Some basics for those of you just now dropping in: My sister and I are on an 11-month Christian mission trip to 11 different countries across 4 continents. We’re headed to: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Cambodia, and Thailand. The work will range from country to country in partnership with established ministries in each area.
It’s month 5. My team is in Bangkok, Thailand.
We’re teaching workshops at an English Center.
It’s been about five weeks since my last blog……. whoops ¯_(?)_/¯ I’m very sorry. To quickly catch you all up, here are the three most important updates.
1. We’re in Thailand!
We arrived about two weeks ago. Every day, we take a sung tao to our ministry- an after school English center. (A sung tao is basically a truck with benches installed in the bed. Not exactly posh, but it’s a pretty cheap ride.) The owners of the center are Christians, but their program technically isn’t. In order to keep its educational status, the school can’t have Christianity in its lessons. Cue the World Race teams.
Twice a night, we host a free workshop at the school. We’re teaching painting, math, ballet, theatre, and more. And because the workshop is free and optional we can talk and sing and learn about Jesus all we want.
And when I said “we,” I meant my brand new team!
2. New Team
Right before we left Cambodia, we were assigned to new teams.
I struggle to describe just how wonderful my last team was. We had our challenges, but we fought for each other every day. I felt pursued and known and loved.
I don’t think in it’s marketing the World Race puts enough emphasis on teams. All of the photos are of a lone blonde looking toward a mountain. Or a shaggy haired guy playing guitar alone in a field. Or one redhead from Missouri surrounded by Ethiopian orphans.
In reality, all of the World Race happens with your team. You are hardly ever alone. You wake together, eat together, pray together, minister together, and so on and so on and so on.
There have been precious orphan girls in Cambodia and sweet South American hermanas. We’ve walked with mighty pastors and at least one rugged pig farmer. But the faces of my world race are all 20-something and very, very American.
Taylor, Tiffany, Katie, Edna, Sam, and Kimbra, you have made my journey.
And now the cast of characters has changed. You’ll be reading about Team Summit in all my future blogs, but, for a quick intro, you can check out the panel to the left! Spoiler Alert: I’ve been blessed to keep two previous teammates.
3. I’m a logistics coordinator!
Last month I was asked to serve my squad as half of the logistics team. For the next 7 months, my partner Cassie and I will be handling and orchestrating long distance travel for the squad. For buses and planes and trains and hostels, we’re your girls.
The task feels a little daunting, but I know that I have a pretty large prayer group behind me (that’s you guys).
And that’s all I’ve got, folks. Sorry again for the lapse in communication. I’m going to blame it on a whole lot of transition.
