I thought I was over Africa. Before leaving a few weeks ago,
I was tired of being pointed at, asked for money, and followed because I was
white. I never wanted to hear the word “mzungu” ever again. However, slightly
more than one week later I found myself in tears watching a Pepsi commercial
about the upcoming World Cup in South Africa. I couldn’t believe it, but I
missed so much about that nation. I missed the loving people, the grass huts
and Acacia trees, I missed the enormous sky, and more stars than I had ever
seen in my life. For almost two weeks I had been unconsciously grieving Africa.
Stepping off the plane in Bangkok, Thailand was like
stepping back into America: McDonalds, 7-11, and KFC line
the streets. Malls
with at least four stories carry designer clothes, and the roads are smooth and
full of nice cars. While a few months ago in a grass hut I was dreaming of such
civilization, it did not make me any more content. I had landed in “the land of smiles” but I had not encountered the joy I felt in Africa.
After debrief in Hua Hin, my squad and I traveled to Bangkok
for cultural orientation before dispersing for ministry sties all around the
country. After most of the squad left, my team was left in Bangkok for one more
day. This day would alter my feelings toward this nation.
Songkran is Thailand’s three day New Year’s celebration.
From April 13 through the 16, people stop everything to have a nationwide water
fight. People line the streets with hoses and buckets of water, throwing it on
everyone who walks by in order to bless them for the new year. The more wet you
become, the more blessed you will be. Truck beds are filled with people riding
up and down streets pouring water on every side, and everyone is laughing.
Participating in this celebration gave me such an
overwhelming sense of the joy the
Thai people possess, a joy I had begun to
think only thought existed in Africa. While most of the time there is nothing I
hate more than wet clothes, I felt so privileged to be a part of the
celebration. I immediately bonded with the team at YWAM and my new translator
for the month. I found what I was missing for two weeks in Thailand: family. In
Africa I felt included in the life and culture, and now I felt loved and
included by a completely different people group.
I will never forget my experiences in Africa, and hope thatone day I God sends me back there. I will always miss the gorgeous sky and
songs of the people. However, I can now honestly say I am excited about Asian
culture and the people God has for me to meet here. The water festival showed me exactly why this country is called the land of smiles. These next three months
could be the best, and I don’t want to miss them.
