It has been a little while since my last post. While we have been pretty busy these last few weeks with ministry in different capacities, we have also had many opportunities for rest. This has been a blessing, but also challenging for me. I often find it difficult to rest and will fill my time with things to avoid resting, but the Lord has been teaching me to let go of my productivity mindset and to find rest in Him. I have to constantly remind myself that there is a time to rest and a time for ministry. In Thailand, there is a common phrase “Sabai Sabai”, which means relaxed and laid back. The Thai culture is very relaxed and laid back, which has provided us with many opportunities for rest. In my struggle to rest, I was reminded of the story of Mary and Martha from Luke. In it, Jesus visits the house of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to Him and learning from Him, while Martha was distracted by all the preparations being made. As I thought about that story, I was encouraged to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him. When I feel like I could be doing more productive things, I need to quiet my heart and listen to what the Spirit may be teaching me. That being said, I will share some of the things we have been doing and the ways God has been working these past few weeks!
We were able to go on a field trip with the middle and high schoolers from The School of Promise. We had no idea where we were going that day or what we were doing, but we were not disappointed. The field trip was to a gorgeous botanical garden. It was about a 40-minute drive away from the school, and my teammates and I were separated into different songthaews with students for the trip. I didn’t know any of the students in my songthaew very well, but they were so much fun. Our songthaew had built-in speakers that they immediately connected to and started blasting music singing and dancing. They sang and danced the whole way there and back. It was a blast. Every time we passed another songthaew they would go crazy, screaming and waving. It’s safe to say I was very entertained the entire time. Most of the songs were Thai, but they did play a few songs I knew. They also played Tokyo Drift 3 times on the way home which I found hilarious! Another Friday at the School of Promise, we helped Gary with his Bible class. I was able to share my testimony with half of the students we have been working with, which was such a blessing! After school on Fridays, the school recently started an AWANA program. AWANA is a Christian program that encourages students to memorize Scripture and apply it to their lives. They have graciously invited us to help out with the program. I love being a part of their AWANA because I participated in an AWANA program at my church from the age of 2 to 18. It is also so encouraging to see the students who are actively pursuing the Lord and seeking to follow Him in their lives.
Last Saturday, we were blessed with the opportunity to not only go to Sticky Falls, a popular tourist spot but to also bring some of the older kids from the learning center with us. It was such a great time to get to know the kids better, and to climb up and down the waterfall! Afterward, my team was exhausted, so we decided to go to The Dukes (our favorite restaurant that serves American food) for dinner - it is also run by Christians which is super cool! The weather was a tad cooler, so we braved the mosquitos and sat outside. Because of this, we ended up chatting with a few people who were on a mission trip to Thailand. It was so refreshing to talk with them, as it always is when you run into other Christians with the same goal. Before they left, one of the guys pulled out his wallet and gave us money to pay for our dinner. We were absolutely shocked, and his simple act of kindness made my night. We ended up paying for our meals ourselves, and are going to use the money we were blessed with to bless others.
We have been working with Athletes in Action or AIA, and met up with them to get a tour of North Chiangmai University. They introduced us to the soccer coach, the head of the athletic department, and a Christian professor there. The staff were very excited that we would be there working with students and even gave us a room on campus that we will be able to use. That same day, they called the local high school to ask about us possibly working there, and the president asked to meet us in the afternoon. (High schools in Thailand are 7th through 12th grade) So we found ourselves meeting the president of the local high school that same day. We were also invited by Teacher Sand, an English teacher, to introduce ourselves to his class. We went and ended up teaching the class, which was so much fun. It was crazy because that morning I woke up with no idea what we were going to do that day, and we ended up teaching in the public high school. Typically to work in the public schools, it takes a few months to get in, but God has been so faithful in opening doors! We will be working at the high school every Wednesday, and have already begun.
The first Wednesday, we introduced ourselves to the whole school. This past Wednesday was our first full day. We helped out in Teacher Sand’s classes and one other teacher. We would introduce ourselves, help read some of the things they were learning, and then walk around helping the students with their work and having conversations with them. I so love our time there and meeting the students. Many of them are shy, but once you break through they are so much fun.
One of the things we have been challenging ourselves to do as a team is to be bold about why we are in Thailand. In one of the last classes of the day, I happened to be the one introducing the team, and I just threw it out there that we are here to talk about Jesus. Well, this prompted Teacher Sand to give us 5-10 minutes to talk about Jesus. We were not expecting that to happen in any way shape or form, but quickly decided to share a testimony. Maja volunteered and shared hers while Sand translated. It was amazing to see God open the doors for us to share our faith, because of a simple act of obedience. Jeremiah 1:6-8 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It says, “Alas Sovereign Lord,’ I said, ‘I do not know how to speak; I am too young.’ But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord.” It is so encouraging and comforting to know that I am not alone and that when I don’t have the words to say, God will speak through me.
Every weeknight, staff from North Chiangmai University play volleyball and badminton in the gym. We have been going a few nights a week to play volleyball with them. Even though I don’t know how to play volleyball, I love the nights that we can go. It has been such a great opportunity to get to know the staff. They are so much fun and extremely patient - especially with my lack of volleyball skills. When we aren’t playing we try to learn everyone’s names by cheering for them. The staff is so kind, one of them even blessed us with these delicious Thai candies. We think they are coconut and pistachio, but whatever they are, they are so yummy!
There is a family that recently moved to Thailand from Myanmar. They will be working with us and with AIA while they are here. They are currently renting a house in our neighborhood. They have two kids and are the sweetest family ever. I am very excited to be able to spend time with them and get to know them better. We got to join them at a youth group they lead for Myanmar college students (which was so much fun), and we were also blessed to treat them to our favorite restaurant The Dukes for Canoe’s birthday (Canoe is the mom).
We were able to host a bigger dinner at our house one night with the AIA staff that we have become good friends with. Cee and Sam were there with their two kids, as well as the family from Myanmar. It was quite a party and a great time of fellowship. Cee and Sam cooked a Thai dinner that was so so delicious!!
Our house is somewhat of a zoo because of all the little creatures inside. Julianne and I have a lizard that crawls all around our room and leaves us little presents on our bedding and other belongings. Our kitchen was also infiltrated by ants and fruit flies. The fruit flies were the worst, and I, unfortunately, learned that they eat soft produce the hard way.
A final thing the Lord has been teaching me about is patience. I decided to wait to get a Thai cellular plan because my cellular is international, but only at low speed. Well, the low-speed data was too slow to do a lot of things and I had to depend on cafes and hotspots for a while. It was nice for a little while because I was able to unplug, but I was ready to be independent. I also didn’t have a Thai number which made it difficult to communicate with people we have been meeting. However, it took three trips to the airport over the course of three weeks to finally get cellular on my phone. From not having a passport to my phone being locked, to them being sold out, there were so many disappointments. Through them all I had to learn to trust in the Lord and His perfect timing, even for something as trivial as cellular.
Some more photos from the past few weeks:
Some people you can be praying for:
The students at the School of Promise - they would personally experience God's love and purpose for their life
The students at the Hosea Center - that they would not only hear the truth of the Gospel but apply it to their lives and boldly live out their faith
The students at Hang Dong High School - pray that the Holy Spirit will open their hearts to hear, understand, and accept the Gospel for themselves
The staff at North Chiangmai University - pray that they will notice that we are different and have a curiosity about Jesus.
The AIA staff who have been so so kind to us and constantly sacrifice their time and money to encourage us and care for us.
Other prayer requests:
Pray that I will be able to rest well in the Lord
Pray that our team can continue to be a light and serve joyfully in any and every circumstance
Pray that our team will commit to the Lord before committing to man
Pray for more opportunities to openly share the Gospel at Hang Dong High School
Pray that we will boldly proclaim our faith to the staff at North Chiang Mai University.
Pray that I will be led by the Holy Spirit in every moment and interaction that ai have with others and with my teammates.
Pray for wisdom and discernment as I seek the Lord’s will for where He wants me to be next year - whether that be continuing school or serving Him in another capacity.
Ephesians 6:7
"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people."
Recently, I have been challenged by this verse, about who my ultimate authority is and what my heart posture is in serving. Am I truly only serving the Lord, or am I working to earn the favor of others? As a people pleaser, I most often find myself falling into the trap of working to gain the approval of man, but I have been challenged and convicted by this verse to work solely for the Lord and His approval.
Comments