Let the Journey Begin

Hello to all!  My name is Kristen, and I am SO excited to share my journey with you! This post is probably one of the longest you're going to find as you read through here. But it's the story of why on October 23, 2012 I will be moving to Thailand. I sold most everything I own, and put in notice with my job that I will be leaving (sorry Jess!) I have never been to Thailand before, but I bought a one way ticket.

I'm sure that many of you are thinking to yourselves, "This girl is crazy. And most likely irresponsible since she sold everything and is moving to a place she's never been.  To a country that doesn't speak english." And for those of you wondering, I do not speak Thai.

But I can't pass this opportunity up.  Mainly because I KNOW that this opportunity is bigger than me.  Bigger than my dreams, bigger than even what I expect it to be.  And I know that going to Thailand is something that God has asked me to do, and He's the one leading the way.

Now I realize that some of you may not believe in God.  And for those of you reading who think that I'm even crazier now that I'm saying God is the one leading me to Thailand — let me share a story with you.

Back in 2003 I took a trip to Belo Horizonte, Brazil.  I went with my church and we spent time working with an organization called Lighthouse International.  They worked with kids in the slums giving both short term, and longterm care to these kids.  Teaching them about the Bible, but also giving them a safe place to stay, food, and taking care of them.  As we worked alongside these people for a week — I left Brazil knowing that this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.  At 16 years old I felt like I had a purpose to work towards. To learn more about Lighthouse International you may
Click Here.

After graduating from high school I spent two and a half years working with an organization called Youth With A Mission, also known as YWAM (pronounced Why Wham).  The mission of YWAM is for every person volunteering with their organization to 'Know God, and to Make Him Known'.  I worked with YWAM based out of New Zealand, and spent time doing missions work through out the pacific islands, Asia, and the Middle East.  To learn more about YWAM you may Click Here

In 2007 when working with YWAM Auckland I was praying with some of the students after we had a guest speaker come through.  As I was praying I just had this overwhelming sense that God was wanting me to work in 6 countries.  Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Kenya, and Uganda.  I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing there, or when I was supposed to go — but in my heart I just KNEW that God was asking me to go to those places.  So I filed those countries in my mind, and waited for Him to make it clear when I would be going.

In 2008 I came back home to Michigan to finish my degree.  I was wanting to get a degree in Visual Communications so that I was well equipped to communicate the stories of the people I was meeting, and how God was working as I traveled internationally.  A couple of weeks after I began classes I got really sick.  At first I thought it was just the flu, until it didn't go away.  After three weeks of being sick everyday I went to my doctor who immediately began tests and putting me on medication.  He could tell that there was something severely wrong, but was having a hard time figuring out what it was.

After 10 months of tests, blood work, procedures, and weekly doctors appointments I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Crohns Disease.  With autoimmune disorders, your immune system views something vital within your own body as a threat. In the case of Crohns, it can effect anything in your digestive system.  Anytime I ate or drank anything I was in severe pain, and often got sick after eating.  The doctors informed be that there was no cure, but once they found the right combinations of medications I would go into remission and be able to lead a normal life.

The only catch: I wouldn't be able to travel as I used to.

At 21 years old I was begin told that I couldn't fulfill what my purpose was.  I wish I could say I took this news well, and had a good attitude, but I didn't.  I understood that God was powerful, and I understood that He loved me, but I was angry that He would ask me to do this work in all of these countries, and then I would get sick and not be able to travel.

For three years doctors tried to find the right combinations of medications to put me into remission, but nothing was working. Either the medications didn't work, I had allergic reactions to them, or the side effects were so bad I couldn't handle taking them.  Finally in May 2011 I began Remicade infusions.  Every 6 weeks I was admitted into the hospital and spent the day on the oncology floor getting IV infusions of a drug that killed my immune system.  I remember one day texting a friend of mine and just saying, "There is nothing natural about this. This isn't supposed to be how I live my life."  I was so sick of being sick.

After 8 months of IV infusions my doctors told me that the Remicade had been my last resort, and it didn't seem to be putting me into remission.  They were going to have to look into starting surgeries to remove the infected parts of my digestive system to give my body a break from being sick.  It had been 3 years and 5 months since I had gotten sick, and I hadn't felt 100% for even one day.

In February 2012 I was at a friend Beth's house spending some time with her and her family.  Two months previous I had been in the hospital 6 times with kidney stones, right after getting home I had developed an upper respiratory infection that had turned into pneumonia, and that week my Crohns had gotten so bad I hadn't been able to eat.  I felt like my body was falling apart.  I had no energy, no motivation, I really didn't even have any reaction.  I was so tired, and felt so sick all I wanted to do was sleep.  My friend refers to that day as my "Zombie" day. As I was standing in her kitchen she looked at me and said, "I want to help you, but I don't' know what to do for you." And she sincerely looked like she was feeling helpless for me.  As I left she said that she was going to be praying for me.

The next morning, February 24, 2012, Beth texted me and said that she had been praying for me in the morning, and that God had done something.  She wanted me to call her when I started feeling different.  I texted her after work asking what she meant, and she asked if I would be willing to come to her house so her and her husband could pray for me. I agreed and went over, and Beth and Monte began to pray for me.  It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, they simply prayed. But as they continued praying, I realized that they were speaking things out that they had no idea about.  Words that had been spoken to me in previous years, circumstances I had been in that they were unaware of.  As time went on I realized that although they were speaking out — the Holy Spirit was praying through them.  God was praying for me.

After they finished praying I went home, and that night ate dinner.  All week I had been so sick, even trying to eat dry cheerios gave me stomach aches bad enough I cried, and made me sick.  After eating dinner that night I felt fine.  I ate breakfast the next morning and was ok.  It has now been five months since that day and I have been able to eat or drink whatever I want and I have not been sick one day. I haven't taken any of my medications, and I've never gotten sick again.  God completely healed me of Crohns.

Not having the autoimmune disorder holding me back, I started talking with a  friend Lindsey about going back not he mission field.  In May 2012 we were dreaming together one day about places we would like to go.  Lindsey was telling me how she had some contacts she wanted to visit and work with.  Contacts in Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, and India.  4 of the 6 countries God had told me I would be working in.  Through that conversation, and weeks of prayer afterwards we realized we were supposed to embark on this journey together.  As she began talking with her contacts, one woman offered for us to come and live with her.  Her name is Emmi, and she lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  She began an organization a few years ago that is thriving in Chiang Mai called Lighthouse in Action. To learn more about this organization you may Click Here

Lindsey and I felt like our first step was to go to Chiang Mai.  Lindsey and I both worked with YWAM in New Zealand, and I was working on the base when she was completing her first school. We lived on the same base, in the same little city, and we have over 100 mutual friends, but we've never actually met in person.  God just kept putting us in each others paths.  We're both photographers, artists, and love serving people.  We both have a heart to see people know Jesus, and to find Justice and Truth in their lives.  We're excited to work with each other in Chiang Mai this year!

So there is a little look into the beginning of my journey. Why I'm going to Chiang Mai.  I promise every blog isn't going to be this long.  This just happened to be a long story :)

But stay tuned for amazing stories of people I meet.  I'm sure there will be funny stories of my trying to navigate my way around a foreign country :) And of course other awesome stories of the Amazing things God is doing!!!

Thanks for joining me!