For the past two and a half years I have been telling people that I am in love with Thailand. The first time I visited this country I was in Chiang Mai. I fell in love with that city. I was depressed my senior year in college because I knew I was supposed to be in Chiang Mai-be in Thailand and I wasn’t. I wanted to drop out and move. My amazing friends and family helped me through that time and helped me trust in God’s timing. What drew me to this trip was that we would be going to Thailand. I would be returning back to the country that I had fallen in love with 2 1/2 years ago. I’m not going to lie, I really really really wanted to go back to Chiang Mai. Mostly because I was afraid that if I went to any other city, and didn’t love it, that I would have been a liar. I didn’t want to realize that it was Chiang Mai that I was in love with and not Thailand. BUT God knew what He was doing when He sent my team (Arise60) to Pattaya and Bangkok. He reassured me that I AM in love with Thailand and Thai culture, and Thai people.
But why Thailand? On paper, Thailand doesn’t seem like the country I would want to invest my life in. I mean, the food is spicy. The language is tonal and hard to learn. It rains a lot. It’s humid. Why would God send me here? I don’t know why, but I know that He is. Whenever I think about moving anywhere else, i get this gnawing feeling in my Spirit, that choosing somewhere else would be disobedient. Yes, I would LOVE to move back to California, but California is not Thailand. Yes, it would be easier to go to Peru, but Peru is not Thailand. Yes, I love my church family in Birmingham, but the Church at Brook Hills is not located in Thailand.
I’m not saying that once I get home, I’m packing my bags and moving to Thailand. I would like to, but I don’t think my season in Alabama is quite over yet. (insert sigh of relief from friends and family here :-))
I am saying that I am going to move to Thailand someday, and I love all the three cities that I’ve been, so Lord, if you want me to move to Chiang Mai I will, or Pattaya, or Bangkok, or the village area I will.
For those of you who want to know how you can pray for me: please ask God to reveal to me which city He would have me to live in. Also ask what side of ministry I am best equipped for bringing HIs Kingdom and what platform to use. I believe that these next two months are going to be crucial in answering this second question. I just hope that I won’t be oblivious and miss it.
Thank you!
