November 22, 2013
Dear ones,
It was a delight to hear from some of you. Keep your notes coming! We think of each of you so often and lift up prayers of thanksgiving for the treasures you are in our life.
We have had some amazing and fascinating experiences already, and we've only been here two nights. After that "brief" but wonderful sleep in Bangkok after our long flight, we had our first "real" sleep last night here at Kwai River Hospital near Sanglaburi in western Thailand very close to the Myanmar border. Lea Lindaro from the Philippines (a missionary nurse with International Ministries) is our host here, and she is wonderful. We had a long trip here by cross-Bangkok train, a bus to Kanchanaburi and then another bus to Sanglaburi and then someone from the hospital picked us up for another 20 min drive. It was dark when we arrived and Lea had a good curry supper ready for us.
This morning we attended a hospital chapel service and then we were invited to go on rounds with Dr. Scott Murray (Scotland) and also a doctor from Myanmar and another very young volunteer doctor from England. We were so impressed with their skill and compassion. The patients were mostly from Myanmar and were quite complicated cases. Everyone is so polite, with their hands in a prayer position and a smile as they great you. This happens many times a day.
After that, we drove with Lea and a Thai driver for the hospital to a small restaurant for Thai food, which was excellent, ending with Thai ice tea, which was so good! Next stop, only a half-hour drive to Three Pagoda Pass the border of Thailand and Myanmar. So we stepped foot into Myanmar for the first time in 21 years! Wow, what a feeling.
Many stalls of folks were there selling their wares, and Lea and I bought a few things. We drove home for a nap... and then have enjoyed helping Lea to cook Thai food and cut up a new fruit called "Dragon fruit," which is very exotic looking and has mild sweet taste. Fun!
I forgot to mention that. on our way here yesterday, our friend New, who accompanied us from Bangkok, took us to a famous place in Kanchanaburi—the real "Bridge Over the River Kwai"—where we toured an amazingly beautiful cemetery that holds many of the 15,000 prisoners of war who were forced to build the railway to connect Rangoon to Thailand. This was done by the Japanese, and is yet another sad result of the tragedy of war. We saw graves of young men from England, India, US, Austrailian, the Netherlands, Myanmar, Thailand... many having died from cruelty, overwork, dehydration, malnutrition, malaria etc. So sad. This place is now a tourist attraction. The bridge, which was repaired after it was bombed during WW2, is still in use in Thailand, but does not go to Myanmar. Every grave has fresh flowers blooming, and the place is one of the most beautiful cemeteries I have ever seen. It was very moving to read the plaques.
I must close for now—I hope this isn't too long! Feel free to send this on to others that might like to follow our trip. There is so much more to tell, but it is time for guests to arrive.
Love and prayers,
Nancy and Steve (Mama and Papa)
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