Ready…Set…Wait
Typically when you travel in a developing country things never go quite as planned. I learned this lesson years ago and so to help me cope with my “Type A” personality I was once given a Gumby before a trip to Africa – the reminder was to always be flexible. I needed Gumby yesterday.
The plan was to fly into Laos from Bangkok and then drive up to the village of Dakdin – which is the village we’re going to highlight in our campaign with World Concern. Other than getting stuck in the last row of a small airplane and having no legroom (and I mean zero) leg room, we got to Pakse, Laos right on time. And then…we waited. Our pick-up driver had the wrong information about our arrival time and so we sat the airport and waited an extra three hours to begin our journey. By the time we actually got on the road there was no way we were going to make it to the village so we ended up staying the night in a guest house where I write this now. So, with the extra time yesterday I did a lot of thinking and praying and so here are some random thoughts of the trip so far.
Random Thought #1
It’s become harder and harder to escape America. From the Starbucks at the Bangkok airport (and Dunkin Donuts, and McDonalds, and Burger King, and 7 Eleven, etc…) to the music played on the radio in the cab, the biggest export of the United States is our culture…and I’m not certain that’s a great thing. Still processing that one.
Random Thought #2
Technology still amazes me. On a short layover in Cambodia we had to change planes and inside the terminal in Cambodia they had free wi-fi. So I logged in on my iPhone and checked e-mail, and Facebook, and uploaded pictures, and within minutes of doing that I had some comments on the pictures from friends in the States. Crazy. Little hand held devices connect me to the world in real time. Again…I’m not certain that’s a great thing. Still processing that one…but thankful for the ability for sure.
Random Thought #3
Sleep is a good thing. The trip to Thailand was 18 hours in the air followed by 3 hours of “sleep” at a hotel followed by a trip back to the airport to get to Laos. I figured it out that in the span of 48 hours of my life I had been awake approximately 42 of them. Is it any wonder that I was having a real hard time staying awake one the ride from the airport yesterday? Thankfully I got a solid 7 hours last night and am feeling much better.
Random Thought #4
I simply cannot fathom the depravity of a person who will fly to SE Asia for the sole purpose of having sex with an underage person. They are called “Sex Tourists” and they are real. Checking into our Guest House we were reminded of it by the sign posted in our rooms. Lord, I’m not a violent man but please protect me from what I might do if I ever see a “Sex Tourist” on the prowl.
Random Thought #5
Laos is beautiful. I know it may sound strange, but as we sat there at the airport outside waiting the three hours for our ride it reminded me of Hawaii. The palm trees, the humidity, the mountains and the smell. It’s very different from Africa…less dusty…less hectic. Driving on the roads I was thankful people actually obeyed traffic laws and seemed rather civil. But above all else, the people are kind, polite and gentle and very quick to smile. And it is becoming very soothing to be greeted by Laotians with two hands folded in front like a prayer and a gentle nod.
Random Thought #6
When we did get to the World Concern offices yesterday we got a short briefing on the challenges that face the village of Dakdin. It is located high in the hills and a healthy water source is very difficult to find. In fact, the government has actually floated up the idea of relocating the entire village closer to a water source. I have no idea how they would do that, but just to even consider that option not only means healthy water is a significant issue in Dakdin, but the importance of clean water can never be underestimated. Of course, associated with the water issue are health and sanitary concerns. Food security is the second biggest need as rice farming has some problems in the area. There is hope that coffee can be developed as a crop to add economic stability to the village. The third most significant issue is education. A Typhoon back in 2009 wiped out the school building and the school building built to replace it is very small. The fact that two neighboring villages also send their children to the school means overcrowding is significant. But, that’s what we’re here to do: scout out the issues and hope that radio listeners can come alongside the people of Dakdin and help it transform.
So, today the plan is to go get the proper permits to travel into the community (Laos is a communist country so every visitor is monitored closely) and then we should arrive in Dakdin by 2:30 this afternoon. That’s the plan…but I have my Gumby in my pocket just in case.
