Mango sticky rice, green curry, night markets, and a very stretching month all in one spring roll.
I just wanted to share some of my favorite memories from this month because as usual, team abundance has been given a ministry that is what we put into it. On the world race sometimes your ministry is structured and task oriented, other times it’s so flexible you have to go in everyday with heaps of being intentional.
This month started with debrief for me. Our last night of debrief our squad did optional bar ministry in Bangkok. I woke up that day with zero intentions of going because our travel day started at five or six in the morning the next day. As I sat in the last session that day, I felt the Lord tugging on my heart to go. I wanted to say no. I wanted to go back and pack and go to sleep. That kind of ministry is hard. You have to cover yourself in Jesus before you go because it is so dark. Hesitantly I said yes last minute. And wouldn’t you know that’s when the Lord moves the most???
My teammate Mac and I decided to pair up, and honestly we totally throw ourselves into it. Neither of us really had any idea what that was supposed to look like in any sense. Our whole squad gathered in groups and everyone and headed to the red-light district. Mac and I walked down a street in a painfully awkward fashion, and basically said “You know what Jesus just give us one person to talk to. One person to be a vessel for tonight. This is all you because we don’t know how to do this.” We ended up sitting down talking to one of the male workers for forty-five minutes. We learned about his family, his home country, and we shared about ours also. We shared how we are traveling the world to meet people and love them where they’re at. At the end he thanked us for talking with him and hugged us both as we left.
When we got to our city for the month, what are we doing? Getting to know shop owners. Long story short, my teammate Mac bought a suit from a tailor. We got to sit and talk to him about what he believes. We spent a good while explaining how we believe Christianity is in fact different than Islam/Buddhism/Hinduism because of Jesus. This conversation opened my mind a lot to how culture influences religious opinions. To this shop owner, all four were the same – whatever path you chose it all ended at the place. Thailand is a crazy place – Buddhism and Hinduism are super prevalent. At the end of the conversation I held tight to a couple scriptures that I know prove my Jesus is different than any other religion:
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 8:12 – Again Jesus spoke to them saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
We got to talk to a got of people, but the deepest conversation we got in was about the differences in Islam and Christianity. I learned SO much about both. It’s absolutely crazy to me that both originate from the same place and have so many similarities, except the most important part. I learned even deeper how personal and humble Jesus is. I see how coming to live with us and love on us and suffer for us is so beautiful. Every time I had a conversation I grew in confidence of redemption and forgiveness and grace. These words exchanged with our new friend made me look at how the Lord speaks and has thoughts so much higher than mine. (Isaiah 55:9) Both of those gave me a drive to know the Lord more.
Call me beep me if you wanna reach me!! (seriously ask me questions/tell me about new music/anything)
Xoxo,
Alexis
P.S. After all the adventure and few friends this month held, we had team changes. So for my last blog with team abundance I leave you with this funny video of some guys getting fish pedicures:
