We’ve made it to month two! This month is all squad month, meaning that all 39 of us are living together in a hostel in Chiang Mai doing life and ministry. Already, I can tell that Thailand is going to be very stretching in the most positive way. There are a few different ministry partners that our teams are working with such as construction, English classes, red light ministry, and ask the Lord.
Our very first day here, we went to a Buddhist temple to what they call Monk Chats. Many Monks in the area like to spend their free time conversing with foreigners so they can meet people from around the world and practice their English. Right away, I realized that all of my prior conceptions of Monks were completely skewed. The Monk I had spent my time talking with was 22 years old and had been a Monk for 10 years. He was talkative and made jokes and just did all of these normal 22 year old things which for some reason I was just not expecting. But we ended up talking about his practice of Buddhism and what that means to Him. And it was really interesting, because he told us that he only liked the philosophy of Buddhism, but didn’t believe anything about it’s history.
So I asked him if he grew up always practicing Buddhism or if he knew anything about other religions as well. He seemed to have looked into many other religions and came to one conclusion. That each one says that lying is bad, but he can’t perceive miracles as anything but a lie. So my teammate asked him if he would believe in miracles if he saw one. And to that he said he was unsure.
But that’s my question now. The bible speaks of miracles both great and small. And you read it and think yeah that happened back then. Jesus fed the 5,000, the blind saw, the lame walked. But what about today? It’s still the same God now as it was back then. And it’s the same Holy Spirit. How fully do you believe that those same miracles still happen today, and that Jesus could use you in those miracles?
And also the thought was just interesting to me of choosing to dedicate 10 years of his life into a culture that he only half believed in. And it makes me wonder if there is any way I have been living my life similarly. Because I don’t just want to follow Jesus. I want to follow Him. I want to fully believe and say yes to and experience so richly all that the Lord has for us in this world. Not just what I have already seen or experienced. Because there is more. I don’t want the mystery of the Gospel to remain hidden, but to truly be open to all it has to say. And I don’t want to just dedicate my life to half of what it means to follow Jesus, but all of it.
So back to ministry. My team was placed with ask the Lord everyday, all day.
Okay okay, so what does that even mean?
Exactly how it sounds. This is asking the Lord everyday to guide our steps, our time, and our eyes to all that he has planned. This is asking Him to reveal things or people or places where divine appointments are waiting for us to share about Him and plant seeds. And the second half of our ministry is unsung heroes. This is the task of finding ministries within Chiang Mai that AIM can potentially partner with in the future.
One of my teammates actually has a connection with a ministry located not too far from where we are staying. We met up with their team to learn about the ministry and to figure out how we could get connected. Basically, they are an after school organization for kids ranging from kindergarten through high school who live in the red light district and survive on way below the poverty line. Many of their parental figures are unable to find work besides selling flowers and fruit on the side of the road and on a good day, this will provide at most $1 to feed their entire family.
This ministry offers a place for the kids to hang out from after school till the time their parents get home, a time when it is really dangerous for them to be alone. With the littles group, they will teach them life lessons from what to do if a stranger approaches you to why it’s important to brush your teeth, as well as do bible stories, crafts, games, and English lessons. With the teens, they will also do bible studies, English lessons, crafts, and help with homework. They are all about fostering the passions found within each of these kids. This looks as simple as asking them what they want to be when they grow up, and then offering clubs for them to be involved in. For example, one kid wants to be a chef, so they started up a cooking club for the kids. But even above that, they are about instilling within these kids that they are a child of God. About twice a month, they will even do home visits and offer prayer for the families. Thailand in general is 94.6% Buddhist, and so that is what most of these families practice as well. But they are so open to receiving prayer and to their kids learning all about the bible.
So three days a week from 3-6 that’s where we spend our time! We’ve been twice already and oh man…these kids are something. They are goofy, competitive, they love games, to laugh, have fun, and just be kids. During an English lesson, myself and two others stood up while the teacher asked them questions like who is tallest? And they would have to answer as a team. One question was who has the longest hair and I kid you not, they got out a tape measurer. The next day during the bible lesson, we each got a sheet where we had to match an event from the Old Testament to the book that it happened in. It was actually pretty difficult, but these teens were so into it.
Next week, we are getting passed the baton and will be in charge of coming up with the lessons for the week. I am excited to get to spend the time investing in these kids lives and seeing the fruit of what this ministry is doing being played out in front of me.
And that’s just it. I see so many buds in Thailand that is just begging for a sip of water. Everyone here we meet and talk to is searching for more. And so I pray for rain on this city. Pray for conversations. Pray for these kids. Pray for obedience and boldness of my squad. And give praise for how our God is greater and can cause greater things for this place. Will you join me?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I know it was a bit longer than usual. And thank you to everyone back home who has still been so encouraging and supportive.
I am still about $4,000 away from meeting my final goal! I ask that you consider partnering with me with a $10, $15, or $20 donation for this month. A little goes a long way, and that’s what I am finding here in Thailand as well. God is moving and He is planting seeds. Each conversation is planned and is purposeful and does more than we even realize. God bless!
