This week we were driving in the back of a truck to another village to help with the construction of a new building. To get there we drove up and over the tallest mountain in Thailand and saw a beautiful waterfall on the way. As we were winding through the mountain pass the sounds of the rainforest were surrounding us. I was in awe of how many sounds there were – birds chirping, grasshoppers ringing, and a whole orchestra of the rainforest. There was a moment that I paused my music and thought, “this sounds like the Rainforest Cafe.” Then I realized this is the real thing. There have been so many random things either in Thailand, Nepal, or Cambodia where something has reminded me of a theme park or a movie that I’ve seen back home. Then as I’ll think about it realize that I’m experiencing the real thing now.
People have mimicked the amazing Rainforest sounds, the beautifully woven roots of a tree, and amazing animals that I’ve been experiencing in real life. It’s gotten me thinking about how I’ll do that in life – I exchange real relationships with ones in books or tv, I like the idea of being vulnerable and open but I hide behind my inward thinking. Two things the Lord has been teaching a lot lately are:
1. I’m not ok being ok (I always feel like I need to be working on some flaw I have)
2. Embrace the real thing – a lot of times reality is so much harder than our fantasy but in the long run it is so much more worth it.
This last week we were helping with the construction of a new building out in a village. We scraped floors, painted cabinets, and laid cement for a sidewalk. The building is going to be a home, church, and community center for the village so many different people are going to hear about God’s love there. We are back in Chiang Mai now and went to an elephant sanctuary today! I’m going to blog about the elephant sanctuary soon and show you all the pictures!
P.s. Prayer request – the eardrum in my left ear has a big hole in it, so I’m on antibiotics to prevent infection, but I would love prayer that it heals well. Thanks y’all!
Keep the faith,
Malia
