Homebound

We are on our way home now after spending a couple days in Khao Lak. It's very touristy there, and the prices are much higher than in Ranong where we were paying a little more than a dollar a meal. But we managed to enjoy ourselves nonetheless. On Tuesday some of us stayed on the beach at Khao Lak while another group went on a snorkeling tour to the Similan Islands. The tour was well done, and the boat driver entertained us by making quick turns and wide circles in the bay. It took more than an hour to get to the islands. We didn't stop at all nine islands, but we spent more than an hour and a half snorkeling in two locations. The second was the best with beautiful blue-tipped coral, parrot fish and other multi-colored fish. Some of us even saw clown fish and squid. We stopped on an island for lunch. The beaches there were pure white, and the islands had bungalows and tents where people could stay.

The next day some of us went on an elephant tour. They sat two people on each elephant, and we had five females and one male. The male was 48 years old, and the driver said the elephants could live to be 100. The elephants were very laid back and let us pet their thick skin. We were amazed at their eyelashes and the wire-like hair on their massive heads. The little caravan stopped at a waterfall, where we spent a few minutes taking pictures. When we got back to the camp we fed the elephants bananas. Then we hit the beach in Khao Lak and enjoyed our last night out.

It's hard to pinpoint a favorite moment in our trip to Thailand, because everything was so unique and eye-opening. But I think I can safely say interacting with the Thai and Burmese was the best part of the trip. It's so uplifting to find that despite the language barrier, the culture differences and — the most obvious — the distinction between our physical features, we are all the same people underneath. We all need a guiding hand, because we often stumble. We all bleed, we all cry, we all need love. And it's so amazing to travel to the other side of the world and see a reflection of yourself in someone else.

God has touched our lives in an awesome way, and we pray he continues to open the hearts of the Thai and the Burmese and all those who are looking for something this world does not offer.

Grace and Peace to you, brothers and sisters.