I work on a farm now. Here are a few things I have learned since arriving in Thailand:
1) Dairy products are a delicacy
2) The Thai people have the most incredible smiles in the world
3) Thailand has mountains
4) If you’re standing up while riding in the back of a truck and the person in front of you ducks, you should also duck
5) Number 4
6) I cannot handle spicy food
7) Coffee is okay
8) I miss my squad more than I thought I would
9) I value time alone more than I thought I did
10) Chicken and rice doesn’t get old
My team and I arrived in Kanchanaburi, Thailand this past Monday. We bussed over from Bangkok into some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever laid eyes on. This mountainous jungle on the Burma border is absolutely breathtaking.We are working for Pang and Arun, who are with YWAM Kanchanaburi. The first full day we were here, we harvested well over 50,000 bananas in 10 hours by hand. It was nuts. The next few days were spent shoveling fertilizer into bags that are worth 10,000 baht a piece. We shoveled a lot of poop.
This might seem a bit confusing because I am supposed to be on a mission trip, doing stuff like preaching on top of tables and holding orphans, right? That’s what I thought when I found out that I would be working on a farm for the next three months. I wrestled with the question if what I would be doing could actually be considered ministry. I am now realizing that the “front lines” of ministry hold no more significance than the less glamorous parts. Thousands upon thousands of people work tirelessly without praise because they are sold out for the Kingdom, and that is what I have the opportunity to do while here in Thailand. The money that Pang and Arun earn from their banana farm goes toward funding evangelistic projects in and around their village of about 500 people. Pang and Arun are two of the handful of Christians in this area, and I am happy to serve such a humble and gracious family.
The last chapter of Romans seems to be forgotten about because all Paul really does is briefly thank the people who have helped along his journey. I can now begin to understand how important the roles of these forgotten names were and I am so grateful that I get to serve the Lord in ways similar to those in Romans.
Psalm 113:3 “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praisied”
