Praise and Joy

I know it has been a while since I wrote a post.  I really meant to write a lot sooner but things are crazy right now.  I can't wait to tell you all about it.

First of all I have some great News to share.  I had previously mentioned that there was a problem in Thailand with the organization that we get our Missionary Visas through and no one was able to get visas or renew their visas.  Well Praise the Lord, the Thai goverment is allowing the organization to give missionariy visas again.  Now we pray that the problems within the organization will be resolved and the Christian reputation will be restored.

Another Praise item is the Blessings that the Lord has given to the Serve Asia department.

At present there are 34 Serve Asia Workers approved for 2012.  Another 5 working on applications and yet more still that are inquiring to go out with OMF.  This is quite a crowd and I am blessed to be getting to know each one of them.  The people that the Lord has brought our way have been wonderful dedicated individuals.  They each have a passion for Asia and the lost.  I pray that God will guide each of them as they seek His further will.

There is one in particular that I am thrilled to be able to tell you about.  She is a young woman who has felt God's calling on her life for quite some time.  She has a passion for those that are often overlooked by society.  She heard about the need for people in Asia and now feels that the time is right to visit.
She has a big heart and a willing spirit.  She will be heading out this fall to visit not 1 but 2 countries in Asia.  The goal of this trip is to hopefully determine where exactly God is calling her to serve in the long term. 
I am so very proud of her faith and courage.  I am also so very grateful to call her my best friend and my sister.

Martha and I

The Oates Women

I am grateful for the chance to organize her trip and I know that this will be an amazing experience for her.  Please pray that everything goes well.  If anyone is interested in her journey please let me know and I will get her in touch with you.

LANDMARKS

There are times that this experience does not feel real. There are times when everything seems to just be going along and nothing is going to change.

Then things will happen in your life to make you realize that things are always changing and maybe those changes are ok. This can be scary to say the least but also exciting and confusing.

I have recently faced a couple of these experiences, where the reality of what I am doing, made itself very clear. The reality that where I am now is not where I will stay and things will change... they will change in a very big way. I like to think of these experiences as Landmarks that help us to know and mark the way we are going. Often these Landmarks go unnoticed and ignored for the most part. Then there are those landmarks that are so big they can't be ignored or overlooked. I have had a couple of these types of Landmarks recently.  

LANDMARK #1

My vision trip to ChiangMai, Thailand. I did not know you could fall in love with a people and a country that you had never even seen before but that is what has happened to me. Before I ever arrived I knew that Thailand was going to be the place for me. Yet there is always that fear that you have raised your expectations too high and will be disappointed or that you won't fit in.

The moment I landed in ChiangMai, I knew I had nothing to fear about not liking it. There was still the fear that they would not like me but I had this feeling of contentment as soon as I got there, that I had not expected.

To be honest, when I first landed in Bangkok I was just tired and stressed. I had three hours to get through customs, get a visa, find my bags, go through immigration and then check back in and find the gate for my flight to ChiangMai. Picture long lines, grumpy customers agents and a language I do not know. Yet when it finally got to be my turn, and thanks to a couple of very nice people I met in the Hong Kong airport that let me go in front of them, I got through immigration quickly. The agent did not even ask me anything. He looked through my papers and then stamped the visa in my passport, stapled the exit documents into the passport and waved me through. Then my luggage came really fast on the belt, again thanks to the nice lady that watched my bags while I tried to find a cart to use. Then off I went to try to find someone, hopefully an English speaker, to point me toward the departure area.

I even got to see someone really important in the departures area... I have no idea who it was but they were surrounded by guys wearing dark glasses and guns. It was very cool. Back through security and I found my gate. I then slept through the snack on the plane and landed in my future home.

ChiangMai is a "modern" city in the middle of rice fields and villages. It is really quite an interesting view from the air. As soon as you leave the city you are headed into fields and villages and the whole view of things changes. In the city it is more modern and almost western...yet not really that western but they try. Then you leave and everything is old school.

Ok so that is enough stories for now...need to save some for the future bogs.

It is hard to ignore your future when you are seeing it first hand and standing in the middle of a dorm of kids asking when you are coming.

LANDMARK #2

As of today it is 1 year till I need to have all my clearances in order to be approved to attend the Orientation Course in July 2013. This is held in Singapore and from there you head to your respective country of service to begin language study. These clearances include: medical, psychological, prayer and financial support.

Talk about a Landmark...365 Days till I get approval to go to Asia. The list of things to do for that to happen is now glaring me in the face and I am excited to see what God will do.

If I am being very honest though, I am terrified. There is so much to do and I already feel overwhelmed and exhausted. I struggle with feelings of discouragement and fear. It would be so easy to stay right here and continue in the Serve Asia department. The thought of leaving my family and a job that I actually enjoy, to go half way around the world, is really hard.

Yet I know that God does not ask us to take the easy road or to do what is simple. He calls us instead to trust in Him and allow Him to guide our steps. We are not to look in the short term but look to Him for the long haul.

When I attended the conference in Singapore...after I was in ChiangMai, someone used a saying that I thought was really good. They said that God is the Great Mobalizer and He is the Wonderful Candidate Coordinator. I was at a Mobalization and Coordinator's Consultation. LOL. I have thought a lot about that quote since the conference and here is my addition to it.

God is the Great Mobalizer, He is the Wonderful Candidate Coordinator but God is not a Short Term Missions Coordinator. He does not call us to serve Him in the short term only. He does not ask us to only give Him 2 weeks one year. He asks for our lives. We are to serve Him always.

So I will follow God's direction. Please pray with me and for me as I know I am facing times of stress and strain. Please pray that I will ever be in God's perfect will.

Caught the Vision

Hello Everyone,

Sorry it has been so long since I posted.  Things have been crazy since I got back from Asia.  But before I finally get to go on Vacation I need to post about my trip.

First of all let me say that I LOVE Thailand.  It is such an amazing and fascinating place.  The people are incredible and it is simply a gorgeous place to visit and to live.  But let me show you.

The Entrance to the Mekong Centre

The View from the Centre - Chiang Mai City

The Thai believe that if colours go together in nature they can go together in a display.
Very pretty!

This skirt is 100% cross stitched!!!  WOW

Even items that are not sold can be reused to make something interesting and BEAUTIFUL!

Mountainview Dorm and one of the Awesome Dorm Assistants or "Aunties"
I can't wait to be an "Auntie" too.

A Song tau or taxi of sorts.

A Spirit House. 

OK so that is just a taste of what I saw and what I experienced.  I promise to write more and tell you all everything. 

Thank you to those that have been so supportive.  I appreciate you more than I can express.

Blessings and Prayers.

Aspects of My Life

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see."
                                                                                      John Burroughs

There are many aspects of my life... faucets of my existance. Each part is important and valued, yet the fuller your life gets the more you forget to value those parts.  So I wanted to take a closer look at the parts of my life to help value those who are a part of it.

MINISTRY/Work

 Serve Asia is getting busier all the time... 25 Workers approved for service so far this year. 

Praise the Lord for His guidance and strength.

Please pray for those who are still seeking God's Direction.

Family

 Family is so important in my life.  I am blessed to be so close to my family 

and be able to spend time with them.

Please pray for my family as we serve and live for God.

School

Such a big part of my "Free" Time is spent studying while I am in school.  For any who don't know I am a Masters student in Professional Counseling at Liberty Universty Online.

Please Pray that my courses go well. 

Also that when I am in class I am able to focus.

Personal Life

Even those who are super busy have got to make time for Friends... especially when they are such good friends and leaving for a Year!!!!

LOVE YOU CHRISSY!  I am so happy for you.

Please pray for my friend as she serves in the DR for a year.

 Headed to the ROM in Toronto with a Friend  So much fun just wandering around 

and having great conversation. 

Partnership Development

There are the not so fun parts of Partnership Devlopment.  The creating of the letters, printing, folding, labeling, stuffing and mailing takes time and energy.

Praise the Lord for Family that have been so helpful getting the letters out.

Then there is the fun stuff.  Even though I was nervous, having the opportunity to share is a gift that God gives and I truly appreciate those that allow me the chance to share from my heart.



I praise the Lord for each person who has supported me, listened to me

and especially those who pray for me.





Prayer

Hello Everyone,

This is not going to be a great post.  I am hoping for some prayer, please.

I am finishing off my course this week and I am feeling so tired and stressed that I can't seem to concentrate on my studies.  Please pray that I am able to finish well and that I can finish.

Yesterday I started experiencing some pain in my right knee.  I spent most of the evening on the couch with an ice pack.  Please pray that the pain goes away and that whatever I did to it will not happen again.

Please also pray that I am able to get everything ready for my trip.  I have not really started packing and the list of things I have to do before I leave is growing.  I also need to find a clinic where I can get my tetanus shot done and am having no luck. 

Thanks for the prayers. 

And just so you did not waste your time here is a cool picture that I found.  Can anyone guess what it is? 
HINT: it is titled the "eyes of Thailand"

Rope-Holders

Acts 9:22-25 (NIV)
"22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall."

Many years ago I heard a speaker talking about the story of Paul having to flee Damascus when the Jews wanted to kill him. Paul had just become a follower of Christ and was speaking out about his new beliefs. There were those that got angry with Paul and wanted to kill him. However, Paul did have friends. These friends helped Paul escape Damascus by lowering him in a basket over the wall.

I have heard this story many times and ussually it was themed on the idea that when we speak out for Christ, people may not always like it but we must be bold in out faith. However, this particular speaker took it a different way. He said that no one can stand alone. Paul could not have escaped death in Damascus if he did not have friends that helped him. Someone had to hold the ropes of the basket in order for Paul to get over the wall.

SOMEONE HAD TO HOLD THE ROPES! Everyone who ministers for the sake of Christ has to have friends supporting them and holding them up in prayer for the ministry to succeed. WE HAVE TO HAVE ROPE HOLDERS.

One one stands alone. This is a statement that has taken on new meaning for me over the past 6 months. I can not believe that yesterday marked 6 months since I started at OMF. The time has flown. I still feel like I am figuring things out but it is getting easier. I have never had a job before that I loved or enjoyed like this one. It is such a blessing to be able to minister to people and work with those seeking GOD's direction for their own lives.

Yet, this postion is not without its hard monents or tiring days. I have been continueously reminded that GOD is my Encourager and Strength. He has blessed me with people to pray for me and stand with me in this ministry. Those that have committed to standing with me in prayer are so much a part of my ministry and I want to recognize that.

I have now committed to sending out regular prayer updates to those on my e-mail list. This will be separate from my Prayer Letters. It will include: Praise Items, Prayer Requests and Important Information. I will also include a link to each new blog post. I am going to try and keep my blog more up to date as well. I hope in this way, my wonderful prayer supporters will truly feel like they are apart of my ministry.

As I considered what to call these Prayer Updates I remembered a speaker I heard a number of years ago. So I am asking those that have committed to praying for me, my family and friends, to please be my ROPE HOLDERS.

Looking Back

As it nears Christmas I take a look back on where the past year has taken me. There have been a lot of changes this year. A year ago I would never have suspected where I would end up. A year ago today, I was attending the “Lanterra” Christmas party (the Property Management Company I was working for). It was not a place I really wanted to be because there was a lot of drinking and I left early. I had thought that I might go into Property Management as a career since I seemed to be good at it. Yet the idea of counselling still stayed with me. I had gotten a B.Re. In Counselling and Christian Education from Emmanuel Bible College and had started my M.A. in Professional Counselling through Liberty University Online.

I had been e-mailing with Wayne Matthews (the Director of Mobilization for OMF) since the spring when I had talked to Elinore Reigler (one of the Missionaries I have gotten to know) at Missionfest in Toronto. I had also attended a Conference with OMF but at the time was really unsure if I was called to go to Asia. However, Wayne had arranged for me to meet with an OMF couple on home assignment and this was a lunch that would change my life and set me on a whole new adventure.

I met with Bill and Bonnie W. and they showed me a passion for Asia and for counselling on the mission field that I could believe in. I had dreamed of one day using my counselling on the mission field but every organization that I had previously talked to was not doing that type of ministry yet. I had put it on the back burner and thought it was not going to happen. Bill and Bonnie encouraged me to pursue that dream and see where it would lead. I decided to apply with OMF and see what GOD had in store for me.

This was not an easy year for my family though. Near the end of January my grandmother went into the hospital for a blood transfusion and nine weeks later she passed away, never leaving the hospital. This was very hard for all of us. I never got to tell her that I was accepted by OMF or that I was going to be a missionary. This was something she had always prayed for and believe would happen. I like to think that grandma got to watch as I was accepted.

I attended Candidate Course in June having very little clue as to where I would go. Some people know where they want to go but have no idea what they are called to do there. Others know what they are called to do but have no idea where they will do it. I definitely fell into the second category. I had a lot of counsel from my family and those at OMF before it was decided that I would be in Chaing Mai, Thailand for my first term, working with the dorms there. I would get to follow my dream after all of working with Third Culture Kids (TCKs).

Through all of this, however, I was struggling with my job. Things were not good in my company and no one was sure what would happen. There was a lot of anger and it did not feel like a safe or comfortable work environment. I had talked to those at Candidate Course about my situation and asked them to pray with me about a solution. After Candidate Course I continued to look for other work but nothing came up.

The last week of July I received an e-mail from Nancy Stephens (the Candidate Cordinator) concerning the position of Serve Asia Administrator at the OMF head office; that was on Monday. Serve Asia is OMF’s Short Term Missions Discipleship Program. I met with Richard and Kathy (the OMF National Director and his wife) on the Tuesday and on Thursday I turned in my two week notice at my job. I started at OMF on August 15th and I have had a blast working at the office. There is so much to learn and discover in this position and I am getting to meet so many interesting people. The people I work with, either at the office or the Serve Asia Workers, have a passion for missions and a desire to change the world. I feel so blessed that I get to be a small part of it.

There are many workers in varied stages of the application process and each of them has a different reason for desiring to serve God in this way and a different passion that drives them. Some are applying to do internships. They want to pursue their education but also gain some experience on how their profession is used in Asia or in missions. Others are seeking to know what God has for them in the future, possibly missions in a more permanent role. Others simply seek to serve God during breaks from work or school. All of them, however, love God and desire for His love to shine through them. I ask you to pray for each of them as they strive to serve God and do His will.

The hope and the plan is for me to head out to the field for the July Orientation Course in Singapore in 2013. With every passing day I grow more excited to see the country and the people I have already started to love. As I talk to people that have been there or are also serving in Thailand, I learn more things that just confirm to me that all of this is God’s plan and He arranged all of this for His glory. The long term goal is for me to join the Member Care team in Chaing Mai, Thailand in my second term and continue using the gifts and education that God has given me for His glory. I have dreamed of being able to do counselling right on the field where the people are. My prayer is that I will be a help to those on the field and an encouragement to those that need me.

Christmas brings with it a busy time for my work, my church and my family. The church where I attend, Peel International Baptist Church, has a deep love for Christmas. This means that there is always many events and parties to attend. Last weekend we held our annual Christmas Cantata, HOPE Is Born Emmanuel! Many visitors came and many good remarks were received. It is interesting to attend a church that is mostly from an different culture. Aspects of their Filipino background continue to shine through and this can make it hard at times to truly feel like you fit in. We love the church however, and ask that you keep them in your prayers as they strive to do the will of God. Please pray for my dad as well, that he would be able to keep up with the demands of being a single pastor church.

We recently hired a Youth Worker for the church. This has been both a good and interesting event this year. In many ways it has freed up my father to do other things. I know he does miss spending time with the youth. Both of my parents have started teaching bible studies and reaching out to others in the church in a very real and tangible way.

Courses are being finished up this week. Martha has joined me in the student world. She is now taking classes through Moody Online to get her Bible School hours in order to go into missions one day. Her interest lies with the marginalized. Those that the world has forgotten; those in the sex trade, orphans and those with disabilities. Please pray as she finishes up her course and gets ready to take the next in January. Please also pray for guidance as to her next step.

As Christmas approaches this year, I am newly reminded that God loves me and it is His plan for me that is greater than anything I could have imagined. He sent His Son for me because He loved me. My desire for the coming year and every year is to show His love through my life, where ever God places me.