About a week before my launch onto The World Race, I found out that my ministry in Thailand would be farming and from that time on I found myself being more negative than not about the race, and when I actually arrived at the farm that I would be living at, things only got worse.
I took one look around and wanted to quit. I thought I was too good for the place I was about to call home for the next three months. I was too good for squatty potties, for bucket showers, to sleep on an outside porch, and mostly I was too good to be doing farming for a ministry.
I started comparing everything I did to what other world racers did. I was mad that God placed me here when there were so many other teams that had comfy beds, normal toliets, and wifi. I kept wondering why other teams got to play with orphan babies and to door to door evangelize when I had to shovel goat poop. I didn’t even understand how farming could be considered a ministry.
This isn’t what I signed up for, you know? When you type #worldrace and #3n9 into Instagram, you see the most glorious and beautiful parts of the race and I was mad because I didn’t see that, or so I thought I didn’t.
While I was busy being a selfish, spoiled brat, God revealed Himself to me in some big ways. He revealed to me what I was looking for in a place for me to consider it beautiful was completely ungodly. He revealed that just because I was in a place that I had never seen on Instagram, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t gorgeous. He revealed to me that just because my ministry is farming, that doesn’t mean that I am not helping to grow the kingdom of God. Most importantly, He revealed to me that I am NOT too good for His plan for me.
The thoughts I had when I first arrived in Kanchanaburi, Thailand are embarrassing. I really thought I was too good to live a life for three months, which the Thai people live every day. I came on this trip to serve God, yet I spent the first week here doubting Him and bashing his creation. When in all reality this place is beautiful and the people here have the sweetest soul. I am in a place surrounded by mountains like I have never seen before with a family that has opened their home to us and has such a desire to share God’s love unlike anybody I have ever met. I came to this place thinking that they needed me, when in all honestly, it was me who needed them.
I have only been in Thailand for a little less than two weeks and it has already been an emotional and eye opening experience. My plans for what I was going to do on the race and what I am actually doing are complete opposites, but I am learning to love and embrace every minute. Words can’t describe how blessed I am to be apart of the work God is doing in Thailand!
