Austins in Thailand

It’s strange to not really belong anywhere. I live in Thailand - but I’m not Thai. No matter how hard I try or for how long I try, I’ll never be Thai. I’m an American, but after being out of the country for six years now, I’m not sure what that means.

This is a bit destabilizing. It also brings some things into sharp, culture warping perspective. I’ve now been back in the United States for 2 weeks. I’m in culture shock, and I hope I don’t get over it. Here are a couple of my more recent culture shock moments:

I can’t bear to spend $3 on a latte knowing that $3 is equal to a week worth of lunches in Thailand or approximately 2 days worth of pay for the average Cambodian.

What’s up with all the stores where trees used to be? Do we need 300 Target stores in the North Seattle area?

I’m not against shopping, lattes, eating good food, etc. But the materialism will eat away at the our souls until we are hollow. Moderation is a good thing. Living simply so others may simply live is a good thing.

I don’t want to be a materialist American. I want to be a Christian like John Wesley:

Making as much as I can to give as much as I can.

Living a life of enthusiastic outreach, helping all I can.

Doing everything from a heart of love.

My wife Natelle teaches 1^st grade at Grace International School. It’s a Christian school with mostly Christian students, but there are some Thai kids who attend that are Buddhist. A couple of weeks ago Natelle was teaching the regular Bible story when one her students blurted out that she hated Jesus and loved Buddha. Her classmates weren’t too happy about this told her so which made her cry. Natelle comforted her and corrected the student’s behavior. Since then Natelle has continued to be a sensitive, loving teacher and has continued to tell stories about Jesus. She has also continued to pray for her students that don’t know Jesus.

Recently, because of Holy Week, Natelle has been telling stories about Jesus suffering, death and resurrection. The little girl who said she hated Jesus and loved Buddha has listened and has been affected by the stories. She’s even cried during some of them. I don’t think she hates Jesus anymore.

One life changed at a time. This is what it takes. In Thailand the going is rough. Obstacles are huge. Sometimes there seems to be so little hope, but then people change – God breaks through. There is hope in being able to touch one life at a time. Natelle is touching more than one life - she is spending an entire year with twenty or so 1^st graders and is teaching more than math and reading. By her witness, her love, her patience she is making room for little boys and girls to love Jesus.

Recently my spirituality was given a great boost by reading works outside the Evangelical Christian camp. I have always enjoyed and benefited from reading Catholic and Orthodox literature, but had, until lately, never read much written by Liberal Christians and Jewish writers. In particular I have greatly enjoyed, and would highly recommend reading Thomas Cahill and Bruce Feiler.

Their insights are razor sharp. Their writing styles a joy to read. I received insights that I thought were perhaps no longer possible after years of study.

See the posts on the webpage to find out more information about the books. . .

Enjoy!

One day at language school, while on a break, I overheard two missionaries discussing their dissatisfaction with visiting churches in the United States. They hated fundraising. They didn’t want to visit churches and ask people for money. After several minutes of overhearing their complaints I walked away shaking my head thinking they were missing the whole point.

Of course missionaries need to raise funds. We can’t serve as missionaries without raising funds. But if this becomes the focus of our relationship with our senders our ministries will, in the end, not succeed.

What we seek is partnership. We are seeking people who are passionate about seeking and saving the lost. We are searching people who want to invest time, money and energy into reaching the unsaved in Southeast Asia. We are looking for people who’s hearts break for the people of Thailand.

If you are already partners - Thank you! If you want to know more about how you can partner with us, please write to me.

The last time I was in Bangkok I noticed that everywhere I traveled I was hearing jazz music - in the Western restaurants, at the mall, live bands. When most people think of Thailand, they don’t usually think of jazz.

The King of Thailand is a great man. One of his outstanding achievements is that of being a world class musician. In the 1950’s and 1960’s jazz greats from around the world traveled to Thailand to play with the King.

One of the my favorite pictures of the King is one where he is sitting in the front of a long tailed boat playing a trumpet. He is accompanied by a man playing accordian. Can you imagine being a farmer, walking your cow down to the creek and here comes the King jammin’!

One of many surprises in the Land of Smiles.

Recently we watched a wonderful movie titled, “Akelah and the Bee.” I highly recommend it. In the movie there is a quote read, but the source was not given. Today I was reading Waking the Dead, by John Eldredge and. . . there was the quote. It’s worth sharing:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. we ask ourselves, ‘who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t fell insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. . . And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Nelson Mandela

I haven’t posted anything for over a month now. Why? I’ll explain and you’ll get some insight into our little world here.

We had an internet service which was satelite based. ADSL was not available until recently, so satelite was the way to go. However, it was expensive and whenever there were clouds it stopped working - grrrrr. When we had the coup a few months back it was cloudy at the time. I had no idea if we needed to run for our lives, or just enjoy living in a state of armed crises. Well. . .

Finally, I learned that ADSL was available - faster and cheaper. So I cancelled the satelite when the phone company assured me the ADSL would be connected. 5 weeks later I now have ADSL.

FIrst they attached the ADSL to a non existent line - then charged me to switch it to the existing line. Then the right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing, so they didn’t turn on the two new lines in their office. Then they turned on one but not the other. Meanwhile my Thai IT friends are going crazy and I’m trying to keep smiling, because you always have to smile here in the land of smiles. . .

One of my favorite thai works is, “Lambak!” it means, “what a bother!”

Well, I’m up and running. Visit again soon. . .