“Sawadee ka” [hello] from Thailand, friends! It’s so crazy that I am actually here. I want to fill you guys in on how I got here and what has happened so far.
My parents and sister dropped me off in Georgia on May 30thon their way home from the beach. We had a long car ride together to get there, but the goodbye was so abrupt. I think this was good in some ways, but it was really weird when the realization hit that night that they were really gone, and this would be the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing them. I’ll talk a little more on that later though. I spent the next 4 days at what the World Race calls “training camp”. We left for the airport on Monday the 3rd, and that was only the beginning of quite a long travel experience. We flew out that afternoon to Shanghai, China, which was a 16-hour flight. It was Tuesday night before we landed in China, and then we had a small layover before getting on another 4-hour flight to Bangkok, Thailand. We landed in Thailand at about 1am on Tuesday night, slept on the airport floor until about 6am, and then got on a bus for about 9 more hours to get to our final destination, Chiang Mai. We officially made it the place we are staying Wednesday night, and I probably slept about 4 hours in that whole 3-day time frame. However, I think that helped me get over jet lag quicker because I slept like a baby when we finally got here!
We have not started our official “ministry” yet, and we won’t start until this coming Monday. So, the past 5 days have been spent exploring, getting to know the city, and resting. Being a person who is always ready to “go, go, go”, the pace of the last few days has been tough for me. My mindset was that I was ready to jump in to what God has called me to, but I keep having to tell myself that what he calls us to does not look exactly like what we expect it to. I was ready right when we got here to get started, but I think God is teaching me the value of slowing down and resting in his presence. One of my favorite things I have gotten the opportunity to do so far is a prayer walk through the city. A few of my team members and I simply walked the streets of Chiang Mai and prayed for the grounds we were walking on and the people we would see. We got to walk into Buddhist temples, bringing God’s Spirit into some very spiritually dark places. I was reminded by doing this how amazing it is that we serve a God who allows us to be that intimate with him. He walks right beside us, and he allows us to be vessels for his Spirit. The idea of “ministry” isn’t restricted to a certain place or time frame. Ministry is our entire lives as believers. In Jesus’s ministry, he was constantly listening to the Spirit and acting whenever he was prompted to. This is how we are called to live as well.
I’ve had several moments already when the realization that two months is a long time and I miss my family has hit. However, I know that I am growing, and it might be a little painful here and there, but I know it’s good for me. Jesus’s words in John have been such a reality check for me through these last few days, and I’m sure that they will continue to do so throughout the next couple months.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” John 15:1-2.
The definition of pruning is “cutting off dead or overgrown branches, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth”. That can’t feel good in the moment. However, the point of it is so the plant can bear more fruit. I’m learning that discomfort is exactly where you want to be spiritually. It is going to produce a greater harvest later on, which makes any pain that comes with it worth it. So, encouragement for anyone who is reading this and is going through something that is difficult or uncomfortable: think of it as pruning. He knows what he’s doing, and he sees you.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me as I have been traveling and since then as well (and thanks to the gold toes—you know who you are!). Feeling overwhelmed by the support system I have at home. I am excited to see what this week holds and to get more time in Thailand under my belt. Thank you for keeping up with me! Blessings to you all!
