I’m back in Thailand! Month 6, last month in Asia, almost 2/3 of the way done this Race. All the feels. We started a new ministry that is so, so special (i’ll be writing a blog on it in the next few days so stay tuned), but I wanted to take the time to write one last blog about Myanmar.
I’ve been processing a lot the past week. Myanmar was so good to me. There was so much growth, so much the Lord revealed to me, so many things I learned. Every day was filled with new favorites, so here’s some of my favorite memories that I promise you, I will never forget and will always cherish.
- That one week when there was a Buddhist festival going on (our missions college was surrounded by temples) and nonstop, there was chanting and music playing SO LOUD, 4 am to 11 pm, and then it ended and we were so so thrilled, but the next day another temple started.
- WHOA OH OH, a bop (if ya know ya know)
- Intentional quiet time with the Lord every morning on my hammock, and learning how to talk to the Lord like a friend.
- Every night spent on my hammock with the kids playing on my phone and playing with my hair. And that one night where me and four of the boys were in my hammock and we were passing my phone down the line playing a racing game.
- Going to the hospital 3 times in 24 hours, rlly I’m okay just had a little scare for a bit
- When we would sing songs at church and all the boys would do these weird clap things that sounded SO good every time
- Being taught VERY minimal Burmese and Chin (mostly how to say I love you) from the girls at the home and their little hand gestures
- The one time I prayed for the Lord to show me a shooting star if He really wanted, and then HE DID!!!!!
- The little finger hearts
- Every night I got locked out because my team went to bed so early, and every time I got locked in the squatty potties because those doors were wack.
- When we danced to Monkey, a song we learned in Guatemala, and the girls were SCREAMING because they thought it was so funny.
- When Ronaldo Monkey brought a mouse to class.
- Calling him Ronaldo Monkey because Burmese names are too hard, and all the other boys names of soccer players, and how they all had the same names but all knew who to respond when I said it.
- Playing volleyball every day after school the one week, but having to stop because the ball was so hard that I got bruises and black dots all over my arms because my blood vessels were popping.
- That one Wednesday night worship we did and how loud everyone sang, and then during You’re The Only One, the dogs started fighting. I have it on recording, gets me every time.
- The talent show the last night and watching David, our ministry host, and the principal of the school dance…. I am still speechless.
- Nora and Ne Neih. Honestly anything about them. I completely adore those girls.
- The one morning when we woke up at 5 am to Forever by Kari Jobe playing even louder than the temples by the men who were working next to our house
- When the lady who was running the talent show completely ROASTED the one participant because his english was not the best… and his whole act being him describing things as “very very good”.
- When Lil Mama (who has since become an actual mom to 9 cute little puppies, she rlly waited 3 days after she left to have them…. rlly) would join us in everything we did, chapel, any meal, sometimes she tried to join team time and come in the house, but we drew the line there.
I could honestly go on and on, but I’m trying to limit myself. I’ve been processing my time in Myanmar a lot. It was so special, so memorable, such a place of pure joy. I don’t think I can even put words to the things I felt there, but I don’t think I have to either. I just know it’s a place that I will make a point to get back there, because those people have impacted me so much.
#Hlegu4life
PS. the kids at the children’s home make me call them everyday (i’m not crying ur crying (ok yes i am crying)) & u know it’s just really really special, even if we have the same conversation every day bc language barriers ya know?
