Currently we are in Malaysia, after spending a month in Thailand. February for me was a time of self-reflection, joy, happiness, challenges, growth, appreciation and tension. That’s a lot of things in one month, but it’s been worth it.
Theres so many sweet and tender moments I want to share about my time in Thailand, so bare with me as I take you through the moments that stood out to me the most.
First, we arrived in Bangkok for our first debrief since training camp to share our experiences up to that point and for leadership to pour into us as well. It was a good time, but I mostly stayed to myself. That was part of the self-reflection that carried over into my time in Chaing Mai as well. In that moment, I just felt far from God. You can read more about that time here.
However, during our time in Bangkok, I was able to make a connection with Jeab and her twin sister, Jib. They manage the hostel our team stayed at and were very sweet and accommodating. It was nice to develop a friendship with them and share about what we were doing. This was a great opportunity for me to share Christ’s love and it was so neat because many of the people from my squad kept pouring into them and telling them about who Jesus was too. Even more important that they were receptive, curious and asked us questions. I even learned that they had actually grown up in Catholic school, but they both identified as Buddhists.
Even though they believe themselves to be Buddhists, one thing I found to be very common in Thailand is that many of the people identify with the religion but don’t necessarily practice their belief. I guess the same is true for many Christians too, only showing up to church on Easter Sunday or Christmas. But what stood out to me is that many people don’t really know much about their faith. When we would ask questions, they couldn’t really give us answers. Knowing that really encouraged me more on how to be praying for them and how to share what it means to be a follower and believer of Jesus Christ. If they aren’t rooted in their faith, and were so open and curious about mine, I knew this was a good place to plant the seed. My prayer now is just that God could send someone else behind me to water it. & even now, as I am in another country, I still reach out to Jeab and chat with her on WhatsApp to check on her because I want her to know that I care and enjoyed meeting her. I told her that if she ever had any questions about Jesus, she could always ask and if I didn’t have the answer, we could both figure it out together because to be honest, there are many things I’m still learning about my faith and the Father. Our time there ended with her and her sister wanting to take a group picture with us and it was just the sweetest thing. They enjoyed having us just as much as we enjoyed being there and it was just such a great time. I hope if you ever find yourself in Bangkok, you can make your way over to DinSpace Hostel and meet this beautiful soul and her twin sister. They truly were a gift and made our time there so special.
From Bangkok, our team ended up going to Chiang Mai for a few days then eventually we moved on to Chiag Khong. In Chiang Mai, we did a corporate fast with some other squadmates and that was also a good time. We stayed in a nice, big, comfy house and I got my own room, which at the time was very necessary because I just felt like I needed some time alone. I didn’t feel connected to God but I understand now, why He was silent. There were things in me that I needed to address and work out. It had nothing to do with Him not being close to me. He was there all along.
In Chaing Mai, we got to visit an Elephant Sanctuary and that was fantastic! They are such sweet and gentle creatures. On the way we met a girl named Karla and she actually happened to be from Dallas of all the places in the world! She was on holiday with her dad and meeting her was definitely a Godcidence! She was a lawyer in New York, so we had a lot to talk about with my background being in legal as well. In fact some of her family actually go to my church Oak Cliff Bible! So naturally we began talking about our trip and how we had given up our lives back home to go where we felt Jesus was leading. She is also a Christian, but hasn’t been to church in a while. All in all, we had great conversation and at the end of it all, she spoke about how refreshing and encouraging it was to meet us and that she knew that through this encounter, she needed to start looking for a home church so she could find community. Sweet moment No. 2 in the bag!
Also, visiting Tiger Kingdom was pretty dope too. Not much else to say about that other than I’m quite fierce entering a cage with a real life tiger and still remaining cool, calm and collected. It also really made me miss my little cool cat Simba!
Later we connected with a girl named Caroline from one of the hostels we stayed at. She was a hoot! She had actually gone to bible college and was very educated and knowledgeable about the faith, but sadly she didn’t want anything to do with the church. However, she still encouraged us and applauded what we were doing. She even sent me a very sweet message about how lovely it was to meet us but that she just had different beliefs now. This was bittersweet for me. I loved meeting her and getting to speak to her, but was saddened by whatever it was that happened to turn her away from Jesus. My heart hurt for her, because she is soooo loved and that’s apparent by some of the stories she shared and how of all the people we could have met that night, the Lord led us to her.
Following our time in Chiang Main it was time to pack up and head North. One of my teammates Chelsey happened to have some missionary friends from her church that lived in Thailand and they so generously welcomed us and invited us to stay with them. Mr. Jay and Mrs. Heidi are just pure heart. They are the absolute sweetest and they very quickly became our adoptive parents. It was a daily feast staying with them. They fed us and fed us well! It was nice to not have to eat rice or noodles daily as part of our meals. Chiang Khong can definitely be defined as the highlight of my time in Thailand. There was so much to take in. Being in the mountains was beautiful and much cooler too, which was a nice break from this Asian heat! It’s no joke. We got to visit Hmong families in the villages, play with kids, do door to door minitry, share our testimonies, teach English, sit with people outside of their homes in the villages just having fellowship with them and telling them about Jesus. We went to church for an entire day one Sunday, church after church and spent time with other believers from the villages. We didn’t understand much, but we still sang praises to the Lord in Hmong. It was beautiful! I even sang How Great Thou Art to them in Spanish too. It was a song we sang often in Hmong. It was just such an amazing and unforgettable time. During that time, we also got to meet some other missionary friends Mr. Tom and Mrs. Sue. They truly are an inspiration. Both of these families have done so much for the Kingdom and live everyday earnestly seeking to love others well, finding new people to share the Gospel with and never miss an opportunity to bring Jesus into the conversation. It was such a pleasure to get to meet them all and minister alongside them. Being with them encouraged me so much and I just pray that the Lord continues to bless their ministries.
Another day, we all went out to the day market and while there, a little old lady approached me and asked me my name and where I was from in English. She told me how beautiful I was and that she was very intellectual and could speak a little bit of English. Her name was Susie. She was the absolute cutest! We had a great conversation and when we parted ways she said to me, “See you again!” Little did I know that I actually would. A few days had gone by and my friend Chelsey and I decided to go for a walk by the river. On the way back home, there in the distance I see sweet little Susie. We stopped to talk to her and I introduced her to Chelsey. She said she was out getting excercise. I wish at that moment I would have snapped a picture because I don’t know when I will ever get to see her again, but as we walked away, she said “Don’t forget me”. & how could I ever? Although they were small encounters, she touched my life and I’m sure I somehow touched hers because we were just drawn to each other and if I could have, I would have scooped her up and just stuck her in my pocket. I don’t have a picture to share but her beautiful face is forever etched into my memory. This must’ve been sweet moment No. 5 or 6. There were so many for me in Chaing Khong but for the sake of keeping your attention, I’ll just share the moments that I felt were the ones that made my heart melt.
Another cool experience was going to a Hmong wedding. They killed and cooked a pig and I was down for it. Reminded me of being back home with the fam. The bride made this super bomb salsa too. It was HOT, but most of us could not stop eating it, runny noses and all. It was so heartwarming to see how well the Hmong people love. They don’t have much to offer, but whatever they do have they make sure to offer to us. They fed us well and treated us like family. A true definition of what it means to love your neighbor. Their homes are quite humble and they don’t have much furniture or chairs but they would give them up for us. They barely make a salary to feed themselves, yet they fed us like kings and queens, allowing us to eat first before they ever partook. It was just so touching. I’ll never forget these tender moments. I’ll forever cherish them and am so grateful that God chose me to journey with Him here.
You can imagine how saddened we all were to leave Mr. Jay and Heidi and Tom and Sue. BUT we will continue to carry them in our prayers and hopefully one day we can visit again.
From there, our time in Thailand was coming to end. We made our way back to Bangkok to do a prayer walk and march around the red light district of Bangkok. That was heavy but some of us had it on our hearts to march around so that the walls of deceit, lust, perversion and evil could come crashing down like the walls of Jericho. Although this was something dark we encountered, I was so encouraged to know that God was already there doing something before we ever even got there! As we are making our rounds around the red light district, we came across a church, literally right behind the red light district. It was insane! How could something so evil be lurking right on the other side of the walls of the church? Isn’t that like Jesus though, to be right there in the midst? When I saw the church, I was just blown away. In that moment, I knew that God was already there before we were and I have no doubt that one day that red light district will be no more and that church will grow and that area will no longer be known for what currently happens there but it will known for bringing community and the Gospel to Bangkok. Can I get an amen? Come’on somebody!
Finally, from Bangkok, we made it to Phuket Island and stayed in Kata. It was nice to finally be at beach in Thailand. & as nice as it was there, this is where we met tension. But there was also joy, happiness and growth. Looking back on our time, I see how God so perfectly orchestrated things together and I know that He is still doing things and will continue to until this trip comes to an end and beyond…
We met some pretty incredible people and had some super cool moments that were nothing less than divine. I can’t wait to continue sharing this journey with y’all. I appreciate all y’alls love, encouragement and support. Please continue to pray for me, my team and entire squad. & if you feel led to, please make a donation, so that I can continue to be the Lord’s hands and feet out here. Next up, a picture blog.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my adventures with the Lord. Hugs, sweet family and friends. Los amo! XO
