So much of our focus thus far has been on the attendees, and rightly so. But we volunteers have been exposed to opportunities for radical change as well. We’ve been interacting with the same group of amazing women, been hearing the same teachings, worshiping the same God. 

We are not unaffected!

As Thrive Director Lorrie said, “God says to you all, ‘You came to serve, but you are my daughter too. There’s something for you here as well.’”

Indeed, there is. 

As we’ve been processing all that’s happened in and around and through us this week, we have found we’ve just as many stories of discovery, healing, and transformation to share as the attendees. 

Such as the woman who came longing for a sense of belonging and found her tribe here among Thrive people. Or another who recognized how she keeps the best of herself hidden at home—and gained new insights into how to change that.

Now we’re tasked with finding a way to somehow share the significance of what’s happened in Phuket with our own supporters back home. 

So, guided again by Lead Counselor Elisabeth, we’re thinking about ways we can succinctly tell our stories in one word, or one minute—or three, or ten. And, beyond that, how to effectively advocate for global workers in our churches and communities. 

We understand that global workers need not only our encouragement, but very much our advocacy too. This means that we see the work of global workers as not merely one thing that a church does, but rather its main thing—what Jesus commissioned us all to do—so that churches can effectively support those they send. 

It means clearly communicating what we’ve seen, and heard, and learned here powerfully to our partners back home. 

In one sense, our work at the Thailand 2024 has finally drawn to a close. But when it comes to telling the story, we are only beginning.