I can't believe it, but our time in Thailand has almost come to an end!
Our time in Chiang Rai seems like it has flown by. We have been so blessed to meet so many wonderful university students. We have been able to share many fun memories and laugh at our cultural misunderstandings. Our team has also had many opportunities to share what God has done in our lives, and to encourage our new friends.
A highlight of our time here was the exchange camp we helped host. It was like a weekend retreat, and involved lots of games and English-learning activities. Our DTS students helped lead worship for the weekend and did a great job! A couple of our students got to share their testimonies with the group, and another was able to share a short gospel message. The response from the university students was great; many of them said they wished we were having another camp the following weekend! A few students are exploring the possibility of life with Jesus after time spent with everyone at this ministry! One of them shared her story at the camp. She had spent the first years of her university studies feeling very overwhelmed and praying to all the gods she could think of for help. For awhile, she felt that because of this, God might not accept her, even though she became a Christian about a month ago. Last week, she went to a Bible study that Jason led and heard the story of Jonah. She shared that she realized that if God loved the people of Nineveh, who didn't worship or respect him, then he must love and forgive her, even though she had not respected him.
God has been so good to our team while we've been here. We have had very little sickness, so thanks for praying! He definitely has answered all of our prayers about that. Our team has made so many good friends in unexpected places while in Thailand. Many days, we wondered how we would have an opportunity to tell people about Jesus' love for them. Sometimes, we were discouraged by the language barrier and the difficulty in communicating how much Jesus has done in our own lives. But so often, we had barely finished asking for help when God brought someone across our paths and provided a way to have a meaningful conversation. The Lord has also stretched and grown us as a team in huge ways. This is not always a fun process, but it is one that is necessary and worth it. Our hearts have been revealed in times of testing, and God has uncovered the nasty things still there so that we can let go of them and move forward in our respective walks with him. He's also encouraged our team, showing us that we are his beloved children no matter what.
Most of all, we are celebrating the fact that there are more people who have chosen to follow Jesus in Thailand than there were two months ago. I am so thankful that our team could be even a small part of people finding new life in Jesus. Thank you, each one of you, for participating in this also; it is not something that any of us can do alone and your prayers and support really do make a difference! I hopefully look forward to someday being able to see the fruit of God's work during these two short months.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
On to Chiang Rai....
Well, dear ones,
We have arrived in Chiang Rai, Thailand, after a 22 + hour bus ride. I have never had a travel day quite like that, but I am thankful that we all arrived safe and sound. Some interesting "highlights" were: stopping for dinner at 11:30 pm, and then being awakened at 5:30 am with loud Thai music so we could stop for a breakfast of rice and some odd animal fat. :) At least our seats reclined so that we could attempt to sleep as we bumped along the road.
One of the biggest lessons to learn on outreach is how to be patient and flexible. This is such a great thing to be reminded of, no matter what culture or setting in which one finds himself. Jason and I are thankful to learn this lesson as leaders, and I know it is serving our students well, too.
We left Phuket with somewhat heavy hearts, as we were sad to leave that ministry and all our new friends behind. We made a lot of connections with the girls who work in the bars, as well as a few bar owners. We were able to pray with a number of people, and to share words of prophecy and encouragement with the women who work in the bars. They gave positive feedback about God touching them, reacting with tears and thanks to what was shared with them. Though most didn't fully understand what was happening, they told us that something in their hearts felt good and happy for the first time in awhile! Thank you, Lord, for answering prayers and for giving us favor with many, and for protecting us. Please continue to pray for the seeds that were planted to be watered. We hope that through interaction with the other teams who come to Phuket many women will choose a better job and life, and choose to follow Christ.
Chiang Rai actually feels a bit like winter, or at least winter in the southern US. It is such a refreshing change after constantly sweating in the south of Thailand. We are so excited for what God is already doing in this city. One university student accepted Jesus the night before our team arrived, partly as a result of time spent with the Wilke's outreach team! We are spending the week eating lunch with University students, playing sports with them, teaching English, dance, and singing, as well as just hanging out with them in the cafe that this ministry runs. The Thai students here are so open and friendly and have fantastic English, so communication is easy. Please continue to pray for God to speak to their hearts and draw them to himself. We hope our time with these university students will bless them and that we can show them what God's love is like.
We love and miss you all!
We have arrived in Chiang Rai, Thailand, after a 22 + hour bus ride. I have never had a travel day quite like that, but I am thankful that we all arrived safe and sound. Some interesting "highlights" were: stopping for dinner at 11:30 pm, and then being awakened at 5:30 am with loud Thai music so we could stop for a breakfast of rice and some odd animal fat. :) At least our seats reclined so that we could attempt to sleep as we bumped along the road.
One of the biggest lessons to learn on outreach is how to be patient and flexible. This is such a great thing to be reminded of, no matter what culture or setting in which one finds himself. Jason and I are thankful to learn this lesson as leaders, and I know it is serving our students well, too.
We left Phuket with somewhat heavy hearts, as we were sad to leave that ministry and all our new friends behind. We made a lot of connections with the girls who work in the bars, as well as a few bar owners. We were able to pray with a number of people, and to share words of prophecy and encouragement with the women who work in the bars. They gave positive feedback about God touching them, reacting with tears and thanks to what was shared with them. Though most didn't fully understand what was happening, they told us that something in their hearts felt good and happy for the first time in awhile! Thank you, Lord, for answering prayers and for giving us favor with many, and for protecting us. Please continue to pray for the seeds that were planted to be watered. We hope that through interaction with the other teams who come to Phuket many women will choose a better job and life, and choose to follow Christ.
Chiang Rai actually feels a bit like winter, or at least winter in the southern US. It is such a refreshing change after constantly sweating in the south of Thailand. We are so excited for what God is already doing in this city. One university student accepted Jesus the night before our team arrived, partly as a result of time spent with the Wilke's outreach team! We are spending the week eating lunch with University students, playing sports with them, teaching English, dance, and singing, as well as just hanging out with them in the cafe that this ministry runs. The Thai students here are so open and friendly and have fantastic English, so communication is easy. Please continue to pray for God to speak to their hearts and draw them to himself. We hope our time with these university students will bless them and that we can show them what God's love is like.
We love and miss you all!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
On to Phuket!
Hello dear friends and family!
We have moved on to Phuket this week and it is going great so far! Our time in Phang Nga was such a blessing to us, and we pray that it blessed many Thai people as well. I think we ended up sharing the Christmas story/ gospel with well over 1500 people during our time there!! As most of this was in schools, we did not ask for a response most of the time, in accordance with our translators' direction. However, it seems that some MAJOR seeds were planted during this time in the hearts of children. Jaime, one of our Thai contacts, told us that it worked that way for her, growing up as a Buddhist. She heard the gospel as a girl, and then through more thought, God's Spirit, and follow-up, she eventually came to embrace Jesus for herself. We have been praying a lot that God would continue to speak to the hearts of these kids and cause them to keep thinking about what they heard. Please join us in praying for this!!
One awesome thing that happened in Phang Nga was that on our last night of ministry, at a Christmas/New Year's party, about 10 people gave their lives to the Lord!!! Our team was so encouraged by this! The party was hosted by a local church, who asked for a response to the gospel message, and will be able to follow up with the new believers.
We have been doing bar ministry in Phuket for about 4 days now. We are volunteering at a ministry that offers jobs and training to women who are trapped working in the bars/prostitution. It is incredibly dark and spiritually heavy here, but God has protected us and has been our strength. There are so many hurting people in such great bondage in this place. Please pray for God to prepare the hearts of those we meet, and also for their favor. Not every bar is welcoming to those who don't come to party and spend lots of money there. We also need prayer for protection over our team. This ministry is very draining, and it is easy to believe the lies that are so prevalent here. There is one girl in particular, "Anna," who is very unhappy and dissatisfied with her job as a bar girl. Please be praying that she will have the courage to leave and try the new job opportunity and discipleship that this ministry is able to offer her!! God is already helping us to establish great relationships with some women who work in the bars within a short amount of time; we are so thankful for that!
Jason and I are also very grateful for your prayers, love, and support. Thanks for standing with us and sharing this ministry to which God has called all of us. We love you!!
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