Southeast Asia. Let me rewind and pick up from where I last left off in my updates. My last two months in Asia were two months that still cross my mind almost daily.
Those last two months were filled with such divine appointments, and where I learned such valuable lessons. Those months were filled with joy and tears, rest and hard work. Those months were filled with new foods that turned into some of my all time favorites, and new people that turned into family. Those months were filled with new places, that were completely different from each other, but each held such a unique beauty in my eyes. I felt burdened and brokenness in those places; but I also felt the freedom the Lord had destined to bring me. I heard the Lord’s voice in those places, and felt embraced by Him in them. It was a time the Lord provided to show me my need for Him, and that I was exactly where I was suppose to be.
(This will be a two blog series. This blog focusing mainly on Thailand, and the other blog will be focusing on Malaysia)…..
Thailand, oh what a month. That month my team and I were working with The Little Farm Thailand. It was started by our amazing host Heidi [who is a hilarious and loving Australian], and her Thai jokester and handyman of a husband, John. Their goal has been to create a farm, both organic and fully sustainable. Their vision has been to provide a place where others can come to learn skills pertaining to farming or cooking, and where they can come to find healing. This mainly has been a place for those coming out of sex-trafficking, or that have experienced poverty. They also have done an amazing job of being able to help the community with their wisdom and knowledge they have learned in organic farming. They have adopted three teenage boys into their care, one which we mainly worked along side; and they have the cutest daughter Charlie that loves Choki Choki’s, Hide and Seek, and playing Shop.
That month we planted almost 12,000 pineapples, we picked chili’s to bless their neighbors, we played with Charlie, we gave Tic Tac (their adventurous white dog) numerous baths, we mimicked the turkey gobbles, we went to a waterfall and a zoo and played soccer with our new friends children from their children’s home. We cooked some of the best food I have eaten. We did worship in the hut’s open space. We did cement work on their bathroom mud hut. We painted the bathroom door, and we helped out in various areas of the farm; along with the many different adventures we had.
The physical work was tiring but also so invigorating and refreshing to our team. At the same time I think what I really loved was who I was around. It was inspiring to see the hearts of our hosts’ and their constant servanthood, like I’ve never seen lived before. They lived truly as those who love others and would do anything, and give any of their resources and time to help. They showed me what it truly looks like to live as a servant for the Lord each and every day, in the big and small things. The Lord also showed me what it looks like to have big dreams, and to follow those dreams even in not having the full-knowledge or resources to do it. If it is a God-Idea it will be bigger than ourselves and require His divine appointments, and resources.
Those memories in Thailand still run through my mind and through my conversations with others. Like Baa, our “house mother” that stayed at the church with us. Like floating down a random river in an inner tube, that Heidi and her friends have done many times. Like riding to a hill tribe in the back of a pickup truck and having such life giving conversations; then later on playing with the random kids we found walking around the tribe. Like riding seven people in the back of the small car and when entering the farm cringing every time when the bottom of the car scraped against the ground. Like picking on Nakong, and doing handstands with Lijoo. Like all the laughs we had with Heidi, being initiated by John picking on us, and going and getting our special coffee’s, half way through a work day.
When I think about that month, I can see the symbolism of the farm’s impact on my life. While we were planting pineapple’s and doing physical work, the Lord started to plant seeds in my heart that have continued to grow. Seeds of hope, seeds of bravery, seeds of growth. Seeds of love, and seeds of servanthood.
When I think about that month I think about the rolling mountains of Chiang Rai. The views reminded me of home mixed with the mountains of Virginia. It made me excited for being back in the States, but at the same time I was so content in where I was. I was content and joyful with what we were doing but it went beyond just what was circumstantial. It was a contentment in knowing this is exactly where I was suppose to be. It was exactly who I was suppose to be with, and it was where I would find true hope even when things personally felt like a disaster in my life. The Lord showed me real hope, which is contingent on who He is and His promises; rather than a hope that is contingent on anything else of this world. I felt the Lord in the beauty of that place. I felt His presence in the heart of the people, and in the relationships I built there even with some of my teammates. I discovered what it looks like to be brave in that place, to be okay with not being okay, to have questions and be okay with not having the answers. And I discovered that we never really fully know what it looks like for each person to be brave, until we know a little of their story and can see them living in a brighter light of courage.
It encourages my heart so much to still hear about what is going on at The Little Farm Thailand, even in the four months we’ve been gone. It encourages my heart so much to see the new additions of the farm and just to see the Lord working. I love that place. I love those people. It is my heart to return, and my old team jokes that we would be back to see the harvest of all those pineapples we planted…. #WatchOutForThePineapples
Here’s where you can lookup more information about the Little Farm Thailand, and how you can support them!! http://www.thelittlefarmthailand.com
