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