Greetings from Thailand

Circumnavigate Log #7

Things that strike me humorous:

Carry-on Luggage Limitation checks: These are the metal enclosures you are supposed to insert your carryon luggage into make sure your bag will fit into the overhead compartment on the airplane. The thing is, they are always much smaller than the actual compartments. Are you supposed to try putting your bag in there right before you board? I can just imagine holding up the whole boarding process because my bag is stuck. “I’m sorry,” they would say. “You packed too much. Please unpack some things.” Really?

When people hog the whole width of the moving walkways: If I have to get from one end of the airport to the other, it’s really nice to walk briskly along the moving walkways. They are fabulous inventions that allow you to arrive wherever you need to go in the airport much quicker. But sometimes people think that they are like a subway that you board and then hang out until it arrives at its termination point. When they see me clambering up behind them with my broken suitcase, they smile as if to say, “Welcome to our subway. We hope you enjoy the ride, because we sure are.”

The no smoking light in the airplane: Why do these have these lights? Are people really going to light up in flight? If they did, what would they use? They confiscated all your matches and lighters at the five security checkpoints you had to go through prior to boarding. “Excuse me,” some guy might say as he opens the bin above your head, “I have to get my flint and steel so I can light up.”

You know you are on a long flight when the sixth movie shown is a rerun of one they showed earlier.

Circumnavigate Advice #5: Leave left baggage within the secure zone whenever possible. After seven days in Singapore, I made my way to the airport to head to Thailand for four days, after which I would return to Singapore to continue my journey. I had a small suitcase of items collected along the way that I would not need in Thailand, so I paid the fare to store my luggage in the left baggage of Terminal 3 at Singapore’s International Airport. Then I checked in at the Thai Airways check-in at Terminal 1. Easy, I was following my own advice: travel light.

Four days later I arrived back to Singapore, Terminal 1. My reservation for the Transit Hotel said, “Do not clear immigration.” Well, I pretty much had to retrieve my bag since it was stored outside of the secure zone. They stamped my passport and I went to Terminal 3 to retrieve my bag. With all in order, I reorganized a few things and took the elevator up to United ticketing. Since the handle on my suitcase was broken I was thrilled with the idea that I would not have to hassle with the bag until customs in Chicago.

But then I learned the error of my plan. It was seven hours before a United Representative would even show up. At least I had my boarding passes and could easily get back into the secure zone and the Transit Hotel. Emigration wasn’t convinced it would be so easy. They took my boarding pass and passport from me for a small investigation. Who was this passenger with excess carryon luggage with a flight nine hours from now? After 10 anxious minutes, they returned my documents. “You’re good to go.”

Now, it was back to Terminal 1 to check into the Transit Hotel. Though a small tram connected the two terminals, there was significant walking involved. And with my cumbersome bags, it took me at least 15 minutes of walking in one direction. On the way I passed a left luggage kiosk within the secure zone. If only I had known.

In the morning, back at Terminal 3, I rechecked into the United Transfer desk. Graciously they allowed me to gate-check my now painfully awkward handle-less suitcase. As I shuffled to the gated area, past the free movie theater and butterfly garden, I noticed a row of luggage dollies. Why hadn’t I noticed these before?

Circumnavigate Log #6

Drab white skies filled the bowl of the Chiang Mai Region so that the surrounding mountains drifted forgotten in the haze. There was no wind. Deserted streets were lined with the tangle of tropical landscaping stoic and still. That was two days ago.

Last night a downpour washed a layer of dust off the sky letting the mountains peer down at me. For the first time, I noticed blue sky behind their pale shaggy fur.

The mountains weren't the only things emerging through a fog. "The Decision" had the same looming presence as it approached into unmistakable clarity. The Decision was waiting for me for a year. Ever since I realized that wasn't going back to Liberia. If I wasn't going back to Liberia, then where?

The Decision was as big and as empty as the white sky. South America, Mongolia, Indonesia, Lebanon, and Malawi. Could it be any of those places? Macao, Ecuador, Poland, or Guinea? But then the downpour came. The Decision took the shape of Southeast Asia. From Nepal to Vietnam, Malaysia to Bhutan, I needed a base from which to live.

So I've come to Singapore and Chiang Mai. And it is now as I leave these clearing skies of Thailand that I have the information I need to make The Decision. I can see it. I know it. God's in it, and now I can choose.

Around the World in 33 Days

A while back I read Jules Verne's classic, Around the World In 80 days. I loved the idea of traveling to a variety of places, meeting numerous people in a multitude of contexts, and literally circumnavigate the globe. In 2006 I began a journey that ended 11 months later traveling from West to East. On February 18 I will depart again, returning 33 days later, this time going East to West.

Although traveling excites me, it is not my motivation.

My purpose in West Africa is to encourage the nationals running the ministry at the King's Arms Academy. My departure from Liberia nearly one year ago was with uncertainty and confusion. Since I have left, I have received word that my Liberian brothers and sisters have assumed all of the responsibilities to running a school and are doing a terrific job of it. I am proud of them. They need to hear that from me in person.

My purpose in Southeast Asia is more visionary in nature. From my desire to work among children and encourage educators in a variety of Southeast Asian contexts, it would most economical to be based in a central Southeast Asian location. From this side of the planet, Singapore and Chiang Mai have looked like excellent choices. However, since I have not been to either of these places, a trip to check things out, establish connections, and learn first hand is in line.

In 33 days, here's the itinerary:

February 18: Travel Day: Minneapolis, Chicago, London

February 19-21: United Kingdom

February 22: Travel Day: London, Casablanca, Monrovia

February 23-March 8: Liberia

March 9-10: Travel Days: Monrovia, Casablanca, London, Singapore

March 11-16: Singapore

March 17-21: Chiang Mai, Thailand

March 22: Travel Day: Singapore, Chicago, Minneapolis

Undetermined Location

"Hi. I'm a Missionary to, well, actually I have no idea where I'm going."

That sounds a little strange. But it's been my response for the past three months. True, it has been frustrating at times, but I praise God that He has used the uncertain "where" to help me focus on the "what." At least I have a clear picture that I will be discipling and mentoring young people so that they can share Christ with the next generation.

For a month or two, I was considering ministry in the Middle East. But with all the turmoil there, Lebanon has move off the top of my list. Believe it or not, I've been thinking more about my times in Southeast Asia in 2005, 2006 and again this last September. For now it looks like I could be based in Singapore or Chiang Mai, Thailand making frequent short term trips into other Southeast Asian countries for the course of about two or three years. After that, I would re-asses the option of relocation to a specific location in this region.

Maybe, sometime very soon, my title will say something other than, "Jonathan Stone, Missionary to Undetermined Location."