Triple Thanksgiving

I know it is a little late, but better late than never I always say.

Thanksgiving was odd for us this year. It was our first one outside of the States, and there were certainly some quirks involved. For starters, we celebrated three times! The first was on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and it was with our small group. This was probably my favorite celebration. We hung out on Sunday afternoon. We ate and talked. I played some video games with the kids. Then a rousing game of Bocce was played, but I was merely a spectator. Overall a good afternoon.

(Susan and Kristen were partners.  They did not win, but they looked good doing it.)

(Most of the small group played Bocce.  Good times.)

Our second Thanksgiving was on Tuesday at the C&MA Guest House in Bangkok. The food was fantastic, but we just ate—no extra fun and games. There was some excitement for the Jones clan though. For starters, I drove to the Guest House. Not too far away, but I still do not drive much in Bangkok. So that was fun. But when we arrived, as soon as I parked, the engine started smoking. That's not so fun. So after lunch we took the car to a repair shop and left it. Some hose connected to the power steering was busted and had to be replaced. We took the taxi home. I retrieved the car a few days later. On the up side, we did get to hang out with our friend Stef May, which is always fun.

(Stef and Susan, Tuesday is wear pink day in Thailand.  Seriously.)

Our third Thanksgiving was on the Saturday following the actual Thanksgiving. It was primarily a Thanksgiving for the GES teachers (a Christian school here in Bangkok, many of the teachers come to CCC). It was held by a family in the church. This celebration had the best dessert by far. Lots of selection, lots of quality. Good friends and conversations. Some people played some video games, but I was not amongst that crowd this time around.
The following pictures are what happen when you hand a camera to a middle school student and say have fun...

 (Susan's mouth.  Weird.)

 

(Some others who came to this party.  It's fun to take pictures of their cups instead of real people.)

(Just me.)

So three Thanksgivings, but none on the actual Thanksgiving day. I guess that is part of living overseas where US holidays are not necessarily observed. It was definitely a strange feeling. I think Thanksgiving has been one of my favorite holidays in the States because it gives us a day to reflect and think about how God has worked in our lives for the past year. And there are so many things that Susan and I have been thankful for this year: a unique job, a pregnancy, and drawing closer to God. That's what I call a triple Thanksgiving.

Be Real: Church Retreat 2009

November 14-17, 2009. Susan and I were on another adventure. Actually, this was one of the first time's Susan has been out in order to have fun since the pregnancy started making her feel terrible. Our weekend started on Friday afternoon at the church. We boarded the bus and were on our way. Due to lack of foresight by the bus driver, it took us almost 20 minutes to leave Nichada Thani (the subdivision we live in here). It should not have taken that long, but that's part of the joy of mass transit.

We arrived at the resort late, so everyone ran off to the first session. During the evening sessions at the retreat (and thus, this session), I was hanging out with the middle school students. Friday night we played Mafia. It did not go over as well as I had hoped. Lots of cheating and failure to listen to instructions. Ah, the joy of being a youth pastor.

(Some middle school students)

Saturday was great. We woke up, had breakfast, and I was the presenter for the morning session. For the weekend our theme was based on the book The PAPA Prayer by Larry Crabb, a book about relational prayer (read my review of it here). I spoke about how our perceptions of God affect our prayer life. We looked at the wrong ways we perceive God and then used the vision of Jesus in Revelation 1 as one image of God that is clearly presented in the Bible.

Saturday was to be a free day, but I had a paintball engagement with the High School youth from 3-5. Susan came along (but did not paintball with us). We had a lot of fun. I got hit a lot, but also personally took the flag in one game. Good times. We are still working on relationships with these students, and paintball was a great way to break some of the ice.

(We take paintball VERY seriously)

 

(One shot hit my mask, and splattered through the vents, leaving this mark on my face)

Saturday night, back with Middle School. We watched Night at the Museum 2. The DVD player was not set up correctly, we had about 15 minutes of technical difficulty, and the sound was never right through the whole night. Kids talked, walked around, ordered fries and billed it to their parents room, and were basically annoying most of the night. Aaargh. But I survived, and enjoyed a round of San Juan with some friends before heading off to bed.

Sunday morning Dave spoke, we had communion, ate lunch and made our way back home. The bus ride seemed like an eternity on the ride home. I'm not sure why. I was exhausted by the time we got home in the afternoon.

I really enjoyed the retreat. The best part was Susan was able to out and about. So all the cool people I've met, she finally got to meet and hang out with. We were really able to connect to some GES teachers (a Christian school here in Bangkok), which is great because they are really close to our age and have similar interests. And as we all know, Susan is my better half, so people enjoyed laughing at how we interact in conversations the whole weekend.

(Susan and Kwan)

That's all for today.  Up soon--Triple Thanksgiving Celebration!

Hands on Bangkok

The last few weekends have been chaotic to say the least. I've been meaning to write, but have been so exhausted on Mondays (my day off), I have not really gotten around to writing up our stories. So for the next few days I'll be writing updates from the month of November..

First up: Hands on Bangkok. November 5-7, 2009. This event begins with a middle school student lock-in. Lots of fun ensued. First up: Capture the flag at the soccer fields of the International School of Bangkok (ISB). We ordered tons of pizza (of which we had tons left over the next day). Then we had a few rounds of sardines (a kind of reverse hide-and-go-seek, where one person hides, and everyone who finds them joins in the hiding). The first round of sardines was a little rough—the finders shouted that they discovered the person hiding, and the round was over super quick. But no fear, they caught on when we clarified some of the rules (Hide WITH the hidden person!). We finished up the evening watching Monsters vs. Aliens (pretty fun movie, the best is Stephen Colbert voicing the President of the USA). By the time the movie ended at around 2am, 90% of the kids were asleep already. I stayed up until around 3:30am. That floor was freaking hard, and I'm not as adaptable to rock hard floors as I once was.  The next morning we ate breakfast brought in by parents. Then we headed off to The Rainbow House to complete our weekend event. The Rainbow House is an orphanage here in Bangkok. This orphanage specifically takes care of handicapped orphans (both physically and mentally). This was definitely the highlight of the weekend. We outnumbered the orphans, but it was really cool to see these middle school students working with the orphans. We played games, hung out with, and held these precious children of God.

I know lock-ins are the bane of many a youth pastor's existence. I actually like them. And this event was even better because of the trip to the orphanage. I would definitely recommend having a service our outreach project attached to a lock-in event. It does make for a longer second day (usually my day for recovery). However, if you make the kids sleep a little at night and actually have a positive event the next day, the rewards are better than just having a fun overnight event. This is the same pattern we used for 30 Hour Famine in the States. If you can, take an extra-extra day off, because this kind of weekend can be very draining.  And what lock-in is complete without some damage to church property?  Thankfully it was minimal, just a wall-sconce hit by a pillow.  Not too bad!
Here's a few pics:

 

 

 

To finish up, I'll try to add a fun video about lock-ins that Susan and I saw premiered at a National Youth Worker's Conference. Tomorrow you'll hear about our Church Retreat. Fun times.

Breaking Out

When you live in a foreign country you have to adjust. It is the small things that change where you are from just a place that you live to a place that is your home. For us, adjusting to Bangkok is taking time. With Susan so sick from the pregnancy we have not been able to go out and about Bangkok very much. And without a reason to travel far, I have not driven much outside of our immediate community.

So today we took one small step for acclimatization. I drove us to the hospital for our baby check up (we had the Senior Pastor's wife, Maryanne, navigate for us. Thanks Maryanne!). I know that does not seem earth shattering, but when I got home, and I realized, "Hey, I can do this!" that was huge. Honestly, it made me feel just a little more connected to this country. I've been on the highway. I've driven to a specific location downtown. I can get there again. It's not much, but it made me feel like I'm a little more home than I was before.

(A cool picture of the highway in downtown Bangkok)

I've been thinking a lot lately about what some of those other little things might be that could help me feel like I am actually home instead of feeling like I'm waiting out a siege before I can breathe fresh air again. Because I want Bangkok to feel like home. I want this to be a place that I feel settled. And I'm getting glimpses (not full pictures, just glimpses) of being able to live here for many years.

Sometimes getting to that next level just takes one small step. Today it was driving my car to the hospital. What will tomorrow bring?

(Bumrungrad Hospital—where we are having our baby)

Adventures in Malaysia

Last week Susan and I had to make a trip to Penang, Malaysia in order to get new visas. While this is a fairly standard trip in this part of the world, it was still our first time making a visa run. And it was not as smooth as we hoped.

First, I must tell you that there are a number of types of visas you can get in Thailand. There is your standard tourist visa (30-60 days). The visa we are actually waiting to get is a one year visa. But the one year visa for us was not ready yet, so we were going to apply for the 60 day tourist visa.

On the way to the airport on Wednesday, I got a call saying that maybe my one year visa was ready. I'd get an email later that evening. The airport and plane ride were alright. Susan was getting a little tired by the end, but she was a real trooper in the midst of it all.

That night we found out our one year visa was not ready, but maybe by noon the next day it would be.

Unfortunately the consulate only accepts visas from 9-12 in the morning. No applications are accepted in the afternoon. So Thursday, we waited until noon, found out our one year visa was not ready (still), and it might not be for a few more days. We would have to get the 60 day visa as originally planned. We made a quick trip to the consulate just in case they accepted applications in the afternoon. They don't.

So Friday morning we go to the consulate. We also get the best taxi driver in the world. His name is Raja. We don't have a copy of some paperwork, so Raja takes us to a copy place and back to the consulate. We drop of our paperwork, and are told we can pick it up at 3:30pm. Our plane leaves at 5, and the airport is about 45-60 minutes away. I begin to panic. I don't think we are going to make it. I beg the consulate worker to let us pick it up earlier. He tells me to plan better. I try to explain about the waiting from the day before, but he won't hear it. I tell him about my airplane leaving at 5. He is barely moved. Then he begrudgingly says "Maybe, maybe it will be ready by 3:15." Thanks.

So, our taxi driver says he will pick us up at 2:30 to go to the consulate and then the airport. We like him, so we accept. He arrives promptly at 2:30, and we are at the consulate by 2:45. They don't like that I am early. We wait. The guard actually asked if our visa was ready a few times (he wouldn't let me into the consulate area, but at least he asked).

At 3, the consulate worker asks me if I have a copy of my airline ticket. I give him the receipt. He comes out 5 minutes later.

I think he is going to yell at me because he starts off—"This is the first and last time!..." And then he tells me to plan better, next time he will not give our visas to us early. I was a little scared because I thought he was going to tell me this is the first and last time I can apply for a visa! But you know what? I got the visas when I wanted them, so there you have it. Sure I got yelled at, and given a stern look, but I still walked away a little after 3 with my 60 day tourist visa.

So by 3:05 we are heading to the airport. It still might be tight, but I'm thinking maybe we'll actually make it. This is where I find out that Raja is more than just a nice taxi driver (which he was), but that he is an AWESOME taxi driver. We are at the airport in 30 minutes. He was cutting through traffic like a knife through butter. He dodged and weaved and got us to the airport in about half the time it took for us to get to our hotel (which is really near the consulate). I felt safe the whole time, nothing insane, but there was a determination in his driving. I kept Raja's card. If anyone is in Penang and needs an awesome taxi driver, I'll gladly give you his number.

We get checked in at the airport, and then we started waiting. Our flight was delayed. No need for all the drama and rushing. We had nearly an hour delay. So Susan and I just get to chill. Which is nice, because the other time I had a stressful day going to the airport I had to run through the Atlanta airport just to get to the plane on time. This was way better than that experience!

The moral of the story, apply for your visas with plenty of time to spare.

The irony of the story? Susan and I will have to repeat the experience when my one year visa becomes available. Joy.

Random Thoughts

• In case you missed the news, Susan is pregnant! A little Jones baby is on their way, early May is the due date.
  
• This has been a difficult week, but we had a great weekend! Susan was able to go to church (first time in a few weeks). She had strength and was coherent through most of the day, woo-hoo! Sadly, today has not been a repeat of yesterday. Back to the ick for Susan (sorry babe).
  
• Some thoughts about babies:
  
• I was wondering if our baby, who is only 1.16cm( ½ inch), can cause this much havoc at its current size, what kind of havoc will it be causing when it is 5ft? or 6ft tall?
  
• The OB said our baby was about 50% head right now. My thought is, what if we always kept those proportions? What if I was 50% noggin right now? Would I have a body that was 3 feet, and then a head that was 3 feet? Or would I have a body that was a little over 5 feet and a head that was a little over 5 feet? And what would that look like? We'd probably attack each other with head-butts all the time. Or maybe we would have additional mental powers because our brains would be so large. I would like to be telepathic. That would be cool. I wonder if my baby is telepathic right now? With a head like that it just might be! And then I thought about an example of what we would look like. One of my heroes--Strong Bad.

• Some thoughts about Thailand:
  
• I'm loving the motorcycle. I like to take the long way to the supermarket or to work occasionally just to feel the wind in my face.
  
• I'm loving thai food. Green curry is awesome. Red curry is awesome. Their seafood is, yeah you guessed it, awesome.
  
• Surreal experience of the week: hiring a maid. Maids are a standard in this community. I have never considered myself "rich" enough to afford one, but I'm excited to have one here. And as strange as having a maid seems to me, we really need one right now. Since I'm working and Susan's puking, someone has to help us keep the house clean.
  
• Some thoughts on God:
  
• I have had some tough days in the last few weeks. I'm experiencing all kinds of pressures. But in the midst of the storm, God is calling me to draw closer to him. So I have. In my mind's eye I see myself cuddling up on God's lap and letting him know what's going on in my life. He lets me cry, but he also makes me smile.
  
• So what's been different? I'm doing what the pastor ordered. Getting into my Bible. I just spend a few minutes reading and thinking about who God is. I've also spent a lot more time opening my journal and writing in it. Making my thoughts and feelings become concrete is very therapeutic to me. So I have given myself the time to write and think that I know is so healthy for me.
  
• In the midst of all of this, my friend Rick Byers reminded me of something that I have often taught on and believe with my whole heart: God works through our weaknesses. If I am able to do it all by myself, I will quickly find that I do not need God in my life. So in the midst of my bad days, I realize that God has me where I need to be, relying on Him to bring me through this day. If only this lesson did not require me to actually be weak!!!!
  
• Up next:
  
• No huge plans for the week.  Hoping for a good week.
  

Boy Scouts and Thailand

When I was in college, my junior and senior years, I worked at for the Boy Scouts as a chaplain. I was getting my first dose of ministry. It was not particularly difficult, but I did have some unique challenges. Believe it or not my main job as chaplain was not the Sunday service or the Chaplain's Aide program. It wasn't even praying daily for our meals (although I did all of these things). My main job was to keep kids who were freaking out about being away from home from leaving on Monday or Tuesday.

The scout week started on Sunday afternoon. Troops checked in, ate a quick bite of grub, and came to my chapel service. On Sunday almost everyone is excited to be there. But come Monday morning, a few of the kids start to crack. They have never been away from mom and dad for this long. They are hours away from home. They do not have many close friends in the Boy Scout troop. And suddenly home is a much better option than Boy Scout camp. Mom's loving embrace is better than shooting that shotgun for the first time. Dad's voice is more soothing than basket-weaving. And the desire to return home becomes a health problem. It had a simple diagnosis though, it's called home sickness.

So my task was to get a scout to stick it out Monday (come on, it's the first real day, give it a chance). Monday nights were the worst. So I would talk to the kids. I usually just had to calm them down. A scout who is far away from his family will get himself so worked up that he can't even eat. It was crazy. So I'd chat about the awesome video games they had, or what kind of fishing pole they used, or what kind of model rocket they were building. It was a band-aid to a deeper problem. But if I talked them through Monday night, and I did not let them call home (that was a sure fire way to see them leave), I could usually talk them through Tuesday night. By Wednesday I almost never had to talk to a scout. Wednesday was my target because I knew if they were good through Wednesday, they were good through Saturday. No problem. They adjusted, got over their fears, and began to have fun at scout camp. I know some of them just sucked it up and still did not like camp, but a kid who made it to Wednesday wanted to stay.

You are probably asking yourself: "What the heck does Patrick being a chaplain at a Boy Scout camp over 5 years ago have to do with Thailand?" And it's a valid question. And the answer is easy.

Right now I feel like that scout who was freaking out on Monday morning. Susan and I have been in Thailand for 6 weeks and the excitement and wonder of moving to a new place has been replaced with a heavy realization that we are not at home anymore. Everything is different. We left the safety of a church that loved us (and that we loved!), relative proximity to family, and the comfort of our native culture. And it is just dawning on me (I'll let Susan speak for herself) that we are here in Thailand. And it is proving stressful and hard. I am having to re-learn ministry. Why does seminary not prepare you for this kind of stuff? This church is nothing like our previous church. That is not a judgment on either church, they are simply different, not better or worse. But I only knew the one and now I have to learn the other.

And if my life right now is a parallel to those days at camp, then there is good news. In my whole time at camp I can only recall ever "losing" 2 or 3 scouts before Wednesday. Maybe a few left quietly, but if I talked to 2-3 a week and we had camp for 12 weeks a summer, and I served for 2 summers (24 weeks), I'd say I did pretty darn well. The odds are definitely in my favor.

Here is where I am.  It's Monday night at camp, and I need to make it to Wednesday. I know that if I make it to Wednesday I'll stay through Saturday. No sweat. I'll love this new place. I'll love this unique experience. Really I have a once in a lifetime opportunity that I believe is God's calling on my life. But I'm freaking out a little, and I kind of wish I had a chaplain here to talk me through the rough times. And then I thought about this verse:

John 16:5-7 "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."

And I'm just guessing that as far as a counselor goes, The Holy Spirit is a lot better at his job than I was at mine. Wednesday here I come.

-patrick