Ellie and I just returned from an experience that was completely life-changing. Words and pictures could not adequately capture the depth of what we experienced in those 2-1/2 weeks, but here is my attempt to document it here on the blog for our posterity and for anyone else considering a similar experience for themselves or a child.
I went as a parent chaperone for an HXP trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand. That meant, me and a dad were the adult presence for 19 teens and the 2 young adult trip leaders. The young adult trip leaders were the ones officially in charge, but I quickly became the Mom presence/nurse/trip documenter. The kids turn in their phones at the beginning of the trip and my documentation of the trip on instagram was the only contact the parents had with their kids for those 2-1/2 weeks, so I felt a lot of pressure to make sure I did it as well as I could. (Click
here and look for GROUP 4 posts to see how I did it). My documentation proved to be a little out of the box, but I got good feedback from the parents and I felt like I was still able to be present with the kids, so I am satisfied with how it went.
The purpose of the trip (in my own words) was to travel to Thailand, work with locals to help build a school, to visit local sites, experience the Thai culture, interact with the Thai people, support the local economy, to strengthen our relationship with God, and to develop friendships with people who had previously been strangers.
I was stretched outside my comfort zone a million times over, but in that stretching have an increased love in my heart for the 21 strangers who I now consider my bonus sons and daughters and for the Thai people who captured our hearts so completely. Theirs is a beautiful, welcoming, and peaceful culture and I’m grateful for the opportunity that HXP provided, so that we could share those experiences together.
Here's a little glimpse of our time there:
This may be my favorite picture from the whole trip, because it encapsulates so well our time there. We got uncomfortable and dirty, we got up close and personal with uniquely Thai people/places/animals, we strengthened relationships with one another, and we had magical once-in-a-lifetime experiences together.
Being the trip documenter was a role I simultaneously loved and hated at the same time. While I did enjoy trying to capture the trip in a comprehensive and creative way that would resonate with the parents and eventually with the kids after it was over, I was also a little jealous of the screen detox the kids got and I definitely did not! The picture collages became my way to minimize my screen time and maximize the number of photos I shared. They were a HUGE timesaver for me and I got to the point where I could whip out one of those collages in 2-3 minutes flat!
We started the trip in Krabi—a coastal town near Phuket that had the loveliest clear waters I’d ever seen. We island hopped, sea kayaked, snorkeled, and hiked. It was a fun and relaxing way to start our adventures.
Also, there in Krabi, we got to participate in a Thai cooking class, which was right up my alley! As you all know, I love to cook and
it was fun to make EVERYTHING from scratch—including the curry paste I
usually buy premade from the store. Much of the food ended up a bit on the spicy side, but I found it all delicious!
After Krabi, we headed to the elephant sanctuary--one of the places I was most looking forward to visiting on this trip. Ever since reading
“The Elephant Whisperer” and
“The Elephant Company,” I’ve been mildly obsessed with these intelligent creatures and it was a dream come true for me to meet them in real life! The elephant sanctuary is a place for elephants that have been mistreated in captivity to go to wander around the 40 acres and live the best life they can. We fed them, gave them a mud bath, and then rinsed them off. It was magical!
We visited several Buddhist Temples in Chiang Mai and Bangkok while we were there and each was unique and beautiful in its own way. I loved that we had to remove our shoes and dress modestly to show our respect before entering.
We were the 4th of 5 groups that came through to work on the school this summer, so we ended up with more finishing work than actual building, but it was still hard labor that wore us out. I’m under no delusion that any work we performed there at the school was essential, but we did work hard side by side with Thai locals (who often redid our work as soon as we finished), and that sweat and frustration was a huge part of what endeared us to the Thai people. Someday those sweet kids we grew to love so much will learn and grow in that school that we played some small part in building!
One of the nights, some performers from Chiang Mai
University came to show us some traditional dances. We got to wear traditional costumes and then try out the dances ourselves.
Another night, we went to the church and helped the missionaries with an English class and another night we participated in a Sports' night. Both nights are run by the missionaries and dozens of people come from the community to interact with the missionaries and to practice their English. It was fun to see our builders make some one on one connections with the Thai people.
This was not an activity I would have chosen, but the Muay Thai boxing class
resonated with many of the kids and it really was cool to see that it is
a sport steeped in Thai tradition and respect. Another night we attended a Muay Thai boxing match, which was quite an experience itself!
This collage shows two separate activities—the Sticky waterfall, which rocks
contained minerals that make them non-slippery. We walked up and down
the waterfalls in our bare feet! Then there was the Grand Canyon water
park. Totally not my vibe, but super fun for the kids. The water park was exactly the same kind of place that Adam dislocated his shoulder on his HXP trip a couple years ago, so I was a little extra nervous. Thankfully, we were able to avoid injuries.
Over the course of the 2 full weeks we were in the country, we went to 3 different night markets. The elephant pants and shorts and the Muay Thai shorts were favorites among the builders. There were also a lot of elephant figurines bought. Between all the souvenirs we bought, the locals we
hired, the places we stayed, the food we bought, and the classes we
took, we were definitely supporting the local economy!
I already liked Thai food, and like it even more now that I’ve
experienced the authentic deal, but I won’t lie..it’ll be a while before
I want rice again! I was able to eat most of the foods we
encountered, but had a couple gluten filled meals (especially on travel
days), where I had to eat the snacks I packed instead. Here's a
glimpse of some of the deliciousness we consumed along the way!
And here are some of the crazy Thai fruits we tried....
About the durian ^^^^
We
spent most of our days drenched in sweat and when I found a fruity
popsicle at the local 7-11 (which are as ubiquitous in Thailand as
McDonald’s are here in the US), I eagerly bought it. Too bad I didn’t
know that durian is banned in public places through most of Asia for its
malodorous scent! It smelled like a cross between armpit and gasoline.
The good news was, that me trying it (and then letting all other
interested people try it) proved to be great entertainment. haha!
Oh, how we loved the Thai kids at the school. We were building an additional three classrooms for them, while they were in class across the courtyard. Every lunchtime would end with some play time with the
kids. It was very sweet to see how genuinely the builders enjoyed that precious play time and it was hard not to joy a little at seeing a glimpse at the caring, doting parents those parents will be someday. The officials at the school (Mr. Wee and Mr. Boy) were exceedingly grateful for the work being done and we loved the goodbye ceremony and thank you notes the kids presented to us at the end of our time there.
One of my favorite aspects of our time in Thailand was the spiritual aspect. We started and ended each day with devotional time and it was such a joy to see the growth in each builder as we dove into the scriptures together and discussed our true identities and God's love for us. Each of us are in such different places in our spiritual journeys, but I think that each felt God's love more keenly as part of that experience. I also loved being able to attend church for two weeks in Chiang Mai. The first week, we sang "Peace in Christ" as a musical number, the second week one of our builders bore their testimony and 2 builders sang together. I loved the feeling of singing the hymns together --us in English, the locals in Thai. We also were able to attend a baptism and visit the soon-to-be-dedicated Temple in Bangkok. I feel like we got just a small glimpse of what a blessing that temple will be for the Thai people and it was a privilege to see it.
“Love God, Love People” is the theme of HXP and this experience encapsulated that and much more!
I've had a protective wall around my heart for a long time now and I needed this experience and a relationship with these builders more than I knew. Each of us are at such different places in our journeys in life, but each came to Thailand with open hearts, ready to work hard, embrace the culture, and love the Thai people!
Here are 20 REASONS I LOVED THE BUILDERS (taken from my final instagram post about the trip)
1-they put away their phones for 2+ weeks to be fully present and engaged in a great work
2-they sacrificed a chunk of their summer to serve and love people they didn’t even know
3-they worked hard in the heat and humidity for hours a day
4-they made me laugh a million times over
5-they were vulnerable and shared their hearts with us at devotionals
6-they are full of spiritual insights and wisdom beyond their years
7-they looked out for the one to make sure everyone had a good experience
8-they showed compassion and patience when they played with and loved the kids at the worksite
9-they worked without {too much} complaining
10-they kept the 7-11s of Thailand in business for another year
11-they took a huge step outside their comfort zones to come to an unfamiliar land with strangers to do a good work
12-they were willing to accept critiques on their work (plastering corners is hard)
13-they are all in different places in their relationships with God, but each one is a shining light in this often dark world
14-they weren’t afraid to get dirty as they worked
15-they taught us new teen slang. I’d say we slayed it. W
16-they taught me that portrait mode is lame and .5s are awesome
17-they rocked those elephant pants like no other Thai tourist before them
18-they were patient with us old people trying to keep up with 21 energetic young adults
19-I loved watching how they interacted with each other on the plane ride home when they easily could have been lost in movies and other entertainment. It’s clear that, after two weeks of laughing, working, crying, and playing together, a group of strangers has become friends.
20-they opened their hearts and loved selflessly
I am proud of them and feel like this intense time with them was one of the huge reasons why I needed to come on this trip. They are a big part of why this was as impactful an experience as it was for me and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I love you, Aidan, Annie, Ashton, Brooklyn, Chloe E, Chloe G, Ellie, Eva, Gordy, Haylee, Holly, Jack, Jacob, Josh, Kate, Landon, Malia,Paul, Sarah, Sophie, Stella, Talan, and Tyler! Thanks for inspiring me again and again, while we served the
people of Thailand together! ❤️🇹ðŸ‡❤️
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