Our plane landed shortly after the sun rose on the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. As we waited for our taxi to pick us up, a heaviness settled in. My team seemed to be in a dream. Everything was so different and home had never felt so far away.

We explored and attempted to become familiar and comfortable, but all the while the enemy was attacking us where we already bled; anxiety, worry, apathy, insecurity, anger, hopelessness. For two straight days, my hands quaked.

The ever present internal strife seemed unbearable. And yet, in the midst of our anxiety, we found God's presence. He gave us a verse from Deuteronomy 31.

“Be strong and courageous. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

And like floodgates opening before us, we started spotting God everywhere. We saw "Jesus loves you" carved into the pavement as we walked into the red light district to minister to women trapped in prostitution. At a street restaurant where we grabbed some lunch, a painting of Jesus sat in the window. At our first breakfast, a cross dangled from our waitress' neck. And as we walked the streets of Chiang Mai praying over the city, we sensed God's longing to bring His redemption to these precious people through His Son. His blood can cover their sins and our own anxieties as well.

A few days after we landed, we traveled north from Chiang Mai to Mae Sai on the Thai/Burma border. Our steps grew lighter every day and we were excited to serve at a children's home for Burmese refugees - home to 2 adults, 7 dogs, 7 cats, 3 kittens, and 16 amazing kids.

After teaching English in an elementary school for several days, our hosts took us up to Scorpion Mountain. Our team squished into the back of a pickup. As we wound our way to the top of the mountain, the rain started to fall. And then we saw the strangest thing - a huge truck with Santa painted on the side. On the back was written “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

Those words echoed through my mind the whole rest of the trip up Scorpion mountain. The Thai people make this trek in search of peace. And here, on the side of a random semi were the words they needed to set them free. In some ways, I feel like a tiny drop of water in the midst of a vast ocean. I'm surrounded by hundreds of millions of people who do not know my precious Jesus. And yet, as I stood atop Scorpion mountain on that day, a thrill of hope pulsed through my body. My God can part oceans. Nothing is too big for Him.

By Tasia on DTS Outreach in Thailand and Cambodia

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