Temple

This morning, around eleven o'clock, the group went up to one of the Buddhist temples, which sit at a high point in the city. The ritualistic nature of the place was obvious the moment we exited the Song Tao (two-rowed truck). Ladies and children sold birds at the gate, which you could let go to earn "merit." Monks blessed motorcycles to make them "safe". A huge statue of Buddha covered in gold sat at the top of a long fight of stairs, which were flanked by a dragons tail. Buddha's for each day of the week circled the larger one.

At the bottom of the stairs, people bought flowers to set on the altar, ensense to burn, or gifts for the monks. Some of the group members talked with people at the temple about what they were doing and why they were doing it. One girl told us that she had come there to gain "luck". Many others just hoped that this would work. Some said that they prayed to God as well as their gods, just hoping that one of them would grant them the "luck" that they sought. Of course, God is the one true God, and what he grants is not luck at all. We just prayed that the futility of their rituals would be evident to them.

Being their today made me realize that alot of what we do back home is ritualistic.

Pray that we, as well as the Thais, will replace ritual with worship!

Guys back home, love you lots and thank you for your prayers. Tonight we are going to "Walking Streets," an open prostitute area in the city. Please pray for the people that we will encounter and that our faith and strength will remain strong.

Love you love you