Greetings from
Sahatsakhan,
We promised you an update of
our move/new life in Northeastern Thailand…here it is! We also thought we’d
share with you some cultural stories that we’ve experienced to help you get a
feel for this new place in which we’re living.
Raw….
During our first month here
in Isaan, we ate some real Isaan food at our neighbors. This included sticky
rice with beef laap (it’s spelled larb at Thai-American
restaurants), small, fresh clams that they had caught, and also something
called gooy. I (Jason) had eaten gooy
a few days before with some Isaan men who helped move our furniture. The
neighbors asked us, “Can you eat gooy?” and I said, “Yes,” and then they
started to talk about how it is “nua diip” which means: raw beef! So I ate a little to be polite and it is very
tasty because of the spices, but it does cause some stomach issues
(which I later found out). Jenn had a good excuse and did not eat that
one. We felt that these neighbors were
really trying to honor us by serving us beef. Beef is very expensive in
Thailand, we would usually eat pork or chicken.
Out of the shower…
I (Jay) went to an older
couple’s house to drop off a radio in a village near our home. The radio uses a
SIM card that
allows you to hear the gospel
and Christian songs in the Isaan language. The older man whom was receiving the
radio can barely see so I needed to show the wife how to use the radio. Well,
to my surprise the old lady comes out to talk with me after getting out of the
shower…with no top on! This of course shocked me, but to an older Isaan woman
living in the sticks, it’s a norm. The lady sat down in front of me and we had
a little conversation for about 10 minutes before she covered herself with a
towel. This story has caused some good laughs for us and other missionaries.
As you can tell Isaan culture
is very different from American culture. Sometimes the differences feel a bit
awkward or stressful for our family, but we are glad for the laughs that a lot
of these situations bring!
Life as it is…
Since we’ve moved to Isaan,
life has changed pretty dramatically. We’ve moved from the Thai city of Lopburi
to an Isaan/Lao speaking area in the Northeastern countryside. We live on the
outskirts of the district and have a paddy/rice field as a backyard. We left
behind many dear missionary friends from language school and Thai friends. We
are slowly starting to meet new people, local and missionary. We are fortunate
to have our friends, the Haechton family, about 45 minutes north of us, and to
have our senior missionaries (Rolf & Elfi) living in our exact same town.
Life as a missionary, as we are finding, is one of constant transition. We have
found this year in Thailand to be the harder one, we covet your prayers as we
continue to adjust to our new home.
Moriah
Miss Moriah turns 4 on the 9th
of February! We have taken some holiday time during her birthday so we will be
celebrating at OMF’s beach guest house with some old missionary friends.
We are very thankful for your
partnership in the gospel, and the sacrifices you make to see the gospel go out
in this land. I am thankful that it is not me who brings people to God, but God
who brings people to Himself. Therefore, it is not necessarily partnering with
us, but it’s more of joining God in what He is doing in the land of Isaan. You
all bring much encouragement to our family, thank you!
-Jason, Jenn & Moriah
“He has made us
competent as ministers of a new covenant” (2 Cor 3:6).
Praises
-Thank you for praying for
the Christmas outreaches. Jason was able to participate in about 10 outreaches
(in villages and schools) that Rolf/Elfi put together along with the mission
teams that came in town.
-A Thai Christian family
recently moved to Sahatsakhan and has started a Christian kid’s club in their
village! So amazing! We praise God for the work that HE is doing in Sahatsakhan
Prayer
-Continued adjustment to
Sahatsakhan / continued language study
-For the Christians in
Sahatsakhan, that they would be faithful in meeting together and united in love
for each other
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