything. I was astounded by the shear size of the structures and walls that surrounded them, along with the number of different temples.

Lots of other people also there to see Angkor Wat

But what I will likely remember even more vividly than Angkor Wat are the people I met in Cambodia. Ranging from the indigenous pastors and missionaries to the children at the orphanage and villages, they were all a joy to meet and get to know in just a few short days.

One of the villages

At both the orphanage and villages, I was surprised at how little the kids had compared to western standards, and yet they lived quite happily. It made me realize that I should both be thankful for what I have, and also not put my happiness in stuff.

It is hard to fully convey the experience of seeing an extremely rural village, where some families live in one room bamboo and wood houses on stilts to avoid flooding. They use a well with a hand pump to get water that isn't clean, but its all they have. The village has various animals that roam about, and the only way to reach it is on small dirt paths.

This is how they get all of their water

Yet inspite of conditions that I would find difficult to live in, they were happy and embracing life. Huge steps are being made by a local widow who is sharing her life, and the Gospel, with one of the villages and on one of our visits, around 30 women and children gathered for a short church service. 

At the orphanage, Pastor Paul showed us around and I had a great time hanging out with the kids. They were so excited to meet new people, and were welcoming and friendly. I spent several meals with them and by the end of the trip they gave hugs as we said goodbye. 

I was surprised about how many things I took for granted in America, that the kids at the orphanage didn't have. Clean water from faucets, indoor kitchen, refrigerator, hot water, toys, and the list could go on. 

With the kids from the orphanage

Visiting Cambodia was a great opportunity for me to recognize not only how blessed I am, but that there are so many opportunities around the world for change and hope. Right now, Stop Slavery is making amazing progress in Cambodia through indigenous missionaries and it is incredibly encouraging. You can visit their website by following the link to learn more.

I could probably write pages more, but I wanted to keep this short and to the point. If you have questions or thoughts, be sure to leave a comment!

Thanks for visiting!

An Update with Pictures of Adventures - January 2014

Some Exciting Changes for Stone in Shoe on the Way

These steps (300 of them) lead to a temple at the top
of Doi Suthep, a mountain next to Chiang Mai.

As most probably know, the main project I am working on here in Thailand is starting an art business called Stone in Shoe with the goal of raising awareness about modern slavery, while also raising money by donating all of the profits to anti-trafficking organizations.

I've been working on this with Alex and Jess Sartore (check out their blog) for the last 2 months or so, although we took a few weeks a little slower during the holidays. That time over the holidays gave us a chance to look at where we were, and make some exciting changes.

While I can't divulge all of the ideas, one thing we are working on is revamping the website to make it easier to navigate, easier for us to use, and just a better experience overall. You can go visit and enter your email to be the first to know when we relaunch!

Other News

Although I took a few weeks a little easy during the holidays, things have picked up again and life just seems to stay busy in Chiang Mai. There are always things to do, whether working on things, or enjoying adventures around the city.

I got myself a new camera for a late Christmas present, to replace my 6 year old camera. Its nothing fancy but gets the job done and is fun to play with, so here are some shots from adventures around Chiang Mai.

This first picture is of a quarry in Chiang Mai that offers a great place to relax, and have a little fun. There are a couple of places to do cliff jumping from, and the water isn't as cold as one would expect for January.

The Quarry

The photo below is from the temple at the top of Doi Suthep, a mountain that overlooks Chiang Mai. It was very beautiful, and there was a lot of gold colored things.

Doi Suthep Temple

Before entering the temple area, you must remove your shoes. The young boy in the photo was kind enough to organize all the shoes.

Shoes outside the temple

There are many markets in Chiang Mai, and this is just one small market that goes on every night. One of the bigger ones is the Sunday night market, where they close down a whole street for almost a mile of street vendors and other shops.

Night Market

A shot of the crew here working with Stop Slavery and Stone in Shoe at a great little coffee shop. Beats Starbucks by a mile, and then some. From left to right, Vince, Jess and Alex.

The group

I find the rice fields very peaceful and relaxing, and they are everywhere on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. You can see Doi Suthep in the background.

Rice Field

Thanks for taking the time to read or at least look at the pictures, let me know what you're thinking!

I am excited for the coming months as progress is made on several projects with Stop Slavery, and I appreciate your continued prayers. I also want to thank everyone who is helping support me over here, you guys are great. Thailand is a huge learning experience, and it isn't even close to over yet.

If you have questions about what I'm doing, or about Thailand, leave a comment!

I'll leave you with this quote from Benjamin Franklin that has really resonated with me this week:

“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas in Thailand - Thoughts

A quick shot while out exploring the Thai
countryside

It is hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone, and in a few short days it will be 2014. A lot has happened for me in 2013. And probably the biggest is learning about human trafficking, and then moving to Thailand to try to help do something about it.

It's been an exciting year, and looking back on it I wouldn't change anything. It is so much fun to be in Thailand and involved in things that are making a difference in the lives of people who are facing desperate situations.

I would encourage you to find ways to make a difference in the lives of others, if you don't already, because it is very rewarding not only for them, but also for you as well. Perhaps it can be a new year's resolution, that you actually follow through on.

Human Trafficking in 2013

There have been a lot of big strides in 2013, with many organizations involved in fighting modern slavery growing, and others (like Stone in Shoe), getting started.

I want o share a few resources I have found that came out this year and may be of interest to those who want to learn more about human trafficking.

The Walk Free Foundation released the Global Slavery Index 2013, which contains trafficking information and rankings for the majority of countries in the world. It is a very thorough index with a lot of information, but it is presented in a visually appealing way.

The Polaris Project created another valuable resource, compiling a rating of each state in the US on Human Trafficking Laws. This is a fascinating document to browse through as it provides a lot of information on each state and what laws they have or don't have for human trafficking. Perhaps you can take a look, and see how your state is doing.

Finally, the US government also put together a 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report with individual reports and information on many different countries around the world. Take a look, and see these detailed reports for yourself.

These resources provide a deeper look into the numbers and location information regarding human trafficking. While trafficking is much worse in some countries and regions, the sad fact is that it exists worldwide, in practically every country. But 2013 saw a big increase around the world in awareness, and even in arrests and other anti-trafficking efforts.

Back to Christmas in Thailand

Well, anyway, it's Christmas, and I hope everyone out there had a wonderful time, and hopefully enjoyed friends and family.

I enjoyed a fun Christmas afternoon hike with my housemates and some of their families, and managed to snap a few pictures of interesting things we found along the way.

We hiked up a dirt trail, up a mountain called Doi Suthep, and stumbled across a secluded temple sitting next to a small waterfall with a great view of Chiang Mai. It was a relaxing place, although it was impossible to miss the strange, and somewhat creepy, Buddhist statues and structures.

Hiked past this unique collection of structures that made up a temple and other buildings.

We eventually made it to the top of the mountain, where there were many shops and another temple. Apparently most people preferred to ride a motorcycle or drive a car to reach the top, rather than hike through the jungle.

Shops on the stairs that lead to the temple at the
top of the mountain.

It has been a unique experience being in Thailand for Christmas, because, while the stores and malls put up lots of holiday themed decorations, the Thai people don't really take the day off, and most business are open. It reminds me of Christmas in Japan, where many of the people like Christmas, and enjoy the decorations and gift giving, but have no idea what the holiday is about, or any traditions that go with it. It is a good reminder that not everyone in the world thinks the same, or celebrates the same things.

I am really looking forward to what 2014 holds, and I am confident that it will bring new adventures, challenges and fun. I am also excited for what can be accomplished in fighting human trafficking over the next 12 months.

Enjoy the last few days of 2013!

A Quick Drive into the Hills Around Chiang Mai

Thailand is Fun (And Different)

I took advantage of a quiet Saturday morning to drive out into the Thai countryside. It is a popular road that winds up and around some of the mountains that hang on the edge of Chiang Mai.

Stopped on the side of the road to snap this picture

Some people take motorcycles, racing up and down the winding hills, while other highly motivated individuals challenge themselves by riding a bicycle. I just went on my moped, maintaining a leisurely pace and enjoying the the many interesting sights along the way.

A fun coffee shop along the road

It was incredibly refreshing, and not just because I was out of the city's usual dust and car fumes, but just taking the time to explore and enjoy some beautiful mountain views helped me remember how blessed I am to be able to live in Thailand and do what I do.

The road flows up and down over the hills, with jungle vegetation all around. At times you are riding though little valleys with houses and small shops along the road, and then you ride up another hill, and get a great view of other hills and quaint valleys tucked around. It seems like the perfect place for anyone who needs a few days of absolute peace and quite.

On the way back I also stopped at my new favorite coffee shop and happily sipped a latte, warming myself up from the ride (apparently it's winter here, and is getting down into the low 70's (sometimes 60's) at night and in the early morning!).

I've been reading some books lately on injustice which have helped me be reminded of how important it is to be involved.

A fun little coffee shop with great Latte's

One of the books, called The Exodus Road, gives a wife's perspective of what it is like for her husband to do undercover investigations into human trafficking in many of the countries in Southeast Asia. This book details the true events and situations that exist right now, and how some people are working to combat injustice, one victim at a time. I highly recommend it if you are willing to be challenged. If you do buy it and read it, I would enjoy talking about your thoughts, so send me an email or leave a comment.

I didn't quite expect to find Thailand so full of adventures and fun new things, but I'm trying to enjoy them all. I am thankful to be able to live in Thailand, and help fight injustice in the ways I can. But you don't have to go to Thailand to do that, you can fight for justice wherever you are.

I want to encourage everyone to take more opportunities to enjoy the fun and interesting things around you. And if you can't find any new or exciting things, why not move over to Thailand, where you will find plenty.

Thanks for stopping by and reading, and thanks everyone who made this adventure in Thailand possible. There are certainly challenges, but there are also so many things to enjoy and thank God for. I'll be sharing more about Stone in Shoe, the company I'm helping start, in the near future.

Leave a comment with any questions or thoughts!