"I can't believe it's still raining!"
We have been saying this for FIVE days! I have never experienced rain like this. It has rained every single day over the last 6 weeks, but on Thursday rainy season turned determined. It hasn't let up for more than a few minutes at a time. All day and all night, it rains. Yesterday, we had errands to run and final goodbyes, so we were all around town. We went into a building for an hour and a half, and when we came out, the main part of town was flooded. Nichole, Steve, and I were on a motorbike. It took us an hour to get home when it usually takes about 7 minutes!
This morning, our last morning in Mae Sot, we rode our bikes to our favorite Burmese breakfast place. At this point, the roads in this direction were clear.
Nichole and I wanted to say a quick good bye to New Wave and had a few things to drop off, but the closer we got to the school, the higher the water level became.
Look at our sweet school! We were devastated to see this. Later we found out that all the schools are closed until the flooding recedes.
Around 11, I went home a different way than Nichole. I chose the wrong way. The current and path I took were awful. I had to get off my bike in thigh-high dirty brown water and walk it home. Roaches, trash, debris, and God knows what else (actually, I know because later someone pulled a writhing EEL out of the water) floated by me. I lost my flip flop at one point and made a truck wait to go by me as I fetched it because there was no way I was moving out of the middle of the road. I had a mini break down when I finally reached our place, but nothing a hot shower and Malibu+Coke couldn't fix.
At this time, it was flood free in front of our home. A few puddles, but that's it. As we were packing, the rain got more vicious and we heard commotion from downstairs. Hundreds of roaches were trying to get in because it had started to flood. We were given an hour to finish packing, clean whatever we could so we could get out. We didn't make it to an hour. Eels were being pulled out of the water, people in knee-high water were walking by, and the usual motor bike wagons that go by, had stopped. Our friends couldn't reach us because the roads were closed and we were trying to figure out how we were going to walk out of there with all our stuff. I'm shuddering at the memory.
Steve flagged down a truck with the loveliest Thai couple, and someone yelled, "We got a ride! We're leaving, now." I happened to be chopping pineapple at this point (I seriously do the most ridiculous things at the most inopportune times!) Nichole jumped to my aid, we cleaned up, and in 4 and half minutes the 6 of us had our bags and ourselves in the bed of the truck. This is our last view of our friends and home.
The couple navigated some mean flood water roads, took back roads, and finally got us to the bus station. I posted a video on Facebook of the start of our journey.
Drenched but so so so thankful!
Jesse and Jenny, missionaries here in Mae Sot and dear friends, met us at the bus station. They took our drenched selves out for lunch, took us to say goodbye to Khin, (another blog another story) and then let us invade their home to change and relax. To put on dry clothes after one has been shivering and shaking for 2 hours, is a new favorite experience.
We leave for Bangkok on an overnight bus in 2 hours. It is surreal that people we care about and others that we smile and greet daily are staying in this madness. Please pray with us!
