Connections & Hospitality in Thailand, PVT, part 3

In September 1978 I arrived as a new student at Berry College in Rome Georgia. A new dean of students also came to campus that year, Tom Carver. Our paths have aligned in many ways through the years. Our most recent and longest relationship involves piano, I am his teacher. When Dean Carver retired in 2004, he began taking piano lessons.  As my kids started looking at colleges, I would ask Tom about them and he ALWAYS knew someone at that school.  What does this have to do with World Race, Parent Vision Trip and Thailand? When he found out I was going to Thailand he told me I needed to meet his friend, Rob, that teaches at the seminary there.  What a surprise, Tom Carver, has a friend in Chiang Mai Thailand!

As we began to plan our trip, I got Rob's email address and we began to correspond.  I had questions, and he had answers. I asked if he had a suggestion for a place to stay prior to PVT, and he did. We booked it for two nights, and so did 6 other race families! A week or so before we left, I emailed Rob that I would love to meet him and suggested that maybe he could meet us for lunch on our first day. Of course, I was really looking for someone who would help me navigate this new city and culture! Rob emailed me back and said that he and his wife have a spaghetti dinner every Thursday night in their home and that we (and other race parents) were invited! We haven't even left the states, and we have been invited to have dinner in a home in Chiang Mai. I was so excited.

Please note that one of my favorite things is to connect other people, especially if they are new to our community. Randy and I love to guide people to meet other people that can help them find a job, a house, a car, a church, or a friend.  So before I finish the Rob story, here are two other connections we had going to Asia.  There are two Berry grads serving with Campus Outreach at Chiang Mai University. They have been there since February, and I know one of them, Kim. Our dear friends, Jonathan and Sarah Pascual, met in Chiang Mai years ago. Sarah texted me that they had good friends that have a coffee shop/house church in Chiang Mai and we should meet them. We are flying to Thailand to do missions alongside Alyssa and her P squad, and I have people to meet, including families I that I don't know! 

I am excited to make these connections, but wondering how we will navigate and join up with all these people? I am apprehensive about being in a new culture, not knowing the language, not knowing how I will adjust to the time change, or the food. I had to trust that God had all this planned before the foundations of the earth. He knew Alyssa was going on the World Race, and that we would be with her in Thailand. He placed people in our path to make our transition into the unknown a lot more comfortable. God is so good.

Back to Rob! Our first day in Thailand, I called him and he was actually on his way to our guesthouse to see us.  Soon he drove up on his motorscooter (everyone has a scooter or motorbike). Rob is 77 years old and has lived in Chiang Mai since he graduated from college in 1960.  He had some years in the states working on degrees, but he has lived in Asia off and on for 54 years!  He teaches Greek in the Thai language at the seminary (that makes my head hurt).  It was great to swap Tom stories that morning at our guesthouse by the river.  He wrote down his address in both English and Thai for us to give to the Songthaew driver that evening.  There were 7 World Race parents that got to enjoy spaghetti dinner in a home on our first night in Chiang Mai.   

Hospitality abounds at the Collins home every Thursday night!

Rob and his wife, Esther, have hosted Thursday night spaghetti dinners for 20 years. It's always a different group of people.  Folks from the seminary, various mission organizations, students from the states, mission teams, etc... They open their home and show hospitality and the love of Jesus in such a wonderful way. It was definitely a highlight for me to be in their home.  In fact, the following week, I emailed him and asked if we could come again and bring Alyssa.  We went and met other fascinating people that are serving in Thailand in various ways. What a blessing!

Randy and I enjoyed our time with PVT, and being with Alyssa everyday was wonderful. We did ministry with her, learned about ministries in Chiang Mai, went to the markets, coffee shops, an art museum, saw elephants, petted tigers, prayed and worshiped with her.  It was glorious, but honestly our favorite day was the last day we shared with Alyssa.  We took a Tuk Tuk to the big mall, Maya, and had lunch at the food court.  Afterwards we walked several blocks to The Light Cafe where we were to meet Ann and Sinn (the Pascual's friends). We invited Kim Allerton, our Berry friend, to join us. Alyssa and Kim were friends in college. What a wonderful afternoon drinking coffee, making new friends and visiting with Kim. It turns out that Sinn used to work with Campus Outreach.  His wife Ann, knows Esther (Rob's wife). Kim's Campus Outreach friend, Brooke (also Berry grad), also knows Esther - from Cross Fit.  Yep, they have Cross Fit in Chiang Mai! Since it was Thursday, so off we went to Rob's for spaghetti dinner.

Sinn, Ann, Poom, the Nobles and Kim...connecting with new friend

"Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in working for the common goo;share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship - a different kind of "sacrifice" that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets." Hebrews 13:16 (The Message)

Cultural dinner in Chiang Mai

Elephant kisses!

PVT - Thailand, part 2

I read all the blogs of P squad...every one of them.  I comment on many of them. This group of people on 3rd generation P squad have encouraged me over the past 7 months. They are willing to ask the hard questions, go to the hard places, love the unlovable, walk into the unknown and embrace life with their whole being.  They hear scripture in a new way, they listen to God with new ears and they pray with a renewed fervor and spirit.  

I knew going to join Alyssa and her squad at PVT would be a blessing, but I had never been off the continent of North America.  I was not excited about the long travel days and hours in the air.  I didn't know what to expect because I had never been immersed in another culture.  

After a few days in Thailand, I found that being away from the normalcy of America to be so refreshing.  I think that is what the World Racers experience as they move to different countries and cultures.  In the spirit of one of my favorite P squad blogger, Melissa Bjorklund, here are some things that stand out from my time in Thailand.

So many

smells

markets - everyone is selling something

smiles

motorcycles, scooters, songtaews, tuk tuks

temples

spirit houses with food offerings

animals roaming the streets

people outside - sitting, hanging laundry, eating, talking, working, walking

coffee shops

The people in Chiang Mai never seem to be in a hurry

The children don't throw temper tantrums or seem cranky

I loved hearing the new language and trying to communicate with people and the racers do it so well and with such ease.  I learned a lot about relationships watching P squad during my week at PVT.  

I learned

share your story

hear their story

let go of your desires and serve others

accept those that are different 

World Racers spend 11 months in 11 countries serving and loving others.  They are learning about relationships and in turn they have taught me so much through their examples. 

Thank you P squad for living out Colossians 3:1-17

(my paraphrasing)

  

Racers set their mind on things above and put aside worldly things and desires. 

The racers have compassion, they are kind, they are humble, they are gentle, they are patient, they forgive and accept others. They truly have an attitude of gratitude and do all for His glory.

Fresh Vegetables at the market

Fresh meat at the market

booth at one of the many night markets

A few P squad racers reunited on streets of Chiang Mai

Visiting Thailand for PVT and The World Race

When Alyssa left for the World Race in January we learned about the Parent Vision Trip (PVT). Each racer is given the opportunity to invite his or her parents to join them for a week and do ministry alongside them. Knowing Alyssa's route, that would mean PVT would be somewhere in Asia. I knew Cambodia or Thailand were possibilities because PVT is typically in month 8 of the race.  My family all said that I wouldn't go.  I didn't have a passport, and I haven't ever been on a mission trip outside of local missions. Randy would go.  He has a passport and has been on many mission trips to Mexico and the US.

At launch in Atlanta we were given the book, Kingdom Journeys, by Seth Barnes.  I began reading and reflecting on the words of this book.  I began to ask God what He wanted me to do.  Would I be willing to get outside my comfort zone? What would that look like?  In late February I made an appointment to apply for a passport.  Then we get the invitation from Alyssa to come to PVT, it would be in Chiang Mai Thailand in July.  

As we prepared to leave the country for 12 days, people would ask if we were excited. I honestly didn't know what to say. This was going to be a whole new experience and I didn't know what to expect. Yes, we would see Alyssa, but the point of PVT isn't just to visit your daughter, it's to experience God and serve Him outside your comfort zone.  

In my life, things are routine and scheduled. I have everything I need, can go anywhere I want and communicate easily. In a foreign land all that changes. Being outside of my normal life, allowed me to focus more on God. 

Here are five things that I took away from my time in Thailand:

• Listen for His voice and use less of mine.
• Learn where He is working and join Him, even if it is hard, uncomfortable or messy.
• Love well.  This looks like listening more to others and loving them without judgment.
• Be the Light. The motto at Lighthouse in Action is "be Jesus with skin on"  Bring the light to dark places by loving like Jesus.
• Time is needed, prayer is needed, workers are needed. Nothing happens quickly, you build relationships by loving like Jesus and then you pray for those that come after you to water and cultivate the seeds of love you planted.

I loved spending time with Alyssa and her squad mates.  They have been loving like Jesus all over the world and they encouraged the parents at PVT to do the same.

Slum ministry means painting fingernails.

Parents of racers...great memories were shared

A ministry of Lighthouse in Action and a great cafe!

Alyssa & her Dad after lunch at Zion 

Alyssa and teammate Zach at Art in Paradise

Racers waving goodbye as parents go on excursion