Expectations. They warn you over and over again at training camp not to have any expectations for the race. And for the most part, I haven't. Except for when it came to Thailand.
I had more than just expectations for Thailand. I had wants, hopes, and desires for Thailand. You see, most female racers spend their Thailand month doing bar ministry- where they go into the red light districts of Thailand and preach to women in bars. I couldn't wait for that. When signing up for the race, my one requirement for a route was that it had Thailand on it so that I could do bar ministry.
But then it all got flipped upside down, because it turned out there would be two squads in Thailand for September, and AIM decided that the squad who is in month 8 of the race would do bar ministry. The heart of almost every female racer on my squad felt crushed. But we had to remember that God's plans are always better than our own.
So then my team thought we would be doing work with Burmese refugee youth, which sounded really cool. So once again, expectations began to grow. And God turned things around again. The day we were supposed to leave for ministry, my team was told that due to unforseen circumnstances we would not be able to go to our intended ministry site.
So where in Thailand is Team Earth Like Heaven at?
We at Sila Home in the province of Chiang Mai. Sila Home is a home from kids, ranging from 3 to 19 years old. These kids are here under different circumstances- some are orphans, some are here because of family emergencies, and others are here in order to go to school. But one thing is the same. All 40+ kids get the love and attention that they deserve. These kids are loved and poured into at Sila. They get the opportunity to go to school during the day with full bellies, and come back to their beautiful home at 5pm where they get have ample space to play and do their homework. And most importantly, God is present here. We have already had a handful of worship sessions with these kids, and watching them sing praises to their Heavenly father brings joy to my heart because the joy they have is infectious.
While the kids are at school, we (Team Earth Like Heaven and Team Salt And Salt) do manual labor, which includes…. FARMING! I finally get to live out my last name – it only took 24 years 😉
During the evenings and on Saturdays, we get to plan activities for the kids. On Saturday, I felt like I was back at the Element (The jr. high group at Bel Air Pres, where I volunteered last year). We played capture the flag (in a monsoon), "Egg, Chicken, Dinosaur" (A form of rock paper scissors), and plenty of other silly games.
On Sundays, we have church, where we get the chance to share our testimonies, and host Sunday school for the little ones.
So it's not what I expected or wanted, but it's what I needed. God knows how much I loved working with youth, and He knew how much I desired to walk in His joy this month.
Working at Sila home is definitely what I needed.
