CO Week

It's been a bit crazy - had CO at Thonburi Thai Cong last week. This meant everyone was extra busy since normally we don't meet out on Thursday or Friday, but with CO we do! By Sunday everybody was tired but happy. We had 119 in attendance for Sunday meeting and at least 30 went out after!

Our CO is great, he seems to really get the challenges of the foreigners serving there. His first talk was on the sacrifices we make for Jehovah. There were some teary eyes over his loving acknowledgement of the difficulties of serving in a foreign land. Then on Sunday (as Alanna explained to me) he made the comparison of learning a new language to Jesus coming to Earth and how it was humbling to go from being a powerful spirit creature to being a baby unable to talk. In the same way those coming from other languages have knowledge and experiences to share, but are unable to do so. I appreciated that as it is definitely humbling and sometimes frustrating trying to learn such a different language. I feel like a 2 year old when trying to form my simple Thai sentences - that people then struggle to comprehend... Oh those cursed Tones! My reading is coming along - I can read where a bus goes now before it's gone AND keep up with the Kingdom melodies - but my speech is still hopeless!

It was funny, on Wednesday we went out near Wong Wian Yai where there are a number of Indian ones, and the first two times I gave my presentation the people said I could use English :) Still, we got a number of nice people and had a lovely morning. I always feel so appreciative of the kindness and patience of the ones I meet in the ministry - and the brothers and sisters who lovingly, patiently try to teach me the correct way to say and do things.

There were enough out on Wednesday that we separated into three big groups each with their own territory. I was in Brother Wassing's group and was he ever in a mood! The whole morning he was making jokes. We went by this one shop with some chests that look like the ark of the covenent and others looked liked pillars laying on their side. Brother Wassing asks me if I need one. I had no clue what they were - I thought maybe it was furniture? All the while he's laughing while everyone around me tries to figure out how to explain in English. They were Chinese coffins.
Another time he stops in the middle of the road and tells Chieka and me that we're done here for the day. We look at him startled, we still have another half hour til 12 and he says, no just kidding, keep working.

Later that day I went on calls with Alanna who is just back from Australia so has lots of calls to make. One was at an Indian Beauty Salon where Alanna had her eyebrows threaded. It cost $2, mine were looking a little rough and of course I'm always game to try something new, so after Alanna left the chair teary eyed I sat down. OUCH. Yeah I may stick with plucking and waxing. Of course it probably wouldn't be so bad for others since I lost half my eyebrows...but Alanna said Joanne only goes once every six months, so maybe it's worth it. Afterward we got Indian "biscuits" (Aussie for cookie) to sooth our pain. They were yummy, like a mix between a sugar cookie and fudge.

It must have been the day for Indian food because we had Samosas and fried potato thingies (technical term) for dinner with Indian tea at the Indian Emporium. These were the absolute BEST Samosas I've ever had (admittedly only the second time I've had Samosas), Alanna and I had to wait a bit, but we then watched them fried fresh for us.

When the next day Dayanna, Alanna, Megan and I met Terry and Renee at the Indian Emporiam, we were all talking Samosas. Dayanna and I went to buy 12 while Alanna and Megan went to meet up with the others - only to find there were only two Samosas left and they were done for the day! Well two was something...but it'd be cruel to try to split it 6 ways, so Dayanna and I decided it was best to just eat them ourselves - only to be caught guilty in the act by Terry and Renee!

Oh well, Terry and Dayanna both have calls there, so we'll doubtless be back.

Afterward (back to Wednesday) we had pomegranet (probably wrong spelling) juice to clean out all that delightful oil. Then, rough life that it is, Alanna and I went to the Thai Massage place in Wong Wian Yai to relax after our busy day while the others went through Chinatown. Cheap massages are a definite perk for living in Thailand. After walking around as much as you do out in service (there is no rural driving territory that I've done yet in Bangkok), and getting calluses on your calluses, there's nothing better than a good foot massage to make you feel ready for the next day. I swear Wednesday I thought they'd have to pour me off the table :)

On that note, with all that rambling and only one day, I'm for bed - sorry, two in the morning here! And I be leaving to go to immigration at 7 to extend my visa by 30 days. Hard to believe I've almost been here two whole months!