Provision that comes to you

One of the interesting things we have found living in Ban Phrueksa in rural Chachoengsao Province, Thailand, is that you don’t have to really go anywhere to buy the essentials of life.  Traveling vendors selling goods of all kinds come into the community throughout the day.
Fresh meat, fresh produce, fish swimming in tanks in the back of a pickup, new and used pants, brooms, eggs (duck or chicken), miscellaneous hardware and household goods.  Even cooked food is sold on the street by stationary or mobile vendors (best way to get our Isaan style chicken and papaya salad is from a motorcycle with a side car modified with a grill and mini-kitchen.)
And while the prices may be a bit pricier than what you find in the market—it saves driving 6 kilometers to a convenience store and the nearest market that only functions twice a week.

Ingrid buying produce off a pickup truck

Grilling chicken on a modified motorcycle

It’s nice when something good comes to you rather than you having to go get it.
That’s one of the things that’s nice about Christianity.  It’s about God coming to us.
In most other religions, it is about how we can get to God.  What kinds of things must I do in order that God will hear me or let me approach Him?  What must I do to be a better person?
I think of so many people who are concerned about their eternal future that are trying to do good things in order that maybe, if they outweigh the bad things, they’ll be better off in some future life.  But there is no guarantee and certainly not a lot of hope.  Call it making merit, or doing good works, or whatever.  Not that there is anything wrong with doing good things, in fact, they should be done.
But with Christianity, it is about God coming to us.  It is about God sending Jesus to earth so that we can relate to Him.  And then it is about Him doing the work for us, on the cross, in order that we might be righteous in the eyes of God.  it’s not about whether we’re good enough—try as we might, we never will be—but about the fact that Jesus is good enough.
And so I do good works, not to attain salvation or to find my way to God, but as an act of love toward a God who drove His pickup into my community, offering all that I could ever need—and I don’t even have to pay for it.



⁹ This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him.
¹⁰ This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.
¹¹ My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other.
¹² No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!1 John 4:9-12 (MSG)

Spirit of Addiction

Betel Offering for the Spirits
Originally uploaded by SierraSunrise

Of the many offerings on the altar at the spirit house in our community is Betel chewing packs containing betel leaves, areca palm nuts (หมาก), tobacco and other ingredients that are chewed together. Which raises the questions:

Is this to keep the spirits addicted?

Or are they offerings to the spirits of addiction?

In any case it is interesting that it shows that these spirits have as much a problem with pleasure-seeking and gratifying the "flesh" as do humans.

Makes me glad that we serve a God who is above such things, who is able to help us who struggle with such things.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15-ESV)

Deception

Father and daughter rinse toothbrushes
in the canal

As I watch this father and daughter rinse their toothbrushes in the filthy canal water, it almost makes my stomach turn. Indeed, if I were to do that--and then use the toothbrush--I'm sure my stomach really would start turning.

The canals here don't have the cleanest water. They are not only a source of irrigation water, but also the dumping grounds for all kinds of waste--be it biological or otherwise.

And then I think of the pristine waters formed by the melting snow in the Sierras. Oh how refreshing that water is--such a nice cool respite on a hot summer day in the mountains. (My body is transported to Pear Lake, nestled beneath the crags of Alta Peak in Sequoia National Park. Oh, how I miss those mountain escapes.)

Pear Lake, nestled below Alta Peak

Yet, even there, danger lurks. For even though the water is crystal clear. It can be the home of some nasty parasites: giardia, among other things. And the critters I might consume in that refreshing swig of mountain waters can cause me just as much grief as the stuff in the green murk of the canal in rural Chachoengsao, Thailand. (OK--so the risk is perhaps a bit greater in the murky stuff, but you get my drift.)

So we have to be careful how we judge things. Outward appearances aren't always letting us know what is going on.

This is the challenge we face in trying to start churches here in Thailand. Who are the leaders? Maybe the ones that we at first think are the next great leaders of the church, may not always be the best choice. It's hard to know what is going on inside someone.

And we want to trust, but sometimes it is hard to trust.

Only God knows what it going on deep inside us and so we need to lean on Him to show us who the next leaders are. It might be the unlikely-looking one.

O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
   You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
   Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
Psalm 139:1-4 (ESV)

How do we give-a lesson from Songkran

This weekend has been the celebration of Thai New Year, also known as Songkran.

The focus of much of the popular media has to do with the modern-day Songkran celebrations marked by the throwing and spraying of water.  I have written previously about that aspect of the holiday (see here).

This year is our first celebration of Songkran in our new home, Ban Phrueksa 36.  I couldn’t help but join in the water fun along with the children-many of whom attend our Kid’s Club gatherings.



One block our our subdivision put on a special party.  There was lots of food.  And beer.  (They served it with ice cubes—not sure I could handle that.)  And also they were putting together a “money tree” to be given to the nearby temple.  Everyone's contributions were put in bamboo clips which were stuck into a banana stalk to make the tree.



Later in the day, There was a parade to the temple.  There were two pickups, each carrying a money tree and passengers in the back—many with water blasters.  Another truck had the ice chests—they were still handing out beer—and they were also throwing ice water from the melting ice onto people alongside the road (felt good, actually).




Then there was the crowd drinking and dancing along the way.  All-in-all, they were having a good time as they brought their offering to the temple.



I thought it a bit ironic though that their offering at the Buddhist temple was accompanied by self-indulgence—something that Buddha taught against.

All of which gives me cause for some soul-searching—does my practice of Christianity include things Jesus taught against?

Also, the idea of giving accompanied by fanfare—so common in Thailand—made made me think of the words of Jesus:

¹ "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
² "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV)

In the west, where our financial matters tend to be quite private affairs, it is easy for us to not be so open about our giving—to a certain extent.  We don’t let others know what we put in the offering (either to keep from being proud or shamed, perhaps)—but we certainly want the church finance people to know so that we can get our tax deduction.

But it can be hard not to tell about our good works.  For those of us who are involved in ministry that is supported by the gifts of others, we have this need to be accountable.  Those who give want to know what we are doing with the money we receive.  How do we both report on our “good works” and let our “left hand not know what our right hand is doing” at the same time?

Then there is this whole other spin on the gift-bearing parade.  Why not celebrate your “faith” like that?
 
I think of David, when he brought the ark to Jerusalem.  This was accompanied buy much celebration, dancing, and public sacrifice. (2 Samuel 6:12-15)

So much to think about this Songkran weekend.

Jesus, give us your wisdom to practice our faith in a way that pleases you.

Welcome Home

There have likely been thousands if not millions of discussions over the years as to what constitutes “home”.  People talk about things like:

• How long do you have to live some place before if feels like home?
• What do you need to have (things/rountines/etc) at a given location before you feel it is home?
• is home based on proximity to family?

Since we have moved a lot of times among several countries over the years, this becomes pertinent to us.  We have seldom lived close to family members during out 30 years of marriage.  If you ask me where home is, I would likely say, “home is where my sweetheart is.”

Perhaps similar to this is the question of belonging in a certain area.  I usually feel if I meet people I recognize when I’m about town then it is a bit more like “my” town.  I remember randomly meeting an acquaintance in Bangkok and feeling amazed—we did not know a lot of Thai people in Bangkok outside of our neighbors—so when we met up with one in that city of over 12 million people it was quite a surprise.

Maybe another measure of “home” is whether any one misses you when you are gone.  I remember belonging to an organization once where we tried hard to build relationships and be connected, but we were not very successful.  After a while we gave up and quit.  About half a year later we met up with a member of that organization and from the discussion we realized that he did not even realize that we were no longer going to meetings!

About three months ago we moved to the subdivision we currently live in.  There is a little fellow of about three, Cartoon, who can frequently be seen riding his tiny pink bicycle up and down the road.  Once in a while, if we are out on the side walk, he will stop and visit.

Cartoon Comes to Welcome us Home

We recently got back from a two-week long trip.  We arrived at night and so it wasn’t until the next morning that I was up getting our truck loaded with stuff we would need for some activities that day.  I saw Cartoon down the road and when he noticed me, he rode his bike up to me, got off, and wrapped his arms around my leg in a big hug.

Welcome home.

Third Culture People

I was thinking about how little I know about my adopted country.  Sure, we have lived here for two years and have done lots of things and read lots of books about our new homeland.  But my knowledge is mostly facts

As we learn a new language, our goal would be to use the language as well as a native Thai speaker.  Some of those who teach the Thai language divide language learning into several stages—the last one usually occurring about 20 years into the process when you use the language almost as well as a native Thai speaker.  No matter how long you live here, you never get to use Thai just like a Thai.

Thai people embracing a
and culture I will never
fully understand

Why is this?  Why is our knowledge so limited?

Being Thai is totally ingrained in a person born in Thailand to a Thai family and then raised here.  For them, using the language is not just a matter of what they’ve studied or learned from experience, it is a part of who they are.

The subject came up the other day as we were discussing returning to our homeland for a brief period. We come to a country and try to master the language and culture but never completely fit in. Then we go back to our own culture but, since we have changed, we don’t quite fit in there either.  And so we end up being a third culture and we end up relating best to people who have had similar experiences.

You could say the same thing about your relationship to anyone because everyone is unique.  In a sense, we each have our own culture.  Try as I might, I will never completely understand my wife, nor she me, even though we love each other and spend so much time together.  Miscommunication still sometimes occurs.

Some people don’t even try.  Spats, feuds, and even wars can be brought about between people or groups because the don’t understand each other and don’t want to try.

And then there is my relationship to God.  How can I begin to understand God who is so “other” than me?
God is at the advantage here because He is our creator and so understands us even better than we understand ourselves.

¹ ​​​​​​​​O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
² ​​​​​​​​You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
³ ​​​​​​​​You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ ​​​​​​​​Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
⁵ ​​​​​​​​You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
⁶ ​​​​​​​​Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.   (Psalm 139:1-6)

Fortunately God took the initiative to try to help us understand Him.  First, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to give us a better glimpse of what he is like.  Then, if we will believe the testimony of His Son, he will place His Spirit in our lives.

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
³ Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope.
⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)

One day I have the hope that I will understand God better, for I will see Him as He is. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
Meanwhile I live as a third culture person—a misfit, if you will—in more ways than one. 

Holiday-not, but a Holy Day

It was supposed to be our day off. It was a holiday to boot. Yet, here it was, Monday, and our house was a rather noisy place with children playing and having a good time and some youth practicing guitar.

It started on Sunday afternoon. I was chatting with some of the neighborhood kids outside our home. One of them, Jill (not her real name), mentioned that the next day was her 10^th birthday. So I said that since it was her birthday, she should have a birthday cake. And then I suggested that she could come and help make a cake.

So three kids showed up about 10:30 am and Ingrid began the cake-making instructions.

 
 
After the cake was in the oven, we had them read the creation story from a simplified Bible story book, designed for English learners. Then I taught them how to play Uno, which they caught onto quickly and had fun playing—especially after the second hand in which I had two 50 point and three 20 point cards left in my hand.



We took a break for lunch while the cake cooled, and then the three were back, plus one other, for the decorating. One of my guitar students was there (an hour early), but he seemed to enjoy the cake decorating as much, if not more so, than the others. He was pretty good at it, too.

 
 


And then the kids made themselves at home—playing with the guitars, tambourine and drum and singing some Christian songs that they had learned in kids club. (I did forbid use of the hula hoop inside.)



Eventually Ingrid carried some cake to Jill’s house while I continued with the guitar lessons. She discovered that as chaotic as our place had become that day, it was even worse at Jill’s place—maybe that’s why she likes it at our place.  And one of the participants in the day’s activities was sure to remind us that his birthday is in March.

After the guitar students left we were exhausted, but glad that we could provide some constructive activities for their day off from school.

This is what are life is often like here—things don’t always go as planned—sometimes they even go better.  And while we could have used a day off to rest, it’s always in season to show some love to our neighbors.  And the cake was good, too.

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” –Matthew 19:14 (NLT)