5 Weeks In!

Sawatdee Kha friends! Sorry that I haven't sent out more updates. We've been busy here in Thailand!

Our first two weeks here we had orientation. During this time we covered a lot of information on logistical things but we also had a lot of fun. One of my favorite days of orientation involved splitting into groups of 2 or 3 and doing an Amazing Race all over Chiang Mai. It was super fun to explore the city and get more comfortable in our new home. We also got to try bubble tea, visit a waterfall, and eat some bugs (gross!). It was a great time!

Once orientation finished, we started our Thai class. Learning Thai is HARD! Thai is a tonal language which is completely different than English. A word can be pronounced with 5 different tones and each one means something totally different. For example, if you say the word for sorry with the wrong tone, you might accidentally say please fart. As you can tell, this can lead to some awkward situations.

Thai is also hard because we have to learn an entirely new alphabet. Thai vowels can be above, below, before, or after the consonant. It's so confusing! But, as challenging as it is, I am learning a lot. Considering we've only had 3 weeks of class so far, I think I'm doing pretty well! And thankfully, we have an excellent teacher who is very patient with us as we struggle. She's also hilarious which helps to lighten the mood when we're feeling overwhelmed or frustrated (which is often).

This past week we took a little break from language school and did a tour of all the ministries we'll have the chance to work with. We looked at 8 ministries that were all fantastic and very different. After seeing my options, I'm hoping to work with a ministry that helps single moms and their children. The idea behind the ministry is to reduce the number of orphaned children by supporting the moms. They teach parenting and life skills in addition to having childcare for the young kids. So I'd have the chance to disciple women while also hanging out with cute babies. It's perfect for me! We should start ministry in January, once we have a better grasp on the language.

Other than that, internship is going well! I'm learning to drive my motorbike and training myself to like the spicy Thai food. I'm beginning to make some friends at the restaurants we visit a lot and I'm getting used to ants and geckos being everywhere. Life here is challenging for me, but it's also very good, and I'm learning to like it more and more every day.

Thank you for your support and your prayers!

~Emily




My wonderful team!


 

Thoughts on Thailand

I can't believe it. I've already been in Thailand for a month! Crazy, right?! Although I have done a lot of travelling in the past, moving to a new country has been a completely new experience. We haven't had to rush to fit everything in like we did on my shorter mission trips. We're actually taking the time to learn what it means to live here. We're learning how to get around town, how to speak the language, how to not be offensive to the culture, etc. It's very good but also challenging. I've had times of being completely overwhelmed as I faced a crowded market or started learning an entirely new alphabet (which is HARD!). But I've also had a lot of exciting experiences like exploring the city, getting to know my teammates and leaders, and starting to build relationships with some of the Thais. So even though this last month has had a lot of hard moments, it has definitely been good!

One of my favorite things about Thailand so far has been getting to know my language teacher, Pii Peung. Pii Peung is great. She's hilarious, often speaking in weird voices or doing little dances, and she's also a fantastic teacher who challenges us to learn more than we thought possible. But what I've enjoyed most about Pii Peung is when we have our class breaks and she starts telling us about her life. The other day Pii Peung shared part of her testimony with us and it was so encouraging!

 I won't share her whole story but I will tell you the gist of it. Pii Peung used to be Buddhist, like the vast majority of Thais. However, she wasn't really satisfied with Buddhism because it wasn't making any difference in her life. In the midst of a very hard year, she ended up getting a job working with Christians. Through this job, the Lord encountered her and transformed her life, in a way that Buddhism was unable to do. Now, she is on fire for the Lord and serves him in many ways. Her life has been transformed and God has used her to help transform many other lives as well. It's beautiful!

I love Pii Peung's story because it gives me hope that God can move here in Thailand. Thailand can very easily seem like a hopeless place for the gospel. There have been missionaries in Thailand for 160 years and there's still only about 1% of Thais who are Christian. Like I said, it seems hopeless that things will ever change. But then I hear stories like Pii Peung's and I get so excited because it's not hopeless. God can change Thailand! God can bring hope and truth and life to this place. And I get to be a part of that! I'm very excited for that opportunity!

I went to a Thai church the other day and the pastor made the point that when we pray, we should focus our attention on who God is, more than on our request. I think that's important to do while praying for Thailand. If I focus my attention on the problems, on how resistant the Buddhists are to the gospel or the rampant idolatry, then I'm just going to get discouraged. But if I focus on the fact that God is good and powerful and that he loves the Thai people and that he is able to do far more abundantly than I can even imagine, then I have hope. Then I have a purpose for being here.

So even though I am often overwhelmed with this new culture, new language, and new food, and even though I'm tempted to get discouraged as I walk past the Buddhist shrines that are literally everywhere, I will focus my attention on God. I will remember that HE is why I am here. My first priority is to love him. I'm not here to save the Thai people, though I do pray that he will use me to draw people closer to him. I am here to love, worship, and serve the Lord with all of my heart. I am here to let him use me, in whatever way he pleases, big or small. I am here, first and foremost, to bring glory to God.



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Looking over the beautiful city of Chiang Mai from the mountain.

A Buddhist temple near Chiang Mai.

 

Practicing my letters in Thai, much like a kindergartener.