Slumdog Bangkok

Today we saw some of the worst living conditions and how a lot of people live in across the world which makes you appreciate all that we have in America. Even the worst of living conditions in America don't compare to the slums of Bangkok. Things we have they don't: sewage system, trash pickup system, more than one 20x10 foot room, and much much more. We saw kids without pants or shirts. We saw feces everywhere and all we smelled was urine. Parents just put clothes on the children with whatever they had and it wasn't much. This slum will break anyone's heart upon visiting. The children wanted to be with you. They wanted to hang out and check out your technology just like any other child. Many children there probably don't experience much love and just wanted us to hug them. We saw people living in broken down shacks and living in an area that none of us would settle for. We saw trash everywhere, saw slums built on dirty water filled with sewage, children who didn't have a lot of food, and a slum lottery where the most they could win was 40 baht which is equivalent to about 1 dollar. Let me tell you it was bad and we have to do something. To know about this and not do something is just wrong. American's are a culture of being in the know. We know about Haiti and want to do something. We should do something but the people in the slums of Bangkok are living in a condition that many die every month just for where they live. I can tell you most of us would not live one month in those conditions.

I'm sure if they just had proper sewage and drainage more people would live. I'm sure if someone would bring them food they could not be hungry. If someone would clothe them their body could be protected. If someone would love and play with their children they would feel love. If someone would take the time to know them you could see their real need is a Savior and you could share the Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus is what these people need. We can share the Gospel in real and tangible ways by meeting basic needs that none of us could comprehend.

It is my hope that through our ministry in Bangkok we can provide the hope of Jesus to the people of Siam Square as well as the people of the slums. It will look different in each location. One Rich and the other poor. One is our normal and one is nothing we have ever experienced nor will we. One has Starbucks at every corner and one lives on Starbucks' trash. There are so many differences but there is one thing in common: the people need Jesus.

It is time to do something.

Now that I know....

.....I have to do something......

To do NOTHING....

.....is to disobey God....

I will be obedient and I will not ignore.

What will you do now that you know?

I know we will do something...

Some images of our experience in the slum Klong Toey, Bangkok's largest...