"I’ve heard about Mighty Oaks for years. Back in Canada, the Hudson family has shared at our church more times than I can count. They always come armed with stories, photos, and updates about Mighty Oaks’ current students as well as the alumni, kids who are now adults doing real-life things like teaching, enforcing the law, working in aviation in hospitality. (Basically, living proof that hope has a future resume).
So when I signed up for the Thailand trip, I thought I knew what I was getting into. We had meetings. There was an itinerary. I was informed. Prepared. Emotionally ready. Or so I thought.
Fast forward, we arrived in Fang after a 16-hour flight, followed by another 3-hour flight and a 2-hour drive from Chiang Mai. At this point, I had been running mostly on airplane snacks, optimism and excitement. Jetlagged, mildly disoriented, and semi-questioning my life choices, I arrived at the Mighty Oaks Foundation property, which houses its offices, ministry center and the Agape Home for girls.
Then the girls came out to greet us.
And that’s where everything I thought I knew fell apart in the best possible way.
I wasn’t prepared for the emotions. Or the visceral reaction. Or the way my heart seemed to forget it was supposed to stay neatly inside my chest. What I saw in the girls’ faces was innocence, gratitude, and pure joy. What I received were hugs that somehow bypassed exhaustion and language barriers. These were not polite hugs. These were full-on, “we are genuinely glad you’re here” hugs.
In that moment, the love of Christ stopped being an abstract theological concept and became something tangible, something you could see, feel, and experience. It was embodied in the work of Mighty Oaks, in the faithfulness of the Hudson family, and in the generosity of supporters who may never meet these girls but have changed the trajectory of their lives.
Standing there, jetlag and all, I realized I was witnessing Matthew 25:40 in real time:
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Except this time, “the least of these” hugged me first.
And I think that’s what undid me the most.
Sometimes Jesus doesn’t show up with a sermon or a miracle. Sometimes He shows up in the arms of a child whose life has been redirected by love and reminds you why any of this matters at all."
~ Selina Mudavanhu
For the sights and sounds Peg recorded from our ministry center this morning, visit our Mighty Oaks Webpage at https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CQsQHpf2b/
Join our email list for blog updates during our trip here: https://getoiling.com/PeggyWright/landing/https-getoiling-com-peggywright-landing-thailand
0 Comments