Merry in Michigan

It has been a great 10 days in Michigan so far, but I must admit, the introvert in me is beginning to throw a fit and demand that her rights be recognized.  I keep telling her she's just going to have to wait until I get back on the plane.  Then she'll have 23 hours to be as much as an introvert as she'd like.  Usually I sleep on my long flights, so they pass rather quickly, but as I examine my flight times and develop my jet lag prevention sleeping plan, I am realizing that the best thing may be to stay awake for all or most of my itinerary.  I'll arrive ready to keel over, but seeing as I arrive at 11:20pm, I figure that's a good thing.  I hope I'll be able to find enough ways to amuse myself.

In the meantime, the beat goes on here in Michigan, with days filled with family and friends.  I haven't really blogged at all not because there is nothing going on but because there is so much going on that I haven't got two thoughts or two minutes to rub together.  I've had a short window this afternoon to nap and relax and just be a blob, which I have thoroughly enjoyed.  Hopefully I'll be up for conversation again in about an hour, when I need to be at dinner!

Nail Pierced Hands

May I just state for the record that I am in bed under three blankets with fleece pajamas on and my fingers and nose are numb?  It's 5am and I can't sleep- no it ain't Santa Claus, it's my new friend jet lag. 

Aside from being cold and tired most of the time, it has been a wonderful few days in Michigan.  I've been able to catch up with friends and hug my siblings and eat home cooked meals and was even able to send a salad back and get a new one on account of it being covered in white dressing.  It's the little things in life. 

I'm not quite sure how the birth of Jesus turned into winter and snow and presents and trees and family dinner and candlelight services, but we'll have fun with all those things today, except maybe for snow, which has yet to make an appearance.  Last week as I was reading the Christmas story out of Luke as part of my Advent readings, I was also finishing up the book of Matthew as part of my regular daily readings- the birth juxtaposed against the crucifixion- and it was rather intriguing.  Many times I think when we read about Christ's birth we read it in its humble context, but coming in contrast to his last few hours, Jesus' first few hours took on a rather regal quality.  I was struck not by the simplicity of the surroundings or the poverty of his parents, but by the majesty of the announcement and the reverence of the visitors.  In him was life, and this life was the light of men. 

There is something to be said for putting our main emphasis on Jesus' humble beginnings, but I am wondering if maybe sometimes we pay so much attention to the fact that there was no room in the inn, that we miss the activity of the cosmos, the grandeur of the heavenly hosts, the glittering wealth of the gold (for royalty), frankincense (for Priests) and myrrh  (a prophetic burial spice).  At Easter time we talk about the triumphal procession into Jerusalem as showing Jesus' majesty- but to me palm branches and a ride on a donkey pale in comparison to unknown stars appearing or a company of angels singing praises. No wonder Herod was scared. 

We celebrate Christ's birth today, not so much because he was born, but because he died.  We give gifts in honor of the greatest gift, the sacrifice of the Son of God.  We live not because of how the story started, but because of how it ended.  As we peer into the manger scene today, as we gaze longingly with the shepherds at this miracle birth, may we see also the crown of thorns, the nail pierced hands, and the empty tomb. 

Light in the Darkness

At the wedding on Saturday, there were extra lanterns (aka unity candles) so my friends and I grabbed one and took it down to the beach where we were soon joined by a host of other lantern lighters.  I love this shot because you can see the beauty of how it lights up the night, but also the act of sending it off, literally leaving the hands that held it.  A beautiful moment with sweet friends. 

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him everything was made.  Without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life and this life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  John 1:1-5

Changing Places

More thoughts later in the week for sure, but for now, here are the randoms bits about being back in Michigan:

• It takes my body about 18 hours to switch places, but my head about 36 to get used to it. 
• I can drink the water right from the tap :) 
• I'm in nearly the same time zone as Buenos Aires- perfect for skyping with friends! 
• My body is responding to the jet lag by requesting a snooze and a light meal every 3-4 hours. I can live with that. 
• What I'm not liking so much is that today from 11am-4pm I felt like it was the middle of the night and I had that "I'm awake in the middle of the night" sick feeling. Blech. 
• A White Christmas would be nice, but I'm not going to complain about a 45 degree Christmas.  
• It's really really quiet here. I mean seriously quiet. 
• I really wish I didn't need to drive everywhere or anywhere.  In part because I hate driving and am not looking forward to getting behind the wheel tomorrow, but also because I like getting around without a car.  
• I sure do love drinking tea all day! 
• I watched TV last night for the first time since I left in July.  I really like that I don't watch it or miss it when I am gone.  
• Mis libros! Mis libros!  How good it is to be reunited with ones books :)

From sandy beach to white Christmas... I hope!

In a mere 6 hours I will leave my apartment to head "home for the holidays".  I spent the weekend at a lovely Thai beach where my dear friend got married yesterday.  This morning I walked along the beach, basking in God's glorious creation and thinking, in less than 48 hours I'm going to be freezing my behind off in Detroit.  Not only was the seaside setting beautiful and the wedding a wonderful celebration, but it was also good time with some of my friends- and a new friend (que habla español!)- and just a really good note to leave Thailand on.  I'm going to attempt to stay up all night before my flight leaves at 6am- I figure I might as well get this jet lag thing started and maybe now I'll sleep on the plane tomorrow during a good part of the Eastern time zone night. 

Here are a few highlights from my weekend in Rayong:

With the bride the night before the big day! 

No, we did not break into the chocolates early...

The setting was just perfect!  So beautiful!

A beautiful wedding, and very "them"

My favorite part of the ceremony: instead of a unity candle they lit a lantern and let it fly!

Loved spending time with her this weekend!  And her hubby, who was kind enough to speak English with me (next time, Thai!)

On the drive home we passed an elephant, and since I'd never seen one before, we stopped so I could say hi and give him a snack. He was just a baby. 

Hungry guy! Apparently these aren't the best animals to see, as they are often mistreated :(  But we decided it was okay since it was my first chang (elephant) in Thailand. Really makes me want to get to an elephant center! 

We also stopped for snacks and this place was amazing!  Tons of squid and seafood snacks especially. Feast for the senses.

One foot, two foot, red foot, blue foot

And so begins the classic Dr. Seuss book. 

Before coming to Thailand I read a number of books or articles with "do's and don't" for Thai culture. It wouldn't surprise me if at least half of them had to do with feet.  Feet are a tricky thing here- for Westerners at least.  I read a lot of things about being careful about crossing your legs (don't let your foot point at someone), or about not pointing with your feet (you'd be amazed how often we do that!) or not putting your feet on things (that probably goes for most countries...).  I figured I would remember what I could and just watch when I got here and see how it all played out. 

Some of the things I read seem abundantly true but others I can't quite interpret yet.  For example, if the whole foot thing is such a big deal, why do my students routinely remove their shoes in class and sit on their feet?  This is something I would never allow in an American classroom- you just don't take your shoes off in public- but here it seems kind of natural and comfortable and no one seems to mind, so I let it go.  I've got a Thai student who leans forward on his desk, knees on the chair with his feet sticking out in the air behind him- the soles of his feet very much showing and pointing at whomever walks by.  And sometimes I see Thais sit cross legged on a chair or something like that which would seem taboo to me based on what I read. 

All of this perplexes me because I like sitting on my feet.  I like sitting cross legged or with my knees drawn up and my feet on the chair or couch in front of me.  So if that kind of thing is okay, I'm going to do it.  If it's not, I really don't want to offend anyone.  And granted, though they may be scandalized if they knew, no one is in my apartment to care that my coffee table often serves as both a foot rest and a dining table. 

It's taking me a while to get all the foot rules down.  My first week here I pointed at something (that was on the floor) with my foot.  Luckily, no one really saw but my friend, who though a new teacher had lived in Thailand before, and she ever so discreetly and kindly reminded me I shouldn't do that.  I've "messed up" other times with my feet.  Sometimes it's quick and no one says anything but I notice half way through and think oh crap! I pointed with my foot again! Other times it has been pointed out a bit publicly to me, not meanly, but publicly, and I get really embarrassed.  I know it is yet another thing that will take time, take mental training to remember all the time, but it is definitely confounded by the fact that I'm still a little fuzzy on all the details. 

I feel like there's a lot to learn about shoes too, since they go with the feet.  I went shoe shopping on Monday and was getting ready to try on the first pair, and suddenly thought, oh no! what if there are special unwritten rules about trying on shoes, seeing as I'm going to put my feet in them! I was definitely glad I had the vocabulary to at least ask if I could try them on before doing so!  Then today I saw a Thai holding a pair of shoes for a bit.  They put them back in the bag and said, "Now I need to go wash my hands."  Makes sense, with the foot bit, but it never would have occurred to me! 

Luckily, I have a few good friends who are my 'culture and etiquette guides'. I asked one of them at lunch last weekend a whole bunch of questions about feet, and another one about different wedding protocol today.  You need those people in a foreign country. In Argentina Vale was my 'go-to' person. Whenever I needed a cultural interpretation, or wasn't sure how to dress or what to expect at an event, I could ask her and she wouldn't be offended by my weird questions and not knowing. 

Sooner or later, I'll at least master these basic aspects of the culture here, the surface level ones that people can see.  Now for those hidden cultural things, I'm going to need a few more decades :) 

All I Want For Christmas

I have to confess, this post comes directly from other missionaries at my home church in Ann Arbor.  Their post on the subject re-stirred something in me that I have felt for some time, and also gave me the great link I'll include further down. I also want to say that I wrote this post mostly for myself, mostly to remind myself of just how rich I really am...

It's very easy in this season of giving (and getting) to feel like we don't have very much.  We easily focus on what we don't have or would like to be able to afford to give to our families.  And even though I see the Black Friday pictures of people walking out of Walmart at midnight with 3 gigantic TV's and think, I would never be so obsessed we all still do it in our own ways.  Every year families go into debt in order to buy their children happiness or prove their love or friendship.  Every year after Christmas, after receiving a large collection of gifts, we go back to the stores to take advantage of the after-Christmas sales, because- we still don't have enough.

You can click on this link to the Global Rich List to see where you fall globally based on your annual income.  A missionary salary puts me in the top 10%.  And that's just salary, it doesn't include the health insurance benefits or other benefits that come with my job- both financial and otherwise.  What do I give up to serve abroad?  Not much.  Even in Argentina, where my small stipend didn't even qualify me to pay US taxes, I was in the top 14% worldwide.  I have traveled to and visited a host of countries.  I have a helper that cleans my house for me once per week.  I can afford to buy special treats at the expensive grocery store full of imported foods (there aren't many foods I have to go without here).  I work and sleep in AC every day.  I have more food than I can eat and more clothes than I can wear.  I get to learn languages and interact with people from many different cultures. I have a safe and comfortable home. I have resources beyond imagination.  I am rich. 

I think it is especially easy for missionaries to think that we are "poor" simply because we often have less than expats in the corporate and diplomatic communities, but the truth is, we still have more than just about everyone in the countries where we serve (with the exceptions of those who serve in the US and Western Europe I would think).  Our definition of "less" is still far more than most of the world's definition of "more".  It's an easy trap to fall into- no matter how much we have there is always someone who has more.  But you don't have to look around very hard or read many news stories to see that we actually have far more than we need- even in comparison to many Americans. 

Perhaps this Christmas, as we pause to celebrate the gift of God's Son to the world, we can also consider how we can be Christ's hands and feet in that same world today.  Heifer International and World Vision have some great ways for us to do that!   Not sure what to get the person who has everything (or the person who has to fit everything into a suitcase)?  Try a goat or a chicken...

Waiting

Waiting is a big part of this time of year: kids wait for Christmas morning to come, parents wait for Christmas morning to be over, teachers and students alike wait for school to end, workers wait for their holidays, shoppers wait for the sales and salespeople wait for their commissions. 

I'm doing a lot of waiting myself right now.  Waiting for the last few days of school to pass.  Waiting to find my niche in Thailand.  Waiting to see my family and friends next week.  Waiting to settle into a church.  Waiting to start at Nak Suu in January.  Waiting to go to Argentina next summer.  Waiting for friendships to grow.  I'm not very good at waiting.  Impatience characterizes me much more so than patience, I'm afraid. 

But I was reminded this morning in my Bible study of how important it is to wait on God. When I try to take things into my own hands, I mess things up, and sometimes in rather spectacular ways.  But when I wait on God, I find that not only is the result better, but that the process can have its benefits as well.  I was reminded today that God operates outside of time, that for him a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day.  He is never early, never late, never too quick, never too slow. For thousands of years the Jewish people waited for the Messiah, and now we wait for his return.  We wait for the day when there is no more death or mourning or crying or pain.  We wait for every knee to bow and every tongue confess. We wait to see a gathering of all the nations praising God together.  But what a comfort it is to know that our waiting is not in vain. 

These last crazy days of the semester will eventually end.  I will in fact carve out my place here in Thailand. I will see my family and friends next week. I will choose a church and be able to settle in and connect there.  Nak Suu will start back up. July's trip to Argentina will come.  My friendships will continue to grow and deepen with time. And by then, I'm sure, I'll have a whole new list of things to wait for.

Nak Suu Rugby Academy

Yep, you read that right. This post is about a rugby academy.  This is where I was last Saturday, and where I'll be most Saturday's next semester.  But I will not be there teaching rugby :)

Nak Suu is a ministry of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Thailand.  It is a rugby program for kids from children's homes and slum communities in Bangkok.  The program includes learning to play rugby and being a part of a team, but it also includes life skills, evangelism, lunch, and English class- that's where I come in.  Next semester I'll be teaching the English lessons.  On Saturday I went to check things out and get a better idea of what I would have to work with as  I plan my lessons.

I had an awesome time!  Around 70 kids attended last week and after getting everyone signed in and reviewing the rules, they were split into two groups based on age.  The younger kids went off to the rugby field (with people who, you know, can teach rugby) while the older kids stayed for their English lesson and then a project about the fruits of the spirit.  I had a great time interacting with the kids. One thing that was awesome was that I got to use my Thai!  There was a visiting YWAM mission team there, who didn't know any Thai, so it made me feel quite helpful in that regard.  The kids mostly understood me and I mostly understood them, when they were talking to me.  Their chit-chat?  Not yet :)  After an hour, the groups switched and we redid the lessons with the younger kids.  After that they were served lunch and then headed home.

To be honest, I was pretty hesitant to make this commitment.  When I was looking for somewhere to volunteer with local kids a few months back, I was thinking of roughly once per month.  What I found was a Clare-shaped hole at Nak Suu that needed someone around 3 times a month.  But I spent time praying about it and have really felt called to bring this particular gift that God has given me (teaching) to these particular kids.  All of last year in the States God and I were dealing with this issue of not just giving, but giving sacrificially.  I read so many books and saw so many situations where people were called to give beyond the norm, and it inspired me.  So when I went to pray about this opportunity, what God said was, Clare, this is your chance to give, not just out of your abundance, but to give sacrificially. Yes, it will cut into your sleep. And your social life. Yes, there will be weeks you'd rather do something else.  But for this time and season, this is where I want you.

After visiting last Saturday, I am very excited to start.  I'm also excited to pick up some basic ESL materials in the States, at least to get some fun ideas.  I have not been able to get the Nak Suu website to work, but this is the Ark International page on the YWAM site, and Nak Suu is a part of Ark.  There is also an article about a tournament that Nak Suu was able to enter.

Please pray for me as I take on this added responsibility. Pray for physical strength and energy on Saturdays, for quick progress in Thai so that I can communicate more with the kids, and for wisdom as I plan what and how to teach them.  Please also prayerfully consider donating to their program through the YWAM site. I'll try to talk to the director soon to see if there is another website that will work better as well.  Thanks!!

Light and Momentary Troubles.

Note: I tried a new blog template for a few days there, and there were things I liked about it, but it also bugged me.  So I'm back to the original template and it will stay that way unless there is an outcry from the readership to go to the new template.  

Wow.  5 1/2 days of school left in the semester. I should say, only 5 days because the last half day is a class party and grade level party (gag).  I'm all for Christmas, but I hate class parties- it's one of the main reasons I don't teach elementary school.  All that hyped-up craziness.  Shoot me now. 

In a mere 12 days, I will be home for Christmas, and I can't wait.  It's good to be home for Christmas anytime, but this year has a few extra special things.  For one, I have just learned that both of my best friends from high school will be with their families in Michigan for Christmas this year- the same time all three of us will be together since one of their weddings in May 2007.  In addition, in the 6 months since I left two of my other friends' little boys have turned 2 and started to talk. They are both characters and I CANNOT WAIT to hear what they have to say :)  But perhaps the best reason of all, besides the usual greatness of seeing family and friends, is that I could really use a break. 

I love Thailand.  I like living here.  I like my job.  I am glad that I came here and I can see God's fingerprints all over it.  But, it's also been really hard.  In many ways, harder than Argentina- for a million reasons.  Moving overseas is never easy, but rarely have I been so glad to put any 6 months of my life behind me.  There have been many great moments and fun times and times of growth, don't get me wrong, but it's also been a semester of challenge and turmoil and humility (nothing humbles you faster than not knowing anything) and crisis (aye the floods!) and sometimes even hurt. 

Perhaps the strangest thing of all is that if I had to do it over again, I would do it over again.  Not because I like pain, but because I believe that no matter how much it sucks some days, it is achieving purposes on many levels.  I do believe that some day I'll get the hang of all the procedures our school has and won't feel like an idiot constantly when I have to ask for help.  I believe that the work to learn Thai will pay off, that I will speak it and that it will be useful to me in life and in ministry (it was already helpful on Saturday!).  I believe that friendship, which is sometimes slow and arduous and painful to build, will one blossom.  I believe that one by one I will conquer the cultural systems around me (like the bank, where I need to go again tomorrow because I lost my ATM card again).  And, I believe that all of these light and momentary troubles are indeed achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  I am not here for myself or for my happiness, but to serve the king of King and lord of Lords, and if that means putting up with some of this stuff for awhile, so be it. 

So yeah, even if I limp to the end of the semester dragging, even if I'm crabby with my students, even if the journey isn't always pleasant or pretty, I know that it's part of transition.  Transition from the US to Thailand, from knowing and being known to being new and from temporary to eternal. 

Christmas Cookies

I have several blog posts in my head right now, just waiting to be written.  My Saturday, for sure, is going to be written at some point.  But not right now.  Instead I will bore you with more mundane details about baking overseas.  And maybe some other random things that are floating around my head today. 

I was able to spend the afternoon baking because today is the king's birthday, which means it is a big holiday and we all get the day off.  For some reason I decided I would spend this delightful sunny afternoon attempting to make Christmas cookies.  Now, some time ago I blogged about my first try at chocolate chip cookies.  Disaster.  The second batch come out much better after some recipe tweaking- not perfect, but better.  So I'm not really sure what made me think that these two new Christmas cookie recipes were going to be as easy as they sounded. 

For starters, I was a bit limited by ingredients, utensils, and motivation.  Ingredients because I couldn't find powdered sugar or chopped nuts.  Utensils because I don't have a food processor to chop up whole nuts or even a great knife to try to mince them without mincing my fingers.  Motivation because I wasn't willing to haul to the import grocery store at a different mall that would have surely had both of the above. 

So I went with the peanut butter cookies with the Hershey's kiss in the middle and the thumbprint cookies with jam in them.  I started with the peanut butter cookies but the dough wasn't forming quite right.  I am guessing it was either the brown sugar (every country has their own definition of brown sugar) or the butter.  But in either case, the dough was more like like drop cookie dough than roll cookie dough.  So I couldn't roll them, just drop them.  So you know, I bake them up and put the kisses in them and they look okay.  And then I tasted some dough off the spoon and it tasted funny.  So I ate a cookie and sure enough it tasted funny.  I can't quite put my finger on it. 

The thumbprint cookies went together surprisingly easily, even if it took ages to get the butter and sugar "light and fluffy" with nothing but a wooden spoon.  The dough was the right consistency- yeah :)  I couldn't roll them in nuts as called for (see above) so I thought I'd roll them in sugar, because you know, what cookie isn't better rolled in sugar?  They look great and taste pretty good, but are a bit dry. Not sure why.  And they would definitely taste better with a little nutty flavor on top.  Ah well. 

My plan with making Christmas cookies, with making any cookies really, is to give them away.  My sweet tooth is just too big and powerful to tolerate them being in my house more than overnight.  So the question is, what to do with the peanut butter cookies which are not quite as they should be but still look okay.  Give 'em away anyway?  Even the first few that seems just a tad under baked?  Try to find someone just honest enough to tell me if they really are bad? 

I sure do miss baking with my friends in Michigan.  For one, they have completely stocked kitchens.  No substitutions necessary.  Although I believe one of them is out a cookie press after last year's cookie extravaganza.  That's my fault.  Would love to have some Mrs. Trella's cookies, or even Pfefferneuse, but if I can't manage a simple peanut butter cookie there is no way I am trying either of those.  Guess I'll just have to eat a double portion on Christmas Day.  Darn. 

I love winter!

At least, I love winter in Bangkok :) 

Here are a few of the things I love about winter:

• Sometimes in the morning the air is cool. 
• I don't need to carry my umbrella everywhere I go, as it rarely rains.  
• Sometimes, I can wear jeans without getting all sweaty. 
• I can run before the sun goes down.  Or I could. I've not been particularly motivated to run recently.  :( 
• For 2 nights running I have slept without the AC, with fresh air and breezes streaming in the windows. Of course, light and noise also stream in that way, so I've taken to sleeping with my ear plugs and eye cover and now it's awesome. 
• I can drink tea in the afternoon without breaking out into a sweat.  
• I don't sweat just sitting in my apartment with the fan on. 
• My hair is not always a bit jumble of insanity.

It would appear from this list that I spent a lot of the rainy season being sweaty.  This is probably accurate.  In two weeks I'll take a dip in Michigan winter- I'm sure my thoughts will not be quite so pleasant!  

The Fast Lanes

It's surprising, really, that this is the first time I've sat down to blog about Bangkok traffic, considering that Bangkok is among the worst cities in the world for traffic jams.  Okay, maybe I did rant and rave about a particular taxi ride a while back, but that was more about him and the experience than about our hour long traffic jam.  Anyway, traffic here is bad. Really bad. Bad enough that people plan their lives around it- they arrive at work and school early to avoid it, or dive home late at night, or go totally out of their way to avoid the worst areas and routes. 

Today, I would like to tell you about riding the bus home, in the fast lanes. But first, I will have to explain this monstrosity of a road that I live off of.  I'd like you to picture for a moment, a smallish freeway, say US23.  Then, just outside of that, add Woodward, or for my Bs As readers, Centenario.  It's set up like "express lanes" and "local lanes" of US freeways.  (This is why missing your turn is so annoying, you can't just turn around and go the other way)  There are periodic 'exits' for you to go back and forth between the two. At 5:30, when I was coming home from downtown, the local lanes were gridlocked, like always.  The buses always drive in the local lanes because they, you know, need to stop at the stops to let people on and off.

Well, apparently my bus driver was not in the mood to sit in traffic.  As soon as we turned onto this main road, he got in the center fast lanes.  As we sped past the traffic jam, I was thinking that hopefully no one would need to get off before the next exit.  Except he didn't rejoin the locked up local lanes after the next exit.  We started to approach a very busy stop in front of the mall and I thoughts, okay, now he's going to exit so he can stop. Nope.  He just pulled onto  the narrow shoulder and let people off- people that now needed to cross a median and then several lanes of traffic.  I started getting really curious, and slightly nervous as we were approaching my stop- would I have to climb the median in my dress and then cross the busy road?  Someone else rang the bell to get off and the driver did the same thing- pulled to the shoulder.  At least this was a grassy median and not a 3 foot cement wall! 

There is an exit right at my stop, and after I rang the bell, much to my delight, he exited to the local lanes.  He didn't make my stop, of course, as he then had several lanes of traffic to cross before he could pull over to the side of the road, but at least he only overshot it by 200meters or so and I didn't have to do any climbing or crossing.  I was greatly relieved, and rather entertained by the whole thing. 

And, a completely unrelated side note: I left my ATM card in the machine today.  That's right.  After 15 years of ATM banking without ever needing to replace a card, I have needed a replacement card two times in a matter of three week. Now I have to go back to the bank yet again next week for a new one.  Brilliant. 

Celebrating Small Victories

I remember that in my first "cultural transition training" in Buenos Aires we were told to 'celebrate the small victories', meaning take pride in the things we are able to do that may seem small, but are actually great victories in the world of cultural transition.  So today, I am going to take this moment to celebrate some small victories from my day:

• My mimio pen (the electronic pen I use to write on my electronic white board) stopped working today in the middle of class and I was able to fix it all by myself.  Usually, an event like this would necessitate a consult with another math teacher, or an email to IT, at the very least. 
• I found the medical clinic without getting lost.  Not even one bit.
• I successful went to my appointment without messing up the system.  Helps that it was a British one-doc clinic instead of a massive Thai hospital, but still, we're sticking with small victories here people.  
• I got blood drawn. I confess, this has nothing to do with transition, it's just a personal victory anytime I let them suck my blood.  
• I rode a moto-taxi by myself in a skirt (side saddle) without falling off. Does it matter that I was holding on for dear life like a maniac? No. 
• I caved in a bought a "Christmas tree".  It's fake.  But I suppose it had to be, seeing as there just aren't many evergreens around here.  I got a few lights (need more) and a few ornaments (need more of those too) and got it put up while listening to Luciano Pavarotti belt out Noel and Ave Maria and other favorites on LP.  
• The taxi driver on the way home (I couldn't very well get on the bus with my tree) complimented my Thai.  For real.  Now, all I'd really told him was where I was going and where to turn and stop and such, but still, this was perhaps the greatest victory of the day.  In Argentina, I frequently heard that my pronunciation was very clear, and I'm beginning to hear that here as well. I hope this makes up for my lack of correct tones all the time and for using the wrong words here and there...

The picture didn't come out wonderfully, but here's my little tree all aglow.

Advent

Advent: a coming into place, view, or being; arrival. 

I love the season of advent, the season where Jesus comes into place and into view, where the New Covenant comes into being.  When I was young, our family had a daily advent wreath that we lit each night at dinner when we prayed.  We also had a huge advent banner that we hung on the living room wall, adding one piece each week to the picture of Joseph leading Mary into Bethlehem on the donkey.  On Christmas Eve, we placed a star above the little scene of Bethlehem.  This was our favorite part, and every year we fought over who got to put the star on.  I loved the flickering lights of the advent wreath, lit up in a cold Michigan winter.  I loved the prayers we said as we watched for the coming of the King.  I loved placing those felt figures on the wall banner, watching Bethlehem come into view, and then that final star.  

I miss those things now.  I miss that daily reminder that we are preparing our hearts for the coming of the King. I miss the candles and the gradual build up to Christmas, not to shopping and gifts and parties, but to celebrating Christ's birth.  I've bought my own advent candles in some recent years, and lit them in the morning or if I was at home for dinner, but it's not the same as gathering around the table and quieting our hearts together.  


And I know that advent lies more in our hearts than in wreaths or candles or banners.  Advent is more a season of the heart than a season of traditions or rituals, but for me, many times those traditions help me focus my heart.  I'm not quite sure how I'm going to celebrate advent this year, in a place where the fan I keep running constantly would blow out the candles (and it's hard to find the right type of candles in the right colors, even in the States!), where I haven't got a banner or even a calendar of chocolates (I did win one in a white elephant exchange on Thursday, but it got taken from me) to help me stay focused.  I know that for me advent will include, as always, a close examination of the events surrounding Jesus' birth, and of the prophesies that foretold it.  I know that it will include a thousand and one playings of O Come, O Come Emmanuel and some good heart reflection.  But I'd like to find something else to help me in this pursuit, this meditation on the coming into place, view, or being, on the arrival of the King of kings.  


O Come O Come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Isreal
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears

Rejoice!  Rejoice! 
Emmanuel shall come to thee
O Isreal

With Hands Lifted High

One thing I love about moving to a new culture is that I also get to taste a new flavor of God's people around the world.  This week I had the opportunity to go to a praise and worship night. It was hosted by one of the international churches, but it was most definitely a Thai event, and I really liked that.  The vast majority of the crowd was Thai and everything was either said in Thai or translated into Thai (the visiting worship leader, Brian Doerksen, is Canadian). 

It was a joy to stand and worship among Thai believers, especially Thai believers praising God with hands lifted high. I've only been to two Thai churches here so far, and they were both a bit more, emmm, subdued.  Which is fine, completely fine, but just maybe not my favorite style.  I expected (and saw) that kind of outward show of passion in Argentina; it was less expected here.  It was also cool to hear the testimonies that were shared (and I was very grateful to my friend who translated for me!) and hear how God is moving and working in hearts and lives in Bangkok. 

In Argentina I feel like I learned and grew so much in the area of prayer.  That work has continued here, through a friend I meet to pray with on Saturdays and other times of prayer I have had with friends, but I also feel like God is working in my heart in regards to worship.  As I look for a church home (still living in that ambiguity) I've been trying not to allow the music and worship to be much of a factor. But I realized on Tuesday night how good worship can be for my heart and soul when I can get through and connect with God in that way.  It allows me to both praise God and hear from him in ways I wouldn't otherwise.  And while music is certainly not the only thing that is an important factor in The Church Decision, I've realized that it really is okay if it's a fairly significant factor. 

God has been using music and lyrics in powerful ways in my heart, and I can't wait to be on a sheet of ice with my skates and my iPod to just worship him.  There is just something about worshiping from my fingers to my toes, about moving freely to express my heart in motion (and the ice is really the only place I can move freely), about allowing the Holy Spirit to express things through me that words could never say.  And that, I think, is precisely where God is moving and working right now.  I sure hope there are more events like the one on Tuesday night where I can join with this stoic culture in joyful praise and worship of our great God! 

A Thai Thanksgiving

I can vividly remember the first time I went "home for the holidays"- Thanksgiving 1999, my freshman year in college.  We sailed south on US-23 until it splits with M-14 and came around the curve by Barton Drive, you know the curve, right?  The one right before you cross the Huron River.  As we came around the curve, my favorite view of Ann Arbor came into sight: downtown lit up, with the Christmas tree made out of lights on the roof of the one building.  My heart was home for the holiday. 

Last year I had the privilege of going to real Thanksgiving with my family in Michigan, but for the three years prior I was in Argentina.  My first year I celebrated with a large group of friends from school and church at the beach.  It was wonderful, but it wasn't Thanksgiving, you know? I'm big on traditions when it comes to the holidays.  My family is pretty big on traditions, and I generally lead the charge.  No one messes with certain things, with watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade, with tree ornament placement, with roast beast and yorkshire pudding, with Log, or December Dim Sum.  My last two years in Argentina I didn't actually "celebrate" Thanksgiving, and I'm okay with that. When it's 80 degrees out, you don't miss the turkey.  When it's just another Thursday to the world/culture around you, you don't feel left out for not being with your family.  Sometimes, if I think about my family being together, I miss it, but since it doesn't actually feel like Thanksgiving here, it doesn't really bother me that much to be gone. 

That said, I'm going to give Thanksgiving Abroad another shot tomorrow (I am calling it Thai Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Abroad to appease my friend, who insists that I stop calling it Fake Thanksgiving).  I am confident that I will have a great time. I am confident that the food will be delicious.  I am less confident that it will be Thanksgiving. But that's okay. 

No proper Thanksgiving blog post would be complete without giving thanks at least a little, so here's my list.  I am thankful for...

• A God whose Love Will Find Me, even when my home is on the far side of the sea.
• A family who loves me enough to give me 'freedom to fly' and pursue God's calling in my life. 
• Friends- in the US, Argentina, Thailand, and scattered throughout the world who love me, support me, pray for me, and make me laugh.
• Music and the way it has inspired me and soothed me and ministered to me recently. 
• Little tiny Thai oranges that melt in your mouth. 
• A great job and a wonderful boss- I am quite confident that he is the best boss I will ever have in my life. And I am not the only one of his teachers who thinks that. 
• Life in a school and in a country where I can freely speak of the Good News of Jesus Christ, where I am allowed and even encouraged to let my primary passion bleed into every corner of my life.  
• Air Conditioning, even in Bangkok's "cool" season. 
• That there has never been a day in my life where I have known hunger or homelessness or poverty or the devastating affects of natural disaster. 

Dear Thailand, the honeymoon's over.

Preface: For those of you who have either experienced cross cultural transition or have dealt a lot with those who have, this post comes as no surprise.  I am sure that many of you, dear readers, have seen this coming, just as I have.  Problem is, like a speeding train barreling down on, seeing it coming does not necessarily make it hurt less when it runs you over.  

Dear Thailand,

The honeymoon is over.  Don't get me wrong, dear adopted country,  I still love you and want to be with you; I have no plans to leave you.  But I would like to make a few things clear to you. 

Thailand, I don't necessarily understand your systems, and just because I hang back and observe for a moment before jumping in, it doesn't make me stupid.  I am not an idiot just because I don't  know which room or window to go to at the post office or the bank.  No one every told me to write down that number or save that special paper, so I'm sorry that I didn't.  I might not know what to call the piece of paper that I need from you because in my country, that piece of paper does not exist.  And, although it's very convenient that all your doctors have their offices right there at the hospitals, please also know that that is very intimidating and I haven't a clue of where to go or what procedure to follow in order to see the doctor that I need to. 

And my dear Thailand, know that I do love your language- its sounds and tones and the way you say all the fun words twice.  But you should also know that I have only been here for 4 months, so even though you don't fully understand me when I speak your language, I think it's actually pretty impressive that I know as much as I do.  So speak softly, and try to listen closely to me when I speak to you.  And be patient with me when I'm not ready to speak, because I mix up so many words or don't know the right words, so I'm not sure I'm really ready to communicate with your language yet if I don't have to. 

Thailand, I like that you are new, that you are an adventure, but sometimes I wish you were a little less exhausting.  That you gave me a little more personal space on public transportation, that you took the heads and the legs off the shrimp in my fried rice.  Sometimes I wish you didn't have U-turns or so many stairs to climb to cross the road.  That I didn't have to take my shoes off quite so much when my sandals have a buckle.  Sometimes I wish that you didn't have so much pollution that my boogers turn grey or that you could lower the humidity so that I could straighten my hair for just one day. 

I love you Thailand, I really do.  And I'm so glad that I am here.  I love your fried rice and noodles, your chaa yen (even if it keeps me up at night) and easy going attitude.  I love the high value that you place on family and the smile that is so often on your face.  I love the plethora of green plants all around me, and that the air is soft and gentle on my skin year round.  But I have to tell you, that even in all that love, the honeymoon has most definitely come to an end. 

Here's to working out a way to still spend our days together,
All my love,
Clare

Can I punch the wall now?

Most days, I'm really glad that I live in Thailand and that things are adventurous.  But in every cultural transition, there are moments where you hit a wall, where some teeny tiny thing happens and you just want to punch the wall that has suddenly landed in front of you.  Today was just such a day.

It all started by my trying to be good and responsible and pay my electric/water bill to the school early.  It's not due until Friday, but I had a few minutes so I figured I'd get it done.  I was just about out of cash anyway, so it wouldn't be an extra ATM trip to get cash for the school finance department (I pay them since I live on campus).  Well, I've only had my Thai ATM card for about 3 months, which for any math minded person ought to be enough time to memorize your PIN.  Except for whatever reason this PIN has been giving me trouble and I always end up more or less guessing my gut instinct.  And every single time, I have been right. Until today. When I was wrong, three times in a row.  At which point the ATM locked me out and ate my card.  I should mention that I never changed the PIN number to something I could actually remember because I simply didn't know how.  Welcome to cultural transition

So now I'm down a PIN number and an ATM card, and I have about $20 in my wallet.  Good thing that electric bill isn't due till Saturday.  So, I head into the office to find out what to do with my predicament and lo and behold, one of my dear friends is on her way to the bank to get a new ATM card because she lost hers- score!  I won't have to find and brave the bank alone!  So right as I am regaining my spirits and we're about to leave they tell me I need my "bank book". I look at my friend's bank book, and I've never really seen anything like it before.

I do, however, remember receiving something from the bank when I got my account.  It didn't look the same as hers, but I'm thinking maybe there is a newer version.  So I sprint up the 4 flights of stairs to my apartment to get mine (we're short on time because we need to get there and back before the next class starts, seeing as the bank closes at 3:30 so we need to go during work hours and we just had the one prep period).  About 6 weeks ago I had a lady start coming to clean my apartment, and I remember right before she started I saw this little bank book thing and thought, maybe I should hide that important financial document. So I put it in the back of my make up drawer.  Now, for some reason, a few weeks later, I decided that wasn't a good spot. So I moved it.  To somewhere safer.  So safe, in fact, that even I cannot remember it.

I arrive in my apartment, panting and sweating, and start searching drawers and tearing apart the room looking for this book so I could go to the bank and get a new ATM card so I could get some money to pay my bills... but alas, it could not be found. Hot, sweaty, and now very much frustrated and mad at myself, I told my friend to go ahead without me and walked back to school to pout and drink tea in my other friend's office.  Cause nothing helps a bad attitude like pouting and tea.  After a bit of cheering up I got back to work, but the reality is this.  Without that booklet, I have to go to the police station to get a piece of paper to take to the bank to get the ATM card to get the new PIN to get the cash to pay the bills...  Epic fail.

This becomes a cultural nightmare when one doesn't know where any of these place are.  Or how their systems work. Or which line you are supposed to stand in. Or what the official name is for the thing that you need.  People can tell me where to go, or what to ask for, but at this point in the process, all you really want is for it to go away, to snap your fingers and have the problem solved, for me to not have to spend my next few days sorting out the mess.   And all the while you feel like a BIG DUMB IDIOT because you forgot your PIN number and lost your booklet and can't speak the language and know that you're going to make mistakes in your attempts to fix everything and get it straightened out.  Bam, the wall drops.  And bam, I want to punch it.  But I don't.

Instead, I return home and calmly (or maybe not so calmly) comb my tiny apartment for the booklet, which, I have yet to find.  It hasn't got legs, so it must be here somewhere.  If I think about it too long I just want to sit down and cry, which of course, does absolutely no good in finding the blasted thing.

Mom says some days are like that, even in Australia.  - Alexander

Two side notes: 1) It's not that I don't trust the woman who cleans my house, it's just that the bank book had been in a main drawer where there are lots of items she may need and I figured why leave it "out" like that.  2) What once was lost has now been found: I put it in the ziplock bag where I keep all the CD's and manuals that came with my laptop. And I only keep those because I eventually ditched the ones to my old laptop and my cousin who helped me try to fix the old one told me to hang on to that stuff.  So I wedged the bank book in between random computer documents.  Lovely.  

Every year it happens: we get older

I wonder who first came up with the idea of birthdays, not of date-of-birth, but of birthdays, as a celebration.  As a child, we celebrate getting older.  As an adult, we emm, eat cake and try not to think about the number.  I have always loved birthdays- my own or anyone else's.  And I really enjoyed the fact that in Argentina people tend to plan their own birthday. I, of course, love this concept because it means that come my birthday, I am the one in control of the day :)  Not that I love control or anything, but I'm just sayin.  This year, I wanted to have dinner with some friends, but I wanted to do something else with it- I just wasn't sure what.  But while my friend and I were killing time downtown waiting for my visa to Myanmar to process, we stumbled upon a new ice rink at a mall in Bangkok and after thoroughly checking it out (I even inspected some rental skates) we decided that I would have a skating birthday party :)  I wasn't sure my friends would go for the idea, and even less sure of how I would feel in rental skates, but we went ahead with it. 

And boy was it fun!  The rentals, other than being duller than a dumb joke you've heard five times, were just fine and I didn't feel ready to topple over every 5 seconds (though I do look forward to returning some time with my own skates, once I have suitcase space to get them here from MI).  We had a great time zipping around the rink and drinking hot chocolate before heading to a new restaurant for dinner.  A very fun and girly place.  Afterwards, a couple people came over to celebrate with Nieto Senetiner (my favorite Argentine bodega, wine courtesy of Juan's visit) and eat cake.  By the time the girls left at midnight I dropped happily off into bed. 

I should mention that my entire weekend was actually pretty awesome.  Friday night was a night of worship and prayer at my friend's church.  Saturday morning I got to walk to the morning market with one of my dear friends, who wasn't able to make it to the festivities later in the day. Then there was the obvious fun documented above.  Then Sunday morning, bright and early before church, I met my friends for tea and biscuits while we watched a slide show we made of our trip to Burma.  So great to reminisce over those days and again join together in prayer for the nation and all those we met there.  Then, got to visit a Thai church and had lunch afterward with my new friend who is visiting churches with me (we met at a different church several weeks ago).  We had a great time getting to know each other over lunch and laughing and sharing stories.  And now, I can rest and catch my breath in my quiet apartment, certain to go to bed early tonight as I have gotten no sleep this weekend :) 

It's been amazing to see how God has blessed me this weekend- both in the tangible way he has provided amazing friends for me here in Bangkok, but also as I reflect back on the amazing ways I've spent the last few birthdays- different countries, different people, but always surround by those I love, those who are my support and encouragement.  God is good!

The flood: it's still there

So, it's been awhile since I've given a flood update, but that unfortunately does not mean that the flood has gone away.  It does mean, however, that a) my area is still dry and b) the waiting has become the new normal and we (or at least I) only half pay attention any more.  We are one of the few dry districts remaining, although the city center also remains thankfully dry.  In the past week, several more staff member's houses have flooded and the on-campus apartment building is now full.  ICS got special permission from the MOE to open this week and we started back with students yesterday. It's nice to be back in the classroom and into routine again.  The water, however, continues to move towards the sea. If all barriers hold, my district of Bang Na "should" be okay.  Maybe.  Or, in about another 10-12 days it could flood here. And ICS would have to close. Again.  The most northern parts of the flood area, in the central part of the country, are seeing much lower water levels and soon, the clean up work will begin.  We'll probably have flood water with us for several more weeks and the clean up will go on for months. 

So that's about it right now for flood news.  Here's a link to some information about what YWAM (a Christian mission organization) is doing for flood relief.  One of my friends goes out everyday with them, wading through nasty unsafe flood water, out in the hot sun, to bring much needed supplies to people in their homes.  He looked exhausted when I saw him over a week ago. I can't imagine how he's feeling now!  The pictures and videos he posts daily on facebook are truly amazing. 

Awakening: Five Days in Burma Part 4

Today's soundtrack- my current personal life soundtrack :) 

I've been wrestling with this fourth and final Burma post.  It is one thing to explain the events and experiences of the trip- quite another to explain my heart.  The truth is, you don't have to travel to Myanmar to find people in need. They are in Detroit, in Buenos Aires, and daily I see them here in Bangkok, especially now with the floods.  Truth is, the needs are great, overwhelmingly so.  And truth is, we cannot help everyone. 

But the stirrings of my heart in Burma go well beyond the poverty and hardship we witnessed there.  God is much bigger than that.  While there, we cried out to God on behalf of someone else, and that is something that stirs the heart mightily.  We read about and listened to the Voice of Love, a voice that calls us ever deeper into relationship with the Savior,  a Savior who comes with peace, yes, but also a sword. 

Perfect in love
Lord, You came to earth
To rescue me
You took my place upon that cross
The stains that held me back
Were washed away
You made me whole

A voice that reminds us that we are not in control, that freedom is not complete clarity and it is not relief from pain.  We met those who know these things all too well- they cannot pretend to have control over their lives, the way we so often do, they know that pain is not an "if"- it just is.  We heard the Voice of Love that beckons us to rest in Him, to rest in the ambiguity, to rest in our neediness and his love. 

Your love has set
The broken captives free
Your love released
The chains once binding me
I'm found in grace
In love's embrace
My heart is overwhelmed

So, where do I go from here?  I acknowledge how little control I have.  I don't control the flood waters. I don't control whether or not school is open tomorrow.  I don't control whether or not we will have a summer vacation after all this craziness.  I don't control the people around me- their actions or inaction or imperfect love.  I don't control where I'll be in a few years, where this journey of life will lead me.  I don't control my health.  I don't control the cycles of life, the living and dying.  I don't control much of anything, really.  And, neither can I control the circumstances of other people's lives.  I cannot change the situations my friends and family suffer through.  I cannot change the immense social and economic and political problems in the worlds around me.  I cannot help everyone. 

Sings my soul of how
Your love has set me free
Sings my heart of how
Your mercy rescued me
Hear my cry of endless love
To my Saviour and to my King
My heart is overwhelmed

But, I can help someone.  That I can do.  My time in Burma was in many ways an Awakening.  Just as we prayed for spiritual awakening in that nation, we pray also for awakening in us.  Awakening to need- need within our own hearts as well as in the world around us.  Awakening to what we can do, and it is much.  In two weeks I will have the opportunity to send items to the children I met last week. Next semester I will have the opportunity to spend most of my Saturdays teaching English to underprivileged kids from the slums of Bangkok (more on this at a later date).  I can be an open listener to my friends and family, helping them carry their burdens and allowing them in to help me carry mine.  I can pour into my students on the days I do see them (like today!) even if I don't know how many of those days I'll have in the coming weeks.  And, I am sure that I will have many more opportunities in the days and weeks and months ahead- if I have the courage and obedience to take them. 

I stand redeemed
Your Spirit now alive within my heart
I walk with you all of my days
I shall live to glorify You God
Hear my soul rejoice

Awakening: Five Days in Burma Part 3- The Children's Homes

Soundtrack #2, from the same album as the first one, linked here for your listening enjoyment.

As mentioned previously, we spent our day Saturday at two different children's homes with our friend Chan Chan who works at MCP.  We spent the morning at the girls' home, a small studio-type apartment not really much bigger than my own.  They seemed to in the process of building a wall dividing the room into two.  The home houses 12 girls, who seemed to range in age from about 8 to 17.  They were warm and welcoming, if a bit shy at first (hey, we were too!)  We played several different games with them- a rock paper scissors competition, duck/duck/goose in Burmese, a group clapping/leader game that I can't explain, and telephone (hilarious with the language barriers).  It was a lot of fun just to see them laugh and play and engage, even if it did mean we were dripping with sweat the entire time.  Literally. Running down.  Here are a few pictures from our game time with the girls:

Rock, Paper, Scissors game

More RPS

Hahahaha. Telephone in Burmese!

After we had played for awhile, the woman who cares for the girls invited us to sit down and eat.  In the back kitchen room, she and one of the older girls had prepared an oatmeal drink (so delicious!) and biscuits for us- you could tell that they really were wanting to give their guests the very best they had to offer.  Such a great example to me as a Westerner of true hospitality.  We ate and talked with her, and then asked her if there was anything we could send to them, and what we could pray for.  She told us they needed clothes, as those were hard to get, and asked us to pray for their education, health, and salvation.  Some of the girls are believers, some are not.  You could read the weight on this woman's shoulders as she spoke to us about the great obstacles they face, just educationally.  What a privilege it was to encourage her and walk with her, even just a tiny bit.  After that all the girls came in and we had the opportunity to pray with and for them!  What an honor. 

God is able
He will never fail
He is almighty God
Greater than all we seek
Greater than all we ask
He has done great things

 

We believe that God is able, even in the lives of these girls, even as we recognize the challenges.  They sleep on bedding on a cement floor, yet they are worth more than the sparrows.  They struggle to find clothing, yet they are more beautiful than the lilies of the field.  They were known and loved in the womb, yet they face an abandonment and poverty that we cannot comprehend.  It is a dichotomy that we cannot understand, but we know that He is able.  So, we do what we can. We will send clothes later this month, and some funds for education, but it is a small thing really.  One thing I have realized on this side of the world (heck, I could learn this even in Detroit) is that the needs are immense and we cannot allow ourselves to be swallowed by them.  Even still, I live daily in the tension of knowing, deep down, that I do not do enough.  

Oatmeal, biscuits, and tea- with the woman who cares for the girls.

Next, we headed to a boys home that is a "sister home" to the one for girls.  By this point I had nearly forgotten about the gallons of sweat pouring down my body.  Nearly.  When we arrived we were ushered to sit down where we were presented with fruit and bottles of cold water.  Not only that, as soon as we sat down several of the boys were standing around us, fanning us.  For a seriously long time!  They wouldn't stop!  

Part of the fanning team.  The woman seated in red takes care of the boys along with her husband.

After refreshments the boys introduced themselves to us.  Many of them stated for us, in English, their name, age, and what they want to be when they grow up.  Talk about touching!  My friend has some video of them saying it, and I'll get it and post some if at all possible.  Designer.  Engineer.  Doctor. Pastor.  Such hopes and dreams.  And, because of this home, they may become a reality.  We taught the boys some songs and played games with them as well.  And then, well, we just hung out.  The boys loved playing with our cameras, listening to music from my friend's iPad, playing guitar, and dancing around.  A great time was had by all.  This was also roughly when my camera battery died :(

Discovering the iPad...

Bedding/beds

Phillip, the son of the couple who cares for the boys

Before we left, we were brought back into the first room where lunch had been set out for us- noodles with either chicken or pork.  What gifts of hospitality.  We sat and ate and again spoke with the woman who cares for the boys and lives there with her husband and four year old son Phillip.  There was such a spirit of discouragement on her face, despite her smile and laughter.  She also requested clothes for the boys, and storybooks if we were able.  And then we were able to pray for the boys, and perhaps just as importantly, for her and her family.  Their goal, she said, is to raise them to be strong leaders in their community, to have strong morals and be followers of Jesus, to be good men.  

God is with us
God is on our side
He will make a way
Far above all we know
Far above all we hope
He has done great things

 

One of the other gifts of this day was the time we got to spend with our dear friend, Chan Chan.  What a gift she gave us- taking us to see the kids (she even took us on the bus to get there, always an adventure!) and we were blessed by her presence and friendship all day.  Encouraging her and others who work day after day for these kids was part of the whole point of going.  He will never fail us. 

 

That evening, one of the missionaries who works with the homes through MCP was having a going away party to prepare for her furlough and she invited us to join them at a nearby park.  Why not?  We jumped into the back of a pick-up truck (read: bus) and headed to the park.  There, we met up with all the girls along with several other of this woman's friends (side note: it was interesting to sit and talk with these women serving in Burma, not an easy country to serve in, and to just get to know them and hopefully encourage them).  It was a joyful celebration- though I must admit, it had been a long day, we were still dripping with sweat, and I was, emmm, playing large group games with a bunch of strangers (gag).  It actually wasn't too bad and we were talked into staying and eating with them after the games.  At this point we had to say good bye to Chan Chan, as well as all of our other new friends.  We limped back to our hotel where we showered, dropped into bed, and slept for 10 hours.  Whew!

Awakening: Five Days in Burma Part 2

The soundtrack, just in case you love it as much as we do, or want to hear the song that goes with all the random lyrical interjections.


Every Nation Church Yangon
We spent a little extra money on airfare in order to fly back to Bangkok on Sunday night instead of Sunday morning.  Our reasoning was that we wanted to be able to attend church in Burma before we left.  We got the contact information for this church from a friend who had previously attended there.  What a privilege it was to worship with them!  There is an Every Nation church in Bkk as well that I attended once and really enjoyed.  It was awesome to witness what God is doing in Yangon.  Basically every person there outside the pastors had come to know Christ through this church, primarily through their English outreach program.  I had the opportunity to talk to one girl who came to the English program and came to know Christ 7 years ago after finishing high school.  Since that time her brother has also become a believer and they are praying for the salvation of their parents.  We met many other young people with similar stories and spent time talking with them and the pastors about the challenges their church faces.  While the government is somewhat tolerant, they were shut down a number of years ago and have had to start over.  In addition to worshiping in the house of God and hearing a sermon about being dedicated to the cause of Christ, we were also able to connect with people and get information on how we can continue to pray for their church and for Myanmar.

For the world You love
Your will be done
Let Your will be done in me

Aung Sang Suu Kyi's HouseOne thing we wanted to do while in Yangon is see Aung Sang Suu Kyi's house, where she had been under house arrest for so many years.  On Friday afternoon we were looking for a taxi to see if someone would take us there.  A taxi driver stopped for us, even though he already had a passenger in the front seat.  I'll just drop this guy off first, he told us, just right over there.  We laughed and asked him if he could take us to Aung Sang Suu Kyi's house.  Her house?  Why?  We told him we just wanted to take a picture.  Pictures?  No.  No pictures  But you can look.  We agreed, and after dropping off this other dude, we headed up there.  Funny thing was, after we turned down her street, he told us to get our cameras prepared and he would give us a count of three to take pictures while he drove past.  He made one pass, then did a U-turn to head back towards downtown and we had a second go.  All you could really see was the white wall around her house and a row of flags sticking up above the wall.  As we went back passed the driveway, an SUV pulled out with two men riding in the back.  Our driver told us that these men were democracy party leaders, very high up.  My friend gave them a Thai wai and he waved back- but the best part of all was our driver's exhilaration!  After we took the pictures and this guy waved to us, he was all giggles and shrieks and goose bumps.  It was fun.

In Your presence
In Your power
Awakening

"Blending in" 
Living in Asia is very different from Buenos Aires: I can't hide, can't blend in, no matter what I wear or how I carry myself.  It has its pros and cons.  On this trip, we all stuck out, which made me feel a bit better.  One thing we noticed right away, and asked our guide/friend Lilly about was a yellow 'powder' that many women (and even some men) wore on their faces.  What is it?  What is it for?  It's a bit like make-up apparently, but one that is worn not only for beauty but also for sun protection. Ahhh, smart.  (As a side note, this is another umbrella-in-the-sun carrying nation, even more so than Bangkok.  While I hadn't brought my umbrella, I did frequently wear my sunhat without shame.).  We decided that we wanted to get, and wear, some powder too.  Easier said than done.

On Thursday we set out to find the Myanmar Compassion Project HQ in order to hopefully connect with a children's home or two.  We had an address, but the phone number we had didn't work, so we and our taxi driver did teh best we could he eventually dropped us off at a spot that he said was the address, and we got out.  There was a shop there, and a vaccination clinic, but no MCP.  We walked down the road a bit to look for it, but soon decided to head back.  We tried asking in the shop for directions, but the language barrier proved too much.  We did, however purchase some of the yellow power from them :)  It came in a small rectangular block, like a bar of soap almost.  We weren't sure how to use it, but at two for 20 cents it was worth the risk.  Next we stopped in at the clinic to see if they could help.  We had to wait there for a bit, so we tried out the powder bar, much to the amusement of the girls who worked there.  They did come to our rescue a bit to indicate that we needed to put some water in our palm and rub the bar in the water in order to make a yellow liquid and spread that onto our faces, not just rub the bar on directly as we had first tried.  We still couldn't get it to work all that well though.  Once all the people there had gotten their shots, the nurse (only one who spoke English) came out to talk to us. She was extremely kind and helpful and got us pointed in the right direction. 

Within a few minutes we had arrived at MCP and were greeted by one of their English teachers, Chan Chan.  She told us that a team had gone out to one of the homes that morning and would be returning Friday night.  They didn't usually send teams out on the weekend, and we were leaving on Sunday, but Chan Chan agreed to arrange some visits for us on Saturday.  We were thrilled.  We then were invited to join her for lunch at the small shop/food spot next door.  What a treat it was to not only spend time with her but also to have a translator help us with food!  After we finished eating, we asked Chan Chan for help with our powder.  The people at the 'restaurant' were incredibly entertained by our laughter and feeble attempts.  But man, did we have a good time!

Chen Chen shows us how it's done.

Chan Chan was very brave to let some American girl put the powder on her face! 

Saying good-bye until Saturday!

Blending In, Part 2
I think the very first thing I noticed about Myanmar, even before leaving the airport, was the skirts.  Everyone was wearing them.  And by everyone, I include the men. Here's a picture with our driver from the airport to our hotel to illustrate:

All the skirts were long, ankle length, and straight.  The men's skirts seemed to be one large circle of fabric that they would knot in the front.  The women seemed to have to varieties, one that I couldn't quite figure out and another that was a wrap around.  While exploring the market on Thursday afternoon we each picked out fabric for a wrap around and had them made (15min each) while we had tea/smoothies.  On Saturday, when we met back up with Chan Chan to visit the kids, we wore our skirts and our powder- we did find an easier form of the powder at the market and used that instead.  We still may not have blended in at all but it was neat to see people's reactions and appreciation for what we were wearing.  Saturday, as we ran around, played with kids, got up and down from the floor and climbed in and out of cars, buses, and the back of a pick-up truck, may not have been the most convenient day to wear our new skirts, but it was probably the best day culturally.  Plus, if I'd been wearing anything any shorter you'd have been able to see the sweat running down my legs.  Bonus for me. 

 Heading out from the hotel in the morning

We felt a bit like penguins at times, but I really enjoyed my new look!