Jewelry Class

Here's a few pictures of Chelsey with her jewelry making class. She is teaching a few advanced students metalworking.

On not loving the world

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If you love the world, love for the Father is not in you. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes and their boasting about what they have and do - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2:15-17

Walking to Work

The green back allies of tropical Thailand. These are all pictures of the flowers and beautiful green I see every day on my half mile walk to work. There is a large chinese house being built in the back ally and someone has a hedge of bamboo!

Outreach

Soi Cowboy - a small street just off a major thoroughfare downtown. Like a county fair, there is an arching sign with oversized bulb lights flashing. The sign is dusky blue - covered in a thick layer of black pollution. Surrounding the entrance is a parade of street vendors that send up clouds of burning spices that sting my nose. I involuntarily hold my breath as I walk. Hundreds of falang (foreigners) men bustle around. I fight the urge to hate them all - remembering that it is love, not hate, which heaps coals on the head of sin.

As we turn onto the street, we walk under the blue-grey sign to an image of hollywood movies or vegas. A full corridor of flashing neon from my ankles to the fifth story and draping over the street too. It is busy like any other street, but exaggerated as there are thousands of people within the two hundred yard stretch.

We walk slowly, passing vendors with wheeled carts hassling us to look at their cheap skirts or shish-kebabs. Each building is connected to its neighbor. They are all three to five stories tall and about 30 feet wide. Each building starts with a ground level porch. Johns fill the porch tables releasing pungent smells of lust and alcohol. Each John has two or three girls at his table, all with drinks, all scantily clad. Cori and Jup recognize a girl on the porch of a bar called "Kiss." She is dressed in a tight black dress that covers what is necessary but leaves little to the imagination. She is strikingly beautiful, her face pale and smooth with eyelashes that grace her perfect eyebrows and frame her big brown eyes. Her long black hair reflects the flashing red light of the bar's sign. She's smiling and calling to each man who passes. She holds a sign that proclaims the happy hour special 60 Bhat ($2) beer. Her smile grows from big to giant when she sees Jup and Cori. They greet with bows and affectionate hugs. Three other girls who match her image scurry over for warm hugs. Chelsey and I are introduced around. They are all interested in us and excited to catch up with Jup and Cori on the latest gossip. I felt so welcomed and loved by them - anyways - that is their profession.

In the background, girls with black bathing-suit bottoms and red lacy tops flow in and out of the heavy velvet curtain that separates the indoors from the street. Johns follow close behind, eyes glued to the most shapely parts of the delicate Asian bodies.

After 30 minutes of laughing at my pathetic Thai and the girls' attempts at English, while Cori and Jup had much more interesting conversations on the side, the bar manager - a trendily dressed, attractive woman in her thirties - playfully reminds the girls of their duties inside. We exchange happy goodbyes and promises to go bowling next week and walked on to the next bar.

Thai Massage!

My Thai housemate Ad took me for a Thai massage last night. Wowee! It was just over $3 for a full hour! I was given traditional Thai clothes to wear: a baggy button down shirt and HUGE pants with a tie at the waist... I own a pair of these pants from the last time I was in the east... but I have yet to figure out a good way to use the tie to secure them. So, I did what any good westerner would do in such a situation, I laid down without a word hoping no one would notice my ignorance! The little lady went at my muscles like a gangster to a gringo! She elbowed them, slapped them, punched them, pulled them this way and pushed them that way, she folded them and pressed on them until they screamed, then she stepped on them. She walked all over them until they had no energy left and submitted fully to her wrath. Needless to say, today I am soar.

Don't get me wrong; it was great! I will do it again before I leave, but I will be sure my health insurance has come through in full first!

A Thousand Words...

My housemate Cori has let me use her computer to download some pictures for you all!

On my road trip from Alabama to California with my friends Sally and

Heather we stopped at the grand canyon and hiked for a day. That night we drove to Las Vegas stopping by the Hoover Dam at night.

The street I live on in Bangkok.

Yesterday - Saturday - I spent mainly in rest and relaxation here at the house, reading, writing, napping, etc.

In the evening Chelsey and Cori and I took a taxi to a park in another part of the city. The park was beautiful. Several lakes/rivers, flowers, benches, trees, grassy spots, some fruit trees. The sun set while we were there. It was calm and nice to be outside walking. There were lots of runners, lovers, families and photographers.

Today, I woke up early - 6:30 - to the sound of howling and barking dogs, roosters and a motorbike. I saw beautiful orange and pink sunrise clouds over the banana tree-tops out my barred windows. I am glad for my house-mates sleeping in so I can have the living area to myself for french press, toast and quiet time while the city is still cool and quiet with morning.

My Address

Hello all!

I am here in Bangkok safe and sound. I believe I have even beaten jet lag! I am loving the food and enjoying meeting my new community. Here is my long awaited address. Plan on a letter taking 2 weeks to get one way! I hope to hear from you all soon!!!!

Skye Chambless care of The Well

75 On Nut Soi 38/1

Sukhumvit 77 Rd

Suan Luang, Suan Luang

Bangkok 10250

Thailand

Excitedly awaiting your letters:)

Skye

skyechambless.blogspot.com

In Preperation

The Armor of God:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God. so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes form the gospel of peace in addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I may fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare if fearlessly, as I should."

Ephesians 6: 10-20

On the Road Again...

Sally, Heather, and I safely arrived in Los Angeles yesterday afternoon. We saw snow in every state but Texas and visited the Grand Canyon and Los Vegas! We spent four nights on the road: Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. Best of all, we kept a journal (thanks to Liam) and took lots of pictures. So, hopefully one day soon I will be able to post lots of fun stories and pictures to prove them!

We stayed last night in the home of Sally's new boss. He and his wife have a spare room and have welcomed us in like family. I was able to spend some time on the phone and skype last night and got a final boost of encouragement from my friends and family. I am feeling very content and excited and am looking forward to curling up in my seat with a good book for the next day!

And the journey begins...

I'm all packed up! I will be leaving Birmingham tomorrow for a fourish day trip across the country. Sally, Heather, and I will be driving long days and staying the nights in hotels. We are hoping to stop at the grand canyon for a little hike and land in Los Angeles, CA on sunday. I fly out of LA Monday morning at 11.20am. After many hours of traveling, I will be greeted by one of the kind workers from The Well with whom I have been communicating over the past couple of weeks.

I have recently learned that there will be another intern at The Well during a similar time-frame as me. She is a recent graduate from a university in Texas where she studied metalworking and jewelry making. She will be sharing her skills with the women who are studying jewelry making. It will be nice to have an instant companion.

I am excited to share a link my mother found of where I will be in Wamba!

http://wn.com/Wamba,_Kenya

And for any of you who speak Italian... feel free to send me a detailed translation report;) The long awaited conversation with Sister Linda (my contact with Wamba Hospital) happened this week! I found out a lot of important information like: I will have my own space with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen; the best form of communication is cell phone; And I will have very limited internet access (a matter of hours per month, I think).

I am 75% of the way to my financial goal, which is a wonderful start! Please feel free contact me with any questions regarding my financial plan/budget or needs! Skyelc@gmail.com

Excitedly beginning,

Skye