rae of hope: January 2012

So, Thailand. Just like China was separated into two parts due to two different locations, so was Thailand. We spent the first half of our time in Pattaya, where the sex industry most thrives in Thailand. The girls on the team spent time with some women from YWAM who run the Tamar Center in the middle of "Walking Street," where all the strip clubs and bars are. The center teaches the women English and other practical skills that will help them to get a job outside of prostitution. The gospel and Jesus' love is also shared with these women, and a number of them become believers. It is a really neat ministry! We were able to help teach English and hang out in the bars and talk to some of the women who work in them. The team also spent some time with some kids at an after school center.

During our day off while we were in Pattaya Merel and Jonah lined up a little island excursion for us, which was a lot of fun! We took a boat out to a beautiful little island, where we got to read, relax, swim, and soak up the sun all day. We even got to take turns riding around on two jet skis that Heath and Jonah rented for us. Talk about an exotic Thailand vacation day!

The last portion of our time was spent in a remote jungle village called Pong Luk with Burmese refugees who have created a neat little community for themselves. I didn't get to spend much time in the village, because I lost my passport while we were in Pattaya and Merel and I had to leave for Bangkok to get everything sorted out. Even though I was really sad to miss out on the time in the jungle, it was all for the best. Merel and I had a lot of fun bonding time, and I got my new passport and was able to leave the country with the team!

The jungle was definitely where the team "roughed it" most. We worked and sweated all day, showered in the river, slept in tents, went to the bathroom with bugs, lived alongside mangy dogs, and ate rice all day, everyday. Ministry consisted largely of physical labor. Our team helped to tile some school classrooms, hoe out a garden, and some painting. I think there was also just a lot of relationship building with the people who live in the Pong Luk community. Our contact there, Lawn, has developed a great long-standing relationship with the community and has been such a blessing to them. Our team was able to provide some man power to help them get some work done!

Even though I only spent a few days in the jungle, I felt that God really downloaded some things to me while I was in Bangkok and reflecting on my short jungle experience. The people living in Pong Luk village lived in community in such a different way than we experience in our Western culture. But it got me to thinking about the community that Paul talks about: everyone living together and sharing all that they have with one another--no one possesses any certain thing; they all help each other to complete tasks or reach goals; and attitudes are completely selfless.

Maybe missions work is not so much about entering a community, sharing the gospel, and showing the people what the Christian life is "supposed to" look like. Maybe we have a lot to learn from those we meet and enter into life with. The church is meant to be a body, a community of loving, serving, and submitted relationships. It is meant for us, as God's children, to do life with one another within, side-by-side with our brothers and sisters, and of course with God.

The people of Pong Luk village understand community, humility, love, service, acceptance, joy and happiness, gratitude, simplicity, contentment, appreciation of creation, purity, hard work, and so many things that we as missionaries don't even grasp or live out in our own lives. Who are we to presume we know "better," or that we have something to teach them, or that we can improve their way of living? Pretty presumptuous it seems.

Perhaps we simply need to re-evaluate our idea of what mission is and change our approach accordingly. Yes, we do have a wonderful, life-changing gospel message to bring, BUT, how do we best do that? What if we were to simply enter into their world, embracing it and taking it on as our own; becoming a part of the community, observing the way they live life and learning what we can from them? What if we nter with an open mind that wants to learn and embrace instead of immediately instruct and impart? Practicing patience. As we would build and establish and invest in relationships with each individual, they would see our hearts, that they beat for Jesus, and we would earn our right to share our lifestyle and message with them. We would pray that they would have a burning desire for Jesus, as they watch us live and depend on our great Savior. Our gift can be an introduction to Jesus, and we in turn can receive the gift of living the body our as God desired and purposed it to be, if we engage and embrace first. Something to think about.

And, did I mention that we got to ride elephants? Tick that off the bucket list! Lawn arranged a day of fun for the team on our last day, and it was AWESOME.

Now for the photos!