Ministry looks like….
- It looks like….. Immersing ourselves in the culture so we can build relationships and learn the language of the locals at the market (or 7Eleven).
- It looks like….. Sweating profusely all the time. Doing all the things. Even just sitting.
- It looks like….. Playing soccer with kids, playing uno / sequence despite the language barrier.
- It looks like….. Going into the malls to share the Gospel with little handwritten notes that say Jesus loves you in Thai and English. Sometimes you get weird looks other times it means having all fourteen members of your team going into Lush, sampling face masks for twenty minutes just to build a small relationship with the workers. The result —> I got to witness three of my sweet friends share the love of Jesus and pray over these people. HOW BEAUTIFUL!
- It looks like….. preparing the toys, putting clothes on the Barbies, making frosting, or power washing the sidewalk.
- It looks like… finding your spiritual doppelganger to constantly talk about the documentary ‘American Gospel’ and have super intense, purposeful conversations.
- It looks like….. It looks like sitting in the prayer room to pray and build community.
- It looks like…. teaching kids English! But also getting a lesson in Thai in return. Hah.
- It looks like….. having awkward conversations with the difficult language barrier but still giving it a shot because there may be a chance they want to know Jesus.
- It looks like….. taking public transportation and being late but still knowing Jesus is on the MOVVVEEEEE!
- It looks like…. Greeting ‘Grandma T’ for our breakfast market runs to see her face light up. Every. Single. Time.
- It looks like…. watching kids worship in Thai knowing that God understands them just as much as He does me.
- It looks like…. singing Doxology on the way to and from ministry every day. LOVE!!! Or singing Good Grace.. hmmm so good.
- It looks like…. throwing it up and hitting the WOAAAHHHH. Also another universal language.
- It looks like…. worshiping with my team, one-on-ones, getting lost, and eating pizza with everyone??? (hah oops forgot we are supposed to eat Thai).
I have kind of picked up on the universal languages of laughing, playing uno / soccer, worshiping, and praying. This sounds cheesy to say that laughing is a language, but the barrier is quite difficult at times. When in doubt and you don’t know what their saying, just smile and nod your head and say “Sawatdiika”.
The first couple of days we got in Thailand, we went hard in absorbing the community and culture around us. We visited the local markets, we have memorized how to greet and say thank you, we have learned how to use Thai currency (Baht), and we have scouted where the 7Elevens are.
There is no blog post I will every be able to write that will be able to describe how I feel in Thailand and what the Lord is doing because it is a lot.
I am oh-so grateful to be here and to have a new lens of the Kingdom. Shout out to my man Jesus. If it weren’t for His sacrifice, I wouldn’t be in this place watching Him actively move. My heart has really been stirring while I am here in another nation.
Below are some photos.. Due to the vulnerability of sex trafficking and protection of the kids, we aren’t to post any photos of the kids. THOUGH THEY ARE SO SWEET AND CUTE AND UGH MY HEART. I hope these photos reveal a little about the place I get to call my HOME for a month. It really does feel good to be here despite some culture shock… Especially since I have lived in the Bible belt my whole life. My heart breaks for the people that can’t comprehend the name Jesus. I have to trust that the Lord has them in His hands!
