Well it has been three weeks since I have arrived here in Chiang Mai, and I can truly say that I love it here! Now while it may be easy to get swept away in the tropical beauty of Thailand, I have begun to see more of the harsh realities of living here. Though it may be hard to explain, allow me to outline a few of these “Thaid-ways”: -No matter how well I speak Thai, no matter how deep I assimilated into the culture, no matter how many deep relationships I form, I will always be a foreigner here in my home… A light skin, light hair, and light eyed girl to be exact, who has become accustomed to the stares. -Growing up in such a fast-paced/efficient culture, it has been hard to get used to everything taking twice as long. Systems lack any form of structure where the only reason you can think of why something is done the way it is, is to provide jobs. At least you know you can always find a job here! Well… if you’re Thai. -Not wanting to “lose face” is not a matter of trying to maintain honor or even uphold moral standards, but rather an all around avoidance strategy. You can find yourself playing games and jumping through hoops for months over such a small issue that could easily be fixed. -Cars and motorbikes BARELY lose value! So, if you buy a car for $15,000 and drive it for 10 years, feel free to sell it for $14,000. Yea, that sounds like a perfectly reasonable price! Just don’t expect the other car you’re about to buy for $14,000 to be in a working condition… Never fear though, those repair guys will give ya a swingin’ deal! -Roads have rules, but think of them more like suggestions. In fact, if you want to create your own rules, even better! People will kindly accommodate for you and may even join you in your crazy ways. -Oh you didn’t want a jink-joke (gecko) in your closet, have bugs crawl on you and bite you while you’re asleep (or every hour you’re awake), or have a little extra bug-protein added to your food?... Oh, mustuv’ missed the memo! -To top it all off, arduous heat and humidity is added to the packaged deal with no additional charge. Cold showers have become a daily (even twice daily) coveted occurrence. There are many things here that don’t really make much sense to me and may never, but I have picked up on an expression that has become an echoing witticism, “It’s Thailand!!!” – the only logical way we can explain a lot of things here... Don’t get me wrong though, there are so many things that I love about being here: Lush jungle-like city, where any back road can make you forget about civilization; delicious food that never lacks flavor and fruit sent from heaven; a sea of motorbikes everywhere you go; gracious and hospitable people even though you’ll always be a fa-rawng (foreigner); a captivating culture with a cry for help; and perhaps a mystery of God soon to be unveiled… Chiang Mai, Thailand – This is where I live. This is my home. Ways you can be praying: -Need to finish my work permit in order to start ministry work. -Continue to pick up the language quickly. -I will be honest, the driving over here is extremely dangerous and makes me a little nervous. It rains a lot here (and when I say rain, I mean POURS!) and flooding is always an issue. While having a motorbike is cheaper, easier to park places, convenient for quick access, and not to mention just the “Thai-way” of life; I am beginning to see that a car would be a lot safer and a more logical choice in the long run (not to mention that everyone keeps telling me that if I can get a car instead I should). With that being said, I will be purchasing a motorbike because I simply don’t have the money to purchase a car... If you could pray that there would be a hedge of protection over me as I drive around, and that if I am to get a car, that He would provide the money/opportunity for me to do so. Thank You!!! Keeping you in the loop: God has provided $650 in monthly donors – but still need another $200 just to meet monthly ministry needs. Also, whenever in God’s timing, the need for a car is going to be about $8-9,000. Thank you for all your continued prayers and support!!! God is doing some bigs things & I can't wait to share more with you soon! :) **For those of you who are already supporting me financially or want to, CORD Ministries International now has automatic payment plans set up. If you are like me and have good intentions but may forget to send your support every month (or even a one-time donation), no need to worry now! ;) To learn more about how this works and how to set it up, you can click on the PDF file on the right under SUPPORT. If you have any questions about the process, where the money goes, how I receive the support here in Thailand, or just about anything in general, please feel free to ask me! :)
3 Comments
bo
9/12/2013 01:38:58 pm
thai time = timing
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bo
9/12/2013 01:40:09 pm
sticky rice and mango R our fav, those little oval custards r good to
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queen mama
9/17/2013 02:43:40 am
I love the Thai minivan!!!! Would never get away with that in the states. :-P
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March 2014
Support:If you would like to financially support me or HOS, you can go online and give:
https://www.egsnetwork.com/gift/gift.php?giftid=535530DBD93C42E OR, you can send a check (with Shannon Halloran #1010 on the memo line) to: CORD Ministries International P.O. Box 102 Wheaton, IL 60187-0102 * All Tax deductible gift* Questions: Director of CORD Ministries Michael Ullrich (303)-994-4754 [email protected]
Links:Family Connection Foundation:
http://www.thaiconnections.org/ Home of the Swallow: http://www.thaiconnections.org/fcf/home-of-the-swallow Cord Ministries International: http://cordmin.com/wp/ |