So first things first I want to give a shoutout to my friend Andrew Singer who is getting married on Sunday. I tell people of all the weddings I’ll be unable to attend, the thought of missing this one might sting the most. But no regrets.
Anyways, our time in Thailand, and Asia altogether for that matter is fast approaching its end. Before we came here, I assumed Asia would be the worst leg of the race. Now that we’re leaving, I’ll be surprised if it turns out to not be the best. It has been awesome. The people, the history, and even the food have been great, but it has also been extremely spiritually rewarding as well. But now I want to talk about one particular day my team spent in Mae Sot this past week.
This past Wednesday our mission was to sit and listen to some of the long term missionaries in the Mae Sot area- which sits on the border of Thailand and war-torn Myanmar. The overwhelming majority of people in the area are displaced Burmese from Myanmar. Many are without homes, and many children have been orphaned or come from broken homes. There are tribal rivalries, and few jobs to be had for most.
Our team met with people from four different ministries all operating under the umbrella of the Haven Foundation- our ministry host for the month. One organization runs a church and a children’s home. They have spent the last five years rescuing children from the local garbage dump, where an entire community resides. Houses are literally made out of trash! Another one is essentially an orphanage, and is one of the only organizations to open its doors to all people groups/tribes. (Most NGOs will only work with either the Karen tribe or the Burmese tribe for the sake of simplicity.) Another is a self-defense clinic, teaching people the world has written off discipline and self-esteem through the martial arts. It provides counseling and therapy for people victimized by the sex-trafficking industry. Another ministry we visited actually focuses on men, which I thought was unique because most ministries aim to help orphans and widows. This missionary family felt that men in the area were being neglected. So what they do is take in six men at a time, from all people groups, and teach them practical skills like welding, plumbing, carpentry, electric, etc.
Every organization could stand alone if necessary, but the best part of it was this: they all worked together. When teenage boys were old enough to leave the children’s home of one mission, they were sent to learn carpentry skills. They taught each other self defense, they attended church together, and they even baby-sat each other’s kids. For me, this was the most impressive part.
I know this may not sound very special, but I’ve been on the mission field for several months now and sometimes it’s difficult to see how showing up and painting a church for three weeks is going to advance God’s Kingdom. But when the church, the body of Christ, comes together united in purpose and functions as it was designed by God, it is a truly beautiful thing. Never have I felt more spiritually fed than I was that day.
As you all know I have reached my fundraising goals, so please consider donating to my friends Jonathon and Kelsey Shears. Being a married couple, they’ve had to raise twice the amount of other racers. They’re about $5,000 short, and already past their deadline!
https://jonandkelseyshears.theworldrace.org/
Thanks and God Bless.
-Matt
