Memories of Thailand

 
Hey guys,
 
Sorry it’s been so long since I last posted. Once again, the past week has been really crazy for me. With the end of last month, plus a min-debrief and team changes, and another few days of intense travel, and then getting settled in at our new location, I’ve been quite busy. (Throw in a broken laptop screen to top it all off)
Anyways, I started this blog back in Thailand but never finished it, so here goes!
 
Thailand was an awesome month for me. I loved my time here and I’m so thrilled to share some of my favorite memories with you all.
 

• One of times that stood out to me the most is the day when we visited two Buddhist temples. We took a taxi up to the top of a nearby mountain to visit a very famous temple of the region. It was beautiful and mystical at the same time. Because parts of it were so traditional I felt as if I had stepped into some Hollywood movie. However, this illusion was often broken by many vendors who were selling figurines and pictures and some of the monks there who were selling blessings. It was very weird and now I have some idea of what Jesus felt when he went in the temple to see all the money changers treating the House of God as if it were little more than a mall.

 

• The second temple we went two was older and much more traditional. It was not a common tourist destination so there was a great tranquility about the place. The temple itself was in an old cave and as I walked through it, I felt as if I was being transported back several hundred years. Because of this, I think I enjoyed this temple more than the first.

• 7-11s. One of the most surprising things about Thailand was the abundance of 7-11s. Seriously, there’s one on every corner. And they’re almost the exactly the same as one would look like back home. It was good because if I was ever craving some food from home I could go there and be comforted.
• Our ministry this month, Lighthouse in Action. This is an awesome ministry started by a passionate Thai woman who had a desire to reach out to the non-desirables in society with the love of Christ. We were able to partner with her in reaching out to those trapped in the sex industry of the bars. It was an eye opening experience for all of us and one that showed me life as it really was. 
• Also, please check out their website at http://www.lighthouseinaction.org/
  • If you’d like to get involved, they are currently raising money to purchase a building right next to the red-light district. It will be a place where girls can go to after they come out of the bars and learn new skills so that they can stay out of the bars.
• Finding joy in intercessory prayer. Whenever we had teams that went to the bars, some of us would stay back and lift them up in prayer to God. I found so much joy in these times and grew so much closer to God. It’s amazing how taking the focus off oneself for a time can make you realize the joy that’s to be found in focusing on God and others for a change. Highly recommended.
• Thai Food. Definitely one of my highlights for this month. I hadn’t eaten that much Thai food before the Race and so this was my first real experience with it. And I found that it was amazing. Not only is it delicious and (often) spicy, but it is also cheap! At the street vendors, you can get a whole meal for the equivalent of $1.
• Also, in this vein, I found that Thai vendors also sell some of the most delicious waffles I’ve ever had. I’m not going to lie – I ate a lot of waffles this month.
• Taking rides on the local taxis – called Songtows – through the streets of Chiang Mai, the city we were staying in. They looked like miniature red versions of school buses and if they get too full, you can always hang off the back!
• Getting to pet a Thai elephant
• Getting to zipline through a rainforest on one of our days off. It’s important to note that the ziplines here do not conform to safety standards back in the States – for example, you’re given a bamboos stick as a break so you do not crash into the tree at the end of the zipline
• Seeing God work in the people on my team and realizing that this crazy bunch of 7 people had truly become like a family to me. I could go to them with my problems and my baggage and, instead of being rejected, they would show me love and spur me on. Rather than avoiding confrontation with them, I learned how to speak the truth in love to them (which, by the way, was the topic of my last blog)
• Taking a 22 hour bus ride to Phuket, another city in Thailand, and stopping at random little markets along the way to groggily stumble out of the bus, get food, and get back in
• While in Phuket, going on a boat tour to many of the local islands
  • This experience included taking a little canoe inside caves filled with monkeys and bats
  • As well as canoeing through a tiny opening in a cliff face into a beautiful lagoon
  • And finally ending up in the famous James Bond Island
• Getting to enjoy an all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant in Thailand. 

 
Anyways, those are some of the moments that stick out to me the most. As you have probably heard, my team is currently in Malaysia. It wasn’t in our original route but changes happen so it makes for a fun adventure!
 
Thanks again for all your support and prayers! You have no idea how much they mean to me! I’ll be posting another blog soon detailing our work here in Malaysia.