Update #5

so, here i am in thailand. it still seems like a blur. sometimes when traveling to another country, it seems like you're actually traveling to another world. honestly. there is so much to process sometimes. there is one part of me that thinks that i've landed yesterday, and then there's the other which seems like i've just been here for years. it's as if things are just... zooming by in the sense that i'm finally feeling apart of this "world" a little more, and i'm going to be leaving in a month.

there are many things to say... but first i want to say thank-you. thank-you for your support, not only financially but spiritually. from the prayers to the e-mails, snail mail to facebook... you have all been such an asset. you are a vital community in my life. although i may be thousands of miles away, this does not mean that i have forgotten any of you. i may have contracted a lot of things in thailand, but amnesia is not one of them. (haha?)

anyways, things at the bar have become a little more intense as some of the women may be moving in after i leave. there is also one lady i visit quite often whom got into an "accident" the other day. her chin was very swollen, and i do believe that someone had beaten her. (she did not want to tell, as this would make the other person look bad, and she did not want to cause any more trouble for herself...) on a different note, some ladies work from 10 o'clock in the morning to 1o'clock in the morning (and i think that sometimes i have it bad!). they will live and sleep in the bar (they have an upstairs for customers... and themselves, if they stay there.) They sleep around 7-8 hours if not interrupted, and then go back to work. this one lady told me that she could not come to english class anymore as she is working extra hours. her boyfriend told her she had to work more. so, i'm seeing her after my thai classes this month just to say hi. when i told her that i was leaving she was almost crying. she said that she was so sad because she didn't know when i was coming back. (most people know that if you do not set a date, you may not be back... and i've fallen in love with so many people out here, i'm crying!)

there have also been other stories which i just find appalling. this one lady whom comes to english quite regularly was trafficked into myanmar (former burma), where she had to service up to 20 men a day. as gruesome as this sounds, this was her life. i could go into detail... but i think that the thought of being raped 20 times a day can be quite enough information. she got out of the scenario, and although i do not know specifics, i know those last statements are facts.

there has been quite an overload on information lately, and although that can be frustrating, it's amazing when righteous anger just flows through... i talked my friend about human trafficking for almost an hour the other day... the problems between the thai and burma border (as Thai gangsters can take, or shall i say buy children at the burma border for as little as 100 baht (that's around 3 USD). for those familiar with the burmese situation, it has not been at peace since the August 8th 1988 shooting... if you want to look up the information it's quite easy to access). i just can't handle this injustice! i know that God is in control, and this allows me to sleep at night. i know that even though it's not all "okay", someone is in control.

i have also been having anger when addressing issues of division. i mean, so much of the time there is division over things which do not matter. even as christians, there has been this idea of, "well if you don't agree with my sect of christianity, then there is no reason for us to be talking". we have lost the love. we have lost the grace. but more then that we have lost focus on what really matters. what matters is Christ. what were the commandments summed up? "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. and love your neighbour as yourself." if that is true, then as we love God, we will encourage others to love him to. we will inspire others through Christ in us. "encourage each other daily." that was said for christians... to encourage each other fellow in Christ daily. "it is no longer i who live, but Christ who lives in me." let's name the Christ in each other... for he does dwell in us, as long as we let him.

DK

oh, and if you feel compelled to give, (money) that's cool. the address which you can mail a cheque is bellow... the cash situation is quite low now, and although i'm not worried, i know that donating financially can be a way that you show community, and i love community (we're all brothers and sisters in this together, and i'm so happy to say that!)

anyways, here it is (oh, and you can just make the cheque out to "Danae Krahn")

Danae Krahn (c/o Ken and Emily Krahn)
Box 762
Niverville, Manitoba
R0A 1E0
CANADA

if this option is not sufficient, please let me know.