Just Look at these. Seriously.

The Crew. It smelled like bat droppings. Our smiles are fake. There is a huge cave behind us. We make the cave look good.

This is one of the Karen Huts in the Thai Village. In america, we call this the barrio. The Thailand government does not want these people here, so they do not let them have any electricity.

AJ's game face. This is when we were interviewing the Karen people to see how we can help. English to Thai to Karen to Thai to English. We think there might have been a few "lost in translations".

Me throwing a rock at Burma. --(P.C. correction: what Josh meant to say is that the Burmese government isn't being too kind with its people and we don't think it's right. I did really swim to the other side even though we heard there could be army guys in the jungle.)-- James swam to the other side and touched it even though their might have been crazy jungle armies with AK's hiding in the trees. Now his leg is infected.

This is our boy Blue. Pastor Manat's brother in law that has been traveling with us the whole time. Thats not an undershirt. Those are just sleeves that he puts on his arms. Thai people dont like the sun or getting tan. In fact, you would not believe how many ads we have seen for whitening cream and anti melanin medication. They are very backwards in these parts.

A girl at the Burmese/Karen village. These people seem hopeless. They can't leave this village and they can't go back to Burma. Very sad situation, but this is where we are going to help.

Christmas Celebration. Another village. We actually pulled his pants up for the photo.

Pastor Manat. He has been our guide. Believe it or not, he was a teacher 2 weeks ago. God told him to quit and do ministry full time. He stepped out in faith and now has shown us most of Thailand. By the way, that jacket....doesn't make any sense. We are all in the back ground with no shirts on sweating and stuff.

Pictures from 8600 miles away. Finally.

The Motor Cycle Diaries....

We have covered several hundred miles in a very short time. Most of our traveling the past few days was by motor bike.....Through roads, jungles, everything. One of the bikes burned James so I drove it into a river. (Seriously)

This is our first look into the Burmese Refugee Camp from the road. It is a breathtaking site to see how these people live.

A sunken boat. On one side Thailand. The other Burma.

These kids ran up to the fence when we stopped. It was sad seeing them behind barbed wire, but their faces were all smiling which eased the site a little. Aaron gave all of them a handful of gum through the fence. You should have seen their faces!

This was taken from the school inside the refugee camp. The school inside is Christian based sponsored by an Australian organization.

(Click on any picture to enlarge)

Heading South

(James wrote the last blog...He got the burn on his leg not A.J. :>..so pray for James more than A.J.) Ok, Here we go. We went to a little church up in the mountains for a christmas celebration! They had a christmas / king of Thailand celebration! The King is like a really big deal here and his birthday was on the 5th and I guess this church didn't really celebrate it so they celebrated it together with the christmas party. The funny thing is they put "Happy Birthday to the King, Dec. 5th" on the wall of the church for all the pictures...but the real date was like the 20th! Pretty funny stuff. We showed up with some balloons for the kids and of course they went over very well. We played with a bunch of the kids and took pictures! There was the cutest little boy with his pants falling off the whole time. These kids were all amazing! Its awesome to see how happy a kid in this little village gets over a balloon! American kids are hella spoiled. The celebration went really well for the most part. We ate traditional Karen food and the pork still had the hair from the pig on it...ya, not so hungry now. We met a few american girls who are working with some foundation there and have been living there for like 6 months. pretty rowdy! Hopefully we can combine forces to help out in Thailand. We drove the motorbikes home in the dark and josh and james got lost for awhile. everyone rides a motorbike so sometimes it is hard to follow people and pastor Manot doesn't really drive all that slow either. More Thai food for dinner and another night on the floor! Lovin it! We head to Chiang Mai to help Blue with his Visa to the U.S. He wants to come and take English and go to Bible school. Pray for that situation. It will be like 7 hours travel to Chiang Mai, probably truck, van, bike. Mom I love you very much! You too pops! God. Love. Live
-A.J. Jackson

So it's been a little while... first of all, i just want to say that the most beautiful place on earth is the Burmese-Thai border where we are staying. This terrible computer wont let Josh put up any pictures, so you'll have to wait. I can tell you that i swam to Burma and made it back alive. We visited a Karen village. I'm trying to think of how to describe it....it's kind of like a ghetto, but in bamboo huts. It's in the middle of a Thai village, but the Thai government doesnt want them there, so they arent allowed to have electricity. The roofs of their houses are made of leaves and everything else (litteraly everything) is bamboo. These people don't have papers, so they cant go to the refugee camps. They cant go back to their country because the Burmese government will try to kill them. The men do whatever work they can for almost no pay (60 Bhat - $2 a DAY). This is who we are going to help. We got a Thai-Karen translator and Pastor Manat translated English from Thai for us (kinda a process). We want them to eventually be self sustaining, so we're going to do some stuff to help them (I wont bore you with the details).

After that we took a motor-bike ride through some sketchy dirt trail/road thing. I was pretty fun, but the village wasnt what we're looking for. On the way back, Josh and I decided to take our motor bike (Josh was driving and i'm sure they arent made for 2 full-sized american men) through a river crossing. Let's just say it ended with waist-deep water and us fishing the bike out. I'm not a mechanic, but i doubt that's good for the engine. I truck came by literally 30 seconds after we got the water out of the exhaust pipes and the guy happens to have the exact tools (keep in mind we are in the middle of freakin no where) to take apart the engine compartment and drains another liter of water. It started, ran, and we drove it for the next 3 days. Thanks God.

Next day, we visited a church that they are trying to build (dont have the money). They have the support logs and the roof, but no walls or floor. by the way, the columns were brought off the mountain by elephants. We're going to pay for it to get completed and get electricity. Pastor Steven (this little rad Thai guy that we swear is our gaurdian angel/ninja) is going to live there and pastor this village. It's going to be cool.

Thats all for now. I have a madly infected ankle burn from a motor bike, so pray God heals that before it gets gangrenous. I took a picture 3 days ago and it looks way worse now.




I should have labeled this post. Sorry, but it's James. Aj is fine. Thank you Aj's family for all of your concern. My sister/doc gave me a joyous cornacopioa of antibiotics to get, so hopefully the infection will subside soon.

Burma Border

We are currently a stone throw away from Burma. There is a big river that seperates Thailand and Burma. We are staying in Blue's little "cell phone repair shop" about a block from the river. (the shop is a side job for him) It is absolutely breathtaking here! Beautiful! God's craftmanship really shows in this place. Yesterday we went and visited a Burmeese refugee camp. This camp holds 50,000+ people. It is like a small city. I thought are purpose might be here, but God seems to have other plans for us. Google, 'Burmeese refugees in Thailand' to learn more, but long story short, our purpose is not in these camps. There is a ton of support from all over from big organizations. After the camps we jumped on the motor bikes and rode 2 to a bike the 50 Kilo back to Blue's house. Uncomfortable, but the scenary is way legit! I had spoke with Pastor Manot about our priorities and how we feel God is leading us and we made a decision to head North to where we are now. I am sorry, I dont know the name. We visited a small community of Karen people living in Thailand just across the river from Burma. These people have been forced out of Burma by the Burmeese Government. they cant go to the refugee camps because they have not I.D., they have no I.D. because they were part of small farming communities in Burma. They are confined to these small villages now because the Thai government does not really want them here. It is a very bad, poor, sad situation. I have personnally felt God calling me to these people. I feel this is where are work here will be! Today we will talk to the people with a Karen / Thai / English translator and figure out what we can do. Your prayers our greatly needed and appreciated! I am truly thankful for everyday I can serve here. I am doing great. These people need God and physical help and we have been blessed with the ability to help them. Talk to you soon!

A.J.
(please no grammar correction, i know i suck at spelling good)

XC

We've spent last night traveling across Thailand. We went from next to the Laos border in the far east to the Burmese border in the far west. We've literally traveled all night and despite our upbeat spirits are tired and weary. We went from bus to van, van to pickup-truck-taxi thing, pickup-truck-taxi thing to motor bike/scooter in the span of 12 hours. Please pray for Josh, he has a narly stomach thing and is having a tuff time keeping a smile on his face.
We are going to visit some Burmese refugee camps tomorrow with Blue. Should be an experience. Get a little education on what happened to them. It shouldn't be too hard with google and a fast internet connection. very sad.
Thanks to everyone who is along for this ride via this blog! please dont judge me for the spelling errors
-James

The Pastor in Chalhaw

This is the pastor of one of the towns we stayed in. He took us to their local town swimming hole. Good times! We probably all have malaria now after swimming there, but hey it was worth it!

Josh

Loco..Thai for Crazy!

We head to the north today. This is where we have heard the REAL needy is. So far we have visited several schools and towns and seen a lot of kids. We are continually assessing needs to see how we can make a difference. Each town we visit is a little different, but so far we have been well accepted at each stopping point. Our trip to Maesad will be by bus tonight. It will take around 12 hours. For the last week we have been cruising from town to town in the back of a borrowed pickup. When we get to Maesad, we will probably borrow a couple motor bikes to get around. It is much more covered in jungle and mountains where we are going.

The picture of the girl.....Her name is Pukie (Pookie).

The man near the black box. This is the guy we gave the Proclaimer to. He is listening to the new testament on a solar powered mp3 chip. His severely misfigured wife cried when we gave it to him.

Enjoy!

Josh

God's Plan

Today is one week since we left America. Feels like a month! Time passes very slowly here. People are very simple, way of life I guess. Up untill yesterday I have felt very frustrated about our being here. I have enjoyed it and seen many new things and experienced awesome stuff, but not what the purpose I came here for. We realized that Pastor Manot did not have the correct understanding of why we were here. We sat him down and told him..now he knows! Our purpose is to show God's love to these kids and help physically if they "need" it. In north eastern Thailand, where we have spent this last week, we can do this through creating fun acitivities for the poor children and minister to them during these events! This is progress and productive. Providing a few clothes, food, or school supplies is great, but if we can not give them God and help them grow in the Lord....all is lost. "The poor will never cease from the land..." Det 15:11, this I know, but the poor and rich will die..and poor or not, without excepting God will perish eternally. This is what weighs on my heart. Its very difficult to see children in physical need and it is heart wrenching and we can help with this and will, but it is more difficult to see kids who might not ever learn of God because they live in 95% Buddhist country and no one will ever teach them. I thank God for what he is showing us all on this trip and I am happy to be his servant. The proclaimers have already had an impact on people. I have seen 3 people cry in front of me when I gave it to them and turned it on......that is the power of God! I pray they will use it to minister to others.
We had a christmas celebration last night at the church in Camlod or something and played games with the kids, gave food and presents, and told the christmas story. I am completely filled with joy at moments like that! That is why I came. To serve and Love while here and to see how I can continue to help when I return to the U.S. The pure happiness of the children just does it for me! Kids are kids all over the world and I love it.
Tonight we go to North West Thailand near Chang Mai where there is the Burmese refugee camps. Pray God will show us what he wants to use us for there. I am lookin forward to it. 10 hour bus trip over night, but looking forward to it. I understand why Jesus traveled with apostles. These guys have been great and they help keep you strong!
Googles I love you!

A.J. Jackson Forgotten Foundation

Rural Thailand

Another long ride in a truck, another tile floor to call bed. We stayed in this tiny farming village with this little pastor. We walked around the village and saw some of the houses and people - it's pretty poor, but according to Molitov or Maslov or whoever made up the hierarchy of needs (i think the other guy invented cocktail bombs) they got the top of the pyramid covered. We had a pretty long talk in the middle of the a rice pad/farm thing with the four of us about how Forgotten can affect these kids. We're still trying to figure it out because every village and every family is unique. Please pray for guidance for us.
We got to go on a hunt at night with one of the local guys...for rat. He sure did smoke one with this 8 foot musket thing, it was huge. Did I mention that i ate rat? different story. I also got to drive a rice tractor. another story. The pastor took us swimming in this little pond thing and laughed like crazy when we tried to climb trees to jump out of, just to have them bend till we were touching the water. I wanted to be able to speak Thai so badly so i could talk to him. I still only know a few words and I probably say them all wrong. tonal languages are tuff. I say Su-ay ok after only 4 days of practice - "beautiful." kop khun kop -"thank you", sawatdee kop - "Hello", and khun chue arai - "what is your name?" are our mainstays. Everyone laughs when we say them, but Blue always says we sound "bawy gud".
We got the blessing of watching an old villager and his wife listen to a Proclaimer (an mp3 playing box that has the new testament. we brought them in Thai, Lao, and Burmese languages). His wife's eyes welled up with tears and the old guy seemed pretty touched. Through translation we got "he is very happy. Thank you".
-James

MAMA

Hey mama. I love you! keep prayin for us. we are doing very well so far. Our hosts are good to us. I will let you know more soon.

A.J.

Thailand Kids are Awesome.

Last night was pretty cool. We bought some dry milk, rice, and laundry detergent and delivered it to some of the needy in the community. We prayed for each family as we delivered the gifts. It was a good but frustrating feeling giving to these poor families. How long can a bag of detergent and rice really last them and what else do they need? The good feelings quickly fade when you realize there are so many more people to help. I think we are about to learn a lot about our American ways...

Today was the first and probably last day we feel like Rock Stars. We visited a couple schools around Selaphun. The kids were great! They basically stopped everything at the schools when they heard we were coming. We who? The kids were screaming, asking for our autographs, and were taking pictures with their phones. We taught them English in their classrooms and hung out for a while. The feeling was great, but at the same time we know they thought we were famous or something just because we are American. AJ said it best, "I hope one day they are cheering for us for feeding their village, rather than just being American."

We're here to figure it out.

Josh

Merry christmas!

Last night Manat took us all to a local supermarket where we got a bunch of laundry detergent and baby formula to give to some of the local needy people. When we handed out all these gifts the people looked at us like they had never been given a gift in their entire life. One old man gave to is known for making his living by finding things in the jungle that he can sell in the town. On an average day he will make 30 or 40 bhat, which is equivelent to $1.20 or so. Being over here is a real eye-opener as to how things are in some other parts of the world. We saw some children today at thier schools. They literally treated us like rock stars! Each of us must have signed 50 autographs, and this was just because we are Americans. Blue says that no american has ever visited either one of the two schools we visited today, and that they never see Americans here at Selaphum. We weren't allowed to preach or mention God to them which was a bummer but we were able to teach them some english, and if nothing else just be a memory for them to look back on. They wanted us to sing for them, but it couldn't mention God so we sang the intro song from Fresh Prince of Belair! Those kids went absolutely nuts for us! It was the most amazing experience ever! There's something about kids and entertaining them, making them laugh, and have a great time with you.

Blue, Aj, Josh, Manat, and I at the Underdogs Church in Selaphum, Thailand. 6 hours in a bus, 2 hours in the back of a truck (VIP truck) and there you have it. We had some delicious rice-hashbrown thing and our stomachs all feel ok for the first time. These guys are great.

Aj and I taking a quick nap. quick being 3 hours on concrete. our sleeping schedule is still a mess

Merry Christmas

Not sure when we'll have access to a computer again....Merry Christmas to all!

We made it.

We were hugely blessed at LAX by all getting on the same flight. The ride was long, but exciting. We arrived to Bangkok and Pastor Manat was only expecting 2 of us. We piled 6 adults (including lengthy James) into a little car and drove to a local church. Trust me, its not what you are thinking. The concrete floors were a little different from a comfort inn. Our bodies are still adjusting to the 14 hour time difference and spicy Thai food. We are driving through the night tonight to our next spot. The coming days should get pretty intense!
Josh

Fly Day

Good morning! We are out in about an hour.....we will be there in 17 hours and one day...ya. all fly time. very excited, very pumped! Love.

Getting close

Less than a week away! The days are going slooooooow. I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve. Speaking of, we're going to spend Christmas with some new Thai friends. What a great chance to get to clash some cultures! I'm trying to think if Luminarias and elephants mix...nope.
Better keep practicing my Thai phrases (I currently "know" 5) because we'll be there soon.
-james