To the Breaking Point
The Team
Tim and Will prepare for Laos, but this time they're not alone. Enter the Team: Mike, Rodney, Paul, and Russ. They all meet up in Thailand, take the train into Laos, and after a long bus ride and a flat tire, they arrive in Muang Khua. Their mission: to find a remote village of unreached people in the Laos jungle. Their mode of transport: a speedboat up the Namo River. Their destination: Phongsali. After the boat ride, they must ride in the back of a truck with a live pig intended for their future meal. When they get to Phongsali, they scour the area for someone to act as translator and guide. They find someone who speaks English, and he says he can take them to one of the remote villages. They are all excited about going out the next morning, although something doesn't feel quite right.
See a clip from the show: "The Team"
Welcome to the Jungle
Thick brush, no trail, and no machetes make for an exceedingly difficult hike. They battle steep hills, endure scratches from protruding branches, and attempt to avoid blood-sucking leeches attacking every part of their bodies. Tim and Will, the experienced travelers of the group, begin to suspect that the guide is lost. They try to allay the fears of the other guys by making jokes, but tensions and fears continue to rise. As they claw their way up the hill, the team's spirit spirals down. They don't know where they are, some of them need medical attention, and everyone is exhausted. With Divine Providence, they find a hut where they can spend the night. There they examine each other for leeches, including a full cavity search. The leeches were all over their bodies. The guide even found one in his urethra!
See a clip from the show: "Welcome to the Jungle"
Low Morale
The next morning they prepared to go out again. In contrast to the previous morning, today there is a somber lack of enthusiasm among the guys. They try to keep their minds on the mission, and not on their current troubles. Taking note of yesterday's trials, they take measures to keep the leeches out. Tim leech-proofs his feet, and they are back to looking for a trail. They quickly find that morale isn't the only thing that's low; they're running out of water. With the grace of God they find the trail, but they still seem hopelessly lost, and the guide isn't quite oriented yet. Eventually he figures it out, and after a six-hour hike they find the village they were seeking. Paul recounts his battle with sickness through the trek and a couple nasty falls, while Russ tells of a near-fatal fall. To add to all their hardships, they are unable to minister as they had hoped. Despite their trials, they are encouraged at God's faithfulness in keeping them alive.
See a clip from the show: "Low Morale"
Going Home
The Team takes the long road home. On the speedboat back, they realize just how faithful God was to them. Even though they didn't get to do ministry as they intended, they still experienced the power of Christ in their lives and learned a heavy lesson on perseverance. Once they arrive at the Laos/Thailand border, they must determine who gets the three good seats, and who gets the three bad seats. After their recent experience, this is a much bigger deal than it might sound. To be completely unbiased, Tim draws names out of a hat. Rodney gets one of the good tickets, and coincidentally, so do Tim and Will. Mike, Russ, and Paul are stuck in coach. As the train leaves Laos, the Team leaves behind a major life experience, and they can only hope that one day they can return.