After close to 40 hours of traveling, we arrived in Chiang Mai with jet lag and excitement as the realization that we had reached our first destination halfway around the globe began to sink in. I can’t begin to describe how surreal this whole experience has been thus far. None of the group meetings and discussions could fully prepare me for the shock of being immersed in another country and culture. It’s such a unique experience to not only be an ethnic minority, but also to have a complete language barrier between myself and those surrounding me. Despite the differences, it is obvious how valued respect is in this culture. I am reminded that I need to be just as respectful of their culture. As an outsider, it is so easy to judge their culture by our Western standards but God is constantly reminding me to keep my eyes open to what He has to reveal and the beauty of His creation even on the other side of the world. Please continue to pray that we would see Him revealed even in the small things on this trip.
Already today we have had incredible opportunities to explore this country as we recover from jet lag before heading to Phnom Penh. This morning we woke up and took a rather frightening hour long van ride on the left side of the road to Maetang Elephant Park. Motos here do not have their own lanes but instead tend to follow the fastest course, even if that means riding the dotted line between two lanes and several trucks. Once at the elephant park, we all got to travel two by two on our very own elephants through the foot hills in the Chiang Mai Provence. This countryside seemed to preserve much of the Thai tradition, including huts with thatched roofs on stilts in rice paddies. The guides were unbelievably hospitable to us and served us a wonderful Thai lunch including fresh mango! I think we’ve already been spoiled by the delicious fresh fruit Thailand has to offer!

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