Hello to all my readers! I hope everyone is having a wonderful time. In my last blog, I wrote about the specific ministry I was involved with while in Thailand. They were bar ministry, intercession, monk chat and slums, and teaching at the police academy (the latter was not an actual ministry associated while Lighthouse but a side ministry my team was blessed to partake in). Over the course of February I had some amazing experiences and met some incredible people. From the expected to the unexpected, I will cherish every occurrence!
- Bucket List/Adventures
When I was a very young I saw a picture of my grandparents riding an elephant in Thailand. Ever since that day I have had a deep seeded desire to ride an elephant! In February, I had the pleasure of riding a stampeding elephant. It was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life and I actually rode the elephant like a cowboy. It is definitely something I will never forget. They are such majestic creatures. I also was able to partake in petting a fully grown tiger. Tigers are incredible creatures; it was awesome to be able to pet the adults and play with the cubs. An unexpected bucket list item that I didn’t even know I had was being escorted by police through Chang Mai, Thailand. That’s right people! Our police friends drove us through Chang Mai with the sirens blaring. It was definitely a unique experience. Another awesome experience we got to partake in was shooting pistols at the academies target range. Annie has a little obsession with guns and her incessant desire to shoot paid off!
- The Police
Of all the memories I made in Thailand, I will cherish the time spent with our friends, the tourist police, most. Teaching at the police academy was only a side ministry and it only happened by chance. What made it so special was meeting so many people and being able to form life-long friendships with them. In such a short span of time they became our family. It is amazing how God works. There is no specific methodology the Lord uses to grow and expand his Kingdom. During his time on earth, Jesus was very relational and formed relationships with people everywhere, of all walks of life. He still does that today through us. I believe our time spent at the police academy served an important purpose. Not only were we able to meet and teach a future generation of Thai police, but we were also able to share the Love of Jesus. Pi ‘Oie, Pi Lucky, and Pi Jimmy were amazing hosts! They took us to temples, markets, festivals and made sure we were always provided for. It is amazing that over the course of a few days people can come to mean so much to you. Of all the memories I shared with these gentlemen, the one that will forever be etched in my mind is when Pi ‘Oie asked us to pray for them. That was God showing up in a small yet extreme way. I will continue to pray for our friends we made at the academy, and I hope one day I can visit them again.
