Hey Everyone!
So it has been about a week since my squad and I left Atlanta, Georgia and started our journey to Chiang Mai, Thailand! We flew from Atlanta to New York and had a 12 hour layover there which we spent hanging out in the airport. We then flew from New York to Shanghai, China. That was a 14 hour flight and we flew over the north pole, which was really cool because we got to see the northern lights in th middle of the night! After landing in China, we had a 6 hour layover in China, before we were able to to get on the next flight to Bangkok. After hanging out in Bangkok and enjoying a nice McDonalds meal, we finally got on our final flight to Chiang Mai. We arrived last friday at around 7:00 pm and were taken to a nearby hostel where we will be staying for the next 2 months. The hostel is right in the middle of Chiang Mai, so it is a little different than being at home. I like it though, it has been really great to experiance the new culture and explore new things. Saturday and Sunday we were given as free days to go explore the area and take soe time to get over the time change.
Monday we had our cultural orientation and learned a little bit about the Thai culture. Here are some things we leanred about:
- Less than 1 percent of the people are Christian
- Feet are viewed as the dirtiest part of your body and the head, the cleanest
- Shoes must be removed before entering most buildings
- Pointing is seen as disrespectful, especially pointing at a person’s head
These are just some of the things we have learned and we are learning more and more each day. After our cultural orientation we went to a Buddhist temple to chat with some monks. We had some good conversations about why they believe in Buddhism and why they decided to become monks. Some become a monk to just get an education, some to bring honor to thier family, and others to seek favor from Buddha. One thing I found very interesting is how they respect their god so much. One thing they do is remove their sandals before entering the temple and when they sit they point their feet away from there false idols. It made me think about how we as Christians tend to lack respect for God. I tend too just toss my Bible around, leave it on the floor, or shove it in a backpack. We also have lost the idea to dress nice for church to show resspect God and give Him our best whhen we go to worship Him. In Exodus, God commanded Moses to remove his sandals when He appeared to Moses in the burning bush because the ground where God’s presence was, was holy. These were just some thoughts I had during the time we spent at the temple. I want to be better at showing respect to our Creator and strive to give Him my best.
Tuesday, my team and I started our ministry for this month! We have been assigned to do manuel labor for a nearby orphange that takes in kids who have HIV. This week we have been restoring the tables the children eat their meals on. The tables were starting to mold and becoming pretty disgusting so we spent the week cleaning and sanding them. Next week, we will give them a fresh new coat of paint. At the end of each day we get to hang out with kids and play with them. Spending time with them has brought me so much joy! They are always so excited to see us and are overflowing with joy. It has been such a blessing to be able to hang out with them.
God has been teaching me so much in just this first week. One thing He has been teaching me is let Him take control. I like to be the one in control of my life and think I know what is best, but He proves to me time and time again that He is the one that needs to be in control. Anway, here are some things that need prayer:
- That my team and I grow closer together and we develop good unity
- That the children in the orphanage feel the love of Christ and come to know Him as their Lord and Savior
- That I will learn to let God take control of my life and trust in Him completely
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support! Miss you all!
