For every international retreat, Thrive strives to find a location appealing to attendees and volunteers alike. 

With its sunshine and warm temperatures, world-famous beaches and fabulous food, this year’s winter destination—Phuket, Thailand—easily qualified. 

Getting here, however, was another matter. 

For the 40 of us volunteers hailing from all across North America, we signed up for this retreat knowing that the journey would pose a significant challenge. Indeed, for most, it required no less than three flights and 40+ hours of travel. 

Honestly? Rumor has it that volunteers rather dreaded the journey. But motivated by a call on our hearts and an eagerness to serve, we came anyway. Remarkably, our journeys went surprisingly smoothly—with one notable exception. 

Jean’s anticipated journey from Cedar Rapids to San Francisco to Hong Kong to Phuket didn’t quite go that way. Mechanical issues from the outset forced delay and rerouting not once but twice, eventually dominoing into a missed San Francisco connection. “At that point,” she admits, “I just wanted to go home.”

Instead, sleep-deprived and hungry, she pressed on until she finally landed in Phuket twenty-four hours behind schedule. 

Because she focused on what it’s all for—the chance to serve the 95 global workers who will soon be arriving in Phuket for replenishment and fellowship.

It’s what motivates each volunteer to spend months beforehand raising funds for her trip across oceans and continents. To gather curated gifts for the attendees—and find the suitcase space to bring them. And for quite a few volunteers, to bring along an additional suitcase full of Thrive supplies packed and distributed by Pat (our staff member and retreat volunteer who helps coordinate getting it all ready and to our retreat site). To push through jet lag and the discomfort of long-haul travel across continents and oceans—and the occasional—inevitable?—travel snafu.

The attendees God has gathered make it all worthwhile. 

And now that we’re all finally here, we’re counting down the hours to meet them.