Body Parts

 Dear Readers,

Here is the next in the series of blogs taken from the book, “River Crossings”, a journal of our time in Bangkok more than a decade ago. Several folks last week assumed that what they read was “today’s news” and so assumed that I was about to be a grandmother again! Time marches on …

 

Have you ever stood on the beach and let the waves lap at your feet? You might notice that after a few waves your feet have disappeared and even though they’re still there, they’re now buried in sand. Well, that’s like riding the commuter train every morning in Bangkok. You get in, which in itself looks like an undoable task till others start pushing from behind. Then with each consecutive station, the ‘waves’ of people push you further and further into the sands of humanity. By now your feet have disappeared as well as your husband and you pray for something to lean against or at least a place to hang on. That’s where I found myself the other day. I was blissfully shoved up against one of the poles in the middle of the car. This is considered to be a lucky break, because now you have a foundation to brace yourself when the sways and turns come. Of course, there are always bumps on the pole of one sort or another, joints, patches, etc. The top half of my anatomy had become ‘one with the pole’, and it was all good. After a few stops, I casually noticed the rather red and uncomfortable face of a student standing directly opposite me at the pole. It was then that I realized that one of the ‘bumps’ was actually his hand, firmly buried in my small but amply imposing chest.

Of course, the good missionary that I am, I jumped back enough to release the pressure so that he could disengage his hand. Then I said in my very best Thai, an emphatic “Khap-khoon—MAAK Kha!… He got off at the next stop, right before I realized that instead of saying “Sorry, excuse me!” I’d said… “Thank you SO MUCH!” I’ll ride in a different car from now on.

Hope you have a great week. When you read this I’ll have a daughter who has left her teenage years behind and my son and daughter in love (and baby makes three) who will be with us for ten days tearing up Thailand while we continue to try to figure out how to say “sorry” instead of “thank you!”.

God Bless,

Marsha and Tony

“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. (Acts 22:1-2)


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