Mission in Thailand: The Big Move to Chiang Rai

Good-bye Chiang Mai! I will miss you!

The end of full-time language study
I had been praying for quite some time to see where the Lord was leading me. I had originally planned to only study the language for the next 6 months or so (depending on how comfortable I would be in using it) when, to my surprise, God had answered my prayers and I had reached a level much higher than I had anticipated. Don’t get me wrong—I still have a loooooooooong way to go but I felt that perhaps, if it was the Lord’s will, for me to go ahead and get started in ministry work while being immersed in the language and learning it that way. There is only one problem—I don’t know really know royalty vocabulary (the language you use in speaking about God, Jesus, the Bible, kings, higher authority, etc.). Therefore, I can’t share much from God’s Word nor can I pray in this language because I had not previously had a biblical module in this language. I had tried to get started on it a bit in November last year but the schedule around Christmas is always busy and it has been difficult to keep it going. I have stopped language learning since and had only recently picked it back up last month (almost a year later) at Payap University. The pictures below are from a field trip that my class took in Chiang Mai:

I have suddenly become a professional Thai singer (นักร้อง) at the Museum Festival of Chiang Mai, 2010

Posing with my Thai language studies professor, Ajarn (teacher) Ray

God’s leading in ministry
Anyway, I was presented with a few options in the province of Chiang Rai but wasn’t sure which path to follow. After praying, fasting, and speaking with my prayer team, I felt the Lord leading me towards Christian Paisansart School (CPS) Dormitory where I now volunteer as a part of the staff. I took many things into consideration: the location, the experience I would receive, the responsibilities I would take on, the positives and negatives, the relationships I would have, and where I anticipate the Lord leading me next and how this could possibly affect it.

CPS Dormitory Staff at Mae Sa Long

I knew without a doubt, however, that I would have to leave my life in Chiang Mai behind no matter what. If I wasn’t pursuing language study full-time, I knew that I shouldn't be there any longer. (Don’t get me wrong—I loved staying there. I had the freedom to go where I want whenever I wanted, my own place to pray, study, or do whatever, visit friends, try out restaurants, worship with and encourage various believers in the Lord, tutor English, visit friends, and visit friends. I miss my friends in Chiang Mai terribly…nothing is more enjoyable for me than spending time with the Lord, whether it may be doing it alone or with a friend where we can pray for and encourage one another). I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to towards focusing on ministry work for the time being rather than furthering my language learning. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that there is "a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." We must always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading, discerning our gifts and calling in accordance with Scripture, and putting our priorities in order while looking asking God for clarity in the big picture of our lives.

My "work station" as I put in concentrated effort on homework and ministry planning

A piping-hot cup of mocha! Yum-O! :)

Saying good-bye without saying good-bye
Sadly, I had left on a last minute notice. I did not know exactly when I would travel to Chiang Rai, but I knew it was going to be somewhere at the end of October close to when the kids would be coming back to school for their second term. By the time I had found out, I felt that the Lord was saying, “Go ahead! Go for it!” The only thing I regret is not having proper closure with friends…and I feel completely terrible about it. If you guys are reading this, I just want to say that I REALLY REALLY MISS YOU...ALL OF YOU...AND I WOULD LOVE TO COME BACK AND PROPERLY SAY GOOD-BYE. :***(

First of all, I had really begun enjoying Bible study and seeing other missionaries (mostly single adults) in the area. I had grown closer to the girls there these past few months and had not properly said good-bye to them. Not only that, but I missed out on my chance to worship with and visit my Hmong-Thai family in Sansai (Pastor Zaam Nug Yaj/Bunsoem), Doua Her, one of my mentors, and Hannah (Hmong name: Ncws), one of my best friends here. I had originally planned to go to Doi Inthanon with Hannah to celebrate her birthday, visit her family in her village, and go sight-seeing in what is considered the highest mountain point in all of Thailand where the weather is always cool and the flowers stay beautiful year-round (well, at least that’s what I’ve heard)…I just keep telling myself that there will be an opportunity soon for me to go back and visit. Plus, my heart was touched by a few kids at a hostel in Doi Saket called the House of Blessing (also on facebook) . I had wanted to go back and bless the children with snacks and games while teaching them a lesson or two from God’s Word. If it’s pleasing to the Lord, I would still like the opportunity to go back and bless them along with a number of others whom I had promised to see and visit before I left! :S