bowl bather and squatting pottier.
Still healthy and hearty hear in Thailand, and now beginning to settle
into the routine of what I hope to be my home for a while. I am
Also feeling much more a part of the ministry here. I have been
frequenting Dawn of Light church (run by the missionaries here) to
their many devotionals during the week and have quickly felt a part of
the team. On Sunday they welcomed me as the new missionary from
America in the little Thai church that meets in what once was a
mechanic's garage and the members were quick to say hello and offer
translations. I am going to be a part of out reach to a village
outside of Chiangmai by offering free English tutoring to be able to
witness to them and they have helped me to get acquainted with their
mission and how I can serve them.
One of the coolest things I've learned
is the origin of the children's home and it really hits a spot in my heart deeper than anything else I could be a part of here. Northern
Thailand is a notorious recruiting ground for Bangkok traffikers and many children as young as 7 will be sold by their families under the
guise that they will be offered a good job in Bangkok when in reality they will be sold to a brothel as slaves. We might have heard of this
on tv, but this is a reality that they have witnessed here and the home was started to take in kids who are at risk of this because they
are from big families who can't afford to feed them, they are orphans,
or their parents are very sick. I get sick to my stomach at the
thought of some of these precious kids I have been living with under
those circumstances. God has certainly reached down and pulled them
out of a pit of darkness, and my prayer is that he set their lives
apart for his glory.
I am excited to be able to start having a small devotional with the
four older ones who are college students. They are being raised up as
leaders in their villages and in the church and I think it is amazing
that I could potentially be a part of discipling them.
The little ones have officially stolen my heart. Probably an event I will never forget, on Wednesday after eating dinner, the five youngest girls Nee, Da, Ya, Nok and Manee (ten and twelve) pulled me into their room and start throwing all of these clothes on me! They are originally from two hill tribes called Lahu and Mohng who have very colorful indigenous costumes, covered in beads and tassels. I ended up wearing pretty much everything they could put on, while they dressed up as well. They taught me some sweet Thai dance moves and we laughed until Da told me her stomach hurt! It has been a while since I've played dress up and never has it been such an honor than with these girls.
We are going to have English lessons for the kids, but that is only an alias, for I have quickly become their new sister. They call me Pee Maggie (no jokes, pee means sister) and they already cling to me way to much and tell me they love me all the time.
Other fun events of my first week: Youth group meeting on Saturday complete with games and rock music like at home, special welcomedinner on Wednesday with yummy food, trip to a legit night market with the older girls (no tourists here!), and taking the kids to the national stadium to play soccer on Sunday!
For prayer, that the younger kids would come to a relationship with Jesus, that I would be able to communicate my roles and find my place
in serving in the home and outside, that I would be able to communicate quickly to have more independence, that a job would come
in God's perfect timing, and that God would bear fruit through SALT
ministries.
Much love,
Maggie
