Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

| by archiveworldraceblogs

This month we had “MANistry” and “WOMANistry,” where they put us in completely new teams just for the month in Thailand. We had an incredible time working with the Phang Nga Church and doing ministry with them. This included holding English Camps at surrounding schools, beach cleanups, prayer walks, maintenance around the property, mobile libraries, teaching Sunday school and preparing skits, holding mobile libraries and playing with children, hospital visits, and loving every minute of it!!! 

Meet my team for this month only: TEAM DAIRY QUEENS!!!

(Michelle, Alyssa, Cicely, Carley, me, Heather, and See Eun!)

“Everything about the ministry and the people here are so wonderful. I don’t know what more to say than that. I’ve loved every minute of ministry and feel like this is one of the best contacts we’ve had this entire Race. It’s so encouraging working every day with people who truly love the Lord with all of their hearts and are filled with so much joy. I also love being able to spend time with the Thai kids – English camps have been AWESOME.”

 

RECAP VIDEO:

 

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Thailand Highlights: 

  1. I’ll keep this one short. Thailand takes the cake on the BEST FOOD in the world. No need to explain further… just take a look! (A huge thanks to Yoi, who cooked us the two best Thai dishes I ate the entire time there!)

 

  1. We pulled up to the compound that we got to live in, but we didn’t get to really see how beautiful this place was until morning came. Right outside our dorm-style home is the beautiful Cornerstone Center compound that Peter so avidly keeps up, and it looks like a little resort. Palm trees everywhere – lush, green. During our orientation, we got our warning, though. The danger is real: “You might get hit by a COCONUT!”

  1. Throughout this month, our team led ENGLISH CAMPS at public elementary schools. With the help of our amazing contacts and interns from Phang Nga Church, we led these daylong programs that included songs, games, skits, rotational English lessons, testimonies, and much more. I can’t even explain how much fun each of these days was! Crazy and draining indeed, but all too worth it. In the end, we were allowed to openly share the Gospel and testimonies to hundreds of Thai students, which blew my mind away every time.

 

  1. One of the first days, our team was told to come up with a “funny SKIT”for Thai kids at the English camps. I have to say – I’ve never really done skits before, let alone ones for children who don’t speak the same language. Basically, we found this skit called, “BEANS,” and it has forever changed our lives.

  1. Every Saturday, we held MOBILE LIBRARIES where we went to a Thai village to spend time with the children. We read books, colored, and played with blocks! Afterwards, they took us to go swimming in a waterfall!

  1. We got to do weekly BEACH CLEANUPS at the gorgeous Thai beaches near to us…and of course this included swimming in the ocean afterwards! 
  1. Part of living on such a beautiful campus requires someone tending to the upkeep of it. Peter does the most amazing job at keeping this place like a resort, and we were more than willing to help him with YARD MAINTENANCE. 
  1. We had the awesome opportunity to PRAYER WALK through a Muslim village, where we also spent time with some beautiful ladies and their babies…and grandbabies!

  1. One of our ministry days included going to Phuket with Erin’s English class to go on a SCAVENGER HUNT! We got to run around the mall and town with the English students, helping them practice their English and it was so much fun. To top it off, they treated us to delicious food and took us out to go BOWLING, where we danced the night away!
  1. Cup of Joy is the COFFEE SHOP that is attached to the compound. We were so blessed this month to be so close and tempted by such yummy and delicious treats, smoothies, and frappes!
  1. For our first day off, we took a boat out, saw JAMES BOND ISLAND, and got to shop at one of the floating markets.
  1. On Sundays, we went to PHANG NGA CHURCH, which was run by the incredible missionary staff we worked with. JaiMe is the most talented singer, preacher, you name it, and she can do it! Yui brings the Word like none other, knows how to get people excited and is the most hilarious person ever! It was such a pleasure to work with these two and the rest of the staff, attend their amazing bible studies, and lead Sunday school for the children here.

 

  1. A few of us took a stroll through Phang Nga to a park, where we found none other than tons and tons of wild MONKEYS running around. (Okay, at first I thought it was fun to see them, but then they got vicious and kind of freaked me out…)

 

  1. While we were in Thailand, we got to celebrate MOTHER’S DAY, where we got to honor all the moms in the church. Our team even put on a little Mother’s Day Skit for them.
  1. A few nights, we went to the local community center, where we got to participate in AEROBICS CLASSES and use the workout equipment! This was a ridiculous amount of fun, but seriously, I couldn’t keep up with the women there! (They could all be my mom and were in way better shape than I was haha.)
  1. Erin put together the most awesome Thai off day ever, when we got to RIDE ATVS, WHITEWATER RAFT, ZIPLINE, RIDE ELEPHANTS, and get fed lunch – all for under fifty USD! It was such a crazy fun day that I will most definitely remember.

 

  1. At the end of the month, Shannon took me on her MOTORBIKE around town! (I really have to get one of these when I get home. They are way too much fun not to have.)

 

  1. I can’t even believe it. Coming home from a day of ministry, the staff surprised our team with the most delicious SEAFOOD BBQ! This was one of those afternoons that was so special. I felt like I was in a movie as the music was playing, the puppies were running around and smiles took over every person there. It was a beautiful night.

  1. Our last night here, they took us to the beach, where we got to swim in the rain for a bit and watch the most beautiful SUNSET ON THE BEACH. What an amazing way to cap off the month.

 

Freedom doesn’t always come in the same portion that you might expect for yourself. I realized this month that I was no longer holding onto insecurities with my physical self-image. Ha! And I feel like this was just a little gift that was handed to me through being here on the Race.