I have now been in Thailand for a week and in Chiang Rai since Wednesday. I have ridden the requisite emotional roller-coaster of a hormonal 31-year-old Westerner who has found herself in The Land of Happy People, and can tentatively state that things are all right. I'm not sure what I'm doing, what God is doing, or what the majority of the people around me are doing (or saying), but after some cursory consideration I find that this is not altogether an unusual state of being for me. Just roll with it and all will be well.
The initial exposure to Bangkok's hustle and bustle (and pea soup-thick smog) prepared me to embrace whole-heartedly the much slower, much quieter, and much more breathable environs of northern Chiang Rai. Established in 1262 as Thailand's short-lived capital, Chiang Rai boasts a long history of conquests, rice and catfish cultivation, border disputes, and a rather fortuitous 1432 earthquake. In my week of temporary residence, I have found the area to be most pleasant, boasting endless birdwatching opportunities, affordable eateries (a full meal will cost anywhere from seventy-five cents to two dollars per person), meandering streets and walkways, and quaint vistas dotted with Brahman cows, colorful shrines, and watermelon stands. The Thai language remains elusive, but its sounds are less raucous and alien to me than they were a week ago. I entertain no delusions whatsoever in regards to the likelihood that I will ever successfully commit to memory all of Thai's 44 consonants and 28 vowel sounds!
Anyway, Chiang Rai and, more specifically Home of the Open Heart has welcomed me generously and warmly. I have been presented with a list of responsibilities and potential opportunities to see what God will do. I have met many interesting people and hope to continue to get to know them, to hear their stories, and to share our mutual faith. I have a great deal of growing to do, much more, even than I had anticipated. I hope to remain receptive to God's teaching and to His love and faithfulness throughout my time here and, indeed for the rest of my life.
