Ministry: Beautiful Feet Ministry
Chiang Mai and nearby villages
What we did:
-Visited prison and hospital to pray and be a part of devotionals. Shared our testimonies.
-Cleared out storage room at a Buddhist school, cleaned and painted the room in preparation for it to be turned into a science lab for the school.
-Taught English.
-Watched and spoke at school programs including graduations and a parent's day.
-Worked on halfway house farm.
-Helped with setting foundation of new halfway house.
-Visited bed-ridden women to share songs and pray with her.
-Took a girl from the church to the hospital.
-Spent time with local church members.
-Monk ministry (visiting temples and having conversations with monks there).
-Painted outside wall at the school.
-Met locals and supported local businesses.
-Continued building connections for future Beautiful Feet Ministries' work.
Thailand was a full month and it felt like we were always going, so I may be forgetting something but we had a great time with our host Pat and loved partnering in all he's doing in the Chiang Mai area!
The people of Thailand were very kind to us and wherever we went it seemed they wanted to feed us or take care of us in some way! The church provides a meal each Sunday and the school fed us whenever we were there at lunchtime. The school would also randomly treat us to things such as lemon tea, coconut ice cream, broad beans, and milk tea. We were spoiled by the graciousness in Thailand, just like we have been in many of the places we've visited during our race.
Language and communication:
-Sawadee khan for hello for women; Sawadee krap said by men.
-Kha/krap can also mean yes
-Kha puhn kha: thank you
-Wai is the bowing hands of acknowledgement and respect. The higher the wai, the more respect meant. You should wai first to important people such as pastors, government officials, doctors/nurses, teachers, and those who are double your age or gray. Don't wai first to people in the service industry or children.
-Pii- uncle/aunt/elder; used by children to show respect to their elders.
-Farang- started from when the French came and originally meant French but now used to refer to anyone not from the east.
-People here ask a lot of questions and a common greeting is "where are you going?" or "where have you been?" or "have you eaten lately?"
-Loudness is very culturally unacceptable. They will not call out to one another. Shouting is considered impolite.
-Negative emotions should not be displayed. Anger is offensive and will cause you to lose respect.
When visiting a Thai home:
-Hosts will always give you something to drink. It's okay to drink because they filter the water they drink.
-It's polite to bring something with you to share such as fruit or drink.
-If people are sitting on the floor, walk around and not through them. Do not step over people or books.
-If you buy snacks around Thai people, they'll expect them to be shared. They will share their snacks too.
-Sometimes the Thai person is only trying to be polite. If you refuse by saying "no thank you" three times and they persist they genuinely want you to accept.
-Stay away from street dogs, they have rabies. Without the injection it has a 100% mortality rate (according to our YWAM hosts).
Religion:
-"To be Thai is to be Buddhist" is a saying here. Over 95% of the population is Buddhist.
-4% of the population is Muslim and 1% is Christian.
-All Buddha images are considered sacred objects. Thailand is very respectful of religions and will respect your religion and expect theirs to be given respect too.
-Thais also worship "spirits" that they believe exist in natural objects such as trees, stones, water, etc. Spirit worship has been here as long as their have been Thai people.
-Ladies can talk to monks but should keep a good distance and never directly hand anything to them; ask someone to hand it to them or set it on the ground.
-Huge belief in Karma. Makes it hard for them to help others because they believe the bad fortune was deserved. It also makes them skeptical of Jesus dying on the cross because they assume he must have deserved it.
Other things:
-66 million people, 20th most populated country in the world.
-Only country in South-east Asia that hasn't been colonized by a European country.
-Thailand's name in the Thai language is Prathet Thai meaning "land of the free."
– They still have a king who is well loved. When you hear the anthem you are supposed to stop and show respect to the King. Christians will take the time to pray to God and pray for the country and the King. The anthem plays at places like movie theaters and twice daily on the streets, although we never heard it and that may be because we were often at schools or the farm during the day. It seems there are areas that do not play it. When it plays in the streets, pedestrian, students, and commuters are required to stop.
-Don't step on money because it has the king on it. When giving money to people, give it to people with the king face up to show respect.
-Thailand is the world's longest reigning monarch.
-The movie "The King and I" is illegal in Thailand because it shows a past King (not the current King).
-The king plays the saxophone and composed Thailand's national anthem.
-Thai people love the king very much because he went to Northern Thailand and created a way to plant vegetables and sell them through markets to hotels and guest houses. He successfully replaced the growth of opium for a sustainable economy. They feel the king has a heart for them.
-We were told that heads are the most respected part of the body and you should never touch someone's head, including children, but we saw teachers touch students on the head so the verdict is still our. We were also told not to pass things over heads and that you should never lay hands on someone without asking.
-The dirtiest part of the body is considered to be the feet. (I've been saying this for years!) You should never show the bottom of the foot to others. Don't turn on appliances with your feet.
-Do not point with one finger. If you direct someone or need to point, use your whole hand.
-We were told that the Thai people are big on showing affection such as holding hands, hugging, and even touching the butt. They will do that even to foreigners. This happens with women and men but not across genders. This didn't happen to me here as much as it did in other countries, but again we were working with children and it may just be a coincidence that we didn't see it.
-People are very curious and will ask anything.
-There are many attractive women in Thailand and many men fully dress as woman. Men dressed as woman is very common in Bangkok.
-Surgery to alter appearance is very common in Thailand. Appearance and looking good is very important and beauty and money are very important to them. Some will even wear braces that they don't need because it shows that they have money. You will rarely see old vehicles because you are judged by the kind of car you drive. They don't invite people to their houses and sometimes have no wealth or possessions at home but have a nice car. This is the country that I felt we were told most often that we are beautiful.
-Thai women will try to date foreign men because of the perception that foreigners provide wealth. Often times foreigners mistreat women.
-Alcohol and drug misuse is common here.
-Dress is important. If you are a foreigner they will probably assume you are a Christian. Neatness and cleanliness is very important to them. The better you dress the more respect you will get. It is common for them to shower several times a day, especially in hot weather. Long pants are worn in all settings. Shorts are just for sports. Capris are okay.
-Tipping is common here. For an established restaurant you tip 5%, for something like a massage 10%.
-To call a taxi or a person, do so with your palm down.
-Gifts are opened in private.
-Pass things with your right hand and never throw things.
-In the North, they will give you their very last meal because they are generous hosts.
-Thais accept lots without resentment. Usually give an appearance of being carefree (regardless of if it's true or not).
We had yet another amazing month in Thailand!
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