Kim Crawford – Assoc. Dir. Mobilization & Connection, Covenant World Mission
There were 21 students who went to Thailand in the past year. They came from 14 different Covenant churches from the East Coast all the way to Alaska. 6 students went winter 2009 and 15 summer of 2010. I just want to take some time to share with you what a few of these students had to say…
Click here for more information regarding the work of the ECC throughout the world and how you may be able to get involved; or e-mail Kim.Crawford(at)covchurch.org.
Melissa:
Share a favorite story from the trip. It can be funny, touching, or just memorable.
I think that my favorite part was definitely painting the nails of the women at the nursing home and just seeing how happy they were to have attention and someone to do that for them. I loved the old lady that kept smudging them so I would come back to fix it!
What aspect of the trip did you enjoy the most? The least?
I really enjoyed getting to know people from all over the country and come together for one common goal to glorify God. The part I liked the least was all the flights and travel.
What did you learn about missions from this trip?
It really stood out to me how easy it would be to do some of the same things right around where I live and impact the people around me in a positive way.
How did you see God at work in Thailand?
God always worked out our plans and when one plan failed He always had another one ready for us. He brought us all together and knew how well we would work together before we even left so I could really see that God had great plans for the trip.
What relationships (within the team) grew through this experience? How might you continue to grow those relationships?
I made some really good friends on the trip that I am still in contact with and it’s great to be able to talk about the trip with them since they understand exactly what it was like. Since Emi and I live fairly close we hope to be able to visit each other soon!
In what ministry would you like to participate in the future?
I am currently the leader for Operation Christmas Child and 30 hour famine at my church and I am planning to continue working with those ministries.
Do you have a sense that you would like to be involved with missions in the future?
Definitely. I enjoy going to Mexico with my church in the summer and doing a VBS and I hope to someday go back to Thailand to help at the Bible camp and visit the nursing home again.
How can you pray for Thailand now that you’ve been there?
I can pray for the Bible camp that it will reach out to the Thai people so they can learn the good news of Jesus and for the countries problem with prostitution and human trafficking
How would you like teammates to pray for you now that you are home?
I would like prayer as I prepare to leave home and start college that I can remain firm in my faith and be able to be a witness to those around me.
Megan:
Share a favorite story from the trip. It can be funny, touching, or just memorable.
When our cabin thought there was a cobra outside our door in the middle of the night, and we were freaking out. Kira started calling for help, Jae insisted that we block all the holes in our cabin so it wouldn’t get in, Jess and I tried looking through the window to see what it was (and thought about putting sunglasses on so the cobra wouldn’t spit in our eyes…) and Victoria just wanted to go back to sleep. Turns out they have some kind of bird that hisses in Thailand, and that is what we had heard.
How did you see God at work in Thailand?
It was amazing how God worked through the Thai people. So many of them have turned their backs on what everyone else in their family believes to follow the truth. I know that must be so difficult for them, but God is so powerful that he can conquer those barriers for them. And all of the Thai Christians seemed to have so much joy, like at the house church you could tell they just loved to be worshiping God.
What relationships (within the team) grew through this experience? How might you continue to grow those relationships?
Our cabin had some pretty good talks, it loved getting to know all of those girls. Facebook is a huge help to continue these friendships 🙂
Do you have a sense that you would like to be involved with missions in the future?
I might like to do that. I really love to travel and see how God works in different places. But I wouldn’t want to do a lot of the stuff we did on this trip as a career. I really would love to work at an orphanage or something sometime in the future. For now, I can do more local missions. I’ve helped at a homeless shelter a couple times, and there’s a women and children’s home our church is connected with that I would like to get involved with.
How can you pray for Thailand now that you’ve been there?
We can all pray for the political issues, they’ve gotten a lot better since a few months ago but are still not stable. Also for all of the missionaries who live there long term, for encouragement and financial security as they do their jobs. After being there for a year I know how difficult it can be sometimes for them.
How would you like teammates to pray for you now that you are home?
Pray that I would not forget all that I learned in Thailand, especially once I start going to school. We talked a lot about being ambassadors in Christ, and just that I can really shine to other people around me.
