Swadee-ka (Hello!)

It's crazy to think that I've been in Thailand for three days.  I'm amazed at some similarities between the cultures in Thailand, Gabon, and Central America; yet at the same time, there are distinct differences that I am picking up on.  I guess the language is an obvious difference, but the way they walk, the way they talk and use gestures, and the general respect that is seen for the elderly definitely stand out.

One of the main things that we've been doing is nothing...  Toulee, the Envision missionary, has been emphasizing the concept of "being" over "doing."  In my mind, I crave the work projects of my Africa trip and the VBS adventures of my Central America trips.  But being part of the culture and making an effort to get to know strangers and build relationships out of that nothingness is extremely important; in fact, that's the goal of Toulee and the missions site here.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in a huge mall that is actually composed of 4 malls-- Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, and MBK.  We've eaten lunch in the food court and then headed over to MBK the most Thai of the centers because it has hundreds of little venders and shops on the 7 floors in the building.  Tuesday was my first day, so Toulee designed it so I walked around, with Allie but without her knowledge of the place to guide me.  It was good to see the "hang out" place for many high school and university students, but, as you may know this about me, I get very drained by being in a mall for more than half an hour.

This is MBK, as obviously stated.  Haha.  It's the huge shopping complex that is part of the mall strip.

Tomorrow, we'll be going to Passport Cafe, which is inside of the largest university in Bangkok.  It's like the Harvard of the US, as I'm told.  We'll have an "experience night" where we've handed out flyers and are hoping that a good amount of students show up so that we can get to know them and hopefully get far enough to care about the deeper issues in their lives, share our faith, and pray for them.  Also, on Saturday we get the opportunity to go to Rainbow Pencil Group, a childcare center where kids from poor, unhealthy family and community environments get the opportunity to be taught and loved by young professionals.  After that, Allie and I will be meeting up with Sarah Wigal, who I know from back home, and going to a baby orphanage.

There's been some great things while I've been here and some hard things to digest.  I won't be able to help out with Rahab's Ministry like I had so hoped to do.  Because I am 19 (just over a month from being 20), I miss the legal age to enter a bar, and so I need to honor the rules that are set up by the organization.  Their ministry is sending out people into bars on two sois (roads) in Bangkok that are known as the prostitute roads and just talk to and get to know these women.

I don't know what God's plan is for having me here.   It was so clear that He called me here, made it possible for me to be here, and even provided for the unspoken desires of my heart since I've been here; yet it's been hard to truly see where my ministry is.  Perhaps it's because it's only been 3 days and we haven't really had the chance to get out much.  Please continue to pray that I heard God's direction louder than my own desires to go different ways, that I stay content and even happy with where I am in the world, and that I learn to love and really get to know some of these people.

Please pray Colossians 4:2-6 over me and the team as we continue to walk the streets of a very dark and worldly Bangkok:
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

The girls on top of the tallest building in Bangkok.  It's me, Tang (the wife in the missionary team), Lisa (Tang's sister), Linnea (an intern), and Allie (an intern).

Mangosteen and Barefeet

After arriving in the Bangkok airport at 11:45 last night and then finally making it to the Alliance Guest House around 1:30, it was a long day and a half.  I met up with the other interns who I had met in Mexico (Linnea and Allie) and with Toulee, the missionary.  It was great to ride in a taxi and meet the taxi driver, Yo.  They drive on the other side of the road, just like in England.

So I woke up this morning to a little boy speaking in Thai and the sun streaming through the curtains.  7:28.  Later than I normally wake up but it was nice.  We walked down to breakfast, Allie continuing to explain daily life and culture here in Thailand.  I've learned that people, at least at the guest house, walk around barefoot, a joy for me because I love walking around barefoot.  They take their shoes off when they enter rooms, so it just seems natural, at least when you're in the same compound, to just not wear shoes when walking from room to room.

The picture below is the fruit that met me at the beginning of the breakfast buffet.  It's called a mangosteen.  After being cut in half, we would spoon out the white part and eat it.  I was advised not eat the seeds, but as I didn't see any seeds, I just ate it all.  It was really tasty, not sweet like American fruit, but very good.  After pancakes and mangosteen, I unpacked and was able to check up with my email and Facebook.  Thanks for the encouragement and blessings, everyone!  I'm off to the mall and who knows where after that. :)