Written by Mary Gilbert:
I am Mary Gilbert and part of the Thailand Team. My husband, Rex, was also a part of the team. He chose this trip as a celebration of the freedom of retirement. Rather than a vacation, we wanted to do something with purpose.
I’m going to be totally transparent here, the closer it came to going, the more apprehensive I became! I had never ventured out of the country. Had no idea what to expect and thought, “I am going to have to watch what I do and say so I don’t get in trouble over there!” I was assured that I would be fine…so on the plane we went. Twenty-four hours later we were in Khon Kean, Thailand! Our mission was to deliver four motorcycles to four pastors to help them in their mission to visit the many churches they oversee throughout Thailand.
Before we did that, we visited a school for the blind to deliver supplies to help the school provide for the children who not only attend but live there. I was moved beyond measure at the love I felt from those that were there, both the students and teachers. At first, I felt so sad for them and then a reality check came over me…
I met a child who could not see
I was moved by the sight
That I thought was misery.
But lo and behold to my surprise,
They saw with their heart and not their eyes!
It was at that moment that I realized why God sent us…not for them, but for us!
How many times do we look at a situation and assess it as the worst? We look at poverty and primitive living as if it were horrible conditions, yet those that are living in it demonstrate contentment because it’s what they know. We have more than enough and don’t appreciate what we have and are always looking for and wanting more. We have a good motorcycle, homes and cars but when we see someone else with something better, we become dissatisfied with what we have. A coveting that always leaves us in a state of want instead of a state of contentment.
The takeaway from our trip and the point I want to leave you with is this: look around you, be content with what you have and count every blessing. It’s a sure fact that we won’t be taking anything with us except what we have in our hearts. Fill it with what matters, because what we see with our eyes isn’t always what connects with the heart.
We did get the motorcycles delivered, they call them Tuk Tuk’s, because of the sound they make and the way they are set up to haul people around. Enjoy the pictures and at some point in your life, I hope you will get an opportunity to travel to other places and see with your heart that, while cultures are different, people are people and there are many lovely people all over the world.
Keep going MVI…it is definitely worth it!
