Hi & welcome back to the blog!
Today I bring a local Albanian cappuccino so let’s take a seat, sip, and share!!
It’s been a hot minute since I wrote and posted so there’s a lot to backtrack and fill you in on! Let’s get started!
Backing all the way up to the last post of the Christmas village…this was the first of many Christmas season events for us. So After arriving back in Chiang Dao Thailand we rested, recouped, reconciled as a team to prepare for the busy weeks ahead of us.
(12/17) First up was spending a day traveling in to a bigger city called Chiang Mai for city style adventure day, we visited markets, restaurants, riverfronts, bookstores, got tattoos, saw local friends and teammates and in the mists of all the excitement barely made the bus ride back to town at the end of the night. Starting our school week back at a local Christian preschool (12/18-12/20) we jumped right in to helping prepare for the Christmas show! Learning all the little dances and songs along with the kids, preparing crafts, costumes, building the stage, decorating, enjoying plenty of snacks and coffee of course, organizing hundreds of raffle gifts & creating endless smiles, filling each and every room with laughter!! This week was truly a magical one as we poured in to our beloved kids, soaking up every moment of their sweet energy! We had worked with these kids for two weeks before but never had a final answer if we were able to come back until just the day before! Preschoolers through challenges have so much curiosity and life about them, it’s hard not to smile and be filled with their sweet love even as they do the exact opposite as you just asked. Almost sweeter was bonding, building, and maintaining the relationships with the teachers, we had figured out how to support each other in laughs, coffees, instagram reels, and silly hallway dances!! Returning to the preschool for this last week as we celebrated Christmas was truly a blessing my team needed to lift our holiday spirits!! (12/20) The day arrived for the Christmas show!!! We spent the morning setting up and decorating, the afternoon napping and eating, and the whole evening eating endless donuts and countless other sweets, dancing and cheering on our kids as they nervously danced and sang on stage, watching all of us teachers dance from the side lines, and even performing our own song and little dance for all the preschoolers and parents!! After the performances were finished a raffle give away started, with well over 200 donated & collected prizes and 300 kids with their families this took up most of the evening! But it allowed us just a little bit more time to chase our precious preschoolers on the playground, give hugs, gifts, and well wishes! The night ended so sweetly and I feel so incredibly blessed to have been able to love these children, even if it was just for 3 short weeks! A huge piece of gratitude to my teacher Apple and her wonderful heart for all 17 of those wild little kids! Thank you Saa for picking us up every morning and driving back and forth to get all of team Radiant to the preschools! Thank you to each and every teacher for sharing lunches, coffees, and the sweetest sounds of laughter with me and my team! You truly hold such a wonderful place in my heart and in Chiang Dao Thailand! Merry Christmas!
(12/21-24)The following few days were our last with our host and family in Chiang Dao so we soaked up sunshine on the farm, walking amongst the fruit trees, holding hands with the kids, singing, watching movies, scrapbooking, baking, cooking, dancing, sunrise runs, and long sunset walks, and sharing gifts. Our final moments are spent in prayer, shedding tears as we dreadfully wish Wanida, Aaron and their 12 dear children goodbye. My heart can not begin to express how joyful my time was in Thailand, every moment felt straight out of a story book, truly a blessing and a much needed “promised land” in between Malaysia and Albania. I want to hold tight to each and every memory, of walking to and from the local ice cream shop, being greeted and bid goodbye by our sweet house dogs Noi and Goy, the joy in coming home from a day out in ministry exhausted but seeing the kids and sharing smiles and voices of enjoyment, the light in our eyes as Wanida served us each and every meal, never failing to make us repeat “อร่อยมาก” (aroy mak mak) – very very delicious!! The sweetness of movie nights on the floor, cuddled up with the kids, the kindest of their letters, notes, and gifts, the gentleness of their hugs as we wished them well, the softness of tears knowing this home is one filled and overflowing in pure joy and care. Knowing these kids are so beyond blessed by Wandia and Wanida equally as blessed by them. Thailand became the home away from home I yearned for, it became the vulnerable moments inside team radiant, it’s the little seed planted forever in my heart, a tender forever love. Little Chiang Dao is hidden just past looming mountains, winding roads, soft rivers, easy valleys, and colorful city buildings!! Chiang Dao, our city of stars.
(12/24) The day a heavy emotional journey began as we unwinded roads, rolled back through the valley, descended the mountains and arrived in Thailand’s second biggest city, Chiang Mai. Though this journey was fast and fairly easy, only being an hour and a half drive, it felt like my world was crashing down around me. The things I had to learn to love and appreciate were not just memories. The team I worked so hard to connect with, the kids I built relationships with, the hosts I love so dearly, the farm that was a pasture of pure and overflowing love was now miles aways. Instead it was replaced with 34 squad mates, all cheering loudly with their own adventures from Thailand, dirt road traded for concrete roads and fast cars, expensive loud malls, home cooked was quickly replaced with restaurant meals, and to add a little cherry on top we’d be spending over a week here during the biggest holidays of the year. I was distraught and tearful as we descended to this city full of what seemed to be my biggest fears.
(12/25-01/01) But as we survived even the hardest day, I survived this one, and not only survived but changed my perspective and grew to love and appreciate not only the first day but the entire week! Becoming an attentive listener to my fellow squadmates as I heard their stories, adventures, challenges, ministry, and so much more! Exploring as much of the city as I could, diving into the rich culture and history provided, celebrating a lovely creative little Christmas and New Year! Both filled with tiny new gifts, lovely letters, lots of laughs, naps, quality time, latte art, late nights, worship, lectures, insight, inspiration, refreshment and light lanterns! I feel so incredibly grateful for Gap M, for diving into growing apart so we can come together and create a space filled with knowledge and laughter! The week brought me the joy of connection, choosing to partner with teammates to find the best coffee in the city and become regulars there, we thought that could be a fun challenge! To our surprise after just day one we found gold, a simple coffee shop a 20 minute walk from base. Single Black Coffee, open every single day from 7am-5pm, run by one man with a passion for quality coffee, purring endless effort into crafting beautiful and earthy cups of coffee with a quiet and humble smile! Each day teammates and I would get up at sunrise to walk to this coffee shop, be his first customers, and settle in for a bible study! Day by day we built a connection with the barista, knowing him now as Pan, a man with a true passion for coffee and the craft that it is, he only takes one day off each month, and through his tireless dedication to his cafe and knowledge of coffee has been to multiple coffee championships and placed well!! Each day he would create a latte art animal on our drinks and surprise us with his endless skill, and never failing to bring a beaming smile to our faces as he placed the latte in front of us! Day by day more teammates join for our morning coffee adventures and soon it became my motivation to wake up early each morning, inspired to invite anyone who was interested and build a connection with this little coffee shop!
Starting my mornings with a lovely latte, time to study, and surrounded by community bleed into my day, being filled with more curiosity and joy, seeking to discover and love more, soaking up these final days in Thailand! Within only one week as a whole squad we took a few adventures that I hope live in my memory forever!! (12/28)The first being a trip to something called “Sticky Falls”, natural waterfalls made from limestone and mineral deposits, giving you the ability to climb and play in them without slipping! Around the waterfalls were beautiful water pools, lush green jungles, sun bathed green pastures, towering trees, and a delicious little cafe! Gap m spent the sunny afternoon exploring the falls and surrounding nature, drinking smoothies, eating, and lounging on the lawn together! This trip was the embodiment of refreshment!!
(12/30) About half of Gap M was inspired to do another hike that the boys team had told us about, bragging about the ease of it, the beautiful sunrise, market and historical landmarks along the way and at the top! We all woke up around 4 am to get ready and arrived at the hike, hiking in the dark with head lamps and phones to guide our way. The hike seemed rocky but nothing crazy. Soon our minds and legs would be put to a challenge though. The nice trail soon turned to a high incline small rocky path, that just never seemed to end, and with the boys team as our guides (who had all done this multiple times) we pushed ourselves to keep up and make it to the sunrise already starting to peek through the trees. Each of us hiking found a buddy to keep pace with and motivate, the hike seemed to just go up and up, with no sight on any let out. But still we pushed on, my buddy Jaylynn and I encouraged each other every step of the way, red faces, sweaty, and puffing breathlessly. And just when we thought we couldn’t push our legs to stop any further we see the morning light glowing the green dresses just ahead, reaching the top and sighing in relief and in pure awe of the pastel colors crossing the skyline ahead of our eyes. With a huge hug and sigh we sat and watched as the colors danced in the city fogg and fought to rise above to light the sky, starting a wonderful new day! Though the boys team admitted to lacking details of the intensity of the hike we thanked them for pushing us to do hard things! Exploring the markets at the top we ate waffles and fresh fruit before hopping on a roading truck to head back to the city for the start of the day! As I reflect back on this time in Thailand I admire our strength and encouragement for each other as we learn to push ourselves towards growth, no matter how hard. I admire the family we are beginning to form, and the friendships I pray last forever!
These memories comfort me on hard days, motivate me to face the new challenges, and encourage me to seek joy! Thank you to each and every person who I met in Thailand, thank you for my team and my squad for being the people who joined me along the way, and thank you to each and every person reading this for supporting me along the way! Leaving Thailand feeling so thankful and joyful for whatever adventures are to come!
Albania, see you soon!! (January 3rd 2025) – Sorry for the VERY late post!
With many adventures & much love!
Aliya Koziol <3
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