I've lived in Thailand for six months now! It's been going well, and I've been learning a lot of language, deepening my relationship with Jesus, and making this place more and more my home.
Welcome to the new website!!
Hey hey hey! With this newsletter, I wanted to welcome you to my new website. Take a minute and check things out. There's a lot of information about myself, YWAM Trang, Thailand, and the unreached. If you have any feedback, things you would like to see on my website, let me know!
Time Flies Fast
That being said, It's hard to believe I've been here for half a year already. I feel like I say that every update but I mean it. Looking back it feels like I just got here. I remember getting on the plane to Trang in Bangkok, peering out over the wing of the plane catching glimpses of the mountain ranges right next to the ocean. Stepping out of the freezing AC into the hot, humid Trang air. It felt like home the moment I hit the pavement. Now, I'm sitting on the couch in my home, decorating my room, and writing this update.
It would be crazy to think I made it this long without God's help. On the surface it can seem as if I am not doing a lot. Sure, I don't have a lot of tasks, but learning how to live in an entirely different culture is a challenge. These last few months have been some of the hardest of my life. It's hard to move away from all I've ever known, to start pioneering something new in an unreached region of Thailand. From shopping, to making relationships, to spiritual warfare, it's a challenge. The reality though? I wouldn't change a thing.
See, it's not as if I've decided these things are easy and so I stay, but rather that he is worth it. Not only are there countless scriptures talking about how he is worthy of us following him to the nations, he made that clear in my own life. Through various signs or comments through his people, he told me I was to move to Thailand 10 times. How could I respond with anything else but, "Here I am Lord, send me."
Genesis 24:50
“Laban and Bethuel answered, 'This is from the Lord; we have no choice in the matter...'"
This is a verse from the account in Genesis where Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant prays and asks for the Lord to reveal the wife he has planned by a sign; a woman would give him water and water his camels as well. Not long after his prayer, Rebekah came up and gave him water, and just as he had prayed, she watered his camels as well. When the servant recounted this scene to Rebekah's father and brother, their response was this above, "This is from the Lord; we have no choice in the matter."
That matter-of-fact response to what the Lord says challenges me. Not because what the Lord was saying was necessarily difficult, but more so because they just obey. Like that. They don't ask for another sign, they don't debate if it was really, truly, actually the Lord, they respond out of simple obedience. The kicker? They weren't even completely devoted to God. They had idols to other gods!
It was good for Rebekah to leave her home to be married to Isaac, despite her struggles and sacrifices when she left her family. As I mentioned before there are struggles here in Thailand. Yet my obedience is not based upon the level of difficulty, it's based upon the worthiness of who called me. The Lord is faithful, and even more than just faithful, he knows what is best for us. He doesn't call us to thigs without struggle. Throughout the new testament Jesus promises struggle to those who follow him. He doesn't promise these struggles to then abandon us, but rather he promises to walk with us and comfort us through them. He is worthy of us following him into struggle because of what he did first for us. While yes there are struggles here, the Lord called me, so this I know confidently is the best.
Considering this verse above, say the Lord prompts you in this moment to go to the mission field and live among the unreached. Perhaps he is challenging you to begin praying for a place that doesn't have the gospel. Maybe he asks you to support a missionary in the 10/40 window. How would you respond? Would you respond like Laban, Bethuel, and Rachel and just accept what the Lord is asking of you, or would you debate with the Lord about your obedience? I want to challenge you to pray about this. Trust me, I will too. There are still times where I ask the Lord is he's absolutely sure about what he's asking me. The good news is, my life isn't over yet, and I still have years to obey Christ and be challenged in my obedience to him!
Support and Practical Updates!
I have gotten more financial support! Currently I am at $880 a month, but my goal is to get to $1,200. I want to be able to save up for staff outreaches, mandatory YWAM conferences, and other travel fees. I also want to be able to bless my community, and I can't do that as well as I would like to on a tight budget. So without a doubt, praise God for what he has already done! Yet I ask for you to keep praying that I would be fully supported soon.
I also will be purchasing a motorcycle this month! The plan was to buy one in January before the Christmas break ended, however I learned that I had to be twenty to purchase a vehicle. As the the youngest member of YWAM Trang, I have to wait until my birthday. So, I reserved my motorcycle and I will go and buy it when I turn 20 on the 20th!
Please be praying over myself and the rest of the team to grow deeper with Christ through culture shock. For myself I am struggling a lot with culture shock and the many symptoms it displays. Thank you in advance for all of the prayers.
Lastly, if you want to get monthly updates when I post my newsletter, get subscribed. Check out my contact page, or scroll to the bottom of any page to get subscribed!
Prayer Requests
-To meet my monthly support goal.
-Financial provision for the next few conferences.
-Continued unity for my team.
-Recovery through culture shock and adjusting to Thailand.
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