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It was Christmas night, and I was wondering, What in the world have I just done!? In less than 24 hours I was going to be on a plane heading to Thailand. It’s too late to not go! And then we landed in Chiang Mai, and we had a day-and-a-half to enjoy the big city and its beauty. Ok, this is good.
Then we started the 5-hour trek to the hill tribes, and the thought came back. What have I done!? We arrived in the village, were assigned to our host family, set up a mosquito net, and started climbing the hill to the dining hall for our evening meal. Really, you mean for the next 10 days? Come on Sam, get it together!
But after the first half day of working and serving together, side by side with the villagers, and with the team that had spent the last three months sharing and getting to know one another, I was blessed to be in Thailand. When Jesus says, “And you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8), well this may not have been the “remotest,” but you could see it from here. And it was awesome! Jesus is building His church in the hill tribes, and we get to see and be a part of it.
There is a solid group of believers in the hill tribe village, and these people are filled with joy – joy that is overflowing. This joy will forever be imprinted on my heart and in my mind. By our standards, they don’t have much in way of comforts, like hot water, a soft bed, electricity (they have some on a very limited basis), and a regular flushing toilet. But they have the joy of the Lord, and it seems to be more than enough.
Through much work and prayer with three generations of missionaries called the Manns, God is building His church in the hill tribes. And by bringing these people fresh water for their daily use, they are also receiving the Living Water. The physical needs of sanitation, medicine, education and agriculture are also helping these people have a much higher standard of living. Most importantly, helping to meet the physical needs of these people, with and in the love and name of Jesus, is making an eternal difference. And I was blessed to see and be a part of it. I can’t wait to go back (which will happen in December, 2015).
Maybe you should go see and be a part of what God is doing in the “remotest part of the earth.” Check out upcoming Exposure Trips through The Well and learn more about our team’s time in Thailand by coming to Stories of Mission, Friday, February 20.