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Good morning from Ma Oh Jo!
Birds singing, roosters crowing, our hut mom working, dogs barking, children talking, a baby softly crying- That is what I wake up to in the hill tribe of Ma Oh Jo. Though the sounds, sights, and smells are different than what I am used to, there is a peacefullness that comes from feeling honored that our sweet hut family lets us stay in their home and among their children even with the lack of ability to communicate with them. The inability to communicate through language has been challenging and frustrating at times, but we serve a God that loves and helps us to love regardless of ANY kind of barrier.
Quick side note about me: Last summer I went to Hanoi, Vietnam to teach English and I fell in love with the people and culture of Southeast Asia. God gave me a strong passion for building relationships with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and loving them beyond words. In August 2011, I was willing to go anywhere if God opened the doors for me to do so. I have been a part of The Well Community Church for about 4 years and had never thought about going on an Exposure Trip. As many college students could probably relate to, my two excuses were: "I am too busy and I can't afford it." But friends encouraged me to go to Thailand so I prayed for His guidance. Looking back now the answer was obvious, and even before my mind and heart committed to saying "Yes" to Thailand, God was making the pieces fall into place for me to go. Now that I have been here for a week, I cannot believe how quickly I have sincerely grown to love the Karen men, women, and children in the hill tribes of Thailand.
ITDP is doing amazing work here that is helping the people to have access to clean water , improvement in education, and the resources to have an income by growing coffee. Shortly before this trip, I had the pleasure of heping out a little at the Lanna Coffee warehouse and was able to see how the coffee is roasted, weighed, and packaged in Fresno, CA. Being on the other side of the world where the coffee is grown and hand-picked, I am inspired by how hard the Karen men and women work to put food on the table each day. I have no doubt that if you were here too, you couldn't help but feel blessed by the kindness from the Karen people as well as amazed at their incredible work ethic.
Today is Kid's Day so there are children performing dances while one third of The Well team is helping with the last circle of the water tank, one third of the team is working on tye-dying shirts for the kids, and the rest of the team is making bricks. With only a few more days left before we leave, there is an overwhelming sense of joy and energy that each person on the team expresses. By God's grace, this team has become a family with no conflicts or bad attitudes; instead, there is compassion, love, and a lot of laughter. Galatians 5:13 says, "You, my bothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your feedom to indulge in sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us. We are finishing up projects, connecting with our new friends, and more than anything else, we are loving and serving eachother and the Karen people (as well as being blessed by the way the Karen people have shown us love).
Please pray for health for a few of the team members. Especially for one of the team members who is not feeling well, yet still has a smile on her face and is still working hard. Please also pray for our eyes to be wide open to the opportunities that God puts before us and for boldness to show/speak of the love, hope, and freedom that comes from having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Da bleu! (Thank you and bye for now!)