A Surprise Visit September 28, 2012

My mom just left from a spur of the moment visit. She messaged me 2 weeks ago asking if I was home and free the following week. Five days later, she hopped on a plane and came to Thailand. She spent 8 days with us, going about our normal life and spending time with us.

Ellie just ate this time with Nana up. Every naptime and bedtime became a struggle as Ellie wanted to spend every moment possible with her Nana. “More book, more book,” she would implore of Nana as I announced it was bedtime, after giving warnings. After she awoke, she would gleefully run to find Nana either in the guest bedroom or downstairs.

With an abnormal amount of rain during the visit (the most in Bangkok in September in 50 years), we spent plently of time stuck in taxis or at home. That didn’t dampen the mood at all. One evening it took us over 1 ½ hours to go a normal 10 minute drive…it was that flooded and trafficky. No worries for Ellie and Nana, we just sang every children’s song we know over, and over, and over, and over. Those songs became the theme of this visit as Ellie looked for opportunities to sing them, and we had plenty.

The rain, and thus flooding on our street, stopped enough for us to make it to the zoo one morning and tea one afternoon. We went to Vieng Joom On Teahouse on Sukumvit 24. A Moroccan-styled, quiet teahouse that served traditional and house blended teas. Offering a vegetarian spread of sandwiches and scones, everything we ate melted in your mouth with a perfect blend of flavor. Ellie acted very grownup, and even drank her own cup of tea. After finishing our tea, we smelled the different blends of tea. Ellie made sure that we smelled each one at least once. I think we might have a future tea connoisseur here.

We had a great visit. Lots of good memories were made, and pictures taken so Ellie can have a record. But we had to say goodbye, see you again, after only 8 days. This is the tough part of being a missionary. Living half a world away from family. It is a rare treat to have a visit with family, and on such short notice. We treasure the times that we get to see family, even if it is only so often. Definitely not often enough for Ellie. She loves her family and wishes she got to see them regularly. She continues to wander around our home looking for Nana. I just keep explaining that Nana went back into the computer again (Skype).

I guess all those Skype times, phone calls, and pictures of family all over the house really help Ellie connect with her family. She knows who they are and enjoys a special relationship with them, even if they are thousands of miles away.

How do you connect with long distance loved-ones?

Too Many Holidays? August 14, 2012

It seems like we are always celebrating holidays around here as just a few days ago was Mother’s Day in Thailand. Well, we do celebrate a lot of holidays and festivals. We celebrate all the major American ones, as well as all the Thai ones as well. We celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Day twice each year, the international and Thai New Years, Christmas, Children’s Day, American Independence Day, Loi Kratong, Thanksgiving, and a handful of other smaller Thai holidays.

Thai Mother’s Day at the park

Living in a foreign land, we want to embrace the culture and celebrations of where we are living. This gives us a depth of understanding as we join in the festivities. We enjoy joining in and going out to celebrate with our friends, and among those we are reaching out to. Besides, who doesn’t want to join in fun activities as they happen all around you.

On the flip side of living in a foreign land, we want Ellie to know and enjoy aspects of our home country. One way we do this is by celebrating the American holidays. We make the holiday every but as real and special as if we were in America celebrating. Sure, we might trade chicken for turkey at Thanksgiving, and Christmas might be celebrated in shorts and t-shirts, but the essence of the holiday is what we are after. We want Ellie to not only understand, but also treasure and look forward to the holidays like other Americans.

Being a third culture kid won’t be easy for Ellie as she grows, but we are striving to help Ellie identify with both our home culture and where we are currently living. I pray that Ellie won’t have a sense confusion as an adult but that she will have a broad understanding of the world and compassion for all peoples. So for now, we will celebrate holidays from both countries, and pray that God gives Ellie and good and positive sense of who she is and where she belongs in this world.

If you are living away from home, how do you both live in your current place while remembering and teaching your children about your home?