Arriving to our ministry host in Thailand was an adventure in and of itself. After meeting with a few squads at Awakening, we traveled to a farm owned by our ministry host Pat. He was a character from the get-go! But he lived out the Gospel fully, discipled others with his life, and invited us in wholly.
This month involved 4 teams from our whole squad being in one place, and that was incredibly fun! Our team specifically taught English at a local Buddhist school and got to share the Gospel with them. The other parts included working on his farm and going to local juvenile detention centers and sharing testimonies. Another huge part of this ministry included Pat specifically bringing in men to live with him who had committed various crimes.
As a side note, we also did some serious adventuring and enjoyed every second of it!
Thailand came with so many lessons and I wanted to pass some along.
Lesson #1: Little things aren’t just little things. They add up to make and support something greater if you have the idea or vision!
I planted banana trees with my teammates on the farm. After other teams dug up the old ones, we worked hard digging holes, shoveling dirt and manure, and planting. It seemed so simple, and I loved the hard manual labor!
I began to realize that none of this was wasted. The old ones were fed to the pigs after the bananas were either eaten or sold for income. The new small ones were planted by us for now but would be taken care of by young men that Pat took in as ex-convicts and discipled through life on the farm. It all served the ultimate purpose of the Kingdom – to make disciples of Jesus.
Lesson #2: The Gospel is simple but not always easy. Believe it and do it!
Pat made certain that the Gospel was always shared at schools, in juvenile detention centers, and on little outings. Part of the Gospel asks us to make disciples, and Pat did that wholeheartedly.
As he invited young men in who were ex-convicts to live with him and his family, I got to see firsthand what it meant to teach someone to live like Jesus. He took the risk of bringing in men who had murdered, dealt drugs, raped; and in that, considered the Lord’s command most important. To lay safety aside and commit to the Lord first is a hearty yes to the Gospel! This is something to be admired and learned.
Lesson #3: Along similar lines, I learned that my past mistakes, sins, and failures are just that. And Jesus wants to not only forgive me but also fully cleanse me and set me free!
Working hand-in-hand with Pat’s “students” meant that any judgments I’d formed came to the surface quickly. I hate to say that some interactions literally made me afraid – even though nothing wrong was done and there was no ill intent. What a look into my own heart!
I recognized these fears and judgments for what they were and decided they had to go. Instead I made acquaintances and worked with these men closely. I also began to understand that though my own sins looked vastly different, they are truly all simply sin that needs to be confessed, forgiven, cleansed, and worked through with the Lord and His people.
When this was thrown in my face, I was forced to see how I had viewed myself and also how the Lord viewed me. They didn’t exactly match up. Tears ensued and God brought me into greater freedom regarding my own past.
Lesson #4: Adventure and rest is great. Doing so with community in celebration is even better!
We worked hard day in and day out so when we had time off we rested well and played hard! I’m thankful about having people to do this with, but am more thankful that we’re all people who are heavily invested in one another and this crazy journey we said yes to!
This looked like wondering through mountains and eating the fruit growing, walking through swampy areas to reach great fishing spots and pondering if we might get hookworm, bungee jumping tandem with my friend Hannah to celebrate Briana’s birthday (one of my now teammates), feeding and bathing and kissing elephants with many friends, bamboo water rafting while being squirted with water guns due to a country-wide holiday celebration.
The best part was the community involved! One of my good friends Christa and a couple of the guys were all part of our swamp adventure to the rock quarry. They fished and we chatted and threw rocks and swam. It was so relaxing and even reminded me of home.
Bungee jumping alongside my fellow team leader and friend Hannah was a blast! We screamed, cried, and laughed within moments of one another. All this was done in celebration of Bri’s birthday before she was my teammate. And now looking back, I’m thankful for celebrating with someone who is now an integral part of my life even though I didn’t know she would be at the time!
Lindsay, Taylor (my team leader), Hannah, and myself using machetes and hands to cut grass and dig up weeds.
Kierra, Kelly, myself, Christa, and Michelle (one of four awesome squad leaders) after planting banana trees.
A large chunk of the four teams combined for the month on Pat’s farm, taking a picture with Pat.
And while it’s taken me two months later to finally write this, month four in Thailand was filled with so much insight, growth, and understanding!
My team bonded after struggling. It came easier than before to want to spend time with one another, to want to hear about another’s day or dilemma. We prepared for transitions with sadness, excitement and hope.
I’m thankful for everything I learned during that time, for the connections built, and the preparation made!
From my heart to yours,
Kim
