Thailand & Cambodia Recap

howdy ya’ll!

We have officially ended our ministry in Thailand! First i wanted to say i know it’s been a long time since i’ve written, (thanks for staying tuned! 🙂 ) So this is a recap of the end of Cambodia and how my Thailand ministry went Thank you for the wait ladies and gentlemen, and without further ado, recap time!

Looking back at my time in Cambodia, i’m so grateful for my month there and the ministry my team got to do. I feel like a lot of that period was filled with a lot of newness of being on the race, and with that comes a lot of learning. The culture and language of a new country, how to steward the hearts and intimacy of my community, eyes to see myself how Christs does, and his eagerness to spend time with me.

Cambodia will always be a special place to me, and so will the people i have met there. The hosts that taught us so much about Cambodian culture and ministry, and the hearts of the kids we got to love on in the villages. I am truly so grateful for getting to experience Cambodia on the race, and i am excited to see what the Lord will teach me and my team as we continue forward!

Now moving on to Thailand travels!

We arrived in Thailand on December 1st, after about a 20 hour bus ride ( 🫢 ) my team and one of the  guys teams have made it to our host house in the Chang Dao mountains. In Cambodia our ministry area was near the city, and i wasn’t sure how ministry in the mountains away from all of that was going to look. It turned out to be so amazing, getting to experience our ministry in more of the Lords creation was such a cool experience.

Our team got the opportunity to serve in one of the villages in Thailand, and ever since we’ got there i cpuldnt take my eyes off of how beautiful it is. Whether it’s a walk to a coffee shop, the window from the classroom i’ve been teaching in, or the land surrounding our hosts home, it always seemed to be singing the Lords creation through its beauty.

There was a time during one of the first weeks we were there, we were driving back from an adventure day at one of the rivers called the hot springs about 30 minutes from our house, and some of us were riding in the back of a pick up truck home. fun fact, me and my sisters used to that in my dads blue truck. Special shoutout to Adams blue Toyota! Ask him for a ride! He’s really good at stick shifts!

Anyways, it was nighttime, and the darkness in the sky illuminated the little pricks of the stars, and they seemed to scatter all over. Some holding hands in little clumps and others standing alone in a solo beam, but all looking down on us as we tilted our heads to the sky. I remember thinking to myself how crazy it is that i’m here, and how lucky i am to be experiencing all of this! Im coming to learn more and more that this time is a gift the Lord has given me, and as struggles and feelings of missing home and anxiety start to fill my mind, his creation, which one cannot ignore, is a reminder of that. I also know i wouldn’t be here without you guys! Whether you have helped me with my fundraising or if you’ve prayed for me admits my stay here, or took the time to read one of my blogs all the way through, you have blessed me tremendously!

so if your reading this, THANKS TO YOU! 🥳

In Chaing Dao we got to the opportunity to live with our host family! Our host’s name was Wanita and Arron and they had eleven kids that we got to live with! Two of them are biological and the rest are adopted from the village. The whole family was so patient and sweet during our time here. We helped the kids with chores around the house every evening after our ministry, and when we got time, we played a couple rounds of uno. Every other day we take turns teaching them English after our ministry for about an hour. It was so fun getting to know them on a deeper basis, and i’m so thankful for the laughter and smiles  they gave me and my team every day.

Same as Cambodia, we started off our first week in Thailand in kids ministry again! We all got split up into groups amongst two schools to teach. I got to go to Yume Miki secondary school for that week, and my class was first graders! Their regular teacher was in the classroom with me and she was so sweet and translated for me! I taught them colors, days of the week, fruits, and other words in english. They were so full of energy and excited everyday. With them being so young and with the language barrier, some days were a little more challenging, and i wondered if anything i was doing or teaching was helping at all. I noticed when first arriving there, in the main concrete area there’s a picture of Jesus and the little children surrounding him hanging by the ceiling. That image felt like such a small encouragement to me whenever i looked up and saw it. His love for his kids is so genuine, and seeing that picture hang over the kids he has placed in front of me to love was encouraging through the tougher moments

“…. but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” 1 John 3

After our week of doing ministry at the school we shifted gears and did some work around our hosts home. Our goal for a week was to dig pot holes as a team around the property to help support the metal poles that connect a fence around the house. Wahoo manual labor!

Annnd after that we went to another village about 3 hours away from our host home and got to go visit a church in that area and watch Christmas music performances and worship from the kids in that area. We also got to take time one of those days to do house visits, praying for those in need and handing out blankets and other supplies. We were there for about 3 days and then headed back!

Thailand was so refreshing in seeing the Lords goodness in the kids and i’m his creation. i’m never going to forget the beauty of the country and the people we got to make bonds with. As much as i wish we could have had a little more time there, im grateful for what we did and look forward in anticipation! speaking of looking forwardddddd

Our team has now made it to Africa!! I am currently in an African McDonald’s ( bless their wifi) and writing this. I got an iced coffee in case you’re wondering. I’d probably give it four stars. a little less ice and it would touch the five star line. Caramel Latte. Go try it.

I’ll give you guys another recap once we start our ministry here, I’m so excited to see what the Lord has in store for my team during this season! Can’t wait to share it with you all soon!! Thanks for reading!

hugs! peace !

• Maddie !