Hello from Thailand!!
I’m in Chiang Mai with my whole squad staying in a hostel. We have WiFi, hot showers, and AC at night!! PTL!!! I’m sleeping much better this month. I was sick last week and am feeling much better. On Mondays thru Wednesdays this month, my team, along with 2 other teams, are working construction to help build a Christian school that is to open this January. Thursday and Fridays are ATL aka Ask The Lord days. So basically we pray and ask God what we should do that day. The ministry here in Chiang Mai is looking for more ministry partners so they have asked us to try to find possible ministry partners on Thursdays and Fridays.
Here are some pictures from the Philippines and Thailand:
Children’s ministry in the mountains in the Philippines. It was so fun. The kids just wanted to play, and they can run super fast in flip flops!
Jeepney ride in the Philippines.
Girls at juvy ministry. I think the whole reason I went to the Philippines was for these girls. I thought I needed a translator so I was delaying the devotional with them, and decided to play games with them until a translator was available. 2 of them had pretty good English though, so they translated for the other girls. They wanted to listen to anything I had to say and didn’t want to play anymore games. We talked about John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” and Galatians 5. I just tried to tell them everything I wish I had known at their age and just any information I could to encourage them. They were very thankful and at the end prayed for me!! These are girls who have been abused by family members or who had some kind of addiction problem. It was so sweet. I cried later.
Farrah and Stella hanging out with the Children’s Garden boys.
Boat ride to see Taal Volcano in the Philippines.
View on the hike up to the volcano
Overlooking Taal volcano
An adventure day at Masungi Georeserve
Some encouragement from the Philippines 🙂
Sharon and Billy are awesome! They were such great hosts at Children’s Garden.
My team is great too. We are really good at letting each other be ourselves and encouraging each other to do better and pursue God. We give each other space. When it is time to be serious and get things done, we do, but then we goof off and have fun as well.
Some of my squad mates and I after we arrived in Thailand. It was a long travel day lol.
ELEPHANTS!!! So much fun!! That elephant is actually 9 months old.
With some of my squad mates.
Doing construction work at the school.
____________________________________________________________________
I really like Thailand.
For transportation here; the local taxis here are tuk-tuks, which are a 3 wheeled-carriage attached to a motorcycle, and songthaews, which is a truck with 2 seats in the bed of the truck that’s covered. You can also get a grab, which is basically an uber. Many people drive motorcycles and ride bicycles. Riding on the opposite side of the road is different.
I was able to cycle 70 miles today!!!! 🙂 Happy Day! I didn’t think I would be able to do this on the World Race. Thank you Jesus!! Still have it! Burpees, jumping lunges, and jumping squats are great for cross-training.
On a more serious note, this journey is teaching me to become much more adaptable to change, and I am letting God have all of my life and surrendering completely to God. It actually has been very freeing. Like I physically feel lighter, and I look and weigh pretty much the same. One of my friends told me awhile back, “Obedience leads to freedom.” At the time, I did not really understand what that meant, but I am starting to understand and trust God more. Jesus said in Matthew 16:25-26, “For whoever wants to save their life will loose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
God is love. 1 John 4:16. Love refuses to force itself into a place that it is not invited.
Will you invite God into your heart and mind? Will you welcome God?
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.” -Ephesians 1:17
I just want you to know God.
Love,
Amanda
