Hello Friends and Family,
It has been a long time since I last updated you, but I have so much to share because Thailand was truly an amazing experience.
Our last 3 weeks in Thailand were packed with ministry. For one of the weeks, we taught English at Aaron’s school, which included both primary and secondary students, ranging from ages 5 to 13. We were split into two teams: five of us taught primary, and five of us taught secondary. I personally taught secondary school students ages 10 to 13 (see 2nd and 3rd picture below). This was especially interesting because, for once, we werenāt teaching little kids English, so it wasnāt as simple as just vocabulary words. We had to create lesson plans and help them apply the vocabulary words in sentences. This was challenging because we only had one hour in each classroom, and each class had students at different levels of English. It was a great learning experience in being adaptable.
The following week, we did some community service work. One day, we swept and trimmed the bushes along the local neighborhood road (see 4th picture below). The next day, we attended the kids’ sports day at Aaron’s school, where we got to serve them by providing and serving ice cream (see 5th and 6th picture below)! The weekend after that, we prepared to leave for the Lahu Shehleh village for their Christmas evangelism program, which our hosts had been planning for months. During our last week there, we got to visit our Thai preschools again and help set up and attend their Christmas program (see 7th picture below), which was the cutest thing ever!
The Lahu Shehleh village was a memorable experience. I had the opportunity to engage in many new ministry activities. Our trip there involved a 6-hour drive on one of the most winding roads Iāve ever been on in my life because the village was in the mountains (See 8th picture below). Letās just say it was the perfect road to get car sick on, but praise God, I didnāt end up sick! There were other churches involved while we were there, and they helped run and perform the program. They hosted games and performed the Christmas story skit, along with songs and dances for the village (see 9th and 10th picture below). My favorite part of the village experience was doing house visits. We were split into small groups and walked around the village visiting homes we felt led to visit. I personally visited a home with a woman who lived by herself, and we prayed for her health, especially for her back and eyes. Then, we visited a home with a woman who wasnāt necessarily paralyzed from the waist down, but she hadnāt been able to walk for about 10 years. After we prayed, we witnessed her get up and walk. The joy and amazement in her eyes were incredible. Then, before we left, the whole team visited three more homes that our host, Wanida, sponsors. These were homes of people who were physically disabled or struggling with instability. The first was a woman who lived alone and was caring for her elderly mother. The second was a young girl, around 16 years old, who had physical disabilities from birth, including an inability to walk and difficulty with speech. Then, we visited an elderly man who became physically disabled after an illness had overtaken his body. We had the privilege of praying over all three of these individuals, and honestly, this was the most emotional part of our entire time there.
Fun fact: we had to translate through two people! The village spoke a separate language, so we had one person translate from the village language to Thai, and then another person translated from Thai to English for us. I absolutely loved visiting this village. It was a truly special experience, and the people were so loving and caring towards us. One family even hosted us in their home so we would have a place to sleep, and we gathered around a fireplace where a kind old man served us coffee (see 11th picture below).
I loved Thailand so much. It will forever hold a special place in my heart. I was able to experience and see so many amazing parts of Thailand like riding an elephant (see 13th picture below)! Iām so grateful to have grown close to our hosts, Wanida and Aaron (see picture above), who feel like my Thai parents. They took such good care of us with so much love and joy. It was a treat getting to enjoy Wanidaās amazing cooking, and Aaron would always make a special stop at 7-Eleven for us. Also, a fun little tidbit: Aaron and I would try to scare each other, but he was impossible to scare! I, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. I miss that home so much, but Iām incredibly thankful for the experience, and I hope to see them all again one day!
We spent a week debriefing in Thailand before leaving for our third country, where we were reunited with the whole squad. It was a great time to reconnect with everyone while also reflecting on all we had experienced over the past 3 months. Now, Iām officially in Albania! Itās much colder here than in Malaysia and Thailand, but donāt worry, Iāve thrifted a coat to keep warm. Our host, Erion, is amazing and is taking such good care of us. Itāll be exciting to see what God will do here.
Please pray for our team as we are in Albania. The cold can sometimes get in the way of our motivation, so please pray that we would find our perseverance and strength in God. Thank you again for all your support and prayers. We are officially halfway through the race, so time is flying by, but God has taught me so much these past four and a half months!
Blessings to you all,
Mollie Stutzman
Ā 
Ā 
Ā 
Sweet Mollie, Iāve been waiting and waiting and waiting for your Thailand update. Iām so proud of you and your heart for Jesus that consists of not only faith or works, but both.
Praying for you,
Aunt Patty š©·