Holy Spirit

THAILAND

Thailand by water!!!

 

Ferry to Koh Samui

One of my favorite places in the world is Thailand, the land of smiles :) I went there as a student five years ago (I can't believe it's been that long) and began to grow a heart for Asia. I have been back many times after that, sometimes just passing through on a layover and sometimes doing ministry for a week or so. And I was excited to visit the team this year in the south in a few places- Krabi, Ton Sai and Koh Samui. 

Ton Sai Beach is a great place to meet the hippie climbers. There are huge sheer cliffs through the jungle that are great for climbing. I met the team here and we stayed a for only a brief two days before heading east to Koh Samui.

Climber hotspot- Ton Sai Beach

Long boats on Ton Sai Beach

This particular trip to Thailand was a bit different and hard. I ended up getting sick a few days into the trip and had to stay close to the toilet (let's just say it was coming out of both ends). I was stuck eating bananas and crackers for many days. I was so sad that I couldn't enjoy the Thai food that I love. I even lost my voice at the same time from a cold!

It was also a difficult time for the team. The backpacker scene in Thailand is all party. Seriously! People come here to drink, hook up, try drugs, go to bars/ clubs and sun themselves on sunny beaches besides the warm ocean. This makes ministry very difficult (not impossible) and the temptations all around are very real. Often just sitting in a bar with other travelers and choosing to drink a soda when everyone around you is drinking beer is a great conversation starter!

Typical Thailand- crazy looking statues and motorbikes

Bible study with the team in Bangkok

The highlight from this trip was to see the students reaching out to backpackers without fear of man. I was impressed with their boldness and willingness to challenge themselves. They had a passion to share about Jesus and I saw them just go for it! Praise Jesus :) This team also has a strong heart for worship and I was blessed to be worshiping God is this land. Many times we would start worship somewhere outside (a park or beach) and people would come sit close to listen, flip though the words of our songbook and ask questions. One time in Bangkok, a Thai man sat near us during worship. He didn't speak much English, but he asked one of the girls afterward if we were Christians. He kept saying 'Holy Spirit.' He couldn't understand the words of our songs but he said he felt the Holy Spirit and knew we were worshiping God. WOW! There is power in the Spirit of God.