August 15, 2013
First day in Bangkok.
On August 14, 2013:
Finished traveling after more than 24 hours and was so thankful for a bed.
August 15, 2013:
5AM—wake up with no hope of
going back to sleep. That made for about
5 hours of sleep but when you are awake, you are awake. I did one of my exercise DVDs, unpacked
everything, blogged my poem, spent time with Jesus and was off and
running. I have am renting a room from
an American couple that has a guest room for these first couple weeks while I
apartment hunt. It has a little couch
and a private bathroom with hot water and flushing toilets. The ease of life!
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| Options for public transport |
9AM---Met up with Janine
and her “adopted” son, Shanzam, who is a refugee seeking asylum from Pakistan
because he was given multiple death threats for being born into a non-Muslim
family. He’s nineteen, shy, and kind,
with an ailing father he left behind in Pakistan and five younger sisters. I’m sure I will get to know him much more in
this year and spent my first day with someone from Pakistan.
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| High Rise buildings and infrastructure |
9:15AM---We took the rail
to the hospital so I could be approved by a doctor to start the application for
a work visa. It was a nice
hospital! Super easy.
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| The Rail--I forget the official name. Totally normal. Those two girls are on their iphones, one reading a magazine, a tv in the background advertising. |
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| The Fanta wall coming up the escalator on the rail |
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| A typical intersection. |
11:30AM—Ate lunch at a
Lebanese place. Who would have thought
my first meal in Thailand would be Lebanese food? Quite fun, actually.
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| Street art |
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| Coke truck--just like normal! |
1PM—We went back to the
hospital to pick up the results of my blood test and see if Shanzam has a tumor
since he has these intense headaches behind his eye/nose region. The results for his was negative and for
mine—I am fit to work. We took a taxi to
the lawyer’s office to get started on my work permit.
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| QUEEN of Thailand is on every corner |
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| Just like a normal hospital |
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| Look how happy this couple is to have air conditioning! |
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| I'm officially registered at The Bangkok Christian Hospital |
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| Elephants are great, but idolatry isn't cool....there is food sacrificed on the statue. |
3PM—took a taxi part way but then the traffic was so bad we took the rail the rest of the way back to Janine’s place. I took a nap as jet lag hit like a wall.
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| the toll rode to the lawyer's--HUGE billboards |
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| More gigantic billboards. Seriously massive. |
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| Fruit--Asian fruit! |
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| Rambutan--it's like Indonesia. |
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| Durian--the stinky fruit. Asians love it. Foreigners don't typically and I would fall into that category. Tried it once 7 years ago and that was enough for me. |
6PM—Walked to meet some
people from the church I’ll be attending while here. The small group was really awesome—people
from England, Australia, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Thailand, and America—there may
have been other places too but I can’t remember. Some people work at the US embassy, some are
business people, some are working with women trying to get out of
prostitution….and many other things. I
am excited to plug into a small group while here—that will probably be my
friendship base.
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| pin for the group. cute? I forget what it stands for.....LIFE group. |
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| A VW bar on the street |
I think I decided last
night that I will try formally learning Thai while here—at least the basics of
foods and getting around. The first day
was pretty intense, but today (day 2) will be much more relaxed—exploring the
city and reading and such. Trying to
figure out what my schedule will be longer term.
This city is strange....I've decided it's a strange mix between London, Amsterdam and Indonesia. There are SO MANY foreigners I can't believe it. It will be a very different experience than Indonesia was for that reason. Also, it's a Buddhist culture instead of a Muslim one so that is way different. Bars on the street? I can't even imagine that in Indo. And public prostitution? Idols? Madness. There is every type of food imaginable (I feel a little ridiculous that I brought so many granola bars). There are street vendors and luxury stores. Cracks in the sidewalks (Janine calls them gringo catchers!) and 5-star hotels.
From Bangkok,
JoAnn
I have been reading this
devotional that is meant for NYC leaders, CEOs, executives, business
people….but it is just so rich in content, I feel dutiful to share. You can access these by looking up 843 Acres
online. J
Fearlessness: Jesus wants us to
live fearlessly. And he longs for us to know that our ability to live
fearlessly is not based on our own resources - money, abilities, looks, status,
connections - but on our knowing that God is for us. Here, in Luke 12, Jesus
tells us not to fear those who kill the body because God will be for us in
death [1]. He also tell us not to fear persecution because the Holy Spirit -
not our creativity or shrewdness - will prepare us [2]. Finally, he tells us
not to worry about having things because our Father knows what we need [3].
Seeking: What kind of
living makes us fearless? Jesus says, "Instead, seek his kingdom, and
these things will be added to you" [4]. In other words, everything we need
to live a fearless life - hope in death, escape from persecution, sustenance in
life - will be given to us if we seek the kingdom. John Piper writes,
"Jesus calls us to replace thing-seeking with kingdom-seeking" [5].
Yet Jesus knows that it is hard to stop thing-seeking. Most of us love thing-seeking
so much that kingdom-seeking seems like a threat to our desires, hopes and
dreams. Into our fear, however, Jesus promises, "Fear not, little
flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom"
[6].
Kingdom: When Jesus calls us
to put down thing-seeking and take up kingdom-seeking, he is calling us to be
different from the world in its pursuit of things [7] and to give away things
for the sake of the kingdom [8]. We fear doing these things because we wonder,
"If we turn from thing-seeking to kingdom-seeking, will we be happy and
able to survive?" But Jesus says, "Fear not, little flock, for it is
your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." It is in the
kingdom, not in things, where we find the things we truly seek - joy, fullness,
home, restoration, fulfillment, healing, family, love, advocacy, service,
peace, truth.
Prayer: Lord, We confess that we fear this message because we are
thing-seekers, not kingdom-seekers. If we believe it, then you may call us to
live radically different lives. Knowing our fearful hearts, however, you tell
us not to fear. For you delight to give us the kingdom. Therefore, let us trust
you more than our money, abilities, looks, status and connections. Make us
treasure the kingdom by making us fall in love with the King. Amen.
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