MicahJohn

Today Pi Lek gave me a jar of honey pickled garlic. I asked how to eat them. He said just to eat them right out of the jar. So I have been doing so. They’re good. You’re probably lucky I’m not breathing on you.

Tonight here in Thailand I was eating in a Japanese restaurant with two Thai friends who studied in Hawaii. Jack Johnson came on and the one friend said “I’ve saw him twice in the grocery store.” Here in Thailand I didn’t really expect to meet someone who has talked to Jack Johnson in a grocery store. The fact that it all took place in a Japanese restaurant added to the small world effect.

Today I and several students were working around a few tables. The director of the EP program came in and spoke very strongly to one of the students saying “นั่งดี ๆ” (sit carefully). The student addressed was sitting on the table. I, the teacher, was sitting on a chair. This student was sitting higher than I was. The fact that it was at a different table didn’t matter. I hadn’t even noticed. The director of the EP program was appalled that the student should be so careless.

Allow me to quote from and recommend The Celtic Way of Evangelism by George G. Hunter III.

the British Church leaders, seem to have defined two roles (only) for a bishop: administrator and chaplain. Therefore a bishop’s primary (perhaps only) expectations were to administer the existing churches and care for faithful Christians. (A local priest’s job description was similar, stressing pastoral care of the local flock.) So the British leaders were offended and angered that Patrick was spending priority time with “pagans,” “sinners,” and “barbarians.”

This perspective had surfaced four centuries earlier. Jesus had been savagely criticized by the Pharisees for practicing the same kind of fraternizing priorities that Patrick . . . practiced

May the church, may the entire body of Christ do the kinds of things Christ did. I like potlucks, I like team huddles, but huddles are to prepare for action, they are to prepare those huddling to act. BREAK!

The creepiness first. Today I got my other Thai driver’s license (the car and motorcycle are seperate). One of the girls behind the counter who had flirted with me some last time, was over the top this time. After I had left I got a call from her. She had taken my number off my application for a license. When she called I was playing guitar with a friend, and told her it wasn’t a good time. She called again later in the day. I didn’t answer. She called a minute later. I didn’t answer. She called again. I answered and let her know I was eating dinner with friends (see below). She asked how long I would be eating dinner. I said until late. Since nine fifteen she has been repeatedly calling me. I have yet to answer. Enough of the creepy.

Now for the tortillas. Tonight I had tortillas for the first time since coming to Thailand. Not to mention homemade refried beans and guacamole (the guacamole was yellow—not green—and tasted a little different). I had not realized how much I missed good southwest food. It was also a good time of hanging out and speaking English. We (two of the other teachers from my school and a third friend) talked about all sorts of things that I don’t have the ability or the opportunity to talk about in Thai.