The Thi Tea

It was exactly one week before leaving for Thailand when I woke up coughing my lungs up, snot running down my nose, and an extremely daunting headache. I knew it was a sinus infection, although it kind of felt as bad as when I got COVID. My mom said to me, "Hannah you need to go to the ER and get meds to fight this off. You don't have time to wait it out." "But mom, its just a sinus infection," I reassured her, "it will pass in due time." Well, my mom's wish was granted. She took me to the ER and I tested negative for the flu and COVID, praise the Lord. We went on our way and got antibiotics. I took off work and bed rested till the following Sunday and by the time it was time to leave I was feeling better but not great.

On the first flight I was miserable, sweating like crazy. I continued to ask for ice cubes to eat in hopes it would cool me down. I continued to pray the good Lord would heal me.

The second flight was much better. I was in the back in an aisle seat and it was very cool.

The Lord blessed me with a great seat with amazing AC!

By the time we landed I was feeling okay, not good, not bad, just okay. We spent the first three days working along side the leaders of a women's conference. Here I was blessed with the opportunity to do children's ministry. We stayed at the hotel where the conference was being held. It was so nice. The kids I was able to minister to ranged in age from 2 years old to 13 years old. Students from the Bible College helped assist me with the kids. The student that spoke fluent Thi and fluent English ended up being sick and having to stay at the college. At the last minute this information was relayed to me by an English speaking student. We all chatted for a moment to try to figure out the best way possible to move forward in order to minister to the kids. After getting to know where all the students stood in their Thi and English Journey we choose a student who was fluent in Thi and could understand a little English. He suggested we take my sermon notes and type them into google translate and then he would read the notes in Thi after I spoke them in english. So this was the new plan. We thanked God for the tech to be able to do it this way.

On day two of the conference the kids spent all day with the Bible college students and then we did the same thing for the kids sermon for that night. The older kids seemed to be interested and getting it, the younger ones not so much. They just wanted to play. But all of the kids enjoyed singing Jesus loves me in Thi and learning a song in English.

On Sunday morning I only had one Bible college student there to help me and she did not speak Thi or English. Right before time to do the kids sermon I raced over to the women's conference and asked their translator if she had a moment to translate for me. She said yes but she only had about ten minutes before she had to translate for the conference. We talked about miracles all weekend and how Jesus performed miracles. We talked about how we can be prepared to receive God's miracles by being obedient and praying.

When Jesus feed the 5,000 there was preparation and obedience. The disciples had to put the people in smaller groups and while this was taking place Jesus prayed and blessed it.

When Peter walked on water there was obedience, Jesus told Him to come to Him. Before Jesus performed this miracle He went to the mountain top and prayed, this was preparation.

You have to be ready to receive a miracle. You have to be obedient and draw close to God in prayer.

At the end of this women's conference 10 ladies were Baptized in the pool at the hotel. Lives were changed, children were loved, and women were poured into.

The rest of the trip was traveling then a one day conference then sleep then travel then a one day conference then sleep then repeat.

Lives were transformed throughout these conferences as well. My primary duty for this trip was to do the Children's ministry at the first conference and the Lord was gracious to sustain me throughout that time. However, when it was over the sickness came back stronger. I was fighting it every day every way possible in the physical and was being prayed over by so many in the spiritual. It did not want to stop.

In the first village I was able to help pray over the women and paint their nails and show them how to use lotion. In the second village I was able to do the same. By the time we got to the third village my ears were hurting so bad, I could barely hear out of them. My head was pounding and I felt worse than I did when I woke up the week before leaving. We all still were praying and believing I would be healed and be used on this trip.

We did not give up hope that the Lord would heal me, but we thought it best I go see a doctor. The English-speaking doctor was not in but thankful in Thailand you can go to a pharmacist and describe your symptoms, for things such as a sinus infection and double ear infection, they can diagnose and prescribe medicines. So that's exactly what we did and that's what I had. After getting the medicine we went to the last village where I was not very functional or useful. After lunch I was taken back to the house we would be staying that night. I slept until it was dinner time. After dinner I went back to sleep. This was the best rest I had gotten the entire trip. The new meds felt like they were actually working. The last day that we were in Northern Thailand we went to visit a ministry center that branched out of the one we were working alongside of. It was amazing to see all the work God had done in Northern Thailand. We also got to visit the Thi Caves. These were really cool experiences because we got to see even more of Thailand and learn a little bit of history.

I fell in love with the people and the country and the food. The Lord provided the Strength needed to get through every day and to continue to minister.

The Lord taught me that obedience is key to a closer relationship with Him.

I was looking forward to coming home packing my bags and going right back. BUT God. After some time in the word and prayer, and some long conversations with multiple spiritual mentors of mine, the Lord simple said no. This was heartbreaking! Even though I was sick the whole time I still felt home and loved and felt as though the Lord could use me for great things there.

After some more time with the Lord, I realized that the people He already has in place in Thailand are doing amazing work for the Lord. There are people there that already are using the talents and gifts God gave them which happen to be the same talents and gifts God gave me. I'm not saying there can't be two people of the same talents and gifts in the same place, actually most of the time there needs to be multiple people so they can all be everywhere at once in the ministry.

However, the Lord just gave me a simple no, and then provided me with the peace I needed to be okay with His plan.

So for now I love them from a far and pray for them everyday, as you should to, because it was just that amazing.

That's the tea, the Thi Tea!

P.s. Thi tea is an actual drink in Thailand that is absolutely amazing!!!