Week 6: Another year older

Ah, another crazy week has gone by. Can't believe we only have a little over of week left in Thailand.
It's a bittersweet feeling. I am excited to go back home and see everyone, but I don't want my time here to end. God has done so many amazing things since we've been here. He's worked in me in huge ways and taught me and grown me so much! And He's also worked through me, which I'm so in awe of that He would use me to touch other people!
I've also just been realizing, especially the last few days, how much I really appreciate and love my team! We have grown so much as a team, just in how we work together and support each other. I love each and every one of them and I'm going to miss them!

But anyways, what have we been up to....

We left Sila Home a week ago and headed to a church in Bangkok. It was sad to leave the kids I had grown to love. But working with the church here has been amazing!
We've done a whole bunch to different things since being here. We went to a slum community and performed skits and gave testimonies. We visited church members in their home and got to hear their testimonies and pray for them. It was so encouraging! We've done some children's ministry. And we got to be a part of a prayer meeting here at the church and part of their Sunday service. It's been a busy week!

But the highlight of my week was definitely my birthday! Which was on Friday. It was an awesome day! We went to a Bible Seminary and got to perform skits and give testimonies and just encourage the students. And, I had the amazing privilege of giving a short sermon to them about Joy. How awesome is that, that I gave a sermon, on my birthday, in Thailand!?!?! God amazes me! But also, throughout the day the Lord was just reminding me of His amazing, passionate love for me. I was a little sad not being home for my birthday, but all day my team kept encouraging me, singing to me and reminding me it was my birthday. I was showered with love and made to feel so special! I love my team and I was so blessed by them! God just reminded me that no matter where I am I am important to Him and He loves me so much! It was really just such a special day!

So, we have just a few short days left here now and I don't want to miss a moment of it! I want to make the most of this time here. I'm so excited for what God has in store for us these last few days!
I know it will be amazing! Because with God it always is!
Rachel

Speaking at the Seminary

Week 5: Here at the Orphanage

Well we have now been at the orphanage here for almost 2 weeks! It's been amazing here and we've gotten to do a lot while we've been here!

We worked on spreading dirt for a new soccer field so that it will be level and not flood when it rains.
We've done various little odd jobs and stuff around the orphanage to help out here.

We went and taught English at a nearby school. We also had an opportunity to perform some of our skits and dramas and give testimonies at the school. It was so cool to have the opportunity to tell them about the Lord and His love for them!

We have also been able to plan a few activities here at the orphanage for the kids. We've had worship times with them, done dramas and shared testimonies, played games and one day we had a sort of carnival type thing with them.

But so far my favorite activity time here was a couple nights ago. We felt that God wanted us to teach them about hearing God's voice. So we had worship. Then we gave a teaching about how to hear the voice of the Lord, that He speaks to all of us, that we just have to listen. It's not hard! Then we gave them an opportunity to practice. We played worship music and then had everyone pray in silence and ask the Lord the question, "What do you think about me?" We gave them each a piece of paper to write down what the Lord told them. It was so cool to see all those kids listening to and hearing from the Lord! It was a powerful time!

We've also continued to grow as a team and individually while we've been here! It's cool to continue to learn how we all fit together as a team. We each bring something special to this team and we balance each other out.
 

I love and appreciate each and every one of my teammates so much!

We are only here a few more days here then we head to a church in Bangkok for our last couple weeks in Thailand.
 

But until then, I am excited to spend a few more days with the kids here!

Rachel

Working on the soccer field

Doing skits at the school

Weeks 3 & 4: Ends and Beginnings

We have now been in Thailand for 4 weeks! Outreach is already half way over. Our time has gone by so fast!

These past couple weeks have had a few endings and beginnings.

First we celebrated the new year by setting off floating lanterns! That was so cool! I felt a little like I was in the movie Tangled! It was a perfect way to end the year and start 2015!

Then Saturday was our last day at Lighthouse in Action (the ministry we were working with in Chiang Mai). Our time there was so good! We got to do alot of different ministry things while there: working in the slums, street ministry, prayer walks and helping in the Café.

Our team also grew a lot while there. We really learned to listen to the Lord and to follow where He directed, even if it was not how we expected things to go or not we what we thought they would look like. God also taught me a lot about relying on Him every moment. That when I choose to walk with Him throughout my day, He will direct me. And that there is blessing in trusting and listening to Him.

Sunday we left Lighthouse for our next location. It was hard to say goodbye, especially to the Thai girls who work in the café that I met and grew to love. But I will always have the amazing memories and I am so thankful for everything God did in and through me and my team while we were there!

So, we left and had a 3-hour drive north in song tauws (a truck sort of thing) to Sila Home, the orphanage we are working at for the next couple weeks. We pulled in and I knew I was going to love it here! It's in the mountains and it is so beautiful and peaceful here!

I have been looking forward to working here at the orphanage. And it has been great so far! We've done a lot of work around orphange and the kids are so much fun! I'm so excited to spend a couple weeks here!

It's amazing to see the Lord working in so many different ways here. And I am so glad and feel so blessed to be a part of that!

Rachel

"Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I AM Going to do Something in your days that would Not Believe You, Even IF You were told. "
Habakkuk 1: 5

Lighthouse in Action Café

Sending off lanterns on New Year's Eve

Sila Home - the orphanage