Among Temples and Tables: Finding God in the High Places

Wheels for the World Outreach – Thailand 2026
“He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.” — Psalm 18:33

From April 23–May 4, Spencer and I joined a team through Joni and Friends for a Wheels for the World outreach in Thailand. Though many of us had only met over Zoom, there was an immediate unity rooted in our shared mission and identity in Christ.

After beginning in Bangkok, we traveled north to Petchabun and later Sukhothai, partnering with local organizations to provide custom-fit wheelchairs for children and adults with disabilities. What began as a humanitarian outreach quickly became something much deeper—a journey of spiritual formation.

The first thing that hits you in Thailand is the heat—intense, humid, and relentless. But almost as noticeable were the temples and Buddhas everywhere. Ornate shrines lined streets, homes, and marketplaces, often filled with offerings of fruit, incense, and soda bottles left in devotion.

It was both beautiful and heartbreaking.

Beautiful in craftsmanship and sincerity.

Heartbreaking in realizing how many people were searching for hope in things unable to answer back.

The trip constantly reminded me how easy it is for all of us to place hope in temporary things instead of the living God.

Even the food became part of the stretching process. Thai curries, spices, and flavors filled every meal—breakfast included! It pushed many of us outside our comfort zones and into a new rhythm of dependence and flexibility.

Our outreach served over 100 individuals across multiple distribution sites, including children at the Petchabun Special Education Center and adults in surrounding communities. Every wheelchair fitting—or “seating”—was highly individualized. Teams worked together to assess posture, customize chairs, make mechanical adjustments, and ensure each person received a wheelchair fitted specifically for their needs.

Going into the trip, I assumed I would mostly help support from the sidelines. Instead, I found myself learning how to use tools like jigsaws and grinders and wrenches of all shapes and sizes under the guidance of skilled mechanics from our team.

I told the staff at Trinity I wanted to get my hands dirty on this trip and that is exactly what I did! (be careful what you ask for!)

Spencer was stretched in similar ways. It was hands-on, exhausting, technical work—but deeply meaningful.

But the ministry was never just about the chair.

Every seating began and ended with prayer. Through translators, we shared that we were there not only to provide mobility, but to share the love of Jesus. Each recipient also received a Bible in their own language, a book sharing Joni Eareckson Tada’s story, and ongoing follow-up through local churches and ministry partners.

Again and again, we were reminded:
A chair wasn’t just a chair.
It was dignity. Mobility. Hope.

Throughout the trip, I kept reflecting on Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard—a story about following God through difficult terrain toward deeper transformation. To reach the “high places,” the journey often passes through wilderness, discomfort, and surrender first.

That felt true in Thailand.

The physical exhaustion, cultural and language barriers, spiritual heaviness of a deeply Buddhist context, and stepping into unfamiliar roles stretched us far beyond comfort. Yet it was often in those difficult moments that God felt most present.

It reminded me of climbing Camelback Mountain earlier this year. What I expected to be a simple hike became steep and technical, leaving me wondering more than once why I had chosen something so difficult. But that climb mirrored this journey: so often, the places we want to avoid are the very places where God does His deepest work.

The high places are not simply destinations we arrive at—they are who we are becoming along the way.

This trip changed us. Not just through what we did, but through what God was doing in us.

We came home tired, grateful, humbled, and transformed.

And the journey continues.

God is still leading.
Still forming.
Still strengthening.

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit…” — Zechariah 4:6

Maybe the “high place” God is leading you toward doesn’t look like a mountaintop right now. Maybe it looks more like stretching, waiting, wilderness, or surrender.

But perhaps that is exactly where transformation begins.

Thank you Trinity family for all of your encouragement, prayers and support.