In a Pig's Ear!

What better way to end the day than with a nice helping of grilled pig's ear? I've heard the old expression of 'making a silk purse from a sow's ear,' but never making dinner of one.


This is way better than it sounds.

Ending August Well...

I spoke again this morning in the early service at Immanuel Baptist. (Sorry, no pics.) There were only about thirty there, which is normal for the 8:00 service, but the folks who were there seemed very responsive. I spoke on Luke 4, where Jesus read from the book of Isaiah and told the people that he was the fulfillment of that prophecy. The main point was that Jesus chose that specific prophecy, I believe, because it revealed a glimpse of his heart for the poor and the hurting.

Pastor Win apparently saw something of worth in what I shared because he decided to cancel the adult Sunday School classes and have one big joint class in the sanctuary, and asked me to repeat the message there. That was certainly encouraging and again folks seemed very responsive to the message.

Afterward, Vee and I headed to the slum at Ja Rurat while the main team went on to soi 107 and the slum area there. Usually, there are a couple of young ladies with us when we go to Ja Rurat, but this morning we were on our own, and over twenty kids showed up. It was pretty much a circus with Vee and me trying to lead the kids in songs and a time of coloring in coloring books and then me teaching a Bible story with Vee translating. This really WAS like herding cats. But the kids seemed to enjoy it and most of them listened carefully to the Bible story, and were interested.

Vee at the very beginning, leading in a song. Almost ten more kids would show up later.

She is a real ham. Always wanting her picture taken, and who can resist that smile?

A new boy who has not been there previously. He fit right in.

Big sis looking out for little bro'.

Handing out treats at the end of the day.

Afterward, Vee and I headed back to soi 107 and rejoined the team there for time with those kids, and then supper and a time of worship. And so ends another terrific weekend in Bangkok!

Thank you, thank you for your continued prayers.

Meanwhile, back at work

Each week, the managers get together to discuss how things are going and what we can do to make the Bangkok office even more successful. I managed to get them to sit for a photo so I could introduce you to the folks I work most closely with.

Back row left to right: Steve Lee, Vera Burdt (Bangkok Office Director), Ben Chinnery
Front row: Jon DePetro, Aum Nitakorn, Ben Burdt, Aphinya Raktakhob (Mink), Lisa DePetro, Buddhapol Bumroongchok (Neung).

Plaa Tu

A common site at almost all food vendors and small restaurants is these little fish. I learned today they are called plaa tu. (Plaa means 'fish' in Thai. Not yet sure about the 'tu' part.) Anyway, they are always available at the small restaurant a few doors down from our building where I often eat lunch, but I have not had the nerve to order them. Today, I went for it.

Thankfully, you can ask them to de-bone them for you.

With a plate of rice and some veggies, this turned out to be one terrific meal! By the way, the red things in the rice are small (and very hot) peppers. Rather than salt, almost every table in Thailand will have a small jar of fish sauce, a liquid similar to soy sauce but made of fermented fish. It is pretty salty, and all the salt they use. Salt shakers are not seen anywhere. In addition to plain fish sauce, almost every table will also have a small jar or pot of fish sauce with a ton of tiny sliced peppers in it. This allows you to really season things and 'kick it up a notch.'

Sunday Back in the Slums Part II

Back at so1 107 where we go every week, the kids sing a Christian chorus together. While I helped most of the team teach English, Vee and Tony and Naf and Pai went into the community to meet some of the parents.



Bomb got to help lead the singing.

The woman whose home we gather in front of each week. She is a wonderful Christian lady who rides the bus for almost two hours to reach church every Sunday morning. A recent blog entry showed the inside of her home.

Sunday back in the slum I

Today, Vee decided we would visit a slum area I had not yet seen. This is not far from the church, and, according to Vee, is an area well known for drug addiction and prostitution. We visited the home of a very elderly woman church member and then stopped to talk with another lady who had visited the church on the way back out. Here, Vee speaks with the second lady in front of her home. The young man in the foreground is Naf, who just became a Christian this morning at church!


On the way out, Tony, one of the key members of the slum ministry team spotted a group of kids near a broken down swingset. In not time, he had herded them and others together and got them ready to play a game. Tony is full of energy, has a hilarious sense of humor, and is very gifted at just this sort of thing. After the game, Vee got out his guitar and led the kids in a Christian children's song.

Before we sang, Vee slipped over to me and said he wanted me to tell the children a short Bible story and have Pai translate it into Thai. Talk about last minute! All I could think of was the story of Zacheus climbing the sycamore tree to see Jesus. The kids seemed to really enjoy it, and they seemed to get the message that Jesus is looking for them and wants to be their friend, too. Pai had never been to Immanuel Baptist Church, but he has been deeply interested in the slum ministry after hearing me talk about it. I believe his heart was deeply touched and I know he had a wonderful time. Later, he shared his story with a family in the slums. He told me it was the first time he had ever shared his testimony with a stranger and that it had made him feel wonderful inside. I am sure he will be back. This stuff is so powerful!

Small Victories

One of my favorite meals here in Thailand is a simple bowl of noodles with either chicken or pork. There are noodle shops on almost every block, but my Thai skills are so limited that I have been very hesitant to wander into a true Thai restaurant alone and try to order. This evening, I was really hungry for some noodles, though, and there are shops just a block away, so I psyched myself up and walked up to an outdoor shop and asked for mamma sai gui. (Sounds like, "mamma sigh guy.") The cook nodded and motioned me to have a seat. Wahoo! Noodles are mine! And now I know I can have noodles for supper any time I want.

Typical outdoor noodle shop. Actually a little nicer than most.


Mamma sai gui... noodles with chicken. A mixture of bean sprouts with raman noodles (yes, THOSE noodles - straight out of a little pouch just like the ones you have bought for under a quasrter) , chunks of roasted chicken and a few herbs and peppers. Sooo good! And while I fumble with chopsticks still, at least I won't starve using them anymore.

While I am back on the food theme, for lunch I went back to have my favorite dish, seafood and rice soup. Here, I just have to point a the photo. Actually, I don't have to do that any more. The cook knows me and smiles and starts making my meal without taking my order.

I Hear the Metro is Getting Crowded

Some of my friends from work (in Kansas City) ride the bus in every day and with gas prices going up, say that the buses are getting really full. Here's an idea...

Could be worse, huh? I'm just sayin...

These were all within fifty yards of each other as I walked home from supper this evening.

Meanwhile, back at work...

One of the expats I work closely with is Ben Chinnery. The group he had been working with was growing fast, so when I came, they split off part of his group and gave it to me to work with. Ben has been here for over three years now. He helped set up the office, so he knows all the ropes.


The man clapping his hands is Vuth (pronounced "Woot"). He is a project leader I work with. He's new at the job title, and very focused on doing it right.

We took the team to lunch today to celebrate college graduation for three of our associates and to celebrate the promotion of another one. In true Thai style, you order many small entrees and everyone shares from them.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is the Queen's birthday, which is the day Thais also celebrate Mother's Day. As it is a national holiday, I, like most folks here, have the day off. There will be fireworks and other celebratory activies this evening. The Queen's photo is posted all over town this week. In a later entry, I will do my best to explain the incredible popularity here of the king and of the monarchy in general.

In her younger days.
A bit more current.

Top of the World

Last night, Pastor Win of Immanuel Baptist Church invited several people from the church to join him for supper at a buffet restaurant located near the top of the tallest building in Bangkok. Fourteen of us spent four hours sharing and laughing (and eating). It was a wonderful evening, and the view was spectacular, although it was a bit gray and rainy outside.


Baiyoke Tower rises 1017 feet above the ground and has 83 floors.

A view of the city below.

My friend Vee and his wife Mhwuey.

Vee and I always have a great time together. He has a deep love of God and a real love for His people.

Cheesy tourist photo, I know, but I kind of liked it.

Slum Life

We meet with the children in front of the home of a woman who attends Immanuel Baptist. This is the inside of her home. Not part of it. This is all of it. To the left, just out of view, is a small cook stove. That is the only part of the house you can not see here. I am guessing her entire house is 12 feet square. And one room. Here, a couple of girls on the team are preparing class materials for the students.

Two houses across the street.

Pesky insurance salesmen will follow you anywhere!

Another Sunday in the slum off Sukhumvit Soi 107. We play games where we ask questions and the kids have to answer as fast as they can. You have to hold your ear while the teacher counts 1...2...3 after asking a question, then hold you hand up as fast as you can.


Or hold your friends' ears.

We close that part of the day with a word of prayer.

This is a powerful image to me...

More street scenes

Erawan shrine. Maybe the most famous shrine in Bangkok. Seven days a week, folks gather here to pray and burn incense and leave offerings. It is right at one of the busiest intersections in town. I'll get some close-ups and post them later.


Just a scene of colorful Bangkok traffic. The taxis are brightly colored and make a large percentage of all cars on the street, so streets like this look like a bag of Skittles.

Inside Central World. The word has not yet reached here that the indoor mall is dead.

Wat That Thon

At the base of Ekkamai BTS station, the Sky Train station near my condo, is Wat That Thon. The wat, or Buddhist temple, also houses a school. I am not sure what the connection to the Queen is, but there is a large portrait of her in front.



The temple and surrounding area are in something of a state of disrepair compared to many of the wats I have visited, but it it still beautiful.

At the front of the temple grounds is a shrine where folks stop and leave offerings and burn incense.

Sam Walton is NOT all that and a bag of chips!

For those few of you who do not know the story behind the name "Big C," on my first visit here in 2006, I was introducing myself to the Thai associates where I work and, knowing that virtually all Thais have a nickname they go by, I mentioned that I have been called by my initials, TC, for as long as I can remember, and that many of my friends simply call me, "C." Immediately several people started laughing and pointed at me saying, "Big C!" I thought it was aimed at my size, but not so.

Thailand is one of the few countries not overrun by Wal Mart. Instead, it's major discount chain is called, "Big C."

I was going to go there today and wondered if there was a web site with their sales circular. I googled Big C + Bangkok and the first result was this blog!

I took a trip to Big C for a few items today. It is an easy fifteen minute walk from home.

A look back at Fullerton Tower, where I live.