Week 2: Oh yeah, it was Christmas!

Well this past week was Christmas! It was so wierd because it did not really feel like Christmas here because it was hot out, there was not any snow and most people here do not celebrate Christmas so there were not lots of Christmas decorations and stuff out like there always. is back home. But it was Christmas none the less!

We did some street ministy on Christmas, and a few of us also went and played with some of the kids in the slums. We handed out tiny gifts to the kids and even though most of them did not know what Christmas was it was so cool to give them a gift and then hear them saying, "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!". 
It was a little hard not being home with my family for Christmas, but playing with those kids and seeing the joy in their faces I was just reminded that this is exactly where God wants me to be. I was also reminded that we have such a short time here, and I do not want to take one moment for granted! I know God has me here and I do not want to miss any opportunity He has for me or miss out on anything He wants me to do.

So it's been another learning and growing week! We've really been focusing on building relationships with people here at the ministy we're working with, people we have met on the streets, and also just in our team. God has been teaching me to step out, to use my voice, and that when I'm willing and obedient to do that He blesses it.

I'll close with a quote from one of my favorite Christmas books. I was reminded more then ever this year that Christmas is not about things, but about Jesus and that He came down to be with us. So what better way to spend Christmas then sharing the love of Jesus!

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he had not before. What IF Christmas, he thought, does not come from a Store. What IF Christmas, Perhaps, means a Little bit more. "

~ Rachel

Week 1:Wow! A week already!

So, it has been over a week now that we've been in Thailand! It doesn't feel like we've been here that long and at the same time it feels like it's been so much longer than that!

Where to even start....
Well, I think it has finally started to sink in that I'm in Thailand. It took a few days, but I am actually here! I am living in Thailand! Well, for the next couple months that is. :)
We're now in Chiang Mai which is in northern Thailand. The first few days we were here we had orientation. We learned more about Thai culture. We learned a little bit of the language. And we learned about some of the ministries we will be doing while we're here.
It was a good few days of learning, resting up after all our traveling, and growing closer together as a team.
This really has been a good week of our team bonding, hanging out and getting to know each other even better. We have done a lot of exploring of Chiang Mai and shopping at the Thai markets together which has been a lot of fun.

Friday we went out and did our first day of ministry. Our goal while here is to build relationships with people and just show people God's love.
We are doing a few different things while we are here in Chiang Mai. The ministry we are working with has a café/coffee shop and a few of us are helping out/working there. So one of the things I am doing is helping in the cafe for a couple hours every day. Just helping wherever is needed and getting to know the Thai girls who work there and building relationships with them.
We are also doing some slum ministry. So we go into the slums nearby and just play with the kids there. It's so cool to see the joy in their faces just from us taking the time to come and hang out with them and play simple games with them!

In closing it was a good week! God has been teaching me a lot and reminding me that this is where He has called me to be, that I need to be fully here, fully present and to never take a moment for granted, to just take the time to love the people around me.

So, with excitement for all that God still has in store...I'm here, I'm ready!
~Rachel

THAILAND!!!!!

We made it to Thailand last night!!!! We said goodbye to the other students from our school who are going other places on outreach. Then after 34 hours of traveling,  3 plane rides, and less than 4 to 5 hours of sleep during that whole time, we finally made it!

I still can't believe we're here! It feels kind of like a dream. Probably because of the lack sleep and the fact that I feel like a walking zombie. But we're here and I'm sure it will eventually sink in. Lol!

We are taking a 9+ hour bus ride tonight from Bangkok, where we stayed last night, to Chiang Mai where we will have orientation before we start doing ministry there.

I feel like I have every emotion right now. Excited. Nervous. Sad. Happy. Exhausted. But despite all of that I am full of anticipation for everything God is going to do while we're here!

So let the adventure begin!

~Rachel

I Am Blessed!

I'm sitting here at the airport in Denver waiting to go home for a few days to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. And I started to think, I am so blessed!

I could never have I imagined or planned this journey God has taken me on the last 2 months, but it's been amazing!
God has really taught me and brought me through so much! I have seen His love in amazing new ways! He has shown me how forgiving and gracious He is. How powerful He is. How He is always with me and always working in and through me if I'll just let Him. He has taught me what it truely means to love the people around you. And He has brought me some amazing new friends that have grown along with me!
But the best part is that I know He's not done with me yet and that He'll never be done teaching me. And that's the most exciting thing!

So I sit here, waiting to go home. And I'm excited! I'm excited for this week at home with my family and friends. I'm excited to come back to Denver and finshed this school. I'm excited for Thailand and all the amazing things I know the Lord is going to do there. And I'm excited for whatever's after that. Even though I don't know what it is yet I know without a shadow of a doubt that it will be good and amazing, because with the Lord everything is an exciting adventure!

~Rachel

Snow, Outreach Prep & Home!

Week 7 just ended. I know I said it before but my time here has gone by so fast!

It's been cold here this week. It went from a high of 75 degrees last Sunday to being somewhere around -5 degrees most of the day on Tuesday! Crazy!

Sooooo, it's been a week with lots of snow, hot chocolate, sitting by the fire and even listening to a few Christmas songs! ;)


We've been busy with outreach prep this week. We've learned about giving testimonies and learned a bunch of skits and dramas for performing while in Thailand. It's been so fun and we've learned a lot about working together as a team! It's been a good week!


Thanksgiving is also coming up and I'm able to go home for a few days over Thanksgiving weekend. So, I'm starting to get super excited to go home and see my family and everyone!

Then I'll head back here and we'll have about a week and a half left that we'll have classes and finish preparing for outreach. And then we'll head to Thailand!

Have a blessed Sunday!
Rachel

I Started a Blog!

So, this Monday marked my being here in Colorado for a month now! Crazy! The time has flown by!

So, since it’s been a month I thought I should write everyone another update. And I decided it might be easiest to do that with a blog. So, WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

Here's my first post!

So, I'm in Colorado doing a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) DTS (Discipleship Training School). Our base - Eagle Rock is in the mountains and it is beautiful here! There are 34 students here, and they are amazing! I've enjoyed getting to know them all!

This is the view from my deck:

God has been growing me so much since I've been here. He has especially been teaching me to give up my desires, my want for control and my expectations to Him. He’s teaching me to trust Him and just live with my hands wide open to whatever He has for me! It’s sometimes scary, but it's an exciting way to live. It's so cool to see God work! His plans are so much better then what I could come up with!

Also, an exciting update, I am going to THAILAND!!!!!!! Our group is splitting up and going to 3 different countries for outreach, so we each had to decide which one we were going to go to. And God directed me to go to Thailand. We made our first payment for outreach last Friday. So it’s official, I will be going on outreach to Thailand from December 5th to February 11th! I’m super excited!

While in Thailand, we will be working at an orphanage, with a local church, and with human trafficking organizations. During the trip we will have the opportunity to do skits and dramas, do children's ministry, lead Bible studies, share testimonies, among other things. Really we just want to go and love people, and serve anyway we can. God has amazing plans for Thailand and I am excited to see how God uses us! I know He will!

That's all for now! Have a blessed day!

Rachel