Do you have cities or places that don’t exactly feel like home but have a really high level of comfort/familiarity? Chiang Mai, Thailand is one of those places for me.
I first visited on my World Race in September of 2014. Four years later I was on a plane again heading to spend the majority of September in the land of smiles, massages and pad thai.
In between these two trips I actually visited twice more, both times running training camps for the World Race Fusion route.
A lot of energy, time, prayer, tears and laughter has been spent in this city and country. The launching point for the last three years of my professional/ministry life.
I was excited for this trip but I also wasn’t sure what to expect or how I would feel. As I type this from the Taipei airport on my way home, I reflect on the new life that this familiar city brought.
The majority of my time was spent with my current WR Fusion squad. The difference from the past years is this group is serving in month 9, heading towards the end of their journey and much more seasoned than the month one experiences of other squads.
Seasoned is a good word choice because we have definitely been through a lot. We’ve had participants transition off the field for a variety of reasons, different physical/health challenges, seen God move in ways we could not have imagined, discovered a deeper understanding of WHO we are and encountered God in beautfiul ways.
The first week was spent facilitating a ‘Parent Vision Trip’ where we had 3 parents come out to sepnd time with their kids on the field. Normally trips this small would not be ‘green lighted’ but we felt like the trip was supposed to happen even if it was just for one parent…so we found a way to make it happen. It was such a blessing for me to see the parents engage in ministry and the lifestyle that their kids have grown in this year, as well as Racers living out the ways they’ve grown this year.
The second week was spent running a ‘debrief’ similar to the 3 we have had previously in the year. Our focus each debrief is ‘Rest, Reflection and Refocus’. More than ever before this year I feel we were able to as a group grab hold of those concepts and come away simultaneously encouraged by what God has been doing and excited for the future.
My last portion of time was a bit unique, as we’ve launched a long-term ‘base’ in Chiang Mai since the previous time I was here. I was able to spend some quality time with the team and came away encouraged by their obedience in following God’s call to the other side of the world. Some of the team were really close friends in Georgia and I was reminded of why they bring me so much life.
Thailand will always be one of my favorite places in the world. This trip God reminded me that even in the known and comfortable he can bring new life or new experiences to reveal is goodness.
Please be praying for the WR Fusion squad as they wrap up their time in Thailand and transition to Cambodia in a week.
