There are many things in life that I am no good at naturally—time management, replying to text messages, sports, riding a bike on the street, reducing my orange popsicle intake, not sweating in intense heat and humidity, just to name a few. Among the countless concerns on this list, BLOGGING may be at the top. Here I am, almost 2 months living in Thailand and I have yet to post a single blog! In an attempt to catch you up on the shenanigans that have been going down in the life of Charity Jack in Thailand, I am going to blog once a week for the next few weeks. To start us off, I'm going to give you some insight into different terms and people you'll hear me referring to throughout these blogs. You can click on the highlighted links to learn more about each program.
OMF International - The wonderful missions organization that the Gilbert family are members of.
Serve Asia - The short-term missions program of OMF.
Serve Asia Coordinator - Khup
Daniel Training (DT) - A program designed to help new missionaries in their first year of training in language and culture.
Daniel Training Team - René and Susanna Aeschimann (current DT leaders, only a few months left *sad*), Mark and Anne-Marie Bak (the amazing couple taking over after the wonderful Aeschimanns leave = bittersweet), Heather Simmons (DT Assistant AKA Superwoman) , Julia Birkett (LLC Director AKA Wonderwoman), and Rebecca Penrose (brilliant architect working on the new Lopburi Learning Centre Project)
Lopburi Learning Centre (LLC) - Where missionaries study and learn the Thai language.
March 2, 2017 // Arrived in Bangkok, Thailand
When I first arrived in Thailand after a 20-something hour trip in the sky, I stayed at the OMF Guest Home in Bangkok. It's a lovely little haven of rest where missionaries with OMF can find quietude or can use as an in-between accommodation while traveling. The Gilbert's arrived there from their training in Singapore about 3 days after me.
We hung out with other families and had a couple of mini-orientations. On March 7th, we were to journey about two hours north of Bangkok to our new homes in Lopburi. On March 6th, we had meetings with some of the field staff to work out visa runs and finances. During my meeting, we realized that my passport had the wrong stamp! In the airport, I was given a stamp for a 30-day tourist visa when I had a 90-day non-immigrant visa. I was a bit anxious about it because I didn't know what fixing it would entail. Instead of traveling with the group to Lopburi the next morning, I would go to the immigration office with Khup to get the issue straightened out. We would meet up with everyone in Lopburi afterward.
March 7, 2017 // To Lopburi—Our new home
The morning of March 7th, Khup and I took a taxi to the immigration office. Long story short, I had nothing to worry about and everything worked out fine. At the immigration office in Bangkok, they simply wrote in the correct date on my visa stamp with a pen and I was good to go. Shoutout to Khup for going with me! Khup and I caught the next train en route to Lopburi making for an intriguing cultural experience. We stood for about half of the ride because it was quite crowded, shrinking ourselves every 15 minutes or so to allow the bustling food vendors passage. Up and down the busy aisle they traveled train car to train car selling packaged meals, fresh fruit, snacks, or cold drinks. After some time, a free seat sat me next to a father and his two teenagers. They were very kind as they shared cookies with me and bought me some kind of coconut ice cream that was just perfect for cooling me down a bit. The train has no A/C, of course, and we were just entering hot season at this time, so we were a bit warm. We tried communicating, but their minimal English and my zero Thai was not making that easy! (Side note: I'm learning Thai now! I had my second Thai lesson yesterday. So far, I can count from 1-100 in Thai...it’s a start?)
We finally pulled into our station and exited the train. For lunch, we bought a popular Thai dish called Pad Krapow from a woman on the platform. Pad Krapow is minced pork stir-fried in chilies and holy basil and served with rice and a fried egg. It looked delicious! Right as I ingested a generous helping, Khup warned, "Oh. It might be a little spicy by the way." and before I could blink my mouth was aflame. I masked the spice with heaping spoonfuls of rice, but I couldn't taste the dish because I'm pretty sure the heat incinerated my taste buds. I had scorched lips and a burning sensation situated deep in my belly for the rest of the day. My spice tolerance is relatively low. As we finished our meals, Heather pulled in to pick us up. Next thing I knew I was dropped off at my new home!
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in you.”
I share a cute and bright two-story house with two lovely ladies—Dianne from Australia and Anna from Holland. We all get along quite well and elated I am to know and share a home with such treasures! The rest of our first week we did orientation sessions in the mornings. In the afternoons we purchased bikes, opened bank accounts, shopped, and tried to settle into our homes. It was a busy yet wonderful week with a built-in community that has quickly felt like family.
I am so grateful that the Lord blessed me with a smooth transition—something I had not expected. His allowing me to dawn this journey with such serenity has been of paramount significance. In complete honesty, I felt anything but peace in the last few weeks leading up to my move. I was grappling with a lot of fear and anxiety but still carried an underlying discernment that I needed to come. In the wink I set foot on Thailand soil, I was overcome with that kind of peace that surpasses all understanding. Everything I worried about gently faded as I passed through time zone after time zone. He knew I needed that. Of course, there are hard days and questioning days and days when I'd love to stop sweating and long to be in the familiar of OKC. But to me, that peaceful and graceful transition was an essential reminder that I'm not holding this but He's holding me. He is the security in the midst of my doubt, the peace that sings volumes over my fear, and the truth that engulfs every notion of inadequacy. He is faithful and would never even entertain the idea of letting me go or making me do this alone. He took care and will never fail to take care of every single detail. Thank You, Lord, for seeing me and knowing me. I always feel right at home with You. Eucharisteo.
OMF Bangkok Guest Home
OMF Bangkok Guest Home
The view out my window from my room at the Bangkok Guest Home.
The Gilbert Kids donning the t-shirts I designed!
Sweet Matthaeus. His family are missionaries in Isaan which is where the Gilbert's feel called to go after their first year of language training in Lopburi.
Our humble abode!
My little window to my little room in my little home in Lopburi!
Our porch.
My mode of transportation. She still needs a name. Open to suggestions. :)
“...the secret to joy is to keep seeking God where we doubt He is. ”