Nine minute summary video

Keith did a nine minute summary video of our mission trip. The song that goes with it is one we used often in our group devotions over the two weeks. May God continue to bless these people.

A few more pictures

1) Riding the train over the River Kwai

2) Fun after the farewell dinner

3) Plane ride back to the states

4) At the Tsunami Memorial Park

5) Devotions at the hotel in Bangkok

Update on my doctor's visit

I loved Thailand, but it is good to be home. My visit to the doctor was this afternoon. He could not get over my legs. They are more red today around the rash areas and look more inflamed. I’m not sure if it was the long flights yesterday or what. My right ankle was really swollen yesterday and today as well. He told me that I really need to elevate it and rest it. He gave me an upgraded steroid cream to put on the rash areas and prescribed oral steroids for the next few (?) weeks. He read about the paederus bug and took my past history into consideration. He was going to consult with his father-in-law, a dermatologist that was in town visiting him, to see whether or not to put me on an antibiotic.

To see a picture of this bug, look here:
http://dermatology.cdlib.org/127/case_reports/paederus/qadir.html

God’s blessings!

More Pictures of the last few days

These pictures are:

1. My snapper fish dinner with a 20% discount!

2. Saturday picture at the men's seminar

3. Saturday picture at the women's seminar

4. The Bridge over the River Kwai

5. My hospital angels: Oh, Joe, and Tak

(I have the same dress on for lots of pictures. Just so you know, I had the dress cleaned often while I was there! After the episode with my legs, the two dresses I had with me felt better to wear than pants or shorts)

Pictures of last days

Here are some pictures of the last few days:

1. Riding an elephant

2. Having fun together and saying goodbye on the last night in Bangkok

3. Receiving a goodbye gift from the Bangkok JIL team

4. An early picture of one of my legs

5. 4 AM at the airport saying goodbye

Wednesday evening - still in Atlanta

It is 6 pm Wednesday evening and we are in Atlanta waiting for a delayed plane. I am so tired! We left the hotel in Bangkok 27 hours ago at 3 am Thailand time. I had hoped to blog about our last day in Thailand, but by the time we got back to the hotel on Tuesday night and packed all of our bags, it was 11:15 pm and our week of paying for internet access expired at 10:22. I won't attempt to write any more tonight, but if you read this this evening, continue to pray for the last plane flight!

Tuesday morning - our last full day in Thailand

Yesterday was a sight seeing day. We got on the tour bus at 7 AM here at the hotel and rode 3 hours through the beautiful countryside to Kanchanaburi. That is the location of the Bridge over the River Kwai, the Cemetary for the Allied Soldiers and the Death Rail. Since my Dad was a Marine and I have watched the movie based on the bridge numerous times, it was a cool thing to be there. We took a one hour open air train ride over the bridge and around the area (the bridge itself is not that long) . then we ate at a restaurant right by the tracks and saw one of the caves where Allied soldiers are said to have stayed at some time during their work here. Keith took over 1200 digital pictures yesterday. He usually sits in the front of the buses because he is the "official" photographer for our group, although we all of course are taking pictures.

Our devotions on the bus were meaningful in a special way. One of the songs we sang, Above All, has taken on new meaning after being in Thailand. The people here love their king and queen and their pictures and/or portraits are in their houses, churches, and all along the roads and streets. They truly honor and respect the royal family. The opening lines of that song, "Above all powers, above all kings" will always make me think more about the kings of this present world, and especially over here. I bet I have more than 40 pictures of the king and queen taken in the various places we have been.

Today we have a bus toup and boat tour of Bangkok. We take an hour ride on the bus to another part of the city, get on a boat to see that area, then visit the Grand Palace and one of the famous temples. We all have to be dressed in long pants or dresses/skirts today. We meet with the staff at the Lutheran Hour's Ministry headquarters tonight for final devotions and a good bye meal. I'm sure many of us will be in tears again like we were the last day of the seminar, and after Sunday's churcd service. Then we have to finish our final packing (ugh) beacause we leave the hotel at 3 AM tomorrow morning.

Our flight leaves somewhere around 5 AM, we travel for about 24-25 hours total, and will be back in Mobile by about 6/5:30PM in the evening. We gained 12 hours on the way here and lose 12 hours on the way back. That will be something. I will try to get a few more pictures posted, but that may have to wait until we get home. Almost forgot to tell you that we also rode elepahnts for 30 minutes yesterday.

Thank you for your prayers up to this point and please continue them.

Love and God Bless,
Diana