ADVENTURES with the
harlands
Episode №5
For the last few years, Resonate
subscribers have been reading
snippets from Luke and Belle. They
are now beginning their third year
serving with the Global Interaction
team in Thailand.
O
ne of the most surprising things
I’ve (Luke) found while learning
a language is discovering how
much the words can teach me about
the culture. For example, being an
Aussie, one of my most commonly
asked questions in my vocabulary
is, “How ya goin’?” It casually asks
someone how they are and serves as a
great conversation starter.
However, the Thai equivalent, “Sabai
dee mai?” isn’t the question the Thai’s
ask. Instead, they ask, “Gin cow gup
aray?” meaning, “What did you eat
with your rice?”! Almost every meal is
eaten with rice, even breakfast. I usually
study with my language nurturer in the
mornings and she asks me this question
every time I see her. My answer is the
same every time, “Cereal!”
The fact that this question is about
food and not mood reveals a cultural
priority for hospitality.
When I visit someone at home, the host
will always bring me a drink, without
asking if I’d like one. If we see our
neighbours around a meal time they’ll
always ask if we’ve eaten and invite us
to join them. When we study with our
teachers, they’ll usually serve us Thai
sweets or occasionally their mothers
bring us some curry to try (the latest
one included meat from Asian Palm
Civet, a cat-like animal!).
Hospitality is also important in Thai
faith groups. Weekly gatherings always
include snacks of seasonal fruit, sweets
and water. Just last weekend we all
went to a beautiful local waterfall for a
baptism service, which included a tasty
spread of chicken, a red-ant egg dish
and a spicy fermented fish sauce with
sticky rice – very different to the Arnott’s
Family Assorted biscuits and weak
cordial served after church at home!
But hospitality goes beyond simply
serving food. I’ve known some of
the poorest of people to be the
most hospitable. During a university
placement, Belle stayed with a family
in a slum in the Philippines. She was
welcomed with a meal and a soft drink,
which the family didn’t have. They
lived in a tiny little two room house by
a river, which meant it flooded every
rainy season. The family of five shared a
double bed which they insisted Belle use.
Hospitality isn’t about offering up a
nice spread. It’s about honouring others
with the gift of generosity no matter
how much or how little you have.
For us, hospitality means having an
open home and sharing what we’ve
been blessed with, most important
of which is the treasure we have
in Jesus.
resonate · issue 29 · page 3