Graduation Today

Today is graduation. I have been asked to do a speech, and I will copy it below for your review. It is a speech, not a written presentation, as you will notice as you see the various emphases and punctuations throughout. The text is simple, given all the language differences that will be present.

It is getting hotter every day- I might even appreciate the cold weather back home! I am still busy- I will have a few classes for the graduate students and Myo Zaw and Tumar this week, and we are trying to get Skype set up at the farm so I can continue to teach a couple of times a week after I return to the Socialist States, whoops, I mean United States of America. (I leave and the whole place goes crazy- what can I say?) I will make a few more posts this week to wrap things up, and hopefully include some graduation pics. Here is my 10 minute (if I go slow) graduation speech, sans introductions:


First let me say to our teachers, and to our students, that it has been a privilege to work with each one of you during the 3 months I have been blessed to be here in Thailand. I came here to teach, and indeed I have been teaching, and I have been spending much time in preparation. But just as I expected before I came here, I find that it is the teacher that is learning the most!

To our graduating students, please understand that I am going home, also. Like you, I still have much to do in my life- there is much that God has for me to do. Like you, God has prepared me for the job He has waiting for me. I will make the most of the time that God gives me, and I encourage you to do the same. Today, as I speak to our graduating class, I also speak to myself.

You have taken 3 years of your life to study here at Legacy. You have learned much. What will you do with it? What will you accomplish in your life? How will you put into practice the principles you have learned here? Will you make an impact on those around you? Will you make a difference?

You can, and you will! …in fact, you must, for God has given you gifts that He intends for you to use to help others.

Today, and in the days, months and years to come, I would like you to consider 3 things- 3 principles, that if followed, will guarantee success. To illustrate these principles, let us look at the apostle Paul. Here is a man that turned the world upside-down. Here is a man that- almost by himself- spread a message of hope around an entire empire. Here is a man that endured much, and suffered much, that others might hear the message that he was given. Here is a man that turned his own life completely around in a career change that changed the world.

Do you want to make a difference? Do you want to share what you have been given here at Legacy with others? Do you want to be successful in your life? Then follow these 3 steps.

First of all, KEEP GOD FIRST IN YOUR LIFE. If you are a Christian, this is the most important thing you can do. Paul said that he could do all things through Christ, who gave him the strength. I understand that some of you are not Christian. But guess what? The principles of the Bible that you have learned over the last 3 years work for everyone. God’s laws are good laws, and they benefit everyone who follows them, Christian or not. Paul, a man of experience in the world, said this himself.

Having God first in your life means seeking His will, not your own. It means, as Paul said, being self-disciplined and focusing on the things of the Spirit. It means doing the right thing when the wrong thing would be easier. It means caring for the needs of others as if they were your own needs. Paul said that he would even give up his own salvation if that would save some of his own people. He also said that to think in this manner was to think like our Savior. A life of humility, service and obedience is a life that works for Christians and non-Christians alike.

Keeping God first in your life is the first of the 10 commandments? Why is it first? Because it is most important. Jesus said that there are only 2 great commandments- Love God with all your might, and love your neighbor as yourself. It is that simple. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness- God will take care of the rest.


Secondly, you must WORK HARD. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your strength. There is no substitute for hard work, just as there is no limit on the amount of good that can be accomplished by one who puts God first and works hard. Look at Paul. On his missionary trips, he preached, he taught, he trained others…then he traveled…and did it all over again in another place. Year after year. At times, he even worked at a trade to support himself while he was doing God’s work. He suffered persecution and even disappointment, but he kept going, with the burning desire to achieve his goals. Do you have a burning desire to achieve your goals? Do you even know what your goals are? Do you have a plan to achieve them? You should. If you do not know where you are going, then where will you end up?

Jesus said that His Father worked, and likewise he works. At times, Jesus helped and healed people when he was exhausted, and really should have been resting. In fact, the Sabbath is a day of rest simply because the other days are supposed to be days of work. The night will come when no man can work, so we need to do all we can while it is still the day. Not only did Paul set an example of hard work, he instructed those under his care to do the same, saying that our purpose is to do good works, and that our lives should show a pattern of good works.

It is your choice. You can watch it happen, or you can make it happen. Which will it be for you? It depends on how much you are willing to work. Do you want to have an impact? Do you want to make a difference? Then keep God first, and work hard.

Finally, graduates, I challenge you- DARE TO DREAM. What do you want to do? What needs to be done? What can YOU do that will really make a difference? Write it down. Write them all down. Make a list, and look at it often. DREAM. Think about what might be possible. Look at Paul. He wanted to travel all over the Empire…so he set that as his goal, and he did it! How? He put God first, he was not afraid to work hard, and he dreamed BIG dreams. Paul preached the gospel for years at Rome- ROME- the capital and business center of the entire Roman Empire- even to some of Caesar’s household. At that time, this was about as BIG as one could dream!

Do you need to be told to do something, or do you do it because you see it needs to be done? Do you jump at opportunities, or let them slip by because they would not be easy? Do you want to do great things, or will you grow old and look back with regret? It is up to you- no one else. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. The people who make a difference are the ones who step outside of what is comfortable, and dream to do what others are not doing.

It starts with an idea. All ideas are not good- you need to think them through, and throw out the bad ones. But many ideas are good. You need to analyze, and plan. You need to involve God in your plan. You need to work hard. But it all starts with an idea, If you don’t dream it, you won’t do it. Think little and you will achieve little. Think BIG and you will do BIG things… important things… things that have an impact…things that make a difference in people’s lives.

Keep God first in your life, work hard, and dare to dream- Big dreams. Do these 3 things, and you will make things happen, and people around you will be better off- because of you.

That, my friends, is true success.

I pray that it will be your success. In a world that is full of suffering and evil, there is so much good that needs to be done. Why not you? Why not me? We’ve all been prepared. Let’s do it!

May the Great God of Heaven bless you, and keep you, as you return home to make a difference.

Finals Week

Just a quick update. This week is finals week. I have to prepare one review and one final, besides another class or two for the graduates. Ah Moon and Seng Hpa came home today. Thanks so much for all your prayers. Her leg is sewed back up and she will be taking some oral antibiotics for a week or two. I spent the day fixing a few things around here- several doors and locks, and some broken furniture. Then I came inside and did some stuff for my business, what little is left of it these days :( It was another gorgeous day today, clear and in the eighties. As I have said before, we have only had one day of a little light rain the entire time I have been here (11 weeks now). I will be the commencement speaker next Sunday, so I have a week to come up with something short and sweet (and maybe even helpful and even memorable...I think that's being way too hopeful). I am looking forward to going home, but I will miss this place and some very good friends. I plan to continue to teach a few people via Skype after I return to the States. We'll see how that goes. I think this will be a very busy week- not sure if I'll have time to update again.

Saturday Night Update

About a week ago, I made my first stop at the Mae Rim Whale Resort, which is about a 10-15 minute bike ride away. I had passed it many times on my way to other places. I have no idea what whales have to do with anything- it is a small resort with individual cottages and a central pool and restaurant. It seems to cater to local guests, but the menu has some English and so does the staff. No long hairs in the pool, either, happy to say. They were kind enough to give me some Thai bottle caps that I could pass on to the good folks at www.abeerring.com

I was pleasantly surprised to find live music here. Not only live, but in English! The guy here is a very talented guitarist (jazz and classical) but typically sings American singer-songwriter stuff. When the girl sings, it is a mix of English and Thai. Overall, I was thrilled, actually. The guitarist has eclectic tastes, and I heard songs I would be surprised to hear in America, let alone here. His first set (about 75 minutes!) included James Taylor, Jose Feliciano (Listen To The Falling Rain- a great song I have not heard for 30 years or so), Paul Simon (Boxer), (old) Eagles, and even Puff the Magic Dragon. Another night I heard Fogelberg's Leader of the Band, Simon's Duncan, Greenfields, Father and Son, and I requested Sutter's Mill- now there is a song most people never heard of, let alone know how to play. I am impressed. The girl has a beautiful voice, and I particularly like her version of Sixpence None the Richer's Kiss Me.

Sad to say, no one is really listening. the staff turns on the TV's when a show is on everyone wants to see, and sometimes they even have the sound up while the pair is singing! Oh well. If that is not humiliating enough, the beer storage is apparently in front of the stage. Rodney woulda said- No respect.

Great big fake book, with lotsa good stuff inside...I looked.

Ah Moon is probably going to be home in a couple of days. No signs of MRSA in her body except maybe those spots on her thigh bone. Looks like they may sew her up soon and let her take the antibiotics at home. It's been a long haul. Thank you for your prayers.

I was in Chiang Mai on Sunday and had a front row seat for a "red shirt" rally. They were vulgar and disrespectful...but at least this country is free enough to allow for this. Please pray for stability here- there are too many people who want power.
The rally's speaker truck. As they went by, the vehemence was in pretty good English. Who are they trying to communicate with? We don't vote here!
Bronson Sexton. Ganya (sp?), Nora and Grandma (Gloria)

Gloria Sexton at her daughter-in-law's restaurant in Chiang Mai (right on the moat)

Leon and Ganya. Please pray for Leon. His eyesight seems to be changing day to day...probably an after-effect of the strokes. Bottom line is that the new glasses no longer work, and his eyesight is poor. Please pray that it stabilizes at a level that is correctable.

Boutique Hotel

As I reported in December, I discovered yet another unfinished building during one of my bicycle jaunts. I did not think much about it, but the owner of the property saw me near the property taking a picture. (I was actually taking a picture of a sign unrelated to this property, but the sign was on the road adjacent to his land.)



The owner wanted me to go in and look around, and tell my friends. He said that this was to be a "boutique hotel." Indeed, it did appear to have that potential. Good views, interesting construction, and one would assume eventually decor to match. Someone must have run out of money. Here you see a chair in the front. It is carved out of a root of a tree that I think was used for much of the lumber inside. Different.




This is one of the rooms near the entry. I think it would be a lounge or dining area. Nice detail on the coffered ceiling. As is, the building and land (10 rai, he repeatedly told me because of my non-understanding look) is for sale at 65 million baht, which is almost $2 million US. There are 2.5 rai in a US acre.

The doors are beautiful, and hand carved, waiting for the glass.





Grand foyer with curved staircase. It really was very nice- a shame he could not finish it.

Close-up of that ceiling, or another matching one, I forget. Imagine what light you would hang from there...

The floors of the guest rooms were laid with crosscut slices of logs. He told me the wood specie, but I do not remember (something I did not recognize). I am not sure what he planned to grout with, but this is a very interesting idea, and I think it will look great if it ever gets finished.

Main entrance- Front doors

Pile of wood slabs for floors.

The main foyer area has a beautiful high ceiling.

There it is...just $2 million and it's yours.

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood. The last few days have featured an occasional cloud or two, but the monotonous daytime 80's (nearing 90 now) and nighttime 60's continues. I am doing this blog update, as I do most of my daytime research and writing, outside. I think I will take some time here soon to write up a little of what I have been teaching...but you'll have to go to my other blog for that.

A few feet away, 2 chickens and a rooster are digging themselves into comfy and cool holes in the loose dirt around a tree. 2 chicks of one of the hens are nearby but do not seem to yet understand this activity. I guess I see why Surachai chases the chickens away sometimes. I thought he was just tormenting them to get them to raise a ruckus (they oblige), but maybe he is just trying to keep them away from his landscaping. (the dirt is loose because he has dug it up to make watering more effective around the young tree).

Update

I have been extremely busy, but I wanted to give you an update on little Ah Moon. I got to see her Sunday in the hospital and, as you can see, she was in a good mood. We thought she might be out soon. The MRSA is not in her nose, or her blood. The abcess seemed to be lean and about ready to sew back up...BUT just today, an x-ray showed spots on her thigh bone whih could indicate infection there. They may have to change antibiotics and keep her longer. Please continue to pray for her- it's been two weeks in the hospital so far. Thanks.

Ah Moon

The news from the hospital has been down and up. Yesterday, they discovered that she had an abcess that the antibiotic did not seem to be gettting to. So they needed to operate and and remove it- it was about 5 cm long, shpaed somewhat like a large date, between the bone and the muscle on the inner left thigh right above the knee. It went well, and she seems OK today- eating heartily. Her Dad just got back from the hospital and he is encouraged. They will have to keep that incision open and clean the area up for at least several days before they can close it. FYI, she is Burmese, so she is not covered by insurance here. The hospital bill will be substantial, but nothing like the USA. Shelby and I are planning to help out so Legacy does not have to foot the whole bill (so other needs do not suffer, as much). Join us if you feel so motivated. Seng Aung is one of the translators here, and he is the one who is translating articles, etc into Burmese for the churches there. (I am writing up some of my classes in a form that can be used for this purpose.) Senf Hpa, his wife, runs the kitchen at the school (although the other students, mostly boys, are doing a fine job while she is in the hospital with her baby.) Thanks so much for all your prayers!

Things you don't see in America (at least not too much)

This post was actually Sunday, but I wanted the news from the hospital to be at the top of the blog, so I am dating this Saturday.


Here in Thailand, I see all sorts of things I would never see in America. Before I get too used to it here, I want to share them with you.


YUM brands (the parent company of KFC and Pizza Hut, to name 2) has aggressive expansion plans here in Thailand.

What I have not noticed at home is the weird toppings they have here. I do not even know what they are, but I guarantee you that the common denominator is seafood.

The rest of the post is pictureless, but I will continue to list unusual (for USA) things.

- Newspapers that do NOT continue articles on an inside page. I do not know if this is standard, but the Bangkok Post, one of the nationwide English dailies, FINISHES ARTICLES ON THE SAME PAGE THEY START!!!! Obvious question. Do they lay it out that way, or just cut the articles, or both? I do not know. When I was in college, I helped layout our school paper sometimes. We would edit to fit an article. Sometimes the authors of the articles would be quite disturbed about what we had decided to edit. On occasion, one would stay up all night with us until we had the papaer pasted up so he could decide what to delete if we didn't have room. Yeah, I am that old- we had a composer that printed out the columns, but we had to paste them on a board to take to the printer.

- Guy just got 10 years or so for driving into a bus stop full of people and killing one and injuring 2 others. His family said he was a troubled person, mentally. (Here's the not in America part...) The court said, yeah, so it must've been you that made him that way and convicted him.

- It is not part of the culture to actually work for all the time you are being paid (OK, so we see that in America, too, but here it is universal.)

- Escalators designed to accept shopping carts.

- Way more 40W and 60W bulbs than 100W. I finally found some 100W so finally I can see what I am doing!

- Carrefour super mart (Like a French super Walmart/Costco combined) has one entire side of an aisle just for cooking oil.

- restaurants are cheaper than eating at home

- ergo, retaurants everywhere- Mae Sa Laung has about 15 or so in an eyeblink of a little village.

-just to clarify. "restaurant" is sometimes just the front part of someone's residence with some tables, or a place on the side of the road, but the food is ok and CHEAP.

- reverence for government- Ha! that's not true...only for the King and Queen.

- PA announcements, karaoke, and the like that are amplified enough to be heard over several square miles.

- driving on the left, therefore shifting with the left hand and turn signal on the right side of steering wheel

- cheap labor (really cheap)

- 2 months with only light rain one day and nothing turns brown (haven't figured that one out)

- morning and/or evening markets everywhere out in the open, selling at least produce and other food, often much more

- cheap public transportation (really cheap)

- monks ride for free (and have special seats)

- many people whose first language is their (within Thailand) tribal language

- Carrefour has a large selection of guitars- Thailand (and maybe moreso Burma), especially among the hill tribes, has a higher percentage of the population that can play guitar and sing

- dogs roam the streets (and sleep in and alongside them) in the villages. They are not wild, but they roam free and like to hang out where the action is, not necessarily where they live. Dogs are everywhere.

- sweaters on dogs when the nights get below 60

- lanterns with live fire floating all over the sky at any and all occasions

- people all over the place riding in the back of pickup trucks

- humongous billbords, especially at big intersections- I don't get it- these things are enormous and must cost a fortune to build- I cannot imagine that they can charge enough to pay for them

- stream and rivers that are turgid most of the time, even during dry season, like now. Some millennium, the Gulf of Thailand will surely be filled in. :)

- concrete and brick residential construction (more on this in a future post)

- electric wires run *on* the walls not *in* the walls, due to the construction method above

- shower water heaters inside the shower (but not everyone)- no hot water elsewhere

- wash clothes in a basin, dry outside on racks

- old people (usually women) pushing 2 wheeled carts up and down the road- sometimes with trash, sometimes with something to sell, sometimes to and from market

- kitchens without stoves/ovens

Enough for now. I need to do this so I will have something to look back on...my memory is getting so bad...

Another Week Draws to a Close

Well, it has not been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon. Besides the Seng Moon Aung sickness, we have had a couple of situations with students' friends and families that have kept it from being boring. today was disinfect everything day so nobody else gets MRSA.

Here at the top, let me say that Ah Moon is better today. She ate heartily and is in better spirits. Still in the hospital, of course, on the special antibiotics that they use on MRSA. Thank you all for your prayers. I will update here on the blog.

Myo Zaw and "Auntie" Tumar arrived safely and are settled in here at the farmhouse in the bedroom next to me. Since Myo Zaw knows no English, we have an extra challenge in teaching him. Tumar knows some English, and we have translators set up to help them both.

What a beautiful moon we have here in Thailand! Of course, we had conjunction on Monday with the eclipse, then we had the new moon on Wednesday. It was gorgeous. I think we miss something by living with calculated calendars. Yeah, we can schedule our lives in advance, but we lose touch somewhat with the universe and its Creator. :(

Tonight, the moon is still a crescent, and it is near Venus. Stunning sight, as it was last month. They will be in close proximity for another day or so, and then we will not see them together in the evening again until 2010. It has been beautiful I will miss them.

I have been here almost 9 weeks. We have had one day of light on-and-off rain. Every other day just perfect. Today, like yesterday, and the day before, etc, featured a crisp, cool night followed by a crystal clear and low humidity day in the 80's. I could get used to this...in fact I am. It will get miserably hot and more humid in a month or 2, after I am home :)

Some have asked for a picture of Leon, so here you are. He is the one with the beard. The man on the calendar is the King. His picture is everywhere in this country. He is what keeps this country stable. Pray for him. He and the Queen are *very good* to Legacy- they know us well and make it possible for us to do the Work we do here in Asia.










"Auntie" Tumar, as the Burmese students call her, and Myo Zaw, with Seng Mai and Hkawn Din. The Burmese students are very fond of, and close to, Tumar and Myo Zaw, who are a center of hospitality and help in Rangoon. Most, if not all, of the students spend time with them on their way over here at one time or another. They are a bit like grandparents to Surachai and Ah Moon as well.

Elainea is off her crutches!!







Thanks fo your prayers for her, as well. Please continue to remember her, as she still has some pain and swelling when she does too much. There is still a steel plate in there that will come out in a couple of years.

My rosemary chicken dinner last Sunday. Very good, and I did not need the jaws of life to chew it like with the steaks I got here. Those who know me know what is in the glass.










At the woods behind the temple nearby they have lots of bees. I guess they sell honey somewhere. The tents I showed you when I first got here are gone. Maybe it was a monk-style "jamboree" I don't know.








Here's something we do not see at home. Two seats at every island staffed with 2 gas station attendants. I know that some of you are too young to remember gas station attendants, but they used to be the norm, only we didn't usually have seats, or so many. One of the benefits of incredibly cheap labor.

I spend basically all my time working on my classes and sermons (which are like classes, too). I will begin to describe some of what I am covering and why on my other blog, for those who are interested.

Ah Moon has MRSA

Seng Moon Aung, the 2 year old girl who had a fall and developed some kind of infection seemed to be getting better. Her fever had receded and she had even begun to eat…HOWEVER, we just found out that she has MRSA, that antibiotic-resistant strain of staph infection that can be very dangerous to some people, including young children. I do not know when she contacted the MRSA or whether it had anything to do with her injuries (she also had a different accident several weeks ago) So, she will remain in the hospital on some rather expensive special antibiotics.

That's Ah Moon in the front. Please join all of us here in praying for Ah Moon’s speedy recovery. We are all very concerned, of course, and so are her parents. God is our healer, and He is Ah Moon’s as well. Thank you for your prayers.

Eclipse now!

Today's solar eclipse is visible here in Thailand. Besides the hole-in-the-paper projection on the wall method, I was able to scrounge up a welder's helmet and get a good glimpse a few minutes ago. The eclipse is full in parts of India- here, it was just a section out of the left side of the sun. Even in India, it was annular- meaning that a small part of the sun is visible around the moon because of how far away from us the moon is right now. What are the chances of the moon being at just the right distance from us to produce beautiful full eclipses of the sun? Think about it.