Ron in Thailand: Missive 2

All those evocative old terms like “putting pen to paper”, “resorting again to pen and ink” and “scratching out some feeble lines” are gone forever, but whatever it’s called in modern parlance, I’m doing it again! We’ve been a good week back from Khon Kaen after a sad departure from Whun who shared with us a couple of plans for coming to see her again, and our dear Captain with whom we were getting along famously. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to get back there but will spend some face to face time with her on the phone. The meals here have been a bit of a challenge this time. There is a high vegetable content, but rarely potato, usually “exotic”, often bland (helped by chilli) and sometimes what we might regard as weeds. Meat is usually minimal, even though a pig was killed last week. We have fish soup fairly often and it seems as though Thai fish (last week it was catfish and snake-head fish) are blessed with an incredible number of bones. There is always plenty of rice. Consequently, we sometimes go into Lomsak (25kms) to satisfy our craving for a steak, pork chop or cordon bleu chicken. In fact, we went in three nights in a row last week when we missed dinner because we were engaged in something else at that hour. The food here is sometimes less than we would hope for because most months there is a shortage of funds coming from sponsorship money. This means that by the end of the month paying for wages, electricity and supplies is a struggle. This time we were able to bring a good sum from the Glenunga Church and other donors of about $3700 that was not targeted at other projects. Pawinee was very excited to see it and this will take some of the pressure off next month’s finances. We did however have the most wonderful Thai meal at Mum Whun’s Grandma’s house in a nearby village. We go there every time we are here and the visit is highly anticipated. The arrangements were made before we came and when it looked like we may have to postpone it for a couple of weeks Whun said, “Oh no, we can’t do that, they have already caught the chicken!” Why came with us and she and Colleen sat and cut a variety of ingredients into thin strips and made cold rolls, while the chicken, a bit beyond just being “caught” by the time we got there, was portioned with a meat cleaver. A couple of baked fish turned up, beautiful sauces were made, some hot and one mild, and the inevitable sticky rice was on the table. It was a feast and in great company. We feel privileged to be regarded as friends by Mum Whun’s Grandma, her Mum and Dad and a variety of aunties who are always there, even though we can’t communicate except through Whun, and this time, Why. Colleen took Whun’s Mum a bunch of flowers and she was delighted with them and wanted them included them in the photos. She always takes a couple of boxes of soft cakes for Grandma and they are also gratefully received. Mum Whun has changed roles here and is not one of the Mums any more, but rather the farm manager, a task she has taken to with great zest. She has schooled herself in aquaculture, has dug some more aerated dams and has thousands of fish (telapea) in various stages of development, harvesting on a 4-month cycle. She has a variety of vegetables under cultivation, a growing herd(?) of ducks and geese, and several rai (sixth of a hectare) under bananas, pawpaw and guava. A small herd of cows and a piggery round out the farm. Most of this has been there for years, but Whun has managed the team of workers well and instilled a sense of pride in their endeavours. And the farm looks an absolute picture. We are very proud of our friend. Sunday saw me in the pulpit again (well, at the front of the dining room really) and this week my voice was in good shape. The theme was “What have you got to give to Jesus?”, another of Pawinee’s suggestions. I usually do something visual and this time I took a smooth stone, borrowed some stuff from the kitchen and told them the story of making stone soup. No doubt you have heard the story – if not, remind me, it’s a good tale for the telling. Elisha and the widow with the oil is a more Biblical perspective. On Saturday we had a power blackout (planned) for half the day. Being South Australian we felt very much at home! To escape the lack of air-conditioning we decided to go to Khao Kho (one of those words means “mountain”) so we arranged for Moi and Why to come with us. Mum Whun got wind of the adventure and wanted to come so the 5 of us set off. We had a lovely lunch at a themed Coffee House and Restaurant called “Route 12” – lots of pictures of American film-stars, cars etc, reminiscent of Route 66. On the way back, half-way down the mountainside, we called in to a market we frequent often to buy a few things made by the Hmong or Hill-tribe people. Those of you who know the shoulder bag I often carry will have seen their craft. It was a lovely day of interacting more closely with Moi and trying to give her some confidence with English. A couple of days ago a highlight of Colleen’s time here was spending time in Why’s classroom. The classroom is set up beautifully, a legacy of Trish, an Australian teacher who has taught here for a few years, but a wonderful precedent for Why. The kids can be quite difficult to manage because they tend to be unruly, but Why has some good practices in place. Her teaching puts a high value on participation and she is a natural in front of the class. Colleen was able to give some advice about use of her voice and a few other things and came away very proud of her. Colleen rounded out the day by working with Jean Dunk’s sister-in-law, Helen, tidying up a basket of wool and then when Moi’s house came home from school spent time with them helping them with their crochet. Colleen has introduced Moi to a beautiful coloured dictionary and time spent with her has seen fruits of better English as well as the warmth of relationship – she is such a sweet girl (both of them!). Only 6 days left. Today I completed the information for the 6-monthly report that needs to go to Global Development Group which arranges for tax deductibility for us with the Australian Government. In the next few days I hope to complete a discussion paper on an issue that requires attention by the Mercy International Board. And that’s about it. A month here seemed a long time when we started but now it seems hardly enough. Again we’ve been invited to stay a couple of years, this time to run our English school in Sisaket (near the Cambodian border), but we don’t see that in our future unless God makes it clear he thinks otherwise. As Wol wrote on a sign for Pooh and Piglet – BACSON! God bless Ron (and Colleen)