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Darren Lo, Spencer Sun, Danny Orh, Kylie Liu, Bryan Guan, Hannah Wong, and Kayley Kong

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Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Thailand Missions (2018) "Things I Miss..."


Hey everyone! It’s been a few days since we got back home from Thailand and I, unfortunately, still have jet lag. I’ve been sleeping at 4am and waking up at random times in the morning before forcing myself to go back to sleep till 3pm. For those of you that know me well, that might sound normal for me, but even staying up till 4am is unusual for me. While staying up late, I’ve been trying to put together my last update letter for my supporters. This has been helping me reflect on those unforgettable ten days and making me miss the daily routines we had in Chiang Mai. Here are some things that I have been missing about Thailand:

1) The Team
I don’t mean to sound all mushy, but I really do miss being around my fellow team members. Whether we be doing our morning devotions, experiencing Denise’s excellent driving skills, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, playing games with the students, going to the night market, learning about Thai culture, or just traveling together…Even though we may not be close to every single team member, there definitely was a sense of unity and love. We relied on one another for support, prayer, and encouragement while doing ministry. (I’m missing Alisa’s complimentary wake up songs most of all)

2) The Centre/The Thai Students
Although I was low-key nervous every time I walked into the building, I always looked forward to the warm and welcoming environment of The Centre. Not only the staff, but the students would always seem so happy and excited to see you again. They would make sure to make eye contact with you, smile, and greet you. Not only are they friendly, but they are all considerate people who aren’t afraid to help out with setting up for events or sharing their food with you. I will also miss their enthusiasm during games and how competitive they are. The community there really reminded me of Commuters, one of our church’s collegian fellowships that I attend.

3) The Night Markets
There was one by The Centre that seemed to be open every night. They had so many different options of food, dessert, clothes, and other goodies! As well, there were night markets that opened only on the weekends, which was more similar to the 626 night markets that we have here. However, the food they had were much more reasonably priced. The night markets also gave us opportunities to hang out with the students outside of The Centre! It was a great way to learn and experience their culture with them!

Aside from the things I have been missing, here are 3 things that I’ve learned and taken back with me from this trip:

1) I learned that sometimes the things that I get nervous about doesn’t end up to be as nerve-wracking as I expected them to be. On the night we left for Thailand, I was freaking out in the car on the way to LAX. I was so worried that absolutely EVERYTHING would go wrong during the trip. That I would have forgotten to bring something essential, would get 1000 bug bites, that I wouldn’t be able to speak a word to the students, and that I wasn’t spiritually/emotionally ready overall for this missions trip. Thankfully my good friend, Jenay Yuen, was there to send me off with warm encouragements and prayers. After a couple days in Thailand, I realized that I was silly for being so nervous over nothing as everything was more than fine! I didn’t forget to bring anything, didn’t get any bug bites (at least I don’t think so), and was able to interact with several students! I was also really nervous about telling my life story in front of the Thai students, but it actually didn’t turn out so bad. In fact, a student was moved by my story and told me how they related to it! (For more details, check out my update letter)

2) Another thing that I learned, was that I actually enjoy working behind-the-scenes aka serving people through my actions. I was happy to go grocery shopping, to help prepare dinner for the students, and to wash the dishes (ok this wasn’t as fun, but I felt good while doing it). Although working behind-the-scenes might mean that those you serve won’t be able to see all your hard efforts, God still sees it all and will be the one to validate you. And sometimes He will even reaffirm you through other people!

3) Something I learned about missions was that missionaries need a spiritual recharge after doing ministry every day. It can get very tiring sometimes and the work might seem more like a routine that you start to do half-heartedly. The worship night that we hosted at The Centre was a great recharge for me. It felt different worshipping there compared to worshipping at FCBC on Sundays. It was very heartwarming to see the Thai students singing along with us even though they didn't know who they were singing for. As well, doing devotions with the team every morning was a great way to keep us serving with the right mindset.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
1) Please continue to pray for Alisa, Noreen, and Lillian in Chiang Rai! Pray for energy, strength, protection, and good health!
2) If you haven’t already heard, the 12 boys and their coach have all been rescued from the cave! Pray that this miraculous and glorious event will show the Thai people that this is the work of God! Especially for the students at The Centre, who knew that we prayed for these boys!
3) Pray for Denise Poon as she is currently on a vision trip in Cape Town! She is looking to see where God wants to place her next after Thailand, so pray that He will give her guidance and wisdom!


-Whitney