Finally back on my blog game!
Took a month off and now here is an overdue update.
As my dear friend Faith Devito put it, “Thailand is a picnic forever”. Faith and I got to share a room in Thailand along with our other friend Clara. We woke up next to each other every morning. We spent lots of time together exploring and trying new foods (hence the ongoing picnic).
Our first week in Thailand, we painted a park. It was so fun seeing the park come alive. Doing projects where you can see the difference as you’re working is so rewarding. The community saw the difference too. Everyday at lunchtime some of the local women would come out to us and bless us with delicious food that they made. It was such an honor to receive their gratitude in this way. The language barrier was so real, but there was still so much communication in other ways!
For the rest of the time that we were there, ministry was different than we expected it to be. Going into Thailand, we had a preconceived idea that it would be difficult and emotionally taxing. We were thrown for a loop when we ended up helping at a cute little boutique and church plant. We were eager for tasks as there were not always many to give out.
Having more downtime ended up giving us more time to bond as a team. We were able to have time for one on one time with teammates which was especially valuable because there was a three person buddy system in Thailand. We also did a Bible study as a team and wrote notes of encouragement for the rest of the squad!
On days when we didn’t have ministry, we had the opportunity to explore all that Chiang Mai had to offer. We ventured to sticky falls which is the coolest waterfall I have ever visited! And my love for elephants was deepened when I got to hug one. Exploring the beauty of Gods creation revealed his creativity and eye for beauty.
The our few weeks in Chiang Mai flew by much quicker than any of us were ready for. Before we knew it, we were packing back into a double decker bus, trekking our way to Bangkok to spend time with coaches and mentors, to rest, and to intentionally remember all that God has done. That week was so spiritually refreshing. Read your Bible, it makes a difference! Christmas fell over that week. It was harder than I expected to spend Christmas away from family. But there’s something so sweet about spending it with your brothers and sisters in Christ. We were all in it together, missing our families and knowing that this is such a small sacrifice for the experience and growth that comes with this year and the work we are doing in the name of the Lord.
Thanks for reading and coming along this journey with me! I hope to be writing again soon. 🙂
-Sophie
