You know the beginning stages of a relationship, you know, where all you want to do is spend every waking moment with that person and when you fall asleep all you do is dream of them and your future. Well that’s what happened to me, I fell in love and I wasn’t even aware or prepared for it.
We had travel for hours, multiple airports, multiple sleeping areas and multiple trays of airplane food but finally we had arrived, we stepped outside and it hit me, peace, calmness, familiarity, Thailand!
We got into a sangtong (red truck like, source of transportation bus thingy) with our mentor Jeremy (he lived in Thailand for the month with his family) and started driving to our hostel. I knew I should be tired but I was filled with a peaceful excitement. I just knew that this month was going to be different in ways that I would not be able to fully explain.
Ministry looked different, we got to pick from going to a special needs orphanage, working with the base and learning about Business as Missions or Asking the Lord (ATL). I landed in the ATL group, where my ministry was babysitting twin boys for an amazing missionary couple and also monk chats. God also challenged me to be intentional with my squad and disciple some of them by just being available.
So what’s monk chat? Back story; once we got to Asia, I had the desire to be friends with a monk, yes I wanted to sit and talk to a monk and learn about theirs lives. My squad thought I was crazy in the most loving way haha but guess what, it does exist!!!
Thailand presented me with my hearts dream, all I had to do was go to the temple, sit and talk with monks. How? well see, it’s actually an education program they have for monks, monks learn English while you get to learn more from them. AWESOME!!
Thailand offered me things that I didn’t know were available in one country and this caused me to fall head over heels for her. I fell in love with the voices, the sounds, the smiles, the people, the food, the holidays, the fun, the heart, the nature, the laughter, I fell in love with all this country had to offer.
The beginning stages of falling in love has it’s down sides if you are not careful and I was not careful, I jumped right in, head and heart jumping with me and I lost myself in Thailand. I lost blogging and sharing my experiences weekly with yall and for that I am sorry. Sorry for not taking you on this ride with me on a weekly basis, sorry for not allowing you to fall in love with Thailand during the process. I was so caught up, I was afraid I would miss out on more, I was afraid and to be honest lost my momentum to blog during this stage of love.
Thailand left the biggest impression on my heart, I lost myself in something without being aware of it for the first time in YEARS and your girl loved every moment of it , I loved getting to fall in love with the Thai people, Thai food, drinks, smells, sounds, laughter and also falling in love with their needs. See true love isn’t only about the good but also the bad. I feel in love with being able to see the brokenness that Thailand has, the hurt and pain she has which lite a fire in me to pray harder, fight harder and start being part of change by allowing God to bring me to places where I can start to pray and have conversations that left love and soft hearts.
Thailand allowed me to be fully Oriolyne Lubin, I was vulnerable in areas I usually keep to myself, I was weak and allowed my weakness to be seen and shared. I give alway the things God have given me in order to see growth, healing and change in squad-mates. I did the thing that scared me the most, I let people see the true real authentic me. FLAWS & ALL BABY!!!!
So here we are, now in Malaysia and I am fighting to be present with a new team and new country because I left the country I fell in love with. The country that surprised me and took my heart without my permission and allowed me to LET GO in walk in boldness and FREEDOM!!
Thank you Thailand, SEE YOU SOON!!!!
