Throughout the last month, God began to show me that there is something monumental coming, and by following him we get to take part in great and wonderous things.
This last month was really encouraging. From vacation to see grandma, to the Asian Leaders Learning Community Conference (ALLC), to finally getting back home to Trang to hear Loren Cunningham share what's next, was busy but wonderful. Going on vacation was a really restful time, even though I slept for 14 hours straight as soon as I got back to Thailand. I got to have a little adventure and it reminded me how much I really love Thailand. So, hold on to your seatbelts, here's the highlights of the last month!
To the Philippines!
After flying out from Krabi, Thailand, I landed in Singapore for a 13 hour layover. I decided to hit the town. Might as well mark off another country on my list of places to go. I walked around 'Little India' a bit, and then went rock climbing, and decided to head back to the airport after grabbing a quick meal. Funny story, I went to a 7-11 for dinner and starting chatting with the cashier. Per usual, he asked me where I was from and I explained I was from America, but I live in Thailand now. He asked me if I spoke their language, and said "Sa-wat-dee-krap." (Hello)
Excited I spewed off, "ใช่ค่ะพูดภาษาไทยได้ค่ะ" (Yes! I speak Thai.) He looked at me sideways and I realized, he did not speak Thai, he just knew hello. Embarrassed, I purchased my things and quickly walked out of the shop. While I knew it was normal not to speak Thai in a place that was not Thailand, I was a bit dejected. I already missed trying to speak my second language. I still don't speak well, but I missed speaking in it. Only after 12 hours away from my new home, and I longed to be back in a familiar place. With a whole trip ahead of me, I shrugged it off and went on to catch my next flight.
Seeing my grandma was a breath of fresh air. Traveling through the Philippines was beautiful. On day two of our short reunion, my grandma took myself and her sister island hopping. Clear turquoise water reflected the sun as we skipped through the clusters of islands on our boat. Making new memories, and getting to see another beautiful part of God's creation. I was amazed to the truest definition of the word to see God's glory through the tall islands, bright corals, and friendly guides.
After only a few days, I was headed back to Thailand to go to the ALLC conference in Khon Kaen. Landing in Thailand brought all the treasured memories of God's promises back. Landing in my first foreign country for DTS outreach, walking into the warm, humid air when I finally moved to Trang. Yes, I moved to Thailand because God asked, but he has grown this place to become home. I don't just love this place because I was called, but I truly love it for all that it is. The people, the food, the language, the culture. Give me an hour, I'll tell you everything I love, and I still won't encompass everything.
Sure, there are many things that aren't so glamourous about Thailand. It's a place that still lives in an Old Testament reality. They have laws to follow that cannot possibly be kept by man. Impossible standards and no foreseeable changes to this reality. Sacrifices must be made for sin, and there is no other way known. Yet I know God loves these people way more than I do, and he is calling his people to share the good news of a New Testament kind of life. One filled with radical obedience and radical freedom. A reality where the enemy cannot take your soul because you are bought, sealed, and protected by the love of Jesus Christ, the King of kings. Where life has purpose and suffering is not meaningless.
ALLC in Khon Kaen
The first day of ALLC was a whirlwind of people and names and faces. At first it was a bit overwhelming, I didn't know who spoke English or who spoke Thai, or who spoke a whole other language! There were workers from all over Asia. I think there were about 23 countries represented! Despite the chaos of meeting new faces, I was thrilled to see so many nationalities. That week was truly a glimpse of heaven. Many times we prayed in our own mother tongues. It was very evident that God was with us as we prayed, worshipped, encouraged, and learned together.
Throughout the conference, I was left marveling at the wonderous things that God can do with faithful people that give their all to him. I heard story after story from elders who have been missionaries for years, and they simply obeyed. It was so encouraging to meet so many people who have lived this life, and seen God provide throughout their years. It was a humbling time, because of how young I am, both in age and experience.
However, something even more encouraging was to realize how incredible the story God is weaving in my team. With the people I met, I shared the simple story of how I moved to Thailand right after my DTS. People were certainly shocked, but excited to see how God moved so radically in my life. As the week went on and my whole team shared the story, the reactions to our story got more and more shocked.
You see, this story is "normal" in my experience. All I know is going to DTS to go to the nations, going with a team that God had woven together over years. Through one families' simple obedience, brought a team of staff that had one heart, one mind, one goal, to see Thailand reached. Their passion to see the Great Commission completed, their shared values and prioritization of the unreached grew a hunger in me for the same. I saw in their lives an undying fire, burning to see the least, last, and lost come to worship the one true God, whom was worthy of pledging total allegiance to. Their hunger to follow Jesus until the end of their lives made me realize that I was starving to see the same. It only made sense that God would call me to go with them.
Simple obedience was modeled to me through the lives of my leaders, and they passed it onto their disciples. It's all I know. That's how you follow Jesus. He says go, and the answer is, "Where, Lord?" At this conference I was humbled to share what God had done, because I know what I am. Yet because of how small I am, God got to glorify himself, and begin something brewing for the next generation of missions.
You see, we believe that this generation is going to see something miraculous. When I say we, I mean all of YWAM and most of the missions world. I see two parts to this. The first being the miracle of what God did with our base. The idea of a whole base, staff and leaders, relocating to an unreached country hasn't been done before. We believe God is using us to bring people to think outside the box for what God is gonna do next.
Meeting with Loren Cunningham
The second factor to this is that Loren Cunningham has been given even more vision for the future of YWAM. He has had a series of meetings with all of the regions of YWAM. Unfortunately, Loren has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Though this illness is supposed to cause a lot of pain, he has been able to have all of these meetings. It's a miracle that his quality of life has been so good! In addition, when he speaks it's not as a sick, old man, but rather as a young believer, full of passion, vigor, and vision. At the meeting with Southern Asia he shared what the Lord had been speaking to him over the last months, and I was blown away by what the Lord has.
Loren shared about his work with many organizations to see Bible translations in every mother tongue on earth. Even though English has over 100 translations, over 4,000 mother tongue languages do not have a translation at all! This should break the heart of any believer, for the Bible is needed for discipleship. We can get to heaven with the simple gospel. But how are we to know God more without a Bible to tell us his character, his wishes for us, and his purpose to see the whole world know him?
His vision for the next season of missions is to see native speakers of mother tongues without translation to translate their own language into an oral bible translation! His team has been working on a website (prayomt.com) for people to work on these translations, as well as to invite people to pray for these languages. This is the time to join the next wave. This is your time to adopt a mother tongue and pray until you see them have the Bible in their heart language. This is the time to join what God is doing in the nations. I implore you to join this prayer now, because I believe in the following years we are going to see a movement of God's glory going forth to all peoples in a monumental way that we have never seen before.
I get chills just thinking about it. It's almost too crazy to believe that God is about to move in a way that we will all never be the same. Then I realize, this is the epitome of what God has been doing since Genesis. It's not too crazy to be possible, because we have a God of impossible things. I share these things with you because I am humbled to partner with my King in this way. It's an honor to serve him, and I want to invite you to live this radical life of simple obedience.
If you are already following his command to make disciples of all nations by sending or going, keep going. The reward is going to be so sweet, to follow him with everything and lay our crowns at his feet when this life is over. If you have yet to surrender all to Jesus as Lord, I invite you to do so. Follow him wherever he calls, for no matter how large the sacrifice, the honor of serving this King is worth it. No matter the struggle, the intimacy with Christ is more satisfying than anything this world has to offer. I promise, you do not want to miss what he is doing now, and what he is about to do.
Practical Updates
As much as God revealed some awesome vision, he also revealed some practical steps I need to be taking now. As you know, I am learning Thai language and culture for the next year or so. I realized I need to be putting in more effort to learn this language well, and take advantage of the time I have to learn. That being said, please be praying for strategy and determination as I start to explore new ways to learn. I want to learn as efficiently and well as I can, and frankly, I do not know what that is going to be for me. Whether that is a tutor, or an online program to supplement my learning in school, I don't know. So I would love prayer to learn even better than I have been already!
Prayer Requests
- Pray for a bibleless language at prayomt.com
- New strategy for language learning
- God to keep growing this movement to see the Great Commission completed!
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