Becoming Street Smart in Thailand

Ten things you should know in Thailand...

1. Don’t step on a coin or you will be thrown in jail. (the king’s face is on the coin)

2. You better know what you want as soon as you sit down at a café/restaurant because the waiter stands there until you decide.

3. Cars and motorbikes don’t stop for pedestrians. You will get hit.

4. Pointing at things only goes so far. It helps to know the language.

5. Just because a coffee shop says they are open at 8:00 AM it really means they open whenever they want or perhaps they wont be open at all.

6. Stray dogs roam the streets and in and out of café’s. (don’t feed or touch them)

7. Thai people are very kind/gracious and smile at everything…even if they are mad. :)

8. The family vehicle is a motorbike. It apparently fits up to four. (Who needs a minivan?)

9. You can eat food on the street carts for under $1.

10. In the Thai language you can make a complete sentence with one word. (since it’s a tonal language, one word can mean five different things..rough)

Dara and I are still getting acclimated to the climate, culture and language here in Chiang Mai. We have been meeting with other SIM workers and learning more about the essential do’s and don’t’s of Thai culture . The last couple of weeks have been an interesting transition. From busy, fast paced Boston to relaxing, slow paced Thailand. Over the next 4 weeks Dara and I will only be teaching two English classes per week and hanging out with the students. We will spend most of our time focusing on learning the language. It’s a doozie. I mostly have to laugh when our tutor tells us that one word has four different meanings which are all spoken with different tones. Yep. Good times. Although, as hard as it is going to be Im very excited to learn the language and be able to communicate more with people.

The Lord has really spoken to the both of us that He didn’t call us to a place but He called us to Himself. As hard as it is to slow down and not have a million things going on I really feel like the Lord wants this to be a season of waiting on Him and learning more about his character. The slow pace here is hard to get accustomed to because America’s mentality is that if we aren’t busy and not seeing success or fruit then we must not be doing enough. The Lord is not calling me to comfort or success but to obedience. Right now the Lord is telling me to come. We focus so much on go and make disciples that we forget to come to his feet. Please pray during the next four weeks we will go deeper into what the Lord has for Dara and I. We really want to use this time to pray for this nation and learn more about what they believe (95% Buddhists) along with focusing on learning the language and spending time with the Lord.

I know this will bless us in the long run it just seems hard to sit and be still; especially when it feels like we aren’t making a difference. I know the Lord has a plan. Thank you for your prayers.

Phil 1: 8-9

Hanging out with students at the Centre

We made it!

Three long flights, an overnight stay in Taiwan, and we finally made it to Chiang Mai. We have only been here two full days but it has felt like a week! Chiang Mai is different than I anticipated. It is very much a touristy city. There is a Starbucks here in case we have a hankering for something that reminds us of America. They also have a Mexican and Italian restaurant. The Thai food has been amazing and very affordable. (See us above eating at the market)Only 35 Baht ($1) for some yummy food. Maybe $2 if you add a coke and dessert. We cant wait to explore the city we live in and the culture that surrounds us.

Yesterday we walked three miles to get to the grocery store. There is plenty of transportation but we didnt think it was a far walk. We were wrong. Long walk + Really, really hot sun = really sweaty Dara and Sarah. The best news is that we have an A/C in our apartment (PTL aka Praise the Lord). Opal, our Thai friend, who works at the Centre took us around on Friday to tour apartments. We finally found the right one for us. It is a very nice and clean apartment complex. Our small room has a refrigerator, dresser, couch, and a bed. Thats right, you read correctly...one bed and two of us. I guess they dont believe in twin beds around here. Dara and I will be sharing a bed for the next nine months. :) Luckily, neither of us snore.

Last night we made our first friend. We were so excited that we had made our first Thai friend and then we found out she was Korean. haha We are still excited though. We started talking about our faith and she even came to church with us this morning. She thought church was interesting and she wants to start reading the bible so Amen!! Her name is Sejin so you can be praying for her. :) She lives in our apartment complex.
On Monday we start teaching English at the Centre so we will learn more about our schedule and what our day to day will look like. I cant wait to see how the Lord is going to use us both. Thank you for your prayers. It is such a blessing to have a wonderful covering over us.