Teaching English at Santisuk Silom

Eastern view from the rooftop of our apartment 

    Yes, life gets busy on this side of the globe here in Bangkok as well as in America and it has made posting a newsletter a bit challenging. We're already into our third week of teaching English at Santisuk and are enjoying it very much. Our apartment is new, clean, 440 sq. feet with separate bedroom and study room, and only a 5 minute walk to the school. Lyndell is teaching two Level 3 classes, one in the morning and the other at night.  Gary teaches a Level 2 class at night and has been helping to preach at the weekly Friday evening worship services held at the school. The service is in Thai, so the sermons of course need to be translated by our director Awe. We teach our two hour long classes four days/week from Monday-Thursday and try to find things to do with the students or staff on the weekends. After class in the evening, which ends at 8:30, we usually go out to eat with members of the Thai staff and some students. However, the late night suppers are not helping to control the waist line.

    Every week there are also opportunities to help disciple new believers at our cell group meetings on Sunday afternoons, which are open to anyone seeking to know more about the Christian faith. Thus, there are unbelievers in attendance at those meetings as well as at the worship services. One question came up last week as a gay, 20 some year old, male Buddhist wanted to know if it was really that important to become a Christian, since he was already having a happy life. We began our answer to his question by sharing John 3:16-18 and went on from there to proclaim the gospel by having him read many others portions of Scripture. We let Jesus and other sections of the Bible provide an explanation of why trusting in Jesus alone is so vitally important now and for all eternity. He said he would begin reading the book of John and write down any questions he had along the way. We're praying that his eyes would be opened to the truth as were those of his former gay partner who has repented of his sins and is now a believer at the church.

   There have been other meetings, by God's providence, to share the reason for the hope we have in God. Each student in Gary's class is required to have an interview session with him at which time the gospel is presented and the distinguishing characteristics of our faith in Jesus Christ is compared with all other religions. This is a story most say they have never heard before explained to them. One day in Gary's class after singing the specific song for that day, which was Amazing Grace, he gave an explanation of what grace meant and why it is so amazing. Our sin transferred to Jesus who in turn has given us his perfect righteousness by grace through faith alone (none of our merit required) is truly the unique and utterly amazing great exchange. The next day of class one of the students wrote for one of their homework sentences requiring the use of the word "is", "The love of God is amazing!" Wow, coming from a devote Buddhist, that is amazing.

   Although we have discovered some favorite foods to eat, we continue to try different items as well. Our default restaurant is only a short distance from our apartment, which has a tasty menu (with pictures!) and is also very inexpensive.... around $8.00 or 280 baht for the two of us. Lunch varies for us quite a bit with so many options everywhere. The challenge comes when almost everything is just written in Thai and there aren't many good english speaker translators around. We like to try places that have a long line of people waiting to get food :). We also enjoy a small hole in the wall street side restaurant across from our apartment that serves only a special northern Thailand soup with either chicken or pork called Khao Soi.....it's "aroy-mak-krap" (very delicious)!

    Last Friday we taught English all day at a very poor public school about an hours taxi drive from downtown Bangkok. The students were mainly from 4th to 6th grade. They all seemed pretty excited to have us there especially since this outreach happens only once a year. The children are learning English in school, but from Thai speakers, and therefore they appreciate hearing English from native speakers.

    Even though this is winter in Thailand, the daily temperatures are very hot for us Mid-westerners from highs in the mid-90's during the day to lows in the upper 70's at night. We very much appreciate the A/C here to say the least. We drink a lot of water and fresh-pressed fruit juices from the street vendors, which taste so wonderful.

   We hope the following pictures give you some idea of what we've been able to experience here so far. Please keep praying for hearts to be open and receptive to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Our comfortable home away from home in Bangkok.

Friday evening worship service

Our favorite default restaurant kitchen- make sure to say "mai ped na krap" (not spicy please)!

We found a new use for our grill back home this summer- barbecued bananas.

How many colors can you identify in this food selection?

Our local fruit vendor Palope who now calls out our names upon seeing us 

Delicious mu (pork), gai (chicken) or gung (shrimp) Pad Thai can be found just about everywhere.

 After class dinner party with January class

Final class pizza party (yes, I said pizza and it's very good) for January class 

One of several local restaurants across on our narrow soi (street)

Not really sure where the driver is on this kitchen accessory mobile stand

Former king now deceased

New king 

Very popular restaurant serving khao soi (northern Thai coconut curry noodle soup) for $1.00

Enjoying dinner from a street-side vendor with students in the evening

 A serene lake in the 142 acre Lumphini Park in the midst of the city

Uh, let's try to find another canoe. This one seems to be reserved.

Work out stations for young and old

Free outside park fitness center that Gary chose to avoid

Christian books in the library of an early 20th century doctor in Bangkok

Our cell group meeting in our apartment with treats afterwards

Hmmm, a little hard deciding on what to order here

Decision easier here. "Mango sticky rice please." A favorite dessert for many, us included.

Evangelical Church of Bangkok since 1971

Students from Thailand, Iran and Pakistan

Syncretistic worship confusion- Hindu shrine, animistic spirit house with rope leading to Buddhist temple on roof of adjacent building

Monk wax exhibit at Maka Bucha Day festival

Gary's Level 2 class first day

                               Mu Ping หมูปิ้ง (pork on a stick) quick snack

I'm feeling antiquated- what I used in high school and college is now in a Bangkok museum

Chao Phraya River-use of inexpensive river boat taxis to avoid congested city streets

Short and long term missionaries from Bethlehem Baptist Church
L. to R. Lyndell, Karen Indehar, Myra Pehoski (short term), Gary, Todd Indehar, and Sean German
(Todd & Karen long term Thailand missionaries in Bangkok)
(Sean German long term Bosnian missionary visiting while attending leader's conference)

First 10 days back in Thailand

Our return to Thailand, after a three year hiatus, began on Jan. 15 with an almost 16 hour flight from Chicago to Hong Kong after departing from Minneapolis on Sunday morning. How do they keep an airplane up in the air for such a length of time as that and is anyone awake up there in the cockpit? From Hong Kong to Bangkok was a mere blink of the eye lasting only 3 hours, however, we were blessed to be upgraded free of charge to business class. Was that ever appreciated after being so cramped on board in coach for the long leg of our trip! We arrived at our hotel in Bangkok very early on Tuesday morning. Try figuring that one out when your body is virtually delirious from jet lag.

The first few days we spent trying to find an apartment in Bangkok for the time we will be teaching at Santisuk English School. We also reunited with our missionary friends, Todd and Karen and the rest of the staff at the school. At the end of our first week, after getting adjusted to the time change, we traveled by Bangkok Airways up north to Chiang Mai. We spent a few days meeting with some friends we had made on our last trip and visiting many of our favorite outdoor restaurants.

For the last two days of our week's stay before flying back to Bangkok, we were able to join the prayer team sent from our church, Bethlehem Baptist, to pray during the yearly ELIC conference being held there with over 600 missionaries in attendance. It was a privilege to spend concentrated time praying for the Lord's blessings on all the activities conducted during the conference and for individuals who came with their requests.

Soon after arriving back in Bangkok we moved into our apartment and attended the church service at the school which is conducted in the Thai language on Friday nights, preceded by a dinner fellowship where we had the opportunity to meet all the members.

We didn't qualify for priority seating. The symbol on far left is for a monk.

Some things look vaguely similar in Bangkok to that in the U.S. Does anybody want to tell us how to use the Skytrain?

Same high caloric temptations in Thailand.

Some packaged a bit differently.

Santisuk Silom English School located downtown Bangkok on 10th floor of the Pilot Pen building.

Looks like the "Lego" contractor left out a few pieces!

 

This apple looks like it's been on steroids, but Gary was sure it's organic!

Let's make sure to get your grilled chickens all in a row now.

Our favorite outdoor chicken barbecue restaurants. The smoke coming off the grill can be seen and smelled for a couple blocks away making it easy to find.



At our favorite Burmese outdoor restaurant we chose #s 18, 19 and 21; a bit strange, but very delicious.

Cooks busy at work preparing our meal.

Can anyone guess which dish is which?




Ordering Thai Tea outside Burmese Restaurant.

World-renown orthopedic trauma surgeon relayed to us of the many surgeries he has done on tourists over the years who have decided to try driving motorcycles in Thailand. So we decided to stick with riding the less adventurous three wheeled motorized tuk tuks and red truck songthaews.

Usually a little over a dollar to use the red trucks or songthaews when we got tired of walking.

Lyndell suggested a good hour long foot massage for those aging aching feet.

Didn't anticipate the massage involved moving the skin fold up to the knees; boy was she ever strong.

Never really heard of goat coffee before.

Our favorite blue noodle restaurant, lime squeezed into the blue anchan juice makes it turn  purple.

Yes, Mom we ate healthy in Chiang Mai, especially here at our favorite organic/vegetarian  restaurant, although a bit more pricey than the outdoor vendors at about $3.00 per entree.

Worship service in Chiang Mai. The son of the local pastor who is himself a pastor in Minneapolis was the guest preacher. People from about 14 different nationalities in attendance every Sunday.

Visited Juniper Tree retreat center for missionaries in Chiang Mai.

Session with prayer team members (in foreground) at ELIC conference.

Former security guard friend from our previous stay in Chiang Mai.

Ability to remove the entire soft meat of the coconut from the shell captured attention from many spectators.

Notice the black ribbon on leg of elephant statue.  The people of Thailand are in  the midst of a year long mourning process after the death of their beloved king who had reigned for 70 years. Most of the people are wearing clothes that are only black or white for the entire country's mourning period.