What language are you speaking???

We have finished our first 20-day module of language school. Hip..hip...hooray...(repeat 2x). It was as challenging as everyone told us it would be - well over 500 words of vocabulary and about 20-25 different sentence patterns ... and that was in the beginner module!

To strengthen the learning process, we have been diligent to practice the words and phrases we have learned with strangers we meet on the street, in a taxi, or in a restaurant. The funny thing is that, quite often, after we say a phrase, the Thai person just looks at us with a 'deer in the headlights' kind of look. It is apparent they have no idea what we are saying.

We'll repeat the phrase, enunciating it as carefully as we can - being sure to use the correct tones for the words - and the probable result is that they just look at us and shake their heads, letting us know they have no clue what we are saying. They just can't quite figure out what language we are speaking.

Usually, by the third time we say the phrase, you will see their eyes widen and an 'AHA' moment erupts. You can literally see that little light bulb go off in their heads. They did not expect us to be speaking Thai!!! They were expecting us to be speaking English (and they are thinking that our English is really, really bad!!!) and had no expectations of us speaking something else. If they happen to be standing with someone they know, they will invariably start speaking rather quickly to the other person, saying something to the effect that 'Hey...hey...hey...they are speaking Thai' and then the conversation continues once we all get on the same page.

One security guard on the skytrain, in particular, was quite embarrassed at not recognizing his own native language. He apologized to me three times for not 'getting it.' When we boarded the skytrain and looked back, he just stood there on the platform with a big smile on his face, bewildered at those farangs speaking his heart language, feeling rather stupid he didn't recognize it. The words and tones were all correct - his expectations were the problem.

After contemplating these experiences, I realized that there are a number of direct parallels in this example to our lives. The most obvious, of course, is when the Lord is speaking to us and we do not recognize His voice. We might have prayed for guidance or direction and, then when He does answer those prayers - for whatever reason - we simply don't hear His response. We might have other things plugging up our hearts or ears and are oblivious to His voice.

Another possibility is that He is speaking to us in a way we don't recognize. We might be trying to interpret His voice in a language we choose rather than in the one He spoke to us in. We might be trying to 'read into' His answer and translate it in a way that He did not communicate rather than taking His answer for simply what it is.

So, the end result is, I have decided that the next time I try to speak to someone in Thai, I am going to first communicate to them that I am learning Thai and get permission to ask them a question. After I get an affirmative response, I'll ask the main question and go from there. (Maybe the Lord should do the same for us...'Okay, now that I have your complete attention, here is the answer to your prayer...are you ready for it?...here it is...are you sure you're ready???)

After all, I never did like that 'deer in the headlights' look either...

Here is a little footage from our morning at Lighthouse church. What a blessing these beautiful people are...



Robert

Semper Gumby

When Kay and I talked several months ago about the new challenges that we knew awaited us, it became increasingly clear that we would have to 'ramp up' our ability to be flexible in any situation. The Marines have a motto, 'Semper Fideles' which is translated 'Always Faithful.' Well, Kay and I adopted a motto, 'Semper Gumby' - Always Flexible!!!

When I was young, I had a green Gumby. You could take his little arms and legs and twist and turn and contort him in all sorts of ways. But when I let go of poor little guy, almost magically, he returned to his original shape. (Kinda' like the material from the space ship that crashed in Roswell in 1947...or so they say.) Kay and I have made a commitment to each other not to sweat the little things but rather to do our best to be Semper Gumby - always flexible.

The huge number of people in Bangkok means that, sometimes when the doors open on an elevator, there are so many people packed on the elevator, there is not room for even one more person. The people on the elevator just smile but I can see them thinking, 'I hope that big guy doesn't try to get on this thing! When the doors close, Kay and I look at each other, smile and just shrug our shoulders and push the button again, hoping that the next time the doors open, there will be enough room for a couple of farangs. If not...oh well...it's another opportunity for us to learn to be Semper Gumby.
On another note, there is one thing I can surely say for the Thais and it is that they sure know how to decorate for Christmas!!! Every single one of the huge malls has these immense, elaborate displays, some with trees over six stories tall with thousands and thousands of colored lights and decorations. They are incredibly beautiful.

But at the same time, in looking at all these remarkable Christmas offerings, we are reminded that hardly any of these beautiful people are aware of the real reason that we celebrate Christmas - the initiation of God's plan on earth to bring redemption to mankind through the birth of Jesus Christ. Pray with us that, by next Christmas, there will be a number of Thais who have come to the knowledge of Jesus as their Savior and they, too, will look at Christmas through a different set of eyes.

As many of you prayerfully consider your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, be reminded it is an investment in eternity. Your gift supports the work of over 5600 missionaries, scattered throughout the world. Bless you as you yokefellow with these diligent servants in their work to share Christ with the nations.

Until next time, remember - be Semper Gumby. You'll not regret it.

For a few moments of quiet...

I can remember driving down Main Street very early in the morning and, even in a city the size of Roswell, I would just about be the only car on the street as far as I could see. I also remember times when I took my border collie, Joey, to the park by our house and he would run around he park - I'd usually be chasing after him! We would be the only ones at the park...often before the sun went down. I also recall being the last person to leave the church parking lot on Wednesday nights. I would head north on Pennsylvania, turn right on College and not see a moving car or a human being until I reached Main Street by the Institute. Even then the traffic was usually fairly sparse.

Such episodes of solitude are non-existent in our lives today. From the moment we step out of our apartment in the morning, there are people everywhere - walking, driving, or taking a bus, motorcycle, or taxi to school or work. Throngs of people everywhere - a sea of black hair always surrounding us. When we take the skytrain in the morning hours, we sometimes have to push the people in front of us to be able to clear the door that is rapidly closing behind us. (I now know what sardines in a can must feel like!) There is simply no place in the entire city of Bangkok where you aren't in the midst of a multitude of people...well, maybe in a bathroom stall...but that's only if you shut the door!

I have learned there is a lot to say about the sense of calm one feels in the midst of peace and solitude. I can truly say I look forward to the moment when we step inside our apartment and shut the door, literally 'leaving the world behind.' Those have become special occasions to us - those moments when serenity reigns as we begin to piece ourselves back together from the truly hectic pace of the day.

However, soon it begins to become too quiet and I have the 'itch' to get out into the real world again. Perhaps walking down the soi to get some rice and chicken-on-a-stick from Vit, stopping to converse with Yo or Mr. Deng or taking a little longer jaunt to the dalaat (market) - not with the purpose of buying anything but just to 'mix it up' and get around the people that Kay and I are learning to love. It sometimes is as simple as walking out onto our small patio and waving at our neighbor sweeping her back porch in the multi-story condos a stones throw away (I think she probably goes through a broom a week!) or opening the front door and glancing upward at the 50-story apartment complex dwarfing our small building.

It is in those moments I am reminded why we are here. Solitude is nice and necessary but our calling cannot be fulfilled behind closed doors.

That is true for all of us. To be a witness for Christ, we must meet the people face to face. That's what Jesus did. He set a good example for us all to follow.

On Sunday night, Kay and I attended the dedication service at the House of Blessing. It is a church/half-way house, home of the Thailand Prison Ministry Fellowship. It was begun less than twenty years ago and has blossomed by God's grace.

In the summer of 2007, Kay and I spent two weeks in Bangkok, working through the TPMF in some men's and women's prisons. I worked with several choirs and Kay taught English and shared her testimony. We were so blessed to see God moving through the TPMF to impact, literally, the lives of hundreds of prisoners and their families. That summer, we were thrilled to watch 53 men baptized in the outdoor prison bathtubs. Most looked to be fairly rough, ruddy individuals, with tattoos splattered all over their bodies. Though in prison, they discovered freedom - that freedom that can only be found in Christ.

The dedication service of the new House of Blessing was attended by over 300 people. My heart was moved as I looked around the room and saw the faces of those who once had been slaves to sin but now were rejoicing with hope in their eyes and peace in their hearts. The TPMF is a bright, bright spot in a land flooded with darkness. We pray that God's rich blessings will continue to fall on the Prison Ministry Fellowship. Their tireless efforts are making an eternal difference in many people's lives.

The dedication service for the dormitory and the choral concert is next Sunday night. For those of you who have supported the TPMF in recent years, you will be so very blessed to see the progress it has made.

On an even brigher note, language school is moving right along. We are almost half-way done through the first module. We have a very patient teacher (for whom Kay and I are VERY grateful) and a good supportive group of students. We ordered several items at dinner tonight in Thai and were so delighted the server brought us what we thought we ordered. (We weren't quite sure what might show up if our server hadn't understand our Thai!!!) We are learning each and every day to trust in the Lord even more and are so excited to be on this journey.

Thank you all for your notes, prayers, and words of encouragement. They mean a lot on the difficult days.