The long awaited Thailand blog! Thailand has been one of my favorite countries to date and I enjoyed my time there more than I can express. I was in Thailand for month 6 (January) of my race, I know that it has been over a month since I left Thailand, but I wanted to wait until I could remove the password protection from my blog before posting this. Sorry for the confusion! I’ll be posting about Myanmar soon!
My Team
I got a new team for the month! You’ll notice that in all of my pictures on Facebook and here that during my month in Thailand I was back on an all girls team! This was because the boys had what we call ‘manistry’ month. Manistry month is a month where all of the guys on my squad get to be on a team together and serve a ministry together. It is a super cool and fruitful time where they get to be completely surrounded by other godly men and consequently, I get another month completely surrounded by some AMAZING godly women! The two co-ed teams combined and I got three new teammates in Caitlyn, Nicole, and Genna! This was an awesome opportunity and we as a new little team were able to grow so much and to push into what is uncomfortable and seek growth in the Lord together.
Our team went by many names this month. From various combinations of our two co-ed team names (BOB and SOZO to create BOZO, BOB-ZO), to naming ourselves after our favorite school director who had a fun English nickname (Freebird), or in defeat, settling on the very plain WR Team January 2019. We are now back with our original co-ed teams and our Thailand team name still remains a mystery…
These girls were part of what made Thailand so special and I am thankful for the time that we were able to spend together. This was a month that was originally created for the boys, but the Lord didn’t let us feel left out or forgotten, but rather seen and cherished. God is pretty cool like that.
Fangchanu
(I don’t have any photos from the campus- oops!) This month my team worked at a government school in Northern Thailand teaching English. At first I was a little disappointed to be teaching English again but my disappointment was quickly eclipsed by all the fun and excitement of hanging out and meeting the students and the teachers.
We lived on campus in a house that is provided for teachers, our backyard was a beautiful lake with a walking trail around it that gave way to a stunning view of the mountains that serve as the boarder between Thailand and Myanmar. (Pictured)
I got to be a part of more photoshoots that I ever thought possible and tried more spicy food than my body could handle, and made so many Facebook friends that my newsfeed is now 90% in Thai. The students and the teachers welcome us with open arms and treated us like family and made our time there so magical. We were showered with so many gifts and kindnesses that it made our head spin. The time that we were able to spend at Fang Chanu was short, but in that time, we were welcomed into a family.
Yo. What a view to wake up to every morning! Watching the sun come up over those mountains was breath taking. Honestly.
The Mountains
We drove over SO many mountains this month and all I can say to that is yikes- it was pretty rough. On one occasion I forgot my sea bands (basically sea bands are maternity bracelets that are supposed to help with morning sickness but also help with motion sickness and holy cow they work wonders for me) and I nearly went home to see the Lord because wow driving through mountains is the worst BUT we made it through and I learned a valuable lesson: ALWAYS carry sea bands (even if you don’t think you’ll need them- you will.).
Thai mountains: 6/10 would recommend (It would have been higher IF I had my bands…)
Teacher Appreciation
This month one of my teammates had an idea: Let’s love our host well.
Great idea right? right. So the team got to thinking and we decided that we just wanted to show our appreciation to the teachers that we were partnering with day in and day out by hosting a teacher appreciation night in our home.
We gathered together with all of our teachers and got to spend time talking about thankfulness. Our team shared all of the things that we were thankful for that month, and in return our teachers shared some of the things that they are thankful for about Fangchanu.
It. Was. Amazing.
We got to learn so much about our teachers during that time. We got to see them in the light of real life, 3-dimensional beings, who have wants and dreams and desires, same as everyone else. We got to hear about the hard work that they put in to love the students well, and about the beautiful friendships and community that this job has provided them.
During this time my team also got to share about why we are thankful, and about how a guy named Jesus changed our lives and inspires thankfulness in our hearts. We were able to encourage the teachers who are Christians, and share truth in love with those who are not, and for that I am thankful.
When the event was over my team all sat around speechless for a few minutes. We never imagined God would show up in so many big ways, but He totally did. It’s experiences like this that made me want to sign up for the race in the first place.
Volleyball
During our first week at Fangchanu one of my teammates and I went out to the courts and started playing some volleyball. Soon enough we were joined by students and I found out that the school’s volleyball team practices every day after school and I was invited to join! For the two weeks that we were there, I played volleyball nearly everyday.
Through this time I was able to build relationships with so many amazing students and I got to do something that I loved and something that I haven’t done in a while. There is a camaraderie on the court that is second to none and though I stepped onto the court as a stranger who didn’t speak their language, we all stepped off the court as friends.
During the school day I would get to see the students that I played with and we would smile and wave at each other. I think at least 2 or 3 students a day would come up to me and check to make sure I was going to be playing volleyball after school (the answer was always ‘YES! See you there!). Ministry for me quickly transitioned from teaching English (I still did this every day and it was an amazing experience to work along side so many wonderful teachers) to playing volleyball, something that was a lot more natural for me and something that opened a different set of doors. This month the Lord used something that I am passionate about to bring glory to His kingdom.
The Lord was so present on the courts too. One things that I’ve been trying to practice is inviting the Lord to do things with me. The Lord came and played volleyball with me, He was there with me while I talked to the students who quickly became my friends, and He was there just enjoying the game and the sunshine with me.
Volleyball was a gift from the Lord this month that showed me just how seen I am by the Lord. I am not forgotten or pushed aside, He delights in me and loves me. The volleyball courts at Fangchanu is where I got to see God this month.
Red light district
I am not going to post a picture of these places (mainly because I didn’t stop to take my phone out while we were there).
My squad was able to spend some time in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai, two large tourist cities in Thailand. Tourists come from all over the world and buy other humans for sex in places like these. Women are drugged, bought, and abused nightly, and often times it happens right out in the open. I have seen fathers and sons go to brothels together, and men, old enough to be my father or even my grandfather, walking around with their hands in the back pockets of young Thai women’s pants. I’ve heard more English spoken in and around the bars and brothels than I have walking down the street anywhere else on the race. Just as much as this is a problem here for the Thai people, it is an American problem too. Foreigners are the main customers in these places, it was shocking and really hard to see how much business Americans bring. Thats not even to mention the extent to which this also goes on in America.
I don’t have a bow to tie this up with. This sucks and this is something that grieves the heart of God.
To end on a lighter note:
Many of you saw one of the photos that I posted on facebook, of me standing outside of the gorgeous white temple, as seen here:
People have asked so I would like to clarify a few things:
Yes, in the moment I could not afford a 75 cent entrance fee.
Yes, that was very humbling.
But no, I am not stone broke.
I couldn’t afford it because an hour early I spent $10 to go zip-lining, a choice I would gladly make again. Please don’t stress too hard about my financial situation, I got enough money to survive off of in the bank and there was an ATM across the street BUUUUTTTTTT I was to lazy to go through the whole process of withdrawing more money.
As an added note: on the race I am living off of a pretty strict, regulated budget, for things like food and transportation (adventure expenses are personal expenses), but I am still living my day to day life on a budget that is a luxury to many people around the world. I have been very blessed and I am being well fed and taken care of.
Well guys, that’s all I got for now.
Much Love,
Morgan
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