Bunk Beds

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called 

to one hope when you were called

Ephesians 4:4

Bunk beds
How many countries does it take to build a bunk bed? 
Today we went out to a place called the Mercy Home.  It is a home for at risk and abandoned children. Some of the children rescued from trafficking live here and have found a home where they can heal and grow in safety.
Our job was truly just to bless them. There are thirty children who live here and as you can imagine, there is a lot to do. Our teams split up to help.  Some cleaned, some ironed, I joined a few other team members and our job was to put together a new bunk bed.  How hard could that be? Two Canadians, two Americans building a bed from Sweden, we got this.  
When we opened the box we found about a hundred boards and a bag of bolts and other hardware in a bag the size of a shoebox.  There seemed  to be a million pieces to this puzzle.  None of us were necessarily mechanical so I knew we were up for a challenge and a few laughs.  As we surveyed the huge box of boards wondering where we would even start, I noticed the two Thai drivers  we had hired watching us.   At least if they have to be here all day, they can be somewhat entertained.  
One woman in our group is a Pastors wife and she is just one of those people who wreaks organization so she grabbed the forty page instruction sheet, I grabbed the hardware and we set out get the bed built.  The drivers stepped closer. At first the process was nothing short of chaos, everyone had an idea how to solve the bunk bed puzzle but we were not getting anywhere.  We decided to stop, and begin at the beginning paying careful attention to each step.   We organized the boards and separated the hardware. We discussed what the arrows on the pictured instructions actually meant and pretty soon we had our first boards laid  out on the ground with hardware ready.  Funny thing is as we tackled each step,  we began to see how all the pieces would actually fit together and we got a vision for the finished project.  The Thai drivers began pointing and gesturing to us to turn the boards  this way or that.  Now those of you who know me will testify that I am not exactly known for my coordination so when I set out to out put in the first bolt/ anchor thingy,  I think the drivers realized we were in need of some help. One of them walked over and squatted on the ground next to me smiling and watching the struggle over this bolt.  After about a minute he reached out his hand gesturing for me to get out of the way and give him the screwdriver thingy.  I handed over the tool to him and he went to work.  The second driver joined in and we were off.  Now neither of the Thai drivers had ever seen a bed like this and they did not speak a word of English.  We did not speak a word of Thai but somehow we all knew what needed to be accomplished and what we had to work with so we fell into a a beautiful rhythm.  The Pastors wife figured out the next step, I would hand out the hardware and appropriate boards and the remaining team members and drivers actually put the bed together.  We were joking and laughing about how it took  four countries to make one bed,Canada, United States, Thailand and of course Sweden!  Towards the end of the project, I had to run back to the house and when I returned I found the two Thai drivers working on the bed alone, finishing up the last pieces of the puzzle by pounding in the hundreds of small pins that hold the bed.  Before driving us out, they did not know each other but now they had become friends.  Afterwards we all stood staring at this bunk bed and feeling quite proud. And then three countries gathered around one Swedish  bed and we joined together and prayed a blessing over it.  "God,  bless the little children who will sleep in this.  Thank you that they are protected and safe.  Bless their future." 
Now the kids who sleep in this bed will never know how many countries it took to build it.  They will just know they have a bed that is safe for them to lay their heads upon and that is why we are all here.
 It always seems so strange to me when people who hear about the work In Cambodia make the comment that there are so many kids in America that need help.  Why would I travel so far across the world to help people that are not American? I guess that sounds right to them, but where does that stop?  Wy would I reach out to  someone who doesn't live in my state or city or neighborhood or block.  Where are the boundary  lines drawn. Who gets to draw them?  All I know is that God extended a hand  to all who needed it.  He gave freely to those considered unclean..to the foreigner and to His own so I suppose I am in good company. The problem in Pattaya is everyone's problem.  Walk the streets and you will see tons of Americans, Europeans, Canadians and people of every nation.  Many are here to contribute to the problem so I suppose it is only right that some are here to solve it.  Like that bed, there are a million pieces that right now don't seem to make a lot of sense but the vision is clear. Like those drivers, I was chosen to come here as were the other team members.  Those who live here are seeing the work  and joining in.  I believe one day, the world will make sense of this and the children will be able to lay their heads down in this country and sleep in safety. 
So I ask you today?  How many countries does it to take to build a bed.  The answer - as many as are called!
What are you building today?
Love from the road,
Julie