Missionary Life

Photo Journal: Thailand

January 29, 2016
by Mark Watson

Hanna Smith traveled from New Orleans to Thailand to serve on a short-term mission trip. She used her gifts as a photographer to document workers in the field. Scroll through to catch a glimpse of missions in Thailand along with commentary from Hanna.

I went rock climbing in Khao Chum Thong, and being rainy season, it poured on us. Thankfully it only rained once we finished climbing.

The plant life in Thailand is some of the coolest I’ve seen! So many places are so green and lush. I love that God has given me an eye to notice all of the little details in His creation.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..” Matthew 28:19 It was amazing to see the the passion in each of these missionary’s hearts to reach God’s people and to see God’s love emanate through them onto others. Each of them has unique gifts and abilities that they bring to the table to be able to reach people in different ways.

I woke up on my second to last morning in Prachuap for a sunrise photoshoot with a family there. It was raining before the dawn, and I didn’t think we were going to be able to take photos. But just before the sun came above the horizon, the rain stopped and the ocean was drenched in golden light. It was the most beautiful sunrise I have ever witnessed.

I don’t know why, but I really love this shot. This was one of the workers that drove us to and from the conference room during the missions conference

The food markets in Thailand can be a little startling. This photo was from my first walk through one, and the smells were a little shocking. I even saw giant live larva being sold. Not an experience I have everyday!

Thai kids are the absolute cutest!

These were some of the food stands at a festival in Nakhon Si Thammarat. A really popular snack are slices of green guava fruit sold with a packet of a sugar-spice mixture to dip in. It’s actually really good!

Nothing says midday snack in the south like a piece of dried fish! Safe to say I didn’t try any, but a missionary I was with said they were actually really tasty.

This was a gathering of all of the church leaders around Uthai Thani Province within an 80 mile radius. The group was no more than 15 — really very small for such a large area. Pray for a growth of the church and spreading of the gospel here!

This was a local family we hung out with when we went on our bike riding outreach.

In Thailand, the elderly are highly respected. Respect is based on hierarchy, whether it be your social ranking, your job position, or your age.

One of the most fun things I did while in the south was ride a motorcycle for the first time! I feel like over half of the population there owns a motorcycle. It can be a little scary because they weave in between all the cars on the road to get by faster, which is why the number traffic accidents in this country are some of the highest in the world. No worries, I made it through without any injuries!