Some of you may be wondering what is this title all about. 27 hours? 27 blessings. Well after our last day on the missions field in Thailand I had the honor of taking a 27 hour bus ride on 4 different busses to get to my next destination in Cambodia. On this 27-hour bus ride I had the opportunity to read, watch movies, talk with my squad mates, and most importantly reflect. My biggest question when blogging is always “How do I fit a weeks worth of activities into one small blog?” I would love to tell every testimony, name all the people I’ve come in contact with and even share funny stores about team time and how Chris (team leader) kept me up way pass my bed time but unfortunately I don’t have enough time of wifi and you all would get tired long before the end. With that being said I’ve decided to give you 27 random highlights of my ministry time in Thailand.
1.First day of the slums I was extremely excited to be there and play with the children. I was a 3rd, 4rd, &5th grade special education teacher before coming on the race so this isn’t my first run in the park. (SO I THOUGH). A beautiful little Thai girl name Kitty comes up to me looking very uneasy. She touches my hair and says ughhh then makes a face of complete disguise. Kitty looked me up and down and ran away. WOW what a great first day.
2.Every night after ministry the teams went to the night markets to eat at an outside food court. I was patiently waiting in line and a lady comes in front of me and orders her smoothie completely disregarding me standing in line. I step in front of her and look at her like “EXCUSE YOU” and she is smiling from ear to ear. Lesson #1 in Thailand, there is no suck thing as lines.
3.One of the biggest things God has shown me with working with the children in the slums is you absolutely cannot come in trying to “save” people. It’s our job to do life with the people your ministering to and let God move.
4.Thiland has amazing food and probably on the top of my list now as favor types of food. Pad Thai and Cow Soy. (Go to a Thai restaurant in America and try it)
5.Everday my team and I did a time of ATL (ask the Lord). Where we take about an hour reading and prayer. After an hour or so we came together to see what the Lord put on everyone’s heart for the day. It never failed, at least two group members vision coincided with each other and so the day began. We went out and prayed for people, prayed in temples and even bough a stranger coffee and cookie. Whatever we felt the lord was placing on our hearts we did in that moment.
6.I had the very unique and exciting experience to go rafting in a bamboo raft down a Thailand river with a great squad member. We learned Thai from our raft guide and I’m pretty sure he had a crush on my squad mate. Lol
7.After rafting we went to ride elephants and that was hands down the most fun and unique experience I have ever had. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an elephant outside side of the zoo. Yea I haven’t
8.Unfirtunatly I got addicted to a Thai dessert called Rotee. It’s basically a fried piece of dough with bananas, nutella, and condensed milk. It’s a God given blessing.
9.HE’S A GOOD GOOD FATHER
10.Be still and know that I am God. I am learning what being still really means. To sit in his presence with no bible, no music, no distractions, just you and your father. It’s extremely hard for me because I hate being alone and I love listening to music even if I’m just sitting. I am training myself to sit in completely silence and wait for his voice.
11.There was a couple of days where our showers were freezing cold. Talk about a coming to Jesus moment. There were 50-60 people sharing 7 bathrooms and only 3 toilets so there were many mornings my shower were freezing cold. Man my appreciation for the little things just keeps growing.
12.Being away from my friends and family has been extremely hard. Being one of the 2 minorities was also extremely hard coming from an African American family and going to predominately African American university, I haven’t been stretched out of my comfort zone much. Until now that is.
13.You often hear people say when you have less your more thankful. You would think the more you have the more you would be grateful for but the Thai people in the slums have a amazing simplicity of life and have so much joy. It makes me reconsider the importance of a lot of things back home.
14.Piggy backing off of 13, Thai people are so rich in spirit and kind even with everything stacked against them. It is apart of there culture to smile. I think we can learn a lot from the Thai people.
15.It used to amaze me each day how the children or parents couldn’t speak english but our times together were powerful.
16.My squad leader gave us the best advice when it comes to leaving ministry sites. “Love deeply holds loosely”
17.No words just love- language barriers should not be a reason not to spread Gods word and love through out the nations.
18.Being in the moment and reminding myself how my being here is such a testimony in itself .So I am learning to be in the moment. I had to constantly remind myself. YOU ARE YOU THAILAND. It’s so surreal.
19.This is something I’m still working through but when things get ruff at home I run to my friends. I have such amazing friends back home that it’s hard without them. I often get on Facebook to check up on everyone and it makes me more sad. This ties in with the last one but knowing God is my best friend and I am never alone has been a huge challenge for me this month.
20.I learned VERY little Thai. (More then I knew before lol)
21. Attitude is KEY, things don’t always go your way and even if you THINK your idea makes perfect since it can always be improved. Working with a team is hard work but it makes it a lot easier when you have teammates fighting with you and not against you. Teamwork is essential in the body of Christ. You may think you can walk this race alone but you are sadly mistaken.
22.Trotos is probably one of the best things that has happen to me in a while. They are absolutely nothing like my friends back home but I think our differences in ideas and backgrounds are what make us an amazing team. We worked well together in the slums and God is continually growing us through each other.
23.He makes me eat my words
24. You can choose to believe the facts of this world or the truths of the kingdom.
25. Seeing the Thai woman in the bars and on the streets with wealth white men would make me instantly sad for the woman and angry towards the male. I was challenged by my squad leader to feel for the lost. I would spend time praying for the woman but never the hearts of the men.We should have a heart for ALL of Gods people.
26.It is so surreal when I have been up since 7 and not lying down until 10 or 11 and in the morning I can pray and will feel completely renewed. No matter what my body was telling me,if I prayed and asked God to restore my body I would receive restoration for the next day. He will give you the desires of your heart as long as they line up with his will. I PROMISE.
27.LATE NIGHTS EARLY MORNINGS.THATS MINISRTY AND THERES NO WAY AROUND IT.
