Day 4...Mission & Motorcycle Adventures

WEATHER: Woke up it was 21 degrees and is now 26 degrees, it is a cool day in Thailand :D

MY MISSIONS MISSION
I checked my Facebook yesterday, and found the following mission in my inbox, sent by two amazing and obviously brilliant young friends. Thanks guys, I am looking forward to completing the challenge, it certainly adds a new dimension of fun to my trip.

Your mission (mission haha in 2 ways)..if you choose to accept is to complete the following tasks by the time you are back on Canadian soil:

1) You must fine two people who resemble Julia Hamilton and Mary Goodwin and get picture proof.

2) Teach a child to "pound it"

3) Add a lyric from a Michael Jackson song into one of your sermons. ie: Just beat it! ( this is not crucial but 25 bonus points will be given)

4) Sing our entire National Anthem at some point. at least 2 non-Canadian witnesses and their signatures.

5) Collect one napkin from a fast food restaurant that we don't have in Canada. And one from a fast food restaurant that we do have.

6) For 50 bonus points take a picture of someone famous.

7) The final challenge is to get a signature from a flight attendant and to triple ALL your points the signature of THE pilot (co-pilot does NOT count)

MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURES
So today I am going to share a bit about the driving here in Thailand. As I have already mentioned a large portion of the population drive Motorcycles or scooters, in fact that is how I get around here.

They drive on the left hand side of the road, cars and motorbikes along side each other, jockeying for position. Now Rebekah is a shockingly impressive motorbike driver. I say shockingly not because I would assume she could not conform to the rules of the road, but because in Thailand the driving demands a certain amount of aggressive behaviour. To say the least I would never associate aggressive behaviour with Rebekah.

I have driven into the college and around town everyday on the back of Rebekah's Honda, without incident. We wear all our safety equipment, which consists of a helmet, not knee pads, or elbow pads, no jacket, not even long sleeves.

We take the highway from where I am staying into the ministry building going about 70km/h and while it can at times be a little disconcerting as we jockey and squeeze up to the front between cars and other motorbikes doing the same, I never found myself to concerned with the inherent dangers...until yesterday!

Driving for lunch, the motorbike started to sway a bit, which caused me to gulp a bit, when we realized that a tire had blown. Fortunate for us, one of the nice vendors along the side of the road indicated to us that there was a repair shop a couple feet from us. So with 3 minutes, and $3 we had a new tire and were back on the road. After lunch we went to check out where Rebekah and Josh live before heading back to the college, on the way back we hit a patch of loose sand and as we started to break the bike gave way, luckily our four feet planted on the ground, and with my gift of girth, we were able to keep from taken a spill. I am praying I do not come home with any souvenir road rash from Thailand.

Oh but the adventure continues, as we continued to drive a truck decided it needed to turn left crossing over the lane in front of us, just barely taking us out.

Not to worry though, we made it back to ministry centre safe and sound, and I got to experience the fullness of Thailand driving. I wish there was a way I could describe in all its facets what the driving is like here, perhaps I can take some video footage one day as we are driving.

MOM if you are reading this, do not worry, really it is not that bad, I am in good hands <3

Thailand the land of smiles...for a reason...
Okay I wish I had known this before hand, because I would have been coming back with some metal in my mouth. The cost of dental work here in Thailand is incredibly inexpensive, and from all accounts from both the Thai locals and white missionaries the quality and service is great. Braces here cost $600 - $1118 for ceramic braces. Wisdom tooth extraction $23 - 48.

PRAYER REQUEST
To everyone reading this, I am preaching tomorrow morning at approx. 11:15am Thailand time, so 11:15pm Saturday for you. I am excited for this opportunity, but would be lying if I said I was not nervous given the dynamics of using an interpreter, and being in a totally different culture. If you could please remember to keep my in prayer that God would speak through me and into the hearts of each person there, that would be swell.