Since starting college in 2011 my life has felt like an endless series of meeting people, getting very close to them, falling in love with a new location, and then saying goodbye. For a 10/10 “F” on the Meyers Briggs personality test (for those of you scratching your head, it means I am extremely feely), this is hard for me. Every. Single. Time.
Last week my team and I said goodbye to our Cambodian family. We left behind 45 children and an amazing staff of brothers and sisters to head to Northern Thailand for the second leg of our three months abroad. Per usual, I quietly sobbed as I squeezed each of the kids and hid under my sunglasses as we drove away.
Once again, I found myself asking why He would continuously send my feely self to do short term missions? Why would he give me another team to love? Why would he tease me with another beautiful country? In this, I kept reminding myself that I would not have changed any of it. I would not give up the nighttime cuddles from my favorite 6 year old, Channuth, for a stable and safe life. I wouldn’t give up 5 years at Appalachian with the best friends I have ever had for a stable and safe life, even if it does mean that these friends are now on multiple different continents today. It’s hard, but dang has it been worth it.
And then sometimes life (God) takes me back to my old loves. Today, I find myself in a little coffee shop in Thailand. Four years ago I was at school dreaming about what my trip to Thailand in a few short months would look like. Per usual, I fell in love with Chiang Mai in the summer of 2013. I fell in love with working with women in the red light district. I fell in love with the culture. I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want to go back to school. My heart was stuck in Thailand for a while after that. And now I’m back. A sweet, sweet blessing, that has been worth all of the instability and all of the goodbyes. I even got to spend a week in Chiang Mai reliving old memories and walking around pretending I owned the place because I know where to get the 25 baht pad Thai and can even ask people “what’s your name?” in Thai (I’m kind of a big deal).
For the next month and a halfish, my team of world changing, kingdom bringing, sometimes (usually) inappropriate college students and I are partnering with a local ministry in Chiang Rai (about 3 hours from Chiang Mai). We are working on a beautiful organic farm in the mountains. We get to love on women who have been rescued from the commercial sex trade. We farm with them, play games with them, and love on them. We also live at a children’s home again! These 45 kids and teenagers are full of life and love! They worship fiercely and play a mean game of volleyball.
Today, I’m thankful for change. Thankful for goodbyes that are more like “see you laters.” Thankful for culture and coffee and new family members. Thankful for technology that let’s me see my parents faces across the world.
I know the goodbyes are quickly approaching, but I wouldn’t trade it. Thank you Father, for a freaking exciting and adventurous life. Cheers, to my friends all over this planet. I love you each dearly and can’t wait until we all meet again.
