I arrived in Bangkok 2 nights ago, and can remember sitting in the taxi thinking…this is home now, taking in all the sights and listening to rod and the taxi driver speak gibberish (Thai) and understanding one in 20 words. I remember walking into the slum, looking at neighbours, looking at the open water sewers, smelling the smells, observing the sights, listening to all the noises. Yep Thailand sure is different to Springvale. After putting our gear in the house and setting up the fold out matt, I wandered round the corner to buy some water, as the tap water is undrinkable. The first corner I turn, I am met by about 15 people, crowding around some sort of gambling game. I shuffle past and turn another corner and arrive at the shop. The young assistant asks me something in Thai, I have no idea what she is saying and just blurt out my pre-prepared phrase, nam plao (bottle of water), I produce the 5 baht, get my bottle and turn and walk…succesful! Shuffle back home past the gambling, and into our little house, before washing my feet, cleaning my teeth and dropping exhausted into bed. The new journey has started!

The last two days have been spent orientating myself in the neighbourhood.. Meeting people, getting frustrated in my lack of Thai. People talking to me, wanting to get to know me, but I am dumb, my mind works fine (some times) but I just can’t communicate. I wish there was a mouth piece that you could attach that would allow you to speak out English and it would translate it into Thai as it leaves your mouth! Not that easy I guess! But its fun learning anyway. I am amazed at the warmth of the people towards me. People are so welcoming, which I guess is a testimony to the good reputation that UNOH have here. It is seriously such a buzz to work alongside the unoh crew here.

Yesterday Rod and I went to the shops, I bought some sheets and a pillow ($8 pillow that said it was the best of the best, and it lived up to its name) and a few essentials. Forgot to buy a towel, so one of my shirts has doubled up as a towel, don’t need to dry much as its pretty warm.

This morning we took 31 kids to a local swimming amusement playground on top of a shopping centre. All the kids were from the slum and they were so excited to go. In fact, every time we go out of the slum in a car, the kids voices get louder as we exit the slum. It’s like they are out of their prison, like a bird let free from a cage, their spirit lifts. Sitting in the back of the ute with 15 kids and 2 helpers, we make our way to the water park, the kids are excited, and to tell ya the truth, I’m pretty stoked too. I look at each child in the ute. Some of the kids I know a bit of their story, for others, I know nothing. But the fact that they are born in a slum, and live in our area, means most of them probably don’t live with a parent, many don’t have parents, in fact, one of the girls mum had died 4 weeks earlier, collapsed suddenly. Others are abused, most don’t get enough food and the food they get isn’t exactly 5 fruit and 2 veg. At one stage I look down at the kids feet, I notice one of the boys flip flops with this slogan, ADDA, Let’s walk together. I was struck by the words, which seemed like a prophetic word to me, but also a heart cry of the Thai people in this slum, “Please walk with me I want to walk with you, your friendship and involvement in my life is important.” It was quite a profound moment, and I sat there pondering this call for a while. It is the call of the poor, hungry, lost and broken of this world…”Let’s walk together”, I am not a problem that needs a solution, I am not a statistic…I am a person, and I need you to be my friend and to walk with me, and to sit where I sit and to feel what I feel and to smell what I smell…and once we’ve done that together, we will then be able to enhance each other’s lives, to understand each other, to learn from each other, and together we will find the hope of Jesus. This beautiful child’s shoes brought good news to me. Today I learnt something from that precious little boy. He taught me what he needed, and I caught him in the pool when his legs weren’t long enough to touch the ground. Today was a precious day, who knows what tomorrow holds. Life is better when we slow down enough to walk together with our neighbour. Thanks for your prayers and support. The Bangkok chapter of my life has started, who knows what adventures it holds.

Thankyou one and all for your prayers, encouragements and support. My birthday was spent flying from Melbourne to Bangkok. What a present, a new country, 80.000 new neighbours, so many new faces, and the blessing of many friends and family as I left Springvale, Australia.

Kop Kun Krup (Thank you).

-Pete “Mully” Taylor

UNOH Bangkok / Mae Sot 

The local boys head to the Thai All-stars vs AT Madrid game