It wasn't that this year's trip was fantastic and awe-inspiring. Sure we went to the village, lived together for 9 days without beds and water taps. We taught the kids and adults hygiene; how to brush teeth and wash hands, first aid, food preparation. We cooked for ourselves and for the village on 2 occasions, performed for 2 farewells (village and KKU), and had to shower bucket-style. All that was well and good, a first experience for many of the participants I reckon, but the village wasn't really in dire straits, and they didn't desperately need our help nor resources. It benefited them no doubt, especially education on diabetes and hypertension and dengue in my opinion, but most of the villagers brush their teeth at least twice a day, wash hands regularly and are generally in good health. 

I certainly enjoyed the experience and getting to know a now bunch of friends. But I was only to find out how much more work there has to be done in Thailand.

The last 2 days, the rest of the group went over to Bangkok for rest and relaxation, while 1 team leader, Stef, and I, stayed on in Khon Kaen to meet up with Elizabeth and Gerald Khoo World Harvest Foundation. This organization works with people in the slum communities in Khon Kaen. They hold tuition and lessons for the kids, who otherwise do not see the importance of education. Their parents are mostly garbage collectors and resellers, and thus that is all they know about the world. Alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, child abuse and drug abuse are all common there. People get drunk and lie down on the railroad tracks only to be killed by passing trains. Grandparents come home drunk with their friends and rape their granddaughters. Without a proper sewage system, waste just drops from the make-shift houses to the ground below where it is then washed away by rain water. Due to such poor hygiene conditions, parasitic infestations and water-borne diseases are rampant, adding to the toll of the common chronic diabetes and hypertension, and you've got a people who really required medical care and help. They mostly have regular appointments with the polyclinic in charge of the slums, but that clinic is severely understaffed and overworked. 

People from World Harvest would go into houses to chat with the residents, find out how they are doing, and pray for them. Many have accepted Christ thanks to the work of the missionaries there. I saw all this, and decided that this is a golden opportunity to collaborate with the organization. Not only will it enable us to do more relevant work where it is needed in the slums, but it will also open up many opportunities for not only the slum community, but also our team, to receive the good news of the Gospel. 

Therefore, I decided to lead next year's team to Khon Kaen, to make sure that we link up well with World Harvest, and good work and resources can be given to those who really need them.