New Faces

We've welcomed some new faces here in Ram 2, where we minister. The picture to the left is Fred and Jean Depp. They are 74 and 70 years old...here for a five month stint with our team. They are teaching English classes at our community center. It has been WONDERFUL having them here. It's like having grandparents around to encourage us and to love on us. They are well experienced. They have 10 children and come from North Carolina where since retirement, Fred has worked with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Fred is a computer guy (and he has already helped several of us with our computer inability!). Fred is originally from the Brooklyn and has a big booming voice. Jean comes from outside DC and is soft spoken but gives much wisdom each time she speaks...truly a Proverbs 31 woman. They are a lot of fun to be with and have lots of neat experiences to share with those of us who are just starting out. So, I have them pictured mainly for all you "Senior Saints" out there who think you are too old to come and serve overseas. These two folks are living examples that if God calls you HE is faithful! They have SO much to offer not only us as a team but the Thais that we are seeking to serve as well. The Thais really respect them as is their culture. In Thailand, the older you are the more respect you receive from anyone younger. Please pray for Fred and Jean. Pray for protection as they walk about here. Pray for spiritual protection and pray that God would use them mightily while they are here.

The second picture is of Calvin with our new Director of Women's ministries....Khiaw. Khiaw is 28 years old and came to know the Lord several years ago thru our team. She is leaving a good job at a hospital to come to Ram 2 and serve the Lord. Please pray for her as she moves TOMORROW and adjusts to a new job, new co-workers (both foreign and Thai alike), a new house and new roommates. Pray for the Lord to give her opportunity to share with her family the hope she has in Christ. 

intentional relationships

The last post I asked you to pray for me and my (great) weakness in sharing the Gospel in this foreign land. I ask that you continue to pray for us (our family and our team and Thai Christians) as we all are seeking the same desire. Since last writing, I have not had opportunity to share the hope that I have in Christ with the lady I am regularly seeing at the park BUT I have had opportunity share with another Thai friend via email. (I actually wrote it in Thai with help from my Thai tutor!). Without going into much detail here on the blog, I was able to share my hope in Christ if only briefly. I had to take some things out of my original writing because I spoke a little too pointedly. That may sound bad but in Thailand when building relationships with Thais, one must take great care in knowing when to press on into sharing about Christ. I am very thankful for my tutor's experience and wisdom in this area. She has been a Christian a long time and is a pastor's wife. She told me of one experience she had when she was younger. She said this one lady befriended her (the lady lived in the south of Thailand). They became very close friends and this lady really liked my tutor. My tutor eagerly shared the gospel with this lady and the lady never contacted her again. My tutor said, "We have to be careful to know WHEN to share." So, with much prayer, I sent the email today. Please pray with me that this person's heart would be changed.
Also, the friend I am getting to know at the park continues to be SO kind and gracious towards me and the boys. She and her son are coming over next week for a meal with us. Pray that God would work in her heart as well. I really enjoy her and her friendship means so much to me. Many times, I feel like I am always the one talking, trying to pull conversation out of the Thai friends that I have but with this lady, it's not like that at all. She talks with me, asks me questions and is SO patient with me as I murder her language! I thank God for her.

This brings me to the title of my post...intentional relationships. I go to the park not merely because it is something to do outside and is entertaining to my boys but I go to the park because I can meet Thais there. A few weeks ago the women on our team and I were talking about this idea of going somewhere to hang out JUST for the SOLE purpose to meet someone and Lord willing, SHARE the Gospel with that person, after a relationship has deepened to that point. One of the women said something along the lines of..."we really don't do this in the States." We have our scheduled activities and we pray that God would use those regular activities for us to reach out to those who are also invovled in those regular activities. Since that conversation, I've been thinking about that...and it's true, at least for me. When in the States I don't really go out of my way to meet someone new for the sole purpose of introducing them to Christ. I hope that when we do return to the States I will always be looking and searching for those outside of the Fold of Christ and seek to bring them in. I've been rereading a book I read back in 1998 entitled The Master Plan of Evangelism (by Robert Coleman). I was challenged by another thought that sorta ties in with this one of intentional relationships. Christ didn't waste a minute, every step He made had purpose and every thing He did had purpose. Coleman writes,

"His life was ordered by His objective. Everything He did and said was part of the whole pattern. It had significance because it contributed to the ultimate purpose of His life in redeeming the world for God. This was the motivating vision governing His behavior. His steps were ordered by it. Mark it well. Not for one moment did Jesus lose sight of His goal." (p.24)

I don't often live that way. I don't often think with one goal in mind. These thoughts have given much more fervency in my prayer life for the lost, they have given me more boldness as I interact with Thais and Americans alike, and they have given me confidence that Christ IS building His Kingdom and I just need to be faithful to proclaiming and He will do the rest. It's not just these thoughts, though, it's Christ. His Spirit is teaching me these things and I am so thankful for the boldness that He is increasing in my life. I encourage you to pray about this too. Are there places you could go to be a light for Christ? To make intentional relationships? Or maybe there is already a place you go everyday or often (ie, work) that you haven't been seeking out the lost...trying to get to know them and share with the hope you have? Or do you lose sight of the goal? Do you lose sight that Christ is building His Kingdom and He WILL be victorious. Or maybe you are reading this and don't know Christ, what then? Do you want to know Him? Do you know how to know Him?

Well, thanks for listening to my rambling. I hope it brought some encouragement to your spirit. What a wonderful God we serve.

encouraged

It's a funny thing when you see God at work and you know you've had nothing to do with it. It's actually a very FREEING thing! The last two days I have seen God answer my complaints so obviously that I can't but praise Him for His goodness to me.
Monday evening the boys and I went outside to play. The children that I wrote about the other day are usually outside and that is usually who we spend our time with. I have complained in my heart against the lack of adults there are to converse with on our street. They are all so busy and not interested in being outside and most of them are older (not that I am against older people but they are a bit harder to talk to as far as the language barrier goes). Well, on Monday my Thai tutor and I made homemade bread and sticky buns and so after she left I went outside to take the neighbor kids some treats. As I gave the little girl her sticky bun she started telling me something and was really excited. She has a speech impediment and is also really hard to understand so I got from her excited chatter something about studying English at New Community (our team's ministry center that is just a few mins walk away from our home). I asked her "What?" to clarify the details and find out what she wanted to know from me and she ran home to get her mom! I ran inside the house to get a flyer that tells all about the English classes offered at New Community and wasn't sure how things would go. When I went back outside, her mom was there. She inquired about the English classes for her daughter but then she hung around and we talked for over an hour! I found out that she is from the north eastern part of Thailand, has lived on our soi for 10+ years and irons clothes for a living. As we walked and talked we met up with another woman (younger, mother of a four year old) who's mother lives three houses down from us. She was also interested in talking with me. The amazing part of this whole story is that for the first time since arriving in Thailand I was able to communicate WHY I am here. They asked me Why we are here. (For some reason they thought we worked at the airport...not sure why). I had to tell them no, we didn't work at the airport. Then they thought Paul was teaching English at the university...but I had to tell them no, he wasn't doing that either. So, I finally was able to answer. I said, in Thai (!) "We are here to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ!" The utterly amazing thing about this is that I had JUST studied how to answer this question with my language helper one hour earlier (or so) and I actually remembered how to say it! You may be thinking this isn't a huge deal but for me it was. I am just stunned at how God opened the door for me to share (nowbeit ever small) why we are here. (*Just to clarify I usually tell people when they ask that I am a missionary but that word is not very commonly understood and if it is it can sometimes have a bad connotation and I also tell them I am a Christian. The difference of course is on the fact of PROCLAIMING the GOOD NEWS of JESUS. )
Then last night, PJ, Calvin and I went to a local park to play. PJ loves going there becuase there is sand to run his trucks thru and to make roads and stuff. We went there last Friday and met the cutest and sweetest little boy. He and PJ had a lot of fun playing together. So, we went back last night and the same little boy was there. He ran up to us as soon as we got to the plaground. After a little while his mom showed up (she was running around the track that is there for exercise while he was playing). I started to talk to her and we talked for well over an hour. She asked me the same question, "Why are you here?" And again, I was able to answer, but last night she had even more questions. She wanted to know the difference between Catholic and Protestant and where our church was located. There is a huge Catholic church not too far from our home and she thought that is where we work. It was amazing to me to see the interest this woman had about religions. She and her son go to the park every evening and I hope to deepen that relationship. Please pray for her and pray for me. Pray for God to work in this very weak vessel to proclaim His Good News. 

Neighborhood Fun

About a year ago my parents sent PJ this Ford truck. Of course, when little kids see it, they go nuts. Their eyes light up and their little minds start turning and thinking of all the fun they could have with this truck! It has been so fun to share this toy with our neighbors here in Ram 2. These children are rather poor and don't have a lot but sure enjoy playing with PJ's toys...from the little red wagon (which I have never seen one like here in Thailand) to the battery operated truck (which they do have here but are rather expensive, from what I've been told). It's been a great teaching point for PJ. He's learning how to share, how to serve and most importantly how to show Christ. My continual prayer for our family is that we would truly serve the Thai people and show God's love... even when it's uncomfortable or hard for us. Sharing this truck is a huge step for PJ. He would love to ride it the whole time but he's really done great with sharing it with his friends. There are moments of sadness and moments when I have to remind him WHY we share but I think all in all, he's getting it.
I make the kids take turns driving and here was PJ's turn at the wheel. In true Thai fashion they pile on as many people as possible and then rig up the wagon to pull even more. They have had SO much fun. It's so nice to see them all laughing together. PJ looks forward to the afternoons when his friends come home from school and they are all outside playing together.
This little guy, Niw, is the "leader" of the group. The rest follow his direction. Pray for Niw. Pray for him to com to know Christ and be a strong leader in God's church here in Thailand. Pray for us as we seek to minister to him and the others on our soi (street). It isn't always easy working with children...especially when they aren't yours and they are of another culture. Please pray that I would be gracious, gentle and humble, yet firm and strong and keep a sense of order. 

A BBQ!

Yep, we had our first university BBQ last night here at our home. We had 11 non-Christians here (all Thais and all the guys (6 of them) play basketball with Paul every night at the campus. Several of them brought their girlfriends...which was a lot of fun for me to get to know them. We had made (well, Paul and his friend Brandon who works with YWAM) a ton of shishcabobs (spelling?). They were really good and our Thai friend, Yu, made a very spicy sauce that everyone really liked. I made salsa and Paul bought fruit. It was simple but it was good!
This the group of guys that play basketball with Paul (I should say Paul plays basketball with them!) They are really a nice group of men. Please continue praying for them. The tall guy in the back is a Thai guy and also works with YWAM.









And here are a couple of the girlfriends. They enjoyed loving on PJ and Calvin and of course the boys welcomed the attention. PJ is really starting to come out of his shell. He has been quite shy but lately he's been very talkative and also speaking Thai more. Please pray that he would continue to practice and not get embarrassed easily.






This is Me with PJ. Paul went up north with this guy. PJ was saying, "Cheers" with Me. He was very excited to be drinking orange fanta (a special treat for him). The Thais love having fun and they especially love seeing children having fun and laughing. They are a very playful people and so PJ never has need for "fun" when we are with Thais!

We are hoping to have more BBQ's and things of that nature here at our home. I will say it was a bit harder for me last night because everyone who came were pretty much friends and I was the odd ball because I only knew Me and I hardly know him. But, I tried to engage some of the girls in conversation and get to know them a little. Please pray that they would be open to me and want to get to know me as well. Pray for God to show me ways that we are similar and that they would see that too and want to spend time with me. God is working...it's exciting. Not sure how long it will take until we see belief but God is working. Please pray that we would be patient with God's timetable. 

Safe

Safe. Before leaving for Thailand I knew that no place on this planet is "safe" except for being in God's hand but that knowledge has been challenged several times since living here, but perhaps most extensively (so far) on New Year's Eve when eight (?) bombs(?) went off in Bangkok...and one at a local mall that we go to often. Thankfully God wantched over our team and Thai staff and thankfully there wasn't more bloodshed. Three are dead and around 30 are injured according to reports on the BBC and the Bangkok Post. Please continue to pray for this nation...that God would work and His will would be done. That many would repent and turn to Him and understand true peace and the One Who's government is perfect and will NEVER fail and is also all powerful.

I want to thank you for your prayers that Paul returned home safely this morning (5:30 AM our time). He had a wonderful trip and I am going to TRY to get him to write a blog on his adventure. The trip was right up his alley complete with camping and cold weather...for Paul it can't get much better than that! God kept them safe on the highways and thru some other adventures that hopefully he'll share later!
The boys and I stayed busy. We hosted a New Year's Eve party here at our house and our entire team minus one couple and Kim (who is on bedrest) came. Including some visitors from the States (Tim and Rhianna Mill's family members). It was great. We played games, ate good food (and I am not talking about the food I made either!) and had a great time of fellowship. Then New Year's Day evening we had a sleepover with two other women on the team. It was a lot of fun too. We watched Fiddler on the Roof and ate peanut butter pie and popcorn. It was a lot of fun too. Haven't been to a sleep over in ages!
So, that is the news on our end of the world. Catch you later.