We are entering month 4, which means I am 1/3 of the way through the World Race. The more I think about it, the more it amazes me. I can remember posting on Facebook to let everyone know it was 100 days before launch, now I am coming up on the 100th day of the Race next week, the 14th. Time flies so quickly. So right now, I want to stop and reflect on our time here so far in Thailand. I will do this in a fun fact format:
- Everyday I discover a new type of bug, and everyday I get new bug bites
- Each day I teach anywhere between 2-5 English classes
- I have learned about four Thai words
- Some days I discover a record for how much I can sweat
- Where my body used to contain water, I now contain rice
- I have been able to share about Jesus much more than I expected, with this being the Holiday season, I have been able to share about the birth, the life, death, and resurrection of Christ
- Everyday I look forward to a bucket shower
- I am now versed in one Thai cheer
These points make my time here in Thailand sound like a non-stop adventure, and it is true, if I were to look in on my life now from a year ago I would see it that way. But as I embrace each new day, I am embracing someone else’s normal. Someone else’s every day for the rest of their life, I feel the sense of adventure and spirit of excitement fall away as I look at life through someone else’s eyes. I always wonder “what if this was my normal?”, would I be content with my life? I hope the answer to that really is yes. I look at the community here and wonder which group I would fall into if this was my normal life.
I like long term missions a lot because they spark questions like these in most people. I am very thankful that we get to serve in Thailand for two months, Cambodia for two months, and then Albania for three. I am an extremely future oriented person, so I get excited for new countries, cultures, and experiences. But I also know the value of connecting with people and creating deeper than surface level relationships. This is a struggle with a language barrier, but the language barrier causes people to take more time to understand each other, because you have to then focus on body language, actions, and facial expressions to have basic conversations. I think when people rely on these forms of communication a different kind of bond is formed. I don’t think when Jesus said to go to all the Nations to make disciples he also had a clause that stated you must know the language of every country you go to (although it would help), and because I believe this I also believe that He has another plan for humans to connect. This other plan doesn’t only mean we can have basic conversations, but I believe it means in a nonverbal way we can share the gospel, and Thailand is teaching this to me.
