Read the fine Thai print

Recently we were shopping in a bakery supply store and I noticed that they had some canned ripe olives at a good price.  Since I had not had them in a while, I decided to try them.

Looks kind of like olives

Looks not quite like the olives I know

Several days later, we opened the can, and I looked at the fruit that looked a bit different from the usual black olives.  So then I decided to read the label more closely.  The label listed the main ingredient in English as “olives” but in Thai it was written as หนำเลี้ยบ (namliap), not the word that I knew for olive, มะกอก (makawk).

But it says "olives"

I decided to look this up on the internet and found that the fruit we had bought are not even related to olives!  The taste was quite salty, so salty it is hard to distinguish from the salted plums that you can find in Mexican grocery stores in the states.

Not your usual olive pit

So it is that not everything is at may at first seem to be.

So it is with our work here in Thailand.  When we first visited MB Mission’s work here in Northern Thailand, it appeared to be a certain way.  Upon being here a while, we find that beneath the surface, things are not always what they appeared to be at first.  They are not necessarily better or worse, just different.

If we were to have made decisions based on appearances, we may have made decisions that might not have been appropriate.  Which is why during our first year here, we did not do much teaching; mostly we were just listening and observing.

And still there is a lot yet that we don’t know.  It’s not always easy to know how to respond to situations we encounter.

Jesus warned his disciples when he sent them out into a world where things are not always as they seem, to be, “wise as serpents and innocent as doves”. (Matthew 10:16)


May this be our prayer.

Circle of Christ-illustrations

Here are some illustrations to go with my recent blog

Our Helper?

Recently, one of the Buddhist temples in our area erected this interesting idol with multiple arms.  It is an interesting looking idol, but I wasn’t quite sure what the significance is of this latest idol was.

Guan Yin เจ้าแม่กวนอิม

But last week, while I was out bicycling, I noticed that there were several young monks out working in the yard by the statue.  So I detoured and chatted with them a few minutes.

The first inquiry I made was concerning the name of the god depicted by the statue.  I found out that this was the goddess Guan Yin (เจ้าแม่กวนอิม).

Next I asked why this goddess had so many arms.

I found out that Guan Yin has so many arms because she is a helper goddess.  The term they used was Phu Chuai (ผู้ช่วย), the same term the Bible uses to refer to the Holy Spirit.

Interesting that since this idol was erected, it has yet to move from where it was made in order to go help anyone. And even though it has 12 pairs of hands, it has yet to lift a finger to provide assistance to those who come.  And even if it could move and wiggle its fingers, 12 pairs of hands is not going to make much of a dent in assisting however many billion people live in the world.

I think, if I wanted a god that could help me and the rest of mankind, this god would first have to be a living entity, not a bunch of stones and mortar formed by another person.  Secondly, this god should not be bound by human limitations, such as a finite number of arms.

And this is what Jesus promised us.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,  to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16, 17 ESV)

So I won’t be posting any pictures of the True Helper.  Because if the Holy Spirit were small enough to be photographed, He would not be much help. And if the Holy Spirit were a visible physical entity, He would not be able to dwell in the people of God in order to change their lives.

It is interesting that the Buddhists recognize the need for a helper.  In a religion that tells them that according to the laws of karma, you get what you deserve, there is a recognition that perhaps they need more or better than what they deserve.  Unfortunately, this hand-crafted idol won’t be able to help them much
.
I thank God for the Holy Spirit, Who was able to make changes in my life that I was powerless to do.  I thank God for grace that says it is possible to get more or better than I deserve.

Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. (Acts 14:15 ESV)

The Circle of Christ

The other day Andy, Jamie and I were out on a bike ride.  Andy proceeds to make a joke to Jamie about the meaning of the Thai word for bicycle: chakkrayan (จักรยาน).

Bicycle: Wheels and Spokes

Interestingly, I had less than half an hour earlier explained to Jamie that the way I learn (and remember) languages is by noting relationships between different words and phrases.  I had commented, then, that I learned more from reading because I could see relationships in spelling that aren’t always apparent in the spoken Thai. 

Andy’s comment about the meaning of the word chakkrayan triggered this analytical impulse in my brain.

The core syllable of the word chakkrayan is chak which has an atypical spelling in Thai (จักร) that comes from the Pali language.

So, within seconds, I’m thinking about other words that contain this syllable.  The first one that came to mind was Thamacak (ธรรมจักร) or “Wheel of Dharma”

Dharma Wheel: Wheels and Spokes

Do you see any similarities?

Wheels and spokes.

The next word that came to my mind was Khrittacak (คริสตจักร)
Khrittacak is the Thai word for church.  I had never really thought about it that way before.  The Thai word for church means “circle of Christ”.

What a beautiful picture.

A circle of believers connected to each other and each person connected to Christ who is at the center.

For some illustrations; click here

As I shared this with Andy, our minds both took a a similar turn.  Andy used the phrase “church in a circle”, an idea that had been floating my head for some time.

But before I go on further about the Circle of Christ, I should give a little background.

Christ’s Values vs. Cultural Values

The main task of our current work fits under a category our agency calls capacity building.  We are not so much directly involved in starting new churches as we are helping existing churches find a way to better reach out to start new ones.

As part of that process, one needs to look at what has been done, what is working, what isn’t working, what can be improved, etc.  The special challenge in this is dealing with cultural differences.  We are not here to make Western Christians and we aren’t trying to change the local culture insofar as it doesn’t conflict with the teachings of Jesus and scripture.

One of the dominant features of Thai society and many of the other cultures in this area is the concept of class or status.  While class may not be as obvious here in Thailand as it is with the caste system in India, it is deeply en-grained.  When strangers meet, they ask questions that may seem to be a bit intrusive to us Westerners (age, salary, job) in order to figure out their relative status so that they may know how to relate to each other. (For more on this subject see my post: How Old are You?)

Unfortunately, this cultural value has been carried over into the church.  And it fits well with the professional clergy model that was brought over by Western Missionaries.  Mix this in with a little sinful pride, and we see some people who want to be called by the title Pastor, or a local title Ajan, but who don’t have a pastoral heart.  They want the status that the title brings but not necessarily the job that goes with it.

This problem is certainly not unique to Thai culture.

An additional complication working with the Khmu people is that they are used to a family/clan society that has a strong and influential leader.

But what does the Bible have to say about this?

A couple of weeks ago, I was in one of our churches and the leader asked if I had anything to share.  I got up, and they told me to go up and speak from the platform.  Instead, I picked up one of the chairs that was on the raised platform in  the front of the church and set the chair in the front center of the platform. I then said that I wanted the most important person in the church to come sit in that chair.

Fortunately, no one did.  One person even mentioned that Jesus would be the one to occupy the chair.

I then had someone read from 1 Corinthians 12:12ff about the body of Christ.  Next I asked them which body part was the most important and, via several examples, pointed out how physiologically each organ is interdependent on the rest.  I carried this analogy over to the church.  Paul make the point in the chapter that while we have different roles in the church, there is not one class of members that is better than or superior to others.

While we may say that we believe that we are equal brothers and sisters in Christ, do we act that way?

A common title for teachers and leaders in Thailand is Ajan meaning master or teacher.  This title is often applied to me, though I prefer to be called uncle, a pronoun that merely gives respect due to age, or by the more generic pronoun khun.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was reading Matthew 23, and I was troubled by verse 8: But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.

The Thai word where the English has  rabbi is than ajan. (“Than” is a pronoun meaning “you”).

Why is our most popular title a title that Jesus says we should not use?  Are we letting culture triumph over Christ?  I’m still not sure where to go with this.

Serving vs. Serving

Recently I was having to deal with an employee over performance issues.  I was trying to be gentle about it and I wanted to see if perhaps his performance was related to his personal goals versus the nature of what he is employed to do.  So I started with the question: “What is your career goal?”

His answer was: “I want to be a servant.”  The Thai word he used was Phu Rap Chai.
Phu Rap Chai is an interesting word.  While it means “a person who serves”, it is a common, self-effacing term used by those in Christian ministry to title themselves.

I found this employee's use of the term rather interesting, because we were actually paying him to serve and he wasn’t doing it.  So I questioned him further and I found out that his idea of “serving” was being a paid preacher.

This concept of servant is not unique to this individual.  While I can name many true servants of God in our churches here, there are also many “servants” who do not have a servant heart.  Among young people, the main ministry people want to get involved in is preaching or being on a worship band. They want to serve in ways that put them in the front of the church. Few want to do things like teach children, cut the grass, or wash the toilets. (I'm sure there is plenty of this kind of feeling in my home country.  I, too, wanted these kinds of roles in my younger years.)

This stands in stark contrast to how Jesus taught the concept of service by doing one of the lowliest jobs possible at the time: washing his disciples feet. (John 13:1-15) 

Spiritual Gifts and Status Gifts

If an outsider were to visit one of our church services, and we were to ask him what he thought the most important positions in the church were, he would probably reply: “preacher and music leader.”  The activities of preaching and listening to music probably take up the bulk of our church services. (As I write that I find that the term “church service” itself is a bit problematic as it implies we go to church to get served.)  And we place the preacher and worship leaders up front on a platform.  It is a church based on watching, not doing.

What is interesting, that if you go through the lists of spiritual gifts in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 5, you will find neither “preacher” nor “music leader”.  It’s not to say that these aren’t valid roles.  It’s just that they seem to take a dominant role at the expense of the exercise of the gifts that are listed.

Preaching vs. Teaching

I, personally, wonder about this whole preaching thing in church.  When I look in scripture, I don’t see Jesus preaching to His disciples.  He preaches to the masses.  He teaches His disciples with words and by giving practical ministry experience.  Jesus discipled his disciples.

When I was young, I longed to have someone disciple me.  But our North American church didn't offer much of that.  As I grew older I found myself of being asked to disciple others, but I felt ill-equipped to do so because I had not been through it myself.

Spectator Church

Going to “church” then becomes not much different that going to a football game.  We cheer (sing songs) and watch (listen to the preacher) while the team up front does all the work.  And if it is a good experience we go out saying “we won”, even though we didn’t actually do anything.

The Circle of Christ

I’ve simplified the issues we are dealing with in our churches here quite a bit.  And I still have way more questions than I do answers.  But I’m thinking if we start with a foundation of khrittacak, it can help us move away from a spectator based church.

For several months now, I’ve been toying with the idea of “church in a circle” in my brain.  What would it look like if we designed our church gatherings as a community of equals?  Having everyone on the same physical level would be a reminder that we are all equal before Christ.  Being in a circle would be a reminder that we all bring something to the church and we are equally participants--not spectators.  Not that all have the same role.  Not that all are equally spiritually mature.  But all are essential members of the body of Christ.

I’ve thought of volunteering to “preach’ and then go and rearrange the chairs before I start.  But unless the people change their mind about what the church is, something so radical would probably not be adopted as a regular practice. It would also be difficult to adopt because it would be viewed as odd compared to what other churches are doing.

In our Khmu villages where family and community are so important it would be nice to have churches based on a way of doing family and community life rather than reduced to going to a meeting to watch people “serve” once or twice a week.

I'm not an authority on any of these things.  I still have more questions than answers.  But I do like the idea of khrittacak-the Circle of Christ.

For some illustrations; click here

Not My Relatives

A number of months ago I was walking in the hills above where we live and I saw a tree with some unusual looking fruit.  I had forgotten about that tree until I came across a photo of these fruit last week which enabled me to identify the tree.

Turns out the tree is called Engelhardtia spicata and it is in the Botanical plant family Juglandaceae.



Juglandaceae!?!

I remember that from my forestry school days.  That is the same plant family as pecans…



and walnuts…



How can these relatively closely related trees have such different fruit.   I think of Juglandaceae and I think of large, edible nuts.  And here is this tree in Wiang Kaen with a small, leafy bract at the base of which is a minute seed.

The relationship between these trees as being in the same plant family is determined by scientists using the principals of phlyogenetics-trying to figure out what might have derived from common ancestors based on genetic studies.  The results are sometimes quite interesting, with apparently related organisms having very dissimilar appearances.

As we look through there trees and roots of our human family relationships, we may often be surprised at who our relatives are.  We may be quick to trace some line of our family tree back to some famous, good person.  We are perhaps less apt to make the connections to notorious criminals.  There may be cousins we wish to deny relationship with.  Other relatives make us question the veracity of the adage, "the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree."

"We can't pick our relatives," the saying goes.

And while we can't pick who we're related to, we can choose how we relate to them.

Ultimately, we're all related to each other.  It's our choice how we relate to all these relatives.

Jesus told us that one of the great commandments is to "love your neighbor as yourself."  And he chose to illustrate the concept of neighbor with a person who would be regarded more like an enemy.  (Luke 10:25-37)

Elsewhere, Jesus was more direct.  "Love your enemies," He said. (Matthew 5:44)

I confess, I am not always a fan of that commandment.

My dad was fond of they saying, "There are no strangers, only friends I haven't met."

But it is hard to keep up that sentiment with people who are threatening to annihilate you.  It's hard to love someone who killed or hurt someone you love. And it is easier to not love someone if they aren't like you.

So just because you're a walnut and they're an Engelhardtia, and you don't look anything like them, it doesn't mean you're not related.

I can think of lots of reasons no to love some people or even some whole categories of people.  But Jesus didn't give us this option.

Ultimately, Jesus showed us how to love our enemies by offering up His life for those who hated him (which would include me).  "While we were yet sinners", Paul writes, "Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).  Jesus did not wait for me to start loving Him before He started loving me.

Someone has to make the first move.

In this day and age we justify the killing of people as a preemptive strike.  "Kill them before they kill us," we say.

Jesus was all about preemptive strikes: Love them before they love you.

Love your enemies.

After all, they're your relatives.

Phumlamnao-ภูมิลำเนา

In my Bible reading today, I started in Mark 6:1.  I didn’t get too far when I came across the word (I’ve been reading in Thai): ภูมิลำเนา

This is not a word I see a whole lot, in fact, it is only used 4 times in the Bible translation I am using.
I looked it up in my translation notes and found the following definition:

birthplace or place you have spent most of your life in and identify with

Upon reading that definition, I immediately thought: “I’m not sure I have one of those.”

I grew up in Connecticut and spent the most years of my life there.  But I have not lived there for ages and I don’t keep track of anyone there except a few relatives.

My childhood home

I lived almost an the next greatest number of years in Calfornia, but in three different places (or perhaps four, to be a bit more precise) and the place we lived there the longest was Fresno.  We were in Fresno less than 10 years and were even gone part of that time, so perhaps 9 years altogether.  That is only a little bit longer than we spent in Bakersfield, California or l’Etang, Haiti (just over 7 years each).

Our house in Fresno, back in the days where there was water there.

Currently we are in Thailand, but having spent only 4 years here living in as many provinces, I can’t say we’ve found a home here yet, either.

View of me current home town on a smoky winter day

Right now I would perhaps identify mostly with Fresno, but only because we have the most number of current relational connections there.

So where is my phumlamnao?

I really don’t know.

I am a sojourner.  Trying to follow Jesus where he leads, though not always sure I am successful.

Interestingly, it may be the place I identify most with is a place I’ve never been.  As Paul wrote to the church in Philippi:

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ

Hey, did you happen to see…

…the most beautiful girl in the world.

Me and the most beautiful girl in the world

A few months back, I was at a conference, the theme of which was idolatry.  The speaker mentioned a number of things that can become idols to us.  One of the things he mentioned was the idol of beauty.

He went on to mention how some of us see the images of beautiful people in magazines or on TV and we can either become obsessed with trying to be like them or we can feel bad about ourselves because we aren’t like them.  In those cases, beauty has become an idol for us.

(I find it interesting that when you think of all the photo editing that goes on before a photo is published, even these “beautiful” people cannot even attain to their own image of beauty.)

Beware of edited photos
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/off-the-mark-slideshow/

On at least one occasion I have been at a conference for men where we are told something like “there will always be someone better or more beautiful” and so you need to learn to be content with the wife you have.  When I would hear that, I figured it must only be a problem for others, as I was already married to the the prettiest girl this side of the North Pole.

And for a long while I figured that since I was married to the most beautiful girl in the world, everyone else had to settle for less.  (Too bad, fellas.)

But the person speaking about idolatry got me to thinking—what is God’s perspective on all of this?

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
(Genesis 1:31a, emphasis mine.)

Everything was very good.

So in God’s eyes, is there someone who isn’t beautiful?  Is it possible there is some person who is more beautiful than another?

Hardly seems possible.

I remember many years ago when I was at the University of New Hampshire, there would usually be a bunch of girls sitting by the window at Wildcat Pizza who would rate the guys as they walked by outside.  They would hold up cards, much like the judges at gymnastics competition.  (I thought I was doing pretty good when I got a 7.)

Does that seem like something God would do—rate people by their beauty?

I don't think so.

And so—this is for you married guys—I’ve come to realize that you, too, can be married to the most beautiful girl in the world.  And you have to neither change wives nor change your wife.

You only need to change your perspective to that of God’s.

God, help me to see people through Your eyes.

IQ?

My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Ecclesiastes 12:12 (ESV)

Recently, my brother made a post about IQ.  I haven’t read it yet, but it got me thinking.

I, too, have an IQ.  I’m sure of it.  But I’m getting older and I can’t always remember where I put things.  So, if you see my IQ lying around somewhere, please let me know.

I always wonder about the way we measure our smartness.  Is smartness the ability to make good decisions?  Then, in that case, I know I have that ability because I have done so on at least two occasions in my life:

1. The decision to follow Jesus.
2. The decision to marry Ingrid.

After that, I’m not always so sure.

Is smartness measured by the facts we know?  In that case I know all the important facts I need to know:

1. I know my wife’s birthday.
2. I know our anniversary date.

Facts beyond that may or may not be worth remembering.

Once we went to a church where we met this really awesome woman.  She was not in any position of leadership.  She was not highly educated.  She did not have a high paying job.  She was perhaps not, by some measures, one of the brightest persons in the church. BUT (and this is REALLY important)—she led more people into a relationship with Jesus than anyone else in the church.  She was active in reaching out to the disenfranchised people of the city.  When the crowns are passed out, I’m sure she will get a much nicer one than I do.

My IQ might be higher than hers, but she is far smarter than me.

In the internet era, but long before the days of facebook, I once took an online IQ test.

I passed.

Meaning that after I answered a bunch of silly questions, I did NOT click on the link that would have given me the opportunity to forfeit some of my hard-earned money in return for which someone would tell me what an awesome person I am.  Anyone who would do that must not be very smart.

I know I’m an awesome person.  I don’t need to take a test to tell me that.

You are an awesome person, too.  I tell you that for free, and without your having to take a test.

By the way, the number I got in return for answering the silly questions was 135.  This is a really cool number:

     1+3+5=9
     1x3x5=15

     9x15=135

(My wife got a higher number and she can’t do that with her number.)

I’m not sure what the number means beyond that. I can't even get a small blended mocha in Starbucks in Thailand for 135 baht.  But I can get 3 large ones at our local coffee shop for 120 baht.  That's right--40 baht each.  And it tastes better.  And it's locally grown.  40 vs. 145, your choice.

40

Now that's smart.

What type of herder are you?

Recently, some events in our lives got me to thinking about leadership styles.

Some people are goatherds.  They drag their team with them, usually with a lot of effort because the team is so reluctant.



Some people are cowherds.  They let the cows go and come back and get them—sometimes months later—when it is time for them to move again.



Some people are shepherds.  They lead their sheep to where the food is and then hang out with them to make sure they’re okay.



God expected His kings to be shepherds. 
Regarding David we read: “And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” (2 Samuel 5:2)

Jesus called Himself the good shepherd.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.(John 10:11)

Church leaders are to be shepherds.
It’s not surprising that we call the leaders of our churches pastors. Our English word pastor comes from the Latin pastorem, meaning shepherd.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (Ephesians 4:11, 12)

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:1-4)

Sometimes I would rather be a goatherd.  If I drag the flock with me, I can make sure the flock does the job right.

Probably more often, as an introvert, I would rather be a cowherd.  Unengaged with the herd most of the time.  Just letting it do its own thing while I do my own thing.

It takes a lot more effort to be a shepherd.  Building a relationship and trust with the team so that it wants to go with you.  Continually checking in on the team to make sure they have everything they need.

As a leader more by chance than by choice, I need to be reminded occasionally (often?) that I am a shepherd and not a cowherd.  People won’t use those terms, but that is more or less what they are saying.

What kind of herder are you?

That all nations might believe and obey...

About 35 years ago I was sitting in the arena at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign surrounded by about 17,000 people who were followers of Jesus. It was the largest gathering of any kind that I had ever attended and was a test of my wits (as I start to get more and more withdrawn as a group exceeds a size of about 8 people).

I wasn't exactly sure why I was at the Urbana 76 missions conference.  But I do know that it drastically altered the course of my life.

The theme of the conference was That All Nations Might Believe and Obey.

It was through this conference that I hooked up with an organization called Emmanuel International though which I went overseas for the first time and though which I met my beautiful wife of now 31+ years.

I can't say I remember much about the speakers either, except for two.

John Stott led us through an expositional study of the first few chapters of Romans talking about the word "justification".  I always remembered the catchy way he defined it: God's righteous way of righteousing the unrighteous.  That middle word confounds the dictionaries a bit, but it is also hard to forget.

The other speaker I remember is Elisabeth Elliot, who passed away yesterday.

Two things particularly stick with me.

First, to illustrate a point she was making, she quoted a poem by a missionary to India named Amy Carmichael.  And she recited the poem in a very beautiful and memorable way.

     From prayer that asks that I may be
     Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee,
     From fearing when I should aspire,
     From faltering when I should climb higher
     From silken self, O Captain, free
     Thy soldier who would follow Thee.

     From subtle love of softening things,
     From easy choices, weakenings,
     (Not thus are spirits fortified,
     Not this way went the Crucified)
     From all that dims Thy Calvary
     O Lamb of God, deliver me.

     Give me the love that leads the way,
     The faith that nothing can dismay
     The hope no disappointments tire,
     The passion that will burn like fire;
     Let me not sink to be a clod;
     Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.

The second thing that stood out to me was her story.  It wasn't the story of her initial move to Ecuador which resulted in the martyrdom of her husband the the husbands of her teammates.  The lives of these men was a testimony to their profound commitment to Jesus and the exceedingly good news he brought to mankind.

No, to me the truly amazing thing is that she went back.

SHE WENT BACK!

HOW COULD SHE DO THAT?

She went back to those who killed he husband because she knew that they killed him in ignorance.

She went back to those who killed her husband because she knew that as awful a thing it was that they killed her second love, Jim; her first love, Jesus, still loved them.

She went back because Jesus helped her to forgive them.

Her testimony that night 35 years ago had a profound impact on me.  I listened to it over again many times on my cassette player.  I would read and re-read it in the syllabus we received.

My power to forgive has been tested--but never quite that much.

My power to forgive is currently being tested, and sometimes I find it a hard thing to do.

But I remember how much Jesus loved me--enough to forgive me over and over again for the stupid things I do that dishonor His name.

Thank you, Elisabeth Elliot, for sharing your testimony.  For helping me to know about how powerful a thing forgiveness can be.

Elisabeth Elliot 1926-2015
image:www.elisabethelliot.org

Armed and dangerous

Last week my wife brought in a leaf from our rose bush.  It had several very small, yellowish-green insect like creatures crawling over the back of the leaf.

On examination, I wasn't sure if they were some kind of caterpillar (moth or butterfly larvae) or if they were larvae or nymphs of some other insects.

I did notice that they were covered with some furry hairs.

While looking at them, I accidentally touched one of them.

Ouch!

Limacodidae-Spiny slug caterpillar
Yes-that's my thumb for scale

How could such a minute hair on a minute insect inflict such an intense burning pain!

And why is it that the hairs on some creatures are soft and cuddly while others are itchy and painful?  How does one even know except to purposefully or accidentally come in contact with the animal?

Appearances can be deceiving.

I have lived in several countries and I have noticed a commonality among all of them: people like stuff.  People mortgage their homes and their souls in order that they might obtain more and nicer things in order that they might be fulfilled, happy, comfortable, or perhaps perceived as having higher status.

But it fails so often.

Why do people who seem to have it all end up committing suicide?

Why do winners of mega-lotteries often end up worse off than they started?  (And why do governments promote such systems that ultimately fail at what they are hyped to achieve?)

Jesus calls it "the deceitfulness of riches."

That which appears soft and cuddly may in fact be prickly and poisonous.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.  (Matthew 13:22)

Not only does that which appears to be good actually fail at being good, it ultimately ends up choking what little good one had to start with.

While I am not a proponent of Buddhism, I have had the opportunity to visit is an interesting temple about 10 miles south of Chiang Rai often referred to as "the white temple".  The artist/creator of the temple makes an interesting contrast.

The temple is divided into two sides.  One side is very ornate with lots of interesting sculptures and such which draw the eye.  It is quite beautiful in many ways.

The other side is quite plain and almost boring.

The two sides are reached by bridges from a central structure.  One starts their journey there and has to decide: "Which side shall I choose.  Should I choose the beautiful and ornate side?  Or should I choose the plain and boring side?"

The catch here is that the "beautiful" side is side of karma-the endless cycle of birth, suffering and death.  The "plain" side is the side of Nirvana.

Many years ago, two men representing two large, extended families stood at a crossroad.  Their combined families were too big to be raising their livestock together and they needed to separate.  The older man said to his nephew, "take your pick, you go one way, I'll go the other."

The nephew looked one way and saw barren, rocky hills.  He looked the other way and saw a lush fertile plain.  He said to his uncle, "I think I'll head down to the valley over there."

The older man took his cattle to the barren hills.  God blessed him and he prospered.  The younger man found himself living among people whose only purpose in life was having a good time.

Eventually the older man had to rescue his nephew from the destruction of the city. The younger man ended up spending the rest of his life in a cave.  The older man prospered and became a great nation. (Genesis 13; 18:22-19:38)

Sometimes, that which appears soft and cuddly is in fact prickly and poisonous.

When you come to the crossroad, which side will you choose?

Wat Rong Khun (วัดร่องขุ่น) - the 'hell" side

Wat Rong Khun (วัดร่องขุ่น) - the "heaven" side

hacer faire ทำ fè

Other than English, I have studied, to one extent or another, four languages in my life.

And in those four languages (French, Spanish, Haitian and Thai) they combine two English words in one.

make, do=hacer faire fè ทำ

Today we were trying to explain the difference between these two words.  Generally it seems fairly simple.  Do is usually used with work or activity.  Make is usually used with things and intangibles, such as "make peace."  But it doesn't always seem so cut and dry.  Even we can mix it up a bit:

   What did you do today?
      I made a list of things to do.
   Did you do anything on the list you made?
      No, but I made an attempt at some of them.
      I even made an appointment to do some of them.

And then there are other subtle nuances.

Making a bed has a much different connotation than making the bed.

(I didn't try to confuse them with that one today.)

Then if you combine the two words, you get something else altogether: I'll make do with what I have.  (The Haitian language has a wonderful word with connotations similar to make do: Dégajè is such a handy word, it was hard to get used to not having it when we left Haiti.)


It was great to have a large group of teenagers in our house today for the class.  Even though there were more people than we expected, we made do and had a good time.  It was even hard to get them to leave when we were done.

All you can eat?

The use of English in Thailand is quite interesting.  Places are sometimes named in English, even though they are marketing to the Thai.  Perhaps this is supposed to be cool or make the place seem more upscale, I don't know.  But sometimes one sees some intriguing signs.

Take the store I saw in Chiang Mai recently:

ladybuffet

The name of the store was only written in English, there was no Thai name nor even a Thai phonetic spelling of the English.

So what kind of place is ladybuffet?

The English suggests one of two things:

A place where women can taste from all kinds of food.
A place where one can taste from all kinds of women.

(Interesting, that in the strange grammar that is English, it could be said of either of these that "they serve ladies", depending on whether "ladies" is the direct object or the indirect object.)

However, I've been in Thailand long enough to figure that this establishment was not either of the scenarios that I listed above.

There is a chain of beauty supply stores in Thailand called "Beauty Buffet".  My guess is that the owner of this place was playing off of that name and called it something similar, not realizing the strange nuances of the English language.

As I read the Thai, my suspicions were confirmed:

จำหน่ายเครื่องสำอาง อาหารเสริม  ปลีก-ส่ง

which translates:

Sell cosmetics, nutritional supplements, retail-delivery

Language is interesting.

It's not just words and meanings of words. It's how we use the words.  We often don't use words in a grammatically correct fashion but communication happens nonetheless.  Context is extremely important.

By naming his establishment ladybuffet, the owner is trying to make a statement.  I, as an outsider, may not get it.  The Thai people who visit will likely not understand the English meaning, but will probably understand the owner's meaning better than I.  For even though ladybuffet looks and spells like English, it is probably more of a Thai word than an English one.

So as we continue to try to improve our Thai language skills, we move beyond the words, to the context:

What did they say before and after?
What was their body language saying?
What was the venue in which it was spoken?
Are they, for cultural reasons, not actually saying what they mean?
What is the status of the speaker relative to the listener?
How do the speaker and the listener perceive each other?

Sometimes it can be rather simple to try to say what I mean.  At other times it can be quite complicated.

As I move into a new role here, where I am often in a leadership position in meetings, I have to think about these things a lot more.  What might have worked well for me in North America, may not work so well here.

I tend to speak short and to the point.  Why say something in 10 words if you can say it in 5?  Why do we need a 30 minute sermon if we can say the same thing in 10 minutes?

The Khmu people are storytellers.  They go on for several minutes giving background and context before they get to the main subject.  Sometimes I get lost before they get there and I'm wondering what they are talking about.

I, on the other hand, probably come across as if I don't care about them because I speak so directly.

As one leading a meeting, do I need to put the brakes on and redirect a speaker or do I let them continue?  (I usually tend to let them speak more so I can speak less.)

This past week I went to visit one of our church leaders known as Uncle John.  I didn't really have a lot to say.  John had lots to say.  Several days later he was still overflowing with gratitude, not because I went to say something to him, but because I spent time with him.  "Worth more than gold," he said.

Sometimes in communication one just needs context, words aren't so important.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 
    ... a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b)

cot cott cut

Last week we were teaching some high school students how to speak English.  The subject I briefly touched on that day was vowel pronunciation.

When one teaches such a subject, one becomes aware of just how complicated the English language is to read and write.  For as difficult as the Thai language is to write (because of the various symbols that can be used to represent the same sound), it is fairly easy to pronounce.  Vowels only have one sound.  Cononants only have one sound.  There are some exceptions to tone rules, but they are fairly few.

(For a light-hearted review of the Thai writing system, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKVtpCByEy4)

English, on the other hand...

Well, lets start with a paper brand they sell in Thailand.  This particular brand, Alcott, is used by the largest copy shop here in Wiang Kaen.



Alcott is a name that is dear to me.  It is the name of the school I attended for 8 years.  (I am one of few who did this.  When my siblings attended the school it only went to 6th grade.  After I left it became a middle school.)  The school is named after Amos Bronson Alcott (father of Louisa May Alcott).  I also have some relational connections to the name. (For more on that, see my brother's blog here: http://ramblinrussells.blogspot.com/2015/05/genealogy-story-my-wolcott-connections.html)

The pronunciation of the vowels in Alcott follows the standard rules.  Since both syllables each have only one vowel, the vowels have a short vowel sound.

The name of the town that the school is located in, however, is a different story:

Wolcott.

Wolcott is named after the person who was governor of Connecticut at the time the town was incorporated.  He played a critical role in its becoming separated from Farmingbury to be a town in its own right.  I have no idea how HE pronounced is name.  But I do know how I grew up saying it.

If one followed the normal rules Wolcott would be pronounced something like wahl-kaht.  And maybe in some places that is how they say it--

--but not where I grew up (who knows, maybe its changed since then).

Instead it's pronounced more like what happens when a sheep goes to the barber:

wool-cut


 

Go figure!

Students of English, I feel your pain.

I summarize the difference between English and Thai this way:

In English a letter has many sounds.
In Thai, a sound has many letters.

A few weeks ago we were at a conference where there were representatives from several language and culture groups.  My favorite part is when we were all praying aloud in our own languages.  I quit praying just to listen.  I don't know what was being said, but it was beautiful.

Somehow God can figure all of that out.  For me I look forward to that day when language will no longer be a barrier to communication.  I imagine heaven to be somewhat like that time in the early days of the church when "they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language." (Acts 2:6b ESV)

(Meanwhile I will keep trying to improve my Thai language abilities.)

Bitter-Sweet

Recently, our teammates gave us a fruit (vegetable?*) that a market vendor persuaded them to buy.  They did so, owing to the fact that it was such an unusual looking thing.

I immediately recognized it as a fruit from the melon/squash family (Cucurbitaceae) because I had seen smaller ones growing in our neighborhood.  I could remember, however, neither the English nor Thai name for it.  (Our teammates told us the vendor had said it was called fakkhao).  And I certainly had no idea how to eat it.

Since I had my computer open, I quickly found that its name is Spiny Bitter Gourd (Momordica cochinchinensis; Thai: ฟักข้าว), and it certainly seemed like an appropriate name.





The plant is related to the bitter melon**, a popular vegetable in some SE Asian cultures.

We took the fruit home and cut it open.





A quick taste of the orange flesh let us know quickly how it got its name: it certainly was bitter.  However, we decided to suck the pulp on the seeds and it had a slightly sweet, pumpkin-like flavor.  (Apparently the seeds are used to add a red color to some food dishes.)

Bitter.

Sweet.

Both in one.

So it struck me that the fruit is somewhat a picture of life.  Our life gets filled with many kinds of experiences and some of them are sweet, but some of them are also bitter.  Maybe the bitter parts make the sweet parts sweeter--like sucking on the red seeds AFTER eating some of the orange flesh.

I don't think it's possible to escape this life without having both bitter and sweet.  The challenge is to get through it while still remaining sweet and not becoming bitter oneself.  I've met many old people who have allowed their experiences to make them bitter, and they are certainly not pleasant to be around.  People tend to avoid them--which make them even more bitter.

I don't want to end up that way.  So I want to try to practice what the bitter people seem to avoid doing:

Forgive easily.

Don't hold onto grudges.

That way I can be more like the sweet smooth seeds of the Spiny Bitter Gourd and less like its prickly, bitter flesh.

As Paul writes in Colossians 4:6--Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 

* Botanically, this is a fruit.  Some however might consider it to be a vegetable.  In a similar way to how people consider a cantelope to be a fruit, but its close relative and similar looking food, the cucumber, is considered a vegetable.

**
The bitter melon, which one can buy in the markets, looks like this.  This is the cultivated version.





The wild version of the same species, however, looks much different.





When the wild bitter melon matures, it bursts open to reveal red seeds, similar to the Spiny Bitter Gourd.

The Summit

This past week it was our joy to attend the Southeast Asian Leadership Summit.

A lesson in linguistics

This event brought together MB Mission leaders from throughout the region.  As such, there were several languages being used.  At times my head would spin from not knowing which speaker/language to latch onto.

Andy organized the event.  He had our agency's mission and vision statement reduced to a quasi-mathematical formula that could be printed on t-shirts that our participants could wear--even in places not friendly to the gospel.




The summary statement was printed in full in three languages on our notebooks, and would have been in four, if Khmu had a written language.

We were blessed by a visit from Randy F. as he shared some stories of how the mission and vision of MB Mission is playing out around the world.




In a country where being a leader typically means having a title, an office and a nice salary while others serve you and do all the work, we were honored to be able to demonstrate the nature of leadership as modeled by Jesus in serving others.




Encouragement

We had the opportunity both to be prayed for and to pray for others.





Worship through music was in Thai, English, Burmese or Khmu--depending on which group was leading.





It is easy to get discouraged when we are constantly surrounded by "problems" that need to be fixed.  As our team has been working to implement changes to bring about lasting solutions, we were encouraged by this conference which laid out a foundation for what we are trying to do--and in a very timely manner.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

The Wait

About Christmas-time last year, we were looking for a gift.  We thought that a desert rose would be a nice gift for the person had in mind.

The desert rose (Adenium obesum) is not actually related to a rose at all, but is in the same plant family as dogbane—a common weed where I grew up in Connecticut.  It is a plant that is often trained for bonsai.  By pinching back the tips, the shrub will remain short but will get quite stout.

The particular pant we saw was looking not very attractive in a pot that was overgrown with weeds.  The owner of the nursery seemed a bit reluctant to sell.  It was somewhat expensive, but I was expecting that, because he had been raising it for 7 years.

We brought it home, cleaned it up, and repotted the plant and soon it rewarded us by dropping what few leaves it had.

For three months we patiently watered and weeded the woody skeleton.

And then this happened.



About a week later it was like this.



Perhaps one day it will look like this large specimen we saw in Chiang Mai.



While it seems like we had to be rather patient with the desert rose, our pineapple plants have done a much better job at testing our patience.

Shortly after we moved here in February of last year, we stuck a pineapple top in the ground.



It seemed like it was doing OK, as it began to grow.  But once it got to a certain point, it seemed to stagnate—not dying but not growing either.  It was like this for many months.



Then, all of a sudden, the innermost leaves started to turn red and a flower bud began to emerge.



After several more weeks, it is looking more and more like a pineapple.  And who knew they had such pretty purple and white flowers.



I’m not great at waiting.  But it seems that to achieve most good things in this life it takes patience and hard work.

The Bible is full of verses about “waiting on God” and being patient with others.  A few examples:

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3 (NIV)

Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Isaiah 30:18 (ESV)

Love is patient 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.  James 5:7-8 (ESV)
 
I’m not sure how much longer it will be until we can eat some fruit, but we’re certainly looking forward to it, and I’ll try to be patient.

The Bride Price

   An excellent wife who can find?
        She is far more precious than jewels. 
   Proverbs 31:10 (ESV)

A couple of days ago we were invited to a nearby Khmu village for a house dedication ceremony. However, the person who had invited us was at a dowry ceremony, so we got to sit in on that instead.

At the beginning, there were only a few men, but the crowd gradually grew to include women as well.

In the photo below, the father of the groom is assembling the dowry tray.  Among other things, several parts of a pig are included, especially, we were told, the head and the tail.  Without those two things, the dowry would not be accepted.  In this photo, the heart and the tongue are being tied together by a piece of bamboo cord.

The man in the light blue shirt on the left is the father of the bride.





Below is a photo if the tray, which contains most of the dowry.  There is a bamboo basket containing cash and a few ingots that date back to the days of French Indochina.  From a pig there is the split skull, a piece of the rump skin with tail attached, the heart, and the tongue.  There is also a small boiled chicken.

The green leaves are from a special plant that is revered for decor because it does not suffer from insect or disease damage.  There pink flowers are Bougainvillea, the red ones are a type of Ixora.




The fellow in the orange shirt appears to be the dowry broker as he is the one who checked to see that everything is in order.  Having counted the cash, he has the father of the bride verify the count before placing it back in the basket for the official presentation.

You can also see from this photo that there are generous amounts of orange Fanta going around.




The broker then takes the chicken and removes its legs and and wishbone to see if they are sufficient quality.



After he inspects the chicken parts.  The broker then grabs the heart, which has already been cut open, and checks to see if it is good.  Then he examines the split open skull to see it that also is of good quality.  (The rest of the pig is in process of becoming dinner.)




Once everything has been inspected and approved, it is officially presented to the parents of the bride.  The father of the groom, groom and bride to be hold the basket on one side and the father and mother of the bride receive it on the other.




In addition to the gift to the parents of the bride, there is a gift to the bridal couple as well.  There is a package of fabric to be used as a wrap-around skits (ผ้าถุง), which is opened and the pieces of fabric are counted--there are twelve of them.  There are also a couple of blankets.  In the photo below you can also see a bamboo canister which contains sticky rice (there are two of these.)




The groom's family is Christian and does not drink alcohol.  However, this is not the case for the bride's family.  A bottle of strong liquor is opened and a shot glass is filled and given to the father of the bride.  The same cup is refilled again and again until the important guests are served.  The bottle and shot glass are then passed among the guests.  It seems to spend most of its time with a group of three men.




The father of the groom then offers up a prayer for the bridal couple.



Throughout most of this ceremony, the bridal couple seems disinterested and somewhat bored.  I'm not sure they ever smiled.  (That was also the case for the two Khmu weddings we have attended since moving here.)

Finally, dinner is served.  Trays of various foods are placed on the floor and bags of sticky rice are distributed to the guests.  Ingrid and I share one bag of rice.   I don't eat too much of this special food as four of the five dishes are heavily laced with cilantro.  The soup contains just a little bit of cilantro and so it is tolerable for me to dip the rice in that.

The dishes on the tray are:
Top left: raw pigs blood mixed with a few other things.
Top right: chopped organ meat and other meat
Bottom left: pork soup
Bottom right: ground raw pork

Off to the right is minced pork (lab ลาบ).





The wedding itself is scheduled for the following day.

While we enjoyed being a part of this cultural event, I have mixed feelings about the concept of dowries in general.  To me there seems to be the implication that a woman is "property", which can be sold.  Functionally, I'm not sure what the difference is between selling a daughter as a bride or selling her to be a prostitute.

To the husband, then, she is not an equal human, but merchandise that he has paid for. If he gets tired of her, he can buy another, newer one.  Or maybe just a temporary one.  After all, you can cheat on your wife, but not your property.

There is also the problem of the amount of the dowry--is the measure of the value of a woman only the amount of money that the father thinks he can get for her?

If wives could only be had for what women are worth, then even the Donald Trumps of this world would be single.

Some will say that the dowry is to help cover the cost of raising the daughter.  If that is the case, why are the sons not also sold?

Still, it is better than some cultures where the parents of the bride pay the parents of the groom to take her--as if the woman has negative value.

The Walled City

And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall,

and every wall shall tumble to the ground.

 Ezekiel 38:20b (ESV)

Soon after we moved to Wiang Kaen, we discovered a forest near our home that still had a lot of very large, old trees.  We were surprised because there aren't a lot of old native trees left in Thailand, especially near towns.

Road through the forest

Looking at Google maps, we noticed that this Forest was fairly large in size.




Another thing that struck us when we moved here is the name of the place: Wiang Kaen. “Wiang” is a term used to describe walled cities, and we certainly didn't seem to be any walls around that we could notice.

Wiang Kaen today: Where's the wall?

Recently, they have been doing some cleaning up around the old forest, and in the process we have discovered something—the reason that this old forest still exists is because it is the old, walled city—it’s just that the forest have covered up a lot of the walls and moats and other historical landmarks in the place.  But now there is a map that shows the general layout.  Knowing this we have become aware of the old moat, quite deep in places and often near the present roads, but obscured by brush and trees.

The name of this place is “Boran Satan Wiang Kaen” (โบราณสถานเวียงแก่น which roughly translates: ancient Wiang Kaen) or “Wiang Kaen Forest” (ดงเวียงแก่น).  The old city was founded about 700 years ago.

Map of the old city

The general pattern of the border is an exterior wall, then the moat, then a larger, interior wall.  Below are two photos of where the interior wall has been cut for a road.

The cut through the wall looking into the old city

The cut through the wall looking out of the city

The moat is so grown over with vegetation, it is usually hard to notice that it exists.  In the photos below, I traced the approximate cross section of the moat.

The moat

The Moat

The are a few small “hills” which are the remains of old chedis.  The one below is labeled #3 on the map.  It has been opened up so that you can see some of the old bricks inside.

One of the old chedis

Looking down into the chedi

Another old chedi is across from the present, simple, Buddhist temple.  This one has a large tree growing in it.

Another remains of an old chedi

The are other, interesting relicts scattered about the forest.  This Buddha image of uncertain vintage is along a mostly overgrown trail.  Some “lucky bamboo” plants in front of it show that it seems to have received some attention in recent times.

Old Buddha image with newer
planting of lucky bamboo

The Buddhist temple is a bit different.  It is constructed like an ordinary building instead of using the usual ornate architecture.  The entrance is a roll-up steel door.  Often it is closed.

The temple

There is a shrine to the “Lord (spirit) of Wiang Kaen” (เจ้าหลวงเวียงแก่น).  A new one has just been built in the last couple of months; it is adjacent to the old one.

Shrine of the "Lord of Wiang Kaen"

It's interesting to look back at this old city and see what it has become.  I'm sure that the people of the old city thought that what they built would endure for ages, but instead all that remains are a few mounds of dirt.

In the same way, we often behave like or think that the things we see around us, the product of the labors and imaginations of mankind, will last forever.  In reality, we really have no idea what our hometown will look like in 50 or 100 years.

Only God is the eternal, unchanging one; He and His word will remain forever.


Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
   and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Isaiah 55:2 (NIV) 

For he is the living God
   and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
   his dominion will never end.

Daniel 6:26b (NIV)