Haha jokes on you- you wanted to hear a love story… and you won't get disappointed but it isn't the type you are expecting.
I am in month 5 of the race.
To be honest, if I woke up and the first 4 months were just a dream and I was still at training camp, I'd probably not want to go on the world race. The first 3 months were HARD. Getting stripped down to a place where your identity is in Christ alone is not easy. It doesn't feel good. Atleast that was my experience. Month 4 was pretty sweet because I was content in my identity but I was still at this learning how to be filled by God stage.
Back to month 5. I am 3 days in and I am in love.
1. I love Thailand.
From the moment we got out of the airport and started driving on the wrong side of the road, I knew this month would be different. We had orentation on the Thai culture, do's and don't, what is respectful and what isn't. So crazy- they keep a lot of emotion in…even loud laughing is not good thing to do. At the same time, sharing your food and being generous is normal. Pointing is disrespectful so we need to keep our fingers together when we point, and bow are head when we say hello. There are so many ridiculously awesome things to do here. I can ride an elephant, cuddle with tigers, buy amazing clothes, and get cheap but good tattoos. It is an amazing place- I've already been praying about how to spend money here, don't want to get too craycray.
2. I am in love with ministry.
The day after our culture orentation we had our ministry orentation. My team which consists of LaShondra, Stephanie, Micah, and Hayden (the daughters of team Sons and Daughters) are now living with team Shekinah and doing bar ministry. I know, it's a little soon to fall in love with a ministry when I haven't even started but… last month we lived with women who used to be in sex trafficing and are now in college. These strong women taught our team so much. Now we are going to the bars to build relationships, so ready to show them the joy we have and know fully well the joy they could have. It is so amazing how God prepares us for people before we even meet them.
I have been so encouraged by even the few times I got to really talk to the people on the street. One ladyboy I met changed everything for me. Daisy was working at the bar and a few of us got to come up and talk to her. In just the hour we spent with her, I learned her life story and I was able to brighten her day by listening and joking and encouraging her. This helped me with thinking of relationship building on the race. If in an hour I can change someone's day and she knows I am living life for Jesus, can you imagine what God is going to do through our team in 3 weeks?!
3. I am in love with God.
Emmy, our contact here, told us not to make people our "ministry target" but to let God fill you up and let that over flow on the people you meet. Now, if a contact told me this my first 3 months I would have felt useless. I constantly wanted to see change- I wanted to see physical change (like construction work)- or see emotional change or something ….I wanted to SEE what I was doing.
Now, I am free. This time 2 years ago I was depressed and studying about Buddism and asking God a million angry questions. — BUT NOW I am literally going to temples with a TON of people worshiping a man who didn't know the truth and it pumps me up. I'm not in a text book. I'm not in depression or questioning God. I am so excited to share the truth I know. It is just so amazing to see God bring me from that place to here. He literally changes my heart and sends me to a place that when I learned about it I let it stand between me and Him. 95% of Thailand is Buddist. I am not overwhelmed at all. It is my joy to be a light.
Also, we were able to light lanterns that floated up in the sky for new years!
"He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light." Job 33:28
