How do you put into words something that you hardly understand yourself? I am struggling to write this blog in a way that will allow you to picture in your mind exactly what this past week in a Thai village was actually like. Please give me Grace as I ramble in this post.
This is what the week of May 22 looked like for us.
We partnered with a YWAM team that was doing an outreach for a Radical Discipleship Course. The Friday before we left we joined teams at a Fish sanctuary to do team building activities. We learned each others names and feed fish as well as ourselves. Of course there were many pictures taken during this bonding time.
So on Monday morning you can only imagine 12 of us loading up in the big blue truck. They use this truck to bring community and allow people to travel together even if it is a tight squeeze and bumpy. All of the guys with us served us women with such heart. It was very evident these men are men of God. They would throw our bags on top of the bus for us and carry them into our churches or living places.
Our first village we were told was about an hours drive from the base. About an hour in we stopped for bathroom and coffee break. If you thought we loved coffee, Thai people love it just as much as most of my team (Well and my squad for that matter). We asked how much further we had to go, about another hour I think. We would look around and no one really knew where we were going we were just along for the ride.
After arriving at the first village we unloaded our things only to load back up to go eat lunch at the school. Then teach three different sessions with three rotations. We taught English, a Bible story (Moses), and played games. We were paired up with our Thai friends as well. Let me just say that if they hadn’t been with us those classes would have been way more difficult. One thing we have learned on the race is to be flexible even with the schedule you are given for it can change multiple times in a 5 minute span. This definitely happened in more than one occasion this past week. We were told there would only be 4 schools then it was 5. After it was all said and done we taught at 7 schools in a 4 day span.
Most of the schools welcomed us in with open arms and they so fed us. Whether is was a meal or water or snack, their hospitality was amazing. You could tell there was a lot of behind the scenes in advance work being done in preparation for us to be there. I would hope to think schools in America would be as gracious as these schools were. One of the last schools we went to even invited us all to come back and teach for them. They would provide housing, food, and pocket money for us.
In the second village we were placed with families to stay with. They went above and beyond to make sure we felt comfortable and had what we needed.
We always ate together and would spend every waking moment with the Thai team except when we had team time. Getting to worship together to even crashing one of their bible studies was very special.
Some of my favorite parts of the week was when we planted grass. It reminded me that we need to be rooted. Rooted in the word as well as rooted in community to accomplish what the Lord has for us. Being able to experience some of the work they have to do to earn an income was very humbling. They work hours on end. They don’t complain for things they don’t have. I got to see that materials are Mir of a distraction than something that is needed. Most of what we have we don’t NEED.
What we need most is the bible and people. The people I got to do life with this past week has very easily become part of my family. These are relationships that will last a lifetime and I know that I will be forever changed because of the way they loved me and chose in.
All the uno games, laughter, photos, memories, and inside jokes will help me in days where I feel sad or question why I am on the race. This month has easily become one of my very favorite.
