A Simple Faith

I just want to say that I am incredibly grateful for the simplicity of God's way. While it is probably the most difficult way to take, it is simple. It's not complicated, nor are we expected to understand all of the ins and outs before we take it, we follow in faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7- For we walk by faith and not by sight.

Isaiah 55:9- For as heaven is higher than earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

It's been an interesting few weeks at work at the Surin Rajabhat University. The school hired on another foreign teacher after the last one quit mid-year. This guy is from Chicago and things started off quite strangely to be very honest. The first day, after learning I was a Christian, he ridiculed me for Creationism and how stupid the belief that a God created and maintains this earth is. A simple "hello" would have sufficed for day one. He has since proceeded to go around the room, each teacher experiencing some ridiculing, highly intense "discussion" about one thing or another. For the other foreign teacher, it was how ridiculous his PhD was in Japanese studies, why study a difficult foreign language, that's stupid. Well, things seemed to be getting out of hand for awhile. It seemed that nobody could do right in his eyes, he was a science teacher from Chicago who talked to you in conversation like a lawyer talks in a courtroom. The Thais couldn't really take it and generally avoid him now.

But after he had an episode with one of our Thai friends, I confronted him and told him that the way he was talking to people was extremely abrasive. Honestly, he's got to be about the most abrasive sort I've ever met. Since then, he's tapered off a bit. He's not as eager to dig into an argument with everyone. Still, he has told me he respects me, which might sound all good except that means he wants to talk every day now. So yesterday held an interesting little "discussion".

Yesterday it was about how people in older times were ignorant and stupid compared to us, since we have modern ways and technology. The premise was that learning and science and modern advances are what makes a good society. I disagreed, I said that people are basically the same throughout the ages, just with different circumstances (technology and so on). That somehow turned into the garden of Eden, where he ended up stating that God was unforgiving (wow...) and that Adam was stupid and ignorant, not really knowing what he was doing. Everything he said he was trying to implicate God somehow. But I wouldn't budge on that one. I gave him scripture after scripture where God told Adam EXACTLY what he was to do/not to do, and what would happen if he disobeyed. Adam knew what he was doing. If God is unforgiving, what is the cross? And so on. Once he saw that wasn't working, he switched to predestination and God's omniscience. Wow, now that's a changeup. He was trying to corner me by asking if I believed God knew everything that would happen. I said yes. Logically, that would mean that we are robotic, simply acting out what God has already set in order to happen. I said, No. This terribly frustrated him, and he began to get upset (a normal occurence mind you). "That can't be, you can't say that". I then demonstrated to him, using scriptures how that God says he knows all things, and yet He gives us a very real choice to do right or wrong. So God does know everything that has, can and will be, and yet gives us a real choice. He was bubbling with angst at this point. He pointed at me and said, "You are irrational!" I simply gave a little smile and said, "That's fine with me. Because God has said that His thoughts are much higher than our thoughts, and we cannot understand everything about Him. For me, that's just fine." With that, his face was already turning purple, and I thought it might explode. So he sat down without bringing it up again for the afternoon.

So why do I tell you this? To tell you how great a debator I am? Please, no. I am not the prize fighter in a debate, I generally hate confrontation. But I saw something yesterday that bears repeating, and that's the power of God's word and a simple child-like faith.

Hebrews 4:12- For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart.

Matthew 18:4- Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

I saw that God's word can stand on its own feet. God doesn't need me to have all the answers to this man's questions of the Bible and science, what he really needs is a word from God. After talking with Leah about all this (she was there during the whole episode), we both concluded that there is a world of hurt masked behind this abrasive facade. Pray that we can reach out through that to a hurting heart that desperately needs the Lord. But I hope you are encouraged as you interact with people everyday. We have no need to feel stuck or helpless in this world, God has given us everything we need. He has given us His words.

God's Healing: Body and Soul

I thought I'd jot a note and let everyone know how things are progressing since the accident. That seems so long ago, and yet it was only a month now that we were in a hospital, minds spinning wondering what happened. Life changed dramatically after that. We couldn't use the motorcycle, it needed repairs and frankly we weren't really "in the mood". I think you could imagine why! Our injuries have healed wonderfully. While I'm still working on the whole bending the thumb stuff, it's pretty much in tact now. With a few minor jolts of pain when I bend it weird or put too much pressure on it, it's just fine and in working order. All my abrasions have turned to pink memories of discomforts gone by. No more worries of infection or complication. Leah's knee has been healing beautifully. She is walking, pretty much running. We were able to go to Bangkok, and she could get around on the stairs, just as long as we took frequent breaks. She wont' be jumping in on a marathon mind you, but God has been so good to us. The healing has been wonderful.

Something I didn't think about initially was what to do about getting around. Suddenly, that became the biggest bear. No more motorcycle meant we were dependent on others to get around most of the time. I can take the songtaew (bus-truck kind of thing) to work every day and be fine, but even then I am depending on it being on time. And sometimes, it just isn't. For everything else, we had to ask favors and depend on the others here to help us get to church and even the grocery store. Especially in the beginning, when Leah could barely walk. And it was a struggle, because as much as people say we are not imposing, you always have this guilt feeling that you are. So you have to get over a lot of pride and allow people to reach out and help you. That's difficult. So we are indebted to the Joneses and Vonda and the Hayes for helping us exist this past month.

Recently though, we decided to go ahead and get the motorcycle fixed. We weren't sure what we'd do with it, though we knew we were going to sell it before we left. Then God put it in our heart to do something we never knew we could... get back on. While this may not have seemed possible in our minds, God knew it was. And so just this week, we received word that our motorcycle was finished, for a pretty minimal cost. After I brought it back to the house, we just sort of looked at it, and we both knew that we had to at least try getting back on. I had driven it since the accident, really just to take it to the shop and back. But we just felt we needed to do this, and so we did. I am thankful because I realize it's not only our bodies that God has healed, there's something in our hearts that God has healed as well. So yes, we are driving the motorcycle again, though in an almost paranoid fashion. Drivers seem to explode out of every bush and side-alley. And I'm not exaggerating too badly there! It's been really nice just to be able to get around on our own again. I know it's cliche, but you don't really know how good you have it until you don't. The ability to get around and do what you need to do. That's a privilege, not even a right. And I thank God that we can do that now.

I will still take the songtaew to work each day... call it paranoia, but the road to school is filled with people getting on and off the road, and I don't want to risk it, so the back of a truck suits me just fine. Thank you for praying, because God tends to answer even the prayers that we don't know we need to pray. He just does what is best for us, and we've seen that first hand!

The Roadrash Anniversary

Well, I must say that this has been an incredible experience, in every way imaginable. I'm typing this sans thumb as is, but managing okay. Leah's surgery went very well, lots of stitches (not sure how many), as there were two layers to do. They really cleaned her out, and she's been feeling it every since. Today, they took her bandages off (which combined with her leg was about a foot in diameter, it was a rather huge bandage). Leah liked to call it the ham bandage, as it resembled a big old ham! Anyway, when it came off, there was no swelling in her knee, and the stitches looked pretty good. Sorry Matt, no pictures of this! :) My thumb should be 3 weeks before the imbolization comes off. Leah, we're not sure about yet. It could be more time, we just don't know. She tried standing today, but that alone was excruciating for her. I think she's gotten stronger even since this morning, but it may be a long time in healing. Thankfully, the doctor said that there was no bone damage, not even tendon damage, all skin and muscle. God really was in this, because the blow when right between the joints, avoiding any tendons, bone, and even any blood vessels. (even as I was looking at the horrid wound, there was virtually no bleeding when it happened! There's just so much to praise our God about!

And that's not to mention all the love and support that people have given. We have not lacked for friends during this time. There has been a constant flow of people in the room. From church members, to co-workers at the university, to people we used to know, to people we don't even know! Many tears have come from our hearts over the love that people have shown. And not to mention all the love and support from our friends here. I am sorry we cannot write each and every one of you, perhaps over time. The hospital has no internet, so whenever I can get over to the church, I check and try to tell Leah what everyone is saying. Your prayers are not unanswered, God has been doing something wonderful. This was the oddest anniversary we have every had I must say. Never planned on spending our 4th in a Thai hospital, but there we are. And yet it couldn't be more perfect. God has brought us even closer to Him and each other. We have held each other and shared our fears, tears, and joy over all the love.

It could have all been much much worse, and again, it just wasn't. God was there. He was in each detail. He didn't do this to us, He allowed this for us. We have had only to benefit from this. Still, recovery, showering with a plastic bag over my left hand, struggling to walk, and so on aren't exactly anyone's idea of a "good time". What is good is our God and the support we have felt in this time!

Thank you thank you thank you, for praying! I know that is what kept us really going. I'd like to think I'm just strong, or I've got it all together, but truth is I've got nothing. I was reduced to helplessness as I saw my wife gashed. It's only God that things went the way they did. Thank you all for your love!

In His Incredible Care,

Andrew and Leah Kilcup

Motorcycle accident

Here is the email I sent to our family, I thought I'd put it where more people could read it.

Okay, nobody freak out. I just want to give you the facts before you see the status updates of "we're praying for Drew and Leah" all over the place. Today, going to lunch from Rajabhat, we were in a motorcycle accident. Unlike the others, this one was not so minor. It could certainly have been much worse than it ended up, but all things considered, it was pretty bad. It's hard to recall what happened, but here's what I remember. We were going down a long stretch of road and there were some students in front of us. They were veering left, and I thought they were going across the drainage ditch on a bridge. But just before we went passed them, they turned right, our motorcycles collided, and ours went spinning across the road to the right. Thankfully, there was no oncoming traffic. Our motorcycle skidded across the road with us underneath.

When it finally stopped, we were both underneath it. In the adrenaline of the moment, I shoved the bike off, burning my hand as I did so pushing on the exhaust pipe. I had know idea I was burned at the time. When I looked at Leah, she said something about her knee. Sparing you the details, her knee was split open from end to end, and very deep. It was terrible to see her in such pain, but I tried to keep my wits about me. People just poured over to help. Some shielded Leah from the sun with their jackets while others took the bike away. Thankfully, a teacher from Rajabhat came by and offered her car to take us to the hospital. Leah hobbled in and off we went. Kathi and later Jim met us at the hospital, where we were both cleaned up, x-rayed and taken very good care of.

So here's the lowdown. I have lots of abrasions on my right leg and arm, and a fractured thumb. So I was released from the hospital with a "thumbs up" for a couple weeks. Leah's injury was really only one, but more serious. The gash in her knee went pretty much to the bone, but they got it cleaned up very well and right now, are taking her into surgery. They need to do surgery (complete with general anesthesia) because they need to do two layers of stitches.

I won't mince words. This was terrifying. But there is so much that could have happened that didn't. It could have been head on, it could have been much much worse. But it wasn't, our God was in control the whole time. We're okay now. Leah's smiling in the hospital, and I'll be going over there to stay with her. She has a private room, which is very nice, but has to be there for 3 days. The motorcycle is bent a bit in the wheels, but otherwise looks okay. So we are praising God. Even in the midst of the pain, she was singing. My heart broke to see her in such a condition, but was overjoyed with how good care God provided. We had no fears about the hospital, and people were coming in and out the entire time. There was so much love all around us, my eyes were constantly filled with tears.

So please pray, recovery will take a while from here. We're okay, just beat up pretty good. But our spirits are high. Pray for Leah and I as we recover from our injuries. All of this considered, we wouldn't trade the life God's given us for a minute!

Wherever God Leads...

Well, perhaps it's been a little too long since last we updated this blog. We will play catch-up very soon. There has been so much happening, it has been a whirlwind of a summer! Although... honestly, all year has felt like "summer" in one way or another. Point aside, God is at work in our hearts and lives, that is for sure.

We came to Thailand to try and discern if this is the place God would have us stay on a permanent basis. In fact, we were kind of set on that notion. We sold or gave away much of our belongings, and settled down on the idea that we would set up a basis from which we could serve in this country for a long time. The first 6 months were rather brutal, adjusting to so much and going through some of the hardest struggles that we have ever faced. But God only showed His goodness and love through it and we came through just fine. But something else was going on. During the time that we have spent here, we have seen a change in our heart. God has changed us, there's just no way around that. We are not the same people we were when we left the United States. But perhaps it is that we have a bigger heart for the US. Strange as it may sound, living and serving the Lord in Thailand has given us a bigger burden and urge to serve in the US.

Funny thing is, it has nothing to do with culture, food, comforts or any such thing. Truth is, life can be very comfortable in a place without all the trappings and distractions of American life. The slowed pace and general friendliness of the people honestly make it a wonderful place to live and raise children. But it's not a matter of comfort, it's a matter of following the Lord's direction. And for whatever reason, it is pointing us back to the US. Lest any think this to be a sudden and rash decision, this is something we have toiled over in study and prayer for months and months. We were both determined that it would not be for any reason such as discomfort or frustration. While those may be a part of life at times here, it is also found in life anywhere.

Of course, I realize that this begs the questions, "what next", or "where will you go", or "what will you do"? Honestly, we don't have those answers. It seems that God reveals the next step, one step at a time. While I would love to know what's around the next 12 turns in the road, God chooses to reveal one at a time. While here in Thailand, we have realized that God has given us many opportunities and has opened our eyes to abilities and possibilities that we had not dreamed of. So the answer to "where " or "what" is impossible to find at this point. It could be anywhere, anything. All I know is that we will follow Him wherever He leads. As we find out more, we will keep you posted here.

In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for some updates from this summer. There's been a lot happening.

Following Him wherever He leads us,

Andrew

The Power of Relationships

One thing we have learned living and serving the Lord in Thailand is the power that relationships have in ministry. Ministry, we have learned, is a life not so much something that you do just at church or on a Sunday. Ministry in the New Testament church was something that overflowed from the relationship believers had with Jesus Christ. And much of that ministry between people happened through relationships. The church itself is about relationships (Ephesians 4:16), illustrating this the way that a body is connected together and operates through those connections (joints and ligaments). Nothing is more apparent than ministry here in Thailand.

When the teen group from Anchor came here, they taught English at one of the local schools here, Surawittayakarn School. They met number of people, but a handful of the students kept coming to see them while they were here. They were especially enamored by Shane and Tiffany I think! At any rate, these students (Foam, Jeep, Ice, Korn, and Doc to name a few) kept on coming even after the teen group returned to the United States. To sum things up, they have been coming out to church events (though not actually church itself) this entire time up to the present. Now, they are all going off to college... some in Bangkok, some in Chiang Mai, some a little closer. We maintain contact with many of them through facebook and email, and continue to pray that the things they heard about Jesus will sink into their hearts.

However, to illustrate just how much of an impact these American teens made, I include an excerpt from their yearbook. Here is a page that has the coming of the Anchor teens to their school. What may have seemed like a little thing, teaching English, could be in fact life altering for some of these young people. They saw and continue to see Thais and Americans whose lives are different, there is joy and real peace, something so many people here lack. So thank you, Anchor teens, what you did here made more of a difference than you may ever know!

Songkran: Water water everywhere...

Andrew and Sai soaking and being soaked.

I can't believe I've become one of those people who have a blog and don't update it. Shame shame shame. Well, honestly, it's been hard to think of major things that happened in April, somewhat of a slower month you might say. School is out, but we are supposed to report in each day, so there is usually not much going on at the office. The one major highlight of the month is the huge festival in Thailand called Songkran. Actually, it is the biggest holiday of the year, like Christmas or July 4th in America. The celebration is the Thai new year, the Buddhist year of 2551. The holiday itself takes some explaining. Basically, it is a water free-for-all. Anybody is a target, the old and the young. And don't think anyone will have mercy because you drive a motorcycle, in fact, you are the main target! So riding around town, we had to expect to get drenched anywhere and everywhere we went. Riding to the market, to the grocery store, for dinner, even for church. It's all fair game.

Ah, but life would be rather dull if one just resigned themselves to a water-logged existence. So Saturday Leah and I teamed up with Sai, one of the high school age girls at the church, and dished out our own recompense! We just loaded up a trash can full of water and sprayed anyone who ventured down the road in front of the church, which is one of the main routes in town. So as wet as we got, we had the satisfaction of dealing out a few gallons on our own! My initial thought was, "Wow, the US needs to get in on this!" But what with the road rage we already deal with in States, there'd probably be riots in every city! So maybe it wouldn't work. We even had a little water battle with some of the kids across the street from our house. It was really fun to spend some time letting them get us dripping wet. They even climbed the wall and ambushed us from the trees! What little monkeys! It was a very good opportunity to build relationships with kids we otherwise wouldn't get a chance to meet. Now when they see us, they say hello (or sawadii to be specific) to us.

On a more serious note, the church celebrated Songkran in their own way. Besides everyone coming to church a little more water-logged than usual, they had a special ceremony. There are a number of things that are traditional for Songkran. First, the water wars, that's the most obvious. Second, everyone wears bright colors, usually Hawaiian style shirts. Third, many people wear jasmine flower leis. Fourth, they will smear baby powder or a cream on their faces to cool them off. More often, people will do it to their friends as an act of kindness. But fifth, they will perform a ceremony to honor their elders. This is something the church does in celebration of this renowned holiday. All of the older members of the church sat in chairs in a semi-circle while the younger people formed a line. Each younger person took up a small bowl filled with cool water with jasmine in it. It gave off a sweet fragrance. They would take this and pour a small amount on the hands of the older person, who would in turn take some of that water and put it on their head. They would give their thanks for the life of that older person. In turn, the elder would give a blessing to the younger. This would happen all the way down the line. Little children thanking their elders, older people blessing the younger ones. What a beautiful picture of such biblical texts such as Titus 2 where we are told to honor each other, both older and younger. It was a very moving ceremony for everyone as each person expressed their love for one another.

So Songkran was about as different as it gets. It's an all-Thai event, and we were privileged to experience it. While our clothes may still be drying out, our hearts were really moved and encouraged by a church showing love for each other in such a unique way.

We did make a video which we made available to a few of the churches that support the Hayes. If you would like to see it, you can follow the link below and download it from there! Let us know what you think!

http://www.mediafire.com/?1guzyzim3nt

Redeeming the Time: Practice makes Better...

Well, I wanted to put up that last post (pardon the length) because it was a very interesting study we had done recently, but I also wanted to let anyone who reads this know how it impacted our lives. God gave us an opportunity to grab onto just yesterday (Sunday). It was a very hot day, and the fans in the church just didn't seem to be able to keep up, so it was a bit of a struggle. But we got through just fine. Still, you don't realize how much heat can sap your strength. I teach on Sunday afternoons, tutoring a local doctor's children in English, which is helping to build some key bridges into their lives. Kathi as well is working to build relationships with this family. I teach for an hour, and then we usually go home, eat or whatever, getting rested up for the evening. Well, this family is extremely giving and so invited us to go bowling with them. At first, we were both thinking... ugh... it's so hot, and we are so very tired... bowling seemed like the last thing we wanted to do. And yet, we knew it was an opportunity that God had brought along the way. So we decided to do it, and never regretted it. God proved to be the wiser of us in bringing this opportunity along. And so we were able to put our study into practice, grabbing up the opportunities that come along the way, making time for them instead of holding to any rigid schedule.

So we did go bowling, and apart from my own lousy scores (Leah's was actually much better), what wasn't lousy was the building of relationships with this wonderful family. Their youngest son, who is elementary school age, is usually shy and doesn't EVER speak to us, or anyone else for that matter. But at the end, after we had cheered him on (even with gutterballs), he really warmed up and would at least look at us! So we thank God that His wisdom is much greater than our own, and we thank him for an opportunity to "practice what we preach".

Redeeming the Time: A Study

As part of our adjustment process here in Thailand, we have been reading through the book "Cross Cultural Connections" by Duane Elmer, a must-read for anyone experiencing life in a different culture. Be it missions work or otherwise, this book is suited for anyone heading into the unknown territory of another culture. As we were reading through the book, something really caught my attention in chapter 13. In summary, this chapter is dealing with the issues surrounding time versus event. The issue is whether one sees time as hours and minutes or as opportunities... strictly related to a clock, or more relational. One section in the chapter dealt with "Time in the Bible", where he makes a distinction between the Greek words chronos and kairos, both usually translated as "time". He mentioned Ephesians 5:16, the famous verse about "redeeming the time", and so it got my mental gears turning. Is there credibility to what he's saying? If there is, it changes a few things! This is what I have found then...

Elmer makes a distinction between the two words, stating that,

"Chronos refers generally to time segments, sequences and what we might think of as a specific time or time period. In today's culture, we might think of it as clock time or calendar time."

Of the other word, he states,

"Kairos, used nearly twice as often in the New Testament, approximates the way many people in the Two-Thirds World perceive time. Time is understood not in terms of specific segments but more in terms of opportunity, the right time, the appropriate time or the meaningful time. Thus, kairos people value the moment, the event or the opportunity and try to make it significant and memorable." (pgs 121-122) This then set me off to discover if the things he stated about these words were so.

CHRONOS: In my search, I found about 54 hits for this word in the New Testament, here are some examples.

Matt. 2:7- Herod asks what TIME the wisemen saw the star.
Matt. 25:19- The master in a parable returns after a long TIME.
Luke 1:57- Elizabeth's TIME came to give birth.
John 12:35- Jesus says only a little TIME is He with the disciples.
Acts 14:28,15:33,18:20-23- Speaks of staying in a place for a TIME.
1 Peter 1:17- Speaks of life as the TIME of our soujourning.
Rev. 20:3- Satan to be loosed from the pit for a TIME.

Compare that with KAIROS: In my search, I found about 80 hits for this word in the New Testament, far more than the prior word...

Matt: 8:29- Demons asking Jesus if He will torment them before the right TIME.
Luke 12:56- Jesus speaks to "hypocrites" who cannot discern the TIME.
John 7:8- Jesus does not go to a feast because His TIME is not yet come.
Acts 12:1- King Herod attacks the church "at that TIME" (the right time).
Romans 5:6- At the right TIME, Christ died for the ungodly.
Gal. 6:10- As we have OPPORTUNITY, let us do good...
Eph. 5:16- Redeeming the TIME...

And here are some extra-biblical examples from some common, everyday type correspondences in the world at the time of the New Testament...

1. An Alexandrian contract reads, "Apportion to him TIME (chronos)". In other words, he needs more time to do something.
2. A statement from a lawyer that says, "seizing a favorable TIME (kairos), she broke into my client's house, and carried off the foundling."

The evidence is rather overwhelming in my estimation. While these meanings are not necessarily exclusive from each other, they are generally referring to different things. So when Paul tells us to "redeem the time", is he saying that we need to fill our minutes, hours and days? Is he suggesting we need to be a part of the rat race, or even the Christian rat race? Or could he be saying the opposite? Could he be telling us to make the most of every opportunity? I tend to think so. Frankly, given a choice between a meeting or family matter, people in a third world agrarian culture will opt for family every time. They won't always miss the meeting itself, but they might be a few minutes late. They could not think of brushing somebody off because they might be late to something. In the western world, business is life and life is business. Time is money or at least valued as such. But is that entirely biblical?

In Elmer's evaluation of Time versus Event cultures, he makes some interesting comments about the typical western time-oriented culture. He notes that things were not this way until the industrial revolution, when people began punching clocks. On an assembly line, everyone needs to be there, if somebody is late, it holds everything up, and so our view of time began to change. Everything was tied to time, it was money. We measure life by time, we earn money by time, we sometimes even measure our success or effectiveness by time. Why is the wristwatch the most common graduation present? He says this,

"Many of us remember the hectic frenzy around the house trying to get ready on time for church or some event. We arrived on time but at the cost of shouting and tense feelings. Maybe it is still true in your house. Nevertheless, our time orientation served us well for things like gross national product, national emergencies and progress in science. It has, however, often take its toll on relationships." (pg. 119)

That somewhat floored me, mostly because it is so true. Even in something like church, this aspect of American thinking dominates. We view our time the same way the business world views it. We fill our lives with schedules and calendar items and times to be here and there. Then if something comes up, even an opportunity, it is lost because we "have to be somewhere". What has happened?

On page 118 however, Elmer makes another interesting note.

"It is my observation that much of the two-thirds world is becoming more like the west and much of the west is becoming more like the two-thirds world. For example, younger-generation Americans are less time-oriented and more event-oriented. Two-thirds world people, with exposure to the west, are becoming more time-oriented... Everyone has the same twenty-four hour day. Beyond that, however, people think about and use time differently."

In my estimation, nothing could be more true. I've seen clashes between two cultures even in America, where perhaps older generations look at the younger generations with disdain for their lack of concern for time. Likewise, younger generations may look at the older ones with a smirk because they are perceived as being nailed to a clock.

This raises some interesting questions. It is easy to fill our lives, make our schedules crazy, and imagine that we are living our life to the fullest for the Lord. "Look at everything I'm doing". But what are we doing? In the last number of years I spent in the states finishing up seminary, my life was nothing but hectic. I filled it up to the max with events and calendar items, being here and there doing this and that. I barely had time to breath! But towards the end (before crossing the ocean), I began to think, "what am I actually doing?" I wondered, in the insanity of my life's schedule, how many lives were actually being touched by mine? Is it possible to create such a busy life (even with good things), that we miss the opportunities that are afforded to us every day? Are we in such a hurry in the grocery store that we fail to even recognize the existence of the cashier, much less offer them a kind word, much less show them the love of Christ?

Life in Thailand sometimes seems dreadfully slow. It was a huge adjustment coming here. But then, it made me think. Is life too slow here, or is it too fast back int he US? The truth is, it would be wrong to make a blanket-statement about he US in this way, for there are many places, usually rural, where this is not the case. But in more metropolitan areas, it is definitely the case. And it's not like you can just have a daytimer or blackberry burning service or something. You can't ignore the demands of work and obligations, especially in America. But you can look at your life and perhaps take a priority-inventory. I've had to do that, I suppose I was forced to when we moved here. Redeeming the time... Did God intend for us to fill our lives with things, meetings, stuff to do? Or did He intend for us to view time a little more as an opportunity that only comes once?

Perhaps our super-civilization can learn some things from the rice farmers, the goat herders and the people of the field. Does God suggest that we fill our minutes with business and schedules, or that we use every opportunity that comes our way for Him?

Hot Helmets on the Loose!

Can you believe it? The gall of some people. I mean, a church even! Grrr... Oh... sorry. Let me fill you in. We were at the church doing a book study with Jim and Kathi and had a wonderful time, as we always do. It's really a very encouraging time talking about culture shock, and adjustment and learning to accept and love people who are very different, especially when you are the foreigner in their country. Well, the evening came to a close and we went on our way. But as Kathi walked us to the front where our motorcycle was, we noticed something was amiss. Something like our helmets! Now, Kathi had always said that people always admired our helmets. I guess somebody admired them a little too much! I couldn't believe it. That's like stealing somebody's seatbelt! I was about to walk down the street and see if anybody had really cool looking gray and red helmets, but Leah stopped me, imagining that the person could be drunk. So I gave up the pursuit. Besides, they could be kilometers away by then. So no helmets. Kathi lent us one to use until we found more that fit. So the next day, we had to go out and spend more money on helmets. Not something we were planning on, but something you do have to do. The police check all the time and pull people over, plus I've seen what accidents can do, and no thanks. I'll spend the money on a good helmet. Leah had no trouble finding hers, she found the nice blue one. Me, I'm a different story. My melon is so bulbous, it was night to impossible finding one that fit my bean. So I landed on the red one pictured above, it's the closest thing to a fit, though a little tight on the jaw. That's okay though. Better a compressed jaw than a broken head. I'm thankful that we had the money to just go out and acquire new helmets, but let me tell you... it won't be hard to spot somebody going around with gray and red helmets like ours... :)

Teaching ESL: A Different Experience

Well, here we are at the end of the first semester. I began my grading and finished it up this week. Let me tell you, it was a very different experience. First off, grading here in Thailand is quite different. For example, I had two students cheat on a quiz mid-semester. They admitted to it, so I told them I would have to fail them for it and take away half the points, starting them at 50%. They would have had a 100%, but I wanted to make sure they understood they could not cheat in my class. Come to find out, in Thailand passing is 50% and higher. Failing is 49% and below. Ugh. So in punishing them, I still passed them. So most everybody did pass, there was only a couple students who got grades like 17 and 18%. But then it might have helped if they showed up to class more than 4 times! I was very happy with some of my classes, as the students passed with many A's and B's. It felt very good to get the grades in and done. But what felt even better was knowing that God was using our example and influence at the university to get things moving with Surin Baptist Church. The Hayes and the team here in Surin are using the connection with Surin Rajabhat University to create venues of ministry to reach out to the college-age community here.

I also wanted to encourage anybody who might be considering doing something like this. Do it. It's very feasible. You may only have to raise monies for your initial outfit and passage, setting up living space, airfare to and from, visas, etc... But I find that one could very well live in a place like this on a Thai salary. Other countries, I don't know, but probably. Sure, I'm making 1/3rd of what I did in the states, but living expenses are even more fractional. You buy meals for #1.00, that's about the average rate. The most expensive when we eat out is like $6.00 (for two people). However, it is one of the most taxing things one might do. You are out of any comfort zone, you are in a place where up seems like down and right seems like left. You don't have your cultural map whereby you discern life. And yet it's the best thing for anyone to go through. Because you kind of "re-learn" all those things you either took for granted or never really thought about. Things like, "is someone really a bad person if they are late to something", or "Does somebody peeking in your windows or walking in your house mean they are nosy or trying to invade"? These are the questions you face, and it forces you to go to God for the answers. It would be easy enough to lose your temper and decide the answers based on your own cultural map, but then you'd find yourself hating everybody around you. It forces you to look to the scriptures for what God has really commanded, and what is just culturally assumed. Some things you decide are actual biblical commands (like not bowing down to idols), others are more along the lines of culturally conditioned assumptions (like being late).

Well, all this about grading. But I wanted to encourage anybody out there. Even if you do a shorter-term, like what we are doing for a year or two, it will change the way you see the world. It will change the way you read the Bible. It really comes to life in an awesome way. To see the church in another tongue, another culture. It's honestly a glimpse of heaven, where there will be people worshiping Christ from every culture, family, and language.

Andrew's Rantings: African Americans in Appalachia

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This may seem like a rather odd post, but there is a reason here. One of the classes I teach here at Surindat Rajabhat University is "Socio-Cultural Backgrounds of English Speaking Countries". The scope and purpose of the course is to expose the students to the culture of nationalities they will encounter in the English speaking world. I mainly focused in on the UK, US and Australia. Anyway, at the end we studied art and music. As I researched how to explain American folk music, I began to realize something that I knew but never took the time to consider. See, much of American folk music came from the United Kingdom, England, Scotland and Wales. If you study any of the Appalachian songs from those mountains, you will notice a recurring theme of lovers gone to sea, or people sailing across the ocean. If you think for a moment, there were not too many people in Appalachia joining the navy or taking leisure or business trips across the Atlantic. Not THAT often anyway. The reason for all of these songs is that they came from the United Kingdom, where such travel was much more common. Most of the songs and ballads found in the Appalachian mountains and American folk music in general descended from the British Isles. But American folk music sounds much different than the folk music in the UK, it's very distinct. So I asked myself, "What makes American folk music so unique?"

Ah, now we're getting somewhere. As ghastly and terrible a thing as slavery was, the impact that the African people had as they entered American culture changed everything. Like it or not, America would not be what it is today were it not for the huge influence of African Americans on our society. And this applies even to American folk music. More than most people realize. What is the most American instrument? Perhaps the banjo? Well, honestly that's not an American born instrument, it came from the banjar, an African instrument consisting of a gourd, stick, catgut strings and skin stretched over the gourd. Look at early pictures of the instrument and you'll see that's exactly what early banjos were. Things as "American" as bluegrass and Appalachian mountain music would not sound the way they do had they not been influenced by the rhythm and instrumentation of the African Americans. Don't believe me? Listen to a few banjo licks and you'll hear a rhythm that surely did not come from the British Isles, there's definitely something else going on.

I thought this was an interesting point, because most people would never associate something like Bluegrass or Appalachian mountain music with the African American communities. But when you stop and think about it, there's a lot of association there. These people went through some horrible times at the hands of America (not that they are alone, consider the American Indian nations as well), but they persevered and have in turn influenced America for what it is today. So the next time you hear a banjo and think, "Wow, that sounds really good" (If that is in fact what you think), thank the people who worked hard to make a place for themselves in this country.

The Worldwide Banjo

Andrew playing banjo in Buutsagaan, Mongolia (2003) [Note the Mongolian Mandolin]

Well, it's official... the banjo is the new worldwide instrument of this century. Amazing that while I cannot speak a lot of Thai, I can speak perfect Thai with a banjo, whether playing their songs or songs I grew up with, when I play, the message is plain. In any language. This banjo has been all over the place... Apache reservations in Arizona, the steppes of Mongolia, and now the jungles of Thailand. Now just so you don't get worried about my sanity, there is a point to this.

We had the opportunity to have a unique guest over this past week. His name is Michael, and he is a fellow teacher here at SRU. But he doesn't teach English, he teaches science. Oh, and he's not American, English or Australian. He's Israeli. He spends half the year in Surin teaching, then spends the other half in Tel Aviv teaching. So he is fluent in Hebrew, Thai and English (perhaps others, but that's what I know). Oh yeah, and he is a big fan of bluegrass. If that doesn't make your head spin, I don't know what will.

Since we had met him a month or so ago, and he found out we played bluegrass and such, he has been practically stalking us itching to get into a picking session. So after being hunted down at a fair, we set up a lunch with him at our place. So last week, I picked him up guitar in tow and took him to our house. We played this and that, most I knew, some I didn't. At the end he played and sang a Jewish song from the Bible, but he didn't know where. He is not a believer in Jesus Christ, but I was glad that God gave us this opportunity to be a light and to build a relationship with him. I am praying that God gives us another opportunity to speak more directly with him about spiritual things. He was quite a talker actually, but really wanted to talk mostly about which bluegrass festivals he had been to in the US. After about 20 festivals, we desperately tried to get the conversation elsewhere! We thank God for each opportunity He gives here in Thailand. We are learning the value of relationships. Here, it is extremely easy to build a relationship, at least on a surface level. People are generally open and accepting unless you give them a really good reason not to like you. Keep praying that God will use us in whatever way He sees fit!

Interesting Article

I wanted to share with everyone the nature of some things here in Thailand. While in America, the issue may be homosexuality and the nature of marriage, etc... in Thailand, it is a whole different ballgame. The article says it all. I had to piece-meal it together, so forgive me if it's a bit awkward.

Valentines Day

This is Leah:
Perhaps I should start by saying Happy Valentines day to you all! I look back a year ago today and I am amazed at all that has happened.
I have been asked what I need prayer for at times by friends and family. Often people want to pray for the souls and for the ministry we are working with. These things are all wonderful and good. But prayer for our hearts sometimes is more important. There are times here in Thailand I have experienced an almost overwhelming loneliness and loss. I will be honest and open even if there are some who do not want to think of their missionaries in such a light. There have been days I could not get up, for f feeling the deep want for my family. When you leave behind your friends you leave behind a part of your heart. It was like morning for the loss of a loved one. I could not just hop back on a plane or get in a car ride to see them. On evenings when the phones would not work or the internet would fail I would want to curl up in my bed and not get out. Drew can tell you the many times he had to pull me up and read to me God's promises to encourage me. Did I stop living? Did I stop reaching out? No. I have never stopped.
Before I left for Thailand I was discouraged by a friend who I had put deep trust in. I was told I was not good enough and that we were cowards and that we would fail. In my heart I had a steady calm. A knowing that we needed to go. I have not regreated that choice for one day. It has not been the picture perfect experience. Hundreads of souls have not gotten saved. Churchs have not been planted. But are we still doing God's work? Every time I get up. Are we honoring God? As best we can! Are we missionaries? Yes. I have never stopped knowing that from the beginning. It does not matter what man may say about it. I know I am following God, loneliness and all. And I know he is bringing us through.
Around a year ago Drew and I went through a very hard struggle. I will not go into all the details, but it was a very hard day. This year as it rolled around I almost did not want to celebrate Valentines day remembering the hurts caused by others. But God told me in my heart I needed to focuse on him and not on my pain. That would only bring bitterness. However, we were invited out to a family from our church. Their son had been in the hospital for over two weeks and was finally home! They were so welcoming and happy we all could come. We had an outside barbecue with reed mats and fires and got to talk about the Lord. It may not be a romantic candle light meal for just the two of us, but it was wonderful to build relationships with these sweet friends. When Drew and I returned home we both said it was one of the best Valentines days. Gods Love is so great. I have learned this year that I can forgive past hurts. That I can move on from loneliness and put my heart and focus back on God were it belongs.
When you pray for your missionaries, yes, pray for souls and pray for ministry. But Pray for your missionaries hearts and struggles. They get lonely, they have hard days, and they cry just like you do. Its just in a different country. Pray for those things because they are just as important for God's work.
Leah Marie Kilcup

This Journey we are On

Wow, what a time. I cannot believe the semester is actually coming to an end. I still remember first coming to Thailand and thinking, "Wow, we're going to be here for a long time!" And here we are at the half way mark of sorts! It's certainly been the hardest thing we have ever endeavored to do, and yet we have seen how that God is teaching us and doing things in us that could be done perhaps nowhere else. Perhaps this is the only way God could show us what He is showing us. But that is probably another post, which we'll work on next!

This semester has been wonderful. God has allowed me to see some wonderful things happen here during this school term. I had the opportunity to share Christ with at least 60 of my students in a direct way in my class on cultures of English Speaking Countries. Then around Christmas time, we had the opportunity of introducing many of the students to the church when we helped them learn Christmas carols. We have been given many opportunities to build relationships with the students by involving ourselves in their lives via extracurricular activities. They always seem to ask for Archan Andrew and Leah's help. Incidentally, it is really something that they are on a first name basis with Leah. God has taught us the value of relationships even for sharing Christ. In this culture, it is absolutely crucial to effective evangelism, and so we are excited to see God doing this. As Surin Baptist Church looks to build (and possibly close to this university), we are hoping that any way that God has used us might help and strengthen the future of the church here in Surin. We are thankful for how God has cared for us and taken us through these 6 plus months. We are thankful to the Hayes for being there and doing a Bible study with us on Monday nights. That has given us a sounding board to get our frustrations out where we can deal with them. And we are thankful for all of our Thai friends. While we have left our families in the US, we have gained other families here in Thailand. And so we are very thankful people.

Preaching: The story of Esther

I will not spend as much time talking about the story of Esther as I did with Achan. Esther is much too long. For my second shot at storytelling God's word to Surin Baptist, I focused in on the story of Esther. Here's an interesting one though. You could tell the story and use the phrases "by chance" or "it just so happened that..." numerous times throughout the story. Of course, the point is that nothing happened by chance, but rather by an all-powerful God who was working throughout the story. I zeroed in on the idea that God is working even when we do not see it or understand it. The story of Esther is that way. You will not find God's name mentioned once. That causes some consternation to some, but to any believer in Jesus Christ, the presence of God will be all to obvious in the events. And you cannot just say it is the cleverness of the people in the story. If it were all credited to them, the Jews in Shushan would have been wiped out. Think about some of the elements of the story...

• Is it coincidence that Mordecai is related to King Saul (Kish) while Haman is an Agagite (Agag, the king that Saul spared)?
• It is just by chance that Esther is picked out of all the women in the kingdom to be the next queen?
• Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, not necessarily for religious reasons. Bowing to an official was (and is in places like Thailand) a question of honoring the office. So was Mordecai being holy or disrespectful?
• Was it coincidence that the king removed his queen in a drunken fit of rage, a moment? What king does that?
• How did Mordecai happen to overhear the plot against the king? And how was something like that just "forgotten"?
• Why did the king accept Esther twice after not speaking to her for over a month?
• Was it coincidence that the king couldn't sleep the same night Haman wanted to ask about his gallows idea?
• Was it coincidence that the king wanted to exalt Mordecai when Haman wanted to execute him?
• Was it chance that Haman was the one commanded to exalt Mordecai?
• Was it just coincidence that Haman was hung on his own gallows?

All of these things should make anybody stop and wonder, "what's going on"? The answer is clear: God is working. And how many times do we wonder in our own lives, "Where is God right now?" God is always working, He never rests or sleeps, He is constantly caring and watching over our lives.

Preaching: The story of Achan

I had the opportunity to preach while Jim and Kathi were away, Jim in the US teaching a course on missions, and Kathi in Poland visiting her daughter. At any rate, I was very nervous about the opportunity and wrestled with what to do. As my Thai is not quite up to par (at all), I had to use a translator. Jim and I have talked much about using the form of storytelling to communicate the message of God's Word to Thais. There's much to say about that. Namely, the fact that most of the Bible is written in story format should clue us in to perhaps using a story format to communicate those messages. Perhaps taking a story in the Bible and dissecting it into 3 points and a poem does just that. It dissects it. And dissected things are usually dead. Anyway, this isn't a polemic for narrative preaching. The truth is that I have been learning the power of a story, even in proclaiming God's word. Is it any curiosity that Jesus Himself used stories so many times to help people understand the sometimes confusing and seemingly paradoxical messages He brought to them? How would YOU explain something like the New Covenant to Jews in that day? To them, it seemed like a hostile attack on the law. So Jesus taught in stories.

All that to say, I gave a shot at it on January 20th, preaching out of Joshua 7 on the story of Achan. If I had to give the sermon a title, it would be "When you cannot rewind." Funny thing about the story of Achan, there's something that few people seem to have noticed. Of course, many know the story. Israel defeats Jericho and is so excited about God giving them victory, they just want to keep going. So Ai is next, at which 36 soldiers end up dead. A bit of a shock, as it indicates that God is not with them, leaving many asking "What is going on?" Including Joshua. He's on his face complaining to God that they were better off on the east side of Jordan, that now God's name is going to be run through the mud, and Israel looks abandoned. God's answer is classic and simple. "Get up". The fact was, nothing was being done about the problem, so God reveals that somebody took something from Jericho when it was supposed to be offered as a complete sacrifice to Him. Enter Achan. Apparently, he knew better than God and decided the expensive Babylonian coat and gold was better off in his tent than in the fire. So now 36 people are dead, 36 families are fatherless and husbandless. To put it frankly, Achan is looking like quite the selfish jerk here. And that is quite the truth! He's really the one responsible for all of this. So God tells Joshua to divide the people up by tribe, clan, and family, down to the heads of each individual family. It all funnels down to Achan. As Joshua stands in front of Achan though, he says something odd. He doesn't say, "You're in for it now" or "What were you thinking?" No, he says, "My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make confession to Him." Hmmm, maybe not what I would have said. Here's the kicker, Achan does what Joshua says. And we know the rest of the story, it's not really a "happy ending". Achan confesses, they find the stuff, and burn it and himself as a punishment. By the way, in case that sounds overly harsh, think about it this way. The stuff that he stole was committed to be a sacrifice to the Lord, literally a burnt offering. When Achan stole that, he also took the fate of the items. He wanted connection to the goods? He got it, but he also got its destiny. Anyway, he is executed and Israel goes on to defeat Ai. So Achan's the bad guy, right? Yes. No.

See, what people don't realize is that Achan actually glorified God as a final act. The last thing that Achan does in his life is bring glory to God. And didn't he? Joshua asked him to do just that, and he DID. So what's the point? Even if it's the last thing you do on this earth, you can ALWAYS make a right choice, no matter how bad or how many wrong choices you have made. We are never resigned to just do wrong. This I presented as it is, a story. I asked some questions at the end and did my best to drive home the point that the story itself makes. I hope and pray it was a blessing and a challenge to the people, or even to you! No matter what you have done or might do, with the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we CAN always choose to do what is right.

SIFF: Surin International Folk Festival

These are our prestigious tags. They got us in for free. Notice: We are Thai Staff!

Here's Leah talking to her Italian distant relatives! She figured it out!

This is the performer from China. She sang very well, but VERY high and VERY loud!

Somewhere around mid-January, Surin Rajabhat University, where I work, put on an international folk festival. I was told that they would invite people from different countries, and so I expected some of what I saw, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc... But I did not expect to see Lithuania, Italy, China and Norway there! There really WERE people from all over the world at the festival to perform their traditional music and dances.

Honestly, the most impressive was the Philippines. They had the most animated dances, jumping and flipping, and doing things with candles and light. It really was amazing to see. And perhaps it was a little taste of heaven in this sense: In Revelation 5 it speaks of people coming to Christ from every family and nation and culture on the earth, and later singing and speaking His praise. So while these people were not necessarily praising the true God, it was interesting to see different cultures, hear their language and see their interpretation of life.

One funny thing did happen. See, the Thais were having trouble understanding what one group wanted. Could you guess it? That's right, the Italians. They were asking where the kitchen was, and the Thais could not figure out why they wanted to know where the kitchen was. So of course, they turned to their resident Italian, Leah Kilcup. She was dragged over to the Italian table where they were told, "she's Italian". As their nature would have it, they began rattling off to her in Italian. Now Leah does understand some Italian, but not at 90 mph! So she did her bes t to get them to slow down long enough for her to understand. Come to find out, they wanted to clear the table and wash the dishes, and needed to know where the kitchen was to do so. Leah explained that in Thailand, they do EVERYTHING for you. After a while, they came to terms with the way things are done here, and let the Thais clear their table. But you could tell they felt a little awkward. It was really a neat experience, I told Leah she was with "her people". We laughed about it, but the truth is that we are here to serve however we can. Even if it is interpreting in languages we don't really know. I did have another Thai student come to me and ask if I could interpret for the Israelis. I don't know Hebrew THAT well at all!

Playing Catchup: New Years in Rayong

Leah feeding a sea turtle. He's a biggie!
Leah with her braids. Pretty islandy, eh?


Andrew very cold in the back of the truck!

Whoa! Long time, no post! It's amazing how things get so out of hand. Though I do go to other blogs and see they haven't posted for six months at a time, so it somehow makes me feel justified or something in my own neglect. Not really. Well, let's get everybody up to speed on things around here. First, New Years. We went to the beach in Rayong, a nice little town about 5 hours from Surin, and two hours from Bangkok. It's kind of between the two cities but south. Anyway, we had a wonderful time with many of the people from Surin Baptist Church. The Jones were able to join us from Bangkok as well.

It was very nice to be able to spend so much time with our Thai friends. We took a boat to an island where we could enter the gulf of Thailand. I must say I've never seen water like it, apparently much like Caribbean water, blue and transparent. Not like the beautiful brown or gray water in Ocean City, Maryland! Leah stepped out on a limb and got her hair done at the beach. They did her hair all in braids, tons of them. It didn't stay long, but she was the adventurous one to try it out. We took a bouncy ride back from the island, saw some fisheries, and ate lots of wonderful Thai food. It was a nice little vacation and a great way to get to know some of the people better. We watched the New Year come with Amanda, Orawan and Ya on the beach just talking about this and that and watching some guy about 20 meters away set off fireworks. We thought we were going to get blown up. He wasn't exactly following any regulations. Coming back from Rayong, it decided to get very cold. This was only a problem because four of us were riding in the back of the truck. Brrrrr! (Thought I'd NEVER say that here in Thailand, but it happens) This was more of a personal note to let you know what life is like. We really enjoy when we can take a break and catch a change of scenery, it was very renewing in our hearts and spirits and we came back ready to go at it again!