Slow But Steady

Kwa on left, baking with friends last week.

Day 1: Kwa and I meet at our Tuesday night of dinner and worship. She expresses interest in learning English, and we set up a time to study.  She leaves part way through the worship.

Month 1-3: We  study English weekly, enjoying our time together and deepening the relationship as we go.

Month 4, week 1: Kwa invites me to lunch after studying English.  Afterward she takes me to her apartment to show me around.

Month 4, week 2: Kwa helps a friend translate for a friend at the dorms then hangs around after studying English to bake brownies.

Month 4, week 3: I invite Kwa to a Christmas party at church.  She accepts the invitation!  We enjoy visiting with people, delicious snacks, and singing Christmas songs.  Halfway through the talk on the meaning of Christmas, Kwa says she needs to go.  We say goodbye and confirm our next date for studying English.

While I would have loved for Kwa to stay for the whole Christmas story, I'm not frustrated she left.  I'm actually very excited she came in the first place and stayed for as long as she did.  I know God is working in her life, and I trust he has already started to cause some turbulence in her heart.

Relationships take time.  That is especially true here in Thailand and even more so because we are crossing language and cultural mountain ranges as we walk through the relationship's path, but the outcome of the time invested is well worth it. 

 

P and I have been friends for two and a half years, a friendship well worth the time invested.

God's Schedule

"I ran quickly."

"I run quickly."
"I will run quickly."

"I took out the trash." 

"I take out the trash."
"I will take out the trash."

"They borrowed the car."

"They borrow the car."
"They will borrow the car."

English tutoring was going on as usual when Ben walked in. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but can anyone translate for me?  I would like to pray for my friend who is visiting." 

Kwa, the student I was tutoring, just looked at him.  Then he asked her, "Do you speak English and Thai?"
"Yes." She responded.
"Can you translate for me?"
"Okay."

We quickly finished our lesson, and I double checked with Kwa.  "It's okay if you translate?" 
"Yes." She replied.

When we joined Ben and his friend, he explained that he has been studying the Bible.  We chatted for a while using all of our combined English and Thai, and somehow communicating most of what we wanted to say. 

The whole time, Kwa visited, listened, and seemed to enjoy herself.  

That's when I laughed at myself.  So often I want to control situations to keep them comfortable for everyone.  But when I step back and trust God to take care of the situation, I am often surprised.  

Kwa is a Buddhist.  If I had gone with my first instinct, I would have discouraged her joining the conversation as the translator.  But on second thought, I figured it couldn't hurt anything, if she was willing.  

So much of ministry is living life with people, living a life for God and allowing others to observe and be involved.  Some of our students still consider themselves Buddhists, but am encouraged when I see them joining us in worship, prayer, inviting others to hangout, and saying, "I thank God for..."  

Is God working in these students' lives?  Most definitely. 

  

Later that day, Kwa joined us to bake brownies.  That lead N to teaching us how to make butter cake.  Having left over eggs and being hungry for "real food," we made omelets and rice.  Late in the afternoon, Kwa said she had to go home.  A two-hour, tutoring session turned into a day of spending time together, just what I love to do. 

 

Happy Birthday to the King of Thailand!

December 5th was the King's birthday.  It's a national holiday (schools and banks are closed on Monday in observance) and also the Father's Day is celebrated. 

Some of my friends from the dorm invited me to go to the park to join the festivities.  I realized this is a lot bigger than Father's Day in the States when I saw the traffic heading towards the park.

We jumped on a song-taow, a pickup truck with space for people to sit/stand in the back.  With 31 people in the back, we felt the bottom of the truck hit the ground at every pothole and speed bump. 

 

The park was decorated with strings of lights over many of the trees, beautiful flowers, and pictures of the king.  Thousands of people gathered to celebrate, remember, and pay respect to the king.  There were people everywhere, couples, kids, families, teenagers, some sitting on mats, others buying ice cream, others taking pictures.  

 

As I looked across the lake in the middle of the park, I saw lights being spread.  One by one, fire was passed from candle to candle until the whole park was lit by the candles each person was holding.  

Then everything stopped, people stopped moving, the noise from the ice cream carts was silent, and the King's song began to play.  It played twice while people held their candles in respect. 

 At the end of the songs, fireworks shot into the sky.  It felt like the Fourth of July. 

As we left the park, we saw a family lighting a floating lantern.  The heat from the fire causes them to rise into the sky.

   

The whole evening was a beautiful display of respect and honor. 

Loy Krathong

 

 By day, these statues were set up at the university near my house.  That evening, the party began...

Loy Krathong is a Thai celebration that takes place on the full moon during the 12th month of the traditional Thai lunar calendar (usually November.)  

Here are some pictures from the celebration, and what I have learned so far. (I'm definitely not an expert yet.)

 "Krathongs" are made out of many things.  Some I saw included, banana leaves,








newspaper (the one with the blue and pink flower), bread (the tan one),










and styrofoam/plastic.  (These are discouraged because of pollution.)








They are decorated with flowers, candles, and incense.  Often a clipped fingernail, a few pieces  of hair, and some coins are placed on the Krathong as well.  The Krathongs are held over the head while a prayer is said then they are placed in the water.  As they float away, symbolically, grudges and sins from the past year are taken away with them.  Many Thais believe sending a Krathong out will bring good luck for the new year.



Another aspect of the celebration is paying respect and thanking the Goddess of Water.  These turtles and bags of fish could be bought and released into the ponds during the celebration.

The festivities included traditional dancing and a parade.

























 
Then someone got the idea that it would be entertaining to see the foreigners try to dance Thai style. :)  Entertaining it was!




















We tried some traditional Thai desserts.  Most were delicious, some with sticky rice, some sweet and salty, some spicy, some with jello, and many interesting combinations of the above.

















 The day after, the university was almost deserted, but all the Krathongs were still floating on the pond.  (The coins snatched out of them by resourceful kids. ) It made me sad to think that these objects that were supposed to take away the bad from last year were still sitting on the water, the candles burned out, and the bread beginning to be eaten by the fish.  How grateful I am to know that my sin is taken by a perfect Savior.  There is no need to make atonement every year. 

Thailand's NDP

Question: What would cause an expected 3,000 to 5,000 people to walk 3.6 kilometers through Bangkok on a hot afternoon?  

Answer: Thailand's National Day of Prayer

 

Flags and music began the procession as thousands of people walked down the street. 

 

Yes, that's a Buddhist temple in the background.  We also walked by the Grand Palace.

As we weaved through neighborhoods, down sidewalks and along some streets closed off for the event, we passed 10 different "prayer stations." At each prayer station, a couple of people were holding a numbered sign that lined up with the prayer guide we were given before we started walking.   During the walk between stations, we prayed for what the guide outlined.  

 We kept walking until we got to the Rama 8 bridge.

At the bridge, everyone stopped and began gathering. We all ate dinner together (I'm sure glad I wasn't in charge of boxing 5,000 servings of rice.)

 

Then we enjoyed a time of worship and prayer.  What an amazing sight to see all these Thais gathered to give glory to our Father in heaven and interceding for their country!

Baptisms

Pattaya Beach

This past week we celebrated with 7 students from the dorm as they were baptized as an outward sign of their commitment to follow Jesus with their whole life. 

Here's a picture summary:

The bus ride was crowded, but we had fun eating snacks (wrapping a seaweed snack around your front teeth makes everyone laugh) and singing songs.

Our first stop was Pattaya City Hall where we filled about 2,500 bags with a Bible (in Thai), a note, and a cookie.  The bags were for an event, Pattaya Praise.  We stayed for a time of worship then headed to the beach.

  

 We enjoyed a lunch of chicken and sticky rice on the beach then played games in the water for a while. 

When it was time for the baptisms, we read a few passages from the Bible before praying and heading to the water.

Praise God for changed lives, faithful followers, and a loving community!