I must admit to you that I have left a little piece of my
heart in Nang Kup Ka, the small village that I called my home this last month
in Thailand. We have lived many
places this year, but this was different.
This last month I was no longer a wandering servant of the Lord, but I
was part of a family, part of a village, part of a beautiful community. It was the relationships I formed this
month that made it special. So
that being said I would like to introduce you to some phenomenal people who
took me into their family in Thailand.
Meet Katie. She
has been living in Thailand for the last 3 years but is originally for
Alaska. She is a long-term
missionary and has no plans to be living in the states any time soon. She has a quiet, sweet, and wise spirit. She is unbelievable selfless and has a
HUGE passion for God and His word.
She is comfortable in being exactly who God created her to be, which is
a beautiful and contagious thing.
She became a dear friend to me this month. Our late night conversations not only challenged me but
brought me so much joy and lots and lots of LAUGHTER.
Meet Mom, well that is what we called her all month. Although she could not speak any
English we all got to know mom very well.
She has the most beautiful and joyful smile. She would get up and cook the most delicious Thai food each
day. My absolute favorite was her
garlic chicken. We were so
spoiled. She has a huge heart and
passion to reach the children of the village. She hopes to open a school out of their home. They have taken in some very sweet
young girls in the village who almost never leave the house. She has an amazing servants heart but also a boldness in sharing the Lord.
Meet Dad. How
do I even begin to describe Pa Noi?
He is always smiling and laughing and might be one of the most outgoing
people I have ever met. He will
find a way to have conversation with anyone, even if you don’t speak the same
language J His outgoing personality combined with
His passion for Christ make him a great evangelist. He would constantly try and learn English, as well as teach
us Thai, Issan, and Laos words. He
is a comedian making everything we did fun and an adventure. Some of my favorite times with Pa
involve him teaching us to sing Thai songs then teaching him English
songs! I am sure we were both
equally bad, but we sure laughed a lot.
He was a proud father where ever we went sharing with others we were
here to share the love of Jesus with them.
Meet the Wright Family. Casey, Piyarat, Som, and Dillion. Piyarat is Mom and Dad’s daughter. She met Casey while serving a missionary in Thailand and
have since gotten married and have 2 beautiful kids. They are faithfully serving the Lord as they also raise
their family. Casey teaches
English and mentors kids at a local school. “Rat� spent so much time in the village with us translating,
encouraging, laughing, and just living with us. Unfortunately while we were in the village Dillon was very
sick and was in the hospital for many days. We saw Rat’s super mom strength come out as she took care of
her baby boy. When Dillion is not
sick he is a smiley and happy baby.
We all loved taking turns holding him. Little Som Som is ADORABLE! If you ask her who is beautiful she will raise her
hand. How about that for
confidence? This family is
passionately committed to serving the Lord in Thailand
You see, when you spend a month in the village it is not a
place where you simply rest your head.
We were welcomed so graciously in to the most amazing and loving
family. This month was full of
wonderful memories in which God did great things. He is moving and working in Nang Kup Ka. But goodbye this month was harder than
I ever expected. It wasnt because
of the ministry we did, but because of the day to day life we lived and the
people we had the privilege to walk alongside.
P.S. The purses we all are wearing were handmade by Mom. Truly a gift made with love!
