Back To The Beginning: Thailand

“The adventures of a humanitarian striving to keep Love atthe root of it all.”

While the original tag line of my blog still rings true Ifind it has evolved from a place for friends and family to read about myhumanitarian adventures into a place where I write about my passions, dreams,experiences, bring light to important issues and share what inspires me inhopes it will inspire you.

Thinking back to the beginning of this blog, it never wouldhave started if it weren’t for people mentioning I should write so they couldkeep up with all of my travelling adventures. Upon arriving home from placeslike Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake, or leading students in DominicanRepublic various years, people in my life were interested in what happened onthese trips. Sit down chats were often had, stories shared, pictures shown onphones and laptops… It was always fun to talk about my experiences with those Ihad an opportunity to do so with. While I wanted to tell everyone about thetrips I was taking, by the time I saw some friends the stories had alreadystarted to fade and the generic “it was good” became a response all too oftengiven. After a while the excitement fades as time goes on and new things inlife unfold.

Before travelling to Thailand in 2012 with Live Different I started Love InspiresChange to document what was sure to be quite a different expedition as I hadbeen eagerly waiting to go for a couple of years. Being able to write almostdaily about what I was experiencing kept the information fresh, the stories asaccurate as I could remember, and the memories engrained in my mind for as longas I can look back and read them. Not only was I able to document theseadventures for friends back home to read, it has served as a way to draw on myexperience when needed—for public speaking, re-sharing my experiences, and for rememberingthe faces that now corresponded with statistics I both hear and often quote.

Being back in Thailand feels almost like a reunion—I am backto visit the people I think about often, people I told I would try hard toreturn to.  The factors that make thistrip most exciting are an accumulation of my life experiences since the firsttime I was there…

Having participated in the Not For Sale Fellowship lendsitself as a main contributor to my excitement. While with Not For Sale Ilearned so much about their projects (including their Thailand project—thechildren’s home we work at), more about human trafficking, and had theopportunity to see Kru Nam again and hear of all the amazing work that had beenhappening there since the Hero Holiday in 2012.

The completion of my stint with Not For Sale was the onsetof my blog as an education tool—a way to share about what I had learned andwhat I was continuing to learn, and hoping those who read would be inspired toallow their lives and decisions to stand as an example to end slavery. Now thatI have grown my knowledge (and am still doing so) it is exciting to return backto Thailand knowing more and more about the issues at hand. When I went toThailand the first time, although I read books and stories, watcheddocumentaries, etc, there is nothing like the combination of knowledge andexperience to really grow your passion for the cause.

I am also excited to see the projects we completed last timewe were there—it will be SO exciting to see how the library and meditationbuilding is, how the playground is holding up, and even though we were unableto actually build a pig pen and chicken coupe (since the rain made the groundincredible tough to dig in to) it will be lovely to see how the employees atthe home put it together! This, of course, makes me excited for the work wewill be doing when arrive there soon! This year our agenda involves spendingtime with the kids at an arts camp, building a green house and doing othercreative projects! As an individual who works at a bakery committed to growingas much of its own produce as possible, and sourcing the rest locally, it isexciting to help create self-sustainability for the home.

Still a favourite picture from Thailand 2012

Most of all I am looking forward to the simple acts of Lovethat make communication stretch beyond the different languages, cultures andexperiences that define who we are. The way holding hands, a simple hug, or sitting together insilence are the only requirements to communicate and show love to another humanbeing who needs it is absolutely incredible. I am looking forward to tangiblyshowing compassion to individuals whose stories I do not yet know, and beingable to put into practice the qualities that each individual needs to be shownto truly feel as valuable as they were created—love, kindness, grace,compassion, patience and all other good things. The truth is, as much as I am looking forward to givingthose things to others, I know the only way I can is to ask God every day whenI wake up to show me how. I receive those things from Him and I look forward topassing it along.  Compassion has nolimits—a line I heard in Thailand in 2012 which has stuck with me every day—and as I am continually shown compassion and grace I will strive to extendthose to everyone I can both in Thailand and when I return home.

Thailand 2014, I am looking forward to this experience andsharing it with others who also look to make a change in the world, live a lifeof Love, and strive to show compassion to everyone.