This article was imported from our previous website, which many have broken some of the content. We apologize in advance for any strange formatting or broken links you may find.
As I am sitting typing this last blog post about our time in Ma Oh Jo, I feel myself reflecting back on the past two weeks. This morning we left Ma Oh Jo and traveled down and up the windy dirt roads of the northern hills of Thailand, making our way back to the paved city highways of Chiang Mai. As I watched the scenery and surroundings change, I was thinking about how we have called Ma Oh Jo home for these past two weeks.
God brought together a group of people who didn’t know each other and made us into a family. We got a glimpse of what it looks like to be a part of the body of Christ. That was my prayer from the beginning of this trip, that God would unite our team. However God, "who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20), answered this prayer in a way I couldn’t have even imagined. God used this prayer to reach not only our immediate team, but also the ITDP staff, villagers and children of the northern hill tribes.
I was a witness to the body of Christ “walk[ing] in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:1-3 ). Our team was not perfect; we had our struggles and challenges. But we also experienced triumphs through completing work projects and building relationships with the people around us.
God proved through the triumphs and stumbles His grace continued to bind our mission. God used our strengths and weaknesses to bring us together. We all strived to humbly submit to God’s plan for the mission. On Sunday we were privileged to attend a baptism service held along the bank of a stream that flowed through the valley of a rice field. Thirteen people were baptized, and we were blessed to see them publicly proclaim their faith in Jesus.
I write this all with tears in my eyes, thankfully praising God for His goodness, and with a convicted heart that is sad to leave behind family in Ma Oh Jo. Our team is forever changed. We invite all of you to join us in praying for God’s work in villages like Ma Oh Jo. We also pray for those of you who feel the Lord calling you to be involved in other ways that you would be faithful to respond. The work is far from over and this mission has many opportunities to be involved. Visit www.lannacoffeeco.com or www.itdpinternational.org to learn about ways you can be involved. We thank you for all of the love and support that has been invested in our team.
I can't express how incredible this experience has been. If you haven't been on an Exposure Trip yet, prayerfully consider going this summer.