It has been long in coming, but I would like to let everyone know I am back in the US safe and sound. I arrived about two weeks ago. Since then I have visited my brother, family, and friends. I thank God for giving me the chance to go to Thailand and the chance to see everyone on my return. I will be going to Covenant College tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing all my friends there. I am still processing all I saw and did in Thailand. What I know now is, I believe if people just knew the problems that face the world they, would be more adamant about doing something about it.
I am still in communication with some of the people I met in Thailand. Please pray those relationships continue, and those who don't know God will be given that grace.
Thank you all for your prayers, support, and emails. God is merciful and has sustained me for another day. May He do the same for you, drawing you closer to himself everyday. May He show you your sins, His holiness, and the worlds brokenness. That you may take confidence and comfort in Him, and share Him with others.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Safely Home
I am home safe and sound. My time in Bangkok is over. I will miss the places I've been and the people I have seen, but I am optimistic about the future. My time of missions has not just ended. It has barely begun. I do not know where or when God will take me on another cross-continent adventure, but I look forward to my next trip. I also look even more forward to my upcoming year at Covenant College. It will be my last year in College. I do not know what God has planned for me this year at college, but I pray it is one of learning and doing. I hope to be able to become heavily involved in the life of those in need in the projects and on the streets of Chattanooga and on Covenant College's campus.
Thank you all for following my time in Thailand this summer. Your prayers and support have been a great encouragement and strength to me this summer. I have enjoyed being a part of this team. Thank you for the privilege to serve on the front lines, and thank you for diligently supporting me behind the scenes.
Like I have said, my time in Thailand is over, but my mission is just beginning. Please be praying for me going into this year. Pray that God will be exceedingly close to me, so that I can never fathom His greatness. Pray that He is close to those around me, breaking the bonds of injustice, pride, and self-criticism that Satan so easily use against us. Pray that God will work through me to change others lives. Pray God gives me boldness, courage, creativity, and safety in this coming year. Most importantly pray He gives me the Holy Spirit. How I desperately need the Helper.
I would like to finish by saying, "Thank you God for giving me the chance to serve you in this way. Will you cultivate the seeds that were planted, and send workers to tend your garden."
Thank you all for following my time in Thailand this summer. Your prayers and support have been a great encouragement and strength to me this summer. I have enjoyed being a part of this team. Thank you for the privilege to serve on the front lines, and thank you for diligently supporting me behind the scenes.
Like I have said, my time in Thailand is over, but my mission is just beginning. Please be praying for me going into this year. Pray that God will be exceedingly close to me, so that I can never fathom His greatness. Pray that He is close to those around me, breaking the bonds of injustice, pride, and self-criticism that Satan so easily use against us. Pray that God will work through me to change others lives. Pray God gives me boldness, courage, creativity, and safety in this coming year. Most importantly pray He gives me the Holy Spirit. How I desperately need the Helper.
I would like to finish by saying, "Thank you God for giving me the chance to serve you in this way. Will you cultivate the seeds that were planted, and send workers to tend your garden."
Monday, August 3, 2009
Sweet Home Alabama: I'm Coming Home to You
I apologize to all my readers. It has been a long time since I last blogged. I have been super busy these past two weeks. Things seem to keep getting busier and faster as my time of departure approaches. Yes, it is approaching, and approaching fast. I will leave my house at 9 p.m. Friday night accompanied by a host of friends. I fly out of Bangkok at 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning and and into Atlanta at 7:15 p.m. (ET) Saturday afternoon. You can be in prayer for safe travels, a comfortable flight, or God's testing me through fire. Whichever you would prefer to pray upon me. I just ask that your prayers for me flow from a desire that all men will know the the I AM is God. I look forward to seeing all of my friends and family in Marshal county and in GFPC.
This week will be super busy for me, but don't feel too bad for me just yet. I will be writing multiple reports for my university, writing multiple reports for Step Ahead, and leading multiple training sessions with the Step Ahead staff. Now your wondering why I said don't feel bad for me. Well, here's the fun part: every night, I will be going to a different goodbye party. Ya, I feel pretty loved. Most of the time I wonder why, and then I remember these people are Christian, and God is in the business of loving the most unexpected characters (me being a prime example). In any case, please be praying for me to finish strong, or if you're feeling God is kind of small, pray I will at least finish. (We can only pray for what we have faith will really happen.) Most of all, pray for God to be in what I do...or that what I do will be in God (however that works).
I probably will not be writing again before I return to sweet home Alabama. If you want to hear all the stories that have not made it on this blog, call me after 7:15 p.m. (ET) Saturday and we can plan a walk, a cup of coffee, a game of soccer, or meal. Whatever you're in the mood for. We could pitch tent in the local park and share stories while watching the stars play. We could practice our Thai together and laugh when we can't get it right. Or we could just walk the streets while reminiscing about our summers. Whatever we do, lets have a good laugh, and lets both share our stories. I want to know what has been going on in your life this summer. And if we never get to talk about this summer, I hope to live out what the stories have done in my life.
Until next time, Pra Jow Oi Pon (Nope no translation. Just let the words bless your soul as they have mine.)
This week will be super busy for me, but don't feel too bad for me just yet. I will be writing multiple reports for my university, writing multiple reports for Step Ahead, and leading multiple training sessions with the Step Ahead staff. Now your wondering why I said don't feel bad for me. Well, here's the fun part: every night, I will be going to a different goodbye party. Ya, I feel pretty loved. Most of the time I wonder why, and then I remember these people are Christian, and God is in the business of loving the most unexpected characters (me being a prime example). In any case, please be praying for me to finish strong, or if you're feeling God is kind of small, pray I will at least finish. (We can only pray for what we have faith will really happen.) Most of all, pray for God to be in what I do...or that what I do will be in God (however that works).
I probably will not be writing again before I return to sweet home Alabama. If you want to hear all the stories that have not made it on this blog, call me after 7:15 p.m. (ET) Saturday and we can plan a walk, a cup of coffee, a game of soccer, or meal. Whatever you're in the mood for. We could pitch tent in the local park and share stories while watching the stars play. We could practice our Thai together and laugh when we can't get it right. Or we could just walk the streets while reminiscing about our summers. Whatever we do, lets have a good laugh, and lets both share our stories. I want to know what has been going on in your life this summer. And if we never get to talk about this summer, I hope to live out what the stories have done in my life.
Until next time, Pra Jow Oi Pon (Nope no translation. Just let the words bless your soul as they have mine.)
Friday, July 24, 2009
Funerals and Ghosts
I'm down to two weeks in Thailand. I have been reading the blogs of all my fellow community development interns and laughed at how so many of them said how fast the summer has gone and how they will miss it. I laugh because I have been thinking the same thing. This week, I have thought a lot about what I want to do before I leave, and found I want to do a lot more than I can in the next two weeks. I have had to set my priorities. So here they are:
Step Ahead Internship Work
1. Start Implementing Loan Performer into Step Ahead's program.
2. Show Pi Tun, Pi Golf, and Khun Sai how to use Loan Performer so they can continue what I have started.
3. Write a short handbook for loan performer to leave with Step Ahead.
4. Write a three year scenario projections report for Step Ahead based on Microfin findings.
5. Write a short handbook for Microfin to leave with Step Ahead.
6. Write three more weekly logs, two research reports, a research design critique, and a final
Time Off Work
1. Spend as much time as possible with Chai Yo, Pi Kung, Pi Noi, and Tallia Klung Toei Church.
2. Spend at least two or three more nights with Jonah and Chris.
3. Go to Kids Club the next two Saturdays.
4. Teach English at Tallia the next two Sundays.
5. Shop for gifts for people here.
This is a ridiculously crazy list for two weeks. Please be praying for me to get everything done and to be helpful for people.
Ok so your wondering why I labeled this blog Funerals and Ghosts. Tuesday, Chai Yo's grandfather died unexpectedly. I spent Wednesday night with him and went Thursday with him to the funeral. Chai Yo's dad is the pastor of Tallia Church. The death was especially hard for the family because the grandfather is not a Christian. When pastor Suwat was a kid his dad was Christian. His dad even sent him to a Bible College in Korea where he received the call to be a church planter and pastor in Klong Toei. After that, the grandfather turned to drinking and bankrupted himself. In the face of starving he became a Buddhist monk because Buddhists give food and money to monks. That is when he died of a heart attack. Please be praying for the family as this is hard, because they know the grandfather will not be in heaven waiting for them.
Wednesday night when I was talking with Chai Yo about anything but his grandfather, he gave me a history lesson of the church. Two years ago Tallia moved to a new building. The building had previously been owned by the mafia and had a spirit house in it. When Christians buy a new house there is usually a spirit house in it. The Christian buying the house gathers some fellow Christians and they break the spirit house to pieces. Then they fast and pray in the house praying that God will cast out any demons that are in the house. Pastor Suwat did the same thing for the new church. (Pastor Suwat and his family live in the church.) Inspite of their prayers, the spirits in the spirit house stayed in the home for one year afflicting the family. There were times when Pastor Suwat was held down by four "baby Ghosts," and once he was confronted by a "big ghost with flames coming out of it." Utty, pastor Suwat's youngest son, could not go to school that year because he was made paralyzed. Chai Yo could not sleep at night because he was always very hot. During this time Pastor Suwat and the whole church prayed like crazy that God would cast these Ghosts out. Finally after a year of affliction pastor Suwat got some oil and drew crosses on every window in the church, declaring the house for God. Everything stopped. The ghosts left.
Ok so that's my crazy stories and weeks ahead of me. Its time for me to get back to chopping away at that list of things to do. Until I return pray for my endurance, diligence, wisdom, and love. Especially love. If I get everything on my list done and see many women delivered from moneylenders and have not love I am only a resounding gong. (I praise God he can even use the resounding gong I often become and can transform this resounding gong into an instrument of love for others and Him.) I have discovered the greatest love story ever and found I am in it.
Step Ahead Internship Work
1. Start Implementing Loan Performer into Step Ahead's program.
2. Show Pi Tun, Pi Golf, and Khun Sai how to use Loan Performer so they can continue what I have started.
3. Write a short handbook for loan performer to leave with Step Ahead.
4. Write a three year scenario projections report for Step Ahead based on Microfin findings.
5. Write a short handbook for Microfin to leave with Step Ahead.
6. Write three more weekly logs, two research reports, a research design critique, and a final
Time Off Work
1. Spend as much time as possible with Chai Yo, Pi Kung, Pi Noi, and Tallia Klung Toei Church.
2. Spend at least two or three more nights with Jonah and Chris.
3. Go to Kids Club the next two Saturdays.
4. Teach English at Tallia the next two Sundays.
5. Shop for gifts for people here.
This is a ridiculously crazy list for two weeks. Please be praying for me to get everything done and to be helpful for people.
Ok so your wondering why I labeled this blog Funerals and Ghosts. Tuesday, Chai Yo's grandfather died unexpectedly. I spent Wednesday night with him and went Thursday with him to the funeral. Chai Yo's dad is the pastor of Tallia Church. The death was especially hard for the family because the grandfather is not a Christian. When pastor Suwat was a kid his dad was Christian. His dad even sent him to a Bible College in Korea where he received the call to be a church planter and pastor in Klong Toei. After that, the grandfather turned to drinking and bankrupted himself. In the face of starving he became a Buddhist monk because Buddhists give food and money to monks. That is when he died of a heart attack. Please be praying for the family as this is hard, because they know the grandfather will not be in heaven waiting for them.
Wednesday night when I was talking with Chai Yo about anything but his grandfather, he gave me a history lesson of the church. Two years ago Tallia moved to a new building. The building had previously been owned by the mafia and had a spirit house in it. When Christians buy a new house there is usually a spirit house in it. The Christian buying the house gathers some fellow Christians and they break the spirit house to pieces. Then they fast and pray in the house praying that God will cast out any demons that are in the house. Pastor Suwat did the same thing for the new church. (Pastor Suwat and his family live in the church.) Inspite of their prayers, the spirits in the spirit house stayed in the home for one year afflicting the family. There were times when Pastor Suwat was held down by four "baby Ghosts," and once he was confronted by a "big ghost with flames coming out of it." Utty, pastor Suwat's youngest son, could not go to school that year because he was made paralyzed. Chai Yo could not sleep at night because he was always very hot. During this time Pastor Suwat and the whole church prayed like crazy that God would cast these Ghosts out. Finally after a year of affliction pastor Suwat got some oil and drew crosses on every window in the church, declaring the house for God. Everything stopped. The ghosts left.
Ok so that's my crazy stories and weeks ahead of me. Its time for me to get back to chopping away at that list of things to do. Until I return pray for my endurance, diligence, wisdom, and love. Especially love. If I get everything on my list done and see many women delivered from moneylenders and have not love I am only a resounding gong. (I praise God he can even use the resounding gong I often become and can transform this resounding gong into an instrument of love for others and Him.) I have discovered the greatest love story ever and found I am in it.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Back in Bangkok
My time in Khoa Lak was so good. I feel so rested and ready to take on my last three weeks in Thailand. Wow. Three weeks. Where does time go? I will miss this place, and I have so much to do. Pray I know how to prioritize my time, and that I will be able to get all my work done. I would like to take some days walking through as many slums as possible and I would like to go to Mae Sot one more time before I leave. Pray God will show me if I should go to Mae Sot or not.
Right now I am talking to one of the servers at a coffee shop about Buddhism and Christianity. He seems so excited about the new things he is learning about Buddhism now. He wants to share them with me. We are having a deep discussion about the meaning of life, the existence of pain, and why it is that him a thai and me an american would meet right now to talk. Please pray for us.
Right now I am talking to one of the servers at a coffee shop about Buddhism and Christianity. He seems so excited about the new things he is learning about Buddhism now. He wants to share them with me. We are having a deep discussion about the meaning of life, the existence of pain, and why it is that him a thai and me an american would meet right now to talk. Please pray for us.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
When One Life Ends My Week Goes On
Sunday night I took the night bus to Khoa Lak. There are three types of buses in Thailand: VIP, 1st class, and 2nd class. VIP night buses cost 1000 TBH. There are only three columns of seats in the bus and lots of room to fully recline. The 1st class night buses are 550 TBH and about the equivalent to a normal bus in America. The 2nd class buses cost 400 TBH. There are four columns of seat with the rows so close your knees touch the seat in front of you and the AC may or may not work. I was recommended to take 1st class because its not to expensive, but also is comfortable; so that is what I got.
The bus left at 8 pm from Bangkok. I fell asleep at 9 pm. I was woken up by a load crashing noise and us coming to a screeching halt at 10 pm. Confused at what had just happened I looked out the window with the rest of the people on the bus. I could make out a broken motorcycle on the other side of the road just behind us and pieces of the bike lying on the road. We sat there for 10 min as I tried to process what just happened. right before we left, it hit me to look for the driver. As I looked only to see something farther behind us lying motionless on the road. And then to my horror, as we were pulling away, another truck came by and ran over the seemingly mangled body. At 12 am the bus stopped and everyone had to get out. Another bus arrived at 1am and we all loaded up to leave. Five minutes later we stopped at the same place as before, were told to get out again, and waited another hour for another bus. At 2 am we loaded up on a 2nd class bus and traveled the remaining 9 hours in that.
All in all I left the bus ride very tired, soar, emotionally drained, and dreading my ride back to Bangkok Friday. In all of this what haunts me the most is that our bus driver killed a man. We were late, because we killed someone. I know it was not my fault, and I know I could not have done anything to help, but the fact that the bus I was on killed someone is...heavy. And I can't believe the bus driver didn't even have the decency to pull the body off to the side of the road.
So now that I have dropped a heavy story on you, I am going to share what I am doing in Khoa Lak this week. If it feels odd reading about the lighter parts of life that I am about to share right after reading about someone dying, then you may feel something of what I feel living it after experiencing a life lost.
I will be in Khoa Lak until Friday. Each day, I will be teaching English with two other instructors to 25ish students for 1 1/2 hours. I will be visiting Step Ahead's four preschools, homestays, and Thai Totes projects. I was told there was a lot of manual labor planned for me to do as well but it has rained a lot lately inhibiting me from working. The rain has been a blessing from God because it has allowed me to get a lot of much needed R&R. Tuesday I hiked through the jungle to a small remote beach with some friends. We made our own track an field competition where I made first in the shot-put and runner-up in the long jump and the 100 meter(ish) race. Today I rode an elephant. I have also had some time to sit and read. It is so nice to have that time. John John is letting me borrow a book called Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. It is a must read for anyone who has ever asked the question, "What does it mean to be a Christian?" or "What is it that God wants a Christian to do in life?" or have thought, "I know what it means to be saved, now I want to know what it means to follow Jesus."
Please pray for the driver of the motorbike and his or her family and friends. Also for the driver of the bus. I can imagine it would be easy for him to let the guilt of hitting the motorbike haunt him or to completely write his actions off as no problem at all. Pray he finds the proper middle. Life is short and you never know when it is going to end. Nothing in life is safe, so live recklessly for God who is eternal and whose rewards are eternal. We all have to suffer someway, I choose to suffer for God. We all have to die someway, I choose to die for God. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour I know I will be raised from the dead so what should I fear in life. Nothing and no one can hurt me unless my Father wills for him to. So if Christ is for us who can be against us.
The bus left at 8 pm from Bangkok. I fell asleep at 9 pm. I was woken up by a load crashing noise and us coming to a screeching halt at 10 pm. Confused at what had just happened I looked out the window with the rest of the people on the bus. I could make out a broken motorcycle on the other side of the road just behind us and pieces of the bike lying on the road. We sat there for 10 min as I tried to process what just happened. right before we left, it hit me to look for the driver. As I looked only to see something farther behind us lying motionless on the road. And then to my horror, as we were pulling away, another truck came by and ran over the seemingly mangled body. At 12 am the bus stopped and everyone had to get out. Another bus arrived at 1am and we all loaded up to leave. Five minutes later we stopped at the same place as before, were told to get out again, and waited another hour for another bus. At 2 am we loaded up on a 2nd class bus and traveled the remaining 9 hours in that.
All in all I left the bus ride very tired, soar, emotionally drained, and dreading my ride back to Bangkok Friday. In all of this what haunts me the most is that our bus driver killed a man. We were late, because we killed someone. I know it was not my fault, and I know I could not have done anything to help, but the fact that the bus I was on killed someone is...heavy. And I can't believe the bus driver didn't even have the decency to pull the body off to the side of the road.
So now that I have dropped a heavy story on you, I am going to share what I am doing in Khoa Lak this week. If it feels odd reading about the lighter parts of life that I am about to share right after reading about someone dying, then you may feel something of what I feel living it after experiencing a life lost.
I will be in Khoa Lak until Friday. Each day, I will be teaching English with two other instructors to 25ish students for 1 1/2 hours. I will be visiting Step Ahead's four preschools, homestays, and Thai Totes projects. I was told there was a lot of manual labor planned for me to do as well but it has rained a lot lately inhibiting me from working. The rain has been a blessing from God because it has allowed me to get a lot of much needed R&R. Tuesday I hiked through the jungle to a small remote beach with some friends. We made our own track an field competition where I made first in the shot-put and runner-up in the long jump and the 100 meter(ish) race. Today I rode an elephant. I have also had some time to sit and read. It is so nice to have that time. John John is letting me borrow a book called Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. It is a must read for anyone who has ever asked the question, "What does it mean to be a Christian?" or "What is it that God wants a Christian to do in life?" or have thought, "I know what it means to be saved, now I want to know what it means to follow Jesus."
Please pray for the driver of the motorbike and his or her family and friends. Also for the driver of the bus. I can imagine it would be easy for him to let the guilt of hitting the motorbike haunt him or to completely write his actions off as no problem at all. Pray he finds the proper middle. Life is short and you never know when it is going to end. Nothing in life is safe, so live recklessly for God who is eternal and whose rewards are eternal. We all have to suffer someway, I choose to suffer for God. We all have to die someway, I choose to die for God. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour I know I will be raised from the dead so what should I fear in life. Nothing and no one can hurt me unless my Father wills for him to. So if Christ is for us who can be against us.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Khoa Lak
An update for all those following my time in Thailand. I will be leaving tomorrow night via night bus to Khoa Lak. Khoa Lak is a beach city 12 hrs by bus south of Bangkok. Step Ahead has four preschools; English, German, and Computer classes; and a purse manufacturing ministry there. I will be going to learn about the different development techniques and to help with the different ministries. I am not sure yet what I will be doing, but I have been asked to come and help for 1 week. I am looking forward to getting out of Bangkok again. With last week traveling to the mountains and this week traveling to the beach I will be well refreshed to finish my last three weeks in the office strong. Pray God will use me in Khoa Lak: That I will be given the words to speak, will do the activities I should do, and meet the people I should meet.
Friday was a momentous day for my internship because it was Timmy's, my fellow intern, last day of work. We were able to get the business modeling system up and running for modeling before he left, which was a huge answer to prayer. Now I will be modelling different scenarios for Step Ahead and writing reports on them for future planning. When I return from Khoa Lak I will begin transferring accounting and loan tracking data from the old system to the new one I have been working on. Please pray that goes well and is successful. Pray these programs help Step Ahead sustainably help the women and men in the Bangkok slums.
Finally for this post, tomorrow I will be sharing with the international church I went to Mae Sot with about our trip. Please pray that God would give me wisdom to say what I ought to spur fellow believers on to the future actions they should take to minister to the refugees in Mae Sot. After that I am teaching English at Tallia as usual and then headed to the bus station. I am not sure when the bus leaves; so pray it leaves after 7 and that I can buy tickets for it as late as 6:30 tomorrow. I really want to teach English all the way to 5 when the class ends and then it is about an hour drive to the bus station. Pray I get on a bus, and can sleep during the night.
Friday was a momentous day for my internship because it was Timmy's, my fellow intern, last day of work. We were able to get the business modeling system up and running for modeling before he left, which was a huge answer to prayer. Now I will be modelling different scenarios for Step Ahead and writing reports on them for future planning. When I return from Khoa Lak I will begin transferring accounting and loan tracking data from the old system to the new one I have been working on. Please pray that goes well and is successful. Pray these programs help Step Ahead sustainably help the women and men in the Bangkok slums.
Finally for this post, tomorrow I will be sharing with the international church I went to Mae Sot with about our trip. Please pray that God would give me wisdom to say what I ought to spur fellow believers on to the future actions they should take to minister to the refugees in Mae Sot. After that I am teaching English at Tallia as usual and then headed to the bus station. I am not sure when the bus leaves; so pray it leaves after 7 and that I can buy tickets for it as late as 6:30 tomorrow. I really want to teach English all the way to 5 when the class ends and then it is about an hour drive to the bus station. Pray I get on a bus, and can sleep during the night.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
True Faith: A warning to a theological church
James 2: 14-26 says:
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." - James 1:27
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" - Jesus (Mathew 7:15-23)
Brothers and sisters let me warn you. God is not impressed by our knowledge of Him and of scripture anymore than he was impressed by the Pharisee's knowledge. "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." What God desires from us is to care for the poor and oppressed. "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." Jesus says those who will be allowed into his kingdom will be those who take care of those in need. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." There will be many who knew the right things and even said the right things, but did not love God and others in action who will be cast into hell. "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
I share this with you, because I don't want you to labor in vain. If you are laboring to know the "right stuff" or to know the "right answers" or to do the dos and not do the don'ts you are missing the point. Jesus wants us to "love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all of our soul and with all of our mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:37-40)." We can not show partiality when helping our neighbor. James 2:1-9 We must not choose to surround ourselves with only rich friends. Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24)." When you have earthly possessions you become attached to them. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." This is why as a Christian we are constantly putting off the things of this earth and storing up treasures in heaven via good deeds. "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mathew 19:24)." In order not to serve money we must get rid of it via using it for good works. That is the only way to free ourselves from serving it and begin to serve God.
Let me encourage you brothers, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead...press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13b-14)."
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." - James 1:27
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" - Jesus (Mathew 7:15-23)
Brothers and sisters let me warn you. God is not impressed by our knowledge of Him and of scripture anymore than he was impressed by the Pharisee's knowledge. "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." What God desires from us is to care for the poor and oppressed. "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." Jesus says those who will be allowed into his kingdom will be those who take care of those in need. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." There will be many who knew the right things and even said the right things, but did not love God and others in action who will be cast into hell. "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
I share this with you, because I don't want you to labor in vain. If you are laboring to know the "right stuff" or to know the "right answers" or to do the dos and not do the don'ts you are missing the point. Jesus wants us to "love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all of our soul and with all of our mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:37-40)." We can not show partiality when helping our neighbor. James 2:1-9 We must not choose to surround ourselves with only rich friends. Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24)." When you have earthly possessions you become attached to them. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." This is why as a Christian we are constantly putting off the things of this earth and storing up treasures in heaven via good deeds. "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mathew 19:24)." In order not to serve money we must get rid of it via using it for good works. That is the only way to free ourselves from serving it and begin to serve God.
Let me encourage you brothers, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead...press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13b-14)."
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
No Man's Land: A life of unseen tears
The much belated is finally here: an update on my trip to Mae Sot.
First, let me set the stage for my trip. Mae Sot is a large city located on the Thai side of the Thailand Burma border. The city is the most trafficked land bridge between Burma and Thailand. For those who do not know, Burma (Myanmar) is run by a military dictatorship who took power 20 years ago when they ousted the newly elected prime minister. The prime minister won the free elections by a 70% margin. Since the military took control they have ruled with an iron fist. The government has waged war against the minority groups (most of whom live in the Southern mountains). Because of the genocide facing the Karen and Burmese, they are fleeing to the boarder. Mae Sot has a population of 120,000 and an estimated 100,000 refugees. The Thai government is not granting the refugees legal status; instead, they are turning a blind eye. They have set up many check points around the city to keep the refugees from traveling further into Thailand.
This has turned Mae Sot into a forsaken city. Its residence have fled Burma for their lives and are now living in a city ignored by Thailand. This has provided opportunity for black market trade to become rampant. Among the things smuggled across the boarder are drugs and people. Refugees in Mae Sot have no government over them. They are truly in no man's land. Because of this there are no medical institutions, schools, jobs, or law enforcement agencies for them. NGO's have begun to step in and provide basic medical treatments, food, schools, and law. I worked with two organizations while in Mae Sot. One was providing free primary education and free lunches to about 80 Burmese and Karen refugees. The other is providing law enforcement for abused refugee kids. They take kids away from abusive families and provide safe houses for them to live in.
An overview of what we did:
Friday
We facilitated arts and crafts with the kids at the migrant school until lunch.
After lunch we built up the schools road with 2 dump truck loads of dirt, because the road was a mud trap for cars before.
I dug out the dump truck after it beached itself on the dirt it just dumped.
We built portable wall partitions to separate classrooms in the one room school. (The school teaches 1-6 grades!)
We walked through the refugee villages giving out box diners and ice cream.
Returned to the hotel for some rest.
Saturday
Worked at Compassio (the safe house for abused refugee kids) building an outhouse around a toilet behind the safe house.
We had five guys building the walls with cinder blocks.
On the second level of cinder blocks Chris asked us how the kids were going to get in the bathroom.
We took down the second level and made a door.
At lunch we hopped on two motorbikes to go to a near by restaurant.
Kevin informed us he could drive one of them.
I hopped on the back of his bike, and he began to go.
We both crawled out from under the bike after he ran into a pile of sand. Luckly the sand pile cushioned our fall. (No worries, I didn't even get a scratch)
At 4 we quit building and went to Compassio's head office where we grilled out for the Compassio kids and staff.
Later that night we had a dance party with the kids for 45 min.
They played No Body but You by Wonder Girls for the whole party. (A Thai favorite)
Sunday
Worshiped our God with the team on the top of a hill overlooking the Burmese mountains. It was quite surreal.
Went back to the migrant school to build more wall partitions and a bench.
We brought out the paints again and let the kids paint the wall partitions.
Te Te, one of the kids, painted a picture of Jesus on the cross on the top of a mountain. Their was one person bowing before Jesus and one person standing pointing to another mountain in the distance. It was pretty touching because the school isn't a Christian school, and even while the kids were painting they had to stop because some Buddhist monks came.
At 1 we left for Compassio's baby house where we picked up 15 kids to go swimming in our hotels pool.
At 4 we packed up and headed out.
During the trip I was able to spend myself doing manual labor outdoors with kids. Exactly what I love to do. I didn't realize how much I miss doing that kind of stuff. The past few summers I have been able to do some combination of outdoor labor and youth ministry. This summer, I spend so much time in the office pouring over a computer. It was freeing and rejuvenating to pour myself out physically and emotionally for kids who have seen so much that no one should have to see. Please be praying for these kids. I have a few days built into my trip to vacation with. I think I am going to plan another trip up there to work with these kids. They are truly the people no one sees or cares about. They are the least of these. The kids at Compassio have fled their country because their own government wants to kill them. They are living in a country that wants to pretend they don't exist. And they live at Compassio because their parents beat them, starved them, and forced them to beg on the streets. And in the midst of all of this, Compassio stands for these kids, to give them dignity, a home, food, an education, love, and best of all Jesus.
Everyday, hundreds of Burmese and Karen people are displaced or killed by their government, because they are different. They either speak a different language or are a different religion. Christians are being targeted by the Buddhist. I talked with one Christian Karen woman who had just visited one of the Mae Sot hospitals. She told me all Karen have been targeted by the government for extermination. Recently the Buddhist Karen people sided with the government against the Christian Karen. "I don't understand why they kill us. We are the same as them. We are Karen. Why do they kill us? When I was at the hospital there were Buddhist and Christian Karen soldiers in the same hospital. I brought them gifts, and I gave the gifts to everyone, to the Christians and the Buddhist. I did it because I love them too. They need to know we don't want to hurt them. We are brothers."
One more story:
On Sunday I talked with Sia, one of the Compassio staff. All weekends I had noticed she looked tired, so I asked if she was tired. "Ya" she replied. I asked, "Is it a lot of extra work when teams come to help?" She answered, "A little, but I always stay busy. Even when there's nothing to do, I find something to do. I work myself a lot." I thought about what she said. On her wall I noticed a picture of her weed eating. I thought about what she said. On the way back to Bangkok, everyone was sharing stories and it came up that one of the kids at Compassio is Sia's brother. Someone asked how that could be, and Nate responded: "Her dad had many wives. Sia is mixxed up in much the same stuff as the kids." It all made sense. She pours herself out to the point of exhaustion because she loves the kids. She chews Nate out for bringing us to the grill out 20 min late because she loves the kids. She cries after chewing Nate out because she loves the kids. She risks her neck for the kids because she loves them. Do you love anyone like that? She is doing all she knows to do to help the kids. Interestingly, I saw the same characteristics among the refugees in every older sibling for their younger siblings, in every older kid for the younger kids, in every adult for kids, and in every adult for fellow adults.
First, let me set the stage for my trip. Mae Sot is a large city located on the Thai side of the Thailand Burma border. The city is the most trafficked land bridge between Burma and Thailand. For those who do not know, Burma (Myanmar) is run by a military dictatorship who took power 20 years ago when they ousted the newly elected prime minister. The prime minister won the free elections by a 70% margin. Since the military took control they have ruled with an iron fist. The government has waged war against the minority groups (most of whom live in the Southern mountains). Because of the genocide facing the Karen and Burmese, they are fleeing to the boarder. Mae Sot has a population of 120,000 and an estimated 100,000 refugees. The Thai government is not granting the refugees legal status; instead, they are turning a blind eye. They have set up many check points around the city to keep the refugees from traveling further into Thailand.
This has turned Mae Sot into a forsaken city. Its residence have fled Burma for their lives and are now living in a city ignored by Thailand. This has provided opportunity for black market trade to become rampant. Among the things smuggled across the boarder are drugs and people. Refugees in Mae Sot have no government over them. They are truly in no man's land. Because of this there are no medical institutions, schools, jobs, or law enforcement agencies for them. NGO's have begun to step in and provide basic medical treatments, food, schools, and law. I worked with two organizations while in Mae Sot. One was providing free primary education and free lunches to about 80 Burmese and Karen refugees. The other is providing law enforcement for abused refugee kids. They take kids away from abusive families and provide safe houses for them to live in.
An overview of what we did:
Friday
We facilitated arts and crafts with the kids at the migrant school until lunch.
After lunch we built up the schools road with 2 dump truck loads of dirt, because the road was a mud trap for cars before.
I dug out the dump truck after it beached itself on the dirt it just dumped.
We built portable wall partitions to separate classrooms in the one room school. (The school teaches 1-6 grades!)
We walked through the refugee villages giving out box diners and ice cream.
Returned to the hotel for some rest.
Saturday
Worked at Compassio (the safe house for abused refugee kids) building an outhouse around a toilet behind the safe house.
We had five guys building the walls with cinder blocks.
On the second level of cinder blocks Chris asked us how the kids were going to get in the bathroom.
We took down the second level and made a door.
At lunch we hopped on two motorbikes to go to a near by restaurant.
Kevin informed us he could drive one of them.
I hopped on the back of his bike, and he began to go.
We both crawled out from under the bike after he ran into a pile of sand. Luckly the sand pile cushioned our fall. (No worries, I didn't even get a scratch)
At 4 we quit building and went to Compassio's head office where we grilled out for the Compassio kids and staff.
Later that night we had a dance party with the kids for 45 min.
They played No Body but You by Wonder Girls for the whole party. (A Thai favorite)
Sunday
Worshiped our God with the team on the top of a hill overlooking the Burmese mountains. It was quite surreal.
Went back to the migrant school to build more wall partitions and a bench.
We brought out the paints again and let the kids paint the wall partitions.
Te Te, one of the kids, painted a picture of Jesus on the cross on the top of a mountain. Their was one person bowing before Jesus and one person standing pointing to another mountain in the distance. It was pretty touching because the school isn't a Christian school, and even while the kids were painting they had to stop because some Buddhist monks came.
At 1 we left for Compassio's baby house where we picked up 15 kids to go swimming in our hotels pool.
At 4 we packed up and headed out.
During the trip I was able to spend myself doing manual labor outdoors with kids. Exactly what I love to do. I didn't realize how much I miss doing that kind of stuff. The past few summers I have been able to do some combination of outdoor labor and youth ministry. This summer, I spend so much time in the office pouring over a computer. It was freeing and rejuvenating to pour myself out physically and emotionally for kids who have seen so much that no one should have to see. Please be praying for these kids. I have a few days built into my trip to vacation with. I think I am going to plan another trip up there to work with these kids. They are truly the people no one sees or cares about. They are the least of these. The kids at Compassio have fled their country because their own government wants to kill them. They are living in a country that wants to pretend they don't exist. And they live at Compassio because their parents beat them, starved them, and forced them to beg on the streets. And in the midst of all of this, Compassio stands for these kids, to give them dignity, a home, food, an education, love, and best of all Jesus.
Everyday, hundreds of Burmese and Karen people are displaced or killed by their government, because they are different. They either speak a different language or are a different religion. Christians are being targeted by the Buddhist. I talked with one Christian Karen woman who had just visited one of the Mae Sot hospitals. She told me all Karen have been targeted by the government for extermination. Recently the Buddhist Karen people sided with the government against the Christian Karen. "I don't understand why they kill us. We are the same as them. We are Karen. Why do they kill us? When I was at the hospital there were Buddhist and Christian Karen soldiers in the same hospital. I brought them gifts, and I gave the gifts to everyone, to the Christians and the Buddhist. I did it because I love them too. They need to know we don't want to hurt them. We are brothers."
One more story:
On Sunday I talked with Sia, one of the Compassio staff. All weekends I had noticed she looked tired, so I asked if she was tired. "Ya" she replied. I asked, "Is it a lot of extra work when teams come to help?" She answered, "A little, but I always stay busy. Even when there's nothing to do, I find something to do. I work myself a lot." I thought about what she said. On her wall I noticed a picture of her weed eating. I thought about what she said. On the way back to Bangkok, everyone was sharing stories and it came up that one of the kids at Compassio is Sia's brother. Someone asked how that could be, and Nate responded: "Her dad had many wives. Sia is mixxed up in much the same stuff as the kids." It all made sense. She pours herself out to the point of exhaustion because she loves the kids. She chews Nate out for bringing us to the grill out 20 min late because she loves the kids. She cries after chewing Nate out because she loves the kids. She risks her neck for the kids because she loves them. Do you love anyone like that? She is doing all she knows to do to help the kids. Interestingly, I saw the same characteristics among the refugees in every older sibling for their younger siblings, in every older kid for the younger kids, in every adult for kids, and in every adult for fellow adults.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Mae Sot
I know I just posted a lengthy blog yesterday, but I could use your prayers.
In a few hours I will be leaving Bangkok for Mae Sot. Mae Sot is a border city to Burma, six hours north of Bangkok. I will be going with a team of 10 people from one of the international churches I am involved with. We will be in Mae Sot today through late Sunday/early Monday. Pray our travels are safe. We are taking a van there and back, driving through the night both ways. Pray the drivers stay awake and aware.
While there we plan to do a lot of construction as well as spending some time playing with the refugee children. The team lead (a friend and mentor of mine) has been heavily involved in the work in Mae Sot for the past few months. About two months ago he took a team to do much of the same things. Pray that he has wisdom in the leadership decisions that fall upon him. Also pray for our team. We don't know many details about what our living and working situations will be like when we arrive. And, pray for the hearts of these Burmese refugees. May God grant them hope and salvation from the hell they now live in.
In a few hours I will be leaving Bangkok for Mae Sot. Mae Sot is a border city to Burma, six hours north of Bangkok. I will be going with a team of 10 people from one of the international churches I am involved with. We will be in Mae Sot today through late Sunday/early Monday. Pray our travels are safe. We are taking a van there and back, driving through the night both ways. Pray the drivers stay awake and aware.
While there we plan to do a lot of construction as well as spending some time playing with the refugee children. The team lead (a friend and mentor of mine) has been heavily involved in the work in Mae Sot for the past few months. About two months ago he took a team to do much of the same things. Pray that he has wisdom in the leadership decisions that fall upon him. Also pray for our team. We don't know many details about what our living and working situations will be like when we arrive. And, pray for the hearts of these Burmese refugees. May God grant them hope and salvation from the hell they now live in.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
A Memorable Day of God's Grace
Yesterday was a day full of God's grace being poured out on me. I went to Din Dang to work on Microfin with Timmy at a coffee shop in the morning and to visit the Thailand Bible Society. Three friends joined Timmy and I at the coffee shop limiting our work productivity, but definitely making the time more enjoyable. After lunch, Timmy, Dwight, and I traveled to the Thai Bible Society where the Bible and Christian literature are translated into English. The building doubles as a Christian book store where I found a manga of the gospels and Acts (A manga is a Japanese graphic novel).
Timmy had some work to do there, so Dwight took me to the Bangkok Refugee Center (BFC). Dwight is an English teacher in Bangkok and has organized and run many philanthropist projects in his spare time. He told me how he has developed relations with many projects in Bangkok and a website where he connects volunteers to those organizations. This only further confirms my suspicions that many Christians do not suffer from an inability to help people but low expectations and apathy. Dwight uses all of his spare time to help people through the skills he knows, and he started by finding those in need. We believe as Christians we should help the poor. When we don't see any poor around us, we say God hasn't put anyone in my life to help. No! That is not the case. The truth is as Christians we have to seek out those in need of help. That is the first instrument of grace you show to those you help: that you sought them out just like God sought us out and saved us.
In any case, Dwight showed me around the center and introduced me to a Sri Lankan refugee who shared with me the hidden life of refugees and asylum seekers. This conversation opened a whole new world to me that I didn't know exists. I will have to do more research on these people. Maybe you too will be moved to do the same. What I found out is that those who have to flee their countries because of persecution are considered illegal aliens in the country they flee too. The UN has a system worked out where refugees can apply for refugee status, which doesn't make them legal in the country they fled to, but does qualify them to receive aid from the UN. That aid includes food, medicine, special skills classes, and access to a social worker. The social worker works with the refugee to help them find a country who will give them legal residency statues. Until a country gives them legal residency status they are illegal aliens in the country they have fled to. They legally can't take a job, and are always in jeopardy of being arrested and deported back to their country. The Sri Lankan man I talked with was the chef at the refugee center. He shared that the people in the most need are the asylum seekers. People can stay in this stage for years because of bureaucracy. Asylum seekers are illegal in the country they are seeking refuge in and are not receiving aid from the UN yet. The Sri Lankan man shared that these people are starving. He gives them the leftovers from his restaurant each day, but it is not enough. He asked Dwight to focus his next project on helping that group of people.
After visiting the refugee center, I went with Timmy to a printing shop where a Christian Thai track Timmy had was printed. We wanted to see if the printing shop had more tracks we could distribute, since their aren't any tracks for sell in Bangkok. The address was all we had to connect with this place. It was hard to find, but we found it. Turns out the printing shop is owned by a Buddhist couple and run by their Christian son. The son (Phom) uses his own money to print the tracks and sells them at cost. When we asked them about the tracks and expressed our desire to have some literature in Thai to give to the Thais round us, he insisted we take a pack of every type of track he has for free. I told him I wanted to pay for them, but he insisted we take them free of charge. As we made our way to leave he asked where we were headed. I told him, and he told me he was going to drive me there. I told him it was no problem for me to walk, but he insisted he would drive me. He asked me where I am from. I told him America. "You have travelled a long way, probably spending lots of your money, to come here to share Jesus with us. Let me do this for you. There will plenty of opportunity for you to walk later." Wow. Please pray a prayer of thanks for this man. His faith and kindness will not go unnoticed by God.
Wow I have so much more to say, and I am realizing how much I have said already; so, I will brief you on the rest:
On the way back I took a motorbike part of the way. The motorbike drivers pegged me as a tourist and asked me for 50 B for the ride. I told them the ride was only worth 20 B and that is what I would pay (I was right. I was not trying to cheat them). The bartering continued until I settled for 25 B. The person who took me volunteered to drive me when I raised my bid. When I arrived at home, I handed him 25 B. He told me no, and handed me 5 B back. Wow. If you know motor bike drivers, you will know how crazy this is. They usually try to rip you off as much as they can. Please pray for this man a prayer of thanks giving, that God saves this man, if He hasn't already, and that God provides for this man's needs.
Later that night I went to Kung's house for dinner. The motorbike driver I used turned out to be a member of Tallia, and was the first motorbike driver to tell me "God bless you." Another amazing blessing from God.
While eating with Kung, I asked him how he became a Christian. He shared how his mom dedicated him to God when he was 10 months old. He had gone to church his whole life, but it was all head knowledge and not reflected in his actions. He had a wife, a street business, was a leader in the Mafia, and was a moneylender who beat his clients (ironic). Four years ago he was arrested, lost his business, and his wife left him. The courts told him he was going to have to go to jail for 7 years. He and the whole Tallia church prayed to God for grace and that he would not have to go. When he went for sentencing he was told he was free to go. No jail at all. He dedicated his life to Christ then and is now training under Tallia's pastor and planting a church in Lummoo. It was amazing to hear what God is doing and has done in his life. It is scary how much of his story reflects that of mine. I have not told him yet, but I think I will soon.
As always, if I can be praying for you in anything please let me know. My heart is with everyone near and far. God bless you for your prayers and encouragement. He is encouraging me.
Timmy had some work to do there, so Dwight took me to the Bangkok Refugee Center (BFC). Dwight is an English teacher in Bangkok and has organized and run many philanthropist projects in his spare time. He told me how he has developed relations with many projects in Bangkok and a website where he connects volunteers to those organizations. This only further confirms my suspicions that many Christians do not suffer from an inability to help people but low expectations and apathy. Dwight uses all of his spare time to help people through the skills he knows, and he started by finding those in need. We believe as Christians we should help the poor. When we don't see any poor around us, we say God hasn't put anyone in my life to help. No! That is not the case. The truth is as Christians we have to seek out those in need of help. That is the first instrument of grace you show to those you help: that you sought them out just like God sought us out and saved us.
In any case, Dwight showed me around the center and introduced me to a Sri Lankan refugee who shared with me the hidden life of refugees and asylum seekers. This conversation opened a whole new world to me that I didn't know exists. I will have to do more research on these people. Maybe you too will be moved to do the same. What I found out is that those who have to flee their countries because of persecution are considered illegal aliens in the country they flee too. The UN has a system worked out where refugees can apply for refugee status, which doesn't make them legal in the country they fled to, but does qualify them to receive aid from the UN. That aid includes food, medicine, special skills classes, and access to a social worker. The social worker works with the refugee to help them find a country who will give them legal residency statues. Until a country gives them legal residency status they are illegal aliens in the country they have fled to. They legally can't take a job, and are always in jeopardy of being arrested and deported back to their country. The Sri Lankan man I talked with was the chef at the refugee center. He shared that the people in the most need are the asylum seekers. People can stay in this stage for years because of bureaucracy. Asylum seekers are illegal in the country they are seeking refuge in and are not receiving aid from the UN yet. The Sri Lankan man shared that these people are starving. He gives them the leftovers from his restaurant each day, but it is not enough. He asked Dwight to focus his next project on helping that group of people.
After visiting the refugee center, I went with Timmy to a printing shop where a Christian Thai track Timmy had was printed. We wanted to see if the printing shop had more tracks we could distribute, since their aren't any tracks for sell in Bangkok. The address was all we had to connect with this place. It was hard to find, but we found it. Turns out the printing shop is owned by a Buddhist couple and run by their Christian son. The son (Phom) uses his own money to print the tracks and sells them at cost. When we asked them about the tracks and expressed our desire to have some literature in Thai to give to the Thais round us, he insisted we take a pack of every type of track he has for free. I told him I wanted to pay for them, but he insisted we take them free of charge. As we made our way to leave he asked where we were headed. I told him, and he told me he was going to drive me there. I told him it was no problem for me to walk, but he insisted he would drive me. He asked me where I am from. I told him America. "You have travelled a long way, probably spending lots of your money, to come here to share Jesus with us. Let me do this for you. There will plenty of opportunity for you to walk later." Wow. Please pray a prayer of thanks for this man. His faith and kindness will not go unnoticed by God.
Wow I have so much more to say, and I am realizing how much I have said already; so, I will brief you on the rest:
On the way back I took a motorbike part of the way. The motorbike drivers pegged me as a tourist and asked me for 50 B for the ride. I told them the ride was only worth 20 B and that is what I would pay (I was right. I was not trying to cheat them). The bartering continued until I settled for 25 B. The person who took me volunteered to drive me when I raised my bid. When I arrived at home, I handed him 25 B. He told me no, and handed me 5 B back. Wow. If you know motor bike drivers, you will know how crazy this is. They usually try to rip you off as much as they can. Please pray for this man a prayer of thanks giving, that God saves this man, if He hasn't already, and that God provides for this man's needs.
Later that night I went to Kung's house for dinner. The motorbike driver I used turned out to be a member of Tallia, and was the first motorbike driver to tell me "God bless you." Another amazing blessing from God.
While eating with Kung, I asked him how he became a Christian. He shared how his mom dedicated him to God when he was 10 months old. He had gone to church his whole life, but it was all head knowledge and not reflected in his actions. He had a wife, a street business, was a leader in the Mafia, and was a moneylender who beat his clients (ironic). Four years ago he was arrested, lost his business, and his wife left him. The courts told him he was going to have to go to jail for 7 years. He and the whole Tallia church prayed to God for grace and that he would not have to go. When he went for sentencing he was told he was free to go. No jail at all. He dedicated his life to Christ then and is now training under Tallia's pastor and planting a church in Lummoo. It was amazing to hear what God is doing and has done in his life. It is scary how much of his story reflects that of mine. I have not told him yet, but I think I will soon.
As always, if I can be praying for you in anything please let me know. My heart is with everyone near and far. God bless you for your prayers and encouragement. He is encouraging me.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Weddings and the Mafia
Sunday, I was invited to a wedding reception for one of my Thai friend's friend. After teaching English at church, I went with my friend to the reception. When we arrived I quickly realized my friend was very good friends with the groom. He was the equivalent of the best man in an American wedding reception. He recruited me to greet new comers and lead them to tables for dinner. People poured in in a constant stream for over an hour. I could have become tired of standing so long, but I just kept looking at the bride and groom who stood in the same place for pictures the whole time, and I felt better. Wedding receptions in Thailand are times for the friends and family of the bride and groom to feast, sing, and have a good time. For the bride and groom, it is a three hour photo shoot with everyone attending. After the first hour I sat down with some new friends and feasted on Chinese cuisine for two hours. It was a lot of fun, and I was able to meet some new people.
Some highlights from the reception:
1. All the people there were from Klong Toei. It was a great chance to meet and connect with a lot of Thais in my area of work.
2. I was introduced to the mayor of Klong Toei or Governor of Bangkok. I'm not sure. I was introduced to a guy who acted like he was important. Later I asked who he was, and was told, "He is the head of the government. Not the country government, the city."
3. An interesting dynamic of the reception, which I hope is not a foreshadowing of the marriage though I am scared it will be, was that after most people had left the groom found some friends and drank till he no longer could put a coherent sentence together while the wife counted the money gifts given to them. Interesting how the dynamic starts so early.
Yesterday I had lunch with a pastor of a local international church and a friend starting a project in the Klong Toei slums. We talked some about the Tallia church. I knew that a lot of the people in the church if not all came from backgrounds of excessive drinking and all the vices that are common in the slum. I found out the pastor of the church was actually part of the local mafia before his dad sent him to a Bible College in Korea. He became a Christian there and returned to plant a church. Since he has planted one church and is in the process of planting/training to churches/pastors in the area. The church building was actually bought from the mafia when the church began. This connected some dots in my mind. I have wondered how many of the friends I have been making are in the mafia. I wonder how much I am in the mafia circles now. Because the church is on good terms with the mafia, the pastor and members are friends with a lot of people in the mafia. I don't know the extent of the mafia, but I think it is more of an organization that unofficially runs the area. I know the motorbike drivers are all part of the mafia.
In any case, pray God will shine through me. My faith that God can speak through me in Thai is small. Pray God increases my faith. Pray He speaks even if its not through my mouth in Thai.
Some highlights from the reception:
1. All the people there were from Klong Toei. It was a great chance to meet and connect with a lot of Thais in my area of work.
2. I was introduced to the mayor of Klong Toei or Governor of Bangkok. I'm not sure. I was introduced to a guy who acted like he was important. Later I asked who he was, and was told, "He is the head of the government. Not the country government, the city."
3. An interesting dynamic of the reception, which I hope is not a foreshadowing of the marriage though I am scared it will be, was that after most people had left the groom found some friends and drank till he no longer could put a coherent sentence together while the wife counted the money gifts given to them. Interesting how the dynamic starts so early.
Yesterday I had lunch with a pastor of a local international church and a friend starting a project in the Klong Toei slums. We talked some about the Tallia church. I knew that a lot of the people in the church if not all came from backgrounds of excessive drinking and all the vices that are common in the slum. I found out the pastor of the church was actually part of the local mafia before his dad sent him to a Bible College in Korea. He became a Christian there and returned to plant a church. Since he has planted one church and is in the process of planting/training to churches/pastors in the area. The church building was actually bought from the mafia when the church began. This connected some dots in my mind. I have wondered how many of the friends I have been making are in the mafia. I wonder how much I am in the mafia circles now. Because the church is on good terms with the mafia, the pastor and members are friends with a lot of people in the mafia. I don't know the extent of the mafia, but I think it is more of an organization that unofficially runs the area. I know the motorbike drivers are all part of the mafia.
In any case, pray God will shine through me. My faith that God can speak through me in Thai is small. Pray God increases my faith. Pray He speaks even if its not through my mouth in Thai.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Prayer for the Thai Church
I just want to update ya'll about some things I have done and learned this weekend.
First, Please be praying for Nom, the Buddhist lady who helps at kids club. She is curious about Christianity. She has told me she wants to go to church with me. She even offered to take me to her local church which she doesn't go to but would like to. At dinner Saturday night she asked me to pray for the food before we ate, and she has asked me to be praying for her.
Second, Tallia Klong Toei Church is awesome. Koon brought a lot of the kids in the church to kids club Saturday. When he saw we didn't have a whole lot planned he immediately sent some one to get him some candy and began games with the kids. The kids loved it and had a blast. Some more people from the church have told me they would like t help. Its so great.
I am officially the conversational English teacher at Tallia. This past Sunday was great and we had a lot of fun. I learned that Tallia is looking to plant two churches in neighboring slums. Two of the Tallia members are training under the pastor to become the pastors of these church plants. Tallia is praying to be able to start 12 churches. I have been praying the same for them, and I ask you will do the same. They need prayer that God will pour out His Spirit on them, giving them boldness, courage, humility, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. They are trying to start as many social programs out of the church as well. They trust God to use them to show compassion to the people in the community, helping them like Jesus did during his ministry on earth, with the prayer that through them the community would be saved.
Yesterday was a landmine day for my research. As I mentioned before, I interviewed five of our clients last week. Those interviews brought up some interesting aspects of our program. Yesterday all of those things were brought to light and discussed. It was a great jump start to my research which was beginning to bottom out. Please be praying that God will give Timmy and me the right questions and true answers to those questions as we try to understand better where Step Ahead is now and where it should go. We have a lot to do in the next few weeks so please be praying for God to work through us to help direct Step Ahead into the instrument of grace that He intends it to be.
About four weeks ago I noticed one of the girls who goes to kids club had a few deep holes on her ankle and foot. I asked her what the were and she just brushed me off. There was still the evidence of band aids having been used to cover them up. The next week I noticed the wounds were not better, instead flies flew around them. The next week I noticed that the wounds were noticeably worse. I asked Ja who had the most experience with Step Ahead if we could do anything to help. The Thursday before that I had talked in a Bible study about being in a situation like that. We had discussed how we would help in that situation since it was a specific need God was giving to us. I did nothing, because I did not know what to do. She was on my mind all last week. I regretted not doing anything for her. This past Saturday, her foot was much much worse. Her foot had changed colors, the wounds were obviously infected, and she was in pain when she stepped wrong or someone touched her foot. Thankfully God had placed it Mr. Quinley's heart (CEO of Step Ahead) to come to kids club that morning. I told him about the problem and asked him what we could do. At first he was reluctant to help for fear of the prospect of changed community expectations of kids club. I insisted that this was a real problem and that I wanted to help if at possible. He took a chance and helped her. Praise God. She had her foot cleaned and was given antibiotics. When she got back from the clinic she ran up to me and showed me her foot. She was excited she had it cleaned. I ask you too pray for this girl. Pray her foot heals. Pray God heals her physically and spiritually. Pray this act of compassion doesn't compromise Step Ahead's position with kids club. Instead, pray it furthers Step Ahead's witness and works to multiply what they can do in the community.
One final thing I will mention and ask prayer for. Today formal English classes begin with the Step Ahead staff. I have been given a textbook to work through with them and will be teaching from 5-6pm Monday-Friday. I will have to commit 1 hours prep time for each class, which means this is a big time commitment to add to my schedule. Pray God works through this time for them to learn English, me to learn Thai, us to build a deeper friendship, and God to become more evident in our lives. As it is I have committed to attending church services Wednesday-Saturday nights as well as Sunday morning and teaching English at the church Sunday afternoons. I am finding there are often not enough hours in the day to do everything I would like. Pray God will sustain me, strengthen me, work through me, humble me, and give me boldness in truth. Pray God gives me wisdom to know when to say no, and when to say yes. I do not want to be so committed that I am spread thin, giving less than 100% in everything I do. I also do not want to settle for doing anything less than what is divinely possible.
Pray God works in Thailand. Pray He works in America. Pray He works in this world.
We long for the day of our King's return, when we will be joined with our savior, the broken mended, the weak made strong, the abused loved, the curse lifted. In that hope and to that end we strive to seek justice, love the abused, feed the hungry, and lift up the afflicted. We strive to present the world to God upon His return as likened to the world He so desires it to be. In that effort we throw off the things of this world and press on to the surpassing greatness of our King.
First, Please be praying for Nom, the Buddhist lady who helps at kids club. She is curious about Christianity. She has told me she wants to go to church with me. She even offered to take me to her local church which she doesn't go to but would like to. At dinner Saturday night she asked me to pray for the food before we ate, and she has asked me to be praying for her.
Second, Tallia Klong Toei Church is awesome. Koon brought a lot of the kids in the church to kids club Saturday. When he saw we didn't have a whole lot planned he immediately sent some one to get him some candy and began games with the kids. The kids loved it and had a blast. Some more people from the church have told me they would like t help. Its so great.
I am officially the conversational English teacher at Tallia. This past Sunday was great and we had a lot of fun. I learned that Tallia is looking to plant two churches in neighboring slums. Two of the Tallia members are training under the pastor to become the pastors of these church plants. Tallia is praying to be able to start 12 churches. I have been praying the same for them, and I ask you will do the same. They need prayer that God will pour out His Spirit on them, giving them boldness, courage, humility, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. They are trying to start as many social programs out of the church as well. They trust God to use them to show compassion to the people in the community, helping them like Jesus did during his ministry on earth, with the prayer that through them the community would be saved.
Yesterday was a landmine day for my research. As I mentioned before, I interviewed five of our clients last week. Those interviews brought up some interesting aspects of our program. Yesterday all of those things were brought to light and discussed. It was a great jump start to my research which was beginning to bottom out. Please be praying that God will give Timmy and me the right questions and true answers to those questions as we try to understand better where Step Ahead is now and where it should go. We have a lot to do in the next few weeks so please be praying for God to work through us to help direct Step Ahead into the instrument of grace that He intends it to be.
About four weeks ago I noticed one of the girls who goes to kids club had a few deep holes on her ankle and foot. I asked her what the were and she just brushed me off. There was still the evidence of band aids having been used to cover them up. The next week I noticed the wounds were not better, instead flies flew around them. The next week I noticed that the wounds were noticeably worse. I asked Ja who had the most experience with Step Ahead if we could do anything to help. The Thursday before that I had talked in a Bible study about being in a situation like that. We had discussed how we would help in that situation since it was a specific need God was giving to us. I did nothing, because I did not know what to do. She was on my mind all last week. I regretted not doing anything for her. This past Saturday, her foot was much much worse. Her foot had changed colors, the wounds were obviously infected, and she was in pain when she stepped wrong or someone touched her foot. Thankfully God had placed it Mr. Quinley's heart (CEO of Step Ahead) to come to kids club that morning. I told him about the problem and asked him what we could do. At first he was reluctant to help for fear of the prospect of changed community expectations of kids club. I insisted that this was a real problem and that I wanted to help if at possible. He took a chance and helped her. Praise God. She had her foot cleaned and was given antibiotics. When she got back from the clinic she ran up to me and showed me her foot. She was excited she had it cleaned. I ask you too pray for this girl. Pray her foot heals. Pray God heals her physically and spiritually. Pray this act of compassion doesn't compromise Step Ahead's position with kids club. Instead, pray it furthers Step Ahead's witness and works to multiply what they can do in the community.
One final thing I will mention and ask prayer for. Today formal English classes begin with the Step Ahead staff. I have been given a textbook to work through with them and will be teaching from 5-6pm Monday-Friday. I will have to commit 1 hours prep time for each class, which means this is a big time commitment to add to my schedule. Pray God works through this time for them to learn English, me to learn Thai, us to build a deeper friendship, and God to become more evident in our lives. As it is I have committed to attending church services Wednesday-Saturday nights as well as Sunday morning and teaching English at the church Sunday afternoons. I am finding there are often not enough hours in the day to do everything I would like. Pray God will sustain me, strengthen me, work through me, humble me, and give me boldness in truth. Pray God gives me wisdom to know when to say no, and when to say yes. I do not want to be so committed that I am spread thin, giving less than 100% in everything I do. I also do not want to settle for doing anything less than what is divinely possible.
Pray God works in Thailand. Pray He works in America. Pray He works in this world.
We long for the day of our King's return, when we will be joined with our savior, the broken mended, the weak made strong, the abused loved, the curse lifted. In that hope and to that end we strive to seek justice, love the abused, feed the hungry, and lift up the afflicted. We strive to present the world to God upon His return as likened to the world He so desires it to be. In that effort we throw off the things of this world and press on to the surpassing greatness of our King.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Centuries of History
This week has been slow on the MFI scene. I have not been able to do much work with Microfin and Loan Performer because Timmy has been writing a paper for his university. One of the volunteers from Step Ahead Khao Lak came into Bangkok Monday to see the difference between life in the city and the south. I took him around town for dinner Monday and Tuesday night and went with him, Carter, and Coleman, Wednesday, to see some historical parts of Bangkok. We went to the Temple of the Dawn which was the royal temple 1-2 centuries ago, the grand palace which was the last king's palace and know houses the emerald Buddha, and the temple of the reclining Buddha. That's right. The significant historical artifacts in Thai culture all have something to do with Buddha or the king. The Thai flag is red, white, and blue. Each color represents king, country, or religion (Buddhism). I'm not sure which color represents which. In Thailand to become a Christian truly means to give up mother and father, wife and children, and even king, country, and history.
I put some pictures from the Temple of the Dawn and the Grand palace on my flickr. The Temple of the Dawn was really old and looked it. It was the first pyramid I have climbed, though. Pretty cool. The Grand Palace is absolutely spectacular. Just the temple of the emerald Buddha has to be valued at billions of dollars. There is so much gold, jewels, and intricate paintings on everything. The most amazing part, to me, was the continues mural that stretched across the inside of the wall surrounding the palace. The wall is 1900 meters long, and the mural painted on it tells the story of an ancient Thai myth. It is painted with beautiful colors and is very intricate. It even has a lot of things painted in gold! So beautiful. If you haven't been to the Grand Palace (which I assume everyone reading this hasn't) you should (as if it is that easy). I truely am blessed by God.
Tonight, I am going to a party for a friend who is leaving Thailand. Please be praying for him and his family in this time of transition. Pray God would protect him and draw him close to God.
Tomorrow, I will be leading kids club again. Please continue praying for the kids. Pray that God will save them and send His Spirit as a seal on them. It breaks my heart to think of these kids without God.
Please be praying for me. I am struggling with feeling useful. I want so bad to be able to talk with my neighbors and to share with them the good news of Christ, yet when I speak they do not understand what I am saying, because I am not speaking their language. Please pray God uses me. That He will show me how I can be useful and direct my paths to invest in what I can do. To God be the glory. He works amazing miracles daily in my life. Please pray He does the same for those around me.
I put some pictures from the Temple of the Dawn and the Grand palace on my flickr. The Temple of the Dawn was really old and looked it. It was the first pyramid I have climbed, though. Pretty cool. The Grand Palace is absolutely spectacular. Just the temple of the emerald Buddha has to be valued at billions of dollars. There is so much gold, jewels, and intricate paintings on everything. The most amazing part, to me, was the continues mural that stretched across the inside of the wall surrounding the palace. The wall is 1900 meters long, and the mural painted on it tells the story of an ancient Thai myth. It is painted with beautiful colors and is very intricate. It even has a lot of things painted in gold! So beautiful. If you haven't been to the Grand Palace (which I assume everyone reading this hasn't) you should (as if it is that easy). I truely am blessed by God.
Tonight, I am going to a party for a friend who is leaving Thailand. Please be praying for him and his family in this time of transition. Pray God would protect him and draw him close to God.
Tomorrow, I will be leading kids club again. Please continue praying for the kids. Pray that God will save them and send His Spirit as a seal on them. It breaks my heart to think of these kids without God.
Please be praying for me. I am struggling with feeling useful. I want so bad to be able to talk with my neighbors and to share with them the good news of Christ, yet when I speak they do not understand what I am saying, because I am not speaking their language. Please pray God uses me. That He will show me how I can be useful and direct my paths to invest in what I can do. To God be the glory. He works amazing miracles daily in my life. Please pray He does the same for those around me.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Tallia Klong Toei Church
Praise God. God is amazing...That's all there is to say about this weekend. This was probably the best weekend yet in Klong Toei. It started Friday when I was walking by Tallia Klong Toei Church near my house. It was just after lunch and there were three men and a woman working in the church. As I passed by I paused for a few seconds to look in. Koon, an outgoing, comic, Thai who is studying to be a pastor, saw me and ran out to say hi. I have talked with him once before but nothing ever came of it. This time he dragged me into the church excitedly and introduced me to everyone there. We talked for about 10 min, and at the end of our conversation Noi invited me to go to a weekly prayer meeting that night. I was excited to get the opportunity to worship with Thais (Tallia is a Thai church) so I accepted.
Friday night I returned for prayer. 10 others and I sang, prayed, shared praises and prayer requests. One man praised God that his mother was healed from a kidney stone she had. It used to be very big and since the church had prayed for her it has shrunk drastically. Noi asked we pray for the church ministries. Koon has often told me he prays and believes one day God will save all of Klong Toei. He also asked us to pray for freedom. I ask that you join me in praying for these people and their requests before God.
After the meeting Koon, Es, and Bee took me to Lompo (a slum next to Jet Sip Rai where I live). There they showed me a church plant Tallia is starting. Koon is studying the Bible under Tallia's pastor's care in order to be the pastor who starts the church.
After kids club, Ya and Koon invited me to have lunch with them at the church. I was able to take Mr. Quinley (CEO of Step Ahead) with me. Mr. Quinley has been trying to connect with the church to partner with them but has not been able to make a connection with the church. He took my involvement with the church as a chance to connect. I am not sure what God will bring of Tallia and Step Ahead together but it is cool to see Thai churches and international development agencies working together.
That afternoon I went with Koon and one of the pastor's sons to play basketbon and footbon with people in the community. As I understand it this is a regular after work activity for the Tallia staff so as to build relationships with the people in the community. It is cool to see the amazing reputation the Tallia pastors have in the community. Everywhere they go everyone is excited to see them. I was able to meet three Buddhist men who asked me to play on their footbon team and after the games showed m some moves. They invited me to play with them more often. At the time I didn't know they were Buddhist, but I did know they were friends of Koon's. So, I asked if they were Christian. They said no but that we were friends anyway.
Sunday, I went to a Thai church in North Bangkok, because a friend invited me. It was a Thai church founded 22 years ago by American missionaries. Now the church focuses primarily on university ministries. I talked with the Thai pastor who spoke very good English. He asked me if I would like to go with him and a team of 10 short term American missionaries to the universities in the weeks to come to teach English and share the good news of Jesus. He even invited me to go on a retreat they are planing the first weekend in July for the university students. Again huge opportunities. One thing stood out about what he said to me. I asked him about denominations in Thailand. He told me, "Denominations were brought to Thailand by the West they are not Thai. Pentecostal and Baptist work together, unlike in America where denominations don't talk." It is a sad truth: In America there isn't a Christian church there are many denominations. In Thailand there is a sense of the Christian church.
After church in North Bangkok I traveled back to Klong Toei to assist Tallia with there weekly English classes from 2-5 pm. There were some 40 students from Klong Toei there. This is about the size of the church population, and is a huge witness to Christ to the community. I already feel like I could say Tallia is my church home because it is where I can do the work of Christ with my fellow believers. I feel I am actually making a contribution to the community I live in.
After the English classes I went with seven of the church members including the pastor to eat dinner and return back to the church for coffee.
This is a great answer to prayer. I have really wanted to get plugged into Thai churches and in one weekend I have become plugged into a Thai church in North Bangkok and heavily plugged into my local church. God is so good. It is amazing and awesome to see the native church. One of my life questions is what was the church made to look like. After all, the church is the bride of Christ. Christ died for this bride. He rescued her from her filth so she could rise out of it and be clothed in righteousness. And Jesus did not have polygamy in mind when he named the church His bride. He intended her to be one. Paul stresses this over and over in his letters. So I want to discover what it means to have the church live in the light of the living but distant bridegroom, the fallen state of the world, and the unity the church is called to but hasn't achieved. I pray God shows me more everyday I am in the Thai churches and international churches what He desires His bride to be.
Friday night I returned for prayer. 10 others and I sang, prayed, shared praises and prayer requests. One man praised God that his mother was healed from a kidney stone she had. It used to be very big and since the church had prayed for her it has shrunk drastically. Noi asked we pray for the church ministries. Koon has often told me he prays and believes one day God will save all of Klong Toei. He also asked us to pray for freedom. I ask that you join me in praying for these people and their requests before God.
After the meeting Koon, Es, and Bee took me to Lompo (a slum next to Jet Sip Rai where I live). There they showed me a church plant Tallia is starting. Koon is studying the Bible under Tallia's pastor's care in order to be the pastor who starts the church.
After kids club, Ya and Koon invited me to have lunch with them at the church. I was able to take Mr. Quinley (CEO of Step Ahead) with me. Mr. Quinley has been trying to connect with the church to partner with them but has not been able to make a connection with the church. He took my involvement with the church as a chance to connect. I am not sure what God will bring of Tallia and Step Ahead together but it is cool to see Thai churches and international development agencies working together.
That afternoon I went with Koon and one of the pastor's sons to play basketbon and footbon with people in the community. As I understand it this is a regular after work activity for the Tallia staff so as to build relationships with the people in the community. It is cool to see the amazing reputation the Tallia pastors have in the community. Everywhere they go everyone is excited to see them. I was able to meet three Buddhist men who asked me to play on their footbon team and after the games showed m some moves. They invited me to play with them more often. At the time I didn't know they were Buddhist, but I did know they were friends of Koon's. So, I asked if they were Christian. They said no but that we were friends anyway.
Sunday, I went to a Thai church in North Bangkok, because a friend invited me. It was a Thai church founded 22 years ago by American missionaries. Now the church focuses primarily on university ministries. I talked with the Thai pastor who spoke very good English. He asked me if I would like to go with him and a team of 10 short term American missionaries to the universities in the weeks to come to teach English and share the good news of Jesus. He even invited me to go on a retreat they are planing the first weekend in July for the university students. Again huge opportunities. One thing stood out about what he said to me. I asked him about denominations in Thailand. He told me, "Denominations were brought to Thailand by the West they are not Thai. Pentecostal and Baptist work together, unlike in America where denominations don't talk." It is a sad truth: In America there isn't a Christian church there are many denominations. In Thailand there is a sense of the Christian church.
After church in North Bangkok I traveled back to Klong Toei to assist Tallia with there weekly English classes from 2-5 pm. There were some 40 students from Klong Toei there. This is about the size of the church population, and is a huge witness to Christ to the community. I already feel like I could say Tallia is my church home because it is where I can do the work of Christ with my fellow believers. I feel I am actually making a contribution to the community I live in.
After the English classes I went with seven of the church members including the pastor to eat dinner and return back to the church for coffee.
This is a great answer to prayer. I have really wanted to get plugged into Thai churches and in one weekend I have become plugged into a Thai church in North Bangkok and heavily plugged into my local church. God is so good. It is amazing and awesome to see the native church. One of my life questions is what was the church made to look like. After all, the church is the bride of Christ. Christ died for this bride. He rescued her from her filth so she could rise out of it and be clothed in righteousness. And Jesus did not have polygamy in mind when he named the church His bride. He intended her to be one. Paul stresses this over and over in his letters. So I want to discover what it means to have the church live in the light of the living but distant bridegroom, the fallen state of the world, and the unity the church is called to but hasn't achieved. I pray God shows me more everyday I am in the Thai churches and international churches what He desires His bride to be.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
A Week in the Community
I am just getting a chance to look at the results from the poll I conducted. I am sad to see, but not at all surprised, that most people who responded have not been in the poor community they live in for over 3 months. God has convicted me this week as well about this poll. When I posted it I did not think about it applying to me. All I thought was, I am living in the slums of Bangkok. Tuesday, I asked one of the Step Ahead staff what the poorest slum community Step Ahead helps is. Later that day, she pointed out a community located under the expressway, next to one of the most polluted and smelliest streams, living in homes made of scrap tin and plywood. She told me, that is where the poorest people live. Then she asked me a question that really hurt and convicted me. She asked what the slums were like in the US. My first thought was: nothing like this, but then I stopped. As my mind raced for a memory of walking through the poor communities in Albertville or Chattanooga with not success. I am so embarrassed to think, I have not spent time walking through the poor communities in America like I have here. I have not spent time living in the poor communities in America like I have here. I have not spent time budgeting like the poor in America like I have here. I have not spent time getting to know the poor in their neighborhoods in America like I have here. I am as much in need of God's grace in this as anyone else, if not more. I want to ask you to spend time with those living around you who have less than you.
God has directed my reading to Isaiah 58. In it God shares what he loves. He shares what true fasting is. I encourage all to read and meditate on it.
The next poll will seek to better understand how much we know about those around us who have less than we do. Please answer it when you read this blog. It will only take one click. In the week to come I challenge all reading this blog to seek out the poor and marginalized and love them. Seek out the poor described in Isaiah 58, and love them the way Isaiah 58 tells us to. It is them who Jesus came to save.
Now, to the one and only God, maker of heaven and earth, be all glory and honor and praise now and forever more.
God has directed my reading to Isaiah 58. In it God shares what he loves. He shares what true fasting is. I encourage all to read and meditate on it.
The next poll will seek to better understand how much we know about those around us who have less than we do. Please answer it when you read this blog. It will only take one click. In the week to come I challenge all reading this blog to seek out the poor and marginalized and love them. Seek out the poor described in Isaiah 58, and love them the way Isaiah 58 tells us to. It is them who Jesus came to save.
Now, to the one and only God, maker of heaven and earth, be all glory and honor and praise now and forever more.
Monday, June 8, 2009
One Month and Counting
Grace to you Brothers and Sisters, Mothers and Fathers in the faith. Praise Jesus Christ for His grace and love never end.
Last week was a busy week. I started working with Microfin (a business modeling system for microfinance institutions). Over the past three months Timmy has been learning how it works and gathering data about Step Ahead to put in the program. He gave me a copy of what he has done so far and I am helping him gather the data needed for the program to work properly. This program is very important because it will help Step Ahead use their resources efficiently to help the maximum number of people. In the process I am learning a lot about what microfinance can do to assist in helping the poor. Please be praying that God will reveal Himself to the members, save them and sustain them in this life.
Saturday, we had kids club and 30 kids showed up. That is the most I have seen come since I've been going. Since I have been in Bangkok, I have seen the life people live in Klong Toei. They work 6-7 days a week working street businesses for 10-16 hrs a day. They live in small shacks with no air conditioning to escape the 100 degree weather here. This is a hard life but its not impossible. What breaks my heart most is seeing beautiful and elaborate spirit houses in every house and business, incense burning to them all the time, food offerings laid in front of them only to be eaten by the animals, temples and Buddha statues all over the place, people bowing and praying to the Buddhas, and buying flower wreathes to put on the Buddhas and spirit houses. These people are so religious, they just worship gods made by man instead of the one true God. I can't help but wonder how many of these people carry on in this practice, enslaved to their own creation, because they have never been told about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When I am at kids club and play with these kids my heart is excited to laugh and play with the kids, but greatly burdened at the thought of these kids following the footsteps of their parents and grandparents.
I mentioned last time that one of the volunteers with kids club is a Buddhist. After kids club Saturday, I had lunch with her and we talked a lot about God, Jesus, and Christianity. She was asking me a lot of questions. She is curious about Christianity. I recognize I can not save her, only God can change a heart. Please pray that God works through me and the other Christians in this girls life to share with her the truth, and that He would save her. She told me she wants to go to church with me next Sunday. I don't know what God has planned for her, but I pray it includes her salvation.
Sunday, a friend took me to a temple to look around. When we went in, I was shocked to find myself looking at a 40 ft Buddha, gold plated, sitting on a five foot tall decorated podium. It was like I imagined when I read the stories about the Israelite kings who made idols in the temples and the stories of the idols of other countries. I thought of the story of when the ark of the covenant was stolen and put in the temple with an idol. The idol was found the next day broken, laid prostrate before the ark. How I wish something like that would happen here. When a person becomes a Christian here there family disowns them. I met one man who married a Thai girl 30 years ago. She was living in Japan because she had converted to Christianity and her parents started persecuting her. The couple chose to get married in Bangkok but were not able to stay because the ladies parents gave them too much trouble. They just came back for the first time since then. Pray that God would save whole families and give courage to those whose families do not believe.
Tonight I will start teaching English to the Step Ahead staff. Pray for that opportunity. Hopefully through this process I can get to know them more and we can mutually encourage each other in our faith.
Last week was a busy week. I started working with Microfin (a business modeling system for microfinance institutions). Over the past three months Timmy has been learning how it works and gathering data about Step Ahead to put in the program. He gave me a copy of what he has done so far and I am helping him gather the data needed for the program to work properly. This program is very important because it will help Step Ahead use their resources efficiently to help the maximum number of people. In the process I am learning a lot about what microfinance can do to assist in helping the poor. Please be praying that God will reveal Himself to the members, save them and sustain them in this life.
Saturday, we had kids club and 30 kids showed up. That is the most I have seen come since I've been going. Since I have been in Bangkok, I have seen the life people live in Klong Toei. They work 6-7 days a week working street businesses for 10-16 hrs a day. They live in small shacks with no air conditioning to escape the 100 degree weather here. This is a hard life but its not impossible. What breaks my heart most is seeing beautiful and elaborate spirit houses in every house and business, incense burning to them all the time, food offerings laid in front of them only to be eaten by the animals, temples and Buddha statues all over the place, people bowing and praying to the Buddhas, and buying flower wreathes to put on the Buddhas and spirit houses. These people are so religious, they just worship gods made by man instead of the one true God. I can't help but wonder how many of these people carry on in this practice, enslaved to their own creation, because they have never been told about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When I am at kids club and play with these kids my heart is excited to laugh and play with the kids, but greatly burdened at the thought of these kids following the footsteps of their parents and grandparents.
I mentioned last time that one of the volunteers with kids club is a Buddhist. After kids club Saturday, I had lunch with her and we talked a lot about God, Jesus, and Christianity. She was asking me a lot of questions. She is curious about Christianity. I recognize I can not save her, only God can change a heart. Please pray that God works through me and the other Christians in this girls life to share with her the truth, and that He would save her. She told me she wants to go to church with me next Sunday. I don't know what God has planned for her, but I pray it includes her salvation.
Sunday, a friend took me to a temple to look around. When we went in, I was shocked to find myself looking at a 40 ft Buddha, gold plated, sitting on a five foot tall decorated podium. It was like I imagined when I read the stories about the Israelite kings who made idols in the temples and the stories of the idols of other countries. I thought of the story of when the ark of the covenant was stolen and put in the temple with an idol. The idol was found the next day broken, laid prostrate before the ark. How I wish something like that would happen here. When a person becomes a Christian here there family disowns them. I met one man who married a Thai girl 30 years ago. She was living in Japan because she had converted to Christianity and her parents started persecuting her. The couple chose to get married in Bangkok but were not able to stay because the ladies parents gave them too much trouble. They just came back for the first time since then. Pray that God would save whole families and give courage to those whose families do not believe.
Tonight I will start teaching English to the Step Ahead staff. Pray for that opportunity. Hopefully through this process I can get to know them more and we can mutually encourage each other in our faith.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
New Survey
Hey guys, I'm interested. How much do you know about those who are poor where you live. I will be posting surveys in the future which will try to assess that. Hopefully as you fill out the surveys they will cause you to reflect on how much you are doing for the least of these in the Jerusalem God has put you in.
Each survey will be open for one week. At the end of the week the responses will be tallied and the percent of people responding with each answer will be posted. If you are reading this, I expect you to answer the survey question.
May God bless you and continually teach you His truth.
Each survey will be open for one week. At the end of the week the responses will be tallied and the percent of people responding with each answer will be posted. If you are reading this, I expect you to answer the survey question.
May God bless you and continually teach you His truth.
English and Soccer
Thank you all for your prayers. This past week has been busy. I worked in the office M-F researching how Step Ahead runs its microfinance institution. I am still trying to get a firm understanding of how Step Ahead operates. Friday night I went with the staff to a sales pitch in a new community. I was the honorary picture taker/take down crew at the end of the night. This freed up one of their staff to help future clients sign up. Step Ahead's mission is bigger than just offering financial services to the poor. As early as the sales pitch of their products, Step Ahead seeks to encourage the poor to take responsibility for improving their circumstances while offering to help them in the process. During the sales pitch they encouraged the woman who attended to keep their husbands from drinking all the time, and explained how if their husbands did stop their husbands could help their families out of this situation.
Tuesday I went with the Step Ahead staff to a noodle shop that is the equivalent of Kristals in the US. If you can eat 20 bowls of noodles you get a free Pepsi (Wes-I thought of you. I wondered if you would intentionally stop at 19). Wednesday and Thursday nights I helped the Crown College team teach English to about 35 kids. I put some pictures from it and the soccer clinic on flickr. Wednesday night after the English I went with the staff to a Chinese restaurant where we celebrated something for about everyone. Thai love to celebrate and Wednesday night was no exception. Thursday night I attended an English Bible study with nine guys in their 20s. We studied the story of the men who lowers a paralyzed man to Jesus for healing. We prayed God would humble us and use us to be stretcher bearers for those in need here. Friday night I went to that pitch in the community.
Saturday, I ran the soccer clinic. It came together very well. We had 93 kids show up from age 6 to 16. It was really exciting because the leader of the park we used came up to us both Friday and Saturday to thank us for doing the clinic and asked us to do it on a regular bases. The Lord is opening doors for Step Ahead to step in and start a soccer league. Many people have come to me volunteering to help in the future which is a huge answer to prayer. Pray that God would send people who would be committed to the ministry and who will take advantage of the teachable moments they are almost assured to have with the kids during the soccer practices.
Please be praying that God uses the kids club and soccer clinics as a means for His healing hand to heal the blind eyes of these youth. Greater thing are yet to come. Greater things have yet to be done in this city. Please pray for me to see what my role is in that process while I'm here. God is good and worthy of praise. My prayer is that Thailand would see that. Also, I had lunch today with a lady who is going to help at kids clubs this summer and discovered she is more of a Buddhist then a Christian. Pray the Lord claims her for his kingdom sooner than later, since she will be a person of influence in the lives of the kids at our kids club.
Tuesday I went with the Step Ahead staff to a noodle shop that is the equivalent of Kristals in the US. If you can eat 20 bowls of noodles you get a free Pepsi (Wes-I thought of you. I wondered if you would intentionally stop at 19). Wednesday and Thursday nights I helped the Crown College team teach English to about 35 kids. I put some pictures from it and the soccer clinic on flickr. Wednesday night after the English I went with the staff to a Chinese restaurant where we celebrated something for about everyone. Thai love to celebrate and Wednesday night was no exception. Thursday night I attended an English Bible study with nine guys in their 20s. We studied the story of the men who lowers a paralyzed man to Jesus for healing. We prayed God would humble us and use us to be stretcher bearers for those in need here. Friday night I went to that pitch in the community.
Saturday, I ran the soccer clinic. It came together very well. We had 93 kids show up from age 6 to 16. It was really exciting because the leader of the park we used came up to us both Friday and Saturday to thank us for doing the clinic and asked us to do it on a regular bases. The Lord is opening doors for Step Ahead to step in and start a soccer league. Many people have come to me volunteering to help in the future which is a huge answer to prayer. Pray that God would send people who would be committed to the ministry and who will take advantage of the teachable moments they are almost assured to have with the kids during the soccer practices.
Please be praying that God uses the kids club and soccer clinics as a means for His healing hand to heal the blind eyes of these youth. Greater thing are yet to come. Greater things have yet to be done in this city. Please pray for me to see what my role is in that process while I'm here. God is good and worthy of praise. My prayer is that Thailand would see that. Also, I had lunch today with a lady who is going to help at kids clubs this summer and discovered she is more of a Buddhist then a Christian. Pray the Lord claims her for his kingdom sooner than later, since she will be a person of influence in the lives of the kids at our kids club.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Footbon on the Courts
Last night, I finished up work in the office about 5:30. Over the weekend I discovered that there is a soccer court behind my room. So after work I stopped by the court to see if anyone was playing. Sure enough there were a lot of guys who looked like they ranged from age 15-30 playing soccer with even more men and kids watching. As I watched and tried to see how the game was structured some of the younger boys came up to me and tried talking with me. I asked them their names and how they were doing (about all my Thai allows right now). Next thing I new some of the older men who were playing were asking me to play with them. I ran back to my room to get dressed for the occasion. When I returned, I was immediately placed on a team. The court was concrete and the goals were frames only. We played 5v5 with a size 3?4 ball rotating teams at every goal with winner staying on. We played for 1 1/2 hrs, well past the sunset. Though I could not say much to them, they all played hard and seemed to have a good time.
The people in my neighborhood area are getting used to seeing me. I think they have a curiosity about me/find me funny. There is a group of men who hangout in front of the door to my house. One of the men tells me hello in English and gives me a high five every time I pass by now.
It is fun to get in the community and hangout with the people. I have found that even though I do not know Thai, I do not have much difficulty participating in activities with Thai people. They are very nice and usually want to incorporate me in whatever they are doing at the time.
The people in my neighborhood area are getting used to seeing me. I think they have a curiosity about me/find me funny. There is a group of men who hangout in front of the door to my house. One of the men tells me hello in English and gives me a high five every time I pass by now.
It is fun to get in the community and hangout with the people. I have found that even though I do not know Thai, I do not have much difficulty participating in activities with Thai people. They are very nice and usually want to incorporate me in whatever they are doing at the time.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Learning and Exploring
Last week was slow on the work front. My ability to work with the microfinance part of my job was limited by my coworker being on vacation, so I spent a lot of time getting to know the Step Ahead staff, Thai culture, and Bangkok area. I have so many questions. The hardest thing about working in a cross cultural situation like mine is the language barrier. The staff are very nice and want to get to know me but our differing languages limit our conversations.
Saturday I went to kids club. This time I was the first one there, and when the kids saw me coming, they ran up to me telling me hello and giving me big hugs. The kids have become my favorite people to interact with. They are so much fun to play with, and somehow the language barrier seems smaller between us.
I am looking forward to our soccer clinic next week. We have a short term missions team coming in tomorrow, so instead of having kids club next Saturday we are going to use their man power to put on a soccer camp. We will also be having English classes at Step Ahead Tuesday through Friday night. This should keep me pretty busy, as I will be helping with the English classes and in charge of the soccer camp.
Saturday afternoon and Sunday I was able to walk around Bangkok. I ended up walking to the richer part of Bangkok, and it is amazing how nice and close to the poor parts of the city it is. I took some pics which I put on flickr if you are interested in seeing them. The one that has the skyscrapers in the background and the street vendors up close is my favorite. It captures the absurdity of the wealth and poverty that coexist side-by-side.
I am still trying to find how I can make the impact that God has brought me here to make. I appreciate all your prayers as I work out my salvation here with fear and trembling.
Saturday I went to kids club. This time I was the first one there, and when the kids saw me coming, they ran up to me telling me hello and giving me big hugs. The kids have become my favorite people to interact with. They are so much fun to play with, and somehow the language barrier seems smaller between us.
I am looking forward to our soccer clinic next week. We have a short term missions team coming in tomorrow, so instead of having kids club next Saturday we are going to use their man power to put on a soccer camp. We will also be having English classes at Step Ahead Tuesday through Friday night. This should keep me pretty busy, as I will be helping with the English classes and in charge of the soccer camp.
Saturday afternoon and Sunday I was able to walk around Bangkok. I ended up walking to the richer part of Bangkok, and it is amazing how nice and close to the poor parts of the city it is. I took some pics which I put on flickr if you are interested in seeing them. The one that has the skyscrapers in the background and the street vendors up close is my favorite. It captures the absurdity of the wealth and poverty that coexist side-by-side.
I am still trying to find how I can make the impact that God has brought me here to make. I appreciate all your prayers as I work out my salvation here with fear and trembling.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Flickr
I just set up a flicker account. Like this blog, it is a work in progress. It contains the pictures in the slideshow as well as any videos I upload. I hope it helps you see what my day looks like. Right now it only has pictures of the apartment where I am staying.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/when_seeing_becomes_sight
http://www.flickr.com/photos/when_seeing_becomes_sight
Praising God in Funny Times
Thank you all for your prayers. I need God so much, and He has been close to me these past few days. Thank you for your prayers. Praise God for he is good. So many prayers have been answered:
I am here safe.
The bed where I am staying is comfortable and there is a fan in the room which keeps it cool.
The people here are very nice.
The food is very good.
God has been close to me, and held me close to Him.
I started working in Step Aheads office Monday. Right now, I am:
Orienting myself to how Step Ahead operates.
Learning some Thai so I can get around the city on my own. (I have found learning Thai from the staff has been one of the biggest ways we have been able to bond.)
Researching two accounting programs Step Ahead is looking at implementing. (I am having to wait until next week to get fully into this because Timy who I will be working with is on vacation right now.)
Organizing a soccer clinic next Saturday for the kids in the Klong Toei slum.
Organizing a soccer league for those kids to play in following the clinic.
You can be praying for:
God to give me the gift of tongues. The sooner I can speak Thai the better.
My safety working in a foreign land.
The staff to continue being so nice to me as I have so many questions.
The soccer program, that the networking that needs to happen will happen, that the kids will show up if it is something they want to do, and that it will be a success in all ways.
That God will be close to me in visible ways now as it is a little lonely not knowing the language or anyone here. (Most menus are in Thai so it is hard to order food and if the menu is in English the server often speaks Thai. This makes even ordering food hard.)
Be praying for all the other Covenant College interns who are on their internship already or getting ready.
Please pray for those who are still preparing to leave that everything falls in place. I know some who still need to raise more support. Pray that comes in. If anyone is interested in helping them you can email me and I can give you their info.
God bless and sa wai dii krop (good bye) from Thailand
I am here safe.
The bed where I am staying is comfortable and there is a fan in the room which keeps it cool.
The people here are very nice.
The food is very good.
God has been close to me, and held me close to Him.
I started working in Step Aheads office Monday. Right now, I am:
Orienting myself to how Step Ahead operates.
Learning some Thai so I can get around the city on my own. (I have found learning Thai from the staff has been one of the biggest ways we have been able to bond.)
Researching two accounting programs Step Ahead is looking at implementing. (I am having to wait until next week to get fully into this because Timy who I will be working with is on vacation right now.)
Organizing a soccer clinic next Saturday for the kids in the Klong Toei slum.
Organizing a soccer league for those kids to play in following the clinic.
You can be praying for:
God to give me the gift of tongues. The sooner I can speak Thai the better.
My safety working in a foreign land.
The staff to continue being so nice to me as I have so many questions.
The soccer program, that the networking that needs to happen will happen, that the kids will show up if it is something they want to do, and that it will be a success in all ways.
That God will be close to me in visible ways now as it is a little lonely not knowing the language or anyone here. (Most menus are in Thai so it is hard to order food and if the menu is in English the server often speaks Thai. This makes even ordering food hard.)
Be praying for all the other Covenant College interns who are on their internship already or getting ready.
Please pray for those who are still preparing to leave that everything falls in place. I know some who still need to raise more support. Pray that comes in. If anyone is interested in helping them you can email me and I can give you their info.
God bless and sa wai dii krop (good bye) from Thailand
Sunday, May 17, 2009
God of This City
Today I went to the Evangelical Church of Bangkok. During the service we sang God of This City which you may know (as I did) as a song written by Chris Tomlin. The choir director, however, shared the true story of its origin:
God of This City was written by an Irish worship team called Blue Tree that went to Pattaya, Thailand to pray and worship over the city for 48 hrs. Pattaya is a city southeast of Bangkok that has the world's largest sex industry. While in Pattaya they were asked to play in a bar/brothel. When they were playing the Spirit of God gave them the words to God of This City, and they played it for the first time then and there as it was given to them.
I was surprised that I had never heard this if it were really true. So I checked it on YouTube, and it checked out. Chris Tomlin was performing in Ireland and one of the intro bands to his concert was Blue Tree. When he heard the song he asked them if he could play it. They agreed and the rest is history. Here are some YouTube clips telling the story:
This one is of Chris Tomlin telling the story behind God of This City:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co-RP2isqZY
This one is of Louie Giglio telling the story behind God of This City. I must warn you, however, that this contains explicit images from Pattaya:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClODquEcYs8&feature=related
This one is of the lead singer for Blue Tree telling the story behind God of This City:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXh_tgjnYJw&NR=1
God of This City was written by an Irish worship team called Blue Tree that went to Pattaya, Thailand to pray and worship over the city for 48 hrs. Pattaya is a city southeast of Bangkok that has the world's largest sex industry. While in Pattaya they were asked to play in a bar/brothel. When they were playing the Spirit of God gave them the words to God of This City, and they played it for the first time then and there as it was given to them.
I was surprised that I had never heard this if it were really true. So I checked it on YouTube, and it checked out. Chris Tomlin was performing in Ireland and one of the intro bands to his concert was Blue Tree. When he heard the song he asked them if he could play it. They agreed and the rest is history. Here are some YouTube clips telling the story:
This one is of Chris Tomlin telling the story behind God of This City:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co-RP2isqZY
This one is of Louie Giglio telling the story behind God of This City. I must warn you, however, that this contains explicit images from Pattaya:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClODquEcYs8&feature=related
This one is of the lead singer for Blue Tree telling the story behind God of This City:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXh_tgjnYJw&NR=1
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Kids Club and other updates
So today I went with Coleman and Carter (son and daughter of John and Kim Quinley) to Step Ahead's kids club. It was supposed to start at 10 but when we arrived at 10:15 no one was there. I found out Thailand goes by "Thai time." (Being 15 min late to an event is normal.) Ja, the lady who leads the kids club, showed up about 10:30 and gathered together about 20 kids from the Klong Toey slum. These kids were a lot of fun. They drew pictures and Ja brought make-up for the girls to play with. At first I didn't know how to say anything to the kids and they pretty well ignored my being there. I asked Coleman if the kids did high fives and he said yes. I also asked him how to say very good. He told me to say di mak. So I started telling the girls di mak about their make-up and the boys di mak about there pictures and then offered them a high five. Soon one of the girls started trying to put make up on my face, and that is when things picked up. Next thing I knew I was running from ten girls with make-up brushes. I managed to avoid a lot of the powder but by the end my shirt and face had taken a toll. I also found the kids liked to be picked up and spun around and to be quickly lifted high in the air. I played with legos and tossed paper airplanes with the kids. We had a lot of fun. I learned how to ask their names and how to tell someone my name. You ask what a persons name is by saying chun alli and respond by saying chun John. Though I learned some of the language and had Coleman help some with translation I was still told by one girl that I was a silly foreigner who didn't know much Thai. She proceeded to smile, give me a high five, and laugh.
I wish I had brought my camera. There were so many photo opportunities. The kids club meets every Saturday so I will be able to go back. I also found out that the Quinleys really want to start a soccer program for the children living in the slum. Step Ahead had a soccer camp not to long ago and 60 kids showed up. That got Mr. Quinley thinking about starting a league because he has experience starting an American football league for one of his sons, and he was talking to some big names in the soccer scene in Bangkok and they agreed to sponsor the equipment needed. When Mr. Quinley heard I play soccer at Covenant he decided he wants me to head up starting the program, in addition to the work I will be doing with Step Ahead's microfinance program. So that will be getting started in the week to come. I will keep you updated on if that progresses into reality. I visited the microfinance office two days ago and met the staff. Most of them only speak Thai though I was able to talk with a few in English. I think I will primarily be working to implement new loan tracking and business modeling systems at the main office. Mr. Quinley has mention that I might go down to Klow Lak for 2-4 weeks to see what Step Ahead is doing there and possibly to Pattaya for 1 week to take surveys of the potential client base for microfinance if they start a branch there.
I wish I had brought my camera. There were so many photo opportunities. The kids club meets every Saturday so I will be able to go back. I also found out that the Quinleys really want to start a soccer program for the children living in the slum. Step Ahead had a soccer camp not to long ago and 60 kids showed up. That got Mr. Quinley thinking about starting a league because he has experience starting an American football league for one of his sons, and he was talking to some big names in the soccer scene in Bangkok and they agreed to sponsor the equipment needed. When Mr. Quinley heard I play soccer at Covenant he decided he wants me to head up starting the program, in addition to the work I will be doing with Step Ahead's microfinance program. So that will be getting started in the week to come. I will keep you updated on if that progresses into reality. I visited the microfinance office two days ago and met the staff. Most of them only speak Thai though I was able to talk with a few in English. I think I will primarily be working to implement new loan tracking and business modeling systems at the main office. Mr. Quinley has mention that I might go down to Klow Lak for 2-4 weeks to see what Step Ahead is doing there and possibly to Pattaya for 1 week to take surveys of the potential client base for microfinance if they start a branch there.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
In Bangkok
The flight went well, and I am safe and sound in Bangkok. My first flight was from ATL to Seoul, Korea and then I flew from Sheol to Bangkok. Let me tell you, I flew Korean Air, and the service was amazing. The Quinley's told me Asian airlines typically have better service then Western ones. They served great meals and drinks, as well as giving us blankets, pillows, tooth brush, shades, and even socks. How sweet is that. It was odd having all announcements given in Korean and Thai before English, though. I guess I have to get used to it. I felt separated from what was going on, because of the language barrier. It makes me think more about the Hispanics in the US who don't know English.
The Quinley's picked me up from the airport, and tok me to their house where I will be staying for the next few days before I move into my own apartment. John Quinley is so excited about loving the Lord, sharing Him with others, and helping those in need. I am really excited to be working under him this summer. I think there is a lot I will learn from him and his family. His 19 year old son has done in his life more than I could dream of doing for a while. The Quinley's are people who don't bow to the idea of conservative growth. They have already told me so many things they are starting or want to start. They see needs in the world and are finding answers.
Well I will keep everyone abreast on the latest news from Bangkok. I have had a lazy morning and think Mr. Quinley is going to take me to visit Step Ahead's office this afternoon. Until then, God bless.
The Quinley's picked me up from the airport, and tok me to their house where I will be staying for the next few days before I move into my own apartment. John Quinley is so excited about loving the Lord, sharing Him with others, and helping those in need. I am really excited to be working under him this summer. I think there is a lot I will learn from him and his family. His 19 year old son has done in his life more than I could dream of doing for a while. The Quinley's are people who don't bow to the idea of conservative growth. They have already told me so many things they are starting or want to start. They see needs in the world and are finding answers.
Well I will keep everyone abreast on the latest news from Bangkok. I have had a lazy morning and think Mr. Quinley is going to take me to visit Step Ahead's office this afternoon. Until then, God bless.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
19 1/2 hrs to departure
So I am 19 1/2 hours from being on an airplane headed to Sheol Korea and from Sheol to Bangkok. 34 hr and 45 min travel time...ya! I still have so much to do before I leave: pack, say good bye to friends, send this great blog link to all whom I love and love me. (Feel free to share this blog site with others. I probably forgot a lot of people.) Well, pray for my safety and acclamation to the new place. I don't know what to expect, but I trust things will fall in place in the next few days. Until then, God bless and I ask pray for me.
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