It sucks. (I apologize for the cable TV language).
But it really does; when you can't find real friends.
Friends that actually stick within a decent proximity to you.
People that are intent on staying close by for longer than a few weeks, or several months at the most.
I'd be lying is I said it doesn't aggravate me when I meet a seemingly-cool guy or girl at church or a random café or restaurant; go through the pleasantries and introductions, realize that they could really be a cool person to get to know - beneficial for both of us...and then the next question is asked and answered....
"How long are you here for?"
And would-be friendships immediately divert into a new facebook acquaintance...at the most. These awesome, God-loving, brothers and sisters go into a category with even less depth than the returning customers I used to have while working at Starbucks.
And it sucks.
Don't get me wrong, I have friends here. Deep, meaningful relationships that I'm excited to see grow in the future, but gosh darn it I wish it were easier to make more!
This was kind of a long intro in the real update I was planning to post, but please if you wouldn't mind praying for the opportunity to make more deep and lasting friendships while here.
Another big request I am asking for is this: after being here for just under a full year, and having just about everything settled to be here as long as God would like me to, the big question still remains: what has God REALLY sent me here for?
I am still working at the Breanna's House, still loving being with my little sisters and "family" out there. Still enjoy helping where I can with TheLight and the other small ministries I've been a part of.
Yet, as I continue to work myself out of a job at BHJ, the more time I have to spend seeking God in His direction for my ministry. I don't want to be here coasting in the midst of so much potential and need. So I ask for your prayers and petitions to our amazing God and Father who sent me here in the first place.
That He would lead me into the exact fit that He has for me, a place that will challenge and grow me, but ultimately where His FAME will be most spread and His GLORY be most admired.
P.S. I am still attempting to raise my support level to allow for a modest budget enabling me to plan for the future and the occasional trip back to the states. If you or anyone you know would like to partner with what God has brought me here to do, please contact me or donate online via
https://www.newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&task=authorizenetonce&Itemid=5&pid=0
with "Joy to the World - Ben Watson" highlighted in OPERATING PROJECT.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Missionary Season
It's the time when teams come and visit and do building projects, VBSes, Bible studies, and retreats. And while most come and go with a good impact, I still had my doubts about what this month was going to be all about. But yet again, God has shown Himself more than capable of using whatever willingness is offered and producing great things from it.
I'm not against short-term missions. I mean, without it I would never have ended up where I am now had I not gone on that fateful week-long trip to Shiprock, NM back when I was 15. But with my progression into longer and longer termed commitments, my view for myself has changed into being one to hardly consider myself going to a place unless I have ample time to really meet the people and understand some of their language and make real friendships. But that's not for everybody. Some people are used as quick booster shots and encouragements for those staying long-term. However, some come as more of a hinderance than a help, using the opportunity to see the world or to just build their own faith rather than give it. Thankfully, God saw it necessary to bless us with a team that deeply intended to bless others rather than be built up in their own hearts.
We just had a team of 19 High School students and Chaperones come from Washington state for just under 2 weeks; and even though the work projects they blessed us with weren't extremely essential, the reminder of a larger family of God and plan can never be re-emphasized enough. The girls ADORED the attention they got from the team who came prepared to give themselves out completely until they went home exhausted from the heat, sweat and many tears spent on the last night that everybody had been dreading since day one.
I saw God's love open the hearts of the younger ones who have come from such broken stories I don't think anything but a God who is love could fix. Witnessing Him use the games of volleyball, tag or even paper, rock, scissors to encourage the hearts of both parties involved was evidence enough even had I not been acquainted with both cultures. The team left after days of sweating, painting, building, gardening, more sweating and ultimately loving on the hearts of 41 precious girls and 6 Thai staff who wont't be quick to forget the joy that came with the "super cool Americans."
Thank you very much, Bellevue team for blessing us out here in Doi Saket, the girls already miss you guys a ton and continually ask if I've had word whether or not some of you are coming back again soon.
P.S. If you would like more information on Breanna's House of Joy or sponsoring a girl/local staff for $50/mo. please visit www.breannashouseofjoy.com or email me at onegirlsponsor@gmail.com
P.S.S. If you'd like to contribute to my personal funding please visit www.newhorizonsfoundation.net and select "Joy to the World Thailand - Ben Watson" for Operating Project under the DONATE tab.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
9 เดือนแล้วและการนับ 9 Months and counting!
สวัสดีทูกคน
Hey Everybody
The 9 month mark came without much pomp and circumstance; mostly it just came with a lot of hot weather mixed with rain and enough sweat to create it's own rainstorm.
(That's actually kinda gross....)
But I've moved again; finally settled into a house that, so far, is exactly what I'd been praying for since November!
Close to everything; 20 minute drive out to Doi Saket, walking distance to Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai Baptist church, WonGen Cafe (Where we host TheLight), the soccer field we play on Mon/Fri nights, and a multitude of cheap market food stalls!
It's already turned into the hangout spot for all sorts of people; chilling on our couches/rug/plastic chairs and playing board games, darts or even the wii that one of my roommates has.
I have a lot to be grateful for!
In 9 months I've gone from knowing about 3 phrases to being able to explain to a phone technician that the DSL cable was installed by the previous tenant or interpret to a police officer that my friend's computer and passport were stolen from his house without breaking and entering. (Long story).
I've gone from a kid who wasn't sure exactly what would happen several weeks out to having roots and a home set up and ready for any new assignments/tasks sent my way.
At BHJ the staff are speaking much better English, the girls are healthier, more energetic and in better communication with their sponsor parents. The girls never let me leave without attempting to stow away on my back with lots of squeals of "Mai bpai pee chai" (Don't go, older brother). The family I have out there always makes me late for any sort of plans I might've foolishly tried to make in the evenings. (Including skype meetings).
I have a good group of friends, both Thai and farang that hang out regularly whether playing soccer or frisbee, hanging out at TheLight or at home, having deep discussions or just making fun of each others' accents and ideas of what's "normal."
TheLight is EXPLODING! We first had our meetings on Saturday nights, but due to the amount of people and partnering with the cafe that we borrowed, we switched to Sundays; and now are already filling to capacity. The bi-weekly soccer games are now so full that we're considering renting a larger field, (or even 2 or 3). What started as a dozen guys from TheLight only 2 months ago is now topping 30-40 guys on a small field usually meant for teams of 5-6!
And in a side note, I took a long-weekend to go play in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament on the beach in Cha-Am a few days ago; came back sunburned, sore and tired as all get-out, but had a blast and already back at it with things here in Chiang Mai.
I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everybody who is praying and supporting me here. I am SO grateful for all of you helping me get set up here, and even more importantly; keeping me here!
พระเจ้าอวยพร
God Bless
Hey Everybody
The 9 month mark came without much pomp and circumstance; mostly it just came with a lot of hot weather mixed with rain and enough sweat to create it's own rainstorm.
(That's actually kinda gross....)
But I've moved again; finally settled into a house that, so far, is exactly what I'd been praying for since November!
Close to everything; 20 minute drive out to Doi Saket, walking distance to Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai Baptist church, WonGen Cafe (Where we host TheLight), the soccer field we play on Mon/Fri nights, and a multitude of cheap market food stalls!
It's already turned into the hangout spot for all sorts of people; chilling on our couches/rug/plastic chairs and playing board games, darts or even the wii that one of my roommates has.
I have a lot to be grateful for!
In 9 months I've gone from knowing about 3 phrases to being able to explain to a phone technician that the DSL cable was installed by the previous tenant or interpret to a police officer that my friend's computer and passport were stolen from his house without breaking and entering. (Long story).
I've gone from a kid who wasn't sure exactly what would happen several weeks out to having roots and a home set up and ready for any new assignments/tasks sent my way.
At BHJ the staff are speaking much better English, the girls are healthier, more energetic and in better communication with their sponsor parents. The girls never let me leave without attempting to stow away on my back with lots of squeals of "Mai bpai pee chai" (Don't go, older brother). The family I have out there always makes me late for any sort of plans I might've foolishly tried to make in the evenings. (Including skype meetings).
I have a good group of friends, both Thai and farang that hang out regularly whether playing soccer or frisbee, hanging out at TheLight or at home, having deep discussions or just making fun of each others' accents and ideas of what's "normal."
TheLight is EXPLODING! We first had our meetings on Saturday nights, but due to the amount of people and partnering with the cafe that we borrowed, we switched to Sundays; and now are already filling to capacity. The bi-weekly soccer games are now so full that we're considering renting a larger field, (or even 2 or 3). What started as a dozen guys from TheLight only 2 months ago is now topping 30-40 guys on a small field usually meant for teams of 5-6!
And in a side note, I took a long-weekend to go play in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament on the beach in Cha-Am a few days ago; came back sunburned, sore and tired as all get-out, but had a blast and already back at it with things here in Chiang Mai.
I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everybody who is praying and supporting me here. I am SO grateful for all of you helping me get set up here, and even more importantly; keeping me here!
พระเจ้าอวยพร
God Bless
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Contract
I just signed a Contract.
For just an 8 letter word, it sure has some heavy connotations! Similar to the weight of words like
'subpoena'
or
'pregnant'.
(Ok, maybe that's a little over-dramatic, but you get the point.)
The contract I signed was a lease on a house for a year. Not such a big deal, but considering I've been living out of piles of clothes stuffed into one little cabinet and a hanging rack suspended between two window sills, it's like I finally signed my heart into the place I'll call home.
Granted, I've been here over 8 months already and I'm a lot more used to what is "normal" over here, but I never had anything "permanent." (If you can call a one-year lease that.)
For 3 months I lived out of a backpack as we traveled all over Thailand, then I spent 3 months in a small room filled with 3 bunkbeds and a bathroom, about 10 km from the nearest English-Speaker. And the last 2 months I've been living in a 2 bedroom townhouse with two other roommates with the intention of moving again by the end of May.
And now all of a sudden there's something grounding me. The cursive writing in blue ink surrounded by articles and conditions in a different kind of "cursive." I have a place to sleep, to relax, to have friends over and a place to escape when the ickyness that is lurking just below eye-level attempts to squeeze my heart of the last few drops and force me to give up or search airline ticket prices.
This is home. Not because I'll soon have a room filled with things I put there, or because we'll have friends hanging out on the couch (once we buy one), but it'll be home because God brought me here.
But this has already been home. It has been ever since God stepped off the plane with me back in September. But now the difference is that I have a legal document testifying what my heart feels - it just took me awhile to let it have a pen.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
God Juggling
I used to love writing.
I guess I just loved the way I could mold words to fit my purpose and there wasn't any space of time allotted for my response like in a standard conversation. If you pause for too long it can be misread as lack of focus, or boredom, or even downright rude.
Not in writing. The punctuation speaks for itself and gets the point across.
Ask anybody and they'll say their lives are busy; and rightly so, with work, kids, bills and whatever else you're involved in. We're all warned of this from infancy; "enjoy your freedom before you have a job/family/mortgage."
But writing still allows for a break occasionally. The same as reading a good book that actually takes more than an hour to read. Engaging with what is typed as the story progresses. Much the same way a movie can stir emotions and leave you pondering the plot for hours or days after the fact.
I guess what I'm really trying to say, is that I don't know how to live this "missionary life." Taking a day to chill at a coffee shop and write, or read a book hardly counts for "ministry" in my mind. I'm having difficulty allowing myself to have fun that isn't directly related the work I'm being supported to do. When I worked a 9-5, the paycheck that I got bi-weekly was in direct correlation with the amount of time spent obtaining said finances. Therefore the effort invested in the job allowed for life outside work to be lived without troubling the mind. But how do you clock-in and out of ministry?
How do you juggle friends, fun, and God time?
I guess I just loved the way I could mold words to fit my purpose and there wasn't any space of time allotted for my response like in a standard conversation. If you pause for too long it can be misread as lack of focus, or boredom, or even downright rude.
Not in writing. The punctuation speaks for itself and gets the point across.
Ask anybody and they'll say their lives are busy; and rightly so, with work, kids, bills and whatever else you're involved in. We're all warned of this from infancy; "enjoy your freedom before you have a job/family/mortgage."
But writing still allows for a break occasionally. The same as reading a good book that actually takes more than an hour to read. Engaging with what is typed as the story progresses. Much the same way a movie can stir emotions and leave you pondering the plot for hours or days after the fact.
I guess what I'm really trying to say, is that I don't know how to live this "missionary life." Taking a day to chill at a coffee shop and write, or read a book hardly counts for "ministry" in my mind. I'm having difficulty allowing myself to have fun that isn't directly related the work I'm being supported to do. When I worked a 9-5, the paycheck that I got bi-weekly was in direct correlation with the amount of time spent obtaining said finances. Therefore the effort invested in the job allowed for life outside work to be lived without troubling the mind. But how do you clock-in and out of ministry?
How do you juggle friends, fun, and God time?
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Songkran Festival
This week was the biggest holiday of the year; Songkran, which is originally a Buddhist holiday meant for spiritual cleansing and a sort of "spring cleaning" for the traditional new year; has now become a huge excuse to take to the streets and enjoy cooling each other off. Everyone is fair game, (farang = bonus points), and regardless of if you're on foot, in the back of a truck or on a scooter just going to work; you're a target of this good-natured (albeit otherwise extremely rude) festival.
I went downtown on Thursday with some friends; here's some photos of what I saw during the 7 hours of water craziness:
Middle of the crowd of "Songkraners"
It's absolutely impossible to stay dry.
This holiday spans all social class separations; poor, rich, young, old, Thai, farang; everybody just enjoys a great deal of fun thoroughly drenching each other.
Location:Old City, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Over the hump?
According to most expats and missionaries in Thailand, the first 6-9 months are the hardest to get past. The initial honeymoon stage followed by the roller coaster of emotions that follow.
I just made it to my 7 month benchmark and things are looking like they might be smoothing out from the rocky first 6 month climb.
This last month I moved into a house on the Southern side of the city. Although the location of the house is farther away than I wished to be from BHJ, it's been working out despite the longer commute (especially on rainy days). The move allowed me to set up a home base and live with 2 awesome Christian roommates, both guys similar in age. Although I miss being so close to all the smiling, cute faces out in Doi Saket, it was never the long-term plan to live out there 24/7; and not exactly healthy on the whole. Now having a steady community of fellow believers close by and guys my age is a nice breath of fresh air and a major booster shot to help get through the disgustingly hot and sticky "Hot Season."
Also this month I've been helping out with a church planting and college-age ministry called The Light every weekend, improving my Thai with anyone and everyone I can and building better community through our meetings, and our new bi-weekly soccer games. Reminds me of the gang ministry we used to do in Lima, Peru but with less Spanish.
Breanna's girls have mostly all been back in the villages these last few weeks, staying with remaining relatives or family friends while the major bathhouse project has been underway. Giving the 6 Thai staff the opportunity to take some vacation, which they deserve more than anyone has ever needed it. And thanks to the relationships we've been making with the village pastors and elders we've been able to keep much better accountability with the girls while they're home compared to previous years. It's only been a few weeks but I'm very excited to see all my "little sisters" again next week when they come back right before the biggest holiday of the year - Songkran. (Basically a 3 day country-wide water fight!)
Guess who's excited?!
THIS GUY!
I just made it to my 7 month benchmark and things are looking like they might be smoothing out from the rocky first 6 month climb.
This last month I moved into a house on the Southern side of the city. Although the location of the house is farther away than I wished to be from BHJ, it's been working out despite the longer commute (especially on rainy days). The move allowed me to set up a home base and live with 2 awesome Christian roommates, both guys similar in age. Although I miss being so close to all the smiling, cute faces out in Doi Saket, it was never the long-term plan to live out there 24/7; and not exactly healthy on the whole. Now having a steady community of fellow believers close by and guys my age is a nice breath of fresh air and a major booster shot to help get through the disgustingly hot and sticky "Hot Season."
Also this month I've been helping out with a church planting and college-age ministry called The Light every weekend, improving my Thai with anyone and everyone I can and building better community through our meetings, and our new bi-weekly soccer games. Reminds me of the gang ministry we used to do in Lima, Peru but with less Spanish.
Breanna's girls have mostly all been back in the villages these last few weeks, staying with remaining relatives or family friends while the major bathhouse project has been underway. Giving the 6 Thai staff the opportunity to take some vacation, which they deserve more than anyone has ever needed it. And thanks to the relationships we've been making with the village pastors and elders we've been able to keep much better accountability with the girls while they're home compared to previous years. It's only been a few weeks but I'm very excited to see all my "little sisters" again next week when they come back right before the biggest holiday of the year - Songkran. (Basically a 3 day country-wide water fight!)
Guess who's excited?!
THIS GUY!
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