YWAM

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It's Thursday evening and time for a quick update...

I made some phone calls this morning and connected with Pastor Wasan (local Thai pastor) and some YWAMers (Youth With A Mission - Christian organization; YWAM website ) who are building a couple of houses in Baan Nam Khem (I think that's the name!). It's about 30 kilometers north of Khao Lak and was hit hard by the tsunami.

There are two YWAM teams currently in the area - one from Cape Town, South Africa, and the other from Colorado Springs. I met most of the group from Cape Town a few days ago in Khao Lak before I went on the scuba dive trip. It so happens that the leaders of the 2nd group (from Colorado Springs) were in Khao Lak this morning so I was able to hitch a ride with them up north to Baan Nam Khem this afternoon. I met Pastor Wasan who seems to be involved in many of the service projects in the area, and reconnected with the YWAMers I had previously met as well as the other YWAMers I hadn't yet met. There are about 20 of them all together.

I pitched in this afternoon (mixing cement, sand and water) which they are using to build the house (concrete block walls). Doing physical labor in this heat is downright crazy. Talk about sweat. Even the girls were sweating, umm, I mean glowing. They don't sweat. But I do! That cold shower felt good tonight.

Anyway, the plan is for me to go back up to Baan Nam Khem tomorrow to do manual labor and then spend the night with a local Thai family. You wondering what that will be like? Me too!

As far as transportation up to Baan Nam Khem, I'll be taking the bus again (that elusive bus whose schedule is unknown to me, but as far as I can tell, there are only 3 of them per day in this area). Getting back to Khao Lak tonight, I managed to catch a bus after only waiting on the side of the road for about 45 minutes. We'll see what tomorrow brings. There's always the taxi option too if necessary (but the bus is way cheaper!)

On Saturday morning, I plan on heading back down to Phuket to relax on the beach for a few days before I return to Bangkok by the 25th to meet up with my good friend Jonathan.

that's all for now...

Look! There goes Dave!

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Photos

Building a house
YWAMers building a house in Baan Nam Khem

It's crowded in here!
Members of the YWAM team from Cape Town

Road through Khao Lak
The main road, actually, the only road through Khao Lak

The bus
The bus back to Khao Lak

Comments

[jonathan.]

see you in a few...
looking forward to hanging out, bro! time to hit thon krueng and do our best to avoid being hit by the tuk-tuks... (look left!) where's heather-marie?

[Heather Marie]

Here I Am!
I am here and wishing I was there! Having a blast reading your blog David! The pics are great and look forward to seeig more when you get home!