Thailand

Hey friends!!

Take a seat, it’s time for another story

Early Sunday morning November 17th 2024 the squad sits in a train station, some lounging, most sleeping.

We’re headed into the next chapter.

The trains in Thailand are a cultural mixing pot. Tourists, locals, Thais, Malays, Monks, you name it they’re on the train.

Thailand is a complete switch from Malaysia. Instead of a conservative Muslim culture, Thailand is heavily nominally Buddhist, bringing a whole new set of cultural values.

Eventually we get off our train entering into Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Ministry
     During our time in Thailand we worked with an organization that helps those who are directly on the front lines/conflict zones in Burma. We can’t directly mention the name, but all to say it was some real stuff. We would sit through “Monday morning meetings” and get like full military debriefs on how to deliver the supplies to the needed medical units currently on the field. Then usually they would direct our group to help clean around the office, it felt very different then where the action was…

A debrief on the history of Burma (very serious I suppose)

    But this season really taught me that ministry doesn’t always have to look like “ministry”. Most of our time was spent cleaning, and painting, and this opened up the possibility for those higher up to take care of the more important tasks, it’s like “moving the small rocks” our mentor Zach would call it. 

   For me one thing I found the placing on my heart was to pray for one of the locals. His name was Mohm, he cooked chicken on the side of the street, and every day I would pop over to his stand and buy some for breakfast, it was delicious. But as I kept going I noticed that he had a problem with one of his arms, later I learned he was paralyzed on the right half of his body. Now the language barrier between me and Mohm was there, I knew only like numbers and short phrases, so we usually communicated in only hand motions and body language, so one day I wanted to pray for him, I looked at him and said the name of Jesus in Thai while putting my hands together in prayer. Now here’s what surprised me, immediately he stuck out his arm for us to lay hands on it! we prayed, and I looked back in reflection and thought about how this Buddhist man had attached the name Jesus with healing. 

Me and Mohm 

    The fame of Jesus’ name continues to spread about the face of the earth. He came healing and restoring 2000 years ago and still today He is known as just that a healer and restorer. I prayed for Mohm maybe 6 or 7 more times before we left and never saw the fruit, but through it I can see the Lord asking me, is obedience to me still worth it if you never see the outcome? yes Jesus, it is.

    Now honestly times in Thailand were hardly easy. My team walked through some challenges, we lacked in unity, discipline, and didn’t treat our time there as if it was important to us. This lead to most of the guys on my team just being ready to move on, me included. And really when looking back I was ready to categorize this as that, my bad country and just move on. But the Lord graciously showed me that this place was full of his blessing even though I was lacking maturity. In Thailand the Lord sealed up a place in my heart that he had been speaking to me about for almost 3 months: Burma. It wasn’t by coincidence that our students in Malaysia were from Burma, and now also the whole ministry organization I was with was focused on Burma. He had something to show me about this place I’d never considered. I could explain all that I learned about the conflict, tell you the politics and the different geography, but this would be missing the point, He was asking me to Pray.  Jesus’ cross truly is the only solution to our life and world’s deepest problems. Carter, pray that they would see my cross. and maybe you could pray with me.

Debrief
     For the last week I got back together with my squad, we exchanged stories, pictures, laughs, fellowship. It was so good to be back with these people I was beginning to see as family. One girl even shared a testimony of how she got saved during her time in Thailand! God is so good 🙂

Christmas Dinner!

    The Lord was so good and during our time in debrief he lead my team to a place of repentance and oriented us to enter into the next season with intentionality, Thank You God for your guidance. Part of our next season was going to be walking with a new leader. At first this really shocked us and we even had some controversial opinions, but it actually turned out to lead us into one of the most fruitful seasons of our race. so we welcomed Ava onto team

    We headed for the airport and I said goodbye to Thailand, soon we entered a new land: Albania.