A Bit Less Exciting

So this post is not nearly as exciting as the last one. No elephant riding since I last posted...I think I could ride an elaphant every day though because I just think elephants are that cool.

Anyway...on to the point of the post! On monday of this week I was trained on all of my hostess duties for the guesthouse. I wasn't supposed to start until the middle of February, but since the main hostess went on holiday today they had to have someone to take care of the place! Right now I am only there in the afternoon because I still have Thai class in the morning. The guesthouse is pretty quiet right now but for the last two weeks we had a full house. So, it is good to have a break. Right now I answer email and make reservations, which doesn't take too much of my time. With my free time I go over to the library and work. I thought I was going to finish in there today, but I kept finding more books that still aren't in the computer system. I'm hopeful I'll be done by the end of the week. In the coming weeks I think I will be teaching English to a Thai woman during the afternoons. In the evenings I lock everything up, the office gets locked at 6 and then everything gets locked at 9.

I've posted pictures of where I live, but not where I work. Hopefully I'll remember to take my camera with me so you can see where I work.

So far I'm adjusting pretty well...I think. I try to take things on a daily basis. Most days are good but every once in a while I'll have a rough day. Please keep praying for me to not be overwhelmed by everything. I'm experiencing culture shock a little everyday and I'm not looking forward to when it is really full blown culture shock. I've noticed that more and more things annoy me, which is an indicator that culture shock is coming sometime.

One more thing about culture shock...most of the people I work with are Swiss so I get to experience culture shock with that culture as well. I don't handle it as well because I was not expecting it at all. I knew there was going to be adjustment to Thai culture, but had no idea that I would work with almost all Swiss people.

Thai lessons continue to be overwhelming. For someone who has always excelled academically it is hard to not excell at learning the language. Language learning is not an academic matter, even though I sit in a classroom to learn it. I have to use it outside of class to really remember anything. I would really appreciate your prayers in this area as well---it is not uncommon for me to leave class with a headache after trying to absorb so much new information.

Probably my greatest struggle (aside from culture shock issues) is thinking that what I am doing is not really ministry. Since I work in a supporting role it is easy for me to forget that what I am doing is making a difference. I think part of it (most of it) is feeling that I need to defend what I am doing to people. Today at lunch one the Mekong workers asked how working in the Hudson House was helping me learn about missions. I know she meant well and was trying to be helpful, but it made me wonder if I was doing enough. Honestly, I can't really do "ministry" because I can't speak Thai. All I can do is observe. And I can't observe all the time, at some point I do need to contribute something. So, I do a lot of behind the scenes stuff. The work that I do here frees other people and enables them to serve more effectively. I'd really appreciate prayer in this area.

Thanks for stopping by!