Chiang Mai Update # 2

This is my second update that I sent out to my financial and prayer supporters! There is so much to say! What a crazy two weeks we have had! Unfortunately the pictures will not upload for some reason, so I'll just have to show you when I get back!



There is so much I want to tell you and it is so hard to condense it to a short enough email that you will want to read the whole thing! This is just a small glimpse into what is going on here in Chiang Mai. I will share lots of stories when I get home, I am sure!

A common phrase you will hear around Chiang Mai is “Same same, but different!” I’ll give you an example: When we first arrived in Chiang Mai we had to recruit students to teach how to play the keyboard. Each time we talked to someone we had to specify “piano keyboard” because they thought we were talking about a computer keyboard. Their response would be, “Same same, but different.” It has become a very familiar phrase to all of us on the trip, to the point where it is a joke: “You wear pant, I wear skirt, same same, but different!” (They do not use any form of the verb “to be” or any junction words)

On Saturday, we went to the Mae Taeng Elephant Park and road on elephants up a river and through the jungle. There were many times I felt my life was in danger! Then we rode on a bamboo raft back down the river and I got to “drive” the raft for a while, as you can see in the picture! Our raft drifted peacefully down the river, but the other group did not have the same experience. At one point in the river, there is a rope stringing all of the way across, about 4 feet above the water. One of our group members decided it would be a good idea to hold onto the rope. He happened to be standing at the front of the raft with 6 people behind him including the driver. He held onto the rope, somehow forgetting that the raft would keep moving, and knocked over everyone behind him like dominos (including one of our professors), then fell into the water taking the driver with him! I wish I could have seen it, I can only imagine what it looked like! Fortunately, no one was hurt and the driver thought it was hilarious.

As of today, three people that we know of have accepted Christ as their personal savior. Two of them are two of our piano students. One of our team members (Josh, in the picture) found someone who wanted to learn how to play guitar, so he bought a cheap guitar and decided to teach guitar lessons instead of piano lessons. I personally have two piano students now (Mae and Kanokkorn) and both are Christians (Mae is pictured with me). Please pray that I would be encouraged by the opportunity to disciple two sisters in Christ. For some reason I have been disappointed that I have not had the opportunity to share the Gospel with unbelievers. Everyone with whom I come into contact is a Christian! Praise God that there are this many Christians in Chiang Mai. I know I will meet non-Christians when we enter into the last two weeks of the trip. We will not be teaching piano anymore and a new group from Southeastern will join four of us that are staying when the group that is currently here leaves. The last two weeks will consist of 6 credit hours of classes and evangelism through interviewing Buddhists and Muslims. Please pray that I would be bold in my interactions with Buddhists and Muslims over the next three weeks.

Please also pray that I will be able to swallow chicken, rice, and unidentifiable spicy stuff for three more weeks! I don’t know that I can stand it much longer! I guess I should be thankful for the food. Please also pray that my stomach would get used to the different diet as well. Some days have been a little worse than others, but overall God has blessed me and kept me relatively healthy.

Lastly, please pray for the Chiangmai Life Church. It is a small Chinese church where two of our piano students attend. We were able to attend church with them this past Sunday and they provided a meal for us after we worshipped with them in English and Chinese. We led a few songs and sang English while they sang Chinese, and then they led a few songs all in Chinese. One of our team members then gave the sermon and another team member, who is from Malaysia originally, translated for him. Please pray for their church growth in this Buddhist nation.

Thank you for your love and prayers!