Yes, it seems that I just can’t ever stay in one place too
long. As much as I love to travel and see new things I have to admit that saying
goodbye is still not something on the top of “my most favorite things” list.
Yet the time has come to adjust to a new place, new people, new sights, sounds
and experiences but thankfully I have Someone who never changes going before me
and with me as I follow where He leads.
About three weeks ago I officially moved from Chiang Mai to
Bangkok. These past couple of months have been a bit chaotic…not bad, just a
lot of change. It was harder than I expected saying goodbye to friends who had
become so dear to me during my time in CM. I was thankful to have some quality
time with them before I left. I even got a chance to cook American
food for some friends on one of our last evenings up north. These friends were such a blessing to me
as I slowly adjusted to this new culture. They were sweet to send us off
with hugs and gifts and we are very much looking forward to seeing them again
in the future. Another very difficult goodbye was saying farewell to our
incredible language teacher Khru Air. She has become such a special friend to
us as we met with her almost every day since we first arrived in Thailand.
Saying goodbye to Khru Air did not come without a few tears. We are grateful
for her significant help and friendship and look forward to staying in
touch.
I am also thankful for the friends who saw us off at the
train station for quite the unique travel experience down to BKK. April and I
took the night train through the country and arrived in the bustling metropolis
of BKK 13 hours later (about 9:00 AM). Our good friends and teammates greeted
two very dazed and weary girls at the train station and were so wonderful to
navigate us all the way to our new house.
This house is such an answer to many thoughts going up to
the Father on our behalf. He always knows just what we need (right down to our
very first kitchen)! My one-room apartment in Chiang Mai was a nice place to start off but I am so grateful to be in a house. Our new home is a two-story, two-bedroom town house (which
shares 3 of its 4 walls with the adjacent houses) situated in the middle of a
very active neighborhood. We are thankful to have neighbors who we can
interact with on a daily basis. Although they don’t speak much English they are
very sweet and helpful and we are excited to get to know them better during our
time here.
I am slowly getting to know my way around this maze of
a metropolis and find it a bit easier as the weeks go by. Let me tell you,
driving our motorbike here in this traffic is a whole different ballgame than
driving in CM. I can’t even explain in words the amount of traffic in this
city. I think the guards at the front gate to our neighborhood think it is
pretty funny to see two white girls zipping in and out on our bike. :) Our
neighborhood is just off a main road so it is very easy to get public
transportation such as a bus or taxi. I never would have thought 5
years ago that I would be living in a city of 14 million people but here I am
smack dab in the middle of it. At times I find it difficult living in this
concrete world and very much long for the green fields and grass of Ohio.
Thankfully there is a nice park in the city much like Central Park (so I’m
told) and I am going to make a visit
there very soon so I can kick off my shoes and plop down on a big patch of
grass. Oh the little things you take for granted!
I am learning more of this
unique culture each day and as each day passes I realize just how much I still
don’t know or understand. There are so many deep seated beliefs that control
every part of these people’s lives and it makes me sad to see how the enemy has
darkened their thinking through the years. I look forward to the day when I can
finally communicate with these people and share the amazing news of who He is
and what He has done for them.
Although I finished Stage One
of my language learning with Khru Air before leaving CM I still feel light
years away from being able to communicate in this language. It's a crazy thing
to walk out your door one day and feel like you are able to say what you want
to say and then the next day go out and feel like you can’t even form the most
basic of words. I'm not even going to get into the reading and writing! I'm
realizing that even though each day doesn’t always feel like another step
forward, I am learning and hopefully making progress in small (sometimes
unnoticeable) ways. I think I just tend to be overcritical of myself and then I
get disappointed at my seemingly lack of progress. It’s a good thing that I
have a very patient roommate and Thai neighbors who keep smiling and
encouraging me to keep going.
Thanks for lifting me up as I
slowly continue moving forward. I appreciate your thoughts as April and I
continue to get acclimated to our new home and neighborhood. Please be asking
the Father to give us favor with our neighbors and give us wisdom in building
new relationships. We want His light which transcends all communication
barriers to shine through us as we interact with those around us. As I come up
on my 6 month mark I can look back and see His steady hand guiding me and I can
also see many of you climbing this mountain with me. It is an honor to walk
alongside of you. You are always close to my heart and in my thoughts. I love and miss
you!
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| Goodbye Chiang Mai.... |
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| ....Hello Bangkok! |
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Chiang Mai: green mountains, 1 million people, 85 degrees (70% humidity)
Bangkok: endless sea of buildings and traffic, 14 million people, 100 degrees (83% humidity) |
Saying Goodbye to Friends and Last Few Weeks in CM
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My friend Bun...she is part of the family who runs the restaurant across the street from our old apartment.
I am really going to miss her! |
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Our final Sunday at our fellowship in CM.
This was a fun group of people with a heart to reach out to the local university students. |
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My dear friends (mother-daughter) who were so helpful in helping us adjust to this new culture.
They own a drink stand across the street from our apartment building so we would pass by them
and chat with them almost every day. |
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I was blessed with a visit from an old friend from home who works in a neighboring country.
It was encouraging to reconnect with her. |
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| Some friends teaching me how to make Pad Thai and Pad Si-ew at their home |
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| It took us a couple of hours to get all of the ingredients ready |
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My first complete Thai dish made with the guidance of my friends.
Pad Si-ew...so delicious! |
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A few days before leaving CM our language helper Khru Air and her family took us to see a
Wat (temple) which is located down inside a huge cave on the side of a mountain |
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| The history of Tum Muang On (the Wat inside the cave) |
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| We had to descend many precarious stairs to reach the inside of this cave |
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| There were different shrines and relics scattered throughout the cave |
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| The incredible view outside of the cave |
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| After the cave Khru Air's family took us to visit a hot spring |
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This is Khru Air's daughter An-An soaking her feet in the hot water flowing from the spring.
It felt wonderful to soak our tired feet after climbing around in that cave. |
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Some of our co-workers joined us on the trip. An-An is showing them how to boil these baskets of
eggs in the hot spring pools. You could buy a basket of 6 chicken eggs or 12 quail eggs for about 16 cents.
You would then boil them to your liking, peel, and enjoy. They were quite delicious with the provided soy sauce. |
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| A boiling guide |
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| A friend we made at the hot springs..she was curious to see how our eggs turned out |
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| This is the oldest Wat in Chiang Mai, even older than the city...built around the year 1306 |
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| There are 15 lifesize elephant carvings that are incorporated into the temple's chedi (pagoda) |
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| Wat Phrathat Doi Kham |
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You can see this giant white Buddah statue from the highway in the
city
and as you drive up the mountain you really begin to feel small
in the shadow of this looming man-made image. |
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Before leaving Chiang Mai we were involved with starting an English class for the local Traffic Police.
Here we are with the Chief of Police. |
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| About 60 officers attended our opening class - they were excellent students and so eager to learn |
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| Performing a funny skit with my co-workers to kick-off the class...Thai people love to laugh! |
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| Helping with pronunciation |
The Move to BKK
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| Packing up once again |
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| Sweet friends who saw us off at the train station |
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| Boarding the crowded train to make our long trek to Bangkok |
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| Our seats turned into April's bed below and I got the pull down bed up top. Nice and cozy but very noisy! |
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| Our new home! We love the covered carport which is the entrance into our house. |
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Our wonderful friends did an amazing job in finding the perfect little home for us.
It was so nice to arrive in BKK with a house ready for us to move into. |
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| We spent about 3 weeks on and off furnishing our house (thankfully Bangkok has an IKEA!). This is the view from the front door. Our living area leads into the little office area that we made. Through the brick arch is a bathroom to the right, our laundry/dining room area and a kitchen. You can see the stairs (next to the fan) which lead to a bathroom and two bedrooms on the second floor. Each bedroom has its own little balcony (one of my favorite features) and comes equipped with air conditioners. Unfortunately we don't have air conditioning downstairs so the fans have become our best friends! |
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| Our very own kitchen! I am so excited we have a place to cook our own meals every once in a while. |
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| Our street inside the neighborhood. Our house is the 2nd one on the left with the blue and gold gate. |
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| During our first week in BKK we attended the Takraw World Championships. This is a match between Thailand and Pakistan. Sepak Takraw is a popular and very skillful sport similar to volleyball except you use your feet to kick a small plastic woven ball over the net. Look at that girl's kick! This is a fascinating sport and I would recommend looking it up if you get a chance. |
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| E.T. has returned and I'm phoning home to say hello |
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| Some friends of April sent a package full of goodies from home and we are enjoying every bit of it |
