Cultural exposure tour

Our focus today was getting out and seeing some parts of Bangkok that would give us a better understanding of the people we're ministering to.

Chatchai and his family (wife Sofia, son Pure and daughter Praise) accompanied us to the Grand Palace. The Thai people LOVE their king. Idolise him, in fact. I commented about this to Sofia on Saturday, and she said that they treat him like a god. This attitude is reflected in the opulence of the royal palace. Annabel said that she was struck by the contrast between the huge, ornate buildings they saw there and the extremely humble dwellings we had seen around our neighbourhood, which the average Thai people live in.

Afterwards, we went to Mahathat temple - a prominent centre of Buddhist learning in Bangkok. I had read that everyday Thai Buddhism is on display here like nowhere else. I have been to several Buddhist temples in different parts of Thailand, and had previously felt my heart ache at the sight of people bowing down to statues, offering them incense, money, and prayers, and giving gifts to the monks, all in an effort to "make merit" in order to gain a reward of which they are never, ever certain. But that feeling still struck me as strongly this time, even though the sight was not new. One part of the temple was particularly intense - a room full of golden idols, displayed on every side, with a monk praying into a microphone (which was amplified very loudly!), incense and candles burning, and people kneeling and bowing until their heads touched the floor. Kelly and I both sat for a time in this room, and in another one nearby which was a bit less confronting, and prayed that God would have mercy on the people there. I wondered if anyone had ever before sat there and prayed that the name of Jesus would be known in this place.

Walking the streets nearby, we also saw dozens of street stalls selling amulets which are supposed to protect people from all manner of bad things.

The Thai people are clearly very aware of a spiritual realm, and seem to be aware of their own need - but most of them have no idea how to fulfill that need. Sofia said that most of the people we saw at the temple would never have even heard the name of Jesus Christ. This is hard for Australians to grasp, having grown up with churches everywhere and the name of Jesus known to virtually everybody (even if only as a swear word!). It's a pretty daunting thought, being here for such a short time! But we will do what little we can while we're here, and we will continue to pray.

At the King's Palace

People praying at the palace.  So sad seeing people enslaved like this.

Ellen and Kelly at the Buddhist temple.

Huge gold Buddha at the temple.  Considering the poverty of the surrounding people it's so bizarre to see the wealth poured into the temples.

Pool time on the roof at the end of the day.