The More the Merrier
Growing up as the youngest of five kids in an extroverted family with constant visitors, I’m no stranger to full houses. Thailand, however, raises the bar on hospitality. “The more the merrier” seems to be an unspoken cultural mantra in this country.
October is a funky month in Thailand as schools close for a month between terms, meaning our family at The Well explodes with some new energy for a month as kids and teens from our extended community are around all day, every day. A new twist on the usual October fun and youth programs… six teenagers and three Thai interns are camping out with us at the volunteer house for the month. That brings our house occupancy to 13, usually expanding from there as friends and neighbors join in on the commotion as well.
Every night’s a party!
Love the life and joyful noise the kids bring to the house. Meals turn into parties and bedtime turns into a circus. There’s something about having teenagers around that brings good perspective and optimism for the future.
Sure – a houseful of rambunctious teenagers isn’t all fun and games; it’s easy to get caught up in the never ending cycle of grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, with a side of complaints about house rules on cell phone use. (Gaining respect for parents everywhere!) And yet the frequent sounds of laughter, worship music jam sessions and ‘heart-to-hearts’ more than make up for the minor inconveniences of a houseful.
The kids are getting exposed to a different type of community and family than they’ve known in the past. And… us ‘big kids’ get a unique window into what God’s doing in their hearts and lives every day. What a blessing and a privilege!
A couple reasons I’m writing this.
One, so you can pray with us. For all the kids that are preparing to head back to school in the next couple weeks and, in some cases, back to far less safe family and community environments. We want these youth to have access to consistent, healthy community and are praying for God to make a way for that to happen. We dream of these rural kids being the cycle breakers — the ones to break the trends of brokenness in their families and communities. With that dream, we’re continuing to pray about a possible rural youth center (think Boys & Girls Club meets 4-H) but we’re still a ways off from launching. Let me know if this piques your interest and I’ll loop you in.
And two, so you might think about your own roof. Who’s under it? Who are you inviting into your community? Are you seeking out and inviting in community not only as a means of being a blessing to others, but as a means of allowing God to stretch you, teach you, encourage you and remind you just how precious and beautiful His family is?
If you’re not, you’re missing out. After all, the more the merrier!
cultivate 