Public Speaking follow up :)

Ok, so when I got to school Thursday morning, I was so nervous I had already started to get a migraine. That was short lived, because our teacher came in and had a sheet for all of us, complete with the exact questions she wanted us to ask, and blanks for us to fill in the answers. What she meant by be witnessing to people was just that, she wanted us to witness by our example. Also it is much more significant here for people to wear necklaces witnessing to their belief. More than once I've had someone say something to me about my cross or I have seen someone point it out to their travel companion.

Anyway, by the time we got to the park, I wasn't as nervous. Here is a picture of all the people in my class before we split up. Our teacher is the one in the skirt and heels. As a side note: I can not figure out how Thai women can possibly walk in the shoes that they walk in! None of the sidewalks are even or smooth and yet they wear the most brutal heels ever! Why do women do that to themselves?!?!

Sorry about that rant...where was I? Oh, so after scoping the place out, I zoomed in on a lady that was sitting on a park bench. She has some family near by and she was kind enough to talk with me. She was very friendly and said her name was Naang. When I finished with the questions, my assignment was complete. From there Sarah and I enjoyed the flora and fauna. Here are some examples. Yes, that is a monitor Lizard. One of our classmates from Scotland tells us that these are just the baby ones. The big ones are in the storm drains. I don't know if I believe him, but I like listening to him talk about their girth! It's quite humourous!

I think what I learned from this experience is that I'm more confident to talk with people even though I make mistakes. In Thai culture the people are very friendly and open. They have no problems usually talking to foreigners, and in some cases they love it when you try to speak to them, because it shows them that you care about their culture and are trying to learn about them.

The culture is very much centered around relationships here, which is a good thing for us and in some instances a bad thing. It's a good because we can introduce people to the Gospel through relationships, but it's also difficult because they view the buddhist religion as a relational thing as well. If they were to turn from that religion, they would be compromising their relationship with their families and friends. For most people that isn't an option, so we continue to pray that the Holy Spirit would work in their hearts and show them their need for a relationship with Jesus Christ.