Although blogging is not considered spiritual fruit, when I go long periods of time without blogging, it usually indicates a slowed or stagnate spiritual condition for me. When I am spending adequate time with the Lord, and seeing His heart and hand in my life, blogs usually result. I love to share with others what God is showing me and how deeply personal my Savior is.
For a month or two now, I have been in a funk – in every way – spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and even physically. This funk spiraled into a near depression last Thursday and Friday. This past Thursday was my estranged baby sister’s 30th birthday. She hasn’t spoken to our family in years and I have a niece and a nephew that I have never met. As if not being a part of their lives is not painful enough, out of the blue on Thursday I remembered something she said to me when she was a teenager. She was yelling at me about something I did that she didn’t like and she said to me: “when I am an adult, I will have a husband, and children, and a family, and a house and car… and Raquel, you’ll be all alone.” I have no idea why that came to mind after all these years, but it did and the grief was nearly unbearable as I thought “she was right”.
In addition to dealing with this, summer is a difficult time for me. No – not just because I hate heat! During the summer, church and ministry activities and small groups are less frequent, people are busy with their families and their trips, and I have many days where I work and then come home to dead silence until I work again. I’ve dealt with this for nearly 20 years but it has never gotten any easier. This Friday, we got out of work early and I literally had no plans for the weekend except for church and breakfast after church. I wasn’t happy about it.
I tried to do all the things that Christians are supposed to do. I came home and prayed, read the Bible, and tried to worship. The efforts kept me sane but that was about it. I prayed that God would deliver me from such a deep pit of sadness. That’s not a bad prayer. Many times, throughout the Bible others have prayed similar prayers. However, I took it a step further. I decided to give God options on how to best deliver me from sadness. Are you laughing yet? He was. The Lord looks at the plans of man and laughs. I wasn’t laughing. In my finite mind, there were only two ways God could answer my prayer – bring me the family I have wanted and dreamed about since I was 5 years old, or take the desire away completely.
As I laid in bed Friday evening, I remembered an illustration that God gave me earlier in the week. I was at work and a stink bug had crawled into my office. I said “eewww” and my co-worker came to see what I was “eeewwing” about. She jokingly said that the bug was coming to critique my work. As I laughed at the absurdity of a stink bug critiquing my work, a thought came to me: “this must be how ridiculous we look when we tell God how to be God.” So, I apologized to the Lord for basically attempting to boss Him around in regard to how He should handle my life and thanked Him for not doing to me what I did to that stink bug. However, even after my repentance, I really did not want to spend a 3-day weekend alone.
Somewhere around 9:40 pm the phone rang and it was a friend. This friend was on a road trip and we ended up talking for an hour and 20 minutes. We talked and laughed and the sadness was beginning to lift. Then, my friend mentioned that their travels would take them through Grove City. I don’t get to see this friend often, and even though it was getting late, I asked if I could meet them in Grove City to just say hi while they got gas and food. Most people would have thought I was nuts to want to drive 45 minutes away to simply see someone for 5-10 minutes. But my friend happily obliged and at 11:15 pm I drove to Grove City and ended up spending 25 minutes seeing my friend. I could not have been happier.
On Saturday my sister who lives locally asked me to drive her to Ohio. She said she would pay me for the gas. I took her up on it and after we returned she ended up taking me to dinner. I was gone from noon – 8pm on Saturday.
On Sunday, I had church and breakfast with my friends. Then my parents invited me over for a cookout with them and their pastors. I was there until early evening.
On Sunday evening, my friends were passing back through town on their way home and asked to crash at my place for the night after 8 hours of driving. I of course said yes, but I figured they would arrive after midnight, go to sleep, wake up and leaving very early in the morning. Well, you know what they say about assuming?
They arrived around 11pm and we stayed up late talking and laughing. As I went to sleep, I realized that I had yet to be alone very much at all this weekend. God had provided in unique and unexpected ways. And He wasn’t finished. Monday brought so many delightful surprises. My one friend and I woke up early (I woke up because I thought I would be saying good-bye in the early hours). The other friend (a teenager) was fast asleep so my friend decided to take me to breakfast. After breakfast, they made a decision to walk around Point State Park while the weather was still cool. I was delighted, but surprised. I enjoyed every minute of that morning, but I began to get concerned that my teenage friend would wake up alone and be very mad.
Around 10 am my friend sent a text that told us she had woken up and I was certain she would be mad. After a quick errand we came home and to my surprise she was not mad at all. The surprises didn’t end there. I thought she would be in a hurry to get home and they had a 5-hour drive ahead of them. But they stayed! They stayed and looked at pictures from my last mission trip. We had coffee and muffins and Raquel actually had people at her dining room table – a phenomenon that occurs typically 4 times a year. I was in heaven. And God was not done. My friend then decided we should all go to lunch. We went to a Chinese buffet in Greentree and I mentioned that it was close to my office and my teenage friend asked to see where I work. I gave a tour and explained what a portfolio accountant is and then we headed back home (psst- I deliberate took the long way home – heehee). My friends did not leave for their journey until 3pm and I headed back to my parents to do laundry where my dad cooked out again and my mom and sister and I watched a show.
Monday evening, I laid in bed grinning from ear to ear and my heart full of joy. I thanked God for blessing me beyond anything I ever could have imagined. I could not have asked for a better weekend – I would not have even thought a weekend that awesome was possible. It felt like January when I spent two weeks in Asia doing things that I never thought this girl from the bottoms of McKees Rocks would never experience.
The Lord told me to (figuratively) build an altar and remember this weekend whenever I begin to doubt His goodness. He reminded me of Matthew 7:11: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
I had asked my heavenly Father for good things - but I expected them to be packaged in a certain way and come at a certain time. When they weren’t, I began to doubt His care for me.
His care for me went exceedingly, abundantly, above all that I could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
It’s funny, the original circumstances that caused me so much pain have not changed. My baby sister is still estranged, I still have never met my niece and nephew, and my sister’s cruel words to me are still true, at least to the extent that I don’t have anyone to say good morning or good night to.
But as I have testified before, God writes a better story that I do. I never thought He could use a sweet 19-year-old young woman to bring me such joy. If I could just stop being like a stink bug and telling God how to be God… I wonder what other delightful surprises He might send my way.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Friday, March 2, 2018
Getting Out of My Own Way
I use this blog to highlight my walk with the Lord and the journey of sanctification He has me on. Each day, in every circumstance, He is using the events of my life to chisel away at my sin nature and conform me to be more like Jesus. The process is slow and will not be completed until I see Jesus face to face.
I make this point to say that it is my hope that through the stories I share in this blog, that my readers will see past the physical circumstances and events that I discuss in this blog, and get a glimpse of the heart and hand of God that is constantly at work in me. As I have said many times, I love how deeply personal Jesus is – and I pray that aspect of His nature shines through these posts more than the life happenings I share.
This week, I fell off the deep end. I worked myself up to record high stress levels, needlessly of course, but to the point of physical and mental exhaustion. My self-created stress caused so much mental noise, I could not hear God’s still small voice whispering peace to me. Last night, at a leaders meeting for the Moore and More Womens Bible Study leaders, God got my attention. I love how sweet He is. Although I could not hear His whisper, He did not shout to get my attention. Imagine the scene of a young hyper child trying to tell their Father how they feel. The child is talking a mile a minute to the point of losing touch with reality. The Father has two choices to get the child’s attention: a slap across the face, or gently cupping His hands around the child’s face and lifting the child’s eyes to meet His own. That is how my heavenly Father chose to get my attention last night.
I had allowed myself to become overly stressed about the Cambodia Night event I am hosting at my church next Saturday, March 10th. Although I am excited about the event, I originally did not want to do it. With events like this, the investment typically outweighs the outcome. After much time in prayer and a few meetings with people, it was clear that God wanted me to do this event. He confirmed it several times and in several different ways, so I obeyed. As the date drew closer, I encounter two obstacles – the enemy of my soul and my sin nature.
The enemy of my soul hit me with an avalanche of discouragement. Some of it was internal thoughts: “This is a waste of time and money. Who do you think you are? No one cares. What will people think of you. They may find you boring or overbearing. They’re secretly laughing or rolling their eyes. Raquel, your family will not be there. They don’t care. This isn’t important to them. They’re rolling their eyes for sure”.
Other sources of discouragement came from other people. They were well intended, trying to save me from disappointment, but their words were discouraging nonetheless: “Raquel, the church is missioned out. There are too many missionaries and not enough funds for every endeavor. Raquel, you’re doing all of this and 10 people will show up. The technology never works for things like this. It has always failed before, best to not try. Raquel, you’re doing much. …”
Although these thoughts began to weigh me down, I recognized their source and knew how to fight them. I took every thought captive and combatted each one with Scripture. After days of this battle, I got a little weary and I failed to recognize when my sin nature began to take over.
Everyone who knows me knows that I have OCD tendencies. My day can get ruined by finding that teaspoons have been intermingled with tablespoons in the office kitchen. (I’m working on it).
On the positive side of OCD, I believe that anything we decide to do should be done with excellence. We ought to do our best or not do it all. As I planned this event, I tried to apply the “Do Unto Others” principle as best I could. I imagined myself as a guest and thought about what would make it worth my time and make it an enjoyable experience for me.
While the intent is good, aiming for perfection while knowing it cannot be attained is a recipe for heartache. I soon became entangled in all the minute details. I had set a budget, spent my budget and added help from very good friends and still was unable to create the vision I had in my mind. I didn’t have good enough party favors. I couldn’t come up with free or cheap centerpieces for the tables. I didn’t have time to gather donations for a silent auction. And the worst tragedy – I could not find a way to get coffee and tea at a reasonable price. Heavens! You just can’t eat cake without coffee or tea!
The snowball of worries was tumbling downhill rapidly. What if it snows? No one will come. What if technology fails. What if the Cambodian caterer forgets to make the food? There is another event in that room until 3pm. I am scheduled to take it over at 4 – what if they run late or the maintenance staff forgets to reset the room. My mind spiraled to the point of acting like my salvation hinged on this thing. It was ridiculous.
Last night, as Veronica Reilly spoke to the ladies, God used her words to gently cup His hands around my face and lift my frantic eyes to His. Veronica was speaking about journaling and gave examples of making highlights of Scriptures or other life principles that God speaks to us. As I listened, I began to recall certain verses that I have memorized or certain things the Lord has taught me. The first thing I heard was “come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy and my burden is light”. I appreciated the Lords invitation to come to Him and rest and an easy burden sounded great. Before I could take Him up on His offer, I began to chastise myself for letting my thoughts and concerns get so out of hand. I know better. I know to trust Him. All I was supposed to do was be obedient and leave the outcomes to Him. I knew that – but I had failed to live it. This was not the way to come to Him and have my burdens relieved – I was adding a burden of guilt.
The next verse I heard was I Peter 5:7 – Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you. I heard the Holy Spirit softly speak to my heart and tell me that He was not chastising me so I did not need to chastise myself, I only needed to turn away from my self-induced stress and give it to Him.
As the night went on and Veronica continued to share, several points in her talk pointed me to the nature of my Father. I remembered that He loves us enough to count the hairs on our head. I remember that He cares about all the details of our lives, big and small. As I meditated on the cast your cares Scripture, I realized that I had a slightly incorrect understanding of that verse. I had believed that casting my cares meant to simply forget about them. I thought I was supposed to know that Jesus was fully in control and therefore my cares were stupid and pointless and I should just “cast them away” or forget about them. In that moment, the Holy Spirit highlighted the preposition in that verse. Cast your cares ON Him. It did not instruct us to forget about our cares or cast them into the wind… it was telling us to cast them ONTO Him – to bring our cares to Him like a child would bring their homework that they just can’t understand to their parent for help.
So as the leaders were talking and praying together for the upcoming study, I brought my cares about this event to the Lord, one by one. I imagined my face still cupped in His big loving hands as I began:
Father, what if it snows – no one will come. My daughter, I will bring the right people. I can do more with two people that you can do with 70. Let me handle the attendance.
Father, what if technology fails? What if the video doesn’t work? People will be disappointed.
My daughter, when I walked the earth, I did not have technology and I changed the world. I am the same yesterday, today, and forever. I can accomplish my goal with or without technology.
Father, I didn’t have time to get donations for a silent auction. My daughter, did I tell you to have silent auction? Remember, what I initiate, I permeate; what you initiate, you have to sustain. If I didn’t ask for it or allow it, you don’t need it.
Father, I don’t have a way to keep the 80 bottles of water cold. I hate drinking room temperature water. I don’t want my guests to drink room temperature water. My daughter, each week during the Beth Moore Bible studies, you put out pitchers of ice. You already have plastic cups. Your guests can pour their bottled water over ice. (why didn’t I think of that – duh).
Father, the only party favors I have are bookmarks. I wanted to do more. I wanted to show the people I am thankful that they came. My daughter, when you go to a party (He reminded me of the Christmas tea that my mentor always hosts in December) do you go with the thought of what you’ll walk out with?
No, Father – I go to see my friends and enjoy their company. Exactly, and that is why your friends are coming.
Father, I invested so much. What if the outcome is less than the investment? My daughter, who did you invest for? I desire obedience, not sacrifice. I Samuel 15:22. Your investment was an act of obedience to Me. What I do or don’t do with the investment is not your worry. Remember, many are the plans of man’s heart, but it is My purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 That is part of the testimony you plan to share.
Father, my family is not coming. My mom is still recovering from back surgery. She can’t sit very long and can’t handle a large crowd. I understand that. But none of my family is coming, it just feels strange. Oh daughter, your family is coming. Years ago, I taught you MY definition of family found in Matthew 12:48. You have understood this principle better than most. Society says that blood is thicker than water. That concept is not found in my Word. Your family has committed to being there for you.
And that was all I needed. The stress was gone, His peace filled me, and I was once again able to leave this event in His capable hands. At the end of the evening, one of the ladies at my table prayed “Lord, help us to get out of our own way and to not be a hinderance to ourselves.” It was all I could do to not laugh out loud. She prayed that prayer in reference to the ladies Bible study that will begin next week. But her prayer was God’s final instruction to me and I committed to getting out of my own way.
I love how loving and tender my Father is. I love how He cares and how He loves. It’s amazing how he can use a leaders meeting with 20+ people to speak so specifically to my need.
For the next week and throughout the evening on March 10th, whether I have 70 people or 7, rain, snow or sun… I am committed to staying out of my own way. His way is so much better.
And…. I found a way to have coffee and tea at a reasonable price.
I make this point to say that it is my hope that through the stories I share in this blog, that my readers will see past the physical circumstances and events that I discuss in this blog, and get a glimpse of the heart and hand of God that is constantly at work in me. As I have said many times, I love how deeply personal Jesus is – and I pray that aspect of His nature shines through these posts more than the life happenings I share.
This week, I fell off the deep end. I worked myself up to record high stress levels, needlessly of course, but to the point of physical and mental exhaustion. My self-created stress caused so much mental noise, I could not hear God’s still small voice whispering peace to me. Last night, at a leaders meeting for the Moore and More Womens Bible Study leaders, God got my attention. I love how sweet He is. Although I could not hear His whisper, He did not shout to get my attention. Imagine the scene of a young hyper child trying to tell their Father how they feel. The child is talking a mile a minute to the point of losing touch with reality. The Father has two choices to get the child’s attention: a slap across the face, or gently cupping His hands around the child’s face and lifting the child’s eyes to meet His own. That is how my heavenly Father chose to get my attention last night.
I had allowed myself to become overly stressed about the Cambodia Night event I am hosting at my church next Saturday, March 10th. Although I am excited about the event, I originally did not want to do it. With events like this, the investment typically outweighs the outcome. After much time in prayer and a few meetings with people, it was clear that God wanted me to do this event. He confirmed it several times and in several different ways, so I obeyed. As the date drew closer, I encounter two obstacles – the enemy of my soul and my sin nature.
The enemy of my soul hit me with an avalanche of discouragement. Some of it was internal thoughts: “This is a waste of time and money. Who do you think you are? No one cares. What will people think of you. They may find you boring or overbearing. They’re secretly laughing or rolling their eyes. Raquel, your family will not be there. They don’t care. This isn’t important to them. They’re rolling their eyes for sure”.
Other sources of discouragement came from other people. They were well intended, trying to save me from disappointment, but their words were discouraging nonetheless: “Raquel, the church is missioned out. There are too many missionaries and not enough funds for every endeavor. Raquel, you’re doing all of this and 10 people will show up. The technology never works for things like this. It has always failed before, best to not try. Raquel, you’re doing much. …”
Although these thoughts began to weigh me down, I recognized their source and knew how to fight them. I took every thought captive and combatted each one with Scripture. After days of this battle, I got a little weary and I failed to recognize when my sin nature began to take over.
Everyone who knows me knows that I have OCD tendencies. My day can get ruined by finding that teaspoons have been intermingled with tablespoons in the office kitchen. (I’m working on it).
On the positive side of OCD, I believe that anything we decide to do should be done with excellence. We ought to do our best or not do it all. As I planned this event, I tried to apply the “Do Unto Others” principle as best I could. I imagined myself as a guest and thought about what would make it worth my time and make it an enjoyable experience for me.
While the intent is good, aiming for perfection while knowing it cannot be attained is a recipe for heartache. I soon became entangled in all the minute details. I had set a budget, spent my budget and added help from very good friends and still was unable to create the vision I had in my mind. I didn’t have good enough party favors. I couldn’t come up with free or cheap centerpieces for the tables. I didn’t have time to gather donations for a silent auction. And the worst tragedy – I could not find a way to get coffee and tea at a reasonable price. Heavens! You just can’t eat cake without coffee or tea!
The snowball of worries was tumbling downhill rapidly. What if it snows? No one will come. What if technology fails. What if the Cambodian caterer forgets to make the food? There is another event in that room until 3pm. I am scheduled to take it over at 4 – what if they run late or the maintenance staff forgets to reset the room. My mind spiraled to the point of acting like my salvation hinged on this thing. It was ridiculous.
Last night, as Veronica Reilly spoke to the ladies, God used her words to gently cup His hands around my face and lift my frantic eyes to His. Veronica was speaking about journaling and gave examples of making highlights of Scriptures or other life principles that God speaks to us. As I listened, I began to recall certain verses that I have memorized or certain things the Lord has taught me. The first thing I heard was “come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy and my burden is light”. I appreciated the Lords invitation to come to Him and rest and an easy burden sounded great. Before I could take Him up on His offer, I began to chastise myself for letting my thoughts and concerns get so out of hand. I know better. I know to trust Him. All I was supposed to do was be obedient and leave the outcomes to Him. I knew that – but I had failed to live it. This was not the way to come to Him and have my burdens relieved – I was adding a burden of guilt.
The next verse I heard was I Peter 5:7 – Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you. I heard the Holy Spirit softly speak to my heart and tell me that He was not chastising me so I did not need to chastise myself, I only needed to turn away from my self-induced stress and give it to Him.
As the night went on and Veronica continued to share, several points in her talk pointed me to the nature of my Father. I remembered that He loves us enough to count the hairs on our head. I remember that He cares about all the details of our lives, big and small. As I meditated on the cast your cares Scripture, I realized that I had a slightly incorrect understanding of that verse. I had believed that casting my cares meant to simply forget about them. I thought I was supposed to know that Jesus was fully in control and therefore my cares were stupid and pointless and I should just “cast them away” or forget about them. In that moment, the Holy Spirit highlighted the preposition in that verse. Cast your cares ON Him. It did not instruct us to forget about our cares or cast them into the wind… it was telling us to cast them ONTO Him – to bring our cares to Him like a child would bring their homework that they just can’t understand to their parent for help.
So as the leaders were talking and praying together for the upcoming study, I brought my cares about this event to the Lord, one by one. I imagined my face still cupped in His big loving hands as I began:
Father, what if it snows – no one will come. My daughter, I will bring the right people. I can do more with two people that you can do with 70. Let me handle the attendance.
Father, what if technology fails? What if the video doesn’t work? People will be disappointed.
My daughter, when I walked the earth, I did not have technology and I changed the world. I am the same yesterday, today, and forever. I can accomplish my goal with or without technology.
Father, I didn’t have time to get donations for a silent auction. My daughter, did I tell you to have silent auction? Remember, what I initiate, I permeate; what you initiate, you have to sustain. If I didn’t ask for it or allow it, you don’t need it.
Father, I don’t have a way to keep the 80 bottles of water cold. I hate drinking room temperature water. I don’t want my guests to drink room temperature water. My daughter, each week during the Beth Moore Bible studies, you put out pitchers of ice. You already have plastic cups. Your guests can pour their bottled water over ice. (why didn’t I think of that – duh).
Father, the only party favors I have are bookmarks. I wanted to do more. I wanted to show the people I am thankful that they came. My daughter, when you go to a party (He reminded me of the Christmas tea that my mentor always hosts in December) do you go with the thought of what you’ll walk out with?
No, Father – I go to see my friends and enjoy their company. Exactly, and that is why your friends are coming.
Father, I invested so much. What if the outcome is less than the investment? My daughter, who did you invest for? I desire obedience, not sacrifice. I Samuel 15:22. Your investment was an act of obedience to Me. What I do or don’t do with the investment is not your worry. Remember, many are the plans of man’s heart, but it is My purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 That is part of the testimony you plan to share.
Father, my family is not coming. My mom is still recovering from back surgery. She can’t sit very long and can’t handle a large crowd. I understand that. But none of my family is coming, it just feels strange. Oh daughter, your family is coming. Years ago, I taught you MY definition of family found in Matthew 12:48. You have understood this principle better than most. Society says that blood is thicker than water. That concept is not found in my Word. Your family has committed to being there for you.
And that was all I needed. The stress was gone, His peace filled me, and I was once again able to leave this event in His capable hands. At the end of the evening, one of the ladies at my table prayed “Lord, help us to get out of our own way and to not be a hinderance to ourselves.” It was all I could do to not laugh out loud. She prayed that prayer in reference to the ladies Bible study that will begin next week. But her prayer was God’s final instruction to me and I committed to getting out of my own way.
I love how loving and tender my Father is. I love how He cares and how He loves. It’s amazing how he can use a leaders meeting with 20+ people to speak so specifically to my need.
For the next week and throughout the evening on March 10th, whether I have 70 people or 7, rain, snow or sun… I am committed to staying out of my own way. His way is so much better.
And…. I found a way to have coffee and tea at a reasonable price.
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Moving Forward: Remaining Missional After a Mission Trip
I have been home from Asia for a week now. Although a part of my heart remains in Cambodia, I am confident that I am where God wants me in this particular season of life. Like most people that return from a short-term trip, I am faced with a challenge. These trips are truly life-changing and upon return home my desire is to live differently.
I don't believe you have to be on foreign soil to be mission minded and mission focused. It ought to be a lifestyle. Over the past several years, I have heard several people say that they are not called to missions. Unfortunately, that statement is Biblically inaccurate. The truth is, you may not be called to full time missions, or you may not even be called to leave the country. However, each person that considers themselves a follower of Jesus is called to BOTH local and global missions.
Matthew 28:19 - Go and make disciples of all nations.
Acts 1:8 - You will be my witnesses..... to the ends of the earth.
Acts 13:47 - I have made you a light... that you would bring salvation to the ends of the earth.
Mark 16:15 - Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.
There are many different ways to accomplish this command without ever stepping foot on an airplane. Obviously the first is prayer. We can be praying for the salvation of souls, other needs such as alleviation of poverty, and for those who are currently serving overseas. Be careful though, I think many of us unintentionally use prayer as a quick pass to get out of the Biblical commands listed above. We say a quick "God save the world" and "God bless the missionaries" and consider it done. That is not the kind of prayer that serves the global mission call. In order to pray effectively, we have to know the understand the needs of the recipients of our prayers. We need to be informed.
This leads to another way we can serve the Great Commission: stay in contact with the missionaries in the field. Don't just read the newsletter they send, schedule Skype or FaceTime sessions, send emails. Ask what their needs and prayer requests are and then offer encouragement and pray accordingly.
A third way to serve is with our finances. Give generously to both local and global causes as the Lord leads.
Finally, serve as an advocate. Tell your family and friends about the needs of the local and global missions. Share the testimonies and success stories. Spread the word.
I think that I, along with everyone who takes a short-term mission trip, comes home with the intent to do all these things. As I learned after my first trip, it is easier said than done. Two little words explain why: life happens. We get back into the busyness of life and these things fall to back burner. Even when things are going well, life can suck the life out of you.
Additionally, we may sometimes find ourselves feeling overwhelmed or overloaded with all the different serving opportunities available to us. I myself struggle with wanting to do more than I am able and give more than I have. I often feel guilty for missing events or not being able to give to all the missionaries I know. I hate that I have no more vacation time left this year from my job and I cannot go on any more mission trips until next year. It is going to kill me when the team from North Way goes to Cambodia in July and I have to stay behind, though I will serve as a sender and cheerleader!
So how do I overcome this issue that seem to interfere with my desire to be missional all the time, everywhere? My mentor said it best. She said: "it all comes down to obedience". Are we doing all that God has asked of us personally - and nothing more, nothing less?
This of course means that we have to continually be in communication with the Lord, asking Him what He would have us do and how to prioritize our lives. His answer may not always be easy or even what we want to hear.
However, I think that we may have painted the term "obedience" in a distorted light. What comes to mind when you hear the word "obedience"? Do you picture a boss giving orders that must be carried out regardless of how the subject feels about them? Do you picture a stern parent demanding action and respect from a child?
During my trip, I have come to see obedience differently. Imagine if you will, a couple dancing a slow dance to an intimate, romantic song. In the dance, one person leads out and the other follows in his footsteps. If one is leading and the other following, the moves become natural and they are free to gaze in each other's eyes and simply enjoy their relationship and enjoy the dance. This is what obedience to the Lord truly looks like. It's natural, beautiful, and enjoyable. Perhaps not easy, but wholly worth it.
During my time overseas, the Lord took me on such a sweet adventure and lavish gifts on me unlike anything I could have imagined. Because I know His heart for me, I have a feeling He does this often, right here at home, but I am too busy to see it. For me to remain missional, all I must do is keep my gaze on His face, keep in step with His leading, and enjoy the dance. If I do that, I won't be wishing for a different dance. I know that my Creator masterfully crafted this dance exclusively for me.
I don't believe you have to be on foreign soil to be mission minded and mission focused. It ought to be a lifestyle. Over the past several years, I have heard several people say that they are not called to missions. Unfortunately, that statement is Biblically inaccurate. The truth is, you may not be called to full time missions, or you may not even be called to leave the country. However, each person that considers themselves a follower of Jesus is called to BOTH local and global missions.
Matthew 28:19 - Go and make disciples of all nations.
Acts 1:8 - You will be my witnesses..... to the ends of the earth.
Acts 13:47 - I have made you a light... that you would bring salvation to the ends of the earth.
Mark 16:15 - Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.
There are many different ways to accomplish this command without ever stepping foot on an airplane. Obviously the first is prayer. We can be praying for the salvation of souls, other needs such as alleviation of poverty, and for those who are currently serving overseas. Be careful though, I think many of us unintentionally use prayer as a quick pass to get out of the Biblical commands listed above. We say a quick "God save the world" and "God bless the missionaries" and consider it done. That is not the kind of prayer that serves the global mission call. In order to pray effectively, we have to know the understand the needs of the recipients of our prayers. We need to be informed.
This leads to another way we can serve the Great Commission: stay in contact with the missionaries in the field. Don't just read the newsletter they send, schedule Skype or FaceTime sessions, send emails. Ask what their needs and prayer requests are and then offer encouragement and pray accordingly.
A third way to serve is with our finances. Give generously to both local and global causes as the Lord leads.
Finally, serve as an advocate. Tell your family and friends about the needs of the local and global missions. Share the testimonies and success stories. Spread the word.
I think that I, along with everyone who takes a short-term mission trip, comes home with the intent to do all these things. As I learned after my first trip, it is easier said than done. Two little words explain why: life happens. We get back into the busyness of life and these things fall to back burner. Even when things are going well, life can suck the life out of you.
Additionally, we may sometimes find ourselves feeling overwhelmed or overloaded with all the different serving opportunities available to us. I myself struggle with wanting to do more than I am able and give more than I have. I often feel guilty for missing events or not being able to give to all the missionaries I know. I hate that I have no more vacation time left this year from my job and I cannot go on any more mission trips until next year. It is going to kill me when the team from North Way goes to Cambodia in July and I have to stay behind, though I will serve as a sender and cheerleader!
So how do I overcome this issue that seem to interfere with my desire to be missional all the time, everywhere? My mentor said it best. She said: "it all comes down to obedience". Are we doing all that God has asked of us personally - and nothing more, nothing less?
This of course means that we have to continually be in communication with the Lord, asking Him what He would have us do and how to prioritize our lives. His answer may not always be easy or even what we want to hear.
However, I think that we may have painted the term "obedience" in a distorted light. What comes to mind when you hear the word "obedience"? Do you picture a boss giving orders that must be carried out regardless of how the subject feels about them? Do you picture a stern parent demanding action and respect from a child?
During my trip, I have come to see obedience differently. Imagine if you will, a couple dancing a slow dance to an intimate, romantic song. In the dance, one person leads out and the other follows in his footsteps. If one is leading and the other following, the moves become natural and they are free to gaze in each other's eyes and simply enjoy their relationship and enjoy the dance. This is what obedience to the Lord truly looks like. It's natural, beautiful, and enjoyable. Perhaps not easy, but wholly worth it.
During my time overseas, the Lord took me on such a sweet adventure and lavish gifts on me unlike anything I could have imagined. Because I know His heart for me, I have a feeling He does this often, right here at home, but I am too busy to see it. For me to remain missional, all I must do is keep my gaze on His face, keep in step with His leading, and enjoy the dance. If I do that, I won't be wishing for a different dance. I know that my Creator masterfully crafted this dance exclusively for me.
Monday, January 29, 2018
Giving Thanks: Trip Summary
I have had two days to rest from my trip. I guess I did a good job at resting because its almost 1 am and I am wide awake. In a few hours, I go back to work. Since I can't sleep, I figured I would put the time to good use and finish typing my last two trip related blogs.
I wanted to use this blog to summarize what was accomplished during my time overseas and it's kingdom significance. I also want to highlight what I have learned or my take-aways from this time.
How does one summarize the trip of a lifetime? Well this Tower of Babel is going to try..... (I'll give you a minute... haha)
First, I want to address why I went. I went to teach accounting. There may be folks out there who don't think that teaching accounting qualifies as a mission trip. Prior to this trip, I was one of them. And I was wrong. In Exodus 31:3, God is speaking about an individual and He says: "I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and with all kinds of skills." If God is the One Who creates us with these skills, it makes sense that He would have a plan to use them. During my time in Cambodia, I not only taught accounting, I reinforced why it was important. First, Southeast Asia Prayer Center is a nonprofit organization based in the US. These types of organizations are subject to audits. The more detailed and well-kept their financial records are, the better the rating they receive. Often, when people are choosing where to donate money, they will look to systems such as Charity Navigator to investigate the financial integrity or rating of the organization. By improving the accounting and financial records, the door is open for more donors and sponsors for the orphans of Cambodia. Additionally, a detailed report of income vs expenses, allows SEAPC to be wise stewards of the funds they receive.
In addition to teaching accounting and its importance, I was able to encourage the SEAPC Cambodia staff. I know from experience how easy it is to get caught up in the day to day mundane tasks and forget why you're doing the work. In my own office, it does not take long for me to begin drowning in the minutia of data and soon forget my higher level goals and the mission of the company. In my office, this is remedied by having 30 minute meetings with my supervisor twice a month. He is an excellent encourager and our chats help me to stay focused and aware of goals.
I was able to encourage the staff and remind them that even though they are not working directly with the children, their work has a direct impact on the help the children receive. The better their accounting, the more funds can be brought in, the more methods can be improved, and more children benefit from the ministry.
The rest of my time in Cambodia offered multiple ways to bless the people. I was able to give gifts to my sponsored children and they now know that there is a real person behind the letters they receive. On Sunday afternoon, a group of us purchased soap and food to distribute to an impoverished area of Phnom Penh. Lastly, I was able to encourage and bless the hotel workers and our tuk-tuk driver. The driver works 7 days a week. He only takes a day off for national holidays. He was helpful and cheerful and served us well for a week. After my last ride, I was able to bless him with a little extra tip and demonstrate the Biblical principle that a workman is worthy of his hire. 1 Timothy 5:18.
Similarly, in Thailand, Bill and I worked together to streamline the accounting. Tomorrow, I will have the opportunity to meet his bookkeeper here in the States and show her a few tweaks that we made. Like SEAPC, this can open the door for more donors as financial records are improved. In Thailand, it served two more purposes. Bill and Susie are in Thailand to minister to the kids under their care. I still am awed by the sweet relationships they have with the kids. Bill does not need to spend time swimming through financial data. By cleaning it up it frees him to focus on the kids and on higher level financial decisions. Additionally, by standardizing procedures, we began to create a legacy plan for when the ministry is passed on to others.
During my time in Thailand, I was able to encourage some of the kids in the home.
Ages ago, in Bible College, I took the Spiritual Gifts test. It revealed that my two most dominant gifts were encouragement and intercession.
During this trip, I was able to use my gift of encouragement several times. The trip also equipped me to be a better intercessor. During the time spent in both places, I was able to see more closely where the needs are and I know better how to pray specifically for both places and people groups.
I have spent the above paragraphs summarizing the work that God allowed me to do in Asia. However, I want to be very clear. I received a million times more than I gave. The time with precious friends, the new friendships made, the learning, the experiences, the fun ... was all more than I could ever have asked for or imagined. From learning about the evil genocide that ravaged the nation of Cambodia and seeing the demonic temple painted white in Thailand to all the fun places I visited and activities I did (I rode an elephant!). Most precious to me is the time I spent worshiping Jesus in both Khmer and Thai.
I've already rambled too long and I've yet to discuss my take aways. To be brief, I will say that I have learned to trust God more, to have more peace about His plan for my life, and to really know in my heart what Pastor Kent shared in December: What God initiates, He permeates.
I wanted to use this blog to summarize what was accomplished during my time overseas and it's kingdom significance. I also want to highlight what I have learned or my take-aways from this time.
How does one summarize the trip of a lifetime? Well this Tower of Babel is going to try..... (I'll give you a minute... haha)
First, I want to address why I went. I went to teach accounting. There may be folks out there who don't think that teaching accounting qualifies as a mission trip. Prior to this trip, I was one of them. And I was wrong. In Exodus 31:3, God is speaking about an individual and He says: "I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and with all kinds of skills." If God is the One Who creates us with these skills, it makes sense that He would have a plan to use them. During my time in Cambodia, I not only taught accounting, I reinforced why it was important. First, Southeast Asia Prayer Center is a nonprofit organization based in the US. These types of organizations are subject to audits. The more detailed and well-kept their financial records are, the better the rating they receive. Often, when people are choosing where to donate money, they will look to systems such as Charity Navigator to investigate the financial integrity or rating of the organization. By improving the accounting and financial records, the door is open for more donors and sponsors for the orphans of Cambodia. Additionally, a detailed report of income vs expenses, allows SEAPC to be wise stewards of the funds they receive.
In addition to teaching accounting and its importance, I was able to encourage the SEAPC Cambodia staff. I know from experience how easy it is to get caught up in the day to day mundane tasks and forget why you're doing the work. In my own office, it does not take long for me to begin drowning in the minutia of data and soon forget my higher level goals and the mission of the company. In my office, this is remedied by having 30 minute meetings with my supervisor twice a month. He is an excellent encourager and our chats help me to stay focused and aware of goals.
I was able to encourage the staff and remind them that even though they are not working directly with the children, their work has a direct impact on the help the children receive. The better their accounting, the more funds can be brought in, the more methods can be improved, and more children benefit from the ministry.
The rest of my time in Cambodia offered multiple ways to bless the people. I was able to give gifts to my sponsored children and they now know that there is a real person behind the letters they receive. On Sunday afternoon, a group of us purchased soap and food to distribute to an impoverished area of Phnom Penh. Lastly, I was able to encourage and bless the hotel workers and our tuk-tuk driver. The driver works 7 days a week. He only takes a day off for national holidays. He was helpful and cheerful and served us well for a week. After my last ride, I was able to bless him with a little extra tip and demonstrate the Biblical principle that a workman is worthy of his hire. 1 Timothy 5:18.
Similarly, in Thailand, Bill and I worked together to streamline the accounting. Tomorrow, I will have the opportunity to meet his bookkeeper here in the States and show her a few tweaks that we made. Like SEAPC, this can open the door for more donors as financial records are improved. In Thailand, it served two more purposes. Bill and Susie are in Thailand to minister to the kids under their care. I still am awed by the sweet relationships they have with the kids. Bill does not need to spend time swimming through financial data. By cleaning it up it frees him to focus on the kids and on higher level financial decisions. Additionally, by standardizing procedures, we began to create a legacy plan for when the ministry is passed on to others.
During my time in Thailand, I was able to encourage some of the kids in the home.
Ages ago, in Bible College, I took the Spiritual Gifts test. It revealed that my two most dominant gifts were encouragement and intercession.
During this trip, I was able to use my gift of encouragement several times. The trip also equipped me to be a better intercessor. During the time spent in both places, I was able to see more closely where the needs are and I know better how to pray specifically for both places and people groups.
I have spent the above paragraphs summarizing the work that God allowed me to do in Asia. However, I want to be very clear. I received a million times more than I gave. The time with precious friends, the new friendships made, the learning, the experiences, the fun ... was all more than I could ever have asked for or imagined. From learning about the evil genocide that ravaged the nation of Cambodia and seeing the demonic temple painted white in Thailand to all the fun places I visited and activities I did (I rode an elephant!). Most precious to me is the time I spent worshiping Jesus in both Khmer and Thai.
I've already rambled too long and I've yet to discuss my take aways. To be brief, I will say that I have learned to trust God more, to have more peace about His plan for my life, and to really know in my heart what Pastor Kent shared in December: What God initiates, He permeates.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Visiting The Dark Side
Warning: This is not a "fun" blog. It won't make you laugh, smile, or get excited. I wasn't even sure if I should post it, but I decided to do so because it is real. As Christians, we need to be knowledgeable about
Friday was my last day in Thailand and Bill and Susie took me to see some of the sights in Chiang Rai. The first place we went is the City Navel Pillar. Google the name and read the brief description from Wikipedia. (my blogs are long enough). The site was interesting and contained some history, which I love. It was also sad. It was sad because it showed the efforts of human beings desperately trying to get to God all the while oblivious to the reality that God already came to man. People have placed colorful ribbons on all of the pillars. They buy flowers to lay before the gods. The spirits are supposedly drawn to color and aroma so these people bring items in an attempt to draw spirits and receive blessing. Around this pillar are various vendors selling items that people can purchase and leave on the altar for the gods to keep.
As we walked to the other side of the hill and viewed some other temples, we saw some statues and dragons and such. As I looked at some of the faces on these statues, I said: "they look demonic". Bill replied: "they ARE demonic".
I felt sad and angry at the same time. As I walked around these objects, I remembered something Matt Geppert said to me as I made a pitiful attempt to walk around Angkor Wat in Cambodia. As I was getting discouraged because I was physically unable to walk through the whole structure, Matt encouraged me by saying: "Raquel, you brought the presence of the Lord to Angkor Wat. The Ark is parked". He was referring to the Ark of the Covenant. When a person is saved and has the Spirit of God in them, they bring the Spirit of God wherever they go. The group of us were not just sight seeing. We prayer walked and brought the presence of God to that place.
Apparently, that was just an appetizer. I could never have imagined what I would see at our next stop.
After stopping for the imperative iced coffee, they took me to a place called The White Temple. When you drive near the place, it looks spectacular. It's huge. As the name would imply its sparkling white - all of it. It looks like something from a children's fairy tale - you expect a queen or princess to come out in regal attire.
It is a temple and also a tourist attraction and there were a ton of people there. When you first walk in it still looks pretty. The grounds are impeccably kept and the setting is park like. They had two white arches over two walkways and I noticed a ton of shiny silver things hanging off the ceiling. I found out that each silver ornament was purchased by someone and a prayer request was written on it and hung on the lattice. There must have been tens of thousands of them. Shiny silver ornaments hanging off bright while structures. As we walked further, we noticed more and more of these. We witnessed people buying new ones and putting their prayer requests on a tree and praying to the gods.
All of this was surrounding the main temple. We had yet to go near the main temple and you had to pay to do so. After paying for the admission ticket and walking in the main section, we had to take off our shoes to continue the journey.
We walked in and got in line to enter the temple and that's when I saw the reality of the place. Surrounding the temple were the most gruesome, ugliest, horrific sculptures I have ever seen. Skulls, demons of every kind, monster looking heads. At the gate leading up to the temple were two huge creatures, one with a sword in his hand and his finger pointing at the folks entering. There were twisted tree limbs that had tormented faces carved into them. The worst part for me was the hands. They had thousands of hands reaching up from the ground - representing tortured souls trying desperately to escape eternal hell. Everything I saw had been painted white, yet it was the darkness thing I have ever experienced.
I was overwhelmed with the evil around me. I literally felt like I was standing at the gates of hell. I probably was. Inside the inner temple there was a statue of a buddha and people were kneeling and burning incense. I didn't look too long. On the walls of the inner temple, they had more gruesome paintings. The one which stood out to me was a picture of the burning towers of the World Trade Center and a demon was coming out of the black smoke from the fire. Accurate depiction.
As my eyes took in all this evil, there was only one thing I could say. I just kept saying the Name that is above every name - Jesus. It was the only thing I could say that could overcome what my eyes were seeing. I then remembered the story that Amy Smith shared with the church about why she wrote the song "Matchless". She had been in a temple in Thailand and was overcome by the darkness she experienced. She began to call the name of Jesus and through that experience she wrote that song.
I was glad I had something to sing. For the rest of my time in that place, which was not long, I just kept singing "matchless is the Name that covers me..."
As we left, I told Bill and Susie that the day before when they took me to that restaurant with such a spectacular view of the mountains, I felt like they took me to heaven... and today, they took me to hell.
But I was glad they took me and you should be glad I am telling you about it. Why? Because it is real. Our enemy is real. The enemy wants to keep as many people as he possibly can from having a relationship with Jesus and being saved and eternally secure. One of the main ways he accomplishes his goal is through deception. He deceives people with religion. He deceives folks by making evil look like its beautiful. He deceives people by causing them to believe if they just do a few spiritual acts... burn incense, go to church, tithe, sing, kneel.... if they just do enough good things then they are fine. Tragically, the people who buy the lie become one of the thousands of hands reaching up from the fires of hell longing to be rescued from the torture.
I will not post the pictures on this blog site, but I wish everyone could see what I saw, especially the sea of hands. It might just be the wake up call we need.
Visiting the White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand gave me the tools to be a more equipped prayer warrior. I will be praying for all those within the grip of the enemy. I will be praying that their eyes will be opened and they will see beyond the white wash to what is real. The Bible says that Lucifer was the most beautiful angel. The Bible tells us that he masquerades as the angel of light. So it's no surprise that the enemy would take what is evil and paint it white and cause it to look amazingly brilliant from a distance. As the church, it is our job to expose him. It is our job to let the truth shine forth and dispel the darkness.
Just as we were called out of darkness and into His marvelous Light, so we must also call people out of darkness with prayer. Let's get serious about this so that there may be less hands looking to be lifted out of hell and more hands raised to Jesus in worship.
Friday was my last day in Thailand and Bill and Susie took me to see some of the sights in Chiang Rai. The first place we went is the City Navel Pillar. Google the name and read the brief description from Wikipedia. (my blogs are long enough). The site was interesting and contained some history, which I love. It was also sad. It was sad because it showed the efforts of human beings desperately trying to get to God all the while oblivious to the reality that God already came to man. People have placed colorful ribbons on all of the pillars. They buy flowers to lay before the gods. The spirits are supposedly drawn to color and aroma so these people bring items in an attempt to draw spirits and receive blessing. Around this pillar are various vendors selling items that people can purchase and leave on the altar for the gods to keep.
As we walked to the other side of the hill and viewed some other temples, we saw some statues and dragons and such. As I looked at some of the faces on these statues, I said: "they look demonic". Bill replied: "they ARE demonic".
I felt sad and angry at the same time. As I walked around these objects, I remembered something Matt Geppert said to me as I made a pitiful attempt to walk around Angkor Wat in Cambodia. As I was getting discouraged because I was physically unable to walk through the whole structure, Matt encouraged me by saying: "Raquel, you brought the presence of the Lord to Angkor Wat. The Ark is parked". He was referring to the Ark of the Covenant. When a person is saved and has the Spirit of God in them, they bring the Spirit of God wherever they go. The group of us were not just sight seeing. We prayer walked and brought the presence of God to that place.
Apparently, that was just an appetizer. I could never have imagined what I would see at our next stop.
After stopping for the imperative iced coffee, they took me to a place called The White Temple. When you drive near the place, it looks spectacular. It's huge. As the name would imply its sparkling white - all of it. It looks like something from a children's fairy tale - you expect a queen or princess to come out in regal attire.
It is a temple and also a tourist attraction and there were a ton of people there. When you first walk in it still looks pretty. The grounds are impeccably kept and the setting is park like. They had two white arches over two walkways and I noticed a ton of shiny silver things hanging off the ceiling. I found out that each silver ornament was purchased by someone and a prayer request was written on it and hung on the lattice. There must have been tens of thousands of them. Shiny silver ornaments hanging off bright while structures. As we walked further, we noticed more and more of these. We witnessed people buying new ones and putting their prayer requests on a tree and praying to the gods.
All of this was surrounding the main temple. We had yet to go near the main temple and you had to pay to do so. After paying for the admission ticket and walking in the main section, we had to take off our shoes to continue the journey.
We walked in and got in line to enter the temple and that's when I saw the reality of the place. Surrounding the temple were the most gruesome, ugliest, horrific sculptures I have ever seen. Skulls, demons of every kind, monster looking heads. At the gate leading up to the temple were two huge creatures, one with a sword in his hand and his finger pointing at the folks entering. There were twisted tree limbs that had tormented faces carved into them. The worst part for me was the hands. They had thousands of hands reaching up from the ground - representing tortured souls trying desperately to escape eternal hell. Everything I saw had been painted white, yet it was the darkness thing I have ever experienced.
I was overwhelmed with the evil around me. I literally felt like I was standing at the gates of hell. I probably was. Inside the inner temple there was a statue of a buddha and people were kneeling and burning incense. I didn't look too long. On the walls of the inner temple, they had more gruesome paintings. The one which stood out to me was a picture of the burning towers of the World Trade Center and a demon was coming out of the black smoke from the fire. Accurate depiction.
As my eyes took in all this evil, there was only one thing I could say. I just kept saying the Name that is above every name - Jesus. It was the only thing I could say that could overcome what my eyes were seeing. I then remembered the story that Amy Smith shared with the church about why she wrote the song "Matchless". She had been in a temple in Thailand and was overcome by the darkness she experienced. She began to call the name of Jesus and through that experience she wrote that song.
I was glad I had something to sing. For the rest of my time in that place, which was not long, I just kept singing "matchless is the Name that covers me..."
As we left, I told Bill and Susie that the day before when they took me to that restaurant with such a spectacular view of the mountains, I felt like they took me to heaven... and today, they took me to hell.
But I was glad they took me and you should be glad I am telling you about it. Why? Because it is real. Our enemy is real. The enemy wants to keep as many people as he possibly can from having a relationship with Jesus and being saved and eternally secure. One of the main ways he accomplishes his goal is through deception. He deceives people with religion. He deceives folks by making evil look like its beautiful. He deceives people by causing them to believe if they just do a few spiritual acts... burn incense, go to church, tithe, sing, kneel.... if they just do enough good things then they are fine. Tragically, the people who buy the lie become one of the thousands of hands reaching up from the fires of hell longing to be rescued from the torture.
I will not post the pictures on this blog site, but I wish everyone could see what I saw, especially the sea of hands. It might just be the wake up call we need.
Visiting the White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand gave me the tools to be a more equipped prayer warrior. I will be praying for all those within the grip of the enemy. I will be praying that their eyes will be opened and they will see beyond the white wash to what is real. The Bible says that Lucifer was the most beautiful angel. The Bible tells us that he masquerades as the angel of light. So it's no surprise that the enemy would take what is evil and paint it white and cause it to look amazingly brilliant from a distance. As the church, it is our job to expose him. It is our job to let the truth shine forth and dispel the darkness.
Just as we were called out of darkness and into His marvelous Light, so we must also call people out of darkness with prayer. Let's get serious about this so that there may be less hands looking to be lifted out of hell and more hands raised to Jesus in worship.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Thailand: Wednesday and Thursday
My purpose for coming to Thailand was to help Bill with his accounting for his ministry. Most of Wednesday and Thursday were spent in front of a computer doing accounting work. Unless you're an accountant, a blog about accounting would be boring. So I will spare you the accounting details.
I'm excited to share all the ways that God showed up with His loving heart and hand in the details of my time here. On Tuesday evening, the swelling in my legs, ankles and feet became severe. The skin was stretching and pulling and I started to have discoloration in my feet. Walking became difficult and I couldn't feel my toes. I was starting to get scared and when I went to bed I put a prayer request on Facebook. The next morning, the swelling was barely reduced and I was disappointed. I just didn't want this situation to distract me or cause me to be unable to focus on the work I am doing here. Out of nowhere a thought came to me. I remembered I had compression socks with me that I wear when I am flying. So I put them on and within minutes the pain started to diminish. I wore them all day Wednesday and by the afternoon most of the swelling was gone. By Thursday morning it was 98% gone and I felt no pain. I believe the prayers of my friends worked and God gave me the idea to try the socks. I am thankful that this situation did not hinder me here.
Another obstacle on Wednesday occurred during the accounting work. I hit a few snags and was unsure of what to do. I was getting concerned that I would not be able to give Bill the help he needed. We took a break for lunch and we went to this little outdoor restaurant and met this dear Thai woman. She bragged to Bill about her son and grandchildren. Her soup was delicious and I enjoyed the experience. When we returned, we decided to pray about the accounting situation. Susie prayed that when I returned to my computer that the answer would be staring me right in the face.
No joke - I logged back into Quickbooks, looked at what I had worked on, and immediately saw what needed to change. One little tweak and the obstacle was overcome.
The best part of Wednesday was the evening. Each Wednesday evening, Bill and Susie eat dinner with their kids and afterwards they have a time of worship and a devotional. They had asked me to lead the devotional this time. The food was good and I got to experience things I never could have imagined. The best part was the worship. To see these high school and college aged kids worship with all their heart was just amazing. They really love Jesus and it shows. For the devotional, I talked about my favorite subject - the difference between religion and relationship. I used my own testimony as an example and I brought out the same trivial pursuit playing pieces that I used in Cambodia.
After the devotional, Bill asked the kids if they wanted to ask me questions. At first, everyone was shy and quiet. Bill kept prodding them and eventually they started to open up. At first, the guys were the ones asking me questions. Then, one of the girls got brave and began to ask me very well thought out questions. The challenge for these kids was the they had to ask the questions in English. They all can speak English but they are intimidated to do so. Seeing them challenge themselves and be brave was wonderful. Pretty soon they were smiling and laughing and I really believe Jesus was smiling and laughing right along with us. He loves to see His kids enjoying themselves. I have quoted my friend Veronica Reilly many times and I will quote her again: "its important that we benefit from the riches God has placed in each of us." The evening was very rich as I shared with my new friends.
Thursday morning was more accounting work. When we left for lunch, I had no idea what was in store. Bill and Susie took me to a place that took my breath away. It was a cute, Victorian, well decorated restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The inside was like something you would find at Volant Mills. When we got to the outdoor dining area, I gasped. It was all I could do to not scream or squeal like a school girl. The dining area had the most gorgeous view of the Chiang Rai mountains. It was literally the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I love mountains and Susie knew that and she knew I would go nuts over the view. I could not stop taking pictures and videos. The food was AMAZING!!!! I started off with butterscotch iced coffee. I had spinach and cheese samosas for an appetizer. I then had a yummy salad followed by Sea Bass and veggies in a white cream sauce. All while staring at the most beautiful mountain range. You could see the colorful roofs of Thai homes and there were plants and shrubs with flowers that gave a pop of color. But I could not stop staring at the mountains. I honestly expected to see Jesus physically appear over the top of the mountain and walk toward me. The place was heavenly. After seeing that I was ready to be raptured! I figured I could be like Enoch and just walk with Jesus over the mountain range and disappear. I realize I am being dramatic but I really was beside myself with joy. I think I have more pictures of the place than the rest of my trip combined.
We returned home and after a few hours all of the accounting work was finished. Bill and I accomplished everything we desired to do.
After dinner, Bill and Susie gather the kids to take pictures with me. They are all wonderful kids and I just LOVE the relationship that Bill and Susie have with each one of them.
One of the girls, Lydia, is studying art and she is a painter. She does EXCELLENT work. I asked Bill and Susie if I could buy one of her paintings. I would love to have one and I also wanted to encourage her. She agreed to sell one to me - which Susie will have to ship to me - too big to pack. After I had picked one, the sweet girl decided to give me another one!
Words honestly cannot describe how precious of a gift this trip has been for me. I have been blessed far beyond any way that I have been a blessing. I have had the chance to meet the most amazing people and experience things that I could have only dreamed about. I believe this trip was a gift from God. It was also a gift from the many people who sent me here, both with finances and especially prayer.
I thank God and I thank all of you.
Tomorrow is my last day in Thailand. Bill and Susie have scheduled for me to see some sites and I fly out in the evening. I will not blog again until I am home. Thank you all for following along with me on this trip of a lifetime.
I'm excited to share all the ways that God showed up with His loving heart and hand in the details of my time here. On Tuesday evening, the swelling in my legs, ankles and feet became severe. The skin was stretching and pulling and I started to have discoloration in my feet. Walking became difficult and I couldn't feel my toes. I was starting to get scared and when I went to bed I put a prayer request on Facebook. The next morning, the swelling was barely reduced and I was disappointed. I just didn't want this situation to distract me or cause me to be unable to focus on the work I am doing here. Out of nowhere a thought came to me. I remembered I had compression socks with me that I wear when I am flying. So I put them on and within minutes the pain started to diminish. I wore them all day Wednesday and by the afternoon most of the swelling was gone. By Thursday morning it was 98% gone and I felt no pain. I believe the prayers of my friends worked and God gave me the idea to try the socks. I am thankful that this situation did not hinder me here.
Another obstacle on Wednesday occurred during the accounting work. I hit a few snags and was unsure of what to do. I was getting concerned that I would not be able to give Bill the help he needed. We took a break for lunch and we went to this little outdoor restaurant and met this dear Thai woman. She bragged to Bill about her son and grandchildren. Her soup was delicious and I enjoyed the experience. When we returned, we decided to pray about the accounting situation. Susie prayed that when I returned to my computer that the answer would be staring me right in the face.
No joke - I logged back into Quickbooks, looked at what I had worked on, and immediately saw what needed to change. One little tweak and the obstacle was overcome.
The best part of Wednesday was the evening. Each Wednesday evening, Bill and Susie eat dinner with their kids and afterwards they have a time of worship and a devotional. They had asked me to lead the devotional this time. The food was good and I got to experience things I never could have imagined. The best part was the worship. To see these high school and college aged kids worship with all their heart was just amazing. They really love Jesus and it shows. For the devotional, I talked about my favorite subject - the difference between religion and relationship. I used my own testimony as an example and I brought out the same trivial pursuit playing pieces that I used in Cambodia.
After the devotional, Bill asked the kids if they wanted to ask me questions. At first, everyone was shy and quiet. Bill kept prodding them and eventually they started to open up. At first, the guys were the ones asking me questions. Then, one of the girls got brave and began to ask me very well thought out questions. The challenge for these kids was the they had to ask the questions in English. They all can speak English but they are intimidated to do so. Seeing them challenge themselves and be brave was wonderful. Pretty soon they were smiling and laughing and I really believe Jesus was smiling and laughing right along with us. He loves to see His kids enjoying themselves. I have quoted my friend Veronica Reilly many times and I will quote her again: "its important that we benefit from the riches God has placed in each of us." The evening was very rich as I shared with my new friends.
Thursday morning was more accounting work. When we left for lunch, I had no idea what was in store. Bill and Susie took me to a place that took my breath away. It was a cute, Victorian, well decorated restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The inside was like something you would find at Volant Mills. When we got to the outdoor dining area, I gasped. It was all I could do to not scream or squeal like a school girl. The dining area had the most gorgeous view of the Chiang Rai mountains. It was literally the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I love mountains and Susie knew that and she knew I would go nuts over the view. I could not stop taking pictures and videos. The food was AMAZING!!!! I started off with butterscotch iced coffee. I had spinach and cheese samosas for an appetizer. I then had a yummy salad followed by Sea Bass and veggies in a white cream sauce. All while staring at the most beautiful mountain range. You could see the colorful roofs of Thai homes and there were plants and shrubs with flowers that gave a pop of color. But I could not stop staring at the mountains. I honestly expected to see Jesus physically appear over the top of the mountain and walk toward me. The place was heavenly. After seeing that I was ready to be raptured! I figured I could be like Enoch and just walk with Jesus over the mountain range and disappear. I realize I am being dramatic but I really was beside myself with joy. I think I have more pictures of the place than the rest of my trip combined.
We returned home and after a few hours all of the accounting work was finished. Bill and I accomplished everything we desired to do.
After dinner, Bill and Susie gather the kids to take pictures with me. They are all wonderful kids and I just LOVE the relationship that Bill and Susie have with each one of them.
One of the girls, Lydia, is studying art and she is a painter. She does EXCELLENT work. I asked Bill and Susie if I could buy one of her paintings. I would love to have one and I also wanted to encourage her. She agreed to sell one to me - which Susie will have to ship to me - too big to pack. After I had picked one, the sweet girl decided to give me another one!
Words honestly cannot describe how precious of a gift this trip has been for me. I have been blessed far beyond any way that I have been a blessing. I have had the chance to meet the most amazing people and experience things that I could have only dreamed about. I believe this trip was a gift from God. It was also a gift from the many people who sent me here, both with finances and especially prayer.
I thank God and I thank all of you.
Tomorrow is my last day in Thailand. Bill and Susie have scheduled for me to see some sites and I fly out in the evening. I will not blog again until I am home. Thank you all for following along with me on this trip of a lifetime.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Thailand: First Full Day
Tuesday morning I woke up ready for my first full day in Thailand. On Tuesdays, Susie joins a group of ladies who meet for coffee and then do prayer walking in various places in Chiang Rai. So I was blessed to be able to go along. Obviously any day that starts with coffee is a good day. In the coffee shop they were having a promotion and if you ordered a cold drink you got a free mug with their logo. Its like they knew I was coming!
I finally got to meet Esther Hoagland in person. Her family are long time North Way missionaries here in Thailand and I have heard about them for quite some time. I also met three other lovely ladies.
The place they chose for prayer walking was amazing. It was a former airport and its runway was being used for an upcoming carnival and many vendors were there setting up rides, booths, etc. It was a large stretch of road with lots going on. So we prayed as a group and then split into two groups and we walked up and down half the runway and prayed. We prayed for the safety of the workers, that the families would be able to earn a good income, that the attendees would be safe and especially that children would be protected from traffickers and other harmful situations. What a privilege to pray for those people and this country!
We then went to lunch at an outdoor restaurant and had delicious food! Susie took me to the market - similar to the Russian Market in Phnom Penh but smaller. There I had the most delicious pineapple ever! I have never tasted such a sweet pineapple in the states.
By 2pm it was time to get me home and get me working on the reason I came - to help Bill with the accounting.
For those of you reading this blog who don't know Bill and Susie or what they do here in Thailand, they run a ministry for high school and college students. High School is not free in Thailand and some parents cannot afford to pay tuition for their child to attend high school. Bill and Susie built two homes for these students (one boys home and one girls home) and they find sponsors for them. The kids live in the dorms during the school session.
It is wonderful to see the relationships Bill and Susie have with these kids. The kids love them. They come to get hugs before going to school and they get good night hugs before bed. It is precious.
Speaking of precious, I had an opportunity Tuesday evening to spend time with one of the college aged girls. She is studying Accounting! Bill had arranged for me to help her and demonstrate some accounting principles. The challenge was translation. She knew little English and of course I don't know Thai so several folks had to help translate.
More time was spent with translation than accounting so I was unsure if the time was helpful to her or not. But I love how God works. He only asks us to be obedient. We simply need to do what He asks of us and leave the results to Him - and trust me, His results are better than anything we can produce. I had a great time with her but I wondered if the time was profitable. I went to bed afterwards and the next morning Bill told me that my time with her had caused her to get excited and to open up about her dreams for her future. She and Bill had a father/daughter type conversation unlike any they had had before and it was extremely meaningful for both of them. Somehow, God had used a clunky accounting lesson to spark a young girl to open up to Bill and all parties were blessed. I love when God starts our simple steps of obedience and does wonders with them.
It just amazes me that God can use something like accounting to further His kingdom. So grateful for this journey.
I finally got to meet Esther Hoagland in person. Her family are long time North Way missionaries here in Thailand and I have heard about them for quite some time. I also met three other lovely ladies.
The place they chose for prayer walking was amazing. It was a former airport and its runway was being used for an upcoming carnival and many vendors were there setting up rides, booths, etc. It was a large stretch of road with lots going on. So we prayed as a group and then split into two groups and we walked up and down half the runway and prayed. We prayed for the safety of the workers, that the families would be able to earn a good income, that the attendees would be safe and especially that children would be protected from traffickers and other harmful situations. What a privilege to pray for those people and this country!
We then went to lunch at an outdoor restaurant and had delicious food! Susie took me to the market - similar to the Russian Market in Phnom Penh but smaller. There I had the most delicious pineapple ever! I have never tasted such a sweet pineapple in the states.
By 2pm it was time to get me home and get me working on the reason I came - to help Bill with the accounting.
For those of you reading this blog who don't know Bill and Susie or what they do here in Thailand, they run a ministry for high school and college students. High School is not free in Thailand and some parents cannot afford to pay tuition for their child to attend high school. Bill and Susie built two homes for these students (one boys home and one girls home) and they find sponsors for them. The kids live in the dorms during the school session.
It is wonderful to see the relationships Bill and Susie have with these kids. The kids love them. They come to get hugs before going to school and they get good night hugs before bed. It is precious.
Speaking of precious, I had an opportunity Tuesday evening to spend time with one of the college aged girls. She is studying Accounting! Bill had arranged for me to help her and demonstrate some accounting principles. The challenge was translation. She knew little English and of course I don't know Thai so several folks had to help translate.
More time was spent with translation than accounting so I was unsure if the time was helpful to her or not. But I love how God works. He only asks us to be obedient. We simply need to do what He asks of us and leave the results to Him - and trust me, His results are better than anything we can produce. I had a great time with her but I wondered if the time was profitable. I went to bed afterwards and the next morning Bill told me that my time with her had caused her to get excited and to open up about her dreams for her future. She and Bill had a father/daughter type conversation unlike any they had had before and it was extremely meaningful for both of them. Somehow, God had used a clunky accounting lesson to spark a young girl to open up to Bill and all parties were blessed. I love when God starts our simple steps of obedience and does wonders with them.
It just amazes me that God can use something like accounting to further His kingdom. So grateful for this journey.
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