Scouting Trip #1

Over the last three weeks, we traveled through South Asia to meet with 3+ locations to find potential outreach locations. God did so much in such a short time!

This incredibly kind man helped lead us through some alleys to get back onto our main street.

As you read about in the last letter, myself and four others set out to go on a trip to two South Asian countries. We just got back into Trang a week ago, and after spending some time reflecting, I can report it was a really amazing time. God used this time to grow our hearts for two more countries in the neediest red, and to grow our love for one another as a team. We additionally got to learn a lot about these countries and are better prepared to send a team in the future.

I think it's important to talk a little more about why we went on this trip before I delve into more of how the trip went. The goal of a scouting trip is not evangelism, mercy ministries, or teaching. Rather, the goal is to scout out potential locations to send future DTS and secondary school outreaches to. YWAM has 18 core values, one of which is do first, then teach. All bases hold to these values, not just YWAM Trang. We all believe that firsthand experience gives us greater authority to our words. Take for example someone who is a plumber with years of experience, and someone who watched a plumber fix their sink once. If your bathroom is flooding, you're probably going to call the plumber. Not the person who has no hands-on experience. In the same way, we wanted to actually go into the unreached nations first, before we sent students there.

In addition to the International YWAM Values, YWAM Trang has it's own vision, values, and methods that God has given us in order to accomplish the task. As I talked about in the last letter (Still Called to Go) our mission methods are mobilizing, discipling, and going. We as staff want to continue to GO! Not ceasing to go just because we have already gone. Afterall, we've been called as believers to go all our lives. Until all have heard the good news.

I am so excited to now share how the trip went, at least briefly. As you know, myself and four others left right at the end of May to go to two countries in South Asia. We also had the special honor and privilege to go with the first Thai missionaries from YWAM Trang! Shortly after I sent out the last letter, they received everything else they needed for the trip. (A special thank you to my supporter Faith. Your gift was such a blessing to them!) None of us knew how this trip was going to look, but we knew that God was going to go before us. Afterall, he called us, and provided for us. So we went out with no doubt!

The First Location

The first location was a whirlwind of culture and language. On the first day, our team got separated from each other, dropped off on the side of the road by our taxis, lost without the right address to our homestay, no Wi-Fi and no SIM to contact one another, not enough local language to communicate, and left to figure these things out in the midst of a massive city where none of us had ever been. At the time, we were all a bit concerned. My group went around asking for directions, and kept getting led astray. Time after time. As we grew weary and began to lose heart, we went to the sketchiest Dominoes you have ever seen, and prayed. God in his providence used that time to get us a hotspot from a stranger, connect us with the rest of our team, get the right address, and of course a nice cold soda to quench the thirst of walking in the dry and dusty city. After wandering for a few hours, we finally met at our homestay and recounted God's faithfulness.

Upon thinking about the day and it's chaos, I realized how comparative this day was to the lives of the people in that country, and all the unreached countries. The people there are lost. Without the address for an eternal home where their souls can find rest. They don't have any connection to the One who can give them the answer. They are left to seek the way from fellow man who is just as lost as them. Even if they desired to know truth, no one around them knows. They are lost. If you've never been truly, truly lost, I can testify it is terrifying. Thinking about the consequences if we didn't find our way... Our hope and comfort in that time was Jesus. I knew with confidence he would make the situation ok, and we would not be truly lost. Yet for over three billion people, they are lost without the same hope we carry.

This is Kapil, the man who was our guide. Pray for his salvation!

During that day, we met a man who ended up being our guide for the time we were in that city. As I said, the purpose of our trip was not evangelism. However, we are still Christians, and we are called to be ready to share the gospel at all times. We all felt that this was a God given opportunity to share. And share we did. Though only through google translate, we pray that he would come to know the Lord as his only savior. We still have contact with him, so please join us in prayer for his salvation.

Moving on to City Two

Much more happened in that city, but I'll move on to location two. This location wasn't just in a new city, it was in a whole new country. We hopped on a flight, took the bumpiest overnight bus ever, and made it to the next location. This picturesque city was full of life, and YWAMers! In our correspondence with this location, we realized there is a lot going on there, and when we showed up it only confirmed our thoughts. There were two bases in that location, which involved many ministries, and even more staff. We spent about a week there meeting with multiple people every day. As we learned about their vision, values, and ministries, we got to see a glimpse of what YWAM Trang could be like in the future. A place full of the love of Jesus, sending out young people to the remaining neediest red, and seeing the kingdom come.

One of my favorite things about this location was watching our Thai staff engage with the locals. This culture and Thai culture are incredibly similar! The cultures value many of the same things, and it shows in how they interact with other locals. Spontaneously sitting down in the middle of the day to talk over snacks and tea was a common occurrence, something Westerners can tend to overlook. Where I might have a short conversation then go along my way, P' Kwan and P' Thaksin would stop to enjoy time getting to know the people and share about their own culture and experiences. They ended up building valuable relationships that our whole team enjoyed. This was a beautiful thing to watch, and it makes me incredibly excited to see more Thai missionaries go out in obedience to the call of Jesus. Especially to other Asian countries!

Right after our last meal together in country!

Last City Before Home

Lastly, we headed back to country number one, but in a very different part. In fact, this city was much more like the second country. It was a small town close to the border. The majority of people there were actually of the neighboring countries descent. The language and culture were incredibly similar to that country as well. There, we got to meet with a couple who had been in YWAM for over 30 years. They actually were part of the second DTS in that country! God called them to move into the hometown of the husband to share the good news among his own people. Their dedication to prayer, worship, teaching, and evangelism is incredibly inspiring. To have a lifetime of faithfully following Jesus is my great desire, and to see it lived out in others only grows my desire all the more.

Over the three weeks we were gone traveling so much more happened. It would take hours sitting together in a coffee shop to recount every little detail. The hand of God was evident over the whole trip. Every interaction intricately planned to complete the purpose he had sent us for. Despite this trip being for scouting, we met so many locals who were hungry for the truth. We weren't even trying to seek out evangelistic conversations but we were able to share the gospel many times. This is what Jesus meant when he said the harvest is ready. It is so ripe for harvest, and in danger of being overripe. God flexes his power among the unreached. His heart burns for those people. If you want to see the glory of God like never before go out to the unreached to share the good news. We have an awesome God, and he will move in power to see the last, the least, and the lost come to worship him.

Made it back home after 30 hours of travel. (We're a little tired in case you can't tell haha!)

Practical Updates

Only one more month until we have all been in Trang, Thailand for two years! It's honestly so unbelievable we've been here for so long. I'm sure I've shared before, but 80% of missionaries leave the field within the first two years. God has truly done a miracle in Trang, because our whole team is still committed! Even though the Holloways are in the States taking care of their healthy new baby, they are going to return in just two more months. It is truly amazing what God has done here. Statistically, out of all 14 original staff who relocated in July of 2022, only three should be left. Instead, our number has grown by three staff, and one staff intern. If we add all seven kids too, our total number is 25 people! It's truly an incredible testimony of God's power and love for the mission.

After July 14th, YWAM Trang is going to be entering "full ministry mode"! This means officially starting up different ministries, especially OTM (Outreach Teams Ministry) and DTS (Discipleship Training School). There are certainly more ministries that will begin, but I'll have to leave you in suspense for them!

Prayer Requests

• Continued language learning for the last month of language and culture phase.

• That we would all grow in humility and unity. We never want to stop growing in these Kingdom of God culture essentials.

• That God will give us wisdom as we process and decide if we would send outreaches to these locations.

• That God would prepare us all to be ready to finally begin official ministries.