Be It Ever So Humble...

Well, this post is a little late in coming but as you can imagine, being out of the country for two weeks causes a little backlog at the office. Add to that, Melody had surgery to remove her tonsils, adenoids, and to put tubes in her ears the Thursday after we got back. We made it back safely and without much incident. We had a 4-5 hours layover in Seoul, and then made it back around 8:00AM local time.

It took us 12 hours to get from our hotel to Bangkok, around 20 hours of flight time, not counting the down time in Seoul, added up to about 30+ hours on my rear-end. I was SO ready to be home. It has taken me two weeks to begin to feel somewhat acclimated back to this time-zone.

This being my first overseas mission trip, everything was new and I had nothing really with which to compare it. Having had a couple weeks to rest, process and debrief with some friends, I come away from this trip with some conclusions on the trip (and it is MY perspective, be it right or wrong):

1.) There is incredible need for the Gospel; most people there are mostly superstitious and afraid of displeasing any spirits. This work is WAY bigger than any of us. This is God's work.

2.) The people are incredibly gracious, but our message was logged mostly with one more religion that is equal to all others.

3.) The people respond best to locals as opposed to foreigners.

4.) Because of #3, I (personally) would have liked to do more encouraging and equipping the believers that are there as they will be far more effective in reaching local Isaan.

5.) We are incredibly blessed in America and take so much for granted (i.e. hot water, real plumbing, clean bacteria free food (in most places anyway), and so much more.

So, did I get alot out of the trip? Would I go back again? Yes, but much different than I expected. Probably, but would want a more evenly divided use of time to include more discipleship of existing believers.

In closing, please continue to pray for the Isaan people, pray for the church there, and pray for Pastor Rojena. Thank you again for your prayer and financial support. This will conclude my postings on this blog. God bless you.

Kicking Back

As we near the end, we are now at the resort. I thought we were staying in Ubon Ratchachani, but rather we are staying east of there out in the country on the other side of the river of Laos. We will be going in to Ubon for some sightseeing and shopping this afternoon.

The resort is really beautiful and peaceful. The food is closer to home, and we have an actual shower. This trip has really made me appreciate what we have at home that we take for granted: plumbing, clean water, hot water, water pressure, etc. Our country is truly blessed with an abundance, and I find myself feeling uncomfortable enjoying these luxuries. Even the place we stayed most of the timer we were here, although it was like a one star motel, complete with bugs and mold, was so much better than what most folks here live in. I was a little uncomfortable with the cold front came through and brought the temps down to around 50 degrees. Many folks here still live in thatch roofed shacks, and Tony (missionary) told me when the temperature drops like this, older people die from exposure. I know I am supposed to be resting, but my mind keeps wandering. I can look across the river and see the huts that were similar to what Ban Yea is like and it is just hard for me to settle. I know many people are affected this way on mission trips. There is so much to be done and I feel so overwhelmed as I knows my best effort to help will not even be a drop in the bucket.

We leave tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to the chance of getting to meet Polly & Champ's parents.

Brownies in Thailand

To some, our work today would have seemed pointless and a waste of time. However, I feel like it was some of the best things we have done here so far. Today was not part of our original plan. When we stopped by the secondary school last week to invite students to the ESL Camp, the English teachers, many of whom speak very little English, (they know the grammar, haven't had much experience in actually speaking) asked us to come today and Tuesday to speak English for their students and engage them in some conversation. This was a challenge as they combined their classes into groups of as many as 190 at one time! We did break them into groups of 40-50. I mentioned to one of my team mates that I missed the kids from camp. But unfortunately, I didn't see any of them. We were pleased to come. We first met with the principal, and then the classes. The kids were sweet but very shy, and only a handful seemed to want to take a chance in speaking English with us. We played a little Simon Says, Who Am I and told them a Bible story and then asked them basic comprehension questions.

It seemed like every time we turned around they were offering us something to eat or drink. It has been like that since we arrived in Thailand. I learned a new phrase that I have used often-- “Ihm,” which means I am full, and I have used the other similar phrase a couple times as well-- “Ihm lao,” which means I am totally full and have no room for anything else! When we arrived and spoke with the principal, they brought us water and coffee, when we went to the classes they gave us coffee and cookies, and when we were done, they fed us a huge lunch spread – all within a period of 3 hours, only 4.5 hours past breakfast. There was a wide variety of things presented. Some of which I dared not try. I am glad I didn't as I found out later the dish that scared me the most was chicken feet and jelly fish stir-fry! I have to admit I am growing weary of trying new stuff. We went out to eat tonight and I asked if the restaurant had chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes (in jest of course), On was sweet and ordered for us and everything was fabulous and more close to what you might get in an Asian restaurant in the US.

During the afternoon, the guys stayed behind and got some much needed down time, and then scouted out some future possibilities for lodging in the future. The ladies went to the village to do spa treatments for the ladies there. They washed and massaged feet and gave manicures and pedicures. The village ladies were treated like queens and it meant so much to them.

Today was about earning some brownie points. We served people today, and it was good. I know because of what we did today, we could come back and tell the folks about Christ and it would be well received. Today was what I would call preparing the soil for seed to be sown in the future. It was time well spent, and we will do some more tomorrow. Our time here is drawing near to an end.

Great Expectations and the Waiting Game

Sunday camp was a little different than the previous day. We started off with a worship service and invited the kids to come as well as invite their parents. Pastor Rojena had invited members of his church to join us, so we knew we would have at least a couple dozen come including ourselves. However beyond that some of the team was a little concerned since the response to the gospel invitations have been surface at best.

We were delightfully surprised that not only most if not all of the kids come, but I think a couple parents came as well. I am sad to say that there didn't seem to be any indications that anyone made a profession of faith, but again, seeds were sown. We will continue to pray that the Lord of the Harvest will reap what only He can cause to grow. God loves the Isaan much more than we do, and desires that this people group come to a saving knowledge of Him.

After having lunch, we finished the Hope video then completed another round of ESL exercises. Later in the afternoon we had special guest speakers. They were three successful business men who came to speak to the kids about getting a good education and learning as much English as possible. The average Thai native is only required to complete school through the 9th grade, and although many may go on to 12th grade, a small percentage go on to higher education. The reality is that as far as the job market goes, a 12th grade education offers little more that a 9th grade education. These men strongly encouraged a higher education, and it seemed to be well received.

So, since there were not any public decisions for Christ, did we waste our time? I would say mostly definitely not. We, in only a couple of days, saw some changed lives. These kids showed up shy and not very trusting of the farang. They came here mostly out of curiosity; however, when they left, they left with a copy of God's word, the knowledge that God loved them so much that He sent his one and only Son to die for their sins. They also left with the knowledge that these strangers from another country traveled thousands of mile to come express their love for them – to these they gave testimony of. We made some friends. They were really awesome to be around. I would love to have any of them in my home. These kids, I know, would respond to the love of Christ that they saw in us.

We will pray that God will give us more opportunity to stay connected. We each gave out email addresses. I pray that I will have some new pen pals. I am confident that God will honor our efforts in sharing the gospel and to flesh out His love for them. That is His promise. Tomorrow and Tuesday we go into the High School for some English with over 500 students. Please pray for an opportunity to share to present itself. So far, we have been given much leeway. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Camp Stories

Today was our second day of camp, and it was a full one too. We did lose a few but gained a couple new faces. We started early as the kids would be arriving around 9:00AM and it was non-stop until we finished around 5:00PM. The agenda was similar to last night except we had more sessions. We did ESL games and conversation practice, and we sang the English song I taught them last night, “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High.”

Then, they watched the next few sessions of the Hope Video with Q & A following, and we played games indoors and out, including teaching them how to play kickball. That was a huge hit with the boys. The younger girls were a little more hesitant for fear of getting hurt with the ball. We continued to tell the kids about Christ all along the way.
The day ended with Rojena doing a little apologetics with them explaining the Gospel from a more rational, logical perspective. Tony (missionary), really helped me feel a little more connected today by sitting with me and translating the messages while Rojena shared. All in all, I think today went well. The kids continued to stay engaged in the messages they hear; seeds are definitely being planted. We invited them to come to a worship service and to bring their parents.

We finished the night by going to Mukdahan, where Tony lives, and having PIZZA for dinner! No pizza ever tasted so good! Tomorrow is Tony's youngest birthday, so we sang to her and enjoyed getting out of dodge for a couple hours.

Tomorrow, we will also have some service activities planned for the parents included a spa treatment for the mom's on Monday afternoon. We aren't sure what to do for the dad's as men pass the time usually with gambling and drinking. So, we may end up playing some cards or dominoes with them... I don't think painting the dad's finger nails and toes would go over quiet as well. Pray for bridges crossed and open hearts with the parents.

Gone Fishing - Two Days of Activity

The days are beginning to run together, so processing what we did on what day is getting more difficult, and all food is beginning to taste like fish. Friday morning was mostly prep work for the first leg of the Youth Camp tonight. We were unsure as to how much response we would get, so we thought we would “drum up some business.” We went to the Secondary School in Leong Nok Tha (the community near Ban Yea). This campus is huge! They have over 2500 students in 7th-12th grade. We just showed up and headed to the English department. The teachers were gracious and welcomed us in. Some of our team chatted with teachers while the rest of us mingled with students. Most were nervous around us, some were openly friendly, but all were courteous and acted happy to see us. We made some contacts and invited those we spoke with to come out, plus we received an invite to go back to the secondary school to do some conversational English with the classes. That was a new addition to our agenda, and will be fun.

The afternoon included final preparation for the camp plus visiting with the area missionary, Tony. He has been a joy to visit with as he is near my age and we have much in common. Friday night camp was fun. We had around 45-50 kids show up, most of whom we spoke with at school earlier. As I have mentioned, I am a pretty structured person, but this camp is very fluid. Kids were still very shy during ESL exercises, and most have had very little conversational English, so there was a lot of giggles and silence. So, I just showed off the pics of my girls and beautiful wife which seemed to break down barriers.

Rojena, again was pretty amazing. He really connects well with the kids and speaks their heart language. Even though we have some folks that speak the language, we are still farang. Just about all of the kids, made indication that they were interested in receiving Christ, but these are teens and likely to follow the crowd. The experienced folks say the conversions are not likely genuine unless they want to be baptized which is a huge step. Most feel that this is just the foreigners' religion and they are being polite. We will see how many come tomorrow.

Shooting from the Hip and Playing the Fifth Wheel

Today had an early start... a little early for my taste. My body, although in need of sleep, seems to think it is time to wake at odd hours. I woke at a little before 4am. I don't know if it is jet lag or what, but I was wide awake at 4am.

Today was a busy day with a lot of interaction with many people from the village, Ban Yea. First, we visited the local public school to do a few English games with the kids. They were very gracious. We show up know little of what to expect, and so I feel a little awkward waiting to be told what to do by the “experienced” folks. As our team was introduced, the kids were fascinated with me being a singer, so I was the first up. I sang a short song, and then taught them “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” The kids seemed to have fun as did I. Then I was asked to do some other English-learning games. None of this I was really prepared for, but I enjoyed it none the less. I felt useful.

Later in the day, we went by the village to look around, prayer walk, and begin building interest in the coming evening Christmas party. We walk around saying hello to a very gracious people who were always quick to stop what they were doing, smile and “Sa-wa-dee” right back their hellos. We also walked through the local Wat (which is a Buddhist temple). Later, we hosted a Christmas party for the villagers. We had a large number of folks show up for the festivities. Pastor Rojena, a local pastor that we have been working with for follow up was in charge. He really did a great job interacting with the kids. The folks that showed up enjoyed gifts, music, dancing (by the “Farong” (foreigners aka the white Americans) although with snippets from the Jesus film sprinkled with testimonies from other locals. Woven through the whole evening was the Gospel. I felt a little like a fifth wheel- a little unneeded, but I did have fun building interest by handing out candy to the kids. I was quickly identified as the candy man.

Please pray that the seeds planted tonight will grow and produce fruit.

Happy Birthday to me...

How many people get to go to Thailand for their birthday, how cool is that? After some much needed (albeit short) rest. We had breakfast in Bangkok this morning, lunch on the road by a lake at the foot of a mountain (very tasty!) and dinner waiting on us when we arrived at our lodging. It has been a cool birthday.

I decided to spend the entire two weeks in the book of Acts, I was reading chapter 12 this morning and found a verse that really reinforced what I spoke of in my post above. Peter is in a jam, rather he is in jail. The Lord does an amazing escape and rescue of Peter that is the stuff sci-fi movies are made of, and here is this amazing verses 5, “...but the church was praying earnestly to God for him.”

Church keep up those prayers, we have got some big time battle to do here and the battle is not ours, the battle belongs to the Lord. Larry & On had a conversation with the local monk who the way they described him is the like the Don on Godfather. He controls many things, and he specifically told them they don't need us, they don't need God, “I am god!” Pray for this head man, pray that God will break strong holds. Thank you for your prayers thus far.

Travel Woes or WooHoo's?

I tend to be an organizer and like having the answers to most logistics lined up. However, I learned in my youth ministry years that trying to have your ducks in a row is fine, unless you become obsessed with straight ducks. But, sometimes your ducks get kicked out of line.

Our trip started with an hour delay on a stuffy plane due to icy wings, the plane was packed (so little room to get up and stretch on a long 14 hour first leg of our flight), I had had little sleep earlier that week prior (all sorts of reasons), we finally arrive 22 hours later in Bangkok, only to learn the luggage for three of us (mine included) was nowhere to be found, and the 8+ hours van ride to our final destination in northeast was... well a little interesting. My first response is “oh, man not another thing!” However, the Lord gently reminded me of a verse in Hebrews, “Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus...” (Hebrews 12:2)

He is in control of all of this trip, and that we are not only for God to do a work through us, but also in us. There is no way we can do this without God. He is the changer of hearts! Pray that He changes lots of of hearts this trip... including ours!

Sweet-Suite and Bitter-Sweet Goodbyes

1/5/09
It has been amazing how God has worked in providing the means for our trip. I love Hotwire.com! We got a sweet deal on a suite at DFW airport – less than $60! It was really nice being able to sleep to 5AM instead of 3AM in order to make our flight and get to kiss the girls goodbye. Passage through the gate was uneventful.

Of course pray for all the girls, but please especially pray for Melody, this trip absence. She has taken this a little harder than expected, but I told her this morning, that as much as she loves her Daddy, God loves the Isaan more, and because of that His Son Jesus had to leave for a while. Of course, as a six year old she mainly understands that her Daddy was gone, but I saw in her eyes, that she did understand. Pray that the light comes on for the Isaan.

Final Preparations... Pray, Pray, Pray

The first part of our team left for Thailand today. Please pray for Larry & On as they travel. They will begin the groundwork logistics necessary for our work while there. Also, continue to pray that God would prepare the hearts of those we come in contact with next week, as well as, our own that God would do His work in us and that we would receive whatever comes our way with joy.

We have already begun to see some resistance and interferences before we have even left. Our pastor and team leader, made a quick run with our youth and others to do a short missions construction project on a new orphanage in Mexico. He had to be flown back due to a severe stomach bug he was getting before he left. Pray for his strength to return to make the flight on Monday. We have seen political turmoil in Bangkok that shut down the airport we fly in to. Prayers went up and that is history, but me thinks that our trip will yield much fruit or the enemy wouldn't be working so hard to thwart us.

One more thing, please pray for our exchange student from Thailand. Polly got word from her mom that her grandmother was sick. She over-medicated herself and is now in the hospital. Perhaps our team can connect with her and minister to her while passing through Bangkok.

I have begun my mental preparation for packing and such, and find myself a little anxious mostly about the flight itself. It will be the longest flight I have ever made. almost 24 hours in air-- yuck. The rest of the trip I have little or no concern about... I am guessing mostly because I know so little, I don't even know what to "worry" about. In this case, ignorance is bliss. This will also be the longest I have been away from my family, I know I will miss them dearly, perhaps I can do some creative packing?

I am taking my laptop, so I will try to post often... assuming I will have Internet access. I may have to post several days at one time. Ah, yet another unknown... Thank you for your prayers.

Quick Isaan Facts of Interest

Thought you might like to get to know the people you are praying for a little more. I gleaned these tidbits from the IMB missionary's newsletter:

a. 18 million Isaan people , less than .5% Christian (mostly folk Buddhist)

b. Over 80% of Isaan are rural farmers, and Isaan is the poorest region of Thailand. While more of the Isaan in the cities are university educated, they along with most Isaan would rather learn orally as opposed to study something from a book. Pray for wisdom and workers to start multiplying Isaan churches.

c. The American military flew their bombing raids from air force bases in the Isaan region during the Vietnam War. Americans are still respected by Isaan/Thailand because of this.

As our team has met this month, we continue to discuss the challenge of sharing the gospel with a predominately oral learning / story-telling culture. Please pray that as we continue to prepare the wordless gospel skits, that our actions will be clearly understood. Please pray that God will prepare the hearts of those we will be with. Right now in the midst of much political angst, God has been harvesting many souls within this people.

One final note, thanks to God and His generous people, the funds I need have been provided. Thank you!

Setting Our Sights

This afternoon we completed our second team meeting. Our focus in this meeting was on drama. Part of our work will include the Hope video. It will be in Thai and starts people from the beginning. Most Thai people, including the Isaan, have no concept of a creator God nor of sin which separates us from Him. So, part of the task in effectively communicating the gospel must start at the beginning. To further illustrate these truths, we will do short skits, with as few spoken words as possible to further drive home the main points of the video. We have to keep it simple and upbeat, and that shouldn't be a problem with this crew.

Our team consists of myself, my pastor (Guy), 3 women (Mary, Robin, and Rita), plus the couple (Larry & On) with whom our primary contact originates in this village. We had many laughs as we are being formed into a thespian crew... not. However, it is neat seeing how God has brought all these people of different ages and backgrounds together with a common goal... to reach the Isaan. It is in setting our sights on the same thing, that God is drawing our hearts together. Jesus prayed for His disciples and for us that we may be one. That is my prayer this month that God would continue to make us one. Please join me in this. Also, this past month has brought much rejoicing in how God continues to provide for mine and the others way. I have almost reached my target, and know God will supply our my needs according to His riches in Glory.

New Total

My secretary gave me an update on total given... WOW! So I updated my funds raised. God is awesome! Thank you!

Blessings and Prayers...

WOW!! I have already begun to receive the blessings from some of you offering financial assistance to make this trip possible. Thank you so much! May God richly bless you for your generosity. Once I get a current total, I will update the figures shown. I will continue to trust God for His provision. I have to say that asking people for help is never easy. But a friend recommended that I look at this in different perspective-- ask people to pray for you, and let God lead those who want to help financially. I chose people that I knew would commit to praying for me. So, I did, and God is blessing!

I, also, wanted to give you an update on what our recent missions team discussed this past weekend. In addition to covering some itinerary items, we also began dialogue about how to effectively follow up with new believers on this trip. There are cultural and other considerations so we need God's wisdom to be able to handle the response to the gospel. As you probably know we are called to make followers of Christ, not converts. So, please pray that we follow God's direction in this aspect of the trip. Also, the Pastor and I are responsible for putting together some dramas to aid in the communication of the gospel since there is a significant language barrier. So, specific prayer for that as well is appreciated.

I will update you more later.

How Did I Get Here?

A trip like this will come as a surprise to many of you who know me. In some ways, it is to me, but I think this will only be a step on a journey that is still to come. God has been in the process of moving me out of my comfort zone. For me, this is WAY out of my comfort zone, but I am beginning to realize, that although this may be a big step now, in the grand scheme of things, He has even bigger things in mind.

God has been teaching me that if I really want to please Him, it will require faith. In Hebrews 11, the author gives a litany of those who pleased God by trusting Him, and in the midst of this list, he says this, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." (11:6) I am realizing that I have become more concerned about pleasing man (including myself) than I am pleasing God. Genuine faith demands action. I cannot tell you that I am unafraid, because I am scared to death. There is so much unknown that will happen. But I can also say, there is a peace that passes all understanding that comes only when you are walking in obedience. I am trusting in the Lord for His provision, and I am excited to see how He is going to work in and through me. He is the one that has brought me to this place, and I am confident that He will lead me on to where He wants me to be.

Welcome Aboard!

For some of you, this is my second web log (or BLOG). My first blog, Lifesong Notes, is mostly a time to share things that God is teaching me or fun stuff I run across. This blog, hoever, has a specific purpose in mind, that is, I want to keep those who are commiting to pray for and support me on my mission trip to Thailand. This trip will take place in January 4-17, 2009. I will be joining a team of 8-10 folks from our church in North Texas to reach out to a specific group of people in northern Thailand with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Along the way, I will introduce you to folks traveling with me and share some of the things we are praying for with an invitation to you to join with us in preparing for this journey to see God do amazing things in the lives of these people. I will try to give you tidbits of info about these people and what the culture is like as I learn it. And of course when the trip comes I will try to post a journal of our activities.

Right now here are my prayer requests:

1. Pray for the Isaan people that their hearts will be ready for seeds to be sown and harvested.
2. Pray that God will provide each member of the team the thousands of dollars it will take for us to reach this land.
3. Pray that God will bind our team's hearts together with a burden for these people.

Thank you so much for coming along on my journey. I will try to post at least once a month, probably more. We covet your prayers!