Hello from Chanthaburi, Thailand! I’ve been in Thailand for almost three weeks now! These past couple weeks have been packed with so many emotions and experiences, it’s hard to put into words! If only I could meet with you face to face to somehow explain what it’s been like, but this blog will have to do for the next nine months.
First, let’s talk about Thailand.
It rains…a lot. Sound familiar, all you Oregonians? However the intense humidity makes you wonder if you’re wet from sweat or rain… it’s probably both.
Buddhism. It is so deeply embedded into their culture and lifestyle. There is a saying: “To be Thai is to be Buddhist.” It is very rare to meet a Christian Thai who has not been rejected by his/her family who cannot simply imagine a life outside of Buddhism. Of the 600,000 people that live in Chanthaburi, only 200 are Christians.
“The Land of Smiles.” Thai people are VERY sweet. The culture is very gentle and quiet; they shrug off any inconvenience with a smile. It is considered rude or impolite to show strong emotion or disapproval in public or to a stranger. This is something my team is still adjusting to and learning to accept. America is quite the opposite of hiding every emotion behind a perpetual smile.
Besides teaching English every Tuesday-Thursday night, ministry has looked differently every week. The first week in Chanthaburi we taught English and shared the gospel to a Youth Rehab Center. The second week we visited a nursery for kids whose parents have leprosy. This week we are helping out at an orphanage for children either without parents, or whose parents have HIV/AIDs.
On Sundays we share testimonies, lead worship, and share bible verses for our Pastor’s church. (Our second Sunday here we got to witness a woman accept Christ!)
These past couple weeks God has taught me so much about his faithfulness despite my lack of faithfulness. I discovered that what I thought would be a trip of spiritual highs would be a trip of the hardest spiritual discipline I’ve ever experienced. These next nine months are about choice. To choose to be fully present in ministry when it’s hot, I’m tired, and my stomach is hurting from all the strange food I’m eating. To choose to love my team when all I want to do is Skype home and love the people that are easy to love. To choose joy when it would be easier to let myself be sad and homesick.
Although adjusting to a new culture and lifestyle hasn’t been easy, it has been so growing and it has taught me a whole new level of reliance on the Lord. I have been learning so much about how deep his love is for us and how constant it is.
I look forward to keeping you updated on what month 2 of the race will look like. Each new day brings more surprises and more things to learn about God, people, and the world!
I love and miss you all!
Sabrina
(here are some pictures of my first month here!)
