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| Thailand - Motorbike & 2nd House |
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
First 2008 Thailand Post
Well some of this will be a repeat for some, but maybe, just maybe, you learn something different and that new knowledge will make you far more rounded and allow you to ascend to new heights.
So around February 26th I left the USA bent on seeing the world or at least seeing part of the world I had just seen 7 months ago. My airplane accelerated on the runway only to go back to the terminal. 30-45m later we found out that the elevator or the elevator indicator light wasn't working and we're going to try again. I suppose if an elevator isn't working the plane won't go up at all so I figure if we made it into the air all was okay. Given that fact that my clone robot is writing to you I guess you know how that story ended.
So to MSP I went and then to Tokyo. I boarded the plane to Bangkok only to be told we'd be moving planes as leaking dripping oil from one of two engines wasn't all that great for safety. Someone, who we shall call "Gary Hewlott", told me I should have stood up and yelled, "We're all going to die!" when we were still on the ground. I still get a chuckle over that for some reason.
So I made it to Chiang Rai. Thankfully, it was a cooler week (70s) so my transition from sub-0 F weather to sunny Thai weather wasn’t so bad. Now it’s starting to heat up for hot season so it’s hitting low 90s in the afternoon I think.
I was picked up and dropped off at a guest house/hotel 1/2 mile from the YWAM training center/base. This is the guest house with all the huge expensive animal statues, but no sink in the bathroom. I stayed there about a week and then moved into town to a nicer place. Due to a translation problem it ended up being $100/month more than what was originally said (supposedly). Oh well. But for now I’m at a real life house with a real kitchen, sink, and fridge, etc. It’s nice to be there. I’ll be staying there until mid-May and then I go back to the nicer hotel for 20 more days to finish out a one-month contract with them. It’s a bit complicated, but it works out in the end...I think. I’ll be moving into my own house in mid-June.
So what am I doing in Chiang Rai, Thailand?
I’m going to be doing the base accounting. I’ll be recording and helping out with budgeting and such. I’ll also help hand out cash where it’s needed and make sure things run smoothly from a financial standpoint. I know...super turbo extreme work. I wear a diaper to work each day ‘cause I just don’t know what’ll happen that day! Also, if anyone needs a quick loan in Thai Baht please let me know. Just kidding. That would be extremely irresponsible and a complete misappropriation of funds! (...offer still stands).
The base here is expanding it’s programs so they need a bit more accountability and tracking of funds as things become more complicated. In 2009 they’ll have a School of Biblical Studies and a healthcare school along with the regular Discipleship Training School. I’ll be helping to set up accounting systems for all these schools and getting everything budgeted out correctly. They want to be able to take out a "per diem" for each school to cover all the basics like food and electricity. We’ll take them out of the tuition fees and then they’ll only have to budget for speaker costs and specific school costs. I’ll handle all the accounting for that. Sounds fun, huh? But seriously, I do enjoy it and I’ve always like the business end of missions so it’s really been an answer to prayer. I wasn’t totally sure what I’d be doing when I came back so it’s a relief.
So far things have been going well here. I enjoy hanging out with the two English speaking DTS students. One is from France and the other from India. I just realized how weird that sounds to say the English students are from France and India. The guy from France is married and they are both coming over to my house this weekend to make me what I think is a French dish. I told them that it better not be French Fries because those are now called Freedom Fries and they can’t take our freedom any longer. No, I didn’t tell him that, but I wanted to so it counts, right?
It will be nice to finally settle into a house that is mine in June. However, I’m just not sure how much work there will be when the DTS or other schools are not in session (June-Dec). I’ll be playing that by ear. There is a big gap there. It’s hard to justify being someplace where you work four months out of the year. I could study Thai full-time in the "off season", but I’m not sure how long I want to stay in Thailand. No point in becoming fluent in a language you won’t use after a year. I’m thinking that maybe I’ll be here to help get the system up and running and then I’ll train someone else in. Then maybe go elsewhere and repeat. Rinse and repeat.
I have a heart to do some kind of sports ministry, youth mentorship like being DTS staff, business stuff like I’m doing now, helping less fortunate people setup small businesses, maybe work in an orphanage, maybe work in a refugee camp, or become a professional chocolate tester. You can see that I don’t have a shortage of passions. It’s the way it’s always been I guess.
But plans always change so who’s to say what will actually happen. I’m sure the Lord will guide me wherever I go.
So around February 26th I left the USA bent on seeing the world or at least seeing part of the world I had just seen 7 months ago. My airplane accelerated on the runway only to go back to the terminal. 30-45m later we found out that the elevator or the elevator indicator light wasn't working and we're going to try again. I suppose if an elevator isn't working the plane won't go up at all so I figure if we made it into the air all was okay. Given that fact that my clone robot is writing to you I guess you know how that story ended.
So to MSP I went and then to Tokyo. I boarded the plane to Bangkok only to be told we'd be moving planes as leaking dripping oil from one of two engines wasn't all that great for safety. Someone, who we shall call "Gary Hewlott", told me I should have stood up and yelled, "We're all going to die!" when we were still on the ground. I still get a chuckle over that for some reason.
So I made it to Chiang Rai. Thankfully, it was a cooler week (70s) so my transition from sub-0 F weather to sunny Thai weather wasn’t so bad. Now it’s starting to heat up for hot season so it’s hitting low 90s in the afternoon I think.
I was picked up and dropped off at a guest house/hotel 1/2 mile from the YWAM training center/base. This is the guest house with all the huge expensive animal statues, but no sink in the bathroom. I stayed there about a week and then moved into town to a nicer place. Due to a translation problem it ended up being $100/month more than what was originally said (supposedly). Oh well. But for now I’m at a real life house with a real kitchen, sink, and fridge, etc. It’s nice to be there. I’ll be staying there until mid-May and then I go back to the nicer hotel for 20 more days to finish out a one-month contract with them. It’s a bit complicated, but it works out in the end...I think. I’ll be moving into my own house in mid-June.
So what am I doing in Chiang Rai, Thailand?
I’m going to be doing the base accounting. I’ll be recording and helping out with budgeting and such. I’ll also help hand out cash where it’s needed and make sure things run smoothly from a financial standpoint. I know...super turbo extreme work. I wear a diaper to work each day ‘cause I just don’t know what’ll happen that day! Also, if anyone needs a quick loan in Thai Baht please let me know. Just kidding. That would be extremely irresponsible and a complete misappropriation of funds! (...offer still stands).
The base here is expanding it’s programs so they need a bit more accountability and tracking of funds as things become more complicated. In 2009 they’ll have a School of Biblical Studies and a healthcare school along with the regular Discipleship Training School. I’ll be helping to set up accounting systems for all these schools and getting everything budgeted out correctly. They want to be able to take out a "per diem" for each school to cover all the basics like food and electricity. We’ll take them out of the tuition fees and then they’ll only have to budget for speaker costs and specific school costs. I’ll handle all the accounting for that. Sounds fun, huh? But seriously, I do enjoy it and I’ve always like the business end of missions so it’s really been an answer to prayer. I wasn’t totally sure what I’d be doing when I came back so it’s a relief.
So far things have been going well here. I enjoy hanging out with the two English speaking DTS students. One is from France and the other from India. I just realized how weird that sounds to say the English students are from France and India. The guy from France is married and they are both coming over to my house this weekend to make me what I think is a French dish. I told them that it better not be French Fries because those are now called Freedom Fries and they can’t take our freedom any longer. No, I didn’t tell him that, but I wanted to so it counts, right?
It will be nice to finally settle into a house that is mine in June. However, I’m just not sure how much work there will be when the DTS or other schools are not in session (June-Dec). I’ll be playing that by ear. There is a big gap there. It’s hard to justify being someplace where you work four months out of the year. I could study Thai full-time in the "off season", but I’m not sure how long I want to stay in Thailand. No point in becoming fluent in a language you won’t use after a year. I’m thinking that maybe I’ll be here to help get the system up and running and then I’ll train someone else in. Then maybe go elsewhere and repeat. Rinse and repeat.
I have a heart to do some kind of sports ministry, youth mentorship like being DTS staff, business stuff like I’m doing now, helping less fortunate people setup small businesses, maybe work in an orphanage, maybe work in a refugee camp, or become a professional chocolate tester. You can see that I don’t have a shortage of passions. It’s the way it’s always been I guess.
But plans always change so who’s to say what will actually happen. I’m sure the Lord will guide me wherever I go.
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