How sad we had to say goodbye! Trust me, dear Thailand, it was not an easy leave. Oh, how wonderful you were and how sweet the times we had together. Times like…
–EATING. Are you aware you have the best food on the planet?? Fat noodles, fried eggs, mango and sticky rice, fresh fruit smoothies….all for under $1….for real, nothing can beat you.
–Riding an elephant…that was the same age as me!
–Building relationships with girls who were rescued from being sold into the sex industry and the random-crazy dance parties we had together.
But most of all Thailand, my favorite memory was that special night Valentine’s Day weekend. Let me remind you if you’ve forgotten…
Oh man was I happy. When we returned to the Remember Nhu property I couldn’t wipe that crazy smile off my face. We just had the best weekend EVER, I kept thinking. Did we really spend Valentine’s Day in that super-swank hotel in downtown Chiang Mai with all the luxury we could wish for?? Hot showers! Air conditioning! Beds! CARPET! Cheap, delicious street food at our fingertips! A huuuuge POOL on the 7th story! WHAT?! After weeks of living in our tents & showering from a bucket, life at the hotel felt like winning the lottery. I was so full of happiness from time in the “real world� I was convinced nothing could top it. That was, until she (sorry readers, we were asked not to mention names) grabbed my hand after dinner and pulled me outside. Night blanketed the property, and the cool, crisp air made goose bumps jump upon our arms. “Sing with me?� she sweetly pleaded. “Of COURSE!� I exclaimed, loving any chance to sing some worship songs.
She sang in Thai, I followed in English. At the end of each song, she would glance to me, offer the first line of a new song, and we would excitedly dive into another. To the casual observer, we appeared as such:two girls- one 13 and Thai, the other 23 and American, standing on a gravel pathway, arms raised with hands upward, offering songs and praise towards Heaven. A few songs in, I opened my eyes and snuck a glance at my worship partner…curious to what I saw? I saw someone completely in love. To her, all else had faded away and she was resting and rejoicing in the Love of her God. This girl, abandoned by her family at 11 and at risk of being lost in a world of sex and abuse, stood beneath the heavens singing praises to her Rescuer and Redeemer. The joy and happiness that radiated from her was something nothing on this earth could cultivate. Her light was contagious. The joy within her worship leapt from her lips and landed on my heart. No amount of time at a super-swank hotel with all the luxuries of this world could ever compare to the joy that I found in that moment, hand in hand with my sister from Thailand, worshiping our King.
“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hand�
Psalm 63:3
Stay tuned for my next blog to hear about our adventures in Malaysia!
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