Our last few weeks in Thailand were so full! We finished up ministry and I had an amazing conversation with one of the women that I had been hanging out with all month. I was able to share my testimony and talk to her about her value and identity. It was such a God thing that she was receptive to what I had to say and that I was able to plant some seeds. It was so awesome! I had a hard time leaving our ministry hosts and the friends I made at the bars, but at the same time it was a relief to leave the heaviness and darkness of Phuket behind.
We took a 24 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai to attend a huge conference called the Awakening with three other squads. It was a great time of fellowship with other racers, some of whom were already in their ninth month on the field. We swapped stories and they gave me some advice from what they have learned so far. I processed through my time in Phuket and caught up on some much needed rest. I got to do some sightseeing around Chiang Mai to see some cool temples and a waterfall, and I even got to have lunch with a friend from Colorado. 🙂
We just so happened to be in Chiang Mai during Songkran, which is the Thai New Year festival. Let me just say that they are serious about celebrating this holiday. Because it takes place during the hottest time of the year, they celebrate by having a nation wide water gun fight. It was awesome!! As soon as you step foot outside your door you are fair game to get soaked. Seemingly innocent little old ladies were now fully armed with hoses and buckets of water. The teenagers rode in the back of trucks with huge water tanks and would splash water on everyone they passed. Little kids ran around with water guns, and took extra enjoyment in soaking Americans. But in the midst of all the light hearted fun I was reminded of just how precious and short life is.
I was driving to the store in a taxi with some of my teammates and our car suddenly slowed down. I looked out of the window and there was a man lying in the middle of the road covered in blood, with the life gone from his eyes. There was a small ambulance parked nearby and he was being given CPR as a last ditch effort. This man was probably in his mid twenties, and like me, probably didn’t wake up that morning expecting that it would be his last. I know people say this a lot, but it is true nonetheless. Life is so precious!!
Seeing this made me think about all the times in my life that I have lived like I was already dead. It is so easy to simply go through the motions instead of really living the life that Christ paid the ultimate price for me to live. The world needs me to be awake, and pay attention to all the opportunities I have to love the people around me.
“I don’t want to go through the motions, I don’t want to go one more day, without your all consuming passion inside of me. I don’t want to spend my whole life asking, “what if I had given everything instead of going through the motions?”
The Motions by Matthew West
Who’s with me?
In Him,
Heidi
**Fundraising update**
I still have $1,500 to raise, so if you would prayerfully consider giving I would appreciate it!
