Connecting

Sometimes I think life is all about connecting: with God, with family, with good friends, with strangers. And with the waters of life that run deep inside each of us.

Without those connections, something in us withers and dies. If people aren’t available for some reason, we seek out animals. Books. Movies or TV. During the pandemic, I watched an Australian series (A Place to Call Home) that made me feel more connected to the characters than to anyone else. They kind of took over my life for a while, when Phil and I had to hunker down and not talk to our neighbors. 

For some reason, we need those connections to give our life meaning and perspective.

Phil and I find those connections as teachers at Santisuk. There is an energy, a spark, a sudden inflow of life that comes from our students as we get to know each other. Sometimes these connections are created  within 20-30 minutes. Last Friday Phil and I taught at an English camp at a Thai university. We each had 7-8 students for half an hour, trying to prepare them to interview for a job. We asked questions such as

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What are you passionate about?
• What motivates you?

By the end of each session their shyness was gone, and there was that flow of energy that comes from being listened to, being encouraged after sharing something personal. You can see it on the faces of these students:

The students loved Phil. I always heard lots of laughter from his group.

In our Santisuk English classes, we are constantly asking students about their lives as we try to get them to converse in English. They ask many questions about our lives as well. Here are some of the people we’ve gotten to know in the classroom and in our fellowship group:

• A young woman studying for a degree in hospitality, whose constant smile and earnest feelings about kindness will make her a shining star in that arena. She also knows about sadness and depression.
• A Buddhist monk who used to be an international soccer player, who has sought peace and meaning in a life of meditation. He is studying for his doctorate in political science. He is one of our most energetic students, always laughing and joking with Phil.
• Three sisters, refugees from religious persecution in Pakistan, who live on almost nothing and are hoping to immigrate to Canada, where they can start a new life. Their situation is desperate.
• A young social worker who helps women who’ve been lured from Africa with the promise of good jobs in Thailand, and who find themselves enslaved as prostitutes and scammers. This social worker knows her life is in danger for helping these women. She says she is ready to die if necessary, because she knows she will be with God.

We have prayed with some of these people and often pray for them as well. Because it is God who connects us. The love of God is the spark of life that we recognize and long for. It gives life meaning and perspective—and also joy. It is what keeps us coming back to Thailand.

Addendum: I’ve been thinking about this, and I think Phil and I would both agree that we connect better in Thailand too! At home we’re together a lot but have our separate interests and activities. Here we’re going on trips together, preparing for class together, talking about students, encouraging each other as teachers. I love that.