What It's All About

Daily life.

These past few months in Thailand have been both wild and amazing. I don’t think it’s been quite what we expected but it’s been wonderful all the same. It’s had its ups and downs for sure, but through it all, God has been faithful. For the past two months, Heather and I have had the awesome privilege of being able to teach children, teens, and adults almost all of which do not know Christ. So while we teach English to them, we also have the opportunity to share Christ with them. This can sometimes be challenging considering the fact that they have basically no biblical background whatsoever. However, though somewhat daunting at times, it is also extremely exciting that God has allowed us to be a part of their journey towards Him. In addition, we have been learning Thai five days a week. This past week, we finished our last day of Thai school. It was definitely a bittersweet goodbye. We were more than happy to ditch the two hour commute each way to and from Thai school, but we will miss the friends we made along the way. All in all, it was a great experience that gave us a taste of the dedication and patience it takes for missionaries to learn a foreign language.

(the last day of our first month of Thai class)

(our last day of Thai class)

Breaking barriers.

In one of our recent classes with our teen/adult class, we were discussing part of Matthew 6 which talks about how God cares for all of our needs and we have no need to worry. As we were closing the class, we asked if anyone had any questions. One of our newer students, an older lady, asked, “So, even if I don’t pray to God, He still loves me?” Such a simple question that, little to her knowledge, held so much meaning. We went on to explain the vastness of God’s love for us no matter what we do. Though it was only one question, it demonstrated the fact that Thai people do not understand what true love is amidst their Buddhist religion which centers around striving to be good enough. For this reason, I am so thankful for the opportunity we have to show our students a love that they have never known before; a perfect love found in Christ alone. I pray that the time we have to share Christ with our students continues to spark questions and curiosity so that they will truly begin to understand more about who He is and in turn, chose to begin a relationship with Him. This is no easy transition for a Thai person but I believe that God still does miracles and I am so thankful that He has allowed me to be a part of our students’ journey towards Him.

(the last day of our first module of English class)

In addition to being able to build relationships with our students, we have also been able to build deeper relationships with people at the Thai church we attend. About a month ago, we attended a weekend-long church camp where we were able to bond with some of the church members in a way we had not before. That weekend paved the way for new and blossoming relationships. I am so thankful for our church family here that has welcomed us made us a part of not only their church, but their lives. 

(with some friends at church camp)

A change of heart.

My time here so far has, in many ways, shown me a lot about myself, about my sinfulness, and about my utter need for God. I often wonder why God would chose me for something like this. I see my selfishness and pride and am reminded of how inadequate I really am. But God, in His mercy and grace, consistently brings me back to the fact that He does not call the qualified, but qualifies those whom he’s called. He hasn’t chosen me because I’m good enough, but because HE is good and has allowed me to be used by Him. When I am weak, He is strong. When I lack courage, He gives me boldness. When I feel useless, He reminds me of my purpose. THAT is grace. I pray that each day, God continues to use me and mold me for His purposes while I’m here in Thailand! I want to be the light in this dark world and build relationships that will make a difference for eternity because that's what it's all about.