Musings from a Lake in Thailand

During the past four days, I had the opportunity and the privilege to tag along with my Thai pastor on a fishing trip somewhere in west central Thailand, along the border of Burma and Thailand. I invited a freshman from Grace Fellowship to come with us because he spoke English pretty well and I wanted to get closer with him. So on Sunday, after church finished, P'Mee (my pastor), View (the freshman), me and three other friends of P'Mee loaded our stuff into a pick-up truck and set off on a supposedly twelve hour journey (it actually took almost fifteen with all the breaks and meals).

View and I sat in the backseat of the truck. It's not one of those comfortable backseats with actual seats and seatbelts, but more like a little bench with a cushion. It was uncomfortable, but seeing that two of P'Mee's friends were going sit in the back of the truck for twelve hours, who was I to complain? At least we had A/C. Then as we started driving and I saw the Burmese day laborers being crammed in the back of trucks, standing exposed to the scorching sun and intermittent rain, I was thankful to God that what I had was probably comparable to a limo ride for Americans.

We arrived around 4:30 AM in the morning on Monday as we made our way to the lakeside. Foolish, American me, I thought there would be some kind of dock or something, but nope just some mud and reeds. I'm not gonna say I'm the cleanliest of folks, and I'm surely not neat (look at my room or my desk), but being a Korean, I like keeping my feet and my clothes clean. I've been on probably over fifty camping trips with Boy Scouts when I was in high-school, so I'm not some newbie when it comes to being in the outdoors. But even during those days, I never sat on the ground or the dirt. I always sat on a nice "cleaner" rock. I'd always take off my shoes before I went into my tent, and I'd never go into my sleeping bag with my dirty outside clothes. (I'm beginning to think maybe I am some kind of clean freak...haha). Bit of a digression, but anyway I had worn my athletic running shoes thinking I could keep my feet clean the entire time I was on this trip. WRONG! Thai people don't wear shoes (unless they're "hi-so" or high society type). They all wear slippers. Everywhere. They play soccer in slippers, they go hiking in slippers...it must be a national footwear. So, I had to just leave my shoes in the truck and put on my slippers that I brought in my bag (Boy Scout motto: Be prepared - in other words, overpack). I actually felt kind of sheepish that I had brought along two bags when everyone else only had one, but whatever, the second backpack was for my bible and my books and snacks so I'm not that high maintenance. So I had to walk through the water to get on the motor boat/canoe that would take us to our boat raft/house.

First lesson about being Thai, don't bother trying to keep your feet clean. That's the reason why there's such a cultural taboo with feet and pointing with your feet or touching things with your feet. Thai people know feet get dirty. (I'm thinking Iris would have a fit - cuz knowing me I'd probably try to put my feet in her blankets after walking around all day barefoot...hahaha. By the way, Iris is leaving to Japan soon, so support her with much love and prayer!)

So I don't remember too much of the first day because I slept pretty much the entire day. I woke up every now and then when someone caught a big fish or something. But man fresh fish for every meal. That is surely one of the highlights of the trip. Oh but after eating, we did the dishes in the lake. The same lake we pooped and peed in. (I forgot to take a picture of the toilet, it's basically a squatty potty that empties into the lake) And halfway through the trip, we ran out of dishwashing soap, so they just rinsed the plates and cups in the lake and let it dry. Often times the cups wouldn't even be washed so ants would crawl all over them. Now in America, when ants get all over my food I think that the food is bad and I throw it away. In Thailand, if ants get all over your food, you just brush it off and eat it. Did I mention the ant infestation on the raft? I got so many ant bites and zero mosquito bites. And the ants were everywhere, but the Thai guys didn't seem to mind. They just sit on top of a pile of ants like it's nothing. And all I can think about is ants crawling up my pants. But what am I to do with my Korean American sensibilities and notions of cleanliness? Paul became like a Jew to the Jews and like a Greek to the Greeks, so I had to be a Thai to the Thais (everyone thinks I look Thai anyway). Yes, I ate out of those dishes and cups and swam and took showers in the lake. I didn't catch any diseases or die. Maybe all the fuss we make about being clean in American or Korean culture is unwarranted. For all I can remember, when I went to the countryside in Korea, they live pretty similarly to Thai people. Maybe the notion of being clean is all in my head. Jesus said being clean is not what you do on the outside but what you do on the inside. (What a great way to take the Bible out of context, I know.)

Four out of five of P'Mee's friends there were not Christian, so I wanted to live out as much Christianity as I could due to my lack of speaking ability. I knew P'Mee would speak and did speak to them at anytime about it. They were such nice people and took care of me, asked me if I needed anything, etc. One time they made a fish dish that was just too spicy and I was dying, so one of the guys made me some eggs to eat instead. I became more and more aware on this trip about my cultural sensibilities that could serve as huge hindering blocks to sharing the gospel. My certain reluctant attitudes - using "unclean" dishes and utensils, or showering in the lake, using the toilet, walking around barefeet - had to die. P'Mee has shared with me before about how Thai people don't like Americans because Americans tend to act like they're better than the Thais. I don't believe this consciously, but isn't that exactly what my actions were showing? "Hey, even though you guys eat out of these dishes and are completely fine, I'm going to be hesitant because my values of cleanliness are better than yours." "I'm going to complain about how uncomfortable the twelve hour ride is - wait you mean it's a fifteen hour ride?! - because in America everyone gets a nice seat and seatbelt and side airbags" "I'm going to try and walk around in my shoes because I think feet being clean is better than feet being dirty." I mean in the end, will it kill you to have dirty feet? Nope. I did the best I could and by no means was I perfectly able to live like the Thais. But think about Jesus coming into the world - the pure, clean, and holy Son of God not counting his equality with God a thing to be grasped, and getting dirty and messy and facing the everyday temptations of man. Did Jesus think he was too good to become man? No, and I couldn't think I was too good to become Thai.

I'm not a fishing fanatic, but I do like being in nature and absorbing the glory of God's creation. So I fished here and there with some small poles and if you check out my facebook album, you'll see the pathetic little fish I caught. But it's okay. Waking up at six in the morning to see the sun rise through the morning mist, listening to the rain pattering onthe raft roof and on the surface of the lake, beholding the sun setting in an orange and red glory over the mountains in the west, it's all worth the trouble. I read two books while I was on the lake - The Bible and the Pleasures of God by John Piper. And now here are my quick reviews:

The Pleasures of God is pretty much John Piper's theology book. And his theology is pretty much God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him. What I love about reading Piper is he's always pushing the reader to look further and beyond the limits of what we know and have experienced. Piper doesn't dwell in the everyday practicalities of being a Christian any longer than he needs to. And for an idealistic person like me, his writing resounds with something in my soul. God is infinitely powerful and glorious and he is our greatest satisfaction. Ask me for a Christian book that will feed your soul and I'll point you to Piper. Using more than just intellectual words and thoughts, he attempts to help your soul savor and experiencing what knowing Christ is. After I finished his section on how prayer glorifies God, I ended up praying for an hour while everyone was sleeping. He's that good at showing how God is good.

As for the Bible, I read through the major and minor prophets, which is something I think I've never done in my life. I've studied New Testament and I love to read it because it's something that makes sense to me. I use history and theology and all that to understand the gospels and the letters and it brings me joy to understand what the writers were talking about in their own context. But I probably don't like the prophets the same reason I don't like Revelations, I just can't understand it! And that's my flaw because I worry too much about understanding a passage rather than letting the passage speak to me. But as I read through the writings of the prophets, I just turned that side of my brain off and tried to appreciate the literary and metaphorical aspects of those books. Here's some things I learned:

1. You almost get depressed by how much God is angry about sin. Almost sick of it. It goes on and on about how Israel was unfaithful and how God will punish unfaithfulness. But it's a great reminder that our God is a holy God. His holiness cannot stand the slightest bit of sin's presence. I think we read so much about the love and grace of God and forget what His love and grace is actually saving us from, which is wrath and indignation towards rebellion and lawlessness. The prophets remind us we fall absolutely short of the glory of God.

2. Amidst this sea of depressing talk of sin and punishment, you'll find islands of promise of salvation. And especially when you know these promises are not just given to Israel, but that they are new covenant promises of Jesus, you're just amazed at how God was able to speak about Jesus hundreds of years before he was even born. (One particular favorite of mine is Ezekiel 34. It's a great one for leaders.) God was relentless in his condemnation of Israel, but He knew without the life-giving, obedience-producing Spirit of the new covenant, man could not work their way to God. So God gives promises of a future relentless love in Christ Jesus as a hope to Israel, and now the church.

3. Reading the prophets really puts "the fear of the LORD" in perspective doesn't it? Without the righteousness we have in Christ, I would not want to come before the glory of God. I mean look at what Isaiah writes in Isaiah 6. "Woe is me!" But knowing the love of God we have through Christ, this fear of God is something to be praised and loved and be in awe of. Piper gives the example of being on the ledge of a cliff by the sea during a thunderstorm and fearing for your life as the fear of God without Christ. But knowing Christ is like being taken into the safety of a cave on that cliff and watching the thunderstorm and still feeling the fear of what it's able to do while feeling the safety and dryness of the cave. What an amazing, fearful God we serve!

4. It's always fun to find passages that New Testament writers quoted, or songwriters use. I underlined those.

So I truly realized how important it is for all of us to just get away from the hustle and bustle of life and work and family and school and ministry and just spend sometime doing nothing - that is doing nothing with God. My soul was refreshed and during my times of reading and praying God gave me so many ideas for ministry and reassurances of what I was doing and why I was here. Sometimes we just need to take a breather and breathe God..haha.

I returned from the trip yesterday with a bruised tailbone and sore gluteous muscles from sitting in the back "seat" of the truck. I really couldn't sit down unless I sat in some weird position. I was literally about to scream by hour ten. I sat on my pillow and I adjusted every five minutes, but I was dying. It didn't help that we had two extra guys return with us. And that already small back "seat" was now occupied by me, View AND P'Mee. That return trip almost ruined the great four days I had at the lake...almost.

Last note of thought: I turned on my computer after returning and checked my google reader to find over 150 unread blogposts. I know I wrote about how great reading blogs were, but I want to make a clarification. The blogging world is tied inextricably with the fast paced world that we live in. You literally have to fight to stay with the flow. I realize I didn't need to real ALL those blogs and I unsubscribed from some. A few. I mean was I really missing out on all that much, compared to reading the Pleasures of God on a lake or reading the Prophets as the sun rises and falls? I don't think so.

Well that was long and fun, I hope you enjoy as much as I enjoyed my trip.

Writing with a sore tailbone,
Eric

Pictures are UP from Fishing Trip!

You like my new blog background picture? Check out some more at my facebook.

My Facebook
The Photo Album

I will blog soon about the trip. Stay posted!

Living With No Regrets

2 Corinthians 7:10
"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."

The life of a man controlled by the sinful nature is one filled with many worldly griefs. This man has placed his ultimate source of worth and satisfaction in the things of this world and naturally those things have failed him. He has built his shelter on the sands of physical beauty, only to have it washed away by the ebbing waves of time. He has found refuge in the caves of earthly pleasure, but darkness conceals its foul contents. He has placed his trust in his finite possessions only to have them destroyed by moth and rust. Woe and grief fills the heart of the man who has tasted every pleasure under the sun and has climbed to the loftiest peaks of human wisdom, yet at the end of his life cries, "Meaningless!"

Wretched is the one who sees the goodness of God, vows to follow the Lord, and yet is filled with regret. A pillar of salt is all that remains of the one who flees from the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah yet turns to look back at the life left behind. This man attempts to walk between this world and the next, fooling himself into thinking he can get the best of both. But alas, the regrets of the life left behind taints his every drink of the sweet living water; his guilty conscience haunts him as he tries to fully partake inthe world. He does not know what he truly wants and is a slave to the torn desires that wages war in his soul.

But blessed is he who has not only seen but has tasted that the Lord is good. The Spirit has shone forth so much revealing light and truth into his heart that he despairs at the wretchedness of his sinful condition. God has produced a godly grief, a holy frustration, a righteous dissatisfaction with the sin that has entangled every aspect of his life. Looking inward, this man woefully cries out in godly grief, "Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" and looking upward to the cross shouts forth glorious praise, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!" His eyes have seen the King, he has glimpsed the Lord's glory, and there is no turning back. His repentance is a complete turn away from this world, and counts all things as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus. He has found the pearl of great price. He has uncovered the hidden treasure in the field and has left all behind to keep it. This blessed man has a salvation without regret. He forgets what lies behind and strains forward to what lies ahead.

Let us be this man who realizes he is not who he wants to be nor what he was made to be, understands that he could never do enough to attain righteousness alone, and throws himself at the utter mercy of God to be molded and shaped into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us seek daily after the unsearchable riches of Christ, never regretting having left behind our old lives to follow the King of Kings.

To live is Christ, and to die is gain.

(Spiritual) Poverty will come upon you like a robber....

That man Joshua Harris is talking about is me. It's amazing how the sinful heart of man can take something good (like spiritually edifying or nourishing blogs) and find ways to replace God with it. Using my ESV Study Bible Online probably doesn't help because I'm always, always tempted and fall into temptation to check other things while I'm reading.

Proverbs 24:33-34
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.

Brothers and sisters, let us take heed from these words of wisdom, lest spiritual poverty come upon us. Let us refuse to give Satan a foothold in our lives, or compromise anything to sin. God help us in our apathy and complacency and lead us daily to the rock upon which we must desperately cling!

A Blog about Blogs

I've recently made blog-reading a new hobby and time-killer (or productive time passer - whichever way you'd like to look at it). And no, not the junior high or high school xanga friends list so I can keep track of who likes who, or who did what today (that's what facebook is for these days). I've subscribed to the blogs of some pastors I respect and/or admire (Piper, Mahaney, Harris, Driscoll, Mohler) and some other ones that seemed to be popular in the "blogosphere." Although I centered my selection around evangelical or Reformed blogs, I choose some other ones that were maybe not as serious or had views that were different from mine. I found a list of top Christian blogs and started browsing to see what would be interesting.

What I've found is truth to the age old adage, "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know." Man, these bloggers are so up-to-date in the latest politics, culture, historical research, theology, christian movements, you name it. Reading these blogs humble me and help me realize that I'm a twenty-two year old know-it-all that really doesn't know anything. Yet they've sparked a new interest and thirst for knowledge, one similar to my first introduction to theology as a sophomore in college. With my personality, I know I run the huge risk of shoring up knowledge to feed my pride, but as I've said earlier, the amount of information out there is really humbling.

Anyway some thoughts:
1. It's interesting to see where I lie in terms of my beliefs in the broad spectrum of those who call themselves Christian. I really think it comes down to reading all sorts of different views and seeing which things resound with you even if you may disagree with other things. Now, this maybe a dangerous road like when I advised someone to take an intro class to world religion and it caused more doubt than certainty. There's a reason why the majority of my blogs are from Reformed or evangelical sources. I want to stay rooted or anchored as much as possible while I explore the thoughts of the rest of the world. (I've also read some atheist blogs to see what some of the world thinks of Christians, but I just don't have the energy to keep up with them).

2. But I still advise people to start reading blogs. I know people in this day and age don't like reading full books and what's great about blogs is that you can get a good amount of summarized information to give you a superficial understanding that may or may not spark further indepth studying. We should know what we believe and why we believe it. But I also think its important to know and give a hearing to what other people have to say, because a lot of the time you realize you just don't know it all. I would love to link a Piper blog I read but I can't remember which article, but basically he talked about how Christians cannot face university-level secular challenges to the faith with a second-grade Sunday School education (Jesus loves you and died for you). Get informed! There's an incredible amount of reason to believe in the Christian faith other than "having a child-like faith" (not to downplay that at all).

3. I'm not at all trying to be elitist and say we should only read blogs of people who have Ph.D's and are on lists of Top 50 Christian blogs. I have a good amount of subscriptions to different friends from college and church and it's a daily reminder that God imparts truth to the "wise" and the normal Joe. In fact, I stumbled upon a blog of someone who used to go to Sarang that really got me thinking about what faith actually is. The child-like faith and simple love is an absolute necessity, but is not only component to faith. So read blogs and strengthen your faith!

4. I would say read books, but books are just so old-fashioned right? No, I'm just kidding, please read books.

5. You don't like to read at all you say? Man...I don't know then.

Lastly, I've decided what I want my own blog to be about. I know this is supposed to detail my mission trip in Thailand (and if that's what you're really looking for, give me your e-mail and I'll put you on my e-mail list for ministry and prayer updates). But I really didn't want this blog to be just about things I'm doing. And I think way too much not to try to organize some of my thoughts through blog. Anyone who has talked to me knows I try to bring theology into every facet of life (if I don't say it, I'm at least thinking about it).

If Christians have one solitary purpose in this life, it is (to borrow from the Westminster Catechism) glorify God and enjoy Him forever. (Or to glorify God "by enjoying Him forever" - John Piper). And I want this blog to be just my inadequate attempt to really think about just why "To live is Christ" and how that plays out in the little things. So I'll still give updates on certain things that I'm doing here but I only feel things are blog-worthy if it ties into some bigger picture of life as a Christian.

So once again, if you wanted just a list of things I'm doing or prayer requests, I would love to give you that information through e-mail or that pesky monthly update I need to make. If you came to this blog wanting to see pictures of what I'm doing, check out my facebook. But if you want to follow along as I wrestle with different thoughts and beliefs of what is important and worthy in this life, then by all means, I welcome you. =)

For where your treasure is...

A few days ago I read a blog by Michael Mckinley at 9Marks about a pastor's personal finances here.

His church was doing an annual budget and he decided to submit a detailed account of his monthly spending so that the church could set a reasonable salary. He talks about how he felt weird about having to let the church see everything he spends his money on but he gives these reasons to why he ultimately felt it was a good idea:

"1. I should have nothing to hide. What was I concerned about them seeing? Was I secretly ashamed of the way I handled my family's money?
2. Jesus talked about money a lot. He taught that the way we handle money is a barometer for our spiritual health. I would be a fool not ask godly men to examine that aspect of my life and give me constructive feedback.
3. I am always trying to cultivate a culture of transparency in the church and among its leaders. Transparency can be uncomfortable, but the pastor should take the lead."

Because I'm on this mission trip completely on the financial support of the church, family and friends, I also keep a daily account of ALL my spendings. It gets quite tedious at times - if I stop to give someone some spare change or pay for a parking structure fee, I have get out my little notebook and write it in.
A week ago Pastor Jeff asked me to send in my monthly spending report for August and a chill went down my spine. (As of now, I still haven't turned it in...haha) I panicked as I tried to quickly recap my monthly expenditures: What did I spend my money on? Where did I go over budget? What will Pastor Jeff think of my personal purchases? Will I be rebuked? But I couldn't never show him. It's not my money, not a cent of it. It's the money of the church and of God's people and I do not have liberty to do whatever I like with it.

When I was back in the States, I was never any good with money. Ask my mom or dad. Ask my sister. I've racked up large amounts of credit debt without ever having a stable job. I spend too much money on food. I like to eat well. I like to eat out. But I was never accountable to anyone so my vices never had to face the light of day. I've been woefully unfaithful with offering and tithing, always telling myself I'd be more regular if I had a regular job, but never being faithful with what God had given in the present.

So coming onto the mission field, I told myself that this was one of the main things that I wanted to work on. I want to be a giving Christian. I want to be a responsible steward of all that God has given, which is everything. I want to be a Christian not so concerned with what I need or want, but rather concerned with the needs of others. Jesus says in Luke 12:34, "For where your treasure is, there will be your heart be also." He says follow your money trail and you'll see where your real god lies.

So I followed my very precisely recorded money trail in the month of August and guess where I was lead to? Food. Now, not by too much (which is hard to calculate because food is so cheap here and the dollar is worth a lot), but that's the one budgeting item that I was consistently over on. It's so hard even when the nice food is so cheap and ice cream and soda are like fifty cents each. I know people on Japan missions have to be really tight with their money when eating, but food is just abundant here. But I digress.

Anyway, we hear in church and in the Bible over and over that nothing is ours, that God owns everything, and anything that we do have was given to us by God (1 Co. 4:7 "What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"). We know God is technically watching everything we do and everything we spend our money on, yet it's so hard to break from the mindset of "This money is mine" or "I've earned it." And indeed, I know the feeling of getting that paycheck and thinking about all the things I could buy or eat rather than how I can serve God or others.

But I guess it's just something about knowing that someone's gonna really see that gets my conscious about how to spend my money wisely and frugally. I ask Pastor Jeff or Missionary Daniel before any large purchases even if I think it's absolutely necessary to make sure that it would be a wise purchase. I don't go straight for the name brands. I look for sales. I don't make any impulse buys if I'm at the mall. I compare and research to make sure I'm getting the cheapest price. And with the small amount of personal money I'm allotted, I still think about whether a purchase is really necessary or just for my own pleasure (not saying we can't ever use money for our own pleasure).

At the end of the day I want to say as Paul did, "I will not be enslaved by anything." When I have my own job and I make my own money, I want to be able to give freely and lavishly to God's kingdom purposes, knowing just how much I was blessed by others giving for me. It's amazing, but people say that pastors and missionaries - people who don't have the most money - are the ones who give the most to kingdom purposes because they know just how valuable that treasure in the field and the pearl of great cost is. So please pray for me that as I continue to live here in Thailand, God will discipline myself in all areas of my life, especially expenditures, and that God would help me see and savor the unsearchable value of his kingdom so that I would store myself treasures there instead of in the present kingdom that is passing away.

And if anyone is seeking to put his or her life more and more under the lordship of Christ, I strongly encourage you to try keeping an account of all your spendings and sharing them with an accountability partner to really see where your heart is.

Until next time,
Eric

Life is Learning

So Jonas (Pastor Jonas?), told me I should blog about what I've learned in the month or so I've been here. But I've decided to depart from my usual blogs where I try to capture the complexities in my mind to something simple. Let's see if I can even do this and still be interesting.

Things I've learned in the past month:
1. 7-11's in Thailand are the best in the world (note I've only been to 7-11's in the US, Japan, and Thailand). Why? Because as Christian Kim so correctly pointed out, the 37 baht (roughly 1 dollar) Chicken Steak Burger is simply delectable.

2. Speaking of food, I brought like two tubs of red pepper paste, one tub of soy bean paste, a jar of black bean paste, and a bunch of boxes of curry and ramen, and it turns out that it's more expensive to cook at home than to just go out and eat. (It's obviously not the same case for Japanese short-term missionaries, so Iris Park pack them dwenjangs!) And the Lord is good because a new Korean restaurant opened up next door (5 minutes walking). Kimchi jjigae for 1 dollar, LA galbi (or something like it) for a buck fifty. And all the kimchi you can eat.

3. However, it turns out my favorite food to eat is Japanese. The fish isn't high quality at all here, and sometimes I wonder if I'll get parasites, but a sushi roll for a dollar?! It's worth the risk. Plus, donkatsu, katsudon, katsu curry, it's all goooooood! =)

3.5 I miss Mexican food, and I miss cheese. I miss Chipotle, guacamole, In-N-Out, and Jack In the Box. So somebody eat those things for me and think about me and pray for me. Ahaha.

4. I've tried to go to coffee shops here and study Thai. However, my study skills have not changed very much since college. To me, if someone says let's go study at a coffee shop, it means that we're just gonna hang out at least 80% of the time we're there and maybe touch our books for 20%. I would always study at the last minute at my apartment by myself. That's the only way I really know how to study.

5. Riding a motorscooter or driving a manual car on the opposite side of the road is really not that hard. Even when driving lane lines are merely "guidelines." (If there are two lanes, you'll see three lanes of vehicles.) Sometimes if you miss a stop, you just turn your bike around and backtrack towards oncoming traffic. It's just the Thai way to do things. And there's not many accidents (at least I haven't see one so far), so why are cops so anal in America?

6. Air conditioning is one of God's greatest gifts to man, but life goes on with out it. Thailand has three seasons and they affectionately call them hot, hotter, and hottest. But as long as I have a fan, I'm fine. I got used to the heat. But take away the fan, and I'm not so sure anymore.

7. I learned how to do laundry regularly after four years of taking it home on the weekends (Thanks Mom!). It's really not that hard, and I don't even bother to separate colors. And no dryers. Only God's heat. I wonder if I'll still do laundry when I get back home.

8. Thai people may be more crazy about Korean music than Korean Americans. Girl's Generation > 2NE1 > Davichi > Wonder Girls > F(x). There's some students here that speak Korean better than English. Why didn't I pay more attention in Korean class? (or Thai class for that matter).

Some more serious ones:
9. Jesus is the Word. The Word is life. One day without time with God in His Word and prayer is killer here. You can literally feel it. That's how strong the spiritual battlefield is here.

10. As much as I feel I was brainwashed by countless VBS's and Sunday schools, I thank God for these things. There's so much you learn about God or the Bible that you just take for granted. But it's a huge encouragement to see recently converted Christians so hungry to learn about what their new life in Christ entails in terms of belief, action, attitude and thought.

11. Yes, I have begun to miss my friends and family a little. So treasure your moments with those around you and make relationships meaningful. Talk about something deep, talk about something wonderful, talk about God. Pray together, study the Word together. I wish I could do those things.

12. Men need to step it up on the mission field as well as Thai churches. I think a good 80% of the Thai church is female, and if I were to count the short-term missionaries here right now that I'm working with, there's me and three girls. In a couple months it's gonna be me and five girls. Is it really as great as it sounds? No. Brothers need brotherly accountability and (to borrow from KCM) FELLAship or MANistry. ahaha, these guys....

13. The purpose of short-term missions is to help long-term missions. The purpose of mid-term missions is to help long-term missions. We need to pray for and support full-time missions as much as possible. Seriously, what can one team do in a month, or one man do in a year without knowing language, culture, etc.?

14. Beyond all this and including all this, I'm having the time of my life here learning about Thai culture (and in reflection, American culture), and God. He's brought me here to love Him more and be a part of His love for all people of the world. God is good!