Culture Shift

Elephant ride in Northern Thailand

The seat pulsed with the sway of the elephant's head as I stepped off the platform, gripped the the back of the bench and set my foot on the narrow ledge and edged across the slim bench. My husband joined me and a wooden pole acted as the barrier between us and the ground. Our backs arched forwards and backwards with each heavy footfall. Our laughter rang out as we took in the sights, knowing a clear camera shot would be next to impossible during this ride.

Our friends, Kris and Tabatha Pagan arranged for our group to experience elephant rides during our last day of our missions trip to northern Thailand. They told us this group was part of the Karin peoples of Thailand and that they'd lost elephants in the severe flash flooding that took place the previous fall. The market and coffee shop had not yet been rebuilt. This village had become part of their friend group in Thailand. Our visit to them would help them rebuild.

November Missions Trip to Thailand 2025

"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17 NLT

Do you have a favourite hole-in-the-wall diner? Tabatha carted us to a little restaurant we'd never venture to on our own but she ordered for us. We enjoyed a flavourful soup or a spicy pork and rice dish. Then we toured a market to pick up items for our school ministry. We found out they too had experienced difficulty after last fall's flooding.

We attended a building dedication for one of the many ministry partners Kris and Tabatha work alongside in Mae Sai, Thailand. The other one filled with mud after the first flood had just been cleared out when a second flood event occurred. Discouragement multiplied but the encouragement from the other mission organizations kept depression at bay and watered the tiny mustard seed of faith for Nomen and his wife Jessica. A Burmese choir sang a beautiful hymn in four part harmony after a powerful time of corporate worship. Another fellowship meal gave my husband and I opportunity to interact and ask questions of the Kingdom Mission International's Australian leaders who were there to support the opening. Everywhere we turned, we saw how important it was for the body of Christ to work together to support the spread of the gospel.

Whether it involved pressure washing mold and moss off a building or telling the story of the Prodigal Son through an interpreter, both served a purpose to glorify the Lord Jesus. Both actions served the Thai and Burmese people and demonstrated the love of Jesus for them.

Trimming branches away from power lines, tiling a bathroom floor or delighting a little girl with a pink butterfly on her cheek can be done as Jesus' representative. He alone deserves the glory and the credit for what happens next. Our prayer is that a wider door for Kris and Tabatha to connect with the Thai people will open as a result of our time there.

Do you need a culture shift and see the world around you with new eyes of appreciation? Go on a short term missions trip with an attitude of service and watch how God changes your heart. Or look at the churches in your city and ask God how you can partner with rather than compete against to share the gospel with your entire city.