Have you ever...

eaten a taco with onion rings on it? 

I glanced over and Tom was filling a taco; his first taco ever.  Karl had just explained how you take a tortilla, put some meat in the middle, top it with tomatoes and lettuce then fold it in half and enjoy.  Tom missed the fact that the onion rings and catchup were just a side dish, so those went into the taco too.  He took his first bite and smiled.  A success!







The evening began with a run to the market (well, actually we walked.)  Then, while Karl taught Nid how to make the meat, I taught Shar how to make tortillas.




"You're going to make rice, right?" Nid asked.  "We have to have rice to get full."  (While this sounds strange to the western way of thinking, if you've eaten rice with almost every meal for your entire life, it's a strange idea to have a meal without it.)  I explained that we normally don't eat rice with tacos, but we made some anyways because it helps the meal stretch.  In a dorm, you never know how many people are going to show up when the food is ready.  :)  The idea of a meal without rice made Nid's face crinckle up in confusion,  "Is that even possible, how are we going to be full?"

With rice on all of our plates, tacos and onion rings on the side, we all filled up quickly.  Towards the end of the meal, Nid said, "I'm too full of flour to eat my rice."  I just smiled.  It's fun to gently challenge ideas of how things "have to be."

Circle of Influence

Two new "nongs" (left), one "P" (dark shirt), and one in middle--"P" to the "nongs" and "nong" to the "P" (right).  Have I confused you yet?  :)

Part of Thai culture is to know how old everyone is or at least how they compare to your age, older ("P") or younger ("nong").  While this can present challenges, it also provides opportunity to see growth in leadership and influence.  Over the past few months, 4 new girls have moved into our community.  This has given the girls who used to be the "nongs" the chance to step up and be a "P" to the new girls. 

Yesterday one of the new girls ran out of the common area with her bible (that she bought last week!) and a new dorm friend.  Smiles proceeded them and giggling trailed after their scampering.  About an hour and a half later they ran back through the room.  I asked what they had been up to.  The new "nong" responded, "We were in the prayer room.  We did everything like we do at church, singing, praying, reading, sharing.  It was fun!"

In the States, we call that discipleship.  These girls know it as friendship.  Whatever you call it, it's a beautiful relationship.

BJD Outreach

 

                                                                      Excitement flowed through the air as we loaded up the truck and gathered to pray for the students and staff before they left for outreach.  The 10 BJD (the dorm where I live) students and staff went to serve in Northern Thailand.  Some students have been on outreach before, others put their faith in Jesus in the past few months, so this is their first experience of living-out loving others outside of Bangkok (aka "mission trip").

They had a busy two weeks full of blessing some of the students' home communities.  In some hometowns they did kids' programs with skits, games, and stories about Jesus.  In some hometowns they spent long days helping harvest rice and other veggies alongside the locals and praying for those in need.  

It's not a simple task for students to return to their hometowns to speak of Christ.  For some, the evidence of Jesus changing their lives speaks for itself,  others face ridicule from family and neighbors for "being swept away with this Western religion." 

When everyone returned this past week, I asked one of the student leaders what his favorite part was.  He had a lot of good stories but the best part was "Seeing BJD students grow closer to God and grow in leadership."                                        Praise God for working in the lives of the students at BJD !

Pla Pla Community Kids

Kids from Pla Pla community showing off the Easter eggs they found.

"Will you read with me?"  Was the first thing out of Ben's mouth as he walked up carrying the Bible we gave him last week.   "Of course!" We responded.  As other kids began to gather and play, Ben and Taam sat on a bench reading stories from the Bible. 

Sometimes I wonder if spending half a day chasing kids around, singing songs, teaching English, and listening to a Bible story is a good use of my time, but then one of the kids come up and says they want to read the Bible.  That brings everything back into perspective.  More perspective comes when a parent walks by and stops to listen during our story time or gives a friendly smile and says, "The foreigners have arrived!" as we walk by their house.

 

Taam, our amazing teammate, made eggs out of clay for the kids and brought all the supplies to paint them.

The kids had a great time.  It was their first time decorating eggs, and they wanted to get everything perfect.

After covering every inch of their eggs, the boys resourcefully held them in front of the fan to dry.

Song Kran

Song Kran is Thai New Year's celebration.  Basically, it's a three-day long country-wide water fight (which lasts even longer in some places.) This year was a first for me, but I'm already looking forward to next year.  

 

I celebrated with a couple of my English students and their family in Northern Thailand.  Across the river is Laos.  The family when there to travel for an afternoon, but I stayed on the Thailand side and visited some nice markets because of my visa. 

 One Song Kran Buddhist tradition is to "bathe" statues.  These statues were set up at the market so people could take a bowl of water and pour it over the statue as they pass by.  

Now for a peek at what my Song Kran involved...

Step 1 - Get dressed in a wild-colored shirt.  The week before I was wondering why all the stores were selling "Hawaiian" shirts.  Now I know.

Step 2 - Get ready with your squirt guns, buckets, hoses, and anything else that can be used for a water fight.  Then be brave and begin walking down the street.  Alternatively, you can stand in one spot and wait for others to walk to you.  (We chose the first option.)

Step 3 - Get wet!

Step 4 - Get others wet!

Step 5 - Get covered in baby powder.  (Yes, this makes a paste.  Yes, it's sticky and messy.  Yes, it's fun.)

 Many people ride in the back of pickup trucks with giant tubs of water.  When one passes another or drives by anyone on the side of the road, the water fight ensues. 

By the evening, less water is being thrown and the parties have begun.

"I do"

I promise to love you with the love of Christ so that the world may know that Christ loves the Church.  I can't recall exactly, but the vows went something like that.

Seth and Taam's wedding was a beautiful example of Christ's love for the Church, and the pastor (Seth's dad) did an awesome job of explaining that connection for all those in attendance.  For most of Taam's family, it was the first time a wedding was likened to anything Christian.

The wedding took place in Chiang Mai (northern Thailand) at a Protestant church near where most of Taam's family lives.  It was beautiful!  One of the benefits of living in a tropical climate is the abundance of flowers.  I've never seen so many roses (and they were all probably less than 10 cents each!) 

 

Some of Taam's friends flew up from Bangkok to join in the celebration. 

 And many were excited about trying to catch the bouquet. (I didn't expect this to be a part of a wedding in Thailand, but everyone knew what to do, so I guess it's not an uncommon practice.)

Our team has grown by one officially this past week, but Taam has been an imporant part of our team since we met last summer.  We are all very grateful to God for bringing Taam into our team, and we are excited to see how God uses the diversity of our team to further His Kingdom. 

 

Seth's Mom and team members Leigha, Tiffany, Susie, and me in front of the church.

 

English students playing a game to see which team can think of the most household chores. 

"I'm going to try out this other god, the one they call Jesus.  If he's not real, I'll come back.  Please don't be mad at me."   G said to the row of golden figures above his bed.  

That was the night before G came to Baan Jai Diaow (BJD) for worship.  Worship was different at the dorm.  "They worship a living God."  He recalls thinking.

God had been working in G's life for a long time.  We first met when he came to the dorm for English class.  One day, he agreed to come to Tuesday night worship.  The first night he felt he had to apologize to his golden statues, but not long after that, he had found confidence in Jesus to throw them all in the trash and trust in Christ alone.

Praise God for working in the lives of students in Bangkok!