I had the opportunity to go south to Nakorn Sawan this last weekend. They were hit by the floods HARD. They were under water for 50 days! Again, most of you know how tall I am, and I had to reach up to show the water level on the building. This particular building was under about 8' of water. This is their worship center and office complex.
This stain on the side of the white wall shows nearly 10' of water damage. This was the dorm which I stayed in. They had us on the 3rd floor.
Another picture showing the stain on the beam where the TV bracket is located. This was about 8-1/2' from the tile floor. Even with the tile being underwater for 50 days, it cleaned up very well and is in very good condition.
This was one of the places that they thought I might use my height. Notice that I AM on a ladder, in fact on the second step! These are vents for the stairwell to the dormitory. I was asked to do the trim work with a paint brush while other workers used rollers on the wall areas. I was there to serve. Any task they gave me I was glad to do it for them. They have come SO far in a very short period of time.
This is the name of the center where I was working. Take note that everything was flooded and all vegetation was killed by the flood waters. What do the nationals do first? Plant flowers and trees! Make the landscape look nice and then work on the buildings. They have planted nearly 1,000 plants and trees over the last 3 weeks.
When you have a natural flower pot, why not make use of it? There were many trees that were cut down since they were dead. Many of them had hollow centers which is perfect for a plant. Nothing goes to waste in Thailand!
This is the house of Khun Sam, one of the believers in the town. His house sits over the river. Although his house was by flooded about a foot of water, he said the water rushing through his house sounded just like a train coming through! He hosted the teams that were working at the center for dinner on Thursday evening. The entrance to the house is about 6' tall so I spent most of the time seated. During the flood, we did have workers in the area delivering food and water to these people. It is remarkable what they endured and the attitude that they possess now. Many we talked with who experienced the flooding 35 years ago said this was far worse that that one. This man is 72 years old and lives here with his wife who was born in this house. He has been a believer for over 30 years and now teaches children the Bible on Saturday mornings. See the video below.
This is the view from Khun Sam's house. It is hard to imagine that this peaceful river could do so much damage to the surrounding areas. I actually saw where the flood had washed the road out in 3 different places when the waters were attempting to subside. God IS AWESOME in power!
This couple are the resident directors of the Christian Center where all the work was taking place. The wife is actually the director and her husband is a Primary School Director. They have been in the center for 2 years and are working very hard to get it to the point where it can reopen for youth to attend camps there to hear the Good News!
Those who have worked VBS for years will know the last song these children sang for us. What a blessing to see the next generation in this town learning who God is and what He has done for them. Even in the midst of struggles their smiles continue!
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