Getting There and By What

 (Note to reader: This is another in our series of “River Crossing” blogs, written while we were in Thailand (2009 -2011). Enjoy!)

In Bangkok we don’t have a car. That means we have a variety of transportation options at our disposal. We try to walk most everywhere, but of course we often go further than the neighborhood. Most of the time I feel quite blessed to be able to raise my hand wherever I am and a sleek A/C taxi pulls up. Then the fun begins: will he speak any English, will he understand my Thai, will he go 90miles an hour thru the streets, or will he take the ‘back way’ thus running up the fare? Other modes for movement are the famous ‘sky train’ that is clean and cool, but bastioned above hundreds of steps, making it nearly as much work getting to as the trip itself. Besides that, it’s pretty limited in where it goes. There are buses and a subway, but we haven’t really demystified those yet. Where do you get on? How do you get off? What does it cost? With all the canals in Bangkok, another option is a boat, and that’s what we needed last night.

It seems our little street floods every time there’s a sprinkle of rain. As I walked out last night to go to a meeting, I picked up several items of rubbish that had floated into our yard the day before. Then as the prayer meeting droned on, the rain poured, and as we approached our ‘soy’ or street in the taxi, we knew we’d be doing what we’ve come to think of as normal: WADING. Last night it was only over our knees, but it has been thigh deep before. I never thought standing before the mirror for that last minute check before leaving would involve, “Can I swim in this?”

I guess this problem won’t go away, so we’ll just buy some more Dettol/Lysol. Ain’t life grand? 

If you happened to see our pictures posted here and there, you might have noticed the one with Tony “driving” an elephant. You can also see how I feel most days by the look on my face. I’m thinking, “What in the world are we doing? HOW are we going to get this pachyderm off the tree he seems to have collided with?” 

That pretty well sums up our mood these days. We have a few skills now in the Thai language, but where we’re going with it is still a mystery. Our work and our future is still undefined as we struggle with the language. We experience small victories every day (not unlike finally getting ON the elephant)... but now we wonder... 

Pray with us as the plan unfolds. We feel that God wants us here; we’re just having to remember that it’s a day-by-day walk, and God only knows what the Grand Plan is! Meanwhile we enjoy life, LOVED the visit from our kids and are forging on! 

May your elephant be cooperative this week! 

Marsha

We live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)