Tuk-tuks, Whiteboards, and Sticky Rice
Tales from Beyond the Mekong
Daniel Whetham
9781915046284
182 pages
Malcolm Down Publishing Ltd
Overview
A hot-off-the-aeroplane memoir from a passionate English teacher overseas. Daniel Whetham writes poignantly for his two daughters, that they might have some insight into ‘the things that were going on in the lives and heads of your parents as we tried to make sense of living in Laos as a family’. This family clearly loved Laos: its people, pace of life, animals, and beauty. They clearly fitted in well there, spending twelve happy years serving the Lao people through friendship, fellowship, English Language teaching, and simply sharing life together. Not that Daniel papers over the cracks – you’ll read about termites turning everything to dust, drug-crazed neighbours, near-lethal journeys, sweaty heat, noise pollution, murdered cats, visa frustration, and oppressive religious darkness, but through it all shines their gospel optimism. A highlight is the culturally sensitive, carefully considered section on reaching Buddhist people using ESL (English as a Second Language) in authentic and loving ways, without either coercing them or attacking their existing beliefs. People came to Christ – not everybody, but those the Lord was seeking. But if you’re more interested in fauna than faith, keep your eyes open for the lesser-known Asian unicorn! A really helpful read for anybody going into mission in South East Asia, especially families, but also anyone wanting to use ESL for outreach in whichever part of the globe they find themselves.Author Bio
Daniel Whetham ==============Daniel was born in Asia and raised in one of the most multicultural areas of the UK. Married to Mei, they have two children, alongside a houseful of pets and books. Daniel and his family had the privilege of living in a wonderful and challenging country in South East Asia for many years. There he discovered there were few better ways of sharing life with people than through teaching English and working with teachers. When he’s not thinking about cross-cultural life, Daniel loves watching fireworks, climbing small mountains, and exploring with his family.
