Thailand Recap 2

Wow! I can't believe this trip is almost over! Time fly's when you're having fun! It has been quite an adventure. To explain all of it I would have to say I didnt feel anything I thought I would, and felt everything I didn't know I would. While living with this "family", I have become a part of their routine! Walking the children to school every morning... helping them with their homework, eating meals with them, (yes, I braved every meal... haha most of it is very good!) Doing chores with them and laughing at their jokes... *even tho I have no idea what they are saying!

I have had the opportunity to teach English to several different groups, several days this week which was their favorite...! But my favorite moment thus far was making Lasagna for the staff and college students on Friday. All except Yao had NEVER HAD LASAGNA!  First off, if you know me, you know I don't really cook that much... secondly... Thailand does not have Lasagna noodles! It was quite an adventure and a crazy experiment trying to adjust to the way they cook food, while also making a meal for 30! haha! But you know what? it turned out better than expected, and we had a wonderful time! I even threw on some Italian dinner music for them to eat to as they walked in! They told me how they always dreamed about what it would be like to go on a romantic date and eat Italian food! So we did! #yummy #romantic

Yao, one of the leaders here has taken me in, allowed me to see the full and complete process of how this place runs and operates... from shopping for food, to the chores the kids partake in, to the schedule they have, and even the clothes they get! This place is so wonderful, so it is sad to know there are so many more children who need a place like this and cannot live here. My heart is so torn and because (besides Yao) no one speaks English... I have had A LOT of time with my own thoughts to reflect, be still, and just love with actions. 

This morning, we all had a time to share what we were thankful for, and the kids could not stop raising their hands to share. Things like "I am so glad I get to live here and have so many friends and family", or "I am so glad I know how to read and write", or "I am healthy! God helped me be smart and do good on my homework!" (The long list of gratitude goes on and on and on...) I got up to share, and began to weep... I couldn't get a word out for several minutes... Because I always believed I was a positive/thankful/faith-filled person... until now. I now know how much I rely on my own strength, or my surroundings to determine how full my "thankful spirit" is. To truly be thankful like a child... is to be wholeheartedly convinced that you are favored and no doubt about it!

We all have things that didn't turn out the way we wanted, we all have failures, regrets and should'ves/could'ves... But during this mornings session, all I could feel was gratitude. All my soul could do was be encouraged. Do these kids have some really sad, horrific and traumatic stories to tell? Yes! Would you have known? Nope! These children are my new heroes! Do they have bad days? Yep. They suffer from their experiences, past, feeling unloved and unwanted (I have been able to attend a few of their one- on one mentoring/counseling sessions). They have feelings and struggles just like we do, (if not worse than ours) but they build each other up! That is the spirit they have! Life! Love! Light!

I was thinking how amazing we all might be, if we built one another up constantly? If we truly believed EVERYTHING was a miracle, instead of nothing is. What might happen to our excuses and our doubts and fears if we replace them with encouragement and grace... What would happen if we took all the lost, "broken", abused and orphaned children/adults and put them in a place full of encouragement, love and grace? Well... I believe...

It is our job to provide that "Place" for people daily... Most of you on this email chain are some of the few people who have given me grace and love when I needed it most! Even when I didn't deserve it! So thank you! Thank you for being that to me! Thank you for supporting me in this journey and please continue to keep these children in your thoughts and prayers as my trip is coming to a very close end!