22 Dec 2010

This morning we brought the gifts and flyers to the poor in our neighbourhood, hope to share the love and joy of Christmas with them. We were amazed by the wooden 'houses' they stay… they are too simple and crude to be considered home. Yet, we were happy to see the smile on their faces when they received the presents from us! 

Thank God who provide money and time for us to bless them.

After song practice in Pastor Andrew’s house, we went to the Christmas celebration in Shalem House. It is a charity house built by Christ Church for the patients from rural area to come to Bangkok for more advanced medication but cannot afford accommodation. There, we met two mothers with their children having serious illness. Besides praying for them, provide little financial assistance, may God consult them and heal. Amen.

18 Dec 2010

今天有幸随报价音团出队！从只能跟着哼到可以跟着唱（虽然是跟着拼音唱的）也跟这里的会友有多点接触，对泰国人有多点了解，虽然有点累，但还是感谢神给我们这个机会。

本 来是下午两点在教堂集合，但由于我们迟了，所以三点才到百货公司和他们会和。怎知，我们在那里一晃就晃到六点才正式出发！又碰到严重塞车，所以我们大该 7.30pm 才抵达第一个家庭。那间家刚好有位老奶奶，会说朝州话，，也会看中文，见到我们三个，非常高兴，还把他的中文圣经那来给我们看。我们为他念一段经句，唱首 平安夜，也用中文为她祷告。临走前，老奶奶的女儿特底走到我们的车窗前说老奶奶今天非常的高兴，谢谢我们今天的到访。

到了第二家，主人的爸爸也会说中文！才知道泰国有那么多老一辈的华人能口操中文。牧师和娘跟方爸爸分享福音，也邀请他来参加圣诞节崇拜。感谢神的时间，让只会说流利中文的我们今晚也能'有用武之地'！

我 们从一家到另外一家，从曼谷的东北到西部，在从西部到市中心，还常因为不懂路而兜了很多风。虽然我们只报了四五家，却用了六小时！这是我第一次凌晨时分在 人家的门外唱歌，还好邻居没有出来丢臭鸡蛋, 哈哈。。。到凌晨三点半，我们实在非常累了，所以提前离队回家，而他们还有三个家庭需要去。。。第二天我们还需要崇 拜呢！真是佩服他们。

16 Dec 2010

After English lesson with Joy and May today, niang invited them for dinner together. It was a warm and enjoyable dinner, we spoke mostly Thai, then translated into English or Chinese... Joy suggested that we may call it ban nanachat - international house. Yup, with God be our Lord, we can be one family regardless of our nationalities and races. Praise the Lord!

Before I slept, pastor, niang and I had a short 'meeting' for our Christmas. On the 22nd, we will be delivering gifts for the poorer children stay nearby us and the children in Salom House, 24th we might have a Christmas dinner for the clerks, security guards and cleaners in our block. May God's will be done, and the birth of Jesus Christ be glorified in this Christmas season!

Niang also asked how I felt about this trip so far. To be frank, I actually expected to have tougher life but thank God that pastor family has treated me so well and Bangkok is a developed, convenient city so thanks God that I am still healthy and feeling easy. Besides, through living with pastor and niang, listening to their happiness and hardship living as a missionary in Thailand, I had learnt a lot, too. Besides, now I am fully understood how severe is traffic jam in Bangkok, please avoid traveling during 4.30pm-9.00pm here, or else...

In addition, I never know that Tom Yam tastes so nice! A cuisine can taste the best only in its origin… Here, Tom Yam is cooked with numerous you-can-name-it types of herbs and spices, fresh uncooked prawn, and even white fungus! Even for me, whom can't really stand spicy food, also can fall in love with Tom Yam's unbeatable combination of sour and spicy tastes, you can imagine how wonderful it is...

15 Dec 2010

This morning we walked pass  and have " mee hoon soup" in a stall at road side. Niang took the    chance to talk to the stall owner and told them that we will bring Christmas gifts for their children soon. On the way back, niang also show me some lousy wooden houses. we may bring the Christmas blessing to the poorer people there, too. Gotta get both our gifts and faith ready to approach them!

In the afternoon, I had an English lessen for a retired lady who stays next to us. I taught her tenses and it took me about 1.5 hour. Before I started the lesson, she asked me a question:" Why you are willing to teach me without charging any fee?" It was a great chance to share God's love! Although niang had asked me to get prepared to answer this question, yet I was still stumbled at that time. I told her that becuase God loves us, so we  would like to share God's love with the Thai, and happy to befriend them. That's why I am here.

After the lesson, she thank me and told me she really would like to do something for me. I suggested that we may have a meal together on Christmas day and she suggested a vegetarian restaurant nearby. However, pastor and niang told me better to be careful not to give the wrong impression that I want her to give me a treat as the reward of teaching her English. Because for her, she might still think that it is impossible to have free English lesson, we must have agenda... May God teaches me with wisdom and gentleness in attitude and word of mouth.

Besides that, the neighbor lady told me she would like to learn something more interesting, preferably not grammar... Hmm, what is more interesting and meaningful worth learning for her?

In the evening, we went to church for song practice and prayer meeting, again, in Thai. On they way, we  passed by Sayam sequey, a very beautiful shopping area. Aha, added it into my visiting list after Christmas.

I though the prayer meeting will be a boring one but thank God for a sister beside me. She kept translating for me so that I wasn't left out from the prayer team. While for the song practice and rehearsal, I realize that I still have a big room for improvement... Gotta play more at home!

13 dec 2010

Today was a rainy day. After waiting for more than half an hour, we finally got onto a taxi and it took us another 50 minutes to reach school (which is about 20 minutes by walking) because of nam thuam - flood.

The water level raised above ankle. Despite the raising water, there were still students walking to school with flip flop, motorcyclists traveling (with almost quarter of the wheel hidden in the grayish water, which can be quite dangerous, isn't it? ) on the street.

I visited pastor’s family’s school – Bangkok Grace International School. There are slogans “Grow in God’s wisdom and knowledge” all around the school and more than 50% of Korean students there. Although the campus is not huge, it is well facilitated with music room, sport field, library, computer room and a church sanctuary.  In addition, all the Thai teachers are very friendly and gentle. I wonder, will they be bullied by the students?

In the evening, Grace, one of the Thai teacher in BGIS came for piano lesson. I would not call myself a piano teacher but like niang told me, I just shared whatever I have with her. Pray that we both can serve God with piano together.

First Sunday in Bangkok

12 Dec 2010

今天是我第一次参加泰语崇拜。我们的教堂是Christ Church, 位于Sathorn, 靠近曼谷的市中心。从我们在Ramkanphen 的家出发需四十分钟德士车程，一小时四十分钟巴士车程。那是一座全米白色的独立建筑物，很有西欧式教堂的感觉，已有超过八十年的历史。在教堂旁边有个小墓园，有大约十位曾在这里服侍的牧师的墓碑，很特别吧。

我在泰语堂认识了几位从新加坡来的姐妹和牧师，也已能说流利的泰语。娘跟我说，这里有好几位单身妈妈，她们的丈夫都已离他们而去。难怪娘说这里的姑娘会想要嫁外国人，都怪男人不负责任。。。

崇拜结束后，娘教导几位同工和会友唱圣诞歌，由我来伴奏。虽然是用泰语，但毕竟和娘搭配那么多年，默契还存，也让我怀念起以前在永平一起练习圣诞歌的日子。而娘需要用半流利的泰语来教唱，也不是容易的事，希望她也能早日和这里的同工培养默契,语言就不会再是隔膜啦！

晚上我们一起到 The Mall Bangkapi 吃晚餐，我看不懂泰文，点菜都是看卖相的。感谢神，给我们丰富的一餐。之后我们还买了一车的干粮零食，给在Salom House 的孩子们、同工们准备圣诞礼物。期待圣诞节的来临！

Bangkok day 1

8 Dec 2010

I am going to start a 28- days-long trip in Bangkok.

My journey today was a grace!
My parents BOTH helped me to catch a bus this morning, and I was not so worried for being late because my mum and my best friend Sifang is willing to give me a ride if I need to. After that, my Dage was so nice to drive me to Changi and my dear Shimiru Vanessa was there to send me off... I am so blessed.

As I was queuing for checking in, I met a friend who is taking the same plane as me! God provided me a companion so that I was not along throughout the journey. Praise the Lord!

The flight was a smooth one. Yet, I felt so sorry that Rev Wong and niang had waited me for almost one hour because of the long queue at immigration counter. They took me home by train and taxi, cooked a warm dinner for me. I am so blessed.

Today I pray that God will delight in our work of loving and serving the Thai. Like what niang had just shared to me, although we may seem have not enough, but we can just give whatever we possess. May God multiply.

"Unless the LORD builds the house,
   the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
   the guards stand watch in vain.  " Ps 127:1