Last month, our team traveled to a remote mountain village near the Thai border. I can only write so long before I just have to show you.

Mel, Hallie and Laura teaching the hand motions for the song “My God Is So Big”

I saw the joy of the Father in the faces of the children as we sang about creation and hippos and sheep. It was an opportunity to see the natural beauty of God. I don’t think I had seen so many stars at one time, under the new moon night sky.

Laura and Kirby teaching English to our older half of the kids.

We made irreplaceable memories teaching English, singing songs, sharing stories, swimming in the river and just spending time with the local children. It was an amazing few weeks, being so far removed from modern life in the States. This was an incredibly impactful time for us as a team. We experienced such welcoming hospitality from our hosts.

What made our time even more special was Mel getting baptized in the river towards the end of the trip. Even though it was early in the morning, most of our students in the village came. It was so great seeing her joy and heart towards God during this experience.

The village was set between green mountains and a river. We completed our journey to the village by crossing the river on a bamboo raft.

Goats, chickens and dogs roam free range around the village grounds. They were our main form of entertainment on our down time, especially the goats!

Mel, Laura, Hallie and I (left to right) getting our make-up done by the girls from the village. This is actually a cultural form of cosmetics, that some of the girls would wear on a regular basis. They also braided our hair and painted our nails.

Though we had no wifi, no electricity, no running water and we slept in our tents, it was a challenge that beckoned us to His glory.