Busy Week!

This is almost all from Craig - 

Helping with distributing wheelchairs in Xiengkhouang. The Lao province with the unfortunate designation of the most bombed area per capita in world's history. One third of the millions of cluster bombs did not detonate leaving large swathes of land exposed to unexploded munitions. When these meet up with animals, people, and tragically children the result is catastrophic; even after 50 years. Hence the need for wheelchairs along with other more customary disabilities. The USA along with other nations are working to locate and safely remove them, but this will take decades.

For more information, you can check out this link. It's hard to watch but well worth the time:

https://abcnews.go.com/International/americas-secret-war-laos-uncovered/story?id=41968017

We stopped to visit the scene of one of the fiercest battlegrounds, the Plain of Jars. It is also called Skyline Ridge. It is part of the only mountain plateau in northern Laos and happens to be the crossroads between Vietnam to the east and Thailand to the west. It reminds me of Megiddo, a plain between Egypt and Assyria and the scene of numerous battles ancient and modern. The Plain of Jars has been a battle site for millennia between armies on each end. The jars that mark the field date back to 500 BCE and likely had funerary purposes. These continued to be used for the dead for hundreds of years. 

In the photos below are the jars, some over 10 tons and 10 feet tall. You will see bomb craters documenting the violence here. Some of the jars were blown apart. There is a solemn stillness here. 

The Plain of Jars (Skyline Ridge) and cratered battlefield

Damaged jars

Craters, foxholes, and a cave mark the field along with the ancient jars

They are larger than they appear, this is at a second site

Wheelchair deliveries come next. The Lao people bear their history with quiet dignity and kindness. It's an honor to represent the church's efforts to comfort and care for His children (our brothers and sisters) in this beautiful land.

This wheelchair is made for all-terrain, which is perfect for many of the dirt roads and paths in the villages

We have really great partners we work with in providing this service

Different stops and experiences on the way.

A women's organization produces silk cloth from start to finish here in town. The colors all come from flowers and vegetables. I believe this color is from marigolds.

The cocoons are boiled, softening the threads for collecting. The larvae are pretty tasty they say!

A silk worm, they are very soft and squishy

A town breakfast delicacy - little baby bird porridge 

Rice, spice, and small squab are the key ingredients

Lastly are views along the 8.5-hour car ride to and back from Phonsavanh, the provincial capital of Xiengkhouang. It's impossible to convey the beauty of this place.

Roadside fruit and snack stand; the fruit here is amazingly good!

A view of the road to Xiengkhouang

They have some beautiful homes; here is one in process of being built

Rice os grown everywhere they can; they even have special varieties they grow on the mountain sides

Water buffaloes cooling down

One of Suzanne's favorite animals; they are huge, yet gentle and kind (a bit too big to hug through) Suzanne's comment: no animal is too big to hug!

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