Hey everyone!!! Life is so so good right now! Thailand is a spectacular country with gorgeous views and wonderful community. A lot of times it doesn’t feel real that I am here because my lifestyle is starting to feel like everyday life. I walk around town knowing the area I’m in and some of the locals are starting to recognize and know us. All the Thai food is incredible, but there are days I really crave American food. On the bright side, Chiang Mai has great food options that allow me to have a feel of home. The people here are precious and give their best effort to speak English so they can communicate with us. I’ll admit before coming I was worried about the language barrier, but I am still in shock at how much they strive to learn English. I wish I could learn some more Thai so I could carry on a conversation, but it’s crazy hard to pick up so I’m grateful for the little I as able to learn. It truly has just been a lot of fun learning about the culture, but it physically and emotionally can take a tole on me.
It has now been about 2 weeks of ministry here in Thailand. On Tuesday through Thursday, I do manual labor at an orphanage for 4 to 5 hours. There I have been picking weeds, cutting down trees, preparing soil, cleaning up around plants to help protect them and mixing/pouring concrete. All of this labor is a lot of work and has made an impact on my team and I. Every morning I wake up with aching muscles and heavy eyes, but I know it’s all for the kingdom. Every day is a new adventure that really tests my strengths and abilities. There are days that I will feel as if I just can’t continue anymore but somehow I break through and am stronger then I was when I started. The heat has also really been affecting us. Thailand is exiting it’s rainy season, so it’s still very humid here. In this new season, the sun is coming out stronger than before, so it’s affecting our skin and making a lot of us dehydrated. I’ve learned that water is so important and I drink the size of a swimming pool everyday….which is a lot for me considering I don’t normally drink a lot. There are small things like ice cream that can really complete a day. I am blessed to have a McDonald’s 2 minutes from where i’m staying and I can get a cone dip for only 15 bot! In America it is only 50 cents I’m really loving it and so is everyone else!
Even though it’s still really early in my race I can say that with everything going on it truly has allowed me to find some normality. I am so grateful for teammates and squad mates. It is truly is a wonderful thing having them by my side during this journey. It makes the hard times easier and makes the adventure days so entertaining. Also I know that as my race goes on I will miss a lot of the comfort that I haven’t had to experience yet but I know everything will be ok. I’m excited to lose that comfort and really feel what it’s like to step outside my box and see what the world will throw at me and teach me. For now I will continue to love life and all the fun things that I get to experience here in Thailand!
Thanks again to everyone back home for sending prayers my way and encouraging me miles away! All y’all do back home is so appreciated and I can’t wait to continue sharing all my experiences and journey with you!
With love,
Tatyana
