Hello everybody! I’ve been in Thailand for about a week now, and I am adjusting slowly. I will try to briefly catch you up on everything that’s been going on here!
We flew in to a rainy and hot Bangkok on the 11th after a long 42 hour travel day. From the airport, we traveled via Song-Tao to the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) Thailand base where we stayed for the first two nights together as a squad. It was filled with time to take in the brand new world around us. We got to worship on the rooftop, walk into the market, and experience some new foods. While there, we got some helpful Thai cultural training.
We then loaded up some vans, split into our teams, and headed to our ministry sites. My team is about 2 hours south of Bangkok, not too far from the shore, in the outskirts of Klaeng, Rayong.
I am living in a quaint little blue house that smells like mold. To say the least, it has a lot of character. We have two rats living with us that we’ve decided to name Timbleton and Clementine, and we’ve started to simply laugh at the amount of bugs and roaches we find crawling around. We are sharing one toilet and one shower between 8 people, and 4 or us are sharing a room that’s not even half the size of the one I left at home. I’m on the complete opposite side of the world, immersed in a culture so foreign to me that I can’t even sound out the letters in their alphabet, living with five girls I’ve only known for a matter of weeks.
At first, the transition was a little overwhelming. This has been the single largest adjustment I’ve ever made in my life. Being rid of all things comfortable, I’ve made room for The Lord to work… and He sure has!
For these three months, my team’s main ministry is teaching English! I find it pretty ironic that I am back in school, after thinking I was out of it for these 9 months. In fact, if someone had told me this would be my job in Thailand a few months ago, I would have been less than enthusiastic. But it is SO MUCH FUN! Right now, we are at the Wat Tri school, which is run by a local Buddhist temple.
I will never get tired of all the children running up to me for a hug or a handshake or a high five as we walk from class to class. They love to practice their English by yelling things like, “Hello! How are you? What is your name?” at us as we walk!
We teach Kindergarten to 6th grade… and we are improving daily. The first day consisted of teaching our third graders to say “DISS EEZ A CHAIR!” It turns out my naturally loud, outside voice, has been an important tool when trying to get the attention of 40 Thai children. I have gotten to be creative with some songs and games we are teaching the kids… this week’s favorites include singing the months of the year to the macarana and “Tooty Tah.”
We have also been teaching free English classes at the community center twice a week. It has turned out to be a really fun time as we build relationships with the adults that attend our classes.
My team and I are extremely blessed by our ministry contacts. Pastor TJ and his wife Joy have been so good to us. They have become our “Thai parents,” making us spaghetti when Thai food is rough on our stomachs and fixing thev water faucet when nothing is coming out. They pastor New Jerusalem church here in Klaeng, one of the very few churches in the area.
I would love for you to partner with my team and I in prayer! We are praying that The Lord would work in our relationships with one another. We are praying for Pastor TJ and Joy and their ministry here in Rayong. We are praying for the Spirit to move in the hearts of the children and adults we teach, and that Christ’s love would be evident in us. We are praying for safety and good health for our team.
Since being here, I’ve experienced raw vulnerability, authentic community, conversations that have made me laugh until my stomach hurts, and a night of singing Disney songs on guitar while eating “Mama’s Instant Noodles” (a fan favorite) for dinner. We have even attempted the art of using the “squatty potty,” and tried some questionable Thai food at a school-wide cultural festival. Although it’s not perfect, I am loving my new life here in Thailand.
The rooftop of the YWAM base in Bangkok
Some of the Kindergartens I get to teach every morning!
