Changing Seasons...

Time continues to fly by, leaving me flabbergasted that it has been 3 weeks since I last posted. You all may not feel as though you have entered a time warp but I certainly do. In the first weeks since my last blog it was busy life as usual. This past week has offered a time of rest and rejuvenation as we have been in Thailand for a visa run and vacation. It has been nice to combine a little bit of business with a whole lot of pleasure as we took in the sights and tastes of Thailand.

During our time here I have gotten to pet live tigers, visit a market with thousands of vendors, go to the beach, eat way too much western food, and spend good time with some of our friends and mentors. I will cherish all of these experiences and many of them were once in a lifetime chances that I am so grateful to have received. It was also nice to enjoy free fast wifi and time to catch back up with many friends and family members back in the states.

The Beach!

On the ferry on the way to a small island off Thailand's coast!

Me with my namesake white elephants- my local name flipped backwards!

 An update on my last posts’ special requests:

            We are continuing to pour into our relationship with DeeDee and her husband. Their baby is due in February and we may not get an update on the baby’s health before we leave. It is our hope that the Father shows this family His great healing power when it comes to their baby’s health. Please continue to lift this up. A week ago I got the opportunity to share my personal story about my relationship with the Father with her husband in the local language! This was the first time I shared it with someone who is not like-minded- it was exhilarating and powerful! The next time we visit DeeDee’s shop, I will also share with her. Will you talk to the Father about these times of sharing? Ask that my words will be His words, that they will come clearly and correctly in their language, and that part of my story will connect with her and her husband.

            Sadly, our trip to the southern part of the country with Mary Beth and her boyfriend was cancelled due to flooding. We are still trying to find a time to reschedule. Regardless of whether or not we get to take the trip, please still lift her up as we build on our relationship with her and share our stories and others.

            Our Serving the Servants conference is fast approaching and excitement for the trip is building. The retreat will offer a much-needed time of rest for our many partners but will also serve as a time of vision casting. Leah and I, along with our supervisors serve on a team specifically targeted to our city. The Father has given us the goal of helping plant a reproducing fellowship group in each township of the city- that’s 34 townships and fellowships to reach the 6 million that live in our city. This vision can only be carried out with the help of national partners similarly dedicated. Will you please pray specifically for the Father’s vision to be cast in the hearts of all the participants?

            Finally, both of our visas went through ok. What a praise! I ended up switching the business that my visa is through which will allow me to stay through the end of our time instead of coming back out for another visa run. This is a huge blessing as another visa run means more money and time out of country. Thank you for lifting up this request!

In the coming weeks we will add another class to our schedule bringing our weekly total up to four. This is in addition to a small group one night a week and a Saturday afternoon ministry in a nearby village. I feel incredibly grateful that the Father has provided so many avenues for us to build relationships and pour into the community around us. That said, it will still be a busy schedule when added to our language learning. As for an update on that- we both did well on our mid-terms reaching the level novice-high. We are both happy with this level and are pushing ourselves to reach the next level before we leave. Please lift up both our busy schedule and our language learning. Ask for guidance as we figure out what to learn next for language and the best way of going about it. 

Esther, Leah, and I with some other local friends at the park.

A few days after we get back in country, Leah and I, along with the rest of the women in our company that work with people from our country will travel to a northern part of the country for a retreat. This also is a time for vision casting as well as a time for us to help serve the women who have been serving the people we love for much longer. Please lift up this time and these women. Ask that the Father would rejuvenate their spirits and give them His sustaining strength.

A very important special request I have is for our friend Mona. She has heard the Truth and believed! Praise the Father for this! We now get to spend time each week sharing stories from the Good Book with her through our English lessons. In the coming weeks we will begin having some discipleship time with her as well. Please lift up this time together as we seek to pour into this new sister. Our most recent topic of discussion with her was about obedience to the Father’s call to be dunked after believing. Mona is one of eleven siblings in a family that devoutly follows the main belief system here. She has expressed fear of anger and rejection from her family if she makes the decision to be dunked. I beg you to ask the Father to fill her with a spirit of boldness and obedience. Ask that she be made confident in her place in the Father’s family. Also, join our team and Mona as we lift up her family. She desperately wants them to believe the Truth as well, that they may all be dunked together.

Mona is the young woman in yellow!

 One final request is that you keep our country in your hearts and minds in the next week, as a national election has just taken place. The outcome of this election has the potential to spark dissent among the people and to result in rules and regulations that make our work here more difficult. As the results come in and the country waits to see what the current government will do please ask for peace, understanding, and the Father’s will in all that happens.

Cultural Corner: This time I would love to share with you about our weather patterns here. Hot and humid is the name of the game where we live. The average temperature is between the upper seventies to mid-nineties and humidity seems to be at a constant 100%. I’m not sure if it is possible for a foreigner to be outside without sweating- though that may just be me! We are just coming off of rainy season so the frequent torrential downpours will soon be over. It rarely ever sprinkles here, instead the heavens open up and the rain comes in buckets. It can last anywhere from 5 minutes to a day or two. A mini-hot season that lasts 2-4 weeks will be our next round of weather before we officially enter “cool season.” Now don’t be fooled- cool season is not what we would typically consider cool but as it is cooler than the rest of the seasons the name sticks. Cool season should mean temps closer to seventies and eighties with perhaps some cooler nights with temps in the sixties. Freezing right?! As with most things in life, different weather is something you get used to. In fact, I am quite sure that when I get back to the states I will turn into an ice cube and long for the days of heat and humidity. Either way, the next time you find yourself cold, think of me toasty warm here in Southeast Asia and use it as a reminder to lift up the work being done here.

Your love and support is always felt and appreciated. Petitions to the Father must come before, during, and after our work for it to have any effectiveness at all. Thank you, thank you, thank you for offering these up on our behalf! Know that you are loved and missed!