almost home...

Adventures in Thailand!

What a weekend! What a month!

Yesterday afternoon we made it safely back to our humble Bangkok abode from a whirlwind weekend in Chiang Mai. We flew up north Thursday night and drove back on Monday. While there we got to do so much, I feel so blessed! So, here's the run down of our excitement!

Thursday night at around 10pm the boys took us on a scooter ride around town...no, they don't have a license or anything. But I won for looking the dorkiest in the helmet.

Friday I got to meet up with Sarah- what a small world. She goes to my church at home and was working with the team in C.M. Then we hung out with the team doing their usual- teaching, partying, etc. It was fun to see their routine! THEN Friday night we went to Ryan's Muay Thai boxing fight. It was straight out of the movies, weird lighting, run-down arena, betting, weird music...Ryan won in the first round (there are usually five) when he fought a trainer and long-time boxer. Whoa.

Saturday... one of the best days- EVER! We drove about 1 1/2 hours to ride elephants. The weather was perfect, not to hot and overcast.

After the elephant adventure, we drove about 20 minutes further and went white water rafting. That's right. White water rafting, in Thailand! I don't have any pictures of this for obvious reasons. But I think it must be my new favorite thing to do. I was in a raft with April, Elaina and our skipper, King Kong. We felt as though we were in good hands with a name like that. And he called us "his girls"; therefore, we are now "King Kong's Girls". We learned the 5 commands quickly: Forward, Backward, Move Right, Move Left, and of course, GET DOWN! Now that is my kind of playing!

After all of this we went to a 4th of July party hosted by the consulate. Nothing too exciting, but I ate subway and ice cream and watched fireworks.

Sunday we went to church and then ate dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant followed by some shopping at the night bazaar. I bought all 5 seasons of The Office!

Then bright and early Monday we drove back to Bangkok. It was such a fun weekend and great to be with the rest of the team, but I am glad to be back here.

Being in C.M. with a big group really made me appreciate my situation. I knew I was getting a different experience than the rest of them not only because of the location, setting, but also because of working only with April. I think it has given me a much more realistic view of what cross-cultural work will be like in the future. Also, I haven't had to worry about all the dynamics of working with many other people- God has been so good to let April and me work well and happily together! Needless to say, I am abundantly thankful for my experience in Bangkok. I think it is just what I needed. HE knows what is best for each of us!

This is our last week of English classes. A team from Alabama is coming in to help with English camp next weekend so our schedule will change yet again. Next weekend is English camp...so we get to go to the beach- AGAIN! Hey, someone's gotta do it;)

So, with 5 weeks down and only 2 to go, I have much to look forward to and much to process. I trust that I will have guidance in processing all that I need to and that all that has happened will not be without fruit. For that I am excited, grateful and humbled.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support during my time here. I know that your support has made so much of my experience possible.

In HIS Grace.

Oh, Happy Father's Day, Poppa!!!

Well...where to begin? It seems that nothing and everything of importance have happened in the week since I last posted.

I thought that my schedule would be about the same from week to week- wrong. It is generally the same, but mostly flexible! We teach English classes on Tuesday and Wednesday and have English Hour at the university on Thursday and Friday. But there always seems to be something changing. It is good for me, it must be!

Teaching has been quite a challenge for me. I have never considered myself a teacher...I think I made my friend cry once while trying to teach her to knit. But I know that teaching English is necessary these days, and is a door wide open to the rest of the world and into the lives of countless students. Therefore, I will teach English to the best of my ability with a willing and joyful spirit!

My students are wonderful...it must be cliche to say this, but difficult as it is to teach, the students make it all worth the while. My class consists of 3 pre-intermediate students (and the level is a very rough gauge, for some are better than others). They are just great and I really love getting to know each of them. They help me to taste new things every week too!

We are trying to have a Bible study on campus in English, as Dennis says in a thick southern accent," We are just casting different kinds of bait to see what works." Well, no fish bit on Thursday...hopefully next, or the following! Instead we talked with the one of the ladies we have been working closely with. It was really great to hear her heart, past, and vision for the future.

Yesterday we went to JJ Market...probably the biggest market ever! We were there for about 3 hours and we only saw a small fraction of it. And I thought America was overrun with consumerism! I got some sassy souvenirs for some sassy ladies I know, saw a skirt that I bought in America, had a great mango smoothie, and fried chicken skin. It was a fun day.

I wish I could tell each of you how this trip has been impacting my heart, hopefully we will be able to talk about it in person because I am just so excited. So, maybe instead of telling you here some of these pictures will help.

"For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens." Ps. 96: 4-5.

Love and Peace.

The Sacrifices I Make...

2 and a 1/2 weeks down, not enough to go.

I have had quite an eventful few days! Hopefully this gives you an idea of what I am doing here in Thailand, but don't get the wrong idea...we are doing a lot of work teaching English:

Monday: floating market! About a 2 hour drive away, but don't ask me where it is. We took a boat tour and didn't buy anything- very economical and beautiful!

There are Wats at almost every turn in Thailand. Here is one on the river. There is also an elementary school on the grounds- we stopped and looked around.

I am not sure if it is appropriate to take pictures of monks or not, but I think there are some things you can get away with when you are a "ferang" or "white foreigner".Tuesday: now our designated "hang-out with students day". So we went over to the university and met up with some of our students and "helped them with their English homework". This turned into some fun conversation and meaningful sharing. One girl is very close to making a decision for Christ and was asking me some important questions. We talked about reading the Word for understanding, direction and a deeper relationship with the Lord, baptism and other things along those lines. It was a joy to share with her and hear from her!

Thursday: weekly English Hour at the main university campus. The second time around was better than the first! Then dinner with the students after. I don't know what I ate. But it was good. Same story as always!

Friday: what a busy day!!! First we went to the freshman campus (yes, they have their own campus) and did our first English Hour there. This will be weekly. We had about 10 students! I taught pro-nouns- "you" is hard to explain. Then we went to the church and taught our first real English class. Man-o! I had 3 students and they were roughly pre-intermediate. What a learning experience...for me. These classes will be twice a week.

Saturday: what a day!!! April and I were summoned to the beach. What a chore. There is another missionary working with slum neighborhoods who needed our help for "family fun day at the beach". They needed extra hands for the 30+ kids. So, we did our duty and went to the beach.

Needless to say, we were exhausted after a long day after the beach- but it was so worth it!

Today (Sunday) after church, Kris took us to a mall and we got foot spas- yet another hardship of cross-cultural work in Thailand. It was an awesome thing!

Sorry this is so long, but I hope this gives you a taste of my life in Thailand!
Love to all of you reading this, I am glad you are sharing in my joy by reading along!

In His grace.

ducks have lips

being in the land of smiles for a little over a week now there are some things i have noticed. so, the following are some preliminary observations.

• when thais say "not very spicy" it is about 4 chilies on the american menu (at least to me).
• not only do thais drive on the other side of the road, they drive according to who is pushiest. scooters have free-reign, there are no lanes for them. changing lanes may be a traumatic event.
• there are some new and unheard of items on thai menus, such as fried duck lips (actually not bad), but meat such as turkey is unusual.
• thais love to eat. meals usually happen every few hours, with snacks in between. it is social. the meals are the same for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• thai fashion uses very interesting english phrases, like: "married with tissue" or "to be in love is to cease to by". they are acutally quite thought provoking!
• thai doors are not as beautiful as european doors, and i definitely cannot photograph them like my sister!
• picking your nose is not uncouth, but picking your teeth is. therefore, instead of toothpicks, many people have a very long pinky-fingernail for their nose.
• community and relationships are important- it seems rather easy to make friends, or at least good aquaintences.
• "there is nothing to do in thailand but shop," local thai.
• i am an english teacher as a default of being a native english speaker. the students we work with will introduce us to other students and say, "he/she would like you to teach him/her english," and walk away. what a learning experience!
• rainy season is cooler. it was 85 degrees this morning at 7:30.
• thai salesmen/women are very pushy.
• squatty-potties are to be expected. sitty-potties are a luxury. bring your own t.p.
• i love thailand and the people!

Surprise, Surprise: I Post Again!

So, I was not expecting to be able to post again so soon- not only was I not anticipating having time, but I was not anticipating having much to write about. But I do!

As I mentioned in the previous post, we spent Monday at the freshman campus advertising the English Hour we will help facilitate. During this time we met A LOT of new students and got to know some of the student leaders of the group. Most of these students are new believers and are very involved with the group, the church and relationship with one another.

Tuesday, we moved into our apartment- now would be the time to post pictures, but I haven't taken any yet. It is at the top of some offices of the people we are working with, the 5th floor, to be exact. It was recently turned into an apartment with one main living space that has our beds, closet, fridge and desks. Through the sliding door is a tiny bathroom and a little kitchen- all perfectly serving our needs.

We have also gotten the run-down on what we will be doing. English Hour is run both through the university and through the church. It meets at the upper-classmen campus on Thursdays, and the freshman campus on Fridays for two hours each. After each "hour" we eat and hang-out with the students, which is a really fun time! They love to get us to try new foods and watch us intently to see if it is too spicy...tonight it was! I am sure that we will be doing more on the other days of the week, but we have not gotten into a schedule yet, something I am looking forward to!

(Some views of the main campus- I didn't take them!)

There are a few students, the leadership team, that we have gotten to be friends with already....and it has not even been a week! They all speak pretty advanced English and are SO much fun to be with. I am really impressed with how friendly most Thais seem to be and how quickly they make friends. I am confident that solid relationships will form and that they will be not only earthly beneficially but eternally as well.

Maybe I am setting unrealistic expectations for any future cross-cultural work, but things have been so very smooth for us these past few days; for that I am grateful. As of yet I have not experienced any unpleasant culture shock, or serious homesickness (sorry Mom & Poppa!). I just tell myself that I am living in the honey-moon time of cross-cultural living and that if I were to stay longer I would experience these things. Maybe someday. But for now I like being on a honey-moon!

Sweaty Entry

Sawadeeka!

"The Land of Smiles" accurately describes me the past few days in Bangkok. Smiling at every turn of the corner, new activity, new sensory experience (well, not all the smells), and new introduction I am here and thrilled!
After approximately 18 hours in coach seating, a few layovers, some waiting in the airport, and an early morning van ride, our team made it to Bangkok. We arrived at our hotel at about 3am Saturday the 30th (we left the States Thursday morning) and made it to bed close to 4am. Just a few short hours later we woke up for a wonderful breakfast at our beautiful Kantary Hotel, then headed out to tour the Grand Palace with our exceedingly knowledgeable tour-guide, Richard (not his Thai name, but he was kind enough to allow us a nick-name). The Grand Palace is extensive, beautiful, and thought provoking. Our tour was at least 2 hours long- in 90 degree, 70% humidity.

Hopefully this shows how expansive the Palace is...no wonder the tour was hours long!

These are demon statues that guard the Palace...I think. And if you look at their ring, you die. The reason it is from the side ;)

There are Buddha statues EVERYWHERE.

Housed in the Grand Palace is the Emerald Buddha, a rather small but the most valuable and important Buddhist statue. It is beautifully carved out of emerald and enshrined in the most ornate temple. At the change of each season the king ceremonially changes it's out-fit. I have no pictures of the statue. Though photos were allowed from outside the temple, they were prohibited inside and I did not feel comfortable taking pictures of it. You can Google search it. We entered the temple and were surrounded by silent worshippers. It was not the idolatry that struck me, as America and often our own hearts are riddled with it. Instead it was the total blindness and lost-ness that struck me. People are made to worship. In America the Good News is rather accessible, however it is a totally foreign concept here. Therefore, people act as they are created to act, but in a completely misguided way. If only their earnest and devoted worship were of the Creator, rather than the created. If only the worship in our own hearts were earnest and devoted.

After our tour of the Grand Palace and several gallons of sweating, we took a boat tour of Bangkok. Unbeknownst to us, the city is considered the Venice of the East as the river splinters throughout the city. It was beautiful and refreshing.

Sunday we accompanied the missionary to a Thai national church. How encouraging! Considering 95% of the nation is Buddhist and only 1% are Christian it was awesome to visit a Thai church of about 400 people. After the service everyone stayed for a pot-luck Thai style! I did not ask what I was eating and simply enjoyed the new flavors.

Monday the team going to Chiang Mai headed to the airport after dropping April and me off at the campus to meet new students. It was the freshman orientation at Ramkhamheng 2, the freshman campus. The English Hour club had a booth set up and was bringing new students by to sign up and meet us. It was a day of many new names, faces and much small talk. From my understanding we will be spending most of our time at the other campus, sophomore-seniors. Total, the university has about 600,000 students: unfathomable.

Today we moved into the apartment and became a little more oriented with our surroundings.

Pardon the length of this entry, but it is all just too exciting not to share with all of you! Since we are not yet on a normal schedule, I am not sure how often I will write, but we do have free internet access in our apartment.

Thank you for your continued prayer. Please pray for guidance, boldness and openness!