Before the Race, people often asked me, ‘Which country are you most excited for?’ In response, I imagine the forecast of my eyes would become starry as I exclaimed wholeheartedly, ‘Thailand! I have heard so many wonderful things about it, and I am excited to see the culture there.’
My experience in Thailand turned out to be very different than my expectations had dreamed it to be. Yes, I did enjoy my time there, and the culture is exhilarating! But I had taken the experiences of other Racers in Thailand and projected them as personal expectations. I wanted to do bar ministry, to light paper lanterns and recreate that beloved scene in Tangled, to fall passionately in love with the people and be that person who wants to return to Thailand at the first opportunity. After my month there, I cannot cross any of those off of my bucket list.
On a different note, I did have some special and significant moments in Thailand that I would like to share. But first of all, a tiny introduction to Bangkok, where I spent the majority of my month …
Bangkok is both the capital of Thailand and one of the top tourism cities in the world. It is a dynamic mixture of upscale malls, street vendors, Buddhist temples, coffee shops, markets, the Sky Train and Tuk Tuks. Because of the infamous nightlife in Bangkok, the city has been nicknamed “The Sin City of Asia.” While prostitution is supposed to be illegal, sex tourism is big in Bangkok. There are several Red Light Districts.
Now, onto 11 notable moments and experiences in Thailand!
1. I gained an affection for 7/11 I never knew I could possess. There are often 2 or 3 within view of each other in Bangkok. They are EVERYWHERE, and I frequented them more that I care to admit for cheap food and delicious $1 iced lattes.
2. I got to ride an elephant!! This has been one of the biggest things I wanted to do on the Race since first hearing about it. Included in that package, I also learned how silkworms make silk, floated on a river raft, and rode in an ox cart with entertaining Australian siblings.
3. I joined a team in Khon Kaen for a week, and part of our ministry was to choreograph a dance to a worship song and perform it in the market. That was pretty fun! The team also performed the Life house ‘Everything’ skit as a gospel presentation! (Look it up on YouTube if you have never seen it).
4. All month, myself and my two co-leaders got trained for our new position as raised up Squad Leaders! Part of our training was to bond as a team. So, one day we were blindfolded, driven to a random part of the city, and instructed to find our way back on foot. In the meantime, we had a list of random photos to take, and had to alternate one of us being blindfolded at various times. We walked 7 miles that day in the wonderful heat.
5. I explored a Floating Market, which is basically a collection of shops selling food and goods located beside water (it reminded me of a boardwalk). Some vendors sit in boats and make the food right there!
6. Saw the coolest mall ever. It is called Terminal 21 and each floor is set up like a different major city of the world!
7. I got to see an incredible view of Bangkok at night by going to a fancy sky bar on the roof of a tall hotel!
8. We visited The Walking Street in Pattaya, a real life red light district. My heart screamed against the evil in that place as we passed by scantily clad women, standing in front of bars, dancing sensually to draw in customers. These women presented themselves in a way that revealed little knowledge of or concern for their infinite value. Anger welled in me as I saw men’s eyes feast on them like prey. The worst part was the little boy I saw hanging around as his mother presented a contortionist show for passersby. I wanted to sweep him into my arms and rescue him from this evil environment. This absolutely devastated my heart. I couldn’t even share Jesus with them because of the language barrier and lack of translator. But you better believe our group brought light to that place just by standing there, with the Spirit inside us. I prayed for that light to make a difference.
9. Bubble tea. I. Love. It. Also, iced coffee… IN A BAG.
10. At one of the night markets we visited, I noticed an old blind woman shuffling down the middle of the hectic street. She moved at a painstakingly slow pace. While tourists buzzed past, loud music blared back and forth across the street, and men tried to force flyers into your hands, time seemed to slow down around this woman. I knew I could not pass by and ignore her. Our group prayed for wisdom, and then set out to find a translator so we could talk to her. After a long time, and being told repeatedly to just give her money, we finally found someone to help. Through talking to her we learned that it would be dangerous to know her name. She was a beggar from Cambodia, and the Thai government will not take care of her because she is a foreigner. If they were to learn her name she would be in danger. We gave her some money, had the lady tell her Jesus loves her, andthen walked away. My friend pointed out how powerful our names are. To learn this woman’s name would be to put a target on her back. As believers, when we get a new identity in Christ, we also get targets painted on our backs for the Enemy.
11. And last but not least, one of the strangest experiences of my month: Caturday, a cat cafe! You literally sit on the ground, at a low table, and cats roam all over the place as you eat. The decorations were on point! But, it was very bizarre.
