Thailand May Serve

Our Thailand May Serve Team! This is an amazing group that I am so grateful to be a part of, and I am confident that great challenges and great joys are in store for us in Chaing Mai.

Reflecting back on the past four years at George Fox, I feel incredibly blessed with all of the opportunities for growth and service that I have been given. After studying abroad in Costa Rica the fall of my junior year and traveling to Egypt the following May, my heart has opened in many ways as God has shown me how to love and live among people different from me. I have learned not to cling to what I think is comfortable, but to accept moments of uncertainty and discomfort because in those moments God reveals the power of His transformative work.

This year, God has continued to bless and challenge me as the Christian Services Director for the student body at George Fox. I have glimpsed visions of God’s love and merciful heart for His world as I learn to serve and love those in need in the surrounding area. Last October I applied for May Serve, a three week missions trip overseas. Seventeen students along with two professors are part of a team headed for Thailand May 10th through May 31st. Partnering with the Garden of Hope (http://www.justfoodinc.org/) and Remember Nhu (http://www.remembernhu.org/), our focus will be on providing hope to those in, at risk of, or exiting prostitution and trafficking in Chaing Mai.

The first portion of the trip will be spent working with the Garden of Hope in the women’s outreach and culinary arts programs, helping with various work projects during the day and reaching out to women, teens, and children in the red light districts at night. The majority of our work will be relational, which excites and terrifies me. I am learning to trust that God will give me the words and actions to show the Thai people love, as well as the humility to be challenged and learn from their culture. For the final portion of our trip, we will be partnering with Remember Nhu to minister to the children of various hill tribe villages through VBS, clothing distribution, games, music, drama, and testimonies.

As I embark on this new adventure I ask you to prayerfully consider partnering with me through prayer. As our team prepares for and sets out on our journey, please pray that God will guide us and fill our hearts with love and mercy for our brothers and sisters in Thailand. Pray for wisdom, patience, and grace for our leaders, and that we may be open to learn and experience what God has for us. Thank you for your partnership through prayer and support!

"And what does the Lord require of you but to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8