Earlier in the week I was talking to Teresa saying that it would be nice if i could have a new teacher & mentioned 2 other teachers. The reason why I mentioned these teachers because they would be better for my learning style which is audible.
Class started the next day & my teacher (who is a Christian) said that she was really sorry. She was sorry because there were new students that were coming & they requested her to be their Thai language teacher. I was going to have to change teachers to one of the ones I told Teresa about. I told Teresa after class & she couldn't believe how God answered my prayer, but I didn't ask God. I just said to Teresa how I wanted a new teacher in passing.
"Enjoy serving the Lord, and he will give you what you want. Psalm 37:4"
Today was the 2nd day with my new teacher & I started class by asking her how to get to a hotel in the city where a Thai church is. She said "Matt, I am sorry. I not Christian, I Buddhist." This did not phase me at all & quietly asked if she knew where the hotel was. She quite happily found the hotel for me & we started my new lesson which was on your job now & in the past.
I started the lesson by practising my job as a Thai language student now & then my teacher said that in the past I was a teacher. I shared with her that I was a pastor, not a teacher. She was very confused because she was basing her thoughts from her experience that a Buddhist lama/monk is just a teacher of their writings. I explained to her that A pastor is many occupations together. When I shared that pastors are listeners/counsellors she changed her look all together.
She asked if she could share something to me. She said that she has not slept since her fathers death years ago. She can't stop thinking about him & asked what she should do. Time stopped & God started speaking to me about my Mongolian language teacher & that this is the same. For me time started again & I told my teacher that I did not know what to do, but would spend time praying for her & will talk with her on Monday.
My mission; to study Thai & be Christ to everyone around me, including my teacher who does not know.
Many of you know that my Mongolian teacher told me last year when we were in Canada that she is now a believer in Jesus. 2 years of Mongolian language learning, her asking me hundreds of questions during class time, getting together as families & building relationship/friendship together. I still talk to her every once & a while & pray for her, her husband & children often.
Here I ride my 2nd hand Asian fold up bicycle everywhere & place all my things in my recycled bag tied to my bike. Every Thai person laughs at me when they see me. I am the foolish foreigner on the bicycle that says "phuam sa wa dii khrap" translated "friend how are you." They are starting to know my name & the awesome thing is that it's the same as it was in Mongolia at 1st just a different language.
Mongolian: Мэт Би мэдэхгүй (Mett, I don't know)
Thai: Met may saap (in English phonetics, Mett I don't know)
Then they laugh at me more & I laugh harder then them at myself & mess up some more. Any wall they could have ever had falls down because I am such a fool & a foolish foreigner laughing at myself in a complete save face culture.
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:27"
To God be all the glory! I would never trade this life for anything.
