hey, i’m in thailand.

 

I repeat, thailand. I made it. home for 2 out of my 9 months abroad.

 

I am really bad at processing my emotions quite honestly. being the extrovert that I am, I will hang out with just about anyone if it means avoiding things in my life that tend to be a little bit harder. there’s no doubt that I love it here but its been a little over a week and I think in this very moment, it is actually hitting me that this is my life. it’s weird & it’s hard but in the very best way. everyday since we first arrived has been crucial to my adjustment process but here & now is where I am allowing myself to feel all that comes with it. I find myself looking around at my surroundings saying “how can this be real? how is this my life?” the views. the people. the community. only a few contributing factors that have made my time here the coolest & that definitely deserve some elaboration.

 

the views: the beauty in this place, danggg. so much of it is so simple but it is nearly impossible for me to look at these things & not have my jaw drop. I mean every picture is so different but adds so much to this city. after only a week worth of sight seeing I can confidently say I am pumped to see more of what the Lord made this place to be. here’s a few pics so you can understand what I am talking about.

 

the people: it is quite obvious that we aren’t able to speak thai but the people here try incredibly hard to meet us where we are at with whatever english they may know & if it is not a lot, then the biggest smile is used in place of it. I could ramble about everyone here for hours but especially the kids. we found some kids playing in this open area behind the night market. we go to the night market often for a cheap dinner & to check out random knick knacks. but last night with the kids we played a combination of duck duck goose, tag, and rock paper scissor shoot until we were all too tired to do anything else. again there was a language barrier, but the love & laughter that spilled out of them the whole time made our night together one of the highlights of my time here so far. here’s a few pictures of them as well.

 

the community: boy oh boy do I love the people that I am with & the community that has been created. even though living with 40ish people isn’t easy by any means, waking up & going to bed with the same people every night is a blessing. it’s hard to imagine my life without them already & it’s only a week in. (long story short I am going to be a wreck when I have to leave them 9 months from now). this group of people embody the words grace, patience, & light like no other & I am beyond excited to see how the Lord uses us all individually & as a whole squad. here is a picture of all us together at training camp & the other being just my team.

 

 

this is all wonderful but it is really made possible by the big man upstairs. in Isaiah 6:3 it says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” I know we serve a big God but I can relate to this verse in a whole new way considering I am on the other side of the world. despite being surrounded by a predominantly Buddhist culture, the Lord’s goodness & power prevails. learning a lot about this & about taking time to myself to fully comprehend how He is moving. thankful that in the midst of all this change, our God stays the same & provides guidance for us in all of it.