A letter from Annette George in Thailand
November 2010
Dear Friends,
Tempers and temperatures in Thailand have ceased simmering. Over the summer rainy season, floods were the topic of concern in the newspapers, but most parts of Chiang Mai were spared this year. Payap University continues to expand and diversify — following the dream of remaining competitive by offering international programs. My students still moan and resist their English classes, but the international flavor of the university and the number of foreign students and teachers increases each year. The College of Music was particularly blessed this year to have a voice teacher and a percussion specialist, both from the United States. The dean asked me to start an extracurricular class for English practice. I had several reservations. Besides my very full schedule of classes, I reminded him that our students have a very poor record of attending even our official English classes, including the one that the students had begged me to add to my schedule in the first semester.
English, because it is difficult to learn and because it is associated with past failures and embarrassments, is not a very attractive extracurricular activity for busy college students. However, in Thailand it is very important to be agreeable and to avoid saying “No,” especially to one’s dean, so I came up with an idea that would suit my itch to do more evangelism as well as offer a fun English-speaking setting for the students. Along with the new voice teacher, I’m offering a “Bible-stories-in-easy-English” lesson once a week at a daytime hour that is open for most of the students. I have made posters and several verbal announcements advertising the sessions as “fun” (another important cultural requirement for any event).
We started last week — or rather, the two of us teachers sat and waited for eager students. No students arrived. We learned later that the choir director had taken a large number of students to a studio to do a taping session, so perhaps that is the reason that we had no takers. There had been students who had expressed an interest in earlier weeks, but no one had told us of the time conflict with our first scheduled meeting. Please pray for more interest in the following weeks.
Cell Group
Students, particularly freshmen, had continued to arrive in large numbers every Monday night at our cell group until last week, when only four arrived. Perhaps the word had gotten out that I was serving a mostly-veggie dinner that night? As with the Bible stories/easy English lessons, it turned out that there was a competing activity, probably compulsory, that took many of them away, at least for the meal with which we began our meeting. As usual, I was out of the information loop, so was unaware of any schedule conflicts. Sometimes I tend to think that, because I finally have a pretty good command of the Thai language, I will hear the announcements and know what is going on. Alas, I assume too much in the field of communication.
Celebrations
At this time of year when most U.S. citizens are preparing Thanksgiving feasts and enjoying the holidays, the Thai are enjoying the Loy Krathong festival, a three-day homage under the full moon to the rivers, complete with small boats carrying candles and prayers, large floats decorated with glamorous statues, fireworks everywhere and evening enjoyment of the full moon during this cooler, dryer time of year. The festival is not an official holiday, so it was extra-special this year when the full moon came on a weekend. The families have been able to stay out late on the riverbanks without worrying about early-morning work and school schedules. Meanwhile, Payap University is preparing for graduation ceremonies on November 27 and Christians are soon entering the Advent season. I have pulled out Christmas music so my students can learn solos, duets and trios; some of them will be playing in church with me on the morning of December 12, the day after they perform in a huge public concert including Vivaldi’s “Gloria.”
As we practice and prepare during this busy time of the year (yes, even in Buddhist Thailand, December is soooo busy), I pray that you will enjoy the season, especially with time spent in worship and in celebration with family and friends. I think always with amazement of the Creator of the world looking down at how much we’ve messed up our relationships and the beauty of creation. But still God chooses to shower us with love and mercy through the Son, the Prince of Peace, along with a message, not of scolding or warning, but of patience and tolerance — peace and goodwill. We truly don’t deserve such gifts, but we remember at this time each year that we have been given more than we can ever express or understand. May we all live and walk in that love in the coming year.
Truly,
Annette George
The 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 126
