Libraries and Graveyards

I friend who lived in Kolkata while we were there last year has returned to the States. As she and her family re acclimate to the lifestyle there, she mentioned their trip to the library. It was just the local library in their city, but the kids were PUMPED! They had not been to a library in over a year! Well, as I listened I was taken aback, because I had not thought of a library in a loooong time either.

Later in the conversation, she mentioned passing a graveyard and how her 5 year old child, "Look, it's idols!" "No," explained her older sister,"that's a cemetery- a place where dead people are put and those are the stones that tell who they are." (Good explanation, huh?) Well, as she spoke I was shocked to realize that I had not seen a headstone in a year and a half. Hindus in India cremate their dead loved ones. Likewise in Thailand among Buddhists. (There is a cemetary in Kolkata that Eddie and Hudson visited to see names of Christians- I never went.)

Isn't it funny how things we take for granted as part of the frame of our worldview, of our culture are so easily forgotten in another context? I can only imagine what it will be like for 4 year old Jonathan when we are Stateside!
It also made me think how much we can live without and still be whole and productive for God's Kingdom. We are all resilient-yes, you too!

Just some thoughts.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father's throne

Make all my wants and wishes known;

In seasons of distress and grief

My soul has often found relief

And oft escaped the tempter's snare

By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.

 

With all the intensity of pain and suffering in Haiti, we need to work AND pray. We are also mindful of your prayers that carried us through in our time of distress. We would not have made it without them. Seeing pictures of Haiti reminds me that we must be ready to press in and help. When we cannot go, we should give and when we cannot do either, we can still help by praying. It is in His presence that we find peace and strength to press on one more day.

Joy

Friday at 7.
Thai college student Christmas party was fun and fulfilling:
Games, carols, and food made the fun; Billy Graham's One Hope program and small groups made it fulfilling.
Sunday at church.
4 of those students accepted Jesus.
THIS is our Christmas joy!

Thanksgiving - Five Days Early

In a few days, my family will join other Americans in the annual tradition of our homeland. We eat lots of food and reflect on God's goodness to us. But this year, Thanksgiving landed on a Saturday. No, we didn't eat any cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie yesterday, but our hearts were filled with thanks to view a glorious event.

The center of attention was not a perfectly cooked turkey, but a portable round container of water. In this container, two university students were baptized. They have forsaken the path of trying to earn eternal life and blessings by their own good deeds and have embraced the river of grace that cleanses and energizes. The Lord is raising them up as student leaders to spread hope in a culture dominated by fear and luck.

They started this journey before I arrived here, but I am currently a part of their lives as I teach English to them and they teach me Thai. I am thankful to see what the Lord is doing in this land. I am thankful to be a small part of it.

....and I will always love it when Thanksgiving comes five days early in Bangkok.

5 Baht Soi

Bangkok is a hard city to drive in if you need to make a u-turn. Our moo-bahn (neighborhood) is just beyond the u-turn for our main road, Bangna-Trad. When we leave to go to some places, we go through 5 Baht Soi to catch the u-turn from the main road. For some reason, we have to pay 5 baht to go through the moobahn next to us so we can catch the short-cuts; thus, the name 5 Baht Soi.

5 Baht Soi is full of shops and produce markets, Thai fast food vendors, and two 7-11shops (yes, 24 hours). Early in the morning (6:30 to 9 am) and all afternoon and evening, it's lively with many scooters, cars, taxis and people killing our shortcut advantage.

We went walking one night to eat soup at a Thai stall that the boys recommended. Everyone really is polite, and soft spoken. No shouting and blaring horns. On this road, you can find (think 12 days of Christmas here)the TV repairman, shoe repair, frame maker, dry cleaning, 5 million dogs, at least 4 beauty salons, 3 massage shops, 2 7-11s, and a Tesco Lotus Express (convenience store). (By the way, the soup was DE-licious.)

Sounds normal and boring almost, til you remember that there's hardly a store that doesn't have a spirit house, and that we need to learn their language well to share His love that they so desperately need on busy 5 Baht Soi.

A Bridge Not Over the River Kwai

 

 

We live about 2 hours from the city of Kanchanaburi, the location of the famous Bridge over the River Kwai. It is a popular tourist site with museums and cemeteries recognizing the importance of the bridge and the men who died in World War II for our freedom. We hope to visit it sometime within the next year but currently, I am working on building a different bridge.

 

Every Thursday, I travel to Ramkhamhaeng University Campus to work with Thai students. My friend Dennis has helped establish a ministry to students by helping them with English. They have classroom instruction, but not many opportunities to converse with a native English speaker. We talk to the students and help them with pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, but most of all, we build relationships. After the sessions, we eat dinner at the campus cafeteria and fellowship with the students who choose to join us.

 

Through this relationship building process, students' hearts have become open to the gospel. No big pressure, no hype, no hurry- just building a bridge to the heart.

 

Joel Soi, Part 2

What we thought was going to be a normal Tuesday became a tense, busy morning filled with moving the washer and dryer into the house, bailing water, and putting the computer and first floor books upstairs. With rainy season comes flooding. As you may know from facebook, we are experiencing this for the first time, so it's been disarming, kwim? Never knowing if the rain will slow down enough to allow the water to drain off...Will we have to move the refrigerators?...

Anyway, our kids went out to visit their friends and Aasha,the always curious investigator, visited around to neighbors. She was so upset because everyone we know is flooded.

We are particularly concerned for our next door neighbor, T, who I just met and chatted with on Monday, who has 4 dogs and some cats. We think she's alone.

So at 4 this morning we woke up to more lightening and thunder, but it stopped after 30 minutes. It's draining really slowly. We have learned since moving here that Bangkok is slowly sinking so the water has nowhere to go. That's why we are bailing water again today. And checking on T. Thanks for your prayers.