So, we started ministry. Ministry doesn’t always look like what you think it will.
We were put in a ministry called Monk Chat! I was SO pumped when I found out. It has been something I’ve wanted to do since my trip to China, 3 years ago. I got to visit a Buddhist monastery near Shanghai on the last day of that trip, and it made me so curious!
1. In our ministry, we visited a temple and tried to talk to monks and learn about Buddhism. We were able to connect with a monk named Savann, originally from a city outside Phenom Penh, Cambodia. He told us about life as a monk and the reasons he came to the temple to be a monk. He told us about what being a monk entails – the rules, guidelines, beliefs, and customs. It was amazing to be able to discuss life and his beliefs and ours, too. He was so funny, and was able to prepare us a little for Cambodia!
2. One day during ministry, it was very “nau” (“cold” in Thai!) Savann and the other monks were not there for monk chat that day. We decided to wait, and we were soon approached by a few college students that had said “hello!” to us the day before. They were so welcoming and so wonderful to talk to. We laughed so much and had a wonderful time talking to them about life. We saw them the next 4 days. We made quick connections and had a great time every day. We learned much more Thai than we would have, and they got to practice their English. It was wonderful. Chert, Gee, Ty, and all the others welcomed us into their group of friends, and I appreciated that so much. It was a view of Thai culture that I wouldn’t have gotten any other way.
3. The other connection that was special to me was our friendship with Ye. She is a woman that just opened her own small restaurant at a place called Happy Bar. She was working during the day and one of the other teams made a connection with her. One of our leaders, Daniel, made sure that we stopped and got food and met her the next day. Immediately, we realized that she was a very nice, joyful, and servant-hearted woman. After that, we continued to meet with her and support her business every day. She made the BEST Pad Thai. I mean, THE BEST. She invited us to sit by a fire in the outside bar area when it was raining. She let us hang up her new sign for her restaurant, “Happy Food.” She invited us in to her place and let us be friends with her. She asked about my squamate, dani, after she had an appendectomy, and even visited dani at our hostel! She is a beautiful, wonderful person that I am glad I had the privilege of meeting.
The connections that we were able to make in our last 10 days in Thailand were amazing and I can’t wait to see what Cambodia holds for us. God put those people in our path for so many reasons that I am sure I haven’t realized yet. God saw that it was important to give me relationships to build in our first month here, and He put these people in front of us.
God did amazing things with our 10 days of ministry in Chiang Mai. He opened up doors to form relationships with great Thai people. He showed me that ministry isn’t always tied down to one thing. He showed me that college kids will still talk to you, especially when the monks aren’t available. God saw how much I wanted to support Ye and rewarded me with the BEST Pad Thai. But really, God provided for me and my team in ways that were just crazy. We started our World Race ministry in a pretty wonderful way.
As the Thai people say, “See you when you see me.” It is a beautiful goodbye that I will cherish for a long time. I will miss the people I met here, SO MUCH, but I know there’s many more good things coming.
PS. As I am writing this, I am sweating profusely before going to bed for our first night in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I think it is a feeling that I think I have to get used to.
Quote of the Moment: “See you when you see me!” 🙂
