In Season

June is the saddest month of the year here in Central Thailand.  That’s because June marks the end of mango season.

I don’t have many favorites in my life.
I have no favorite color
no favorite song
no favorite food
no favorite movie
no favorite sport
etc.

But I DO have a favorite person (my wife)
AND a favorite fruit (mango).  My wife’s favorite fruit is mango as well.

We sometimes joke that we moved to Thailand because of the mangos.




But the good news is that June is the beginning of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour. ลำไย) season

Longans are usually sold in bunches like this

Insides and seed of longan

What's left after eating

We never had eaten longan before we came to Thailand, but it is probably now the second favorite fruit for both of us.  But soon even it’s season will be over.

In the US we would sometimes be almost unaware of the cyclical nature of fruit harvest because in the grocery store you can get just about anything at any time of year due to the ability to transport fruit over great distances and store the harvested fruit while maintaining a reasonable quality.

But here in Thailand where we tend to buy our fruit in open markets, we tend to be more aware of the seasons of harvest.  And we adapt our fruit eating habits to whatever is in season.  (Though certain fruits are available all year long: banana, pineapple, papaya and watermelon.)

There is a seasonal nature to our work here in Thailand as well-even tough we are not involved in Agricultural production.  Paul alludes to the cyclical nature of our kind of work in 1 Corinthians 3:6 (ESV):

   I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

We spend a lot of time planting and watering, so to speak, and aren’t always sure what the harvest will look like or if we will even be around for it.  Sometimes we get to harvest what others have planted.

Sometimes we think there is a crop coming along fine but then a storm comes up and beats the crop down.  I think of one person in our community who indicated a desire to follow Christ back in December.  But then some temptations came up and he succumbed to the temptation.  Now he seems too ashamed to be around us any more.

But while it is our responsibility to be faithful laborers. it is God who brings about the growth.  We don’t control that aspect of it.

So on one day my “sowing” might be holding a child whose parents are in prison and is pretty much neglected by his relatives.  It might be years before he can understand more fully the message of God’s love—what it means for God to send His Son and for His Son to take upon himself the sins of the whole world.

On another day I might be watering-teaching a young believer about the Bible and what certain scriptures mean to his life.

On perhaps another day we might enjoy a bit of harvest—praying with someone who is responding to the message of God’s love.

We plant.  We water.  We pray for God to make the crop grow.  And we bring in the harvest.
Like eating the seasonal fruit, we learn to enjoy each “fruit” in its season:

We enjoy planting in planting season
We enjoy watering in watering season
and we enjoy reaping in harvest season
And there’s always room for more laborers in the field.

 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:38 (NIV)

It Takes a Team

For the past two weeks, a team from Heritage Bible Church has been helping us with outreach programs in Chachoengsao.

The Heritage Bible Church Team at Bethel Church

They have gone into two schools to teach English using fun and games and have put on VBS programs in two different communities.  It was the first time for MB Mission and Bethel Church to do an outreach in one of the communities and it looks like it may lead to the beginning of a regular kids club.

The team had many opportunities to share the gospel, and several children and at least one adult decided they wanted to get rid of their bad karma (which is the Thai way of referring to sin) by the blood Jesus.  We also made a connection with a believer who is new in the faith and would like to be in a discipleship relationship with another believer.

One of the greatest things this team did was to hang out with and hug kids, many of whom come from broken homes where there is not a lot of love to be had.  My heart breaks for many of these kids and I’m glad that these children were able to receive some loving attention, even if only for a brief while.

Bri giving some attentio to someone in need

The team also helped us build some bridges with two schools in the area.  One of those schools does not get a lot of attention from the outside world.  It also happens to be where many of the children from our neighborhood go who cannot afford to go to private school.

Talad Pak Khlong Cao School

Khlon Cao School

Thanks to Heritage Bible Church for sending this great group of people to come and love on our neighbors and share with them the even greater love that is found in Jesus Christ.

But this team, like us, could not do what they did by themselves.

The more obvious team members that were involved were members of our Missionary Team here in Chachoengsao: Dave, Louise and Sandy.

Then there were members of the Bethel Church that played critical roles in all this, most notably Ajan Naat, Phi Chin, Knot and Kaew.

Beyond that there are somewhat less visible members of our team-those folks in our home offices in Canada, Fresno and our local offices in Chonburi and Chachoengsao that make it possible for us to be here.

Then there are the almost invisible members of our team: those individuals and churches in the US and Canada that pray for the work here and give financially to help make it happen.
It is great to be a part of the body of Christ, and when we all work together in our various roles, great things can happen.

¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.
¹⁵ If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
¹⁶ And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
¹⁸ But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be?
²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"
²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,
²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,
²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:14-27 (NIV)

Lost in Translation

Satar Lite sign 2
Originally uploaded by SierraSunrise

In Thailand, it is not unusual for intersections to have names. It is only recently that I noticed the sign at a particular 3 way intersection we frequently pass--usually I am too occupied with watching out for traffic (if I am moving) or the sign is blocked by big trucks (if I am stopped).

I first noticed the Latin script text of the sign. I quickly assumed it must be a name of foreign origin because there were two sounds represented that the Thai language doesn't have--a final "r" sound, and a long "i" sound followed by a final t.

So I looked at the Thai to try to figure it out:

สตาร์ ไลท์

Sounding out the Thai letters, I came up with (using letters that represent approximate American English sounds):

sahtah lie (as in the English word "lie")

figuring in the unpronounced Thai letters (which are used frequently in words borrowed from other languages and often represented with a ์ symbol), I came up with:

satar lite (as the sign reads)

Then, I applied a little bit of mental processing, I came up with:

starlight

Which I later learned was the name of a factory located near the intersection.

It is quite common in Thailand to see signs representing English words written in Thai script. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to figure them out. Sometimes I never do get it--at least not in the limited time I have while driving past a road sign.

I remember one of my language instructors joking to me: "you're the only American in this class and you have the hardest time reading English."

Isn't it so much easier when things are presented to us in a way we can understand? It is why we work so hard at learning the Thai language--in order that we can communicate with the Thai people--through words as well as actions--how much God loves them.

It is why God sent Jesus to earth--in order that God could communicate though the life and teachings of Jesus the things He wants us to know about Him and what our response to God should be.

As Jesus said:
Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." --John 10:37-38 (NIV)

And as Paul later adds:
For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand.--2 Corinthians 1:13 (NIV)

How thankful I am that we have a God that wants to communicate with us and who went to great lengths to do so.  I'm thankful that so many who went before us went to great effort to preserve the actions of God in world and the record of the words of God's prophets and especially Jesus.

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.