A little over a month ago, I walked off a plane and found myself in Thailand. Yes, I knew I was going there, but in the hazy oblivion that is travel, time loses its identity and somehow so does everything else. We just went 8,000 miles over the world's largest ocean in the last few hours? Of course we did. 12 hours just vanished because we crossed an invisible line of longitude? Of course they did. So, we time-traveled? I think that back when travel involved sails and weeks instead of wings and hours, you could really comprehend how far you had gone. Now I can just take a few naps, tell the friendly flight attendant whether I'd like beef with rice or chicken with pasta--and suddenly I step out of my travel-induced haze onto the other side of the world. Of course.
This was my first venture into Asia, and I had a blast! I love new places, new sounds and people and everyday details that could escape my notice, but make up the rhythm and breath of a country. I met some delicious new kinds of fruit, tried to bargain at the markets, practiced saying "thank you" in Thai, lost my voice and hoped people would understand me anyway. I wished for the first time in my life that I had a motorbike to ride around on, and tried not to offend anyone with my feet or clothing. I smiled a lot, bowed occasionally, and wished I could stay longer.
But above all, I got to enjoy God's people. I'm amazed at what He can do despite time, distance, culture, language, and all of those things that I can't control or really even understand. I'm so glad God is bigger than all of it! Even the reason I was in Thailand is wonderfully confusing: I was there for the wedding of an American friend that I met a few years ago while we both lived in Austria; she and her new husband are now missionaries in Thailand, and he is from Australia.
But above all, I got to enjoy God's people. I'm amazed at what He can do despite time, distance, culture, language, and all of those things that I can't control or really even understand. I'm so glad God is bigger than all of it! Even the reason I was in Thailand is wonderfully confusing: I was there for the wedding of an American friend that I met a few years ago while we both lived in Austria; she and her new husband are now missionaries in Thailand, and he is from Australia.
So it took four continents to get me there, and I was just one of the many guests. Those two vibrant children of God brought people from all over the world for their wedding, and we whirled around for two weeks of wonderful chaos (check out that W alliteration...I wasn't even trying). I only knew the bride and one other girl at the beginning of the trip, but this eclectic group of wedding guests was there for so much more, and the way our God wove our lives together, even for such a short time, was something only He can do. We laughed and prayed and encouraged and challenged each other, and the love of Jesus just poured and squeezed out all through that group.
We spent some fleeting but great time with the kids my friends teach; we saw their school, took them to climb a waterfall, and took them out to dinner. One girl was my pal for the week; we talked about our families, sang, and I asked her to teach me a few words in her language and gave her and the other kids plenty to laugh about as I tried to learn. When we went to dinner, she had me try almost everything on the buffet, and I'm still not sure of all the things that ended up in my stomach that day, but they were delicious!
I wish I could describe all of this better; I feel like I'm only hitting bits and pieces of this trip and missing the depth, but there's really not enough space or time for that. I can't think of a better way to have started my year, and I'm still enjoying it, even being back home in my normal routine. I don't want to let anything get too normal, though, and I'm so in awe of the God who has designed our lives and perfectly woven us into what He is doing. He sends us out with His love and His word, and that's a powerful combination if we're willing to follow Him. Nothing is insignificant--He can use a second or a word or a friend of a friend, or He can use decades, conversations, and families to draw people to know Him. I love it!
I haven't put any pictures of the wedding or school up here for security and such things, but here's a random unrelated Thai wedding that I ran into while visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Please pray for my friends' ministry and for that part of the world. There was such a spiritual urgency there, and I can't wait to see more of what God is doing.
You can check out the ministry's website here: http://helpsavethekids.org/
When I was leaving the wedding, which was the last day we saw the school kids, I got to spend a little more time with the girl who was my buddy and language teacher. When it was time to go she gave me a big hug and said, "see you...see you..." then shouted something to the other kids, one of whom shouted back, "heaven!" She smiled. "See you in heaven!"
*For more on the ridiculous cuteness of my nieces and other fun stuff, visit my sister's blog here: http://cariboucastle.blogspot.com/
