Friday, February 13, 2009

Thai!

So for those of you who don't know SeagullJaap nor his family probably don't know about his family's obsessive personality. We tend to obsesses over things for extended periods of time. And in my case the last couple of days have been occupied by two things: chewing gum and reading about Thailand, Thai, the Church in Thailand, and just about everything you could imagine about the culture, people, places, and the Work in Thailand. In fact, it is rather late and I should be in bed, but I want to blog before I sleep.

Thailand is going to be so cool. Their culture seems to be a friendly one, non-confrontational and really family oriented. The people are often seen smiling for one reason or another. I cannot touch their heads, point my feet at them, or physically touch them. This will be a difficult one for me. I am a very tactile person. I love to give people hugs and rub their hair. But I want to respect their culture. I tend to be a respectful person. Their culture is very unique and beautiful. Just because it is not Western, does not diminish it's beauty. In fact, my feelings for the Thai people are already very strong. I feel very touched by the conversion stories of the natives of Thailand. I cannot wait to share the Gospel with them. Sure, it's going to be hard. It will take more faith than I have ever had to show. But I am praying extra hard.

Intersting fact: Thai means free. They are the only people to never live under Colonial Rule. Fascinating.

Really, though, could someone tell me when the shock of going to Thailand is going to fade? I am hoping never.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Well I'm happy to tell you that Nathan has been back from his Thai mission for over ten years and I still hear about and listen to him speak Thai, therefore it will never fade away if you don't let it.