A Weekend in The Mountains

My team and I traveled to a village seven hours away from our ministry base in Chiang Dao last weekend, riding on the back of a truck. We were helping with a Christmas event. After packing our sleeping bags, tents, and little “day bags,” we got into the back of the truck. We left Chiang Dao and went up a neighboring mountain. We stopped at a viewing point overlooking the mountain range while driving up there. It was really beautiful. Food, clothing, and even gasoline were being sold by a few vendors.   For a late lunch, I purchased corn, roasted sweet potatoes, and an egg. We ate and then made our way back up the mountain. We had dinner once we got to the village and then went to our lodging for the night. While I and others in our group slept in our tents on the porch, a few of us slept on the floor of someone’s village home. At four in the morning, I was awakened by the lovely sound of about ten roosters crowing. At six o’clock, I eventually got out of bed and went down to have breakfast in the middle of the village. Jok, a rice-based soup with chicken and veggies, was given to us. Along with a few of the local men, I took a seat by the fire. I accepted the offer for coffee from one of the men, who spoke very well in English. It led to an incredible discussion with him about where he came from and how he got here. The Christmas shows began after breakfast. Many people performed skits, songs, or dances. This continued all day. We stopped for house visits at lunchtime. We visited a home where a woman was barely able to stand.  We spoke briefly with her and prayed for her. She accepted Jesus and was able to do squats with ease at the end of our meeting. It was beautiful to see how God was moving. Amazing ministry took place again the next day. Before continuing with more house visits, we began with church and worship. During one of our trips, we saw a 17-year-old girl who had been ill since she was 5 months old and had joint problems that prevented her from walking. She needed extra care because she was also psychologically impacted by this illness. Since everyone in the community sleeps on the floor, we offered her a sleeping mat and said a prayer over her. She repeatedly said “ka” to express her gratitude. In Thailand, the word “ka” is used with a great deal of respect. She was overflowing with joy from the Lord. Because of the tenderness of the moment, several of us were in tears. I truly felt an abundance of love for her at that moment. I learned so much about God’s unconditional love for us and about His sacrificial love from this village. The broadness and depth of His love are so beautifully explained to us in 1 Corinthians 13. According to 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.”” The greatest of these, however, is love. “” The fruits of the spirit are gifts from God, yet without love, they are all meaningless. First and foremost, we all need to love one another wholeheartedly as He has done unto us.