May 6

Early to bed, early to rise.  Except I was up late helping out a friend online.  And I slept in til about nine.  So that saying doesn't really apply to today...in any way.  But it's a good saying.

Anyway, so we got up, did devos and prayer, and headed for the office.  Now, let me take this time to enlighten you about taking a taxi in Bangkok.  It's a thrill ride everytime.  Because taxi drivers in Bangkok are much more fearless than those in New York City, and they FLY fearlessly between lanes and almost run into each other or the motor taxis.  Found out today that they don't even have to pass a driver's test - they can pay for their license (kind of like I did when I lost it - then found it at HOME a few days later).  

Today in the office we did work for the "dream syllabus" again and then I researched missions in the 21st century using a few of Alan's texts.  We took a break from lunch and I got sticky rice and "lob."  Lob, which I just learned, is actually pig intestine.  Gross.  It was actually really good though.  You make a ball with the sticky rice and then use it to scoop out the meat and put it in your mouth.  It's a little spicy but it's pretty good overall.  I don't want to think about what it is.  It's like all the meat here - don't ask about it.   Oh, also had a banana-pineapple smoothie for like less than 50 cents american money.  Yeah, take that.  More reading after lunch.  Not much to report on.

We went out for dinner to a Lebanese restaurant for Deborah's last night in Bangkok.  She's an itnern from SAGU.  It was good food - we had hummus...and them some other middle eastern things to eat.  I don't remember their names.  It's not like you really care either.  Ha.  Good food - good fellowship...OOOH and we got ice cream cones from McDonalds for 7 bot...which is like...20 cents.  Hallesanto!

Came back to the missionary apartment and played Cities and Knights AGAIN and I DID NOT WIN AND I HAD A HORRIBLE GAME!  lol.  It was seriously bad.  And it was a 2 and a half hour game, and in the first 30 minutes I knew I was not going to win.  So, yeah.  But we had fun with Jeremy and Ashley, the Book of Hope/OneHope missionaries.  I took a picture of the game board.  It's one of the few pictures I have from here on my camera so far.

Came back.  Refused to blog.  So I'm blogging a day later about May 6.  Oh well.  It was good.  I love Thailand.  The end.

May 5

Today was another awesome day.  I slept all thru the night tonight, and got up at 9:15 to me telling Jessica and Justin to stop fighting on the couches only to wake up to me scolding an empty room.  I felt bad about sleeping in so late, but I knew Alan wouldn't be here til 10, so I took a shower and did my devos before I headed downstairs.  Today is Coronation Day here in Thailand, so we weren't going in to the office and just going to do our work here at the house anyway.  I went down to talk to Bei, Juan, and Chiab.  I talked to them for about 3 hours actually, and practiced my Thai in the meantime, before I realized that Alan wasn't coming but we were going to meet him at 2 at the apartment complex.  So I had a lot of time to talk about culture with the Thai people.  Found out that they all really doing like kids, except Tio, their son, and that children's ministry isn't a big thing they like to do.  That was interesting to find out.  They have a lot of respect for me because I like to do children's ministry - they don't have the same "gifting" they claim.  We also talked about other things in culture - things you're allowed to do, things you're not allowed to do.  I've picked a few up, but here's a few that I can name off the top of my head:

You always take your shoes off when entering a home.

Never point your feet at someone (except Chaib does it.  She's a bad Thai, she admits).

Use your right hand significantly more than your left hand.

Never touch someone on the head.

Thai people point with their lips at other people, but only their friends or people they know well.

Any video or statements against the monarchy can land you in jail.  Hence, The King & I is banned.

That's all I can think of right now.  Anyway, at two we met for prayer and devotions with Alan.  It was a good time of interceding for Thailand, unreached people groups, each other, and the conference we're doing this weekend.  It was pretty powerful.

Alan gave us an assignment after that to work on a three-week intensive study course to be offered to AG College Students coming to visit different mission fields, kind of like the IMN Field Work course at VFCC.  So Gabe and I went to Starbucks and constructed a "Dream Syllabus" of what that class would look like.  That was fun.  I started to crash from my still lingering jet lag after that so I came back and napped until dinner.

We went out to dinner at the restaurant that is in the bottom of Al & Lynettes apartment complex with a couple of missionaries from India.  Now that India is it's own "section" of AGWM, they are having their yearly conference here.  I got to talk with two MK's from India; they're the only teenage MKs that they know of in the country.  We had pretty good conversation at dinner - I didn't get to really talk with the adults, but that was okay.  The MK's were more interesting anyway.  We talked about a lot of good stuff, including reverse culture shock.  I'm glad I met them.  We might go see Wolverine in the theaters here together.  That'd be so tight.

Anyway, after dinner we came back here and I got to blog early about the day.  It again was a short day but we're going to have more busy ones soon.  I learned so much just from sitting and talking and praying with the missionary today.  This weekend is going to be really awesome.

Thanks for the prayers!  I'll update you soon!

Day 4 - May 4

Today was the missionary's "day off."  We've talked about the importance of rest and sabbath in a person's life, so today was it for us.  I again got up at 5:30 am, stayed up til 7:30, then fell back asleep til 11:30.  I had to get up then, and I was embarrassed that I slept that long.  Got up, washed my face, and headed downstairs.  We later realized that we had to wait for Alan to share a cab to the Sky Train station, so I played with Tio, Bei (the Pastor)'s son.  I played with him for about an hour, even though he can't really speak English and I really can't speak Thai.  We understand each other well enough though.  His dad made a comment to the missionary that we've developed this play language.  Haha.  I guess we have.

Anyway, after Alan got there, we all grabbed a taxi and took it to the Sky Train.  Got on that (much like the Metro in DC) and went into the heart of Bangkok.  Got to see this famous Buddhist shrine, and sat there for a while and observed people putting flowers on it, lighting candles to it, burning incense.  They will pay girls to do a dance as they pray to it, they buy these elephant statues to leave at the altar - all this weird stuff.  I wonder if these people realize that this isn't even real Buddhism.  Buddha was never about God-worship, he was about emptying himself.  I wonder if they leave feeling the same way, or if there's something in laying those flowers at this fake idol that makes them feel better about their life.  And if so, I wonder why.

I walked into another slum where we'll be teaching, and talked with some of the people.  Gah, i NEED to get better at speaking Thai.  After that, we took the public boat that goes through the channel back to the hotel.  That was really cool.  Maybe I'll be able to post a photo on here or something of it.  It was pretty packed with people, but Gabe's seen it more packed before.  We got out at Chanarissa stop, and walked a ways back to the house.  At the house, we were able to dialogue with Chuey and her cousin and two brothers.  It was a good chance to practice my Thai and for them to practice their English.

For dinner, we went over to the missionaries' apartment and had pizza and played the extension version of Settlers of Caban: Cities and Knights.  Deborah won the first round, Gabe won the second.  It was fun.

Back now.  Tired.  Not motivated to write this but I did it.  Ha.  Tomorrow will be a better entry.

Day 3 - May 3

Today was a very full day.  And I couldn't sleep more than 5 hours last night.  So I was up at 5:30am and laying in bed til 8:30.  I got on Facebook around 7 and did my devotions because I had nothing better to do.  Officially got up a little after 8, washed my hair (which I've realized I need to do both morning and night), shaved, and then ate some frosted flakes down in the kitchen where Chiab (i think that's how you spell it, that's how I say it) was making some oriental breakfast that i was very happy I was NOT having.  I came back upstairs, got dressed in Sunday morning attire, prayed with Gabe for a few minutes and did some more devotions, and then we left and walked to the Johnson's apartment complex, where we jumped in the car and drove to church.

We had a fun car ride on the way to church, and I learned a lot about the culture and the do's/don'ts of the culture, some of which I'm not allowed to write about on here.  But it was good.  We were visiting a church split off of another church, and Alan was preaching the message and just checking up on it to make sure everything was good.  It was very hyper-pentecostal, and they sang some songs I only knew from Rohler's A/G - Glory to His Name, Blessed Be The Name (old school version), What A Mighty God We Serve.  At the beginning of the service, though, we did some songs with motions that reminded me a lot of the motions I make our fifth graders do at Kidstuf, and I felt like an idiot doing them.  We were flying at some parts and marching at others, and when in doubt, we just waved our arms in the air (traditional motion when you don't know what else to do).  I found that to be very ironic.  I don't understand Thai, but I thought it was a pretty good service.  After the service, they had a meal we stayed for.  I'm not sure what the meat was; I didn't ask.  It was over rice and there was vegetables - carrots, green beans in their little green bean holder pod things.  And then we got some fried egg at the end - I was so happy for that.  I was thanking God because it tasted so good!  After that, we got this dish of deserts, and what appeared to be rice krispie treats that were half white and half pink.  We were wrong.  They weren't bad, they were just hard as bricks.  THEN, the pastor brings this other dish out that has five small flower shaped yellow things in it.  It was a present from one of the ladies in the kitchen.  Gabe and I get that a lot.  They're always asking us if we want to take a Thai wife.  It's a big deal for them to marry American men.  I ate one of them - probably one of  the most processed high-fructose corn syruppy things I've ever eaten.  But, this is missions people.  I downed it with a smile.

We soon left after that and drove back home.  We took this special bridge that Alan has been wanting to go on for like a year, and it stretches out over Bangkok so you can see almost all of the city.  That was pretty cool.  We saw this gigantic elephant statue thing that I took a picture of on the way back.  That was pretty cool.  When we got back, I was jet lagging a little bit, so I took a nap at Alan and Lynette's apartment for about an hour.  Then Alan woke me up and we went to teach English in a slum.

This slum apparently is better off than some of the other ones.  We went to work in a community center outside the Mosque, and there's a small library there.  But when I say community center, I mean that it was probably the size of a small shed or kiosk.  We went with two missionaries, Jeremy & Ashley, who work with Book of Hope, now called OneHope.  After we got there, we split the kids into two groups, ones who could basically speak English, and ones who had no clue.  After they were split, Jeremy went over colors and clothing with the older ones, and Ashley took the younger ones and went over the alphabet.  I also worked with that group, and had them come back individually to write their alphabet for me, and if they didn't know it, I would write it for them to copy after me.  The kids are a lot of fun to work with.  We worked with them for about an hour, and then kept another group, where Alan, Jeremy, Ashley and I worked with them on English conversation skills, such as giving directions and simple conversation that they would have with Americans.  We worked with them for another hour before we headed back to the apartments where they all live.  We dropped off Jeremy and Ashley and then headed for a taxi.  We picked up Gabe and another missionary named Clark who serves in...somewhere that I can't think of right now, and probably shouldn't post to the net if I did think about it.  Anyway, we headed into a slum to just share some life with the people and grab some dinner.  We stopped at the place where they usually do outreaches and stuff and Gabe and I got some fried rice (very cucumber tasting).

Anyway, CATCH THIS - so we're just sitting there eating dinner, talking to some of the people, just sharing life with them, and this motor-taxi driver comes up and plops down next to me on the ground (by the way - a motor-taxi is like a motorcycle that functions as a taxi).  Anyway, he interrupts our conversation by giving all this praise to the missionary - how he's transformed the community and how if he could, he would get on the internet and tell everyone about what he's done.  Now, this guy is also drunk, and speaking in Thai, so we're getting the translation, but the tears are streaming down his face.  So the missionary gets down and sits in front of him Indian style, listens to him, and then prays with him after he's done his whole speech.  It blew me away - this is what Jesus did.  He just sat with people and shared life with them and met them where they are, even in the slums.  It was awesome.  We found out later that this guy has NEVER ONCE spoken with the missionary, he's just observed him from afar all these years.  From simple projects like cleaning their drainage system when none of their own men would do it, or teaching their children English - it's having an impact, and maybe this guy getting drunk gave him the opportunity to express how much it's meant to them.  It totally blew me away.  This is missions - this is what Jesus did.

Ah, I can't get over it.  He sat on the ground with this guy and prayed with him in this slum he's been working there for years.  Good stuff.

We came back to Alan and Lynette's apartment afterwards and unwinded with a few games of Settlers of Caban.  I almost won round 2, but lost at the last minute.  It was a lot of fun - man oh man do they have all these good strategy games.  Apparently they're German (Germans make the best strategy games I've been told).  As we were walking back, we met one of Alan's converts, his first convert actually (which took him 7 years to do).  I really can't believe it took that long, but Asia Pacific is a hard area to work in.  We prayed for his shoulder tonight.  We came back to the house, showered up, and did some blogging/Jesus time before bed.  That's about it.

I'm having so many good conversations with Alan about missions and stuff, and it's just amazing that what the Lord has called me to do is so awesome!  More good things to come!  Thanks for the prayers!

Day 2 - May 2

Today was glorious.  You want to know why?  Because the missionary had grace upon my sorry soul and let me sleep in til 1pm that's why!  (Haha, if you think I'm completely lazy, let me remind you there is an 11 hour time difference and I hadn't slept in almost 2 days.)  I was also up til around 2am last night.  Anyway, so I got another "cold" (but not really cold, just not hot) shower this morning and then I went out with Gabe for lunch on the streets of Bangkok.  It's not the touristy part, so it's pretty much just local open shops or markets on every block.  We found a place and had some pork over rice and some veggies.  It was good.  Did not like the hot sauce lol.  Gabe doesn't either.

After lunch, we walked a few blocks away (which all look completely the same to me so I could never get there on my own) to a local community center where Gabe has been teaching English.  I just observed today as he taught on the concepts of "in", "on," and "under."  That was fun.  After practicing that, the class played games to review their vocabulary, both using Pictionary and Hangman.  I really, really enjoyed it, which is good, because that's a key element in what I'll be doing over there.

After we got back, I practiced my Thai in the room while Gabe went for a run.  Sometimes it actually sounds like I can speak it like a native - I know - scary.  I'm using some free software I got on BYKI.com...its really good.  I can say a few things, and later learned that like half the phrases I used are like antiquated.  Always fun to learn.

We had dinner with Alan and Lynette (the missionaries), as well as a student from SAGU who's done a semester abroad, required for their Intercultural Studies majors (as I think it should be for ours).  We had spaghetti and salad and garlic bread...very good dinner.  Then we played some games - they do this a lot here to kind of relieve the culture shock of living with Thai people.  If I didn't mention, Gabe and I live in a building where the Pastor and wife and son live, as well as 2 other girls from the Bible School.  The church is on the first floor; we live on the fifth.  Most of them don't speak fluent English, except the Pastor's wife, so it was fun to be with other English-speaking people.  We played games after dinner over these amazing soft gingersnap cookies.  The first game we played was called "Ticket to Ride: Europe" and then we played "Guillotine."  I won in the first game and tied for second in the latter one.  It was alot of fun.  We lost power about halfway thru Ticket to Ride and didn't get it back under the last round of Guillotine.  It got hot pretty fast, so we broke out a flashlight, and then candles.  Apparently it just happens in their apartment building a lot.  We came back here around 11:30pm and I got a shower.  We're leaving tomorrow at 9:30 for church and most of you college students are just getting up in the day.

The Lord is good, and his mercy endureth.  I am alive and well, without swine flu, and blessed so much for being here.  Thanks for all the prayers.  Grace and peace.

Travel Day

This morning I got up around 8 after deciding I didn’t feel like packing and/or finishing my modern missions movement hw.  Mom and I (well, more of Mom than I) ran the washer til about 2am to get the clothes washed I wanted, and we finished packing in the morning.  Dad and I left this morning around 9AM for JFK Airport.  I lost my wallet right before I left, again, Mom found it.  I need to stop losing things.  Seriously.

 

So we get to the airport in a good amount of time, and I didn’t have to wait long for the plane.  I have to admit, though, it was really rough before I went thru the terminal.  I was standing with my Dad, and all I could say was “Dad, I’m really scared.”  It’s not easy moving out in the will of God, especially when you’re traveling halfway around the world by yourself.  Maybe something deeper was happening, but in the terminal, waiting for the plane, it was just me, my tears, and the Lord.  And although I think I am not strong enough, His power is make perfect in our weakness.

 

So then I got on the 15 hour flight.  It wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected it to me.  There are about 100 movies to choose from, so that was good.  I did a little work for Kidstuf and Modern Missions Movement, finishing up the course.  They fed us lunch around hour 2, and then we really didn’t get much else to eat for a long time.  They would do water runs hourly, and my throat was totally parched with the dry cabin air.  One time I snagged a Ramen Noodle, took 2 bites, and was like…yeah I’m done with this.  I had to use chopsticks to eat it.  Thinking back now, I think I was like half asleep in trying to eat it, because I can’t remember it very well, and it was only a couple of hours ago.  I sat next to a girl who goes to the University of Pittsburgh, but she is from Beijing.  We had some good conversation.

 

Ok, the story everyone’s waiting for.  Around the 11^th hour of the flight (foreshadowing…dum dum dum!) I can’t sleep.  I feel like I haven’t really fallen asleep for the entire flight, and all of the sudden I feel a little nauseous.  I thought it might be a good idea to go ask the stewardess for some Dramamine or something to knock me out.  So I got up, walked four rows back to the back of the plane, and asked the stewardess if she had any medication.  She asked me to repeat myself (all of the stewardesses are bilingual in English and Chinese) and I started to, and the next thing I remember all the little Chinese stewardesses are lifting me off the ground and putting me in a seat.  I had passed out!  I now find this very amusing (I kind of did then too – I was like wow what a story – except I was also hoping I wasn’t going to throw up, because I felt like it).  They gave me a  hot cup of sugar water to drink and took my pulse.  Then they gave me Kit Kats and sugar cookie biscuit things, and THEN they made me a hot sandwich.  The head stewardess from first class came back to talk to me and after eating all the food I felt better.  I think I just had low blood sugar or something.  After an hour or so of sitting back there, they gave me a Tylenol or some weird equivalent and I went back to my seat.  For the rest of the flight, they kept asking me if I was feeling better.  Haha.  Note to Reader: Don’t freak out, I’m laughing at myself about the whole situation and I am fine now.

 

We had dinner an hour before we got off the plane.  The food is actually not that bad.  I had some good Asian roasted pork for dinner and I think I had chicken for lunch.  I’m not sure tho – it was like 16 hours ago.  Got off the plane, navigated safely through Hong Kong International Airport, got the rest of my schoolwork done, IMed my mom, and took about 6 cough drops.  Hong Kong wanted all passangers who were staying in Hong Kong to fill out a health survey about if you had a cough, fever, etc etc because of the swine flu.  I’m getting over a cold and I prayed the whole time I wouldn’t cough in the airport.  I think I’ll be fine.

 

I finish the paper literally 10 min before I have to board the plane.  I start walking back to the gate, and when I go to board, they say, sir, you’ve been reassigned a seat.  When I arrive on the plane, my “new seat” is in the BUSINESS CLASS!  Classy!  We had REAL FOOD for dinner (I would have taken a picture but my camera is up above me) chicken and green beans and French beans and rice I think (rice comes with everything) and I had this non-alcoholic mixed drink that the airline is known for…something with rosebud water and plums.  Was not that good, let me just say.  The guy next to me likes to sing under his breath, and I think he’s Hindu, but he’s sleeping now so I can’t ask him.  He had a special dietary meal.  I have leg room, a chair that REALLY reclines..it is awesome.  I always thought it would be so cool to be reassigned to first class…well business class is at least one step up.  I’d love to be bumped up for my 15 hour flight.  So Lord, thanks for blessing me.  If you want to help it happen again, I’m not opposed at all. J

 

That’s about it.  At the house now.  Staying with Gabe, the other intern.  Really excited from talking with Alan, the missionary.  I’m tired tho.  Going to bed.  The Lord’s been faithful – got a free meal on the first flight and business class on the second.  Definitely can’t complain.  So excited for what’s to come.  Thanks for the prayers.  I’ll update you all soon.

Thailand Prep

Hello all!

I'm gearing up for my trip to Thailand from April 30 - May 20.  This will be the blog for updates, etc.  As of today, my insurance forms are all cleared, my budget is raised, and the flight is booked.  Continue to pray for the political situation over there - I heard from the missionary today and everything looks good for me to go.  16 days left!

Thank you all for your support!  Continue to pray for me as I finish out the semester!