From Sunday

As I write in my journal we are sitting in front, behind the pulpit at David's church. I'm hoping it looks like I'm taking notes.  Nick just started preaching, wearing his "longyi" (skirt). I don't think they quite know what to do with his sense of humor.

We've already had almost 2 hours of worship, special music by the students and children, and 15-20 minutes of simultaneous prayer. 

 Pastor Doug from Wisconsin just leaned over and said to me "the children can't stop staring at you, they've never seen a woman so tall!"  It's true, Burmese people definitely are not tall.  It's hard to tell if children and adults alike stop and stare (even take pictures of us) because we are white or because of my height. At least they're entertained!

 The city is busy and crowded, yet there's a certain innocence about Yangon - it seems less scathed by western influence and the depravity of modern society than many other capital cities in Southeast Asia.  

But that is quickly changing. It's only been in the last 6 months to a year that the country has opened to change and with it tourism, increasing presence of embassy's and products from outside the country - like new, tiny cars.  

We visited the Schwedagon Pagoda (Buddhist temple) last night. It's the biggest in the world, and is also home to some of the largest bugs I've ever seen! 

Walking around barefoot was a little gross with cockroaches and who knows what other kinds of bugs a scittering around on the ground. Nick, Kate and I had a contest to see who had the most dead bugs on the bottom of their feet when we left.

It's bizarre to see how people come from all over the world to this place for enlightenment, and all they find is smiling cloned statues covered in gold leaf, neon lights, and disgusting bugs. 

The highlight of the weekend was, for me, spending some time at the children's home. They are precious. We were admiring their new triple tier bunk beds, and some of the little girls came up and started fanning me. Kate translated for me that they were talking to each other about how much sweat was on my face!