Let’s wrap up Thailand before we finish Cambodia, shall we? As per usual, here are my 11 highlights from the month.
1) The ministry that we worked with was called Eagles Rest. It was formed with the intention of being a place for missionaries to come and rest for a time when they normally have no means of getting away from the ministry. Eagles Rest is composed of a family. We did life with Janene, Rommel, Jeff, and Nikki for the month. All four of them had a lasting impact on our team and their efforts to make sure we got to see authentic Thailand were incredible. Not to mention, they’re great cooks!
2) It’s sad to say that I’ve been carrying my hammock around with me for so long and only just found an opportunity to use it in Month 7. I loved being able to sit out in my hammock during early morning quiet times or simply to read in the afternoons!
3) Thailand is hands down the most beautiful place we’ve visited on the Race. Everywhere we looked there was gorgeous scenery with mountains covered in vegetation. We got the opportunity to go on a Phang Nga Bay tour (thanks Rommel!) and travel in a boat to see all kinds of beauty with a stop at James Bond (or James Bon in some places, ha) Island as well!
4) It’s a well-known fact among Racers (not to mention the world) that Thailand is the place to ride elephants. We jumped at the opportunity and it was amazing to sit on one of these creatures. I loved every second.
5) Most of the ministry I’ve been a part of on the Race has consisted of a lot of relational work. This month we got the chance to get our hands dirty and we were all really excited. There’s nothing quite like seeing a tangible result of the work you’ve done. In the picture, Rommel is teaching me how to mix concrete. The hat, I will add, has been one of my more silly yet practical purchases. It zips off to become a visor should the wearer wish it. I have no regrets.
6) Thailand was full of butterflies. I wrote a blog about it during the month but it was worth re-posting this picture. He sat with me during one of my quiet times and then hopped on my finger. Suffice it to say, my love tank was filled.
7) “…and getting caught in the rain.” I’m not sure why this stuck out to me so much but in a hilarious series of events, the majority of Team Boxcar got caught in a torrential downpour walking between the office and our contacts’ home. Sometimes on the Race, there is nothing you can do but laugh.
8) Our ministry consisted of a wide variety of things from manual labor, to house chores, and to prayer encounters. On two separate occasions, Janene dropped us off close to downtown Phang Nga and told us she would not be back until the afternoon. Our only instructions were to listen to Holy Spirit’s promptings and to give someone a tract whenever we purchased anything like lunch. The rest was up to us. On the second day, the half of the team that I was with got dropped off near a market. We wandered around and I felt prompted to take a picture with this beautiful soul. She grabbed my hand and then kissed my cheek after the picture was taken. There were other opportunities like this and some people just wanted to be listened to, even if you could not understand the language. I’d like to do something like this when I get back to the States.
9) Our manual labor was conducted at a pre-school called Rainbow. The school was dreamed up by Peggy, who is from the States, and her husband, Jit, from Thailand. They are truly some of the sweetest people I have ever met and Jesus shines through Peggy in all she does. She even gave each of us a missionary care package that consisted of baby powder, a toothbrush, toothpaste, needles and thread, and a washcloth. It was so thoughtful and such a pleasure to be able to help them do work that is difficult for them with some of their health challenges. They were an absolute blessing to Team Boxcar Children.
10) Did you know that rubber comes from trees? Well, it does and there are rubber trees everywhere. They get planted and then part of the bark is stripped to make way for the rubber to leak out of the trunk into little black pots. It was fascinating to me and created a sense of serenity whenever we would drive past groves of them.
11) The World Race is about following God’s call and a whole collection of new experiences. While the entire month felt like a new experience, driving on the left side of the road in the right side of the car and starting the process of learning to play the ukulele were up there on my list of favorites. Oh, and I ended up purchasing a ukulele for the rest of the Race!
Also, here’s a bonus…we got to set off lanterns in Thailand our last night with our hosts! It was to symbolize letting go of anything that was holding us back. We watched them until they disappeared. “And at last I see the light…” Tangled, anyone?
