The first fruits... parties in heaven!

Recently I happened to meet a small team from Australia was able to join them in some of their ministries. They were days filled with joy and blessing, here are some stories:

@ School: The first day, I joined the team to teach English at a Middle School English Camp. I taught Years 5-9 for an hour each, with very basic resources and having to rely on my Thai a lot as even the teachers struggled to understand even the simplest of sentences. 

@ Prison: Another day, we visited a Juvenile prison. We were able to minister God's love through Thai and Isaan songs, testimonies and sharing the Word of God. My heart was heavy with God's love for the 300 or so teenage boys and 6 girls gathered there. They needed to know their Father in heaven loved them dearly and wanted more than anything to heal and restore their lives. And praise God, they did hear that, and were all given a Gideon's NT to read as the Spirit continues to work in their hearts.

@ Hospital: 

Visiting the Government Hospital in Ubon was quite a shock as the corridors were filthy, smelly  and had cats and dogs roaming freely through them, as well as many people sitting or sleeping in them. The Thai church we were partnering with led some songs of worship and shared from their own lives and from the Bible to a small crowd. Meanwhile, those of us not fluent in Thai went to pray and share what we could in the children's wards. It was a delight just to be able to pray for these children and their families, but God had a special surprise in store too.
I had prayed for a baby who had severe stomach problems. As I finished praying and sharing God's love with them, and had moved to another bedside, the Grandma came running over and saying, "Come and look, come and look! God has already helped us!" The little child had started eating the bread I'd left with them. I didn't fully understand but eventually gathered that the child hadn't been eating at all before. The Mother and grandmother were so full of joy that Jesus had heard their prayers and answered already. It raised not only their level of faith, but mine, and probably that of all those listening in the ward. Praise God for He is good!

Next, we visited a Cancer Hospital. This was heartbreaking too. The wards we visited had terminal cancer patients. You could see the despair and hopelessness in their eyes. The air itself seemed to be thick with pain. Yet where the darkness is thickest, light shines the brightest.
The old man in this picture started crying as soon as we approached. I sensed they were tears of fear. We'd barely started talking when he said he wanted to accept Jesus. I wondered how that could have been, but we prayed with him and he cried tears of joy. Only then did he share that he'd been to Christmas programmes at a church in his home town but never made his own decision to accept Jesus. This was his opportunity, and he had grabbed it with both hands. We encouraged him that his name was written in heaven and he can be sure of eternal life in Jesus, that he was now a child of God and had no reason to fear. The tears kept flowing, tears of relief and joy.

Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” 

(John 4:35b-38)

My Thai Christian friend Nui, seen on the left in this picture has been a patient in the same cancer ward. She was completely healed and now has a passion to share the hope of Jesus with others in the cancer ward. I decided to join her in her weekly hospital visits. This week's visit saw another miracle of salvation. 

Nui had prayed for this dear lady, Phi Rap last week and now shared the hope of both healing and the gospel message of salvation. Again, we felt her heart had already been prepared by the Holy Spirit. She was incredibly receptive and wanted to receive Jesus. She explained that the idols meant nothing now that she knew the living God, and He had taken away her sin so she would not have to strive to constantly make merit by herself. We were rejoicing and praying with her and then I asked her mother, sitting beside me, what she made of this. She had been quiet but then her face lit up as she expressed how grateful she was that God had helped her daughter. She said she had a dream last night that she had washed a very dirty towel and it was still dirty. Then someone washed it for her and it was sparkling white, with gold inside... She wanted to pay but the man said it was free, she didn't have to pay! When she told her husband the dream this morning, he said, "This means that someone is going to come today and help our daughter". Pure revelation. And when we came along and shared Isaiah 1:18, 55:1-3 and 53: 4-6 with her, it explained her dream. All she had to do was connect the dots. The Holy Spirit gave them revelation, praise God! Nui and I both had goosebumps. We serve an AWESOME God!   

But the visit was bitter-sweet. While one more name was written in heaven, we went to visit a young man of 29 who we'd shared with last week and prayed for, but found his bed empty. He had passed away early this morning. We only get one shot at this life. Let us choose life. Let's live it to the full. Let us choose God, and let him breathe fullness of life into us.

@ the Village:

 The following week, I went with Nui to visit Pa Suay - a lady we are discipling as she is a fairly new convert. Since around last June when she chose to follow Christ, she has been the only Christian in her little unreached village. God has given this dear lady a passion for the lost in her village but they have mostly sidelined her out of the community - people fear what they don't understand. This time after we shared with her from the Word and prayed together, she said there was a man in the village who wanted us to visit so we went to see him. This is his story.

Lung Ya had been a Buddhist monk for many years. He had firmly held beliefs and when a short term team from Singapore came through his village witnessing about Christ he said he wasn't interested because he had already had much religious education. However, he is paralysed in his left side, and therefore agreed to receiving prayer. A week later, he visited Pa Suay, telling her that he had felt something when the team had prayed for him and he wanted to know more about Jesus. Of course Pa Suay gladly shared with him about Jesus from the Bible, and told him we would visit. When we saw him, he beamed and said he wanted to know Jesus. As we explained more about freedom from sin and hope in Christ, his face kept brightening and he said he wanted to teach others about Christ as we were teaching him! We explained that he needed to receive Christ first and that this meant a total change and new life. He was keen... so we led him in prayer and there was another party in heaven! He agreed to meet together with Pa Suay weekly to learn more about Jesus and worship together; and so a small village house church is born!! We have met with him and Pa Suay twice since then. Lung Ya is an eager learner, soaking up all that we share from the Word, and keen to participate in worship together. What a joy. We pray that God would stretch out his hand to confirm his Word with signs and wonders. This man is one of those! Please pray for spiritual growth, physical healing in Lung Ya's body, and for his wife and family to also receive the beautiful gift of salvation that he has accepted.

Snapshots of Isaan

On our Visa run to Laos - met with some friends for food and fellowship. Yes, that coconut is bigger than my head and was impossible to finish drinking. And the fish on the grill is talapia - a Thai/Lao favourite. 

The picture to the left below shows a Chinese medicine stall. Here we saw strange and pretty gross things (like 2 headed lizards with 10 tails, which you can see in the foreground) that people buy at great expense to 'cure' them of various illnesses / misfortunes. It was heartbreaking to see people resorting to such means because they don't know the true freedom and healing that Christ has brought.

This is a Thai style dinner party - everyone brings food, then they all cook it together on little barbecues and eat while they cook, chill, chat, sing karaoke songs and play music. Now that is my kind of party. :) As you can see it was a little chilly that evening - the beanies are out in force! This is the coldest winter Isaan has had for 30 years. The temperature is in the mid-twenties during the day if the sun is shining, and in the early teens at night... which is chilly when houses are built to keep cool and there are no heaters in sight. I know I shouldn't feel so cold, being Welsh and all... but apparently I have acclimatised! :)

This barbecue has an interesting mix of 'falang' (foreign) and Thai food - jacket potatoes wrapped in foil, pig intestines and Thai sausage. Mmmm.....

As I mentioned, it's far too cold for the Thais at the moment. Apparently dog fur doesn't do too well at keeping dogs warm, so all the pet dogs wear little jumpers!!

 The main temple, or wat in Ubon. It is all decked out in gold and apparently contains some of the Buddha's remains. When we visited, we saw many devoted Buddhists purchasing flowers and gifts and offering them to the monks. It is the main way they make merit, in hopes of a better life... in their next life.
Do they have any assurance? Nope.
Any hope for God's help with the struggles of their (often very difficult) daily lives? None.
So what are they left with? The real religion completely mingled with Buddhism here:

Animism (appeasing the spirits all around them).

As a result, outside most houses and in groves of trees, just like the Canaanite religions of the OT - you see these high places. Spirit houses, where the spirits of the area are believed to reside. This is the focus of appeasement offerings like you see in the picture - apparently Red Fanta is a firm favourite.
While it may seem ridiculous to us, this is the only hope they have, because otherwise they believe they are at the mercy of various malevolent and easily offended spirits.

Oh Holy Spirit ~ we long that you would be poured out on this nation, to free this people from the many things that enslave them. Have mercy Lord, and forgive them for the sins which permeate this land. Cleanse the land from the influence of deception. May your kingdom come in Thailand and your Spirit be poured out, to soften hard and deceived hearts; may the light of your truth shine brightly and may demonic strongholds of idolatry, immorality and fear be broken. May the people of this land experience your power to save, heal and set free, and your love to fill and make them new. Give them the hope that only you can give, of a sure and eternal life with you starting from now. 

In Jesus name and for your glory. Amen. 

Christmas in Isaan... is an oxymoron.

Christmas tree competition: A candy cane tree, a Mall tree and a Village Church Christmas tree.  

Christmas really doesn't exist in Thailand. I mean they have snowmen and Christmas trees in some shop windows, but the actual day is a normal working day, like any other. There are no Christmas cards to be found in the shops. They have got the most meaningless parts of Christmas, and although we see the Consumerism that seems to have gobbled up Christmas in the West; in this culture, Christmas never really existed at all. I find that tragic. The Saviour of the world has come, and they just don't know. After 2000 years, how could it be that they have got so much from the West, but still don't know that Love came in human form, to save them? 

But you, O Bethlehem, 
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel...

And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.

And he shall be their peace.

(Micah 5:2-5)

If you are reading this and don't know Jesus, I want to tell you He is the only one worth living for, He makes life abundant, meaningful, joyful. He is Peace. And he longs for you to share it with Him. He pursues you with his love. Just ask Him and He will come in. And if you do know Him, just take a moment to enjoy His presence. Thank Him for coming, celebrate Him. As we do the same here, Christmas comes to Thailand.

SNAPSHOTS OF ISAAN: 

I was just walking down the street the other day, when I heard loud Isaan music coming from one of the houses - not an uncommon occurence here. But instead of being a party, it was a grannies dance exercise class! I stood and smiled at them, and a few of them smiled back. After watching them dance for a little while and making this video (below), I went and joined them. Yes, I am a crazy extrovert, but I just thought, really, what do I have to lose?! Of course they thought it was hilarious and after they'd finished dancing we had a good natter, as much as my Thai would allow.

These little monks filed right past my gate one morning, collecting alms. 

It is normal for Thai boys to serve as monks for a time in order to make merit for the parents, for their next life. If only they knew there is One who has made more merit than we can ever contain, on our behalf. 

My little herb garden which my lovely grandma next door loves to check on and help me with.

The Isaan people are unbeatable when it comes to piling large objects on 2 wheelers. 

Living here, you see circus acts every day. 

A timely reminder in a coffee shop  ;o) 

... Amen. 

Team retreat - A weekend together outside the city, getting to know the team, having fun together, praying through and making plans for the coming year. 

Erin (American teammate) and I will be housemates soon  :) 

 Team Isaan :) Praise God for bringing harvesters to these fields. 

Little church, Big vision

When you go to visit a place called the 'Crying Fields', you don't expect to find hope...

but it is just what God loves to do: 

"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none;

their tongues are parched with thirst. 

But I, the Lord, will answer them;

I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 

I will make rivers flow on barren heights, 

and springs within the valleys. 

I will turn the desert into pools of water, 

and the parched ground into springs." (Isaiah 41:17,18)

The area we visited was in a province bordering Cambodia. It used to be so unbearably hot and dry, such a barren wilderness, that only the very strongest people could walk through it, and even they would cry as they walked. There was no shade to be found. You could cook eggs to hard boiled just by putting them on the ground. It became known as the 'Crying Fields'. But the salinity of the soil has been counteracted through agricultural developments and the land now produces the finest jasmine rice in all of Thailand.

The spiritual picture reflects the natural one. Surin is the most unreached province in Isaan, which in turn is the most unreached area of Thailand. The gospel has barely touched this province of 1.4 million people; the town we visited was rare in that it contained a church - yet even there, there is 1 Christian in 1150 people - since 1999, only 80 people know and put their trust in Jesus out of 92,000 people.

The area is spiritually very dark, and has been held in the grip of animism for centuries. Driving through the villages, we saw many houses with red shirts hanging in the front - it is a common belief that there is a spirit which seeks to kill the male members of households, and that hanging the red shirt tricks the spirit into thinking that there are no males in that house. Beliefs are based more on hear-say, on fears and traditions handed down for generations, rather than on reasoning or revelation. But God is at work here.

The church in the video below is probably the most prayerful church I have seen. Although small in number, these people are spiritual giants. Fasting and praying for regular periods of 40 days, these Christians have a desperation to reach the lost around them like they really do 'hunger and thirst for righteousness'. They pray not for their own church, or for themselves, but for the areas around them with no churches. As this is the only church for miles around, people used to walk all day Saturday to get to their Sunday service.

After church we went to visit some of these isolated Christians in a village. It was a joy to meet them and encourage them in prayer together. (We learned that 4 languages were spoken in that 1 village - Thai, Isaan, Khmer and Suay! Thankfully it seemed you could get by in Thai!) They said there used to be a small church that met in that village, but the pastor had to leave to minister elsewhere, and the church closed down.

But what if they caught hold of a different idea of church? What if they realised that a church isn't simply a building, full time staff and formal programs? What if they realised they are the church... if they met together to read God's Word and encourage each other to obey it together, pray for each other and reach their village together? Would these isolated coals not burn even brighter?

This is a church that our team hopes to partner with. We were so inspired by the passion we saw, the commitment and love of these people for God and for each other despite hardship, marginalisation and distance. God is at work. He cannot resist the prayer of humble, desperate hearts which burn with his love. He is transforming these Crying Fields into His fertile fields.

The New Normal

I arrived in Ubon on the evening of 8th October to be greeted by my team-mates at the airport. The picture above shows the existing team members (celebrating one of the children's birthday with ice cream!). Since then, things have been pretty hectic. There's so much to get used to - hot and sticky weather (around 30-32 degrees), the language (I understand just about 5% of what people are saying, thanks to the time I spent in Thailand in 2008), the culture (where fireworks don't mean a party but scaring away the rain god), the food (where the norm when ordering is "mai phet, mai sai pong churrot" - less spicy, don't add MSG!)

And this is pretty much what the next phase is going to be for me - learning the new normal.

Everything is unfamiliar, and it can make you feel pretty small not knowing how anything works, putting your expectations aside, or rather learning to not throw an internal tantrum when your expectations aren't met! It is a humbling feeling, like being a child in an strange new world.

I am no longer defined by all the things I do - not a teacher, or a College student, nor by the things I belong to - my church, my family, my friend circle. Those things we hold so dear to our identity sometimes are taken away, and I find myself faced with the question, who am I?

Does it matter that I am no longer defined by those things, even though they are still dear to me? Where does my worth come from?

And I praise God that I can say with confidence, I am a child of God, and that is enough.

We live with so many different badges of identity, labels and masks. When everything you're used to is stripped away, you're thrown into the initially startling but ultimately freeing realisation, that none of that stuff really matters.

All that matters is where your peace comes from, what your joy is found in, where your sense of purpose is rooted. The one unchanging and truest element of these factors is Jesus. He is my peace, my joy. My identity and purpose are found in Him. This comes through loud and clear in a song that has become very dear to me. Here it is, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Be blessed  :o)

Season of goodbyes

I now have a leaving date - 7th October. This means the emotional rollercoaster goes into overdrive - the end of an era, the beginning of another. 

Last weekend I had a commissioning service at Mariners, my church in Gloucester. It made my heart swell with joy, to be with this family of God and realise that they are sending me out with love to be their arm in Thailand. There was so much rejoicing, and I felt fat with prayer I'd received from such loving hearts. There was unity, and where there is unity, God commands a blessing. That blessing was felt in the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit during worship. I was anointed with oil - I wasn't so keen at first, as I saw my pastor coming towards me with the oil in his hand - but the fresh infilling of the Spirit that it came with quickly changed that! ;) It was a symbol of his blessing, his anointing, his empowering.

 "So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David." 1 Sam 16:13

After the service there was a bring and share lunch. It felt like a party! Thankfully I will see most of these precious friends one more time, but the prospect of goodbyes already makes my heart ache. After that we visited a dear friend, who I probably won't see now for at least 2 years. The hole in my heart started to open up. People keep asking me how it feels, am I nervous or excited? Excited, I say. Only each time I think about the goodbyes to come, the hole opens up again. This weekend will involve seeing my brother for the last time before I go. Just the thought is painful. 

But the Lord is showing me how to cope... 
1.  I am in the centre of his will. He is with me. This is all for him, and with him. And where he is, there is fullness of joy. So he says to me, keep your eyes on Me. 

2.  He reminds me, it's not goodbye forever. Eternity awaits us - an eternity of fun times together, a party with the angels in the glory of God's presence, with all our dear siblings in Christ. We are citizens of heaven... we dance to a different drum. And the reason I am going is to invite others to the party. 

3.  And finally, while I was writing this, I heard this song by Third Day. Have a listen - it is powerful. 

"Just to be with you, I've done everything

There's no price I did not pay 

Just to be with you, I gave everything

Yes, I gave my life away."

Jesus said the hardest goodbye, to take on flesh and live as one of us. He suffered incomprehensible anguish of separation from his Father, when he took our place on the cross. And he suffers still, from the pain of separation from many of his beloved children. 

So....  Surely it is a privilege to go for him, to say a few goodbyes for a short time, if I can even tell one person of the Father's love song to them. There will still be tears. There will still be a heart full of holes. But Jesus is always enough. I like what a friend at Mariners said :  FAITH means Father's Always In The House.

The Thai harvest

I saw this picture in a museum of Thai life in Ubon, the town I will be living in when I move to Thailand. 

What are these Thai farmers waiting for? Probably rain. Perhaps blessing. Perhaps prosperity. But although they may not yet realise it, certainly they are waiting for the kingdom of heaven to come to them. 

The good news is, it has. The Kingdom of heaven is near to them. 

But how will they know? 

How will they know that the all powerful Creator of the Universe loves them with an everlasting love? That He has redeemed them with the most precious gift he could ever have given - His Son. That He longs to gather them in his arms, as a hen gathers her chicks. (Luke 13:34) 

Farmers like this make up 50% of the population in the Isaan Province, the Northeastern province in the map, an area slightly larger than England and Wales together, with a population of 21.5 million. The province is the poorest in Thailand, both materially & spiritually. There is 1 Christian in over 1000 people.

Matt 9:36-38 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

I am thrilled to hear how God is drawing people from around the world to join the team in Isaan. God is certainly on the move! I am hoping to join the team in Autumn this year. I pray that God moves the hearts of many to pray for this dry & barren land.

If you're interested, click on the link below to see an excellent video made by my team leaders about the needs of the Isaan people. Isaan: Ignite the Impossible

"In the process of engaging lostness, we need a God-sized vision, a thoughtfully Biblical strategy, a good plan and a willingness to work diligently to achieve the goals God has put in our hearts. But make intercessory prayer support a higher priority than anything else, because it is the only possible way to see many lost souls become fully-devoted followers of Jesus" ~ from Miraculous Movements, by Jerry Trousdale