Thailand Recap

Country: Thailand, Southeast Asia

Dates: 5/19/23 – 7/20/23

Team: C3 (Maggie Prokosch, Caroline Ball, Victoria Mater, Michael McKnight, Jaden Roberts, Amy Scott – Honorable Mention: Kara Perrault)

Local Currency: Baht (1USD = roughly 34.74Bht)

Favorite Local Food: I know this isn’t local to Thailand but Bella Goose’s Chicken & Waffles is all I talked about for 2 months so its worth the shout out here (if you know, you know)

Local Language: Thai, many English speakers

Common Phrases: Sawadee Kha (Hello, Common Greeting), Khap Khun Kha (Thank you)

Ministry Partner: Bella Goose Cafe

Ministry Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Ministry Host: Scott & Christina Kwak and Zac & Becca Calderon

Mini-Debrief Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Adventure-Week Location: Hua Hin, Thailand

What was difficult? Knowing this was the end of the trip was the hardest part of these couple of months. I was wrestling with staying present, digging in, and not coasting, all the while starting to consider what was next and awaiting me at home. I found it really hard to look beyond this trip. This year had been so formidable and overwhelming in the best way, but the pressures of what I would do, where I would live, who would still be a part of my life loomed over me. I didn’t want to miss a moment of Thailand or my squad, but also didn’t want to be an ostrich and stick my head in the sand attempting to stay ignorant to what lies ahead. It was a balancing act.

What broke my heart? Thailand is one of the most well known sex trafficking rings in the world, and the red light district was just a few blocks away from where we were in Chiang Mai. So being there and having it in front of our faces we had to come to terms with this reality, it was not something we could ignore. It was hard to feel so helpless when you knew what was going on but we went everywhere prayerfully knowing that intercessory prayer is powerful and we trust in a God who is sovereign even when its hard to fathom this darkness.

What am I thankful for? Being able to come back onto the field after a brief moment back at home with my family while my dad recovered from his heart attack. The reunion with P-Squad in the Bangkok airport was so sweet, where we got on a train with no air con for 12 hours, trauma bonding in the best way and would have it no other way! 

What did I learn about myself? Through a perfectly timed and divinely appointed conversation with a friend, I learned that I am okay just the way I am. I don’t have to be like everyone else, do everything like everyone else, or even evangelize or approach missions like everyone else. I can be Jesus to people in the way He created me, with smiles, laughs and tears.

What did I learn about God? I learned the God cares about the desires of our hearts. That He has created each of us for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). I got to see this first hand in the team that God orchestrated to be together and work for Bella Goose Cafe. He strung a team of people together to fit the needs of this coffee shop in this exact moment. From franchise experts, to spreadsheet masters, to creative geniuses, God did not waste anything He had put inside of C3 to glorify Him through Bella Goose. He also cares about what we care about and loves to bless us, whether it’s getting to meet your favorite animal or touring an old career literally on the other side of the world. 

Funniest Moment? This is hard to choose just one, so you are going to get a few. One night at our favorite night market some of our guys on the squad got called up to sing with the band. Once on a recon coffee shop mission one of my teammates accidentally broke a glass and we spun it to be a sabotage mission. The group that got to be with ActsCo had an amazing host that played in an Irish band, so our squad got to go see her perform in a pub (and yes in an Irish Pub in the middle of Chiang Mai, Thailand). During adventure-week we got to play a live action game of Among Us and it was hilarious and so much fun. And I could go on and on.

Favorite Ministry Moment? Other than the countless coffees and laughs in the conference room of Bella Goose, my favorite ministry moment was getting to visit Connie’s Home. This was an orphanage in Chiang Mai that my team got to go help. We simply played games with the kids and just got to love on them for the brief time we had but those little ones will always hold a special place in my heart.

Favorite Travel Memory? I got to touch, feed, bathe, and get hugged by ELEPHANTS!! Elephants have been my favorite animal for quite some time now, and getting to meet one was a dream come true! I loved their wrinkles the most. They are such majestic creatures and their enormous size made you realize how small you really are.

Favorite Mini-Debrief Moment? The memory exercise. Lindsey, our mentor, led us all on a journey through our memories from the last 11 months. All the good, bad, and beautiful experiences that we had; the laughs, cries, and feedbacks we expressed; the abandoning, the breaking, and the dependency we walked through; the intimacy with God, the community built within the squad and our teams, and the mission work we were able to accomplish. We sat and just let God bring things up and it was a beautiful reflection of the abundance that this year was for me personally. 

Favorite Adventure-Week Moment? At the end of the race we got to adventure together one more time as a squad before heading home. We ended up in a coastal town in Thailand, Hua Hin. This whole week was my favorite, I got to explore more of Thailand, take some time to relax and rest by myself on the beach, spend one on one time with some of my squad-mates, eat good food, watch movies, and worship and have fun together as an entire squad. It was the perfect ending to such a sweet year!

Thailand felt like home in so many ways, from the climate to the eclectic group of people found in Chiang Mai. I got to experience so many things that lit my heart on fire and all for the sake of loving thy neighbor. Thailand showed me I can taste & see that God is good and helped me marvel at the joy in finding refuge in Him (Psalms 34:8)!