Last week we took a 4 hour car ride into the north of Thailand. Our destination: a Thai village by the name of Mae Ai. I never thought I’d be back there.
Just like I never thought I’d be back here in Chiang Mai.
We pulled up to Pa’s house. It was strange to see the blue house down the street that my team had painted last time I was here. Everything seemed to be smaller.
I walked into the yard of Pa’s house and my house mom saw me. She yelled, put her hands over her mouth, yelled something again, started crying, and ran over to hug me.
Her reaction took me a bit by surprise, even though I knew she’d be happy to see me again. I’d left her last September, never expecting to see her again. Why would I come back to this village? God must have been smiling, even as I pulled away on the bus and saw her wiping away tears.
The thing that keeps getting me about this whole situation is I was with her for barely two weeks. She doesn’t speak English and our main interaction was saying “Kup kum ka” for the food she served us and sitting in silence with her trying to understand a Thai soap opera before I went to bed. I didn’t have deep discussions with her or even see her for more than 45 minutes each day.
The only explanation I have is God’s love. His love crossed over barrier after barrier and formed a bond between us that even I don’t understand. God brought me back to show me that my presence, just being me and living each day, is enough for Him. More than enough.
He doesn’t need me to have the right words, work the hardest, be the smartest, or be perfect.
I saw that very clearly. His love is enough. He gave me living proof.
As I was leaving this time she told me to come back. Since she didn’t know how to say it she said it like this:
“Allie (she couldn’t quite say my name). You go Mae Ai, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, America.” Then she did a circle motion with her hand. “America, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Mae Ai.”
I don’t know what she saw in me or why she loved me. It’s just Jesus. I’m enough because God says so. And in the end, no one can mess with what our Father says about us. It’s the truth.
My house mom, her son, and me in front of her house.
We worked in the mornings in the fields with the villagers. We prepared soil to plant mushrooms.
