Beautiful Feet: May 2012

Looking out of the window of this coffee shop (from which I am writing this) I can see the dark rain clouds looming over the mountains in the distance. I can visibly see the storm gain strength as the wind starts blowing stronger, whipping leaves and other debris past the window. It is not uncommon for my apartment to lose power during these quick storms so I’d much rather be sitting in this air conditioned coffee shop listening to the Christmas music that is playing over the speakers. Yes, they play Christmas music year round in many of the coffee shops here. I’m not sure if they know it is Christmas music or if they just like that “feel good” sound. I get a little more homesick every time I listen to another rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” – even if it is 100 degrees outside. It is the start of the rainy season in this part of the world which is quite the challenge if the only vehicle you own is a motorbike. I can look pretty silly trying to navigate through the city on my bike with my rain jacket zipped up to my chin and my helmet strapped snugly over top of my hood. I haven’t quite mastered the art of driving while holding an umbrella like some of my Thai friends do. Maybe next rainy season! Thankfully the (often daily) storms don’t last terribly long, although these past few weeks have seen some quite lengthy torrential downpours.

I can hardly see the mountains now as the sheets of rain block the view from where I sit. The scenery is so beautiful and much different from anyplace I have ever lived. As I pour myself into the daily time consuming tasks laid out before me I often forget to look up and see the splendor of the mountains that surround this place. I feel as though I am climbing that mountain that is now covered by the storm for each day brings new experiences and challenges. It is not my leg muscles that are straining from the journey but my brain which I hope is responding to this extensive exercise program. I spend about 50+ hours a week in focused language and culture study (daily lessons with a tutor, participating in different events, observing various daily activities with local people, practicing, reviewing, etc.). Just like exercising the body it is difficult for me to recognize the improvements as they seem so minor. Yet, as I look back over the past three months and think of where I started from compared to where I am now it does seem amazing at the amount of language I know and can comprehend. I still have an incredibly long way to go and I ask for His strength and grace to help me in this upward climb. The Thai language is very beautiful but not easy to speak. Here is just one example of the uniqueness of the challenge: these 3 words are all spelled the same in Thai - knee, go in, him/her - the only difference is that each word is spoken with a different tone. This makes it difficult to remember as well as to communicate. The Thai script is also very beautiful but quite the challenge to learn to read and write. Thankfully I have a very patient and amazing language teacher. It’s fun to teach her how to pronounce some English words so we can both laugh at each other when we can’t produce those foreign sounds quite right.

In addition to language learning I have been taking part in many different projects through the foundation I work for. Please check out the website www.servingsuwanaphum.org. We just finished teaching a Basic Conversational English Course to some children through one of the municipal departments here. The class was made up of close to 50 students whose ages ranged from 4 to 17 years old. Back in March I helped teach at a camp for the children of Thai military families. My friend April and I are currently working on developing an English curriculum for teaching English to the local Traffic Police. This course will begin in a couple of weeks. All of these projects are great times to interact with the local people and hear more of the language.

In the midst of all of this I am trying to build relationships with some of my neighbors and others that I come in contact with on a regular basis. He has blessed me with some amazing opportunities to make friends. I have one friend in particular with whom I have been able to hang out with on multiple occasions and she and her family have really helped me feel more at home here. They do not speak much English at all so we have a fun time trying to communicate with my little Thai and their little English. Needless to say there are a lot of laughs and awkward questioning faces exchanged between us. Yet it’s incredible how much you can communicate using very little language and being from completely different cultures.

As you can see my plate has been very full but it has helped me settle in as I learn a lot not only about this culture but also about myself. There are times when I get frustrated that I can’t communicate how I would like or I find myself wanting to complain about things that can basically get summed up into “my discomfort.” I have to remind myself that I find more joy when I look at what He is doing and recognize that during these times He is conforming me more into the image of His Son. So, as I climb this mountain I ask Him to remind me to stop and look at the beauty and remember that He is the One who guides and strengthens me for the journey. Thanks for climbing these mountains with me!

Below are several pictures from the last few months. I appreciate you lifting me up!

Watching the storm come over the mountain from my balcony

Temple on the Mountain


This Wat (temple) is located on top of the mountain

We made the trek up the mountain to visit the Wat

There are over 300 steps to the top

This Buddhist place of worship dates back to the year 1383

You must always take off your shoes before entering any Wat

I just loved this girl's smile! She is dressed in the traditional clothing of her tribe.

View of the city from the Wat

Teaching English

Practicing our greetings

Giving encouragement. The English language is difficult!

This was the youngest member of our class...she was 4 years old and did a great job!

I really enjoyed getting to know these kids during our time together

Learning our vegetables

We had a lot of fun with these crazy kids

Graduation Day

Kids Camp

Working on teamwork skills

Relay Race

Practicing giving good directions

Our Team

Language Learning

Studying hard with my amazing and patient language teacher Khru Air. I meet with her 3 hours a day, 4 days a week.

This is Khru Air's sweet family

Happy Thai New Year

On April 13th - 16th Thailand celebrated their traditional New Year (Songkran Festival) with much splashing of water

Helping my friend's daughter join in the fun. This kid in the truck got us good with a huge bucket of ice water!

This girl in the Tuk-Tuk looks dangerous. Don't you just love the face of the driver? Both young and old participate.

Hundreds of trucks were loaded down with people, tubs of ice water, and water fight weapons

Defending myself! It took 3 seconds of walking out of my door before I got soaking wet.

Having fun and getting soaked with friends and co-workers

Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respect to elders and has been celebrated for centuries in Thailand

Friends and Daily Life

This incredible woman is known throughout the world for her research and work on malaria. Oh the stories she could tell! We enjoyed listening to her share about her life and her work.

Throughout the country you see these beautiful and intricate teak wood carvings

Learning the old time tradition of umbrella making and painting

Shopping at a local market. This one is 3 stories tall and has everything imaginable...from cookware to flowers to clothes to dried silk worms for a yummy snack. I know it's hard to spot me in the picture.

This woman makes the best mango sticky rice!

April and I got to watch our friend Bun cook in her restaurant. Her family's food is some of the best in the city and we we were able to learn how to make some of these delicious Thai dishes. Thai food is known for its balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy tastes. One of my favorite dishes is Pad Pak Gruem (stir-fried vegetables in a delicious sauce served with rice of course).

A common sight in the early morning hours. I'm still learning more about it but it has to do with merit-making.

Many times when you get food to-go they will pack it in plastic bags. Even your drinks!

Brand new wheels! This has helped so much in getting around the city. We are set to join the thousands of other bikes that brave these crazy city roads.