Hi family and friends! I am finally getting a free moment with consistent wifi to write and post this blog. We leave Thailand this Friday (4/26) and I fly back home the following Monday (4/29). I am still shocked of how fast time has flown by. I wanted to give a final ministry update before leaving this beautiful country.
Ministry:
We left Ratchaburi, Thailand last Wednesday (4/17) and after a 2 hour van ride, we arrived back in Bangkok. As you may or may not have read about my adventures in Ratchaburi, my team and I partnered and served a variety of ministries (village in Suan Peng, Sunday church, Rice Seeds kids ministry, etc.) during our 6 weeks there. Throughout that time, we met many families who had daughters that attended the university next to the YWAM Bangkok base that we stayed at prior to heading to Ratchaburi in March and are currently at now. YWAM Ratchaburi helps pay for the girls’ tuition and they are able to stay here at the base during their time in university. It’s been really cool to see everything come in full circle to seeing where these girls came from and meeting their families to continuing to grow those relationships.
Our time in Bangkok has been hanging out and practicing English with six amazing women from Ratchaburi: Nisa, Mila, Looktao, Wanlee, Nid, and Arm. We’ve done everything from having conversation to playing games to cooking pad see yew and thai desserts to sharing testimonies and worshipping together. Worship has been one of my favorite moments with the girls as they sing in Thai and we sing in English. My heart fills at the beauty and diversity of God’s children and the unity of the body despite language barriers. Many of the girls do not come from Christian homes and their parents do not support their walk with Christ. Some come from refugee villages and others have broken families. Most, if not all, are first generation university students. However, I can see the desire to know more of God and the gratitude and hope that fills them despite these circumstances. These girls are easy to love and they love one another well. It’s definitely been refreshing to be with girls within the same age range as me, create friendships, and do life together.
On Monday (4/23), my team and I got to do a temple prayer walk in Bangkok. Many of the temples were huge tourist attractions but were open for people to worship in and home to monks. At each temple we were asked to pray for a specific topic whether that be for the country, government, culture, religion, education, trafficking, children, etc. Religion is so heavily integrated into the Thai culture. As we walked and prayed, I observed the different ways that these people worshipped their gods. I was reminded of how grateful I am to love and serve a God who cares so deeply about, created, and desires a personal relationship with me.
During us bus ride to the temples, I was talking to my leader about the red light districts around the world but specific in Thailand. My team did not visit or work with any ministry involved in trafficking due to safety reasons but my heart broke as she shared what she saw on her race. She told stories about men, women, and even children all over the world, including America. I full heartedly believe God wants to set each of these people free and speak truth and identity into their lives all while healing what has been broken. Please continue to pray for freedom and justice for these individuals as they battle daily and often don’t have the strength to fight for themselves. Pray for the ministries and organizations that are already involved and are bringing hope in these dark places.
Miscellaneous:
For Easter Sunday, my team and I went with the girls to Living Waters church in downtown Bangkok. It was a 2-hour commute by bus, boat, and walking. These girls go on this trek every week. The worship was amazing and the speaker was a pastor from America so we got to hear a sermon in English for the first time in months! I loved celebrating the resurrection with the Thai people as everyone freely danced and sang as one body. After 22 Easters, this was one of the first Easter’s I understood the purpose, depth, and beauty of the cross. Every day, I am reminded of and thankful for the sacrifice that Jesus paid on that cross simply because HE LOVES US.
From 4/13-4/15, we celebrated Songkran which is Thai New Year. This ceremonial and cultural holiday started as pouring water on elders as a sign of respect and longevity but has become a nationwide water fight. We spent every day of Songkran in the traditional Songkran outfit, colorful Hawaiian shirts, and along a river in Ratchaburi whose main road was closed for the celebration. Strangers put colorful chalklike paste on our faces as a sign of blessing and respect. We walked up and down the street, sopping wet, dumping water on each other and random strangers. Some people carried water guns while others had buckets. No one got mad if you poured water on them, even if it was ice cold. There were huge jars of water where you could refill along the streets. As we walked up and down the road, trucks would pass by with buckets of ice cold water and dump it on us even if we were at a stop light. We also got to dance with the mayor of Ratchaburi and be on TV so that was pretty cool. It was soooo much fun and such a unique opportunity to be fully integrated in the culture for this celebration!!!
One tradition of Songkran is washing the elders’/highly respected peoples’ hands with water. They sat in the front and place their hands over a pot of flowers while holding a small flower necklace. We walked by and poured water into their hands. In return, they would put the water back on us as a sign of returning the blessing. We got to do this at the school we were doing English summer camp and at our church.
For this Lent Season, I decided to commit to 40 days of intercession and prayer for the people in my life and the injustices around the world. I am so thankful for all I experienced and the ways that the Lord has already fulfilled my prayers. My intimacy with the Trinity has grown as a result and I found a newfound love and power of being in union with the Lord.
Me:
It absolutely blows by mind that in less than a week from now, I will be back in America. This week has been difficult in fighting to remain present with ministry and intentionality with my team. I found myself, unknowingly, thinking about what my schedule was going to look like once I got home, everything that I wanted to do the first couple days back, who I wanted to see, etc. As I sat in those thoughts, I was lovingly reminded that I am still in Thailand and there is still so much to learn and experience even if time flying by.
I have such a wide and mixed range of emotions about returning home to what will feel like luxury. I am excited to see all those I have missed and share about everything that the Lord has done. However, at the same time, my heart is sad to leave Southeast Asia and the simplicity of life I have experience here. My relationship with the Lord has exponentially grown and I feel like I have learned a lot more about myself. One of my biggest fears is that this trip will become a “once upon a time” and I will slip into my old self. As I prepare my heart to come home, I am comforted that God is the same everywhere and all the time. I look and step forward into the next new season of life with hope and excitement!
Thank you all for keeping up with my journey these past 3 months. It has been filled with ups and downs but I am SO thankful for the endless support, encouraging comments, and thoughtful prayers that I received. I am so grateful to have been placed in such a loving community and loved by good God. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about my trip or want to hear more about my experience. THANK YOU AGAIN!
–Steph from Bangkok, Thailand
