Rice Fields, Ministry, and Photos, Oh Thai! One month into the Race- wow, that’s crazy to say! I’ve been blessed to get to serve with the family who is in charge YWAM Chaiyaphum. Meet my family: Snan (pronounced Nan) and Raem {in the ice cream photo} they have 6 kids (2 of their own and 4 foster)Yud, Tip {left picture}, Paul, Naomi {left picture}, Asia, and Nation.
My team and I have not had a specific, daily ministry, such as teaching or evangelism. Instead, we have become a part of this family and done life with them. Some days, this has looked like planting rice and doing construction work building a room at Raem’s parents’ rice farm.
For 2 weeks, it looked like spending all day at a school for a sports competition for which the principal asked our awesome host, Nan, to come and referee. We hope and pray that the relationships with schools (14 of them!) will open doors for Raem and Nan and future teams to run English camps, sports camps, and to share about Jesus. The teachers at one school even asked us to play volleyball against them the final day of one of the sports weeks: we laughed a lot, hopefully showed Christ in our actions, helped form relationships, and lost pretty bad. It was a great experience!
And other days, we have gone to town to run errands, shared laughter and tears and prayers and praises, watched movies with the kids and cut veggies for dinner. We’ve played soccer in the evenings with kids in the village (Nan has a soccer ministry. He loves his players, prays with and for them, and uses the sport as an opportunity to share about Jesus and salvation. His heart for these kids reflects the heart of our Father! It is a blessing to behold). We have gone to the night market, seen beautiful sunsets, celebrated birthdays, played card games and more. Many days blend together and the majority of the time I cannot tell you when we’re “doing ministry” and when we aren’t. And I think that’s how Jesus would want it. He never asks us to create a separation between ministry and normal life. He just lived every day with God, and look what happened!! This month, I have simply been living life with this family; some days feel similar to life at home, and many days I do not feel like a missionary. While I do pray for those opportunities to tell others about Christ and salvation, I am grateful for this season of personal growth, of being more still and knowing God, of living for Him and pursuing Him in daily life and not just “on the mission field.”
{above pictures: me and Een at school, Noah sharing his testimony at church, and an idol in Bangkok. These are very common all around Thailand}
So I’m living life here in Thailand and what a precious gift it is! God has allowed me opportunities to pluck chickens (hello, lunch!), do some construction work, build relationships, swim in a waterfall, play futbol, eat so much yummy and strange food, grow closer to Him and be refined, dance and cry and laugh. I’ve experienced spiritual warfare and also encouragement from my brothers and sisters; I’ve learned so much and gotten to meet the body of Christ at different churches, experiencing a glimpse of what will come when God brings His kingdom here. I can not put into words all this past month has involved, but I praise and thank God for all of it.
God has used experience to change me, to grow me, to do things that still blow my mind. I want to know Him and serve Him and to make Him known with every breath as long as I live. Let His kingdom come! And thank you for everyone who has helped make this possible- many days, I’m in awe of my life and that I get to do what I do. Thank you, thank you!!
