(no subject)
Sawadee Kaa!
Its another hot and humid day in Kohn Kaen Thailand- but its amazing how normal it is to all of us now. You can find us right in line with the Thai students in the scorching afternoons right in line with the equator playing tennis, soccer, badmitton- you name it- we are there...from time time :)
I apologize that you are just now getting another update- it is quite busy as you can imagine...and also sitting inside on the computer isnt our first thought for relaxation. Due to our differing schedules...to spend time with people on the team in the team room with a guitar is always great down time. God really has blessed so many people on the team with amazing musical talent...it is a lot of fun. ***If you did not get my first and only other email, but received this one let me know and i will send you the other one. ***
Im not really sure what I want to say. My thoughts are so scattered everytime I sit down to write an email. There is just so much going on- spiritually, emotionally, physically- but in it all our prayer is that we are growing closer to God and He is receiving all glory. He got us here and it is incredible how much He is showing us- all the while satan most definetly knows we are loving people with the love of Christ...and he throws everythign and anything in our direction to discourage or just slightly sway our steps.
Tons of doors have been opening for the ministry here at KKU and also over at NEU (the Campus Outreach ministry that just started a few weeks ago...students from my team along with staff from KKU are heading it up). In just 2 weeks there have been 4 girls from NEU who have "become christians"- they have committed their lives to being children of God- follwers of Jesus Christ. 3 of the girls had been introduced to Christianity in their past...and had been very interested but never had anyone to talk to- bingo! God sent those girls to NEU- and sent His gospel to NEU- and brought His children together- Hallelujah! There are 2 Christian Thai professors at NEU who are very excited about the C.O. student center ministry and are doing everything they can to help it out.
Here at KKU God has also just been doing great things. The head professor of the Science faculty(dept/major) is really working with C.O. We were able to introduce ourselves to all the freshmen in the science faculty (450) and hand out surveys to them. This saturday we have also been given the opportunity to have an English Walk Rally- which will give us great invitation to being with the students. There is another professor in teh science faculty who has worked with other professors and allows us to go every tuesday and teach english for 2 hours. The first day we counted on 8-10 students so just Amanda and myself went to teach.....there were around 60 students!!! The numbers keep growing! We have gotten to know many students from these activities...and spend time with them in the evenings/nites and weekends.
Specifically- I would ask your prayers for a student named Ai. She has been such a blessing to me personally- and I just pray that she will not resist the Lords calling. In the serious conversations I have had with her- I see God drawing her closer- but I also see how scared she is of dishonoring her family. Just pray that great things will happen with Ai. She asked me to go home with her to meet her family..but it is the same weekend our big weekend retreat for students is. So that is a bit of a conflict because I have been praying that she would go to the retreat- she agreed she would- but then the date for the retreat was changed to the weekend she wanted me to go home with her.
God is sovereign. There is another group of girls that we see at least twice a week- it is a group of 5 nursing students who are best friends. We always have a lot of fun with them and are praying to get a little deeper into conversation with them. They are great girls who always have a lot of questions. Om, Nic and Gift are 3 more girls that we have had the opportunity to meet and start building a friendship with. There are girls all over all the time! It really is so much fun. Om and Nic came to church..but i think they were overwhelmed- they left before it started. :) But they said they would come back next sunday- so we are def. praising and praying for that!
There is no doubt that there is interest...we have had many girls really open up and just ask hard questions of life. They want anwsers about the Tsunami- advice on troubles with friends- why people commit suicide- what to do in hard cicumstances...many days we come back incredibly drained..but so thankful for Gods strength...and His children he has brought into our lives this summer in Thailand.
Some of the greatest learning and growing that is happening most definetly is each of our (on the team) sins- from insecurity to idols. We have been ceaseless in our prayer for transparency within the body of Christ. It is a beautiful thing..but so hard. With a group of 17- each with very different pasts and expereicnes- we are learnign a lot- fast. It has been especially hard for me...as things have been revealed to me that I have just pushed away each time they have surfaced through the years. As hard as it is- we all know amazing it is to lean on the body. We have been workin through 2nd Timothy- just a few days ago we were in chapter 2 vs. 3-7. It was really convicting to really search out what it means to be an athlete- a farmer- a soldier of Christ. Lookin at each and what it means not only in context...but the application...wow. So thankful for that.
One last thing to share- I think so far up to this point- the greatest blessing to me has been to see the body of Christ. I have def. experienced- while growing up- a small church with fellowship that is not found in many churches today. As I grew older it most def. had become a pride issue- because I was always comparing churches I visited and couldnt understand how a church could be a church with no biblical fellowship. Since then I def. saw that as a sin- but most def. feel strongly that true biblical fellowship is dying in American churches- and most def. died a long time ago between the Christian body of believers. It tears me apart..and leaves me dumbfounded- esp at my College- where the need for fellowship is huge- it discourages me so much that the Christians do not talk to one another- let alone bear eachothers burdens. It has been great to see the body of beleivers here in Kohn Kaen Thailand- just a great example. You do not see any cliques and groups- the older
and younger all mingle and talk and really just enjoy eachother. They are so ready to lean on one another and jump at the chance to help a brother or sister. They know in huge ways what is means when we are told that the world will not understand us. Because their world really does not. That reminds me to pray for one of my best Thai friends here- her name is Bo. She has been a christian for a short time- but poured her heart out to me the other day. She just was telling me the things that people say to her- and how they do not understand her and sometimes say things to her- but it is okay- because she loves Jesus Christ and He is so good- that He will answer her prayers. Last nite at the coffee shop a girl asked Bo something about ghosts- the Thai people are very superstitious and terrified of ghosts- and Bo just smiled and said- I am not afraid because God is in me. Anyways- just pray for Bo and her strength in the Lord- she is a huge encouragement to me. She is so touched
by what God has done for her- and her eyes fills with tears each time she talks about her friends and her family- the people she cares about and how she wants them to know God. In each conversation she begins and end with how thankful she is that God had chosen her- and blessed her to have a relationship with Him.
Okay- so I have rambled on and have ran out of time. Thank you so much for your prayers. I will leave you with 2nd Tim 1:7-9 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began..."
Oh- I have some pictures online-
http://photobucket.com/albums/a120/laughters_lover/
just go to that link- I have not been able to put up a ton of picutres- it takes a long time- but enjoy and i will be adding as i can! right now albums "the real deal" and "trips" and "hanging out" has pictures. :)
andrea
Its another hot and humid day in Kohn Kaen Thailand- but its amazing how normal it is to all of us now. You can find us right in line with the Thai students in the scorching afternoons right in line with the equator playing tennis, soccer, badmitton- you name it- we are there...from time time :)
I apologize that you are just now getting another update- it is quite busy as you can imagine...and also sitting inside on the computer isnt our first thought for relaxation. Due to our differing schedules...to spend time with people on the team in the team room with a guitar is always great down time. God really has blessed so many people on the team with amazing musical talent...it is a lot of fun. ***If you did not get my first and only other email, but received this one let me know and i will send you the other one. ***
Im not really sure what I want to say. My thoughts are so scattered everytime I sit down to write an email. There is just so much going on- spiritually, emotionally, physically- but in it all our prayer is that we are growing closer to God and He is receiving all glory. He got us here and it is incredible how much He is showing us- all the while satan most definetly knows we are loving people with the love of Christ...and he throws everythign and anything in our direction to discourage or just slightly sway our steps.
Tons of doors have been opening for the ministry here at KKU and also over at NEU (the Campus Outreach ministry that just started a few weeks ago...students from my team along with staff from KKU are heading it up). In just 2 weeks there have been 4 girls from NEU who have "become christians"- they have committed their lives to being children of God- follwers of Jesus Christ. 3 of the girls had been introduced to Christianity in their past...and had been very interested but never had anyone to talk to- bingo! God sent those girls to NEU- and sent His gospel to NEU- and brought His children together- Hallelujah! There are 2 Christian Thai professors at NEU who are very excited about the C.O. student center ministry and are doing everything they can to help it out.
Here at KKU God has also just been doing great things. The head professor of the Science faculty(dept/major) is really working with C.O. We were able to introduce ourselves to all the freshmen in the science faculty (450) and hand out surveys to them. This saturday we have also been given the opportunity to have an English Walk Rally- which will give us great invitation to being with the students. There is another professor in teh science faculty who has worked with other professors and allows us to go every tuesday and teach english for 2 hours. The first day we counted on 8-10 students so just Amanda and myself went to teach.....there were around 60 students!!! The numbers keep growing! We have gotten to know many students from these activities...and spend time with them in the evenings/nites and weekends.
Specifically- I would ask your prayers for a student named Ai. She has been such a blessing to me personally- and I just pray that she will not resist the Lords calling. In the serious conversations I have had with her- I see God drawing her closer- but I also see how scared she is of dishonoring her family. Just pray that great things will happen with Ai. She asked me to go home with her to meet her family..but it is the same weekend our big weekend retreat for students is. So that is a bit of a conflict because I have been praying that she would go to the retreat- she agreed she would- but then the date for the retreat was changed to the weekend she wanted me to go home with her.
God is sovereign. There is another group of girls that we see at least twice a week- it is a group of 5 nursing students who are best friends. We always have a lot of fun with them and are praying to get a little deeper into conversation with them. They are great girls who always have a lot of questions. Om, Nic and Gift are 3 more girls that we have had the opportunity to meet and start building a friendship with. There are girls all over all the time! It really is so much fun. Om and Nic came to church..but i think they were overwhelmed- they left before it started. :) But they said they would come back next sunday- so we are def. praising and praying for that!
There is no doubt that there is interest...we have had many girls really open up and just ask hard questions of life. They want anwsers about the Tsunami- advice on troubles with friends- why people commit suicide- what to do in hard cicumstances...many days we come back incredibly drained..but so thankful for Gods strength...and His children he has brought into our lives this summer in Thailand.
Some of the greatest learning and growing that is happening most definetly is each of our (on the team) sins- from insecurity to idols. We have been ceaseless in our prayer for transparency within the body of Christ. It is a beautiful thing..but so hard. With a group of 17- each with very different pasts and expereicnes- we are learnign a lot- fast. It has been especially hard for me...as things have been revealed to me that I have just pushed away each time they have surfaced through the years. As hard as it is- we all know amazing it is to lean on the body. We have been workin through 2nd Timothy- just a few days ago we were in chapter 2 vs. 3-7. It was really convicting to really search out what it means to be an athlete- a farmer- a soldier of Christ. Lookin at each and what it means not only in context...but the application...wow. So thankful for that.
One last thing to share- I think so far up to this point- the greatest blessing to me has been to see the body of Christ. I have def. experienced- while growing up- a small church with fellowship that is not found in many churches today. As I grew older it most def. had become a pride issue- because I was always comparing churches I visited and couldnt understand how a church could be a church with no biblical fellowship. Since then I def. saw that as a sin- but most def. feel strongly that true biblical fellowship is dying in American churches- and most def. died a long time ago between the Christian body of believers. It tears me apart..and leaves me dumbfounded- esp at my College- where the need for fellowship is huge- it discourages me so much that the Christians do not talk to one another- let alone bear eachothers burdens. It has been great to see the body of beleivers here in Kohn Kaen Thailand- just a great example. You do not see any cliques and groups- the older
and younger all mingle and talk and really just enjoy eachother. They are so ready to lean on one another and jump at the chance to help a brother or sister. They know in huge ways what is means when we are told that the world will not understand us. Because their world really does not. That reminds me to pray for one of my best Thai friends here- her name is Bo. She has been a christian for a short time- but poured her heart out to me the other day. She just was telling me the things that people say to her- and how they do not understand her and sometimes say things to her- but it is okay- because she loves Jesus Christ and He is so good- that He will answer her prayers. Last nite at the coffee shop a girl asked Bo something about ghosts- the Thai people are very superstitious and terrified of ghosts- and Bo just smiled and said- I am not afraid because God is in me. Anyways- just pray for Bo and her strength in the Lord- she is a huge encouragement to me. She is so touched
by what God has done for her- and her eyes fills with tears each time she talks about her friends and her family- the people she cares about and how she wants them to know God. In each conversation she begins and end with how thankful she is that God had chosen her- and blessed her to have a relationship with Him.
Okay- so I have rambled on and have ran out of time. Thank you so much for your prayers. I will leave you with 2nd Tim 1:7-9 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began..."
Oh- I have some pictures online-
http://photobucket.com/albums/a120/laughters_lover/
just go to that link- I have not been able to put up a ton of picutres- it takes a long time- but enjoy and i will be adding as i can! right now albums "the real deal" and "trips" and "hanging out" has pictures. :)
andrea