Ireh(7th grader)'s journal from his recent trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand.

My first mission trip to Thailand by Ireh Park

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When my father told me we were going on a mission trip to Thailand, my heart nearly leapt out of my chest. I imagined the humid air, the buzzing nights, and most of all, the exotic fruits I couldn’t have in tropical Fiji Islands where I took the first mission trip. Mangosteen, mango, and durian—waiting for me to taste for the first and better time.

When I arrived in Thailand, I was so excited. We stayed at an Airbnb for two days spending some time with Chiang Mai collage students staying at Jasper College Home to see the Thailand and the people for the first time in my life.

After that, we got on a van with pastor JJ and his wife Noot and drove for a few hours to the Jasper Kids Home on the mountain in Chiang Lai area.

On the first day at the Jasper Kids Home, I didn’t know anyone there. It was hard to communicate with the people there, and the weather was extremely hot and humid—it made me sweat a lot. At lunchtime, we had green curry, but it was so spicy that I couldn’t eat much. Later, we had worship, and I felt nervous because I was sitting in the front row.

The next day, I ate some mango and bagels for breakfast. There was a chapel inside the compound and we were always there with the Jasper Kids. At the chapel, I helped teach the song “Way Maker” in English with Grace. It wasn’t easy because of the language barrier, but we did our best. We also played some games, which were really fun, but they made me sweat even more. After dinner, we went to sleep early.

The next morning, we went deeper into the mountains. It was raining, so the road was muddy, and one of the cars even got stuck. Thankfully, we made it to the top safely. At the church on the mountain, built among all the Buddhist villages, we had worship services for the people came from nearby villages. While I was dancing on stage, I hurt my leg from jumping and moving too much. Pastor JJ had said that about 80 people would come, but only around 20 showed up due to heavy rain. But it didn’t matter so much for us, for we were happy to see local Christians and happy to worship God together. For lunch, we had some kind of noodles, but I it was new experience for me and because they were wide and slippery.

Later, we visited a man who was sick and prayed for him at his house. He sought all the help from his Buddhist community and finally told him to go to Christian God for help. We all sincerely prayed for his health and recovery. On the way back, I rode in the back of a truck for a few minutes. It was muddy and wet, and when we got back to the church, everyone was soaking wet. That night, we had grilled pork for dinner. I ate with Daniel—he was really good at cooking. I wanted to eat more, but it was time for worship again.

The next day was our last day at JK Home. The people there gave us candy as a gift. We left the site in the morning, and I already missed them. This experience helped me grow closer to God and strengthened my faith.

When we got back to a place near the Chiang Mai Airport, it had a swimming pool, so we played tag. Next morning, it was finally time to say GoodBye to Thailand to go back home in California.

Coming back to California, I didn’t feel quite the same. Something inside my mind is changed. The trip opened my eyes to a new side of the world and new side of God.—one I had never seen, think or imagine before. It made me realize how much there is to explore, to learn, and to understand beyond my own everyday life. Now, I’ve heard our next destination might be Japan, and I’m already eager to prepare. This time, I want to dive deeper—learning about their culture, food, people, and everything else that makes Japan so unique and yet have not received Jesus, who I am going to share with them.