Thailand has been so so good to me.
The people are some of the sweetest I’ve ever met. The country is breathtaking. God is present everywhere, even when the people don’t have a relationship with Him – He always reminded me that He is here and He loves Thailand more than I do. The ministry was a blessing.
After spending a week of ministry in Chiang Mai, Overcome (my team), Jayu Warriors (a team of four girls, two guys), a squad leader, and a girl from Zion Café headed to Mae Ai, a village about four hours north of Chiang Mai. In the village we helped Emmi’s father, Tain. Emmi is the owner of Zion Café – where we have been staying.
While in the village we lived in three different host homes, worked in rice fields, and played with kids after they came home from school. Although we only worked in the rice fields a few hours in the morning, it was a blessing to be able to help Tain in anyway we could.
We were not telling each person we saw about Jesus and how He died for us, but we were showing God’s love through our actions. Jesus was present on our skin.
It is hard to pick my favorite part about ministry week in Mae Ai because it was all so so good.
Some of my favorite memories:
- Even with a language barrier, I was able to build a relationship with my host mom and her son.
- Saying “SaWaDeKa (hello)” to each person I walked by so I could see a huge grin across their face, while they proceed to talk to me in Thai and think I understand. J
- Working the rice fields with some of my squad mates by building trenches to drain water, and mud walls to keep rice patches safe.
- Taking walks with the kids in the village while being able to love on them – whether we were laughing, dancing, picking flowers, skipping, or being considered the “crazy farangs” (crazy foreigners).
- Worshiping God under the stars
- Encouraging, laughing, and praying with the people I got to do ministry with.
- Bucket showers and squatty potties
- Extra bonus: petting a water buffalo 🙂 “Everybody’s got a water buffalo…”
Tomorrow, January 31, we head to our next month of ministry – Cambodia! After a few days of traveling each team will arrive at their ministry sight. My team will be in Kampong Thom, which is about four hours from the capital, Phnom Penh. We will be working with Evangelical Mission Organization for Development and we could be involved in a variety of their different ministries.
EXCITING NOTE: Team Overcome will be getting a new edition to our team, a girl from Vietnam! She will be with us in Cambodia and Vietnam! I’m so excited that we’ve been given this opportunity, and can’t wait to see how God will use her these next two months!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
Each of the teams on our squad – Love Rangers, Kintsugi, and Jayu Warriers – while we will all be in different locations next month in Cambodia.
God continues to refine each person on my team, and myself.
God continues to develop gifts in each person that could be used in ministry for these 11 months and continue after the World Race.
Fundraising: I have about $8,600 in my account, and I need $11,000 by April 1, 2015.
