Hey everyone!
Sorry it's been quite some time since I've sent out a post! So much has happened in the last few months that it's hard to squeeze everything into one post but I'm going to do my best.
We'll start in January... our team safely arrived in Thailand and quickly jumped into ministry there. It's hard to compare countries because of how different they were but I'd say most of our team really loved living in Thailand (especially the weather there!) For time's sake, I'll just share a few of the highlights with you.
During our first week there, our team took a trip up to a Buddhist temple outside of Chiang Mai that was a pretty surreal experience. It was unlike anything I'd seen and really gave us a glimpse of Thailand, the people there, and what they believe. I remember learning about Buddhism in high school social studies but there is something different about seeing it in front of your eyes and watching real people, children even, spend their days worshipping idols and bringing offerings in order to earn merit. I remember feeling really heavy and just burdened for the people of Thailand. Here are a few pictures I snapped while there :)
Ministry in Thailand was different than before but still a highlight of mine. We weren't there long enough to develop as deep of relationships with the students and many of them didn't speak a lot of English but God still used us for the time we were there. On Thursdays, our team started a Bible study for students at Chiang Mai University where we would lead a couple songs and a time in God's word with a translator. During that time, two students put their faith in Christ!
One Wednesday, we also got to to to another university and play some games with the students, get to know them, and share our testimonies. Here are some pictures of these things so you can see.
While God did some incredible things through our team in these countries, I want you all to know that we made the decision to come home to the states a little early rather than go to our last country. We were experiencing a lot of team conflict and some intense spiritual warfare that our coordinator thought it would be healthy for us to come back. As hard as it was, I can see God's hand in it all and can truly say the Lord has been so good to me. Coming back was really tough but the Lord allowed me to spend several weeks in Orlando, FL to process and talk about this year and it was such a sweet time to be able to transition back to the states and reflect on all that God did through this trip. I've seen so many examples of God's sovereignty in bringing us home when He did - some of you know that my grandmother (in Florida) passed away last week and I was able to be there with my family during a difficult time.
I'll be headed home to Buffalo this weekend... but I want to thank you to everyone who followed my journey, spent time faithfully praying for me, supported me, and encouraged me while I was overseas. It meant more than you know! You can continue praying for me as I transition back home and prepare for summer and school in the fall.
So grateful for you all,
Bailee ♡