In 2008, twelve people went to the mountains of Thailand to work side by side with Lahu villagers to bring clean, running water to the village. "Running Water, Living Water" is a personal account of some ordinary folks who lived an extraordinary adventure. Written by team leader Angela Sudermann, the book shares the group’s joys and struggles of daily life in the village that changed their hearts. It also details the unexpected experiences the team had when the Bangkok airport was closed leaving them stranded!
Sudermann is the Coordinator of Volunteers in Global Mission (VIGM) for International Ministries. We asked what she hopes people will get out of this book. “My dream is always that people hear their call from God to go, whether it is through journals, stories, anything that will open their hearts to His people around the world.”
Sudermann believes that God has a place for just about everyone in volunteer missions. Once when speaking at an Indiana conference, a retired trucker asked her where could he go? She told him he was a perfect fit for Thailand. Not only did this man go on the team, he brought a friend and his pastor!
The members of the team came from Nebraska, Indiana and Oregon. They went to work alongside the Lahu villagers, American Baptist global consultant Mike Mann, and the ministry of ITDP, the Integrated Tribal Development Program. Each one raised their own funding for the trip with the help of family, friends and their church. In addition to a couple of pastors, this team had a stay at home mom, a farmer, a banker, a salesman, a teacher, some retirees and an aerial sprayer.
What lead this diverse group to go to Thailand? Sudermann said that global consultant Mike Mann had been a speaker in the Nebraska churches, telling about his ministry among the hill tribes of Thailand. Hugh Bates learned about the trip when attending a World Mission Conference in Oregon. He read about opportunities for mission volunteers and thought “I can do that” and at age 77, he did!
Sudermann stresses that mission trips are not a vacation. In this case, the team members helped to install a clean, running water system. But it was also a ministry of “presence”, spending time with the villagers, encouraging the Christians and helping to bring the living water of Jesus Christ to nonbelievers.
When asked why she wrote about this particular mission trip, Sudermann said that while each trip is special, this was her first time being the leader. The week when the team was stuck in Thailand during the airport strike, gave the trip an interesting dimension that stretched everyone’s faith in a very high stress situation. That experience gave her new insights into prayer, the importance of extending grace, trusting God and especially letting go of control.
“Running Water, Living Water” is a good tool as you prepare to go on a mission trip, especially if you’re serving in Thailand with Mike Mann and ITDP. Royalties from the book go to support the ministry of Mike and ITDP. You can find it online at www.amazon.com
To learn more about becoming a volunteer in global mission, click here