New people in town….
Aug 5th, 2005 by Lillian
Alot of new people are moving to Chiang Mai this month. Teachers, business people, missionaries etc. etc. So, I’ve been meeting some new people. One thing I’ve noticed and I sometimes find very annoying is the comment.. ”well in (wherever they come from,) we do it like this. ” OR ” Its ‘’soo much better back home where we did this and this”. Or even heard ” Thats so stupid how they (thai people) do that. Back home the food is better, the schools, and of-course church becomes incredibly great as soon as people leave them for another country ! I have found myself saying.. if it was so great, why did you come to Thailand. And the answer, God told me to really gets me going. I believe God gives us a choice where to live and work. .. but that’s another story.
What am I saying? I don’t know… I need some of my ”old” friends to come back to town!
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Apparently that’s one of the main symptoms of culture shock. Eventually they’ll stop doing it. The only person I know who still does it after almost 20 years is my sister in law
Ich kann dich gut verstehen. Gerade wenn man schon lange in einem Land ist, eine gewisse Liebe dafür hat und schon einige Erfahrung, wie die Sachen laufen…….und man weiss, es ist nicht alles so stupid was die andern tun. Die Erklärung von Baba (wer ist eigentlich Baba, habe ich sie schon mal gesehen??) mit dem culture shock ist gut. Vielleicht haben auch viele das Gefühl sie seien die grossen Retter und können jetzt die Welt im nu verändern, das Motiv dahinter ist ja eigentlich gut.
dann muss ich annehmen, die Gegebenheiten die Umstände und Abläufe, wie sie auch immer sind (mich unterordnen) die ganze Sache kennen lernen, denn ich bin der fremde da. Und nach einer Zeit kann ich wieder geben, dann denke ich kann es auch gute Auswirkungen haben.
Ich habe für mich die Erfahrung gemacht, dass ich zuerst etwas geben muss….die Entscheidung in ein fremdes Land zu gehen und da habe ich die freie Wahl wie du sagst
yes, I’ve thought about Babas comment all day. It is culture shock and I should go easy on the new people. Its a normal reaction and this phase will pass !
I’ve heard someone give the ‘god told me’ reason for coming to Thailand and it makes me shudder every time I think of it.
Well - if it wasn’t God who told them to go to Thailand - who then - who else speaks to us - to your heart to your mind and soul? Often we tend to say: we have an inner conviction/feeling that you are to do or go somewhere what so wrong if you say … God told me?
The big question is no really if God still speaks today - but if we are listening! I wonder if God really likes all our “beat around the bush stuff” … like in many charismatic churches …. I think he is saying, I feel something but aren’t sure, maybe he does speak, maybe he does heal, maybe he does love me, maybe he did send us to the mission …
There are many things I am not sure about - but these basics I don’t want to doubt! .. He does speak - listen - …. and again ….
ps .. you might need to disconnect your broadband, your mobile and close the fridge …. then listen again ….
Dear ”ex missionary to Asia” ( why EX?????) Why don’t you introduce yourself to us? use your real name and not some pseudonym? I try to be honest on this blog and appreciate honesty in return.
Ofcourse I believe God can communicate to us. I’ve just never heard his audible voice and tend to go on impressions and feelings I have and hope that these are from God. Good for the people who KNOW that God has called them to a certain country !!
ps don’t you think God can talk through broad band,mobile phones and .. now that we are into this.. through food?
thanks for your quick answer - I know you hear God and act upon what he says - audible/written/feeling/impression … doesn’t matter - why shouldn’t that be God speaking! … that’s my point. So many matters are gray, unclear, guideless ect - why should you not be able to say: God sent me to Thailand? He did! He spoke to you load and clear - I have no doubt! …. If I send my son to get my mail - the postoffice manager will ask him - who sent you … he will say … my dad sent me! If he say’s .. .maybe my dad sent me, or I don’t know ect .. the office manager will get sucpicious and might not even give him my mail …. he won’t be sure if his dad really sent him and if he is entiteled to pick up my mail.
I would scream ‘yes, there is hope and some true love for the people in this world’ if a westener told me, ‘God told me to go to Thailand’. I would scream ‘yes, great, there is hope and some true love for the people in this world’ ‘, if a Thai person would tell me ‘God told me to go to Europe, or other western countries’. What would you, dear reader do, if an angel or even God himself would speak with an audible voice and tell you ‘go….’