I’m sitting out on the patio of our guesthouse in Mae Sot, Thailand.
We’ve just come back from eating roti…a delicious pancake filled with bananas and chocolate. It’s 10:00pm and we’ve just sent the 26 teens on our team to bed! This is the largest team Imagine Thailand has hosted in Mae Sot! It’s twice the work and twice the fun. We take over restaurants, roads, schools, and churches. And we do it with a smile!
The opportunity to go on this trip was advertised in September 2010. By January 2011, teens made their official commitments to our spring break Thailand missions trip. We flew out of Vancouver on March 16th and we’ll be back in Vancouver on April 1st. It’s a 17-day trip designed to show teens another side of the world and give them an opportunity to serve alongside those who are making a difference in the Thai/Burma border community of Mae Sot and also in the city of Bangkok.
We’ve just finished our second day of Life Camps – Bible camps created for Burmese migrant elementary school children. Our teens lead the lessons, crafts, songs, and games. They help get the children ready for their passport photos and costume photos. It’s a significant time for our teens. More than one has already shed a tear about the uphill battle these children will fight in order to succeed in life. We recognize that our contribution to their success is small but significant. Knowing that God loves them and that we stand with them lets them know they are not alone.
By watching the children interact with each other, our teens are learning that the materialism of North America isn’t what creates happiness. As hard as life is for the migrant children, their enthusiasm for life is unmistakable. Maybe this visit will re-adjust some of the priorities of our own teens when they return home. Our youth pastor, Andy Gabruch hopes so.
How old are our teens? We’ve got kids as young as 12 years old and as old as 19. They’re all a vital part of the trip. Isn’t Thailand too far? Not really…it’s only on the other side of the world. And that part of the world can be reached with a couple of flights. Internet access to keep in touch with family and friends? No problem. Even in Mae Sot. Our world is getting smaller every day.
So, what are YOU doing this year?
What are you doing next year? Have you got a group that would like to travel? A youth group? A group of friends? Perhaps a number of families travelling together? We’d love to host you. You can help make life better for marginalized people, while learning a bit about yourself too. Let Imagine Thailand make the arrangements for you. We’ve got people on the ground in North America and a team in Thailand that will guide you through each experience.
Oh and by the way…after the camp today, we climbed a water fall. You don’t get to that every day. Add the roti I just finished eating and I’ll go to bed tired and happy.
An amazing adventure is just a phone call or email away.