The Plan To Drop On In

Have you ever moved somewhere new? Have you ever started up
something new? A new business or ministry?

 

Whether you are moving or starting up something new you have
to start with a plan. It would be awesome if everything just fell into place
and worked out perfectly, but that rarely happens. Over the next few blogs I am
going to begin to unveil the ‘plan’ for my move to Mae Sot, Thailand. (I’m
putting the word plan in quotes, because well, things can change… and knowing
what it’s like to live in a third world country it’s almost a given that some
things will change along the way.)

 

When we (the goal is to be part of a team, but currently
it’s just me) first arrive in Thailand the first two months will be spent in
Chiang Mai. This will give us time to continue to bond together as a team, get
adjusted to life in Thailand, and begin intense language studies (we know of an
amazing Thai teacher who will come and give us one-on-one lessons).

 

Then the plan is to move to Mae Sot and rent a two or three
story building. We will use the top floors for team housing and as office space.
Then the bottom floor can be used as a Drop In Center.

 

Why a Drop In Center and what the heck is a Drop In Center? Opening
a Drop In Center is an easy way to meet people and begin to build relationships
in the community. It is also a great way to be able to bless those in the
community that have nowhere to go during the day and nothing to do except get
in trouble. We will open our doors two or three days a week to start. Anyone,
any age, gender, race or religion will be welcomed into our doors. We will
offer a safe place for people to spend the day, and have a hot meal. The hope
is to hire a local Burmese woman to purchase all of the food locally and then
cook for the Drop In Center, this blesses the local economy and makes sure that
the food is nutritious and food the kids will recognize and enjoy. We will play
games, do crafts, teach basic classes (math, English, etc), and as we grow
there is the potential to add more classes (Thai, Burmese, and maybe even
specialized classes like computer skills, accounting, or other skill based
classes).

 

The idea of having a team move to Mae Sot is so that we can
do a variety of different ministries, each finding something that we are
passionate about and that gives us life as we serve. Opening the Drop In Center
only a few days a week gives us an opportunity to serve the community on a
consistent basis while we try to find the other ways that we would like to
serve. My heart is that each team member will come in ready to work as a team,
but with a dream and a passion of their own to follow while they are in
Thailand.

 

Yes, there are a ton of ways that YOU can get involved and
things that I need YOU to join me in prayer for… but you’ll have to wait for an
upcoming blog for details. For now I hope the excitement is building for what
I’ll be doing in Thailand. Stay tuned for more of my ‘plan’ for Mae Sot!

All the above pictures are were taken at a Drop In Center I visited in Northern Thailand.