Hey everyone 🙂 Sorry you guys had to wait a while for this blog!! I wanted to write about my last day of ministry at Connie’s Home in Thailand. So, my last day was Sunday the 3rd. Ministry on Sundays is different from other days of the week. There are no lessons and we do a Sunday school thing in the morning while the hosts have church with the nannies and friends. So, for a few hours, we have both age groups kinda combined. We teach the older kids the Sunday school lesson while the younger ones play. After that, we sing some songs and then play for a bit. Next, they eat lunch and then watch a movie before nap time. The rest of the day after nap time is just playing with the kids and loving on them.
I was on the babies’ side Sunday. That means that there was a lot of laughter, giggles, tickles, hugs, kisses, airplanes, chase, and toys for my last day. Around 4 Connie ended up coming and joining us. She brought cards and chocolate for us to take home. She also took some pictures of us and the kids and then we all sat down, and the kids sang some songs. It was so adorable!!!! I started to tear up while they were singing. Thinking about the fact that I probably won’t see the kids again and thinking about them getting adopted. Happy thoughts of them having a family and a permanent home. Sad thoughts that they might be adopted into a non-Christian family… My heart just couldn’t take it! Before we left, I asked Connie if I could pray over the babies. She said yes and so we sat down in a circle. I prayed for all the kids. I prayed over their futures, over their paperwork being done ASAP, that they would end up in the families that God has planned for them (preferably sooner rather than later), and that they would always find their way back to Him. After saying goodbye to the babies, we went over to the big kids to say goodbye before leaving. They were eating so it was quicker, but it was still sad and hard. I had only known the kids for about a month and a half, but I loved those kids so much! I still do!!
My goodbye gift from the kids
I feel like this ministry has taught me to love so much; even knowing that someone won’t always be in my life. Trusting God that He knows what is to come. It’s a reminder to love someone even if you only know them for a short time. Always, always love them as much as God loves them! If you know each other for five minutes or if you guys know each other for the rest of your lives, love them as much as God does. Make sure they know what God’s love feels like. Never not show His love. God knew that I was going to be at the foster house for only a month. Even that little amount of time can impact the kids. Even if it’s just the memory of feeling extra loved during that time or if it’s the memory of laughter. God had a reason for it. I may never know what the reason was, but it had an impact some way. It could even be God has put you in their life for a reason. He knows how long you will be in it. Whether it’s a month or it is years, He has a plan for that time.
So, that’s what my last ministry day was like in Thailand. Now I’m in Malaysia! It was 30+ hours of bus rides, but we made it! We arrived on Thursday the 7th. The squad is split up this month; my team and one other, team Arise, are on the mainland and the other 4 teams somewhere else. It has been amazing working so closely with Team Arise; getting to know them and seeing how they love each other and how they show God’s love through ministry. I’m looking forward to the next 2 weeks with them. Since I only have 2 more weeks here, I’m trying to take in as much as I can, especially their food 😉 .
Caroline and one of the babies
Avery dancing with one of the boys
Playing in the sand during outside time
Feeding the Bunny
Lunch Time
Helping with their milk cups before bed
My little Superman and his flower <3
I didn’t want to put too many pictures of the kids in one blog. So, if you want to see more, check out my photo gallery; link to the left in “View My Photos”.
With love and until the next time……
P.S. My teammate, Lily, made a video and posted it on Instagram of the kids from the ministry. It’s amazing and she did an awesome job of capturing it even without showing their faces! 🙂 Here’s the link: https://www.instagram.com/p/B4cqpi5gXso/
