thailand compassion trip 2012

The last 2 days in Thailand…

Hi all, This is Wilson blogging from Hong Kong.  

Today is Wednesday April 4^th, exactly one week after we left Phami Village on Wednesday March 28^th.  I am very much still catching up with my rest and processing the rich experience we had in Thailand that I want to share with you.

Just a quick update about little John John’s recovery (Paul and Milky’s son).  After he was admitted to the Chiang Rai Hospital on Monday March 26^th for pneumonia as you have read about in the last post from Kinsey, John has been discharged from the hospital and returned home on Sat.  He is a trooper with so much energy and strength.  Even in his hospital bed, he was hopping and jumping around (I got a video clip as evidence :-) ).  He has a joyous, radiant laughter that is just like Paul’s.  Thank you for your prayers for John John.

Saying goodbye to the Phami Village was more emotional than anyone expected.  Thanks to our friends Benson and Elani from the Bay Area and their friends from Khaodee village to pick us up on Wednesday March 28^th afternoon from Phami.  As the hour to say goodbye approaching, both the adults and the children felt the heaviness of parting.  Despite the language, cultural, and ethnic differences, it was obvious that this small community has established a place in each of our hearts, and we also have deposited a part of ourselves to this village with Jesus’ and our loves.   The 4 siblings of the family who lives inside the church ground spent the most time with us.  They also took it the hardest to say goodbye.  We have given them photos to keep and gifts for their family. Despite the experience of pervious mission teams visiting and departing, Milky said that this scene with such emotional intensity has not happened before.  Much hugs and tears.  We take comfort in the fact that these children are in the hands of God and Godly ministers around them to help them process their feelings and direct them to the love of Jesus.  As we sat in the back of our truck and its moving out the gate, Jenica started leading us to singing “This little light of mine, I am gonna let it shine” which has been one of our theme songs in this trip.  How appropriate and a gentle way of summing up what the Lord has given us the privileges to be in these 2 weeks while as our last impression for the village.

We then as a team headed to another area called Mae Chan where the Khaodee church is.  It is a church and youth center that testifies the mighty power of God in the past 14 years since its conception.  According to one of the faithful workers, Gai, who has been serving there for the past 12 years, Khaodee started as a piece of muddy land on a slope 14 years ago.  By the grace of God, the amazing faith and the prayers of the staff and the children, today there are pig pens, a rice field, a chicken farm, a student hall, dorms and staff housing, housing about 100 children and youths.  And they are contending the heart, the provision, and the timing of the Lord for further expansions.   God has used mighty people and gave visions to them, like Benson and Elani from overseas to participant in ways they can and are gifted in this ministry for the past years.  What a bonus for us to get to hear the testimonies 1^st hand!  It is also in this place that we spent a night to debrief and to conclude the Thailand Compassion Trip.  We were all tired, and still have a lot of information and experience in our minds.  We took the time to share a bit, and affirmed each other.   We prayed and blessed Angel and Angela who would be starting their next filming trip with Benson and Elani to Vietnam, Singapore, and Cambodia before returning to US in mid April.  

The next morning, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast prepared by the brothers and sisters in Khaodee, and had a walking tour of that land of testimonies.  We left for airport before noon, and get a chance to see Kinsey’s missionary friend Ruthie again at the airport.  We prayed and got sent back home to continue to be His little lights and to share what we have learned to you.  

Thank you for joining us throughout with your financial and prayer partnerships!

So i know, Stevie and I haven’t really said much on the blog so far ;) But I feel like so much has happened, our days are so full and I’m not sure what pieces of life here to articulate to you, in order to give you an accurate description of what we are experiencing. Although my team mates have done an incredible job. My mind feels jumbled and random- you should see the emails I’ve sent to my mom! lol
Right now we are all sitting in the hospital waiting room waiting for Paul and Milkys son to finish his examination. they say he has pneumonia probably caused from all the smoke in the air. He had it whn he was first born, so I think they are thinking the air had him react again. we had planned today to take their whole family to a mini vacation to a nice dinner and a night at a resort ( the cost of a motel 6 in the states - yet something on a missionary budget would be too extravagant) this couple has amazed me beyond words. they live in bamboo houses built themseles have dirt on the floor of the bathroom - if water goes out Paul becomes the plumber - literally pulled a crab out of the pipes for us when water stopped. milky is from hong kong and its very westernized there- living the way they do is def. a sacrifice for their family. Yet they feel called to the akha people and to the tribe paul grew up in. Paul said hes ok living in a lower house than his congregation so they can see him living by faith and his life speaks for itself. We had plans to take their family portraits at the hotel - but with John in the hospital I’m not sure how that’s going to work. :( It stinks that when we were about to give them a family blessing they get attacked & faced with this. On the positive side they have a place to stay near by a much nicer hospital than the city they live!! God really does always work things out for good. It’s just living life alongside these people you get to experience the day in an day out with them and see the testimony of Jesus resound from their actions. We come to bless and encourage and we end up feeling so inspired by their lives. It’s funny how sowing into the kingdom works like that. When you give you always receive. I feel so privileged to work alongside them these past weeks and be part of that day in and day out. The meals around the table together seeing the flea bag dog pass between our chairs so we can spray it. Paul giving us expert advise on the fruits of thailand and teaching us the proper way to cut them. everyone loving on the neighbor kids and hearing them giggle. Wilson asked paul how it’s been having us all around and he responded by sayng relaxing. We’ve all been ministering together and serving sowing and yet he feels relaxed is awesome- Wilson said while we were being prayed for back at cHOP he felt like the lord told him we’d be a cup of cool water to the people we meet. (hope it’s ok I shared that) & I really feel like that has been happening everywhere we’ve gone to everyone we’ve met. From angel wiping a little girls face clean and bringing her a smile. To Angela holding the hands of kids as we walk along getting them to smile for a photo. Jenica bringing a smile to sweet Joanne ( milky and Paul’s baby daughter) by singing a song for her about her. Stevie making Paul barefoot coffee (yum!) and helping little guys climb trees. Wilson being able to talk to milky in her native language and encourage us all as he leads the team.
I think the people im serving along with have made this trip an even more amazing experience. I feel so like minded with them and I think that unity is releasing light in a place of confusion. in a place so full of spiritual warfare I mean seriously John going to the hospital today of all days?! Everyone needs people to be their to hold their arms up and keep them on. being able to do that to the people we’ve met has blessed me so. The prayers, the songs we’ve lifted up and continue to lift up over this land are shifting things around here and I love that God uses a small group of people to do big things for his kingdom. I looked over our donor list recently and was blown away again by all of you that have been sowing in prayer and financially for us. You get to reap on all we’ve down here too. thank you again. I have a billion more things to say and a thousand more stories to share but that will just have to wait for now. If I’m kind of reserved upon arrival to the states- just know I may still be processing how a little village in the most northern part of Thailand has impacted me so & hopefully the jumble of stories in my head can become more organized to articulate them to you in the best way possible. love. -Kindsey