Moving Up

Just after we moved to Chachoengsao, during our first term in Thailand, we had a housewarming party that included many members of the church we were associated with. During that time, we were given Thai names. Phi Chin was given the responsibility to name us. He decided on Mana and Nit. You can read more about the names here.

With our church in front of our Chachoengsao home,
where we first received out Thai names

Along with these names came titles: Uncle and Aunt. Uncle and Aunt are common titles for people who are older, but not quite seniors. So for the past ten years we have been known as Uncle Mana and Aunt Nit.

Now we have moved into a new community in the province of Kalasin. In our first meeting with the small community of believers we are part of, they were trying to decide what to call us. After some discussion, they landed on Grandpa Mana and Grandma Nit.

Enough gray hairs to qualify as Grandpa and Grandma

We are definitely old enough to be grandparents, but  at first it was a little hard to accept this constant reference to our oldness when we are called Grandpa or Grandma. But the nice thing about it, culturally, is that these titles also convey respect, kind of converse to North American culture. (See an earlier blog on this topic here.) To go from Uncle and Aunt to Grandpa and Grandma is an increase in honor. It is a move up.

The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.
Proverbs 20:29 (NLT)

Thank you, God, for the 60+ years of experience You have given us. Help us to use the wisdom we have acquired to use our lives to be a blessing to others.