We are currently experiencing the longest heat wave in 65 years. The intense heat should only last during the month of April. But this year it started in mid March already, and is still going full steam ahead.... It easily reaches 46 degrees by 10am and settles at about 37 degrees by 10pm. It's pretty insane!
Due to the severe heat, our mobile phones' batteries started to expand, forcing everything on top of it upwards. And having your phone's battery replaced is apparently not so unusual here... Our phone covers now have more than just one use..... It also keep the screens from popping off... hahaha!!
April also marked the Thai new year, known as Songkran. The celebration lasts at least a week, and everyone is getting ready for the biggest and longest water fight in the world. Theravada Buddhists believe that they can be cleansed of all their negative karma by being washed with water during the Songkran festival, and enter the new year in a purified state. They have taken the 'washing with water' ritual to the next level though. It basically means that during this time, when you're outside, you'll definitely be thrown with as much water as possible- regardless of whether you're dressed for church or walking with your groceries in hand...... yes I'm perfectly serious. If you are walking with your phone in your hand, they simple wait for you to put it in a Ziploc bag and then you get it- in the face, hair, arms, neck, back, shoes.....
Although the government prohibited water fights this year due to the drought, very few people took it seriously. We were in a bus one day on our way back home, and people were standing next to the road (highway) with hosepipes and water guns. I closed the window next to me, but they craftily sprayed us through the open windows from the rows behind us. They spray every bus, car, taxi, scooter and pedestrian.....And if you're a "farang" (foreigner), it thrills them to focus their attention (and water) on you!
And as if the city isn't already crowded with shrines, they erect special ones all over the city for the celebration. They particularly love to place them at all major entryways at shops and malls. These shrines also gets 'washed' and the ritual is often accompanied by beating on a gong three times, and donating money to ensure good merit.
In times likes these, you just realize all over again that you're in a drastically different spiritual atmosphere than the one you've been used to all your life. And we are becoming increasingly aware of how that effects our day to day life.
Finding the balance of almost anything in ones' walk as a Christian is hard. And understanding the spiritual realm and how it affects us, are definitely one of them. We tend to lean to the side of not really paying any attention to it at all. But lately me and Johan have become increasingly aware of these things. Not merely how it is keeping millions of Thai people in spiritual bondage, but also how it affects us.
Johan preached an enlightening sermon this month on spiritual warfare and what the armour of God really is. There are so many misconceptions on these things, and I've come to believe that it is very important for every Christian to have a solid understanding of these things, whether you live in the 10/40 window like we do or in a country where the main religion is Christianity.
Apart from all our neighbours being Buddhists, our next door neighbours are a homosexual couple, our neighbour across the street is a homosexual, and every day you can smell the strong aroma of incense in our home as not only our neighbours, but the entire community around us burn them to earn good merit, protection and blessings. And when we take a stroll about our neighbourhood in the evenings, you can see all the household idols being lit up like Christmas trees.
When you experience these things, you have no choice but to become more conscious about the spiritual realm and how it moves the physical world we live in. God instructs us to be alert and pray about these matters continually as we remember that "our fight is not against flesh and blood".
May this encourage you to remember that no matter what, our fight is not against people. And that we should spent as much time as possible in persistent and specific prayer.
Blessings xxx
Due to the severe heat, our mobile phones' batteries started to expand, forcing everything on top of it upwards. And having your phone's battery replaced is apparently not so unusual here... Our phone covers now have more than just one use..... It also keep the screens from popping off... hahaha!!
April also marked the Thai new year, known as Songkran. The celebration lasts at least a week, and everyone is getting ready for the biggest and longest water fight in the world. Theravada Buddhists believe that they can be cleansed of all their negative karma by being washed with water during the Songkran festival, and enter the new year in a purified state. They have taken the 'washing with water' ritual to the next level though. It basically means that during this time, when you're outside, you'll definitely be thrown with as much water as possible- regardless of whether you're dressed for church or walking with your groceries in hand...... yes I'm perfectly serious. If you are walking with your phone in your hand, they simple wait for you to put it in a Ziploc bag and then you get it- in the face, hair, arms, neck, back, shoes.....
Although the government prohibited water fights this year due to the drought, very few people took it seriously. We were in a bus one day on our way back home, and people were standing next to the road (highway) with hosepipes and water guns. I closed the window next to me, but they craftily sprayed us through the open windows from the rows behind us. They spray every bus, car, taxi, scooter and pedestrian.....And if you're a "farang" (foreigner), it thrills them to focus their attention (and water) on you!
And as if the city isn't already crowded with shrines, they erect special ones all over the city for the celebration. They particularly love to place them at all major entryways at shops and malls. These shrines also gets 'washed' and the ritual is often accompanied by beating on a gong three times, and donating money to ensure good merit.
In times likes these, you just realize all over again that you're in a drastically different spiritual atmosphere than the one you've been used to all your life. And we are becoming increasingly aware of how that effects our day to day life.
Finding the balance of almost anything in ones' walk as a Christian is hard. And understanding the spiritual realm and how it affects us, are definitely one of them. We tend to lean to the side of not really paying any attention to it at all. But lately me and Johan have become increasingly aware of these things. Not merely how it is keeping millions of Thai people in spiritual bondage, but also how it affects us.
Johan preached an enlightening sermon this month on spiritual warfare and what the armour of God really is. There are so many misconceptions on these things, and I've come to believe that it is very important for every Christian to have a solid understanding of these things, whether you live in the 10/40 window like we do or in a country where the main religion is Christianity.
Apart from all our neighbours being Buddhists, our next door neighbours are a homosexual couple, our neighbour across the street is a homosexual, and every day you can smell the strong aroma of incense in our home as not only our neighbours, but the entire community around us burn them to earn good merit, protection and blessings. And when we take a stroll about our neighbourhood in the evenings, you can see all the household idols being lit up like Christmas trees.
When you experience these things, you have no choice but to become more conscious about the spiritual realm and how it moves the physical world we live in. God instructs us to be alert and pray about these matters continually as we remember that "our fight is not against flesh and blood".
May this encourage you to remember that no matter what, our fight is not against people. And that we should spent as much time as possible in persistent and specific prayer.
Blessings xxx
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