Here’s the link to my recent newsletter I sent out. What I’ve been up to with my church in Pomona (how to be Christ’s body in the midst of organized crime?) and with Servant Partners (serving our movement from behind the scenes).
For previous updates about my life and work State-side, go here.
1. You’re grateful each time you can flush the toilet paper in a public bathroom.
2. You can’t get over the conveniences of drinkable tap water, washers and dryers, hot showers.
3. You still frequently think and dream in Thai.
4. You feel strangely isolated knowing that no one around you would understand you if you spoke in Thai.
5. You feel confused about simple things like telephone etiquette and tipping.
6. You get unnaturally gleeful over a plate of rice.
7. Certain worship songs you knew in both Thai and English are now more familiar in Thai.
8. You think about people back in Thailand a LOT.
9. You cringe and try hard not to judge people whenever food is thrown away.
10. You try hard not to judge people about a lot of things.
11. You feel guilty, somehow, for leaving.
12. You feel more poor in America than you did living in a slum in Thailand.
13. You don’t recognize a single song on the radio.
14. You’re back on season 2 of Lost.
15. You don’t get fazed a bit by L.A. traffic.
16. You still calculate prices into baht.
17. You realize one day how nice it is not have any mosquito, ant, or cockroach bites.
18. It seems like everyone around you is always SO BUSY.
19. You find yourself forgetting that certain topics are taboo here that you’re used to being open about.
20. You feel like you knew who you were in Thailand, but have to figure out who you are now in America.
21. You realize you’ve adapted Thai values that people around you don’t necessarily have.
22. You assume that, like Thais, your friends often have a hidden meaning to what they say, when they usually don’t.
23. You feel like you have to start over from scratch in every area of your life.
24. You realize you aged during your time overseas, and haven’t returned to a former age as well as a former country.
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This is the text and most of the visuals I used when I shared at church last Sunday. It sounded like God really blessed people through it, so I thought I’d pass it on.
This morning I have the opportunity to share about my five years in Thailand, and the great challenge of condensing it into 20 minutes. Let’s see, that would be about four minutes per year, less than 30 seconds per month…. No, don’t worry, I won’t try to do that. I’ll just give some highlights, some snapshots into what God was doing that I got to be a part of.
For people who aren’t familiar with what I’ve been up to: in October I returned from five years of living and serving in the slums of Bangkok, Thailand. My team and I worked alongside local Thai church leaders to reach out to the poor in that city. Our vision was to see God’s Kingdom coming to the slums. What that meant to us was not just spiritual salvation, but healing and justice and things made right in all of the brokenness in those slums. So we worked with people in the communities to address their felt needs, to become empowered to work for change, as well as sharing verbally about Jesus to those who were interested. We partnered with a Thai foundation to minister to tangible needs in the slums. And ultimately we wanted to see churches planted, led by Thais in Thai ways, that reached out holistically to its neighbors, and reproduced to other communities. Later I’ll give some examples of how we did those things.
When I found out that today the church celebrates epiphany, I thought that was really cool timing. Because in the last few months I was in Thailand I watched my slum community have its own epiphany. The meaning of this word in Greek is similar to “manifestation” or “revelation”. We say things like “I had an epiphany!” often to mean we figured something out, had a flash of insight. But the Biblical epiphany means God making himself known to man. His initiative, not ours. God coming to live among us, rather than us figuring out how to get to God. Jesus was born into our world, born into each of our hearts, born into that slum in Bangkok. I was there in Thailand as a missionary, but really it was God doing the work, drawing people to himself. I just got to be along for the ride.
At epiphany we often reflect on the magi, or wise men, and their journey to Bethlehem. The passage I chose from Colossians captures beautifully what it is that these magi discovered, what it is that my neighbors experienced and that I got to experience anew as I saw their child-like wonder of new faith.
(Colossians 1:15-23) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.
There is so much packed into this passage. It’s rich with meaning and symbolism. I’m going to just touch on two themes and how I experienced this in Bangkok. The first is this idea of Jesus being the “fullness of God”, which was “pleased” to dwell in Jesus, to dwell in our flesh and walk our earth. This is an incredible thought! Look at who Paul says this is—the “image of God”, the creator of everything, the one who holds all things together. This is who came to live among us as our friend.
The magi saw the sign of the star, and even though they were not Jews, they still sought out Jesus. These were dignified astrologers, and yet when they discovered Jesus, this small, vulnerable child, they fell down and worshipped. It’s quite the scene to picture! One might imagine them coming to see Jesus and being less than impressed—I mean, he’s just a child, and born in a barn, to an unwed mother… But instead, they clearly experienced something about Jesus that caused them to realize this is no ordinary child. And he wasn’t—he was all of God’s fullness, made flesh and blood. And for me, the fact that he did choose to be born in such humble conditions, rather than in a palace among the rich and powerful, causes me to worship him more, not less. Jesus was, and is, pleased to dwell among the ordinary, the poor, the weak.
This kind of seeking, and then having an experience with Jesus, is often how Thais come to believe. Most Thais worship a variety of gods and idols, and those who have begun worshipping Jesus often talk about how different an experience it is. They talk about how they feel that God, rather than their idols, is alive, how they feel like Jesus is right beside them as a friend. While Buddhist spirituality has some positive benefits in the lives of its followers, it lacks a love relationship with God. In Jesus, they discover a living God pleased to dwell among them.
This first picture is of a typical Buddhist temple, and the second is at one of our combined worship services. These are three believers from a slum community doing a traditional Thai dance in worship. » Read the rest of the entry..
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With very brief appearances by me! Don’t blink, you might miss them. 
Several shots of Bangkok, though, and overall a good visual of what Servant Partners is all about. This is why I’ve had such a crazy life for the past 5 years and why I’m not done yet. Enjoy.
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friends from the market I frequent, the day before I left for the States
I have at least a couple blog posts backlogged in my mind about things that happened in my last few months in Bangkok. Â But first I thought I’d jot down some of the random things swirling around in the front of my mind as I transition back to life in America.
This time, unlike my visit half way through my term, the change feels less shocking. Â I think memories of that first reverse culture shock have helped me to be less surprised. Â But still, this is a big change.
I was often over-stimulated in Bangkok, being the crazy, noisy, city full of contradictions that never sleeps or slows down that it is. Â But somehow I often feel over-stimulated here in small-town Oregon, too. Â In stores, I can’t just scan over items anymore– every product and label is unfamiliar or at least something I haven’t looked at in years. Â I forget what items are common and what aren’t (where are the long rows of soy sauce? Â single-serving soy milk? Â pepsi max? Â nescafe packets?) Â I don’t know what things are supposed to cost. Â And there’s just things for sale now I’ve never heard of (enhanced water??).
Other times, I’m struck by the vacuum of sound. Â The only time I was ever in a silent environment in Bangkok was on a relatively quiet night with my earplugs in. Â This is something I longed for there, and don’t get me wrong– it’s nice. Â But sometimes it can seem a little, I don’t know, creepy.
It’s also weird to live in such an isolated bubble from my neighbors. Â The people I see or even who come to our house are connected to us in some way other than geographical, for the most part. Â It’s strange to leave the neighborhood and come back without greeting people, having a couple little kids grab my hands and walk me home, buying some fried snack being sold by a neighbor along the way. Â I miss that. Â The independent side of me (and it is a well-developed side) likes the privacy and freedom of this lifestyle, but also feels the loss of that kind of community I’d lived in for five years.
I’m always cold. Â Except when I’m in my bedroom with the space heater on high and many layers of clothes on.
I never have a sense of what time of day it is because it’s so dark all day long. Â Ah, Oregon, I love your beautiful hillsides and colorful leaves, but you sure can be gloomy most of the time.
Everything is easier about life here. Â Hard to believe I got so used to 20 minute walks to the bus stop every morning, breathing in black traffic fumes, sweating all but a couple hours of the day, dodging downpours, switching between languages, struggling to keep food fresh, setting out glue traps for rats, cooking (and eating) on the floor, doing laundry by hand and trying to get it dry in muggy weather… Â I kind of like how that has made little things feel like luxuries now. Â I feel so spoiled by our washer and dryer, for instance.
I love the abundance of cheese and good bread here. Â I miss newly-harvested Thai jasmine rice.
The whole “going green” movement started while I was gone, so that’s new– but I like it. Â I’m having to get introduced to pretty much all of the TV shows on. Â The news on TV is so full of graphic effects that it’s kind of distracting and feels even more like entertainment than it used to.
I finally caved and bought a pair of those huge sunglasses that somehow became popular while I was gone. Â I kind of didn’t believe people were really wearing them until I got here and yep, that’s all they’re selling now.
It’s weird to eat so many things out of cans or bags or boxes rather than bringing home fresh produce and meat from the nearby street market.
My parents got a new dog, my house has a whole new kitchen, the church I grew up in has a new fellowship hall, my hometown gained several thousand residents and several new stores and restaurants. Â People I remember as kids are now teenagers or adults. Â Coming home felt a little like time travel, or waking up after a really long sleep.
But ahhhhh…. it’s good to be back. Â I feel like I can breathe again (literally and figuratively). Â There’s space to rest and reflect, I can blend in if I want to, I don’t have to translate or wonder about my grammar, I get to enjoy people and simple pleasures I’ve been away from for so long. Â At some point I will start longing for the home I left behind, but for now I’m just enjoying the return to this one.
People are often curious about what it was like for me, living in a Bangkok slum. Â So there are some new pictures up on my Photos page to illustrate. Â This is my house and surrounding area in Phothong, the slum I lived in the longest (February, ’06- October ’09). Â Before that I lived in a poorer community, and believe me, this house was a huge step up.
I’ve been back in the States for over 3 weeks now. Â In my last days in Bangkok my house was something I doubted I would miss: the heat, mosquitoes, holes in the walls from rats, sleeping on the floor, noisy neighbors, a recent discovery of a king cobra skin (which deserves its own blog post)… Â And while I am thoroughly enjoying the comforts of a real bed, carpet, washer and dryer, I do miss the bright Thai sunshine through my windows, the sounds of children laughing, cooking Thai food with neighbors. Â As I posted these pictures I was actually really thankful for my home in Phothong.
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Click on the image to read my last newsletter from Bangkok! Some highlights:
I don’t often refer to other blogs in my posts, but this one caught my attention. Â It has much to say about what I’ve been learning here about demonstrating Jesus to my Buddhist neighbors. Â It reminds me of what has become most important to me, in myself and in those I’m discipling: being fully surrendered to God in order for him to transform us into a clearer reflection of him. Â Character, rather than ambition. Â Prayer and confession and worship over strategy and micro-management.
Below is a quote– I’d encourage you to read all of it. Â I’m frequently challenged by many of the blogs over at conversantlife.com– worth a place in your feed reader!
I won’t lie—though these past couple of weeks have been dominated by joy, I’ve also been somewhat… perplexed. Frustrated, even. I mean, could the timing of all this be any less convenient? What is God thinking? I don’t at all mean that I could do things better. There have been too many miracles, too many beautiful orchestrations lately that even in my best-case scenarios I wouldn’t have dared (or been creative enough) to dream up. So I have to believe that God has SOME reason for this. It’s just eluding my inferior mind completely.
I’m leaving in October. In THREE months. The last few weeks of that I’ll be completely useless, trying to say goodbyes, tie up loose ends, deciding how and what to pack up or leave behind from my life for the last five years. And in the midst of this preparing for the end, God brings new life. Two new believers in one week (maybe five, depending on how you define it) in this place I’ve labored in for so long. And so little time to nurture them, to lead this house church, to enjoy this new season of harvest I’ve prayed for over the years.
A few months ago a team from InterVarsity’s multimedia department, twentyonehundred, came and took some footage of our team. They are working on promoting Urbana, the student missions conference that is coming up again this year. Over half of our team were influenced by Urbana. For myself, I may have ended up doing some kind of missions had I not gone to the conference, but definitely not among the poor for 5 years in Bangkok, Thailand. It challenged me to care about the poor, to take my call to be a witness seriously, to not treat missions as just feel-good tourism but to really risk and invest in a place and in God’s work there.
Follow this link to watch the video, The Street Where They Live (video will start automatically).
