Howdy
I approach this email with timidity and trepidation. I have heard rumors that these things are actually being read. That’s intimidating. To make public disclosure more frightening, life has been less eventful since last I wrote. Unlike past issues, I have not eaten anything that when described in an email to the West provokes shock, nor have I danced in the street. I’ve done things like learn and teach. Good things, great things, but they don’t always have the same kind of flare.
Yesterday I was able to talk with Dr. Nantachai (the man who started the center where I am staying). Earlier he gave me his dissertation to read (I have yet to finish the 430 pages). For his dissertation he looked at past missionary approaches to the Thai and suggested what he believes to be a better way: Meekness. To the Thai, those from the west often seem aggressive. Dr. Nantachai believes an approach of meekness is what will be necessary to truly communicate to the hearts of these people. It was good to sit and talk with him about what he knows as a Thai person, and what he learned through his research.
Being back in the village is good (and bad) because time is much more relaxed. The first day back I loved it. I loved having time to process what I’d encountered in Ubon. It is good to have time to process each day’s happenings. But I’m not good at not doing anything for extended periods of time. Doing nothing is hard after awhile. As I mentioned, I’ve started doing things like reading doctoral dissertations. I also spent some time the other day talking through a fan in a sustained voice. If you haven’t done it, you should try it.
I got a VERY small taste of what it has meant for Joe to be gone the year his first niece and his first nephew were born. This past week I missed Gabriel speak at his graduation ceremony (my Dad spoke at Baccalaureate as well). It is hard to miss big events.
Continuing on the moist-eye note, I’ve now been here long enough for the differentness to lose its edge of excitement. This has given me a little more free emotional space to miss friends and family at home. I’ve been here long enough that rather than being exciting, some differentness has started to be irritating. I’ve not been here long enough to adjust myself to face said irritations.
Some of my irritations have been down right ridiculous. I caught myself being irritated that Maa and Fon (the two Thai ladies who stay at the center) were talking in Thai. No kidding they’re talking in Thai! Like I said ridiculous! On the bright side my ridiculous irritation made me do some good thinking about exclusion, intentional or otherwise. I wondered how often I’ve left someone in a place where they could not participate. I wondered how I can prevent doing so in the future. I’m not sure I came up with a lot of answers. But I thought about it, so maybe next time when it’s happening something will trigger the exclusion alert button in my brain.
Of significant note is the celebration of the king’s 60 years on the throne. Kings from all over the world were in Bangkok. Everyone in the streets was wearing yellow to show support for the king. The Thai people’s love for their king is something I cannot grasp. This celebration only brought to the surface an underlying respect and love.
That’s all folks
Micah
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