Waiting Isn't Wasted
For two years, Carrie Lewis and her team developed genuine friendships with a group of Thai students at Maejo University in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
“We regularly invested in the friendships and had a lot of hope for them, praying for them often,” Carrie shared. “We felt like if one or two of them came to know the Lord, their friends, and boyfriends would get involved and become interested as well.”
But when Carrie’s two-year commitment with the LEAD program ended, she returned to the U.S. without seeing any real change.
After continuing to pray, Carrie received a surprising e-mail four months later.
“We had to leave without seeing much fruit in their lives, then I got a message saying one of them prayed to receive Christ,” Carrie said.
“Even though it can seem disheartening in the moment when we don’t see God moving on the timeline we hope for, in hindsight, it is such a joyful privilege to be one small part of His plan for someone’s life.”
This desire “to be one small part of His plan” is drawing Carrie back to Thailand, where she will join the staff in a long-term capacity.
Her departure, initially scheduled for March 27, was delayed due to travel restrictions, but Carrie continues to connect with the CO Team and Thai students online. She recently shared: “While I can't be a part of ministry there in the way I want to be (and hope to be soon), God is still working in students' hearts at Chiang Mai University. Through the online summer camp that just ended, students improved their English skills and, most importantly, heard the gospel.
15 out of the 20 students who were able to attend the session on Christianity said that they wanted to learn more and were interested in going to church with our team. Praise God!”
While waiting to join the long-term staff, Carrie is using her ministry skills in an unexpected way.
She serves as a reading tutor at a local Christian community center. Since teaching English will be part of her ministry in Thailand, Carrie is building her tutoring skillset.
“Two students I work with daily are going into fourth grade but were reading below a kindergarten level when they entered the program. It has been such a joy to see God’s care for them as they all improve and get excited about reading,” she shared.
As Carrie waits for her Visa to be approved, continued spiritual growth through CO mentors has developed a deep trust in God’s timing.
“Walking through the past two years with teammates who were experiencing the same things in the same stage of life was invaluable,” she shared. “The understanding and encouragement we had with one another, coupled with the intentional mentorship from our leaders, allowed us to learn so much about ministry in a healthy, supportive environment. I don’t think I would have had that to the same degree if I had moved by myself onto a long-term staff team.”
LEAD also gave Carrie a realistic understanding of the joys and difficulties of life overseas.
She said:
“The LEAD training helped me come in with healthy expectations about transition stress and team relationships. I came into many of my daily tasks expecting them to be harder and more frustrating than usual, which took away the pressure and shame that comes with feeling out of control or like I was overreacting.”
“When I felt overwhelmed or stressed out, especially over something small like grocery shopping, I was able to just take a breath and give myself grace. When something went smoothly, I celebrated it and was thankful. Hosting a meal, getting a driver's license, or buying curtains took a lot more effort than it did in America, so having healthy expectations allowed us to celebrate those small victories together rather than feeling like we were always trying to catch up.”
“Everything I’ve learned over the last two years is going to help me as I transition to a new campus and new team. One of the main things is that working on such a close team for two years helped me value different personality types and giftings. I depended on my teammates and leaders for so many things, and I am thankful for how different we all are from one another. I was able to understand and appreciate how other people plan, process, respond, and serve.”
You can pray for Carrie specifically:
That God will direct plans for my departure and provide wisdom in light of COVID-19.
For the safety of those on my ministry team in Thailand and the students we serve.
That I will use the time I have left in the States well, and that I will enjoy this time with my family and friends
That the transition into my new team will be smooth and that I will love and serve them well.
