Archive - November, 2010

Available in Chiang Mai

November 30, 2010 in Missions, Thailand with 2 Comments

City Gate

I woke up at 4:00 am and was on the road by 4:15.  As I pulled out of my neighborhood on the motorbike, everything was eerily quiet. The mountain air was pretty cold, especially for Thailand.

I thought to myself, “Even the devil isn’t awake right now”!

I laughed at that thought and then gunned it down the dark street heading toward my friend’s house.  The team was there and we started to pray by 4:30.  By 5:00 we were in the city center and split our 8 member team into teams of two.  We would stay close to each other-within eye site at the city gate and talk to whoever would listen.

We would hand out Gospel literature to anyone who would take it.

I entered through the gate and the first person I saw was a young girl sitting alone, sobbing.  I walked straight over to her, sat down, and said to her in Thai, “What’s wrong”?  She looked at me and said back in Thai, “Never mind.”  I began to open up a conversation as my team mate sat next to me.

The next thirty plus minutes were a God encounter.  

I found out that this girl had moved from Udon Thani, a province next to the one where I used to live, Khon Kaen.  She was clearly not enjoying the life that she had chosen in the big city of Chiang Mai.

I told her that God loved her, had a plan for her life, and that what she was doing now was not a part of it.  I spoke to her about what it meant to be a good person and we both agreed that no one really was totally good.  She went on to tell me how she wants to do what is right but something is always pulling her back into what she knows is wrong.  I told her that she needed a helper. Then I preached the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit as our Helper. Continue Reading…

Invitation to the Kingdom

November 17, 2010 in Missions, Thailand with 2 Comments

invitation to the Kingdom

I wanted to share a little project that I recently completed.

It is a little booklet called “Invitation to the Kingdom.”

Here in Southeast Asia, small pieces of literature can still be effectively used to present an intro the the Good News who may never otherwise have a chance to hear.

A recent study said that over 60% of Thai people who came to Christ were influenced in their decision by a small piece of literature; not TV, radio, or books, but small pieces of easy to understand literature.

These booklets are not trashed like they are many times in the Western world.  People hold on to them and pass them around to friends and family.  They put them on their shelves and end up pulling them out in times of crisis when they are looking for answers.

In the Western world people say things like “We’ve heard it all before,” and that’s true!  But there are still those, especially in Thailand, who have never heard it ONCE!  (There goes that spoiled analogy again).

In regards to the actual message, I say it’s an “intro” to the Good News because I am not looking for it to accomplish a whole lot more than that.  It comes from the paradigm of being invited into God’s royal family as a son or daughter or the Kingdom and inheriting all things.

This project arose from a burden I have to see every Thai person have an opportunity to hear the message and let it begin to stir inside of them.  I envision what was once void, now being filled with thoughts of Jesus, heaven, and the real potential of salvation.

Here in Thailand, I watch daily as I pass construction workers sweating it out for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, and I think to myself, “how will they hear?  who will go to them”?  I hear the same thing for countless other faces I see each day like cooks, tuk tuk drivers, gardeners, street vendors, shop owners, etc.

The reality is they will NOT hear unless one goes to them. (Romans 10:13-15) Most are not darkening the door of any church or Christian meeting. I am preparing to go.  Somehow, some way in God’s timing. Continue Reading…

Missions Prep: Balance and Alignment

November 3, 2010 in Missions with 1 Comment

Recently I had some repairs done on my old car here in Thailand.  One of the things I needed was some new tires but I also needed some alignment and suspension work.  My mechanic would not be able to get to my suspension work, but I wanted to feel like I got something accomplished so I got four new tires put on with the goal of returning to my other mechanic to get the suspension work done the next day.

My tire guy tells me that I need to return to rebalance the tires once my suspension work is done.  Long story short, I thought he had balanced the tires already and would only need to RE balance them after the suspension work was done.  I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.  I know, I’m a moron.

Life took over and the kids needed to get to school and I never did return for the alignment and balance.  Within about a week or so, my front two new tires were almost bald and I was desperately needing to make a trip to Laos.  I returned to my tire guy, mad at him like he was the one who caused this problem, and he asked me why I didn’t return to get the balance and alignment.  I realized then that he had never done either.  There was no “Re” to be done.  I had never even had it done in the first place.

I was in a hurry.  Everything was lost in translation (or I heard what I wanted to hear).  It was really my fault.  And needless to say, I paid the price…again…and possibly put my family in a more dangerous situation.

So, what’s the point of all this?

Without balance and alignment in life we are destined to wear out and put ourselves in a dangerous position.  This translates excellently into missionary life preparation.  Here are some thoughts on how:

Balance:

  • There are seasons in life where you will have to work to take care of your family and build a solid foundation with them before you can go.  If you neglect this season of primarily taking care of your family and bringing them along with you, you will be out of balance.  Even once you are doing your work, you will have to make periodic adjustments to bring your family life back into balance. Continue Reading…

Thoughts on Missions Preparation

November 2, 2010 in Missions with 1 Comment

“Enthusiasm and passion may help someone succeed in getting to the field. Yet when the newness of ministry wanes, the exotic character of overseas living becomes humdrum, and once friendly relationships begin to deteriorate, much more will be needed.

David Hesselgrave reminds missionary candidates that “the first ten thousand miles in mission are relatively easy. It is the last eighteen inches that are difficult” The sense of urgency is undeniable and admirable, but there must not only be the urgency to go but the willingness to wait and be properly prepared.”-Steve Davis

I recently read this quote and I found it to be true.  It also got me thinking.  I began to think about the polar opposites of what a person may experience when they are sorting through the thoughts about potentially working as a cross cultural “missionary.”

On one hand there is a push to “go to the field” because of the great needs of the world and the reality of the “laborers” being few and far between.  This is true, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we are part of the solution.  In our passion, we may be contributing to the problem if we are inadequately prepared and prematurely sent.

On the other hand, in some circles there is hardly even the mention of this type of work being a legitimate expression of ministry today, no opportunities presented as an entry way into it, and no structures in place to train and get qualified candidates out to where the need is great. Continue Reading…