A Garden of Knowledge (and Tinsel)

January 2nd, 2024

So, Thailand was pretty great. The last week in Thailand was a wonderful week spent resting in the Lord’s presence, debriefing our ministry in Asia with our coaches, and recharging for our time in Africa.

We had a lovely 10 hour bus ride from Chiang Mai, Thailand to Bangkok on the 23rd of December, and then had an hour van ride from Bangkok to our hostel that we stayed at for the week of debrief.

After a very interesting day of travel, we were greeted by our hosts (Mami and Poppy) with a lovely meal and Christmas music.

Christmas Eve (the next day), was also an interesting one. It involved resting, walking 40 minutes to get coffee, being very sick and listening to the Thai Cowboys sing karaoke for us-but then, as per normal, X Squad stole the show and performed some epic karaoke.

Then, it was finally Christmas. Christmas felt unlike any Christmas I’ve ever experienced before because 1) I was sick, 2) I was spending it with around 50 people that I didn’t know prior to September, and 3) It was a lovely 90 degrees outside. But it was one of the most memorable and enjoyable Christmases to date.

My team was supposed have a Secret Santa gift exchange, but due to the fact that a couple of us (including myself) hadn’t bought a gift, it was postponed. We did all watch Elf in the morning as a team, so that was a sweet time spent together, despite the fact that I slept through most of it.

I was able to rest some more, shower, and then the celebration really got started. It involved singing some Christmas carols, reading the Christmas story from Luke 2, and seeing it reenacted right before our eyes (the animals went wild), and then-the gingerbread house competition.

Being on the mission field though, it was unlike any gingerbread houses you’ve ever seen before. We had 30 minutes, some wafers, thin crackers, peanut butter, mentos, coffee candy, and a whole lot of imagination. Our team decided to construct a church, complete with bubblegum crosses and a wreath made from the green gum wrappers.

We were then judged by the beauty of the house, the quality of the speech we gave about it, and the structural integrity-which was quite the test, and the church was blown to smithereens by the firework placed inside of it. Sadly enough, we did not win, but it was very entertaining.

Then the White Elephant gift exchange amongst the whole squad was wild. I gave TP, as it is always in high demand out here, and I got KFC. Some of the other gifts exchanged included a taser, milk tablets, and a set of cow salt and pepper shakers.

Mami and Pappi made us a wonderful Christmas which of course, included rice and was spectacular. They also really liked celebrating and has their whole beautiful jungle of a hostel decorated completely in tinsel of the sparkly purple and green kind. Then we had some more fun festivities, which ended with singing Silent Night while holding sparklers. It was a good day.

But that was only the end of the planned surprises. I went to head back to my room, and I see one of my lovely brothers in Christ running out of my room, looking happier than he ever had before, and come to find out, he’d put a massive frog in the room. What a lovely Christmas surprise I didn’t expect to have. But, going in the room, not even a minute afterwards, the frog was nowhere to be found. Sad day. Don’t even worry, because when I went to use the bathroom at midnight, I found it.

If you know me well, you know I have a good sense of humor, but I like to show it at just the right times. Well, when I was walking in the dark a couple days later, I see this massive frog on the path I’m walking on, and I of course have to pick it up with my bare hands, put it in the flannel I’m wearing (which was one of my lovely sisters in Christ’s flannels, but I didn’t tell her about this), and of course, put it in the same lovely brothers room who put a frog in our room. It was found 5 days later….alive….

Anyways, let’s step away from the fun side of things for a minute and get real. Why did I call this blog A Garden of Knowledge? Well, I called it that because much knowledge was gained (including all about how to improvise gingerbread house building on a budget), but all jokes aside, knowledge was gained and reflection was able to happen about ministry in Asia.

Testimony night was wonderful, because we all got to share about our different ministries in Asia, and how God moved mountains. One on one’s with our coaches, mentors, and leaders were helpful to just have someone to listen, and to get a new perspective, because sometimes you just have to step away and look at things in a new light.

We were able to listen to the knowledge of our coaches and have deep discussions about the word, spend time worshipping the King, and just fellowship with each other.

It really was like a garden of knowledge was right there the whole week (and one of tinsel too), and it made me think that life is like a garden of knowledge, and if we only tend to it lovingly, it can flower more than we can ever imagine.

Debrief was special, and I think most of us were able to rest well before heading to our next country, and handle yet another, insane travel day. Onto the next ministry, updates coming soon.

Blessings in Christ,

Gracie Yoder