Thailand - Part 2

This was already feeling like the most amazing trip so far and I felt so privileged to be part of the team.  The country of Thailand and it’s people are so beautiful that I almost forgot the reason we went, and the darkness and sin that we witnessed in Bangkok.  I can hardly get over how greatly God has blessed the team and how He sustained us through the long travels and lack of sleep.

After we left the conference we headed back to Home of Blessing just long enough to drop off our luggage and to give a laptop to one of the Pastors from Chiang Mai who will be able to use it to project words for his music ministry at his home church.  We were treated in the city to cappuccino’s and massages ($4 USD for a head to toe massage!).  When we went back to rest, I was able to get a couple hours sleep before dinner, then we spent some time meeting the girls and helping them with their English homework.

 

On Thursday, November 4^th, we woke at 4:45 and Karin led the devotions based on salvation.  Breakfast was wonderful where we had a Thai/American spread with Chinese doughnuts, sticky rice & eggs and fruit.  After breakfast we were invited to visit the girls school (Faikwang Wittayakham Secondary School).   When we arrived all the students were lined up in perfect rows out on the field saying their pledge as they raised the flag.  Then they all turned (almost in military fashion) to the left side of the field where those who were Buddhist said prayers to Buddha.  We were told that the Christians just stand silently with their hands down and are not forced to pray.  Then they brought our team up onto the platform so we could introduce ourselves to the students.

 We spent the morning going into different classrooms where we thought we would be able to observe, but instead the teachers handed over the classrooms to us to teach!  We had a lot of fun doing English vocabulary with them, singing songs and teaching them signing!  A very unexpected blessing!

 

In the afternoon we prepared for Kids Camp and practiced our skit.  Pastor Pat threw in a last minute song in place of a game and asked Jordan & Jennifer to come up with some actions for the song.  It was a real stretch for them but the outcome was amazing! 

Thursday evening we had Kids Camp – Day 1 “Salvation”

Wow!  I am so amazed at how the first night of Kids Camp ministry went!  The song that Jordan and Jennifer did, Jordan’s testimony, and the human video (The Cure) were all powerful!  Pastor Pat’s teaching was awesome as usual and I believe the girls really connected with the message.  At the end they were invited up for prayer and we had no idea how they would respond.  The entire room of girls came up for prayer!  God’s presence was evident and there were tears, new salvations, rededications and girls being healed.  This indeed is what it is all about!

Friday, November 5^th started out in a very interesting way.  After our 5:30 devotions, before we even had breakfast, we went to the street market where vendors would come and set up their stands as early as midnight so they could get the best spot to sell their foods and wares.  We saw all kinds of strange foods, from pig heads on a hook, tables of raw meat in pans, live fish being dumped out of a pail and clubbed to death on the spot, turtles trying to climb out of bowls, to fried crickets and meal worms!  It didn’t ruin my appetite for a hot Chinese doughnut, fresh pineapple or cappuccino though! 

After breakfast we went to the Primary school to meet and teach the students there.  It was so amazing to us that the teachers would just step out of the way and let us take over! On the way back to HOB, we stopped by Pastor Berm’s (our interpreter) Gecko farm.  He raises and sells them to help supplement his income.  He plans to expand by selling crickets and coffee beans too.  We were treated to a real luncheon experience at a shrimp farm.  (At least that’s what they called them!)  They would scoop the shrimp (or prawns/crawfish) out of the pond, put them in a grilling basket and right over the coals.  The Thai’s would eat the entire shrimp – head, shell and all – nothing got wasted!  Of course the Americans spent more time breaking off just the tails, peeling and de-veining them before eating!  

Friday evening we had Kids Camp – Day 2 “Heartbroken”

The ministry this night penetrated many hearts.  We took them further into surrendering their hearts to the Lord.  The teaching was very good and I shared this night about my experience with loss and heartbreak.  I believe many of the girls were touched.  Prayer time followed and once again many of the girls were healed letting God separate the pain from the memories.

Saturday, Nov. 6^th, after devotions and breakfast, the girls were divided into four separate groups and they rotated from one station to another throughout the day.  The four areas were Games: Velcro Tag, water balloon volleyball, etc. headed by Pastor Pat and Jennifer; Sign Language/Song: Kathy taught the girls two songs along with signing; Crafts: headed by Karin where they did beads and rubber band bracelets; and Unity Activities: run by Liz & Jordan doing Human Knots, Blind Square, tower building, etc.  It was so fun watching the girls use their creative ideas to make their activity work. 

It was also a challenging day physically. It was non-stop and very hot.

The ministry at night was centered on ‘Forgiveness’ and our Human video was called “Signs of Forgiveness”.  Karin gave her testimony and the message was taught out of Matthew 18:23-25.  At the end, all the girls were given pieces of paper and instructed to find a private spot in the room where they could write down the names of the people they needed to forgive.  After some time, they were instructed to bring their papers up to the front and tear them into tiny pieces before placing them in the buckets.  This proved to be very freeing for the girls.

In the Sunday morning service, some of the girls lined up to give testimony of how God set them free  through the ministry of the camp.  Many said they were able to forgive the people who had hurt them, and in the evening we concluded camp with a message on "hope".  

During the day on Sunday, we traveled to a park in Chiang Rai where about a dozen of the girls were baptized in the river.  What a beautiful time in the Lord!

There is so much to process from this trip. It had to be the most experiential mission trip I have ever been on!  I was concerned at first that we would not have much of an impact with only being able to spend 2 evenings and 2 full days with the girls doing camp, but God greatly blessed the time and ministry.

Having to leave is always the hardest!  We told the girls not to say "good-bye", but "see you soon" instead, as it had already been decided by leadership that we would come back.  We bonded with so many of the girls, and there are always a couple that we each feel a special place in our hearts for.  They are most precious! We prayed with them before they went off to school.  Some made us cards and gave us gifts. We got lots of hugs and pictures. This will just have to hold us until we get to see them again!

  

Thailand - Part 1

A little bit about our trip to Thailand.  

 

After many hours of travel (31 hours altogether), we arrived in Bangkok, Thailand.  Having said that, the travel went very smoothly; going by planes...

...train...
...and automobile (yes, we used the Air train in Bangkok);

Saturday, October 31st was our first full day in Thailand where we went out to the streets & to the malls to do some shopping.  This was our “free day”.   The sites and sounds did not disappoint.  We took the Airtrain to the ‘Market Mall’ (which was like our Gilbralter Trade Center on steroids - to coin a phrase!). We went from there to a ‘real’ Mall that dwarfed any mall I had been to at home with seven floors of stores including an auto gallery with Bentley’s and Lamborghini’s!

The food court took up an entire floor and we were given an allowance to eat anywhere we wanted within the court.   No, you guessed wrong!  I chose a hamburger and fries! :)

Afterwards, we headed back to the Guest House to rest a while before dinner and a walk through the “red light district”.  To say that it was heart-breaking would be an understatement.  There were men (and some women) who would stand out in front of the bars and brothels with menus that listed the sex acts the young girls (and some boys) would perform for a price.  As we would pass and look into the open doorways of the bars, we saw one after another where girls were pole dancing in bikinis strategically placed so passersby could get a glimpse.  It was so sad to know that we were only seeing the small fraction of what was actually going on there.

This experience was necessary so we could understand the magnitude of the darkness within the country, and be more prepared to minister when the time came.

Sunday, November 1^st, we left early to fly up to Chiang Rai where the Pastor from Home of Blessing and his son greeted us at the airport presenting each team member with a fresh, handmade lei.  From there we drove straight to the river port where we took Long-tail boats upriver to the Elephant Park.  Once there, we all got the experience of a lifetime riding the elephants through the entire village and down into the river.  Afterwards, we had cappuccinos in their café and bought elephant food to feed them.

We went from there to Home of Blessing to meet the Pastor's wife and some of the girls.  We settled in and then were treated to Pad Thai for dinner. We got to hear a little bit of history on HOB, then the girls did a “welcome” song for us.  Afterwards, each one came up and gave us flowers and they all did a dance for us.  Precious!

On Monday, November 2^nd, Pastor invited us to have devotions and prayer with the girls at 5:30 am.  I was asked to lead devotions. After a breakfast of sticky rice and mango, we got a tour of the grounds then packed to head out for the next couple days to minister at the Pastor's Conference.

Pastors and their wives from near and far were registered to come and be ministered to.  Some traveled in the back of pickup trucks for 7-10 hours and could only afford to sleep in tents that were provided by the resort.   

We settled in to our rooms, did some visiting and had dinner.  We were warned to avoid the soup with the red chili’s in it but nobody told me the chunks of meat were full of bones!  That evening we had worship led by Pastor Ali & Jampee (his wife) who were leaders in their home church.  They also own a bakery to earn income their church can’t afford to pay them.  One of the really cool parts is that most of the songs they know and play are ones we are familiar with only in the Thai language.  It was such a blessing to see that we had similar beliefs and kindred spirits.  We later found that many of the trials and challenges they face there are no different than the ones we face at home.  Some were even asked to leave their churches because they were spirit-filled and their churches don’t accept them.   The message was given by Pastor Terry and followed by the American team laying hands on and praying for the Pastor’s and their wives.

On Tuesday, November 3^rd, I woke at 5am for devotions and prayer.  We gathered for breakfast at 7.30 where we were served fried rice, fried eggs, bananas and cucumbers.  We started worship at 8:30 followed by a special song based on Psalm 23 written and sung by Pastor Ali & Jampee.  Then one of the Thai Pastors, Bun Pan (an evangelist) and his wife Am Porn shared about their life and struggles in ministry.  She was the children’s pastor at her church and all was well until she got filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  Then they were no longer welcome at their church.  She later found work with Compassion International.

The message was brought by Pastor Mike and was titled “The Power to Serve”.  We were given opportunity to pray again with them after the message. 

After lunch we broke off into separate groups of men with men and women with women.  This gave the wives opportunity apart from their husbands to talk freely about their struggles.  Pastor Pat gave a teaching from the book of Ruth and we encouraged them in the Lord.  We prayed with each one individually afterwards.  God was giving insight & discernment to the team as we prayed. 

There was one particular woman who, as I was praying, I literally felt the “hand of God” holding my right hand as I had my left hand on her shoulder.  The anointing was very strong and I knew that God was doing a work.  Later on in the evening when Pastor Sayan gave them time to share testimony’s, this woman confirmed that God had lifted a heavy burden off of her and she felt joy in her heart and a freedom. 

We ended the evening with a final teaching from Pastor Mike, more prayer, and then some fellowship.  It was such a blessing to see how they all warmed up to the team & everyone had their cameras and phones out taking group pictures.  It was such a wonderful couple of days!

Thoughts about Thailand

Where do I begin? If you asked me if there was anything I wanted to share about Thailand, I could  come up with at least a half-dozen things (no, maybe a couple dozen!) that were really special about the trip.  After coming home and adjusting to the time changes, the digestion issues, and just the general every day life issues, an explosion of thoughts that related this trip - what God was doing there, and in me personally, began to flood my mind.

Long before getting on the plane for Thailand, in one of the team meetings, it was mentioned (as it is before all mission trips) that we needed to seriously prepare spiritually for this trip, and for what God wanted to do in the girls to set them free.  I really took this to heart and was feeling the weight of responsibility of that commission. I did NOT just want to go on another mission trip, and come home with some memorabilia to add to my collection, or be one of 'those Americans that came with their nice little program'.  (This was, however an amazing trip where I felt like we got the 'full experience' of Thailand!), but I digress:

I personally was wondering if I was ready for this trip, or would be useful to the team and those we were to minister to.  I had been feeling rather dry and detached, and was feeling the burden of responsibility to bring manna and hope to the people there by speaking where asked, and by sharing my testimony at the Kids Camp on the night we were to address the pain and heartbreak (which I knew would be difficult).  I had been trying to write my testimony for weeks and it was only days before leaving that I was able to even put the basics on paper.  Then on the morning of October 24th, I read something in my devotions that really spoke to me and encouraged me.  It was called, “Becoming Invisible” and I loved the analogy given:
   

“Where I live, this is the time of year when plants defy death by remaining underground until it is safe to come out again.  Before the snow comes and the ground freezes, they let go of their beautiful blooms and retreat to a place where they can rest and save energy for the next growing season.  Contrary to the way it looks, they are not dead; they are dormant.  When the snow melts and the ground thaws, they will again lift their heads toward heaven, greeting their Creator with brilliant colors and sweet fragrances. 

The seasons of life require that we sometimes enter a period of dormancy.  We are not dead, but we may feel we’ve become invisible.  During such times we may feel useless, and we may wonder whether God will ever use us again.  But periods like this are for our protection and preparation.  When the time is right and the conditions are safe, God will call us once again to service and worship.”

Now I was ready!  I could go with great anticipation of what God would do in and through us!

God moved in a powerful way in Thailand, and so many of the girls' testimonies proved that He was present to do a deep work in answer to the prayers of the Pastor and his wife at Home of Blessing. (Throughout the trip, I was thinking about something we used to have in our church called "Cleansing Waters" where many in our church, myself included, experienced healing and deliverance that can only come from God).  We saw this again in how God was moving in the girls there.  And, as one of our team members mentioned this past Sunday in the service, I too was wondering what our part (as lay persons) in the Pastors Conference would be and just had to trust that God would use us. As it turns out I was so blessed to be a part of what He did there!  And it was exceeding abundantly above all I could ask or think!

Over the next few weeks, as I sort my thoughts and pictures, I will post more about the details of our trip.

To say that going on missions is life-changing is an understatement!  From my first trip to Haiti in 1997, I have understood and always believed that.  To say you 'can't out-give God' is another one of those understatements, as I have always come away with such rich blessings from the time with Him, and the people we are sent to.  Yes, there are sacrifices and there are challenges, but it is well worth it - every time!

Crisis Response Basic Training

How do I sum up such an amazing and intense week?  There were so many elements to this training that were designed to prepare us spiritually, physically, emotionally and even psychologically.  Based on my own experience and past training, I would have to say it was like "We had Church"; Chaplaincy training; First Aid; CFL Kids' Camp (for adults); disaster preparedness and Cleansing Waters (Deliverance ministry) all rolled into one 3 1/2 day course!

Each day the focus was on a different phase of crisis response beginning with the Mitigation Phase.  We were taught on the importance of lessening the degree of severity, seriousness and painfulness of the event. 

The training included Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) where we got both classroom and hands-on training to administer Spiritual and Emotional care as well as spiritual training on healing.   We also had a class in Disaster First Aid where we were shown how and when to use tourniquets.

The next day was focused on the Preparedness (the state of readiness) Phase.  The Chaplaincy training continued with Grief/Forgiveness and hands-on Death Notices.  All of which ministered to each of us in a personal way.  The spiritual part of the training was on deliverance.  This was following by Personal Preparation for disaster in our own communities, giving us many resources, and lists of important items to have on hand in the event of an emergency. 

We moved from there to doing what they called "Light SAR" (Search And Rescue).  Let me just tell you, there was nothing 'light' about it!  We were brought through the woods to a very well-staged area where we had a simulated tornado. 



The scene was overwhelming and chaotic, but we had no time to think about that.  We immediately moved into action doing triage, first aid and recovery.  It was very sobering to come upon a  little girl who ended up in this scenario dying right in front of me when I was doing all I could to help her.  It brings back the reminder from our first Disaster First Aid course that ultimately the outcome is in the hands of God.

After tagging the little girl, I was immediately confronted with an injured man who was frantic about his girlfriend who was pinned in the car he was thrown from.  I could see that although he was running around and I was trying to get him to stop and sit down, that he had a severe head wound that needed immediate attention.  I called others to come and help and we got him to lay down and put

pressure on the wound while we assessed him for other injuries.  When enough people were available, we got him on a board and moved him over to a medevac area.

Day 3 was the Response Phase.  We discussed deployment protocol and were taught on land navigation in our First Aid class. 

In the afternoon simulation of a plane crash, we were told there were no survivors and had to do Cadaver Recovery including the use of tags and body bags.  Once again, very sobering!  Afterwards we were confronted with family members who were converging on the scene and hysterical.  We immediately had to switch gears and respond as Chaplains, calling on the Holy Spirit and doing our best to meet their basic needs.  Our spiritual training was on prayer, evangelism and the prophetic.

Every morning we had worship and devotions, and the evening was worship and the Word.  At the end of day 3 we were graduated and given our Certificates making us official Disaster Responders!

I would definitely recommend this, or one of the many other courses offered by CRI (Crisis Response International) to anyone who is interested in being the hands and feet of God in the event of the sure to be forthcoming disasters both home and abroad.  For future training events, here is their website: http://criout.com/

"Be true to who you are...."

'To be, or not to be - that is the question.' 

It is no surprise that there is, and will continue to be, a lot of repercussion to Bruce (aka Caitlyn) Jenner receiving the ESPY Arthur Ashe Award for courage.

Let me say, first of all, that I agree it takes a great amount of courage to stand up for what you believe in, especially when you know it is controversial and that there will be backlash - regardless whether it is right or wrong.

My thoughts go back to the day I was arrested for sitting in front of an abortion clinic door in silent protest of the atrocity going on inside. As I was sitting there, someone from the crowd who was opposing my protest grabbed a fist full of my hair and physically tried to remove me by my hair. A righteous indignation rose up within me and I committed at that moment to remain seated regardless of whether my hair stayed with me or not. Thankfully, my 'courage' won out and I stayed until by law, I was removed - and so did my hair!

I anticipate that some day, maybe in the not too distant future, I will be challenged to take a more risky stand for my faith.

Back to Bruce, who was most certainly a great athlete in his day. I don't know if he truly 'deserved' the reward or not, but upon receiving it, he took the opportunity to use his 'coming out' as a platform to support those who had battled or committed suicide over these struggles. All of which are heartbreaking and tragic. Genuine or political on Bruce's part (and I believe genuine), this will only serve to widen the path for others to 'be true to who they are'.

Here is where my heart is grieved.

His comment, which I have not been able to shake since hearing it, in context, shows how so many have been deceived, including Bruce himself:

"If you want to call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions, go ahead, because the reality is, I can take it," she said. "But for the thousands of kids out there, coming to terms with being true to who they are, they shouldn't have to take it."

What does it mean to be 'true to yourself'? And, what about being true to who God created you to be? Sadly, we have moved so far from His truth about us in this day and age that we don't even know who we really are, or why we are on this planet!

Here is a brief rundown of who we are as Christians.  We are:

Created in His image and likeness (Gen. 1:27) 

Forgiven (Colossians 1:13,14) 

We are children of God (Jn. 1:12) 

Complete in Christ (Col. 2:10) 

Free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1,2) 

Fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17) 

We are no longer slaves (Gal. 4:7) 

We are new creations in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17) 

We are set free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2) 

We are justified and redeemed (Rom. 3:22-24) 

Citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20) 

Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13) 

Branches of the true vine, and conduits of Christ's life (Jn. 15:1,5) 

Partakers of His Divine Nature (II Pet. 1:4) 

Delivered from the powers of darkness (Col. 1:13) 

Strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Eph. 6:10) 

More than conquerors (Rom. 8:37) 

The light of the world (Matt. 5:14) 

And the list goes on (but I said I would be brief!). Doesn't this sound better than a life of confusion? He is the Potter and you are the clay.  Let Him mold you.  He is an expert!

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." (Ps. 139:14)

"Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves..." (Ps. 100:3)

"And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good." (Gen. 1:31)

And finally,

"The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works." (Ps. 145:9)

He loves you!

I don't hate you!

That's right! In fact I love you!  I don't hate anyone.

But, you say, "What if I am gay?"  I say, "No difference! I love you regardless of the color of your skin, the bad things you have done, or the way you choose to express your love outside of traditional marriage."

So why are you believing all their lies when they don't even know me?  They tell you that unless I throw away my Christian convictions about what sin is, then I am intolerant and a hate monger.  If they don't even believe in God, that shouldn't bother them.  I can bake you a cake, but once I say I can't use my business or talents to endorse your event because it is in conflict with my personal beliefs, now I am to have my home and business taken away and my life ruined because of my intolerance.  Is this tolerance? Is this love? No, this is hypocritical.  I must accept your beliefs but I am not allowed to have or live by my own?

WWJD?

He would.................
Feed you if you were hungry
Give you drink if you are thirsty
Clothe you if you were naked
Visit you if you were in prison
Care for you if you were widowed or orphaned
Help you if you are hurting or broken
Die for you

Wait, what?  Yes, He would (and did) die for you, and so would I.

You heard that right!  If I thought my death would save you, I would die for you.  After all, my life is not my own.  I am wholly committed to God and have no question where I am going for eternity. 

But, what Jesus can't do for you (and neither can I) is tell you that your sin is acceptable in God's eyes.  We can't change God's laws to suit man's lusts.  The couple that is living together before getting married - I can't tell them that is O.K.  The guy that is cheating on his taxes - not O.K.  The liar, the cheater, the murderer - all wrong.  Are all loved by God? Yes! Are they welcome at the foot of the cross or in my church? Yes!  Will they hear the truth according to God's word there? Yes!  But we ALL have free will.  I chose to surrender.  You may not.  I don't love you any less.  Understand?

I have nothing to gain by hating you.  My heart is to see you experience the love of God as I did over 30 yrs. ago.

I lived a wild life as a teenager, and did many things that grieved the heart of God.  When I got married I left all those behaviors behind and for several years thought I was doing O.K., because now I was a good person - or so I thought!  I still had a choice to make because I found, as God drew me by His love, that none of my good works could save me.

In the end, EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord!  So glad I chose to bow when I did and now experience the overcoming power of God in my life every day!

What will you do?  As long as there is breath, there is hope.  We are not promised tomorrow though.  Today is the day of salvation.  Now is the time.  God loves you - and so do I!

Why does it seem like Christian's are always attacking gays?

As the Supreme Court approaches their decision on gay marriage, the argument is being revived all over the news, on billboards and in social media.

I read a comment in a post just yesterday that said, "homosexuality is not a sex act any more than heterosexuality is a sex act."

Really? No, I mean, really?

We are sexual beings by nature, but unfortunately we also all have a sin nature, and that can take many roads. Without exercising some self control and restraint, we are all at risk of crossing the line. How many openly gay people do you know that practice celibacy? And, having said that, all sex outside of marriage is sin according to the Bible. Well, here's another quote I heard today, "The gospel is meant to change the sinner, not for the sinner to change the gospel to suit their sin." You can't change God's law to suit you.

Sin is sin, right? And every sin will be judged by God, unless it is put under the blood of Jesus.

So why then does it seem that Christians appear only to be focusing on gays?

Are they? Or is the LGBT agenda demanding that the Christian accept their 'lifestyle' because they feel so strongly that God does? If the Christian dares to bring up the sin issue, then they are automatically tagged as hate mongers and homophobes. The Christian tries desperately to "speak the truth in love" but it falls on deaf ears. Could it just be that they are the only "sin" group that is fighting for rights to live the way they want to live, and have rights attached to it regardless of what the law (God's or man's) says? Well, let's just change the law then and we'll deal with God later. They should just get married, right? Let me ask you this, are the fornicators, adulterers, pedophiles, lairs, thieves, and a myriad of other "sinner" groups asking for this?  This may be why they are feeling attacked, not because they are actually being attacked, it's just that the Christian cannot stand down when it comes to opposing God's word.  Many Christians have, and there is now much compromise in the church.  Does that make it any more right?

I do realize that fornication is almost never addressed because, sadly the movements of the 60's did take us take us to a place of acceptance and down a road away from God. "If it feels good, do it." was the slogan. Is this where the slippery slope started? Not really?

Sexual sin has been around since the garden, and at one point it became so perverted that God destroyed an entire city. God has not changed his mind.  Yet, He is not cruel enough to create a person one way and then say it is wrong for them. So who is wrong here - God? No, the problem doesn't lie with God.

The latest "in your face" stance resides on a billboard near me. It almost assumes the message 'I dare you to tell me He doesn't'!



So, does He? Yes, absolutely! God loves everyone! I love you! I have no problem with you. We all have our beliefs and our opinions and have all been created by God, in His image and according to His likeness.  Let's meet at the foot of the cross!  Let's take it to God in prayer.  I mean dare to take it to prayer!  He loves you.