Zone visit and Thai meeting

This weekend is Songkran, the Thai new year (similar celebrations are held throughout much of Asia), it is observed by heavy drinking, partying in the streets and soaking each other with water balloons, water guns, hoses and just about anything else that will launch water onto unsuspecting victims. Since it is the hottest part of the year this sounds like a great idea and it also marks the beginning of the rainy season. Originally a Buddhist festival to cleanse that year's sins, take food to the monks and clean alters, idols and homes, as with most religious celebrations, it is now often an occasion to get drunk and party. All the weekend meetings have been cancelled because of this, even the zone visit was held on Thursday, and we have been told to stay home until Tuesday. In preparation for this weekend we went out to buy some shelves so we can get ourselves organized a bit while we are cooped up. After we got them we had to haul them the six blocks home. Since we were leaving for the zone visit in ninety minutes I hoisted my shelf and speed walked down the road, but it kept slipping so I held it up

above my head to get a better grip. Christina was trailing behind me, by at least a good block. As she rounded the corners I had blasted past people were killing themselves laughing at the sight of me bright blue bookshelf overhead speed walking down the block, head bobbing and curtsying to all the people I saw. She said they fought to regain their composure when they saw her, but to no avail. I can only imagine what they were thinking about this crazy farang balancing a bookshelf and walking at warp speed in the sticky heat.

Home, showered and changed; we set out to cross the city at noon and arrived at the auditorium at 3pm only three hours early... but the traffic is notoriously awful, so we tried to calculate accordingly. But at least we had a lot of good company including Brother Crockett a missionary from New Zealand (yb91p210). He was originally assigned to Malaysia but they refused to extend his one year visa so he was sent to Thailand in 1952 and has been serving here ever since. Incidentally one of the first missionary homes established in Thailand was in Thonburi, where we are located. After serving in the south and north he was moved to Thonburi and is now in Bethel. He said Thai was tough it took him six months to learn... guess we better knuckle down.

Brother Pierce from Headquarters and Brother Hart the branch coordinator from Kenya were our zone visit speakers. We were over 1400 people in the auditorium and the rest of the country tied in via broadcast. They gave lovely talks about knowing where we are committed and serving Jehovah with an understanding heart. If a Farmer wears a suit to work in the fields or is you take the road to Phuket (south) to travel to Vientiane (north). No rather we always act in harmony with our objectives. So our objective is Paradise but are we sure we are headed on the right path?

 1 John 2:15-17 talks about the showy display or as one translation puts it a life of empty show merely to impress. If we have food, clothes, home what are we buying for? Is it to impress others? Ask yourself where are you headed. The Psalmist said we would flock to Jehovah's mountain, where we receive the best education. Can any University boast the Almighty as one of their tenured professors? People say the FDS don't understand but can a company only employ PHD's? No they have to employ people who will implement all the executives' ideas. An architect designed the building we were in, but did he run the electrical wire or install the plumbing? Where are we headed? Where is our path taking us? Some say we are anti education but rather we are committed to receiving the best education. In Liberia a brother was commended by the President for his excellent presentation and asked what University he attended, the only schooling he had received was from the TMS. Paul viewed

his higher education and distinguished career as a lot of refuse. It is less than worthless, we pay people to haul refuse away. We have been given the command to seek the kingdom first does that require a University degree? Faith is often something that is defined as belief in something of which you have no proof. But actually it is the assured expectation of something to come. It is certain. We have faith the sun will rise tomorrow because based on a solid foundation of facts we have the knowledge that this will happen. Abraham had faith but our faith should be even greater because we have even a stronger foundation, to base our belief on, having seen hundreds of bible prophecies fulfilled.

Finally there was a musical program presented including six children who sang "Listen, obey and be blessed" which brought tears to all our eyes. Halfway through the song the boys thought it was over and all held hands and swayed to the music, meanwhile the girls all looked at each other like "o boy they are off cue" and then the middle one started fidgeting with her skirt and hiking it up. They were adorable.

On our way home the last bus we took had two horses pasted to the dash... bobble head horses. As we bumped along their heads swayed gently, really creepy. Christina and I both noticed and we glanced at each other at the same moment and burst into laughter. Too weird :) We finally got home at nearly midnight and crashed.

It only took 45 minutes to transcribe a song phonetically for the meeting... three songs per meeting. Fun! At the meeting I got my Thai songbook and bibles (only Mat-Rev in new world translation). I said hello and asked how to say nice to meet you... seriously I can't get the knack of this phrase- it sounds like Annie hide your gun, maybe "I don't like you" sounds something like- Annie get your gun. :) Anyways they were all in stitches I probably won't know for a couple years what I actually said. The joys of learning new languages. Our sign on the main road is quite a mouthful. Just Jehovah's Witness is Payan pra Yahova.