Megan Kennedy,of the July 2013 Q Squad, spent her first month in Thailand, working at Zion Cafe. While there, her team encountered a street girl trying to get home. Ministering to her with food, clothing and bus money, her team met tangible, physical needs as well as the girl's spiritual ones.
Today as the women of my team were leaving Zion Cafe, a frail young girl stood waiting for us.
Outstretching her hands, she asked for something to eat. Through her pants and oversized jacket, her bones were protruding. She was extremely malnourished and looked as if the smallest touch of a hand could snap her fragile body.
She spoke broken English and said that she was hungry and needed to get home. My team stopped and invited her into the coffee shop.
"Come, I will buy you lunch," my teammate said.
On the way into Zion Cafe, the girl began to shake and wheeze, stopping every few steps to catch her breath. I noticed a slight odor, and glancing downward, saw that she was walking around in her own urine-filled pants.
Once inside the coffee shop, the amazing women of Zion Cafe began talking to this young girl. One purchased her lunch. As it was being prepared we sat around a table with the girl, and the owner of Zion cafe, began asking her questions and relaying the information to us.
We learned that her name is Orange.
Orange is 13 years old. She had just returned from her older sister's funeral in another province. Her sister had died of lung cancer. Orange never met her parents and was trying to make it back to her grandparents home, far away, up the mountain.
We placed hands on Orange and she watched us as we began to pray for her. She smiled softly and kept repeating, "Thank you. Thank you."
Two minutes later, another worker came out from the kitchen and brought Orange a large bag of warm food, abundantly more than the three dollar lunch that was purchased for her. Accompanying this lunch was a pair of shorts and shirt for Orange to change into.
A few minutes after that, more women from Zion cafe returned with a massive plastic bag overflowing with clothes. They exchanged remarks in Thai, and Orange's eyes welled with tears.
Between coughs and tremors, Orange still repeated, "Thank you. Thank you."
The women around me kept showering Orange with love. More clothes, water, prayer, and money for the taxi ride home.
Twenty minutes was all we had with Orange. She exited our lives just as quickly as she entered, hurrying, hoping not to miss her ride back home. With bags full of clothing and food, she got into a taxi across the street, and waved goodbye, blowing kisses until out of sight.
I will probably never see Orange again, and it's okay.
This is how it has been all month.
I've only had one time with so many people who are forever ingrained in my heart. But one time is enough because his love is powerful.
I sat in the coffee shop today and watched the women of Zion feed and clothe Orange. I watched them live out Jesus' words–
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me." (Matthew 25:35)
This is what God's church is supposed to look like. 
This is how we are supposed to love and care for one another. With no agenda. Expecting nothing in return. Just loving one another because God first loved us. This is the type of love that Jesus talked about when he walked the earth. This is his love.
God spoke clearly to me today:
"This is how to love. This is what my love looks like."
I pray that as I continue this year, and my life, that I can love like this. I pray that we can all love like this.
May love reign in all of our lives.
photos via Megan Kennedy
What does love look like for you? If you think it might mean joining the hundreds of others going on the field in the next year, click here to apply for a July 2014 route. In the meantime, click here to read more stories like Orange's.
