memoirs from southeast asia - part 1

For those of you who don't know, Jonathan and I just got back to the States after spending a year living in Thailand. We worked with Campus Crusade for Christ doing campus ministry in Chiang Mai (north Thailand). It really was as they say "the best of times and the worst of times." Spiritual warfare was at an all time high in my life, and I was terribly homesick, yet the things God taught me and the ways in which He changed m
y heart and my world made it all worth it - not to mention the fun and crazy adventures we got to have, the places we got to see, and the fantastic people we came to love.

Since we arrived home a few months ago, I've thought about Thailand so much. I miss so many things about it. My biggest fear is that I'm going to forget. I don't want to forget the experiences we had. So many moments in our Thailand life contributed to joy in my heart and life lessons that changed me for the better. I gained new perspective, new habits and new appreciations for life. Little things pop up here and there that remind me of times in Thailand. To the average person, these memories might seem insignificant, but in my heart they are connected in so many ways to my experiences there and my love for things Thai. I want to use my blog to record these random memories in an effort to always remember the small things that made a huge impact. A prime example:

The other day I went into Smoothie King. I've heard how great their smoothies are, and I was just dying to try one. So, I ordered my 20oz. skinny vanilla Slim Trim smoothie with the fiber blend added, then stepped aside to patiently wait to pay*. While waiting, I began surveying the different supplements and protein bars displayed around the store. Suddenly my eyes landed on this little bar: the Clif bar. This one insignificant little bar instantly triggered a distinct memory from Thailand.

Tsunami Relief.

Once again - it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Our STINT team, along with many Thai students spent a week on Koh Chang (Elephant Island), located a couple of hours off the coast of South Thailand. It was a tough week: the food, the heat, the dirt (notice my profile description), sleepless nights with bugs as bedmates instead of my sweet husband etc etc. Oh, but the many sweet memories and lessons learned during that week make it an overall dear memory of the past.

Now, don't get me wrong, Thai food is mostly delicious - I love it in so many ways. However, there are some dishes that aren't quite as tasty as others, and our sweet cook just happened to have the menu for the week stocked with meals such as these. I had packed a stash of peanut butter and some crackers and apples just in case I found myself in a predicament such as this. A friend who was also there for the week, Judy, happened to have brought along some Clif bars, as well. I had never seen or heard of a Clif bar until she sauntered up to me one sweltering afternoon and slipped this tasty little treat into my hand. I instantly decided to save it until I really needed it, which I suspected would be the case later in the week. And so it was.

The last day that we were on the island, Judy and I spent the morning hiking to the other side of the island to see the one school that existed there. It was about an hour hike one way, which the Thai children walked every single day.

This was taken during our hike.




This is Judy and our Thai friend who helped us find the way. Sorry the pictures are so small and crappy- it's a long story, but hopefully I'll be able to replace them soon.

Thai children working away at school

So, after visiting the school, we made the long trek back to where we were working that week....just in time for lunch. Now, I try to be really low maintenance (for those of you who know me you're probably having a good laugh trying to imagine that), and my time in Thailand definitely contributed to me being lower maintenance I like to think. But this day, I was so tired from the week of work, so hungry and hot...and all I wanted was something familiar and tasty to give me a little "pick me up." Suddenly, in my mind's eye, I could see that little Clif bar, just patiently waiting to be devoured. So, while everyone lined up to get a big bowl of green rice, I snuck up to my backpack and snatched up the bar. Guys, I made that bar last about 40 bites. It was sooooo good.
Just as I was licking my fingers and savoring the last bit of flavor from my little treat, I see one of the cutest little girls on the island headed for the food. When our group would finish with the meal, there would always be plenty of leftovers to distribute to the people who lived there. The kids LOVED it!! They would get so excited. So, I see this little girl racing for the food with bowl in hand. She had been running around all week, a favorite of ours because of her outgoing, crazy funny personality. Sidenote - she wore this dress about 30% of the time we were there. The other 70% she was a free little bird!

Here she is with her bowl full of green ricey goodness- headed home to enjoy!

Now, I'm not going to say that I regretted shunning the meal for the day and eating my own treasure instead, but God uses a Clif bar every time I encounter one to remind me to pray for this little girl and to remember every second to appreciate what I have here in comparison with what many other people in the world have. That may sound cliche, but cliche or not my perspective is quite different. Good different. Even in the middle of the afternoon when purchasing a smoothie at Smoothie King.

What memories or experiences do you have that have changed you or how you view the world?


*FYI: At almost $6 a pop, you may want to save up for a few weeks before trying this amazing drink. I've decided I'll allow myself the splurge only on major holidays and of course, my birthday.