Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Last Week in Thailand
This is what my weekend in Pattaya consisted of, praise and worship to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!! This is my last week here in Thailand and I honestly don't know what to think. I am going to miss being here so much, God has grown a huge love for Thailand in my heart! I know God has great plans for me and my mantra for this trip has been Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you to give you a hope and a future."
This past weekend my friend Oh invited me and some friends to her house in Pattaya. When we arrived it was like a whole new world. The streets were lined with prostitutes and bright lights and bars. Men and women jaded by shiny objects that seem great from afar but empty and lackluster in the end. Inside Oh's tiny one-bedroom home we all sang and worshiped our magnificent God. Two different worlds one gives death the other gives life. I was asked to do Sunday morning Bible Study for us and as I prayed asking God what I should talk about He led me to Jeremiah 29:11. I thought this verse is used so many times how am I going to talk about this to a group of Thais, then He said read the whole chapter and I will show you what I mean. As I read the chapter I discovered a new meaning for this verse I thought I knew so much about, this verse that was my theme. Jeremiah was speaking to a group of exiled priests and prophets, he told them that God had a declaration for them. This was the declaration; to keep on living their lives, to plant gardens and marry their children and seek welfare in the city where they were sent. He told them not to listen to the false prophets and their dreams because He did not know them and after seventy years of this God said he would come back to the place where they were and bring them back home. And this is where the infamous verse comes into play, For He knows the plans he has for us!! Sometimes I wonder what's going to happen in my life, where is God taking me, what am I supposed to do with my life? I found my answer, LIVE! Live life glorifying God, prosper wherever He takes me and continue living my life because God has brought me here and He has a plan! If you continue reading God continues by saying that if we seek Him with all our heart we will find Him and He will restore our fortunes and bring us back from the places He has sent us. I get so caught up in the what, when, and where and always forget the WHO! We are to prosper wherever God takes us in life because He has a plan!
This is not an end but a continuation of a plan that God has already begun in my life and I am choosing to live it to the fullest, glorifying Him every step I take!! Next stop the Philippines!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Blessings and Miracles
I would like to share with you just a few of the many miracles that Jesus has done in my life since being in Thailand. When I first arrived in Thailand I had no idea what God had in store for me and He wasted no time in showing me what He is all about. He blesses those who love Him and I know that first hand. My first week of teaching there was a student named Pui who joined my class that has now become one of my really good friends. The story of how she came to join my class is the miracle. She was not enrolled in the beginning but had two open spots for classes. Her level of speaking was above the level that I taught but that never occurred to me until later. We began our friendship when she joined me on Wednesdays to go to the Immigration Detention Center. From there we began talking and over time our friendship developed. She started bringing me "strange" foods to try like heart, liver, blood and air sacs; needless to say they are not my favorite! We started hanging out outside of class and she would teach me about Thai culture and show me around Thailand. I have seen a side of her that not many people get to see and she is so caring and thoughtful, she has made me feel so special and at home. About two months ago she shared with me why she joined my class and I knew after hearing what she said that God placed her in my life for a reason. It is truly a blessing and a miracle to have her as a friend.
On April 26, 2010 I went to a U.S. Embassy meeting to discuss the political situation in Thailand regarding the red shirts. One of the last people to ask a question was this man who had an orange shirt on and a blue baseball cap. Monti and I decided to go to the Villa to buy some sweet chili sauce and saw one of our favorite places to eat, a Lebanese restaurant called Beirut. We sat down and started talking and in walks Greg Nicholson and a friend of his named Djuan. We talked for a bit and they left and then we noticed that to our right there was the guy from the meeting who had asked a question. I thought he had an AU hat on and so Monti got his attention and asked him but it was a Syracuse hat. We invited him to sit with us because he was alone. We began talking and turns out he has lived in Thailand for 10 years and he is working on his masters. Somehow we got on the subject of Christians and Jews and this “certain family” he couldn’t say the name of. He was saying how the world is being taken over by Jews and how everyone in high power is either Jewish or affiliated with Jews. The Bible is a war book that maps out how the Jews will take over the world. He is “dating” this chinese girl whose family is part of the Huns and so now he knows all this stuff about that group. It was so crazy he was so pessimistic and everyone one was out to get us! We spoke about the Bible and God and Jesus and he asked me questions that I could only have answered with God’s help. He doesn’t like “christianity” because of the fact that if you don’t believe in Jesus then you go to Hell. He believes in God but not Jesus as the Son of God. He is all about facts and conspiracies. I got his email address and emailed him a few days after our meeting and gave him some verses that spoke of how God says that all who call on His name will be saved, there is no prejudice. I told him that believing in one and not the other does no good because one is from the other. I said that Christ wants to be the way and so He told us that when we ask which way to go He tells us. He emailed me back and was appreciative of my email and writing style! He said that he would love to continue talking and that he had questions as well as things that he would like to talk about with me. We now have each others email addresses and phone numbers. Joe called me and wanted to get together and talk so I told him he could come to Friday Night Live at the BSC and he agreed. He was late and didn’t come until it was over. We invited him to come to dinner with us and we talked some more about business and the red shirts and conspiracies. I brought up the verses I had sent him and he brushed it off. On our way to the dinner however I had prayed that God would use this opportunity to be able to share more about Him and that Joe would be open to God. After the dinner I had felt like my time with him was unsuccessful BUT as we were walking out he asked me if he could come to church with me!!!!! O my goodness I wanted to scream! I said of course and contained my excitement for later! How amazing is God?!?! I did nothing and yet God did it! Sunday we went to the 11:00 service and I worshiped God in full thankfulness and joy that He truly provides! Joe was asking questions about Revelations and then O man he was stuck in Colossians where is says “slaves submit to you masters” and he is convinced that the Bible is endorsing slavery! UGH! I told him that in those times there were slaves that was the culture and that God was telling slaves and masters how to treat each other in a Godly way. It was no use, he just wanted to argue for arguments sake. After church he was amazed about how church was led, like a classroom with teaching. He wanted to meet the pastor and so he did! Yahooo!! He got his number I think and he is going to call him and ask more questions which is amazing! God is sooo good! Then Joe is asking me if we have anything like church during the week, like a Bible study and I said YES! And he wanted to know if the church did anything and I said of course, ALPHA course!!! I met with him a week or so later and had dinner and we talked more about the Bible and sin. Monti and I gave him a Study Bible in King James Version. I am meeting with him again before I leave Thailand.
In the month of May my friend Sarah came here with her team from the World Race. We planned to spend the day together and she got in a taxi and headed to the city, there was only one problem she didn't have a cell phone. Two hours later she was nowhere to be found and I was getting worried because we had no way of getting in touch with each other, I prayed and asked God to bring her here and gave the situation to Him. I had a feeling that I should go walk down our soi and see if I could find her. I started walking and got about half way down and saw a taxi pull over on the side of the road, for some reason I thought "o maybe that's Sarah" but the taxi driver got out and started to walk across the street and so I lost hope, until out pops Sarah from the back seat! Praise God! The same thing happened the next day except this time she was with some of her teammates and they were lost on my soi walking around. She had an I touch and by the grace of God found wifi outside of a hotel building, she skyped me and I went to find her!
A few days ago my friend Pui(mentioned above) and I went to a museum. We walked around and got to a place where the guard had to check my ticket. I heard the guard saying "Hallelujah Hallelujah" and I said it back to him. He got excited and said "Amen!" he began quoting John 3:16 and I finished the verse and he looked at me with surprised eyes and said "are you a christian?!" I said "YES!!" he was elated! He began telling me his story and that it was his birthday and he had prayed earlier that day thanking God for giving him 57 years of life. We continued to talk and he began reciting more Bible verses. He went to Bible school in Chicago and was so happy and filled with God! I asked him if I could pray for him and he said yes, so I prayed thanking God for John and the encouragement he is to all who meet him. Turns out that he goes to Calvary Baptist Church on Soi 2 and my church ECB on Soi 10, God is amazing!
I know that God answers prayer, He also does things that remind us that He is still with us sharing in our day and blessing us. He has done so much more then what I have shared but these are just a glimpse into the blessings and miracles that He has shown me. I am so in love with Christ and wake up filled with the joy of the Lord! I read His words of blessings and am encouraged to bring others to Him so that they too can share in the blessings He has for them. To God be the glory forever and ever AMEN!
On April 26, 2010 I went to a U.S. Embassy meeting to discuss the political situation in Thailand regarding the red shirts. One of the last people to ask a question was this man who had an orange shirt on and a blue baseball cap. Monti and I decided to go to the Villa to buy some sweet chili sauce and saw one of our favorite places to eat, a Lebanese restaurant called Beirut. We sat down and started talking and in walks Greg Nicholson and a friend of his named Djuan. We talked for a bit and they left and then we noticed that to our right there was the guy from the meeting who had asked a question. I thought he had an AU hat on and so Monti got his attention and asked him but it was a Syracuse hat. We invited him to sit with us because he was alone. We began talking and turns out he has lived in Thailand for 10 years and he is working on his masters. Somehow we got on the subject of Christians and Jews and this “certain family” he couldn’t say the name of. He was saying how the world is being taken over by Jews and how everyone in high power is either Jewish or affiliated with Jews. The Bible is a war book that maps out how the Jews will take over the world. He is “dating” this chinese girl whose family is part of the Huns and so now he knows all this stuff about that group. It was so crazy he was so pessimistic and everyone one was out to get us! We spoke about the Bible and God and Jesus and he asked me questions that I could only have answered with God’s help. He doesn’t like “christianity” because of the fact that if you don’t believe in Jesus then you go to Hell. He believes in God but not Jesus as the Son of God. He is all about facts and conspiracies. I got his email address and emailed him a few days after our meeting and gave him some verses that spoke of how God says that all who call on His name will be saved, there is no prejudice. I told him that believing in one and not the other does no good because one is from the other. I said that Christ wants to be the way and so He told us that when we ask which way to go He tells us. He emailed me back and was appreciative of my email and writing style! He said that he would love to continue talking and that he had questions as well as things that he would like to talk about with me. We now have each others email addresses and phone numbers. Joe called me and wanted to get together and talk so I told him he could come to Friday Night Live at the BSC and he agreed. He was late and didn’t come until it was over. We invited him to come to dinner with us and we talked some more about business and the red shirts and conspiracies. I brought up the verses I had sent him and he brushed it off. On our way to the dinner however I had prayed that God would use this opportunity to be able to share more about Him and that Joe would be open to God. After the dinner I had felt like my time with him was unsuccessful BUT as we were walking out he asked me if he could come to church with me!!!!! O my goodness I wanted to scream! I said of course and contained my excitement for later! How amazing is God?!?! I did nothing and yet God did it! Sunday we went to the 11:00 service and I worshiped God in full thankfulness and joy that He truly provides! Joe was asking questions about Revelations and then O man he was stuck in Colossians where is says “slaves submit to you masters” and he is convinced that the Bible is endorsing slavery! UGH! I told him that in those times there were slaves that was the culture and that God was telling slaves and masters how to treat each other in a Godly way. It was no use, he just wanted to argue for arguments sake. After church he was amazed about how church was led, like a classroom with teaching. He wanted to meet the pastor and so he did! Yahooo!! He got his number I think and he is going to call him and ask more questions which is amazing! God is sooo good! Then Joe is asking me if we have anything like church during the week, like a Bible study and I said YES! And he wanted to know if the church did anything and I said of course, ALPHA course!!! I met with him a week or so later and had dinner and we talked more about the Bible and sin. Monti and I gave him a Study Bible in King James Version. I am meeting with him again before I leave Thailand.
In the month of May my friend Sarah came here with her team from the World Race. We planned to spend the day together and she got in a taxi and headed to the city, there was only one problem she didn't have a cell phone. Two hours later she was nowhere to be found and I was getting worried because we had no way of getting in touch with each other, I prayed and asked God to bring her here and gave the situation to Him. I had a feeling that I should go walk down our soi and see if I could find her. I started walking and got about half way down and saw a taxi pull over on the side of the road, for some reason I thought "o maybe that's Sarah" but the taxi driver got out and started to walk across the street and so I lost hope, until out pops Sarah from the back seat! Praise God! The same thing happened the next day except this time she was with some of her teammates and they were lost on my soi walking around. She had an I touch and by the grace of God found wifi outside of a hotel building, she skyped me and I went to find her!
A few days ago my friend Pui(mentioned above) and I went to a museum. We walked around and got to a place where the guard had to check my ticket. I heard the guard saying "Hallelujah Hallelujah" and I said it back to him. He got excited and said "Amen!" he began quoting John 3:16 and I finished the verse and he looked at me with surprised eyes and said "are you a christian?!" I said "YES!!" he was elated! He began telling me his story and that it was his birthday and he had prayed earlier that day thanking God for giving him 57 years of life. We continued to talk and he began reciting more Bible verses. He went to Bible school in Chicago and was so happy and filled with God! I asked him if I could pray for him and he said yes, so I prayed thanking God for John and the encouragement he is to all who meet him. Turns out that he goes to Calvary Baptist Church on Soi 2 and my church ECB on Soi 10, God is amazing!
I know that God answers prayer, He also does things that remind us that He is still with us sharing in our day and blessing us. He has done so much more then what I have shared but these are just a glimpse into the blessings and miracles that He has shown me. I am so in love with Christ and wake up filled with the joy of the Lord! I read His words of blessings and am encouraged to bring others to Him so that they too can share in the blessings He has for them. To God be the glory forever and ever AMEN!
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