One of the key
words that the Lord spoke to me at my training camp for the World
Race, way back in August 2008, and which came to be a powerful theme for
the year - as well as for today! - was
RECEIVE.
He is the giver of good gifts, and His love
is ridiculous!
The abundant life Jesus promises doesn't end
here,
Because He loves you. Because He loves you. Because He loves you. Because
He loves you. Because He loves you. Because He loves you. Because
He loves you. Because He loves you.
Because He loves you.
Because
that
is
what
He
is
like.
It is His nature to love.
And you will always be the Beloved.
And His love is unchanging.
And He loves you 100%.
He won't love you
any better when you become better.
He loves you 100%
right now.
And even if you have no plans to become better,
He will still love you 100%.
Because He loves you.
Because that's the way that
He is.
And even if you don't want to change
He will love you 100%.
Even if you have no plans to walk with Him
He will love you 100%.
Because that's His nature.
He loves all the way. All the time.
His love is
unchanging.
What will change, says the Lord,
is your ability to receive my love.
And… I want to crown some more of that ability inside
you.
So I challenge you, says the Lord,
open your
heart to me.
Open your heart to
me. And you'll receive
more of my love than
you've ever experienced before.
I dare you. Give me your heart.
Give
me whatever your obstacle is. I'll take it. I'll remove it out of the way because I love you as you
are… right
now.
I love you 100% as you are
right this moment.
I love you as you
are. So
be loved.
You are the beloved.
It is your job, says the Lord,
to be loved outrageously.
It is why I chose you. That's why I set my love upon you.
So that you would live as one who is outrageously loved.
That you would receive a radical love.
So radical that it would blow all your paradigms of
what you think love is.
And know, says the Lord, I will love you outrageously
all the days of your life.
Because
I don't know how to be any different.
This is who I am.
And this is
who I will always be.
This is the I AM
that I promised
you.
I am He that loves
you outrageously.
And you may love me back
with the love I give you.
You may love me back
outrageously with the outrageous love
I bestow on you.
And know this, says the Lord, you can only love me
as much as you love yourself.
So my love comes to
set you free from yourself.
To set you free from how you see
yourself. To set you free
from the smallness
of your own thinking about yourself.
My love comes to set you free from rejection
and from shame and
from low self-esteem and from despair and from abuse.
Because when I look at you, says the Lord,
I see something that I love.
I see someone that I can love outrageously,
and I have so much to bestow upon you.
So much to give you,
so many places to take you in my
heart.
But you can't go there
unless you allow me to love you.
And my love for you
will
break
every barrier,
will bring every wall crashing
down.
And know this, says the Lord,
my love
damages fear.
My love hates fear.
My love will fight fear.
It will fight fear in
you.
it will fight fear around
you.
and if you have fear…
know that you have a treat in store,
because my perfect love
casts out fear.
There is no fear
where I am present. Because my love
casts out fear.
Beloved. You are my beloved. You are my
beloved.
And in my love I want you to feel good about yourself…
I have been to Thailand several times, and it is definitely one of my favorite places in the world, full of both incredible beauty and horrific darkness.
Tiffany
Berkowitz is there now with the World Race.
Here is her latest blog:
* * * if my heart could scream
The variety of Thai spices that fill the air around me are enough to draw a wide smile across my face all on their own. Rubbing up against the crowd of Farangs (foreigners) and Thai people as we make our way through the bustling marketplace brings about an energy that can only be compared to the friction that a balloon creates when it's rubbed against a little girls head. Her hair stands up to salute the static energy just like our heads perk up to soak in every moment of what is going on around us. I hear tiny women calling out Sawasdee Kha! ushering us in to look at their brilliantly hand-woven scarves as we pass by their shops. We are met with smile after smile, and appropriately so, as Thailand is commonly referred to as "The Land of Smiles".
The blind performers make the street their stage every few hundred feet or so. They are propped up on their knees with their microphones, guitars, and various traditional Thai instruments as their hats lay out in front of them to collect the spare change of the parted Red Sea of eager shoppers. I'm not sure what their stories are, but I know that there is more than what we see. I know that they've endured things unheard of. Sometimes I wonder what they are thinking. I wonder what they are feeling as they can hear the bustling tourists around them. I wonder if they can feel the curious, and sometimes judgmental stares. I wonder if they feel alone in the midst of thousands of people. I wonder who they answer to at the end of the night.Especially the little girls.
The beautiful women on the side of the street keep their little ones close as they hold their hands above their heads in reverence to those that rank higher than them on the social scale. Something still doesn't sit right with me when a woman pays respect to me as I walk by just because I have a roof over my head and she doesn't... I know it's Thai culture, but I just want to scream. You are captivating! You have worth! You are the daughter of a KING! Don't you understand? You are royalty! Instead, I smile gently and give a faint Sawasdee Kha as I walk by slowly. I wonder if her arms ever get tired as she holds them above her head throughout the night in reverence to those who are worth something, all the while reminding herself that she is nothing, that she is no one. I wonder if anyone sees her crying at night, and I wonder if she's ever encountered the love of God. I want so desperately to bring her a God-encounter, but sometimes I'm left groping around in the dark for an answer to her hurt, and can't seem to find the light switch.
The vibrant orange robes float around the city, and sometimes it takes everything in me to not go running after one of them and embrace them with all of the joy that is in me. Yeah, I really want to hug a monk. The only thing keeping me from doing it is the fact that they have to do cleansing rituals if they touch a woman. (Maybe that's part of why I want to hug one so bad...) I walk through their temples covered in gold and laced with every colored gem you can imagine and I am in awe of the intricacies displayed before me. It's like a theme park for kids with A.D.D.-- sparkly things everywhere. The artwork in the temples is truly stunning. I look up at Buddha and I wonder what he is thinking. But then I remember that he is, in fact, dead. I then wonder about each of the little men in orange robes sitting before this elaborate display of false glory. I wonder if they ever desire something more. I wonder if they're satisfied. I wonder about their stories, and I want them to meet my Jesus. I want them to know a relationship more beautiful than any temple they've seen. I want them to understand that THEY are the dwelling place of a living God. Most of the time though, I am at a loss for words.
For about 12 dollars, I could purchase my favorite Starbucks drink and a delicious pastry to go along with it, or I could pay for an entire night with a Thai woman. Lining the streets are petite, beautiful women and gorgeous Lady-boys holding signs for the "specials" they have going on that night. I make extra effort to smile at each one of them as the women smile back bashfully and the Lady-boys wave flamboyantly. I am intentional about seeking eye contact with the American and European men that walk by, but their heads are hung so low or they are so fixated on the eye-candy before them, it's almost like our line of vision is blocked by opposing magnets. They rarely look at white girls. I wonder if it is because they are full of shame. I wonder if they even care. I am so full of anger. God always reminds me that they are hurting, broken, and in bondage. I wonder what brought them here. I wonder if they're satisfied. I know they're not, but how do I tell a man that is seeking pleasure that "God loves you"... it just seems to lose its luster when I'm face-to-face with a drunk guy from California that's just looking for a good time. And the women... my heart stops beating when I think about them. I remind myself to look for the light in the midst of the darkness, but the darkness that they face is so much thicker than anything I've ever known before. How do I love them when I have no idea what they endure day in and day out?
This world is broken. My heart shatters at the sound of a mothers plea for food for her starving child. It crumbles when I glance at the 12 year old girl sitting on the side of the street alone with fear in her eyes because she knows very well what tonight has in store for her. It weeps with the heart of God. Sometimes, all I can do is sit in my heavenly father's lap and weep.
Emmi grew up in a village in Thailand. Little girls in these villages are at high-risk for sex trafficking. Men come in and purchase them from their families, promising them that their daughters will have a job and bring money back. So when she was born, her family believed she brought a curse upon them because she was not a boy. When she was a young child, her father walked in on her mother conversing with another man in their living room, he acted without a second thought, and beheaded Emmi's mother before her little eyes. He was soon approached by his mother-in-law who informed him that the man was a cousin that had come to visit, and that he had made a tragic mistake, to say the least. He turned himself in and spent years in prison. Emmi was sent to an orphanage, and soon after, watched her best friend die of AIDS because she had been sold as a sex slave as a child. After years of bitterness, the Lord touched her heart, and she was able to extend miraculous grace and forgiveness to her father.
Now, Emmi runs Lighthouse Ministries in Chiang Mai. This place is a beacon of light in the midst of the darkness. It is hope in the land of hopelessness. It is a land of peace, a place of redemption. Stories like Emmi's, and places like Lighthouse and Wongen Kafe... are the things that we have to cling to. There is light here. There is hope here.
Thailand celebrates Loi Krathong - Festival of Lights - while we are here. I know it means something very different to them, but I believe that it's not far off from what God is truly doing. It is traditionally a time when Thais give thanks, forgive grievances and pray for good luck. They send lights down the river, and release them up into the sky. It's really quite beautiful. That's what we came here to do, too. We have come to thank the Lord for what He is already doing here, and to delight in the beauty of His victory over darkness. We have come to weep and pray for forgiveness for the ways that we have allowed the darkness to run rampant. We have come to bring light, to release hope. The presence of God dwells in us. THAT is hope.
All is not lost, but we have to do something. You have to do something. We... no... YOU do not have enough time to waste. You are loved by the King of the universe. Let that be your motivation to be love to those who have never known it before. Let that be your drive in loving those that are difficult to love. That is where the hope lies. What is the story of the man that sits outside of that one gas station every day? Do you know? What about the single mom in the apartment next door? Have you even spoken to her other than that time that her car was parked in your spot? What about your mother? Your father? Wake up.
This picture rocked me because it reminds me of so much of the body of Christ. Please, wake up!
You're loved. BE love! That's the hope that we have. If you have the presence of God dwelling inside of you, YOU ARE THE ANSWER. You are fully loved. Stop living in fear and in lies and BE love to those who so desperately need to know they are loved.
How? I suggest you start by getting on your knees before the King, and asking Him what He has in mind. He may know a few people that need someone to be Jesus to them. He might have a few ideas.
Stuck? E-mail me. I have more resources and connections than I know what to do with. I'm not going to place a call for the body of Christ to wake up, and leave you with no way to get involved. tiffanyberkowitz@gmail.com
Dates: 11 months
starting January, July, or August 2011
Application
Deadlines: rolling
Cost: ~$15,000
Ages: 21-35
Destinations: various countries around the world
The World Race partners with churches,
missionaries and organizations around the globe to do any and everything to
advance God's kingdom; ministry often includes service projects, mercy or
compassion ministries, relational evangelism and preaching, and pastoral care.
During your travels, you will live and
minister in community with a team of six other men and women, which in itself
will be a deepening experience.
You'll even get a chance to participate
in some adventurous activities like rafting the Nile, going on a safari,
zip-lining through Costa Rica, or eating balut!
Dates: January 2011 - May 2011
Application Deadline: October 15, 2010
Training Camp Dates: October 16 - 20, 2010
Cost: $7,300 Ages: 21-35
Destinations:
India,
Thailand, Cambodia, USA
Human trafficking, also known as
modern-day slavery, is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world,
based on the recruitment, harboring, and transportation of people solely for
the purpose of exploitation.
27 million men, women, and children are
enslaved in our world today, 80% of which are women, and 50% are children. We
believe that God has a divine purpose and plan for these individuals and that
we get to be a message of truth and hope to them.
Spend part of your semester or summer traveling to exotic locations all over
the world assisting local churches, ministries, and missionaries as you share your
faith in adventurous and exciting ways!
Dates:
October 28-30, 2010
Cost: free, but registration is required Who: All
AIM staff, alumni, volunteers, and friends of the ministry. If God has been
stirring you for something more, please join us!
Location: at the AIM base in Gainesville, GA
We've all longed to hear God's voice - to get a larger glimpse of his kingdom.
We've all wanted to grow in our relationship with Christ - to see what we read
about in Scripture actually come to life. Connect
with the AIM community. Participate in corporate worship, receive practical teaching
on hearing God's voice, and get activated for ministry.
Or November 16, 2010 in
Atlanta, GA
Cost: Free, but registration is required
Who: Anyone in professional or lay ministry who is passionate about outreach,
discipleship, and worship
*
* *
* * * *
The Sound of Hope
is a campaign to
raise awareness and funds for orphans and vulnerable children around the world.
We are committed to helping children break out of the cycle of poverty by
partnering with programs that offer holistic care. We seek to educate, engage,
and empower others to join the movement in creative ways.Speak out and awaken a generation
to help orphans in Kenya, Swaziland, and India!
New website coming soon!
Meanwhile, shop at one of their partners, TIMBALI CRAFTS.
Corridor Of Hope is devoted to connecting orphans, poverty
stricken communities and YOU. When
you buy quality and affordable products from these countries, Corridor Of Hope
donates resources back into their communities by supporting orphans.Yes, your purchase makes a difference
in people's lives!
You can browse the blogs linked to the aforementioned sites. Read about how lives are being changed and allow God to change you too! So great is His love!!
It has been ONE YEAR since my G-squad finished the World Race... So, where are we now?!
* * * Naturally, many of my squad-mates are dating (other people and each other), and some have even gotten married already!
(May 2010) Aaron Darlington & Monica Sarah Diederich & Luke
(August 2010) Summer Smith & Joel Chitwood Marisa Banas & Jake Rodriguez
(September 2010) Christi Johnson & Dan VanderWal Angi Francesco & Warren
Angi honored me by asking me to be in her wedding party (she dressed us in Indian saris!), and all of our Team Banah was there - minus Sharon who is working in Hungary with Teach Overseas + plus Ian and Jess (not pictured here). It was so good to be reunited with friends again, especially to celebrate love!
* * * All of my squad-mates continue to live for the Kingdom and are serving in ministry as part of their everyday lifestyle.
And several are still directly connected with Adventures in Missions and the World Race. Of the 50 people on my G-squad, 25 are now (or have been in the past year) on staff! They are recruiting, training, leading, discipling, and supporting the hundreds of young people who choose to follow the Spirit and partner with communities of believers around the world. I encourage you to check out what they're doing and consider getting involved yourself! (Click on the hyperlinks to browse the programs and blogs.)
Here are some of my beloved G-squaders who attended the Awakening Conference in Ireland a couple weeks ago.
* * *
As for me personally, I have had a great year! (Thanks for following along!) I am living with my family in my hometown again, pursuing higher education and teaching kindergarten at a French immersion school. I am also actively involved in an incredible church.
I hope to lead or participate in another mission trip soon, and I appreciate all of your prayers and support!
* * * (thanks to friends and Facebook for these photos)
It was not unusual to be greeted with, "One song please!" by the children in India (sometimes even the
adults).It was definitely the
most common English phrase we heard besides, "What is your name? … Nice name."
Like, they seriously expected us to just bust out with song,
wherever we were.
That could be weird.
So sometimes we did it!
And that encouraged the children to be bolder.
They started asking for "One kiss please," pointing to their
cheeks.
Although certainly more personal, sometimes we indulged them
in that too.
They honored us so much, acting as if whatever we did for
them was such a blessing.
That got me to thinking, what if I asked God for a song?A kiss?
So I did.
And He laughed and said, "Oh, honey, you got it!"
"The LORD your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
~ Zephaniah 3:17
"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth [or His Word]."
~ Songs 1:2
I mentioned these ideas to the other Real Life team leaders when
we spent a day together this past weekend to debrief our summer
experiences.Kelly Chadwick (RL Coordinator and my former WR squad leader) agreed that the Lord has been
speaking to her about indulgence.
She understands that to mean that
God wants to give us what
we ask for and more.
For example, if we ask for a 5, He'll
blow us away with a 7.If we ask
for a 7, He'll blow us away with a 10.Regardless of how much we ask for, He wants us to indulge us, and He will blow us away proportionately.
So
let's ask boldly, expect great things, and humbly receive His generous gifts!
He promises those blessings to follow our faithful
obedience.
You see, God asks me for songs and kisses too.
"Sing to
the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things."
UNICEF estimates that
there are over 25.5 million orphans under the age of 17 living in India.
That means there are more orphans
in India than there are people living in Texas or New York! And only about 60% of these orphans aged
10-14 go to a school of any kind; many are left to fend for themselves.
India Christian Ministries believes it is the duty of the church
to take care of the orphans, the widows and the poor, and that a good education
is the best way to break the cycle of poverty and instill hope for this
generation and those to come. So they have established church-based
family homes to care for orphans and other children in crisis needing long-term
foster care.
We visited these homes
twice a week this summer while in India, and the children really captured my
heart!
We sang and danced, read Bible stories and recited memory verses, played games and performed skits, and gave lots of hugs and kisses!
We fed their minds, hearts, and bellies!
And our laughter always drew a crowd of
neighbor kids too.
Each
Church Children's Home houses about 10 children (boys or girls).They live with the pastor's family on the first floor. And the top floor is where the church meets.
It takes a village, right?!
You can sponsor a child for $49 a month.
To partner with ICM, contact info@indiachristianministries.org.
As a teacher, I delight in seeing and helping people learn. So naturally, I have loved being able to step in and serve at Sarah's Covenant Homes.
They do a great job of providing educational opportunities for the kids who live there. There is two classroom teachers on-site, and the kids spend a few hours each day interacting with materials, practicing vocabulary and writing, etc.
(And I mentioned in an earlier post that several of the younger children have started attending public school too!)
My team has been able to supplement this learning with activities that require more one-on-one attention. It is amazing what these kids can do! (especially considering their physical and mental disabilities!)
* * *
The kids also receive physical therapy. But sometimes the best therapy is fun!
Whenever he sees us, our outgoing neighborhood kid leads a
chorus of, “Vicki! Vicki! Kaitlin! Kaitlin! Shake! Shake!” (They misunderstood
when Shea introduced herself.)This catchy new nickname reminds me of how quickly kids wiggle their way
into our hearts! (I will post more specific kid blogs again soon ..!)
In the past two days, two children at Sarah's Covenant Homes
Victory Colony passed away suddenly.The caring staff have had to mourn too often, but thankfully the spirits
of these two girls are free now, and they are dancing in heaven in their
restored bodies!
Theresa, an American working at SCH, got chili powder in her
eyes while cleaning out the kitchen cabinets.An Indian staff member immediately sat her down and licked
her eyeballs.Yes, she rolled her
tongue up under Theresa's eyelids!(The video is posted on-line.)Quick thinking replaced the burning sensation with an odd octopus-like
sucking sensation, or so she said.
While I narrated the story of the Lost Sheep (Luke
15) to
fifty village children, a herd (of goats) pranced down the street in
front of
the church where we were gathered.As our Good Shepherd and Father, God truly does rejoice when the
Lost
get Found!
At one point last week, Kaitlin finally expressed
exasperation at having to preach yet again.We prayed her through it, and that day, guided by the power
of the Holy Spirit, she delivered a very meaningful sermon.The local pastors told us that both her
and Shea's testimonies spoke directly to specific situations that his church
members were currently facing.Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!
As we make house visits, we are able to hear people's
stories.One church member was
secretly housing another who had fled there out of fear for her life.Her alcoholic husband had beat her so
severely that she had a permanent dent on her forehead and a broken wrist.How do you assure someone in her
situation of the Truth that God is good?
Another man's violent reaction to the Name of Jesus and his
unblinking eyes made it clear that he was possessed by many demons.We continue to pray for his complete freedom!
We were a little offended when the church children
said,
“Sari ... first time?” but we were honored when the church ladies offered
(well,
basically they just started) to unwrap and rewrap us.
At church the other day (keep in mind that we have
seats of
honor in front of the entire congregation), Kaitlin took a big gulp of
soda (something else they honor us with) and
promptly spit it out.She hadn't
noticed the fly on the rim until she felt him swimming in her mouth!
Despite the strong undercurrent, we love getting pounded by
the waves in the Bay of Bengal! (We have only gone to the beach a few times.)
Pastor Johnson shared a special beach memory with us. It was his first
experience with underwear … at the age of 15 back in the 1980's, he went to the beach with visiting friends from America. Key words: transparent briefs!
We are not at all surprised that miracle cures can be found
in nature, but the doctor actually prescribed coconut water for all our various
ailments last week.It is so funny
to hear the concern of our contacts when they (text us to) ask if we need more
of that tasty fruit.
These are just some of the many things that have made us
laugh and cry in the last two months while serving in India. Our experiences here definitely have inspired a unique sense of wonder …
We have adopted - but still don't quite understand - the Indian
head
bob. How can it mean so many things?!
And this.
Really?!
* * *
Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support!
SIX MONTHS ago, Haiti was rocked by an earthquake.
Remember that?
Did you remember them this week in your prayers,
or had you forgotten that they are still affected?
Adventures in
Missions (AIM) has a long
term commitment to Haiti. We're not pulling out.We're mobilizing pastors, caring for
people, and helping rebuild.
Several
of my personal friends are in Haiti this summer.My former World Race squad-mates Janina
Laier and Kyla Cornelius are actually leading another World Race squad whose
first stops during the months of July and August are Haiti and the neighboring
Dominican Republic.
Kyla writes, “I looked over the endless fields of tarp
homes, the rubble-strewn streets, and hopeless faces and realized that I am
absolutely incapable of having any sort of impact in this place. I was humbled.
I realized that I can do nothing in this
place, but God can.”
Another former
World Race squad-mate, Neil Bruinsmais responsible
for juggling all 800 participants that come to Haiti for the summer. He
finds good pastors for the teams to partner with and arranges their housing.
He writes, “It is a delicate balancing
act of people's emotions, physical health, supplies needed, unreliable
transportation, spiritual warfare, peanut butter and jelly, ministry, foreign
culture, and the movement of the Spirit.”God bless him!
And yet another
former World Race squad-mate, Steph Connors, is also spending
the summer in Haiti, primarily on a photography mission. (I borrowed all these
photos, many from her.)Steph was
amazed to hear Haitians reply to the
question, “What do you need?” by asking for prayer - not food, a house, or a job.Prayer.
They must realize
that the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces
wonderful results. ~ James 5:16b
My friend Jimmy
McCarty, also a World Race alumni and AIM staff member, totally understands the
spiritual battle going on.He just
returned from a short trip to Haiti, and he writes,
“While there are those who would scoff at this account, we
cannot overlook the strong Satanic
bondage this small country has been under. The story goes that 200
years ago in an effort to gain its independence from the French and Spanish,
the leaders of Haiti made a deal with the devil where the souls of the Haitian
people were sold to Satan. The oppression has been more than spiritual -
a distinct difference can be seen at the border between the Dominican Republic
and Haiti.
“The 200 year oppression technically ended 6 years ago in 2003,
however the leader in power at that time (for fear or what not) had the Voodoo
leaders (Voodoo is the national religion) extend the oppression until the end
of his reign... which ended last year in 2009.
“In January 2010, an earthquake not only blew apart the
physical spectrum of Haiti, but apparently the spiritual one as well. The
national “Day of the Dead” Mardi-Gras-esque holiday was canceled due to the
earthquake for the first time ever this winter. The Christian leaders of
Haiti led nearly 40,000 Haitians in a Ninevah-like prayer for their country: 3
days of prayer and fasting, pleading
with God to reclaim their land.
“Today … more relief workers than ever, more relief aid and
money than ever, and more missionaries than ever have traveled to this small
country in hopes of rebuilding. There is a ton left to do, but more
importantly than that, revival has come!”
Read the entire 4-part series on Jimmy's blog, starting here:
The “ton” left to do includes removing rubble, providing
water and medical help, and educating the people of Haiti.You know this education is dear to my
own heart.
According to USAID,
Haiti's public school system is only able to provide free education for about
10% of Haiti's children. Scroll
down and watch the video below (by my friend, World Race alumni Katie Rowland) to learn how the church is responding and
how we can support the church in their
efforts to educate the children of Haiti.
And finally, pleasePRAY, especially for the spiritual leaders of Haiti.
Jimmy reminds us that “they carry an incredible responsibility
to not only provide for their own families but to organize incoming teams,
start schools, organize orphanages, (raising money for both), and lead 3-4
services a week for their (in some cases) booming congregations.Quite frankly, they're exhausted.”But God is definitely moving!
You can click on
the highlighted names above to read more on my friends' blogs and/or go to this centralized site to read much
more and to watch many more inspiring videos:
The variety of Thai spices that fill the air around me are enough to draw a wide smile across my face all on their own. Rubbing up against the crowd of Farangs (foreigners) and Thai people as we make our way through the bustling marketplace brings about an energy that can only be compared to the friction that a balloon creates when it's rubbed against a little girls head. Her hair stands up to salute the static energy just like our heads perk up to soak in every moment of what is going on around us. I hear tiny women calling out Sawasdee Kha! ushering us in to look at their brilliantly hand-woven scarves as we pass by their shops. We are met with smile after smile, and appropriately so, as Thailand is commonly referred to as 
The blind performers make the street their stage every few hundred feet or so. They are propped up on their knees with their microphones, guitars, and various traditional Thai instruments as their hats lay out in front of them to collect the spare change of the parted Red Sea of eager shoppers. 
The beautiful women on the side of the street keep their little ones close as they hold their hands above their heads in reverence to those that rank higher than them on the social scale. Something still doesn't sit right with me when a woman pays respect to me as I walk by just because I have a roof over my head and she doesn't... 
The vibrant orange robes float around the city, and sometimes it takes everything in me to not go running after one of them and embrace them with all of the joy that is in me. Yeah, I really want to hug a monk. The only thing keeping me from doing it is the fact that they have to do cleansing rituals if they touch a woman. (Maybe that's part of why I want to hug one so bad...)
For about 12 dollars, I could purchase my favorite Starbucks drink and a delicious pastry to go along with it, 
Thailand celebrates Loi Krathong - Festival of Lights - while we are here. I know it means something very different to them, but I believe that it's not far off from what God is truly doing. It is traditionally a time when Thais give thanks, forgive grievances and pray for good luck. They send lights down the river, and release them up into the sky. It's really quite beautiful. That's what we came here to do, too. 
THE WORLD RACE
THE WORLD RACE 
REAL LIFE
The Sound of Hope 
Like, they seriously expected us to just bust out with song,
wherever we were.
UNICEF estimates that
there are over 25.5 million orphans under the age of 17 living in India.
We visited these homes
twice a week this summer while in India, and the children really captured my
heart! 
Each
Church Children's Home houses about 
