Sometimes you can fret too much about trying to follow all the cultural rules. We are at the media camp this week and the culture guides for Thailand say that we must never touch a Thai, especially never on the head (shows disrespect). Also, though we are married we must not show affection in public (e.g., “a goodbye kiss,” walking with our arms around each other). As we are a pretty affectionate family we have been thinking about these things a bit.

As the camp opened, we greeted the Thai’s with the wai (hands together as though praying to them), but the Filipino team from our church with the customary kisses and hugs for that culture. By the second day, Sherry couldn’t take the tension of different levels of greetings and decided that since she is a mom she will just mother everyone equally, so on the second night as we left she went around and kissed everyone on the cheek. Thai boys blushed, the girls giggled a little, but everyone felt the love.

Last night after a particularly powerful worship and prayer time, the whole group started going around hugging each other…and crying sometimes. The more they hugged, the more they through themselves into it.

Even in “no touch” cultures, humans are humans. Everybody needs a hug.

The New Testament instructs all of God’s people, “Greet one another with a kiss of peace” (or whatever the warmest possible acceptable greeting might be in your culture). Christians touch. That’s the point. That’s how healing flows to the sick and the lonely. Go touch some people today. Spread the love.

This is day three of our youth media camp in Thailand. About 1/3 of the class is Buddhist (which we did not figure on). They mostly stay for the daytime classes. At night we worship loud and strong. The first two days of camp we were working the bugs out. The heat is around 100 degrees so we went out and bought two airconditioners after day one. That has made things a lot more comfortable in the cafe. (Thanks, Fred Garmon and Mount Paran Central Missions!!!!!)

Last night it all came together. I was watching the Filipinos worshipping so exhuberantly, singing their hearts out. The Thai young people are a bit more reserved generally, but one by one, I started seeing them raise their hands and began to sing louder. I felt like God’s presence was being manifested among us.

Today, the momentum has continued. They are all working together in groups on media projects. Laughing and joking. Jamming out (we have some excellent blues musicians in the group). Eating and eating. This is the beginning of a wonderful convergance of national talents.

Today the group went to a Christian radio station. Tonight, its a night on the town, eating out and visiting the night market. They come from different parts of the country so its a real treat for them. Keep praying.

At the airport as we were leaving we ran into more than a little trouble over.. you’ll never guess… our baggage. Anyway, that was just the issue. The thing i have been pondering is what went wrong. We move in and out of a nation each month and usually have no trouble navigating with people. But there it became “win/lose” immediately and there was no fixing it. First, with the little 26 year old lady who “caught” us as we entered the immigration area with too many carry ons. Then with the manager of the airline operation there in Hanoi. (We told him these were the exact bags we entered Vietnam with on the same carrier five days earlier, but that did not matter.) They weren’t hateful. Just like unmoveable mountains. Very unusual in Asia. Because we were American? (can’t say I would blame them from their perspective) Because I was wearing more casual clothing (this time i wore distressed jeans, and not my typical “traveling in a business shirt” for this very reason). The first words out of her mouth when I protested that i just couldnt check an expensive video camera were, “Now YOU listen to me!” I will probably never know what set that off or what I could do about it next time, but as we move into Vietnam more i need a better conflict strategy, that’s for sure.

This is a battle-hardened people. They are such a small nation, but they have faced down three great superpowers: China (it took them 1,000 years to drive them out, but they persisted in resistence until they finally withdrew), France and the USA. America spent, I believe 200 billion on a 25 year war using 1 million of our people on the ground and killing one million of them. The USA never lost a major battle in Vietnam, yet, in the end, the cause was lost and Ho Chi Mihn prevailed. One has to recognize that they are a tough, persistent people, regardless of how you feel about communism’s past.

We also found them very industrious. Open for business by 8 AM and not closing till almost midnight. Hard working folk. Sherry and I really enjoyed our time in Hanoi interacting with “city” Vietnamese and had a delightful two days interacting with tribal people in the highlands of Northwest Vietnam. There is a strength that will make great disciples once Christ is widely known.

Spent our first day in Hanoi. Lots of development going on here. Its a small economy, just developing in many sectors. Tourism is a new thing here, but it will grow. It’s cheap to visit and they dont’ make things too complicated.

There are a few cultural things to get over for the foreigner. One is a verticle matter. Most of the social world here takes place at about 8 inches in height. That’s how long the legs of most chairs seem to be. You can see everyone squatting to sit in chairs that would typically be in the toddlers area in the States. Tables are about 18″ off the ground. Food is cooked at ground level on the sidewalk in Woks. Then they wash the dishes there and throw the food in the gutter. All in one convenient place.

Tonight we will ride an all night train high into the mountains to Saba, near the highest peak in Indochina. Then by bus and later by foot, we will trek into the tribal areas. Should yield some great pics!

Well, this is not my best performance as a planner. I made arrangements online versus going through travel agents because the prices i was getting were soo high on this three country itinerary. I mean we went roundtrip Manila to Bangkok for $225 each plus around a hundred dollars to fly to Myanmar and Vietnam. All was well…. until we checked in today for our flight after our third 4 hour sleep night.

“Sir, do you have a visa to enter vietnam?”

And i knew i was dead.

You hardly ever need a visa to enter an Asian country and when I do… you guessed it… a travel agent would inform me and automatically do it and I would just go to the airport and there in my passport it would have already stamped. This time I did it myself.

I totally forgot about such things. So we are now in Bangkok during a four day national holiday waiting for offices to open. Trying to get one directly from Vietnam via fax to the airport here just to let us travel.

One thing’s for sure. I won’t forget this again.

Manila Sidewalk Sunday School on Vimeo

Just a little video Kristin shot of the day she and I were stuck in Atlanta traffic for two hours. Glad we had some classic rock to get us through it. A little window into our Father/Daughter relationship. Hope you enjoy it.