a plane. a van. a ferry. an open air taxi. a kayak. a taxi. a ferry. a van. a bus. (hopefully a moped.)
Arrival in Thailand was adventurous to say the least, but what the month of September has in store will definitely prove to be just as action-packed!
My team and I dove head first into our "Ask the Lord" month here in Bangkok on Friday morning as we woke up groggy-eyed in the YWAM Thailand bunk beds.
Naturally, we got started by scouting out the nearby coffee and pad thai stands. Proving successful, we took our full bellies and caffeine loaded veins back to YWAM to get started researching what ministry is going to look like here in Bangkok.
Within hours we had made our first contact. Enter: Cham Poo
Saturday at 10am sharp (right on time – a rarity on the World Race) Cham Poo loaded all six of us girls and our 40 pound packs into the church van.
All we knew at this point was that she had an extra apartment that we might all fit into ("as long as we had sleeping pads available")
Little did we know things were not quite what they seemed…
Instead of being dropped off at an apartment, we were taken to a beautiful church where we were welcomed with cold water, piping hot fried bananas, and cool refreshing pineapple.
Instead of spending the day relaxing and getting settled, we participated in the church's outreach program of singing lessons (think karaoke) and teaching English to kids in the community.
Instead of a small cramped apartment to share, we are sleeping two to a room/bathroom/shower, king sized beds, and frigid AC!
Instead of fending for ourselves on $4 a day for street food, we have been generously treated to delicious Thai feasts multiple times.
Cham Poo is an incredible, inspirational woman of God. She became a Christian in her 20's after a Dutch missionary visited Thailand years ago. She epitomizes grace and hospitality. She has bent over backwards to help us (a group of strangers) find their way in Bangkok. She has invited us into her home and church and made us feel like family. She exudes the love of Christ in her humble, gentle demeanor. We are blessed to have met her and so grateful for her and her church family.
We could not have asked for a better start to this month of uncertainty.
Please keep me and my team in your prayers as we continue to "Ask the Lord" about his work in Bangkok. I cannot wait to have even more stories of his provision to share as the month goes on!
