ThailandGreg

Retreat and Return to USA

2011-01-22T03:59:00.001-08:00

I had a great final week in Bangkok, and the highlight was our young leaders group weekend retreat. We spent one night at the Baptist camp in Pattaya and one night at a guesthouse on the island across the bay. It was a blessing to catch up with the guys I knew and to meet all the new guys God has brought into the group.

We had 25 guys on the trip. Just incredible when you think that we started this group with 3 guys a year and a half ago. God is good!

This is our worship gathering on Saturday morning at the camp. I taught three times during the retreat on the subjects of the world, the flesh, and personal holiness.

After the morning session, we took the ferry to our island quarters. We had a beautiful spot right on the sea with great views and fresh seafood.

Part of the package deal for our room was a snorkeling boat trip. It was great fun until one of the guys stepped on a sea urchin! But more on that later :)

Sunday morning I am teaching on the subject of personal holiness and how knowing what God has done for you in Christ can motivate you to live for Him. John, who is studying in America, joined us via iphone. (which you can see on the floor) Technology is amazing.

On the ferry crossing back, Bat led worship for all the passengers. We may have been the only ones singing, but I think the other tourists still appreciated some Sunday morning song.

We closed the camp with a final session together in the afternoon. At the end, we took communion together.

It was a great retreat and a great visit to Thailand overall. Thanks to all who have been praying for me throughout this trip. Now I am back in the States to continue my counseling program at Grace College. Please join with me in praying for Thailand, Immanuel Baptist Church, and the young leaders group.

Back Again! Jan 2011

2011-01-13T02:11:00.001-08:00

I am back in Thailand while on Christmas break from my counseling program at Grace College. My visit here will be only two weeks long, and one of them has already flown by.

Of course one of the highlights of the first week was attending my first young leader's meeting in 8 months. The group has really grown spiritually and literally grown in size. One of the reasons I am here right now is to participate in the young leader's retreat this weekend. Here we are gathered together:

One of the cool things they have started doing is skyping in the guys in America. On this night we had John, Isra and Jason joining us from the other side. Such a great feeling to be back with the guys and worshiping the Lord in Thai.

I knew they were going to put me to work over here, but I did not now I would be asked to preach the Sunday service with one day's notice. Praise God that it went well though. I taught about Jewish attitudes towards the Gentiles, and how we need to be searching out bias and superiority in our own hearts.

As usual, we went out to the slums after church. Since I left, the location where we taught in Baring has been taken back by the landlord and demolished. Below is a picture of what our old classroom looks like now:

But thank God that just one week later He provided a new home for Paa (the old woman who lived there) and a new classroom right across the street. And Paa says she likes it better because it gets more of a breeze. Here is a shot of the new place below:

Thankfully, the location did not change much and so the kids still know where to find us. Also this weekend, my friend Luke from Dallas who is working Cambodia was visiting. We put him to work sharing a couple of times. Below he is telling the kids about his very rural digs in Cambodia and the love of Jesus that compelled him to go there:

A few nights ago, one of the church members invited me and Terry (who is graciously hosting me) to go on a very luxurious river-buffet cruise. It was a little weird being a tourist in a place that feels so much like home, but it was fun and we saw some great sights. Behind me in the last picture is Wat Arun from the boat:

I will be here just a few more days. The main event is the young leaders retreat this weekend in Pattaya/Gaw Laan. I will be teaching three times this weekend on the subject of being in the world and not being of the world. Please pray for me and all of the guys. I leave for America on the 18th and would appreciate your prayers for safe and timely travels.

Bangkok Protests Explanation

2010-04-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

More than a few people have contacted me in the last few weeks to ask if I was safe and in any way affected by the protests here in Bangkok. So, I want to give a brief background and explanation to what is going on here at the moment and suggest some ways that we can be praying for Thailand.

There are two major political factions here which we can call the red and yellow groups. The red group is loyal to the exiled former prime minister. He enjoys strong support among the rural populations outside Bangkok. The yellow group has the majority of seats in the current government and believes the exiled former pm was a criminal who was justly kicked out. The yellows are composed more of middle and upper class educated folks concentrated mostly in Bangkok.

The red group feels like their voices are not being heard and their chief proponent was pushed out by a corrupt government. The yellow group believes that the current government is duly elected and must be respected by all. So, a few weeks ago the red group launched a major march on Bangkok, and for a month they have been occupying key intersections in the city. Most recently they have occupied a key intersection that is the center of transport and shopping in Bangkok. This has led to the closure of the largest malls in Thailand and the off and on closure of the city's mass transport monorail system.

Below is a picture from outside of this area showing some of the protesters taking a nap in the midday heat.

In the below picture, the red shirts have turned one of the busiest streets in the city into a street fair. They sleep here, eat here, do their laundry here, and sell all manner of red souvenirs.

On Saturdays, the red group mobilizes and drives all over the city rallying support and making lots of noise. This is a shot I took from an overpass when we crossed paths a couple weeks ago as I was headed to church.

Yours truly as close to the action as I want to be.

The situation here is not as bad as it being portrayed in international media. There have been sporadic outbursts of violence, but all these things happen in a very isolated area of the city that can be easily avoided. The real problem is that neither side seems willing to relent and this may eventually lead to a larger scale violent showdown.

I am not going to pretend to understand this situation well enough to have an opinion about who is right and wrong. What I do know is Thai people feel very strongly about this and it is increasingly becoming a source of division in the church. Pray that Thai Christians would put their unity in Christ above their political views. Pray that God would give wisdom to all the leaders in the government, army, and in the yellow and red camps to find a way forward that will ease tensions and bring in peace.

Songkran Outreach Trip

2010-04-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

I spent all of last week on an outreach trip to the Northeast of Thailand, called Isaan. This is the poorest and most rural area of Thailand. We spent most of our time staying at a church planted by an Immanuel member, Ahjan Oh. (also he is the father of Peace)

The team was made up of people who serve in the slum ministry. It was my first experience journeying into this region of Thailand, and it was not easy. The weather was scorching hot, and there is no air conditioning. We ran out of water after the first day, and I had chickens waking me up everyday at 4:00am. Yet, God was gracious to sustain my health and strength and it turned out to be a wonderful ministry experience.

Check out the pictures and my captions here:

CLICK Songkran Pictures CLICK ME

Thank you all who prayed leading up to this trip. Everyone was healthy and our travels on the very crowded and dangerous roadways went just fine. Pray now that the seeds of truth sown into the hearts of the people there would be watered by God and lead to saving faith.

Some of you have emailed me asking about the political protests going on here. In a couple days I will put up some pictures and try to provide an explanation of what is happening. For now, know that I am in no danger at all and these protests are in very isolated and contained areas. Pray for peace here and that there will be no more violence.

Imjai Orphan Home Youth Camp

2010-04-10T06:25:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a week with 30 of the youth of Immanuel Baptist at Imjai House in Chiang Mai. We did a youth camp there for the kids including crafts, tree planting, Bible lessons, dramas, and songs/games. It was just an incredible experience serving the children there, and seeing our youth step up as leaders and models for the orphans at Imjai.

My principal role on the trip was to teach the Bible three successive evenings. I used the planting analogy to talk about our faith being like a seed that must be properly cared for if it is to grow and produce fruit.

It was scorching hot. This is the hottest time of year in Thailand, but praise the Lord that no one passed out. (a very good thing indeed since I was probably the most likely to do so) Thank you to all who were praying in advance of this trip. It went wonderfully. Please follow the link below to pictures and funny captions.

IMJAI Photos CLICK Here

Tomorrow I am off on another ministry to trip to Northeast Thailand, or what the Thais call Isaan. I will be there with the slum team doing evangelism in support of one of our sister churches during the Thai New Year holiday. (the national water fight I wrote about last year) PLEASE pray for our health, safe travels, and effective ministry.

God bless and Happy Thai New Years!

April Travels

2010-04-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

I will be busy the next couple of weeks and wanted to post a summary of where I will be and what I will be doing.

Easter Sunday I will be traveling with 30 of the youth from our church to spend a week at an orphanage in the north. We will be doing a camp for the kids, teaching job skills, and planting an orchard. I will be the chief Bible teacher for the camp. The orphanage is run by Christians, but many of the children do not know Christ. Please pray that God will use us to exemplify His love to the children. Pray for our safe travels and good health as well.

The following Sunday I will leave on another mission trip. I will be traveling with the group that I work with in the slums. We are going to northeast Thailand to do ministry at a partner church during the Songkran festival. This is the Thai New Year's national water fight that I wrote about last year.

So I am effectively going to be on the road from April 4th-April 15th. April 25th I will be preaching in the main service at Immanuel, and April 27th I am coming back to America.

Please pray that God keep me strong, focused, and faithful throughout a busy and hot month. Also, may you all have a wonderful week celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord. Praise be to the Lamb of God. May our hearts sing along with the hosts of Heaven:

9And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."

11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"

13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!

Revelation 5:9-13

Northern Thailand and Burma

2010-03-06T05:56:00.001-08:00

I am back from North Thailand and Burma. We spent 6 days traveling to churches, seminaries, tea fields, and mountain tops. It was fun, challenging, and encouraging.

Click the link below to get my photos and captions from the trip and then I will blog some of my thoughts in a day or two when I have had some sleep :)

CLICK HERE new PICTURES

Thanks to all who were praying. We were all healthy and safe, and I trust the Lord was honored in our service.

more to come shortly,

Greg

"Children's Village"

2010-02-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

Monday I had a really cool opportunity to go spend the day at a children's village in western Thailand. It is a massive compound including a school, residences, auditorium, soccer field, gardens, and swimming area. The village serves as a home for children who are orphaned, abused, and abandoned by their parents.

We went there to serve lunch for the kids. In the above picture the kids are starting to line up for food.

Serving a gigantic heaping of noodles are left to right myself, Poo, Lin, and Walai. We dished out noodle soup to all 155 kids. Poo has been coming here to serve the kids once a month for 15 years! Now I can understand why.

After lunch we got to tour the grounds and discuss with the director of the facility. The children study in a classroom in the mornings, and then they learn practical skills in the afternoon. The compound includes animals, fish ponds, vegetable gardens, a bakery, pottery studio, weaving looms and much more. The kids who graduate go into regular life with job skills and a great education.

Whenever you get hungry you can just go out and pick some food. The whole place is self-sufficient. They even pump and filter their own water supply from the river.

And the riverside is beautiful. They have a huge dock and cool, crystal clear water to swim in.

It was nice to get some fresh country air and see some pretty scenery.

No one told me to bring a swimsuit! Oh well, it was nice to see the kids having so much fun.

Pray for this place and the children. In Thai it is called "Moo-baan-dek." It is not a Christian organization, but they are open to having Christians come and teach and want the kids to have exposure to different beliefs and choose for themselves what to believe. That kind of openness is rare among secular organizations like this. Perhaps the church can come and do a camp here sometime.

Also, pray for me. I will be gone all next week (28th-5th). We are going to Northern Thailand to participate in a seminar at a seminary and visit some friends and ministries up north. I'll have some pictures from that trip when we get back.

Superbowl Sunday!

2010-02-08T05:17:00.000-08:00

Before I can tell you what happened at church yesterday morning I have to introduce you to Rurk. Rurk is a college senior who just showed up at the church back in mid December. He was feeling down, mired in alcohol, drugs, and depression and called information to ask for the address of a church. They sent him to Immanuel. He told us he was Buddhist, his whole family was Buddhist, but for some reason even he was not sure of he felt he needed to go to a church.

From that point he pretty much never left the church, and Big C took him under his wing and began to disciple him. Amazingly, after just knowing him a week, he was able to go on our Christmas trip to Khao Lak.

That's Rurk with C at the beach over Christmas. During the trip, Rurk said he would consider becoming a Christian, but he wanted to read through the whole Bible first. Well, only a week or so after getting back he decided that he didn't need to wait and he trusted in Jesus for his salvation. He has been a very welcome addition to our young leaders group Thursdays, and he goes to help Terry at Jarurat slum on Sundays.

This past Sunday Rurk got baptized. He wanted to wait until his Mom and a few college friends could be there.

I am simply amazed at the clear evidence of God's hand in leading this young man to faith and the pace with which he is growing in Christ. It seems to me that God has a very special purpose for Rurk. Please pray for him this week, and be praying for the salvation of his family.

The church service was also special becuase the students from my afternoon English class were invited to sing a song in the church. I was scared that none of them would come and I would be doing a solo act, but praise God that they all came! I am glad I did not have to sing alone, but I much more glad that they were able to attend the service and hear about Jesus and experience true worship. Please be praying for them.

As soon as English class is finished, I race off with the slum team to Baring. We had a good turnout for what was a really hot day.

Today, I started teaching from the beginning of Scripture on Genesis 1. I made seven cards representing what God did on each day. After teaching the story, I challenged the kids to arrange the cards in proper order from day one to day seven. Praise God! they actually understood me and were able to do it! woo-hoo!

A slum is a tough place for kids to live and grow up, but it is also a tough place for dogs too. If you know me, you know I am a dog lover. So, I was excited to see that our local mut has given birth to a litter of seven little slumdogs.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. I'll do my best to get more regular with the postings.

God bless

Christmas Outreach Picture Album

2009-12-31T21:39:00.000-08:00

Click the link below to get all my pictures from Christmas in the south of Thailand.

CLICK HERE Kao Lak Picture Album CLICK HERE

I will have a fuller text posting coming up soon, but a quick thank you to all who were praying for us. It went really well. More to come soon...

Christmas in the Community pictures

2009-12-16T02:41:00.000-08:00

I had the awesome blessing this past weekend of participating in bringing Christmas to two of the slum communities served by our church.

The first set of pictures is from Ja-roo-rat community. This is where Big-C goes every Sunday, and the kids come running when they see him. He is deeply loved by the community here.

Above are the people who collected the 225 meals/presents we handed out. I think we could have given out 100 more.

Below, Son-ti-yaa leads the kids in playing a game. Son is the definition of ask nothing in return servant heartedness.

If there is a mirror, Ting will find it.

After getting his hair in order, Ting shared with the kids about his past involvement in drugs and how knowing Jesus has brought him out of that life and opened up such incredible opportunities to him.

The next set of pictures are from the Christmas program at Wis-sa-wa community. The church has had people serving in this community for nine years.

The calm before the storm

5 legged race

I had the privilege of preaching at this event about the true meaning of Christmas. I used a present as an analogy for Jesus and I had props inside that represented blessings like eternal life, forgiveness, and joy. My point was that all these things and more are available to you if you will just accept the gift...

Ahjan Vee handing out rewards to game winners.

Please pray with me that the seeds of truth sown in the hearts of the men, women and children in these communities will be nurtured by God to produce saving faith. And remember Baring community where we will be doing Christmas this Sunday.

A New Song

2009-12-08T02:42:00.000-08:00

Time is flying over here, and I can't believe I have not posted in so long. The last couple weeks have been a real blessing. Last Sunday I was invited to preach in the big church service. I shared the story of my life and how God has led and guided my way faithfully.

While I was truly honored to have the opportunity to share in church, I was also grieved becuase my friend Terry, Son and Ting were able to travel that morning to go visit Eddy at boot camp. Here is a shot they took of Eddy with his new buds and a whole lot less hair. (thats him in the middle)

The report is that he is doing really well. He has let it be made clear to his fellow soldiers that he is a Christian, and I pray that God has planted him among this group of guys to lead them to Jesus. Keep up your prayers for Eddy.

Another blessing this past week was that I got to meet an American friend of a friend named Jeremy who is in Thailand visiting his girlfriend, Por. He is a strong Christian and she is a Buddhist. So, he contacted me about whether or not I knew any Thai Christians that could speak with her and answer her questions. Well, I hooked them up with Ahjan Vee and his wife Muey. We had lunch together and they gave their testimonies. I think Por was sincerely moved and truly interested.

Here they are at the church on Sunday.

Please pray for Por. She is interested and has been given a Bible and we are hoping she will keep coming to the church even though Jeremy has had to return home for now.

Well, the main event this month is of course Christmas. We spent the last few days decorating the church and it flat puts the Grizwalds to shame.

The centerpiece in the garden this year is an incredible star tree of paper star lanterns.

The genius behind this creation was Boyd. He is praying every day until Christmas that it does not rain.

Before we start our Christmas programs (we have 2 this weekend), there was a big community party at the church for the radio listeners. The radio has been a wild success and we had around 100 people show up for this event.

At 12:30 we ate lunch on the church picnic tables, and three hours later those tables were hacked and sawed to create this great stage.

The radio listeners were really excited to get to meet their favorite dj's. We had music, games, a testimony from Ahjan Winit, and I led the crowd in a game of animal bingo. (pictures of animals instead of numbers)

This picture really symbolizes what the whole evening was about. The woman on the left is named Som. She heard the church radio a few months ago and came to attend church and study English. The gospel was explained to her and she believed and became the first radio listener that was baptized. She is a singer and song composer. In this picture, she is singing a song that she just wrote about the love of God. When she finished she gave a word of testimony about the true joy and peace she has now in knowing Jesus.

Thanks to all who were praying for this event. Please keep praying for the seeds of truth sown into the hearts of those who were there. Also, we will be doing our Christmas outreach programs in the slums on December 12th, 13th and 20th. Please be praying for the hundreds of people over those days who will hear about Jesus for perhaps the first time.

Also, be praying for me and the team from the church going to Khao Lak from the 25th-30th to do Christmas outreach. This is the same place/trip I was on last year, and my friends and I need your prayers for health, safe travel, and strength.

Look for pictures next week from the slum Christmas programs.
God bless!

God is at work

2009-11-16T23:45:00.000-08:00

Some really exciting and encouraging stuff has been going on the last few weeks, and I want to provide a summary survey of all that our God is doing over here.

The young leaders group that was initially created for preparing Eddy to go into the military said goodbye to our friend earlier this month. We had a powerful and emotional time of worship, and each person encouraged Eddy with a piece of Scripture. I previously mentioned his brother Note (pictured to the right of Eddy). Note has not shown up to church or the group since Eddy left. Please keep praying for him.

One of the goals we have for the young leaders group going forward is to make it intentionally evangelistic. We have asked the guys to be praying for a lost friend and consider bringing them along. One young Christian named Pai (pictured below) has been doing just that since our first meeting.

Pai is a university student and he brought a classmate friend of his named Jeng (pictured below at the first meeting with me) Jeng was not there every week, but he did show up again for our goodbye to Eddy. It apparently impacted him very deeply because he told Pai he wants to be with us every time we meet from now on!

To Pai's amazement, Jeng agreed to come to church with him this past Sunday. We were all very excited to see him there. And he did not just come to the service. He did the full rounds going with us to the slums in the afternoon also. He had a great time helping out with the children.

Jeng had such a good time he wants to come again next week, and he said he is going to invite other non-believing friends! I ask your prayers for him. At the young mens group this week (Thursday), I am going to teach on the core elements of the gospel. Please pray that Jeng and Note will both be there, and that God will open their hearts to understand and believe.

Pictured below is an Indian man named Bobbie. He showed up at our church about 3 weeks ago becuase he was told there was someone there who could help him find work. Bobbie has been in Thailand five years, and he came here from Punjab, India. He grew up as a Sikh, but he decided to change to Christianity in Thailand.

I had the opportunity to meet with Bobbie several times over the last couple weeks and teach him the fundamentals of Christianity. After I explained the gospel, he said he had never heard it before. I explained grace, and that salvation is a gift we receive and that cannot be earned. He was so excited and relieved to hear that, and he stated firmly that he believed and would follow Jesus. Yesterday he started his new job. Please pray that he would continue faithful to his confession and growing in the knowledge of God.

God is also at work at the church right now among the radio listeners and English students. The church's community radio is having a major impact. This Sunday they baptized the second person who came to the church becuase of the radio. The first person was one of my English students. Also this Sunday, three of my English students came to the worship service before class! very cool!

Next month, December 6th, the church is hosting a big outreach event for the radio listener community. A number of church members will share their testimony, and there will be lots of yummy food. Pray for a big turnout of people, and that God continue drawing people to Himself through this event and all the various ministries of the church.

Back from the Jungle

2009-10-26T00:50:00.000-07:00

This last week I went out to Ganchanaburi province for a church retreat for 3 days. This was a retreat for the group that works in the slums and a few others to get out of the city, fellowship, study God's word, and plan for the future.

We stayed in cabins in a national park. The setting was a gorgeous rainforest up in the hills of western Thailand. There was a stream that flowed through the middle of our camp and served as a very soothing background track to our time together.

Of course, the young'ens were more interested in getting wet than enjoying the aesthetic value of the stream. I think they were soaking wet the whole time.

There were all kinds of strange flowers, bugs, animals around our campsite. This flower had what looked like pieces of corn in it.

Here's a picture that you can't take in Bangkok...

The stream flows out of a cave that is just a few yards from our camp site. And the cave is full of bats. This might unnerve some people, but bats eat mosquitoes and mosquitoes eat me so therefore bats are my natural allies.

The cave is hard to picture, but it had a huge main cavern with some gigantic formations.

Here I was lucky to catch a photo of two wild monkeys. Ting and soon to be soldier Eddie goofing around.

A group shot of all those in attendance. Last year we had about 15 people and this year it was more like 30. There are some amazing servants of Christ in this group, and there are some young people that I know God is going to do incredible things through.

Ting and Sanit's parents joined us for the retreat. They live in Isaan (Northeast Thailand), but they are in the city for 2 weeks and therefore joined us. Sanit, was the first Christian in her family and becuase of her witness her whole family is now trusting in Jesus. Praise the Lord!

The province that we went to is the location of the famous Bridge on the River Kwai and the war museum that commemorates the servicemen who died there. Here is Tangk, Ikey, Boy, and John on the bridge.

This was a really cool stop for me becuase I had been here before. 15 years ago! when I participated in an international summer camp called CISV. Here is present day Greg at the bridge...

And here is me at the same spot 15 years ago....

I NEVER imagined at that time I would ever have any reason to come back to Thailand. But God's hand was all over my being there then and being back here now.

This is a shot of the cemetery for the thousands of servicemen that died as POW's under the Japanese army while building the Thailand-Burma railway. The vast majority are Australians, followed by New Zealanders, Dutch, French and British.

For the US servicemen that perished there is only a commemorative plaque.

And after experiencing all the wonder and beauty of God's creation out in the country we got back to Bangkok.

Eddie & Note

2009-10-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights for me the last few weeks has been the young mens Bible study group that we have been doing at Terry's condo. The guys have really responded positively and we have heard a lot of encouraging things from them.

The group was started to encourage and prepare Eddie as he is about to enter the military for two years.

That is Eddie on the far left in the above picture. The guy sitting to his right is his brother Note. Note is not a Christian and has actually been pressuring Eddie to come back to Buddhism. Note has come to the study twice, and he seems to really enjoy the fellowship there. Amazingly, Note came to church with Eddie yesterday and spent the whole day with us. He helped us out with the kids at the slum, and then he went with us to sing and preach at a local fair.

Pictured above are Note and Eddie playing a game with the kids where they try to identify a mystery substance in the box.

I ask your prayers for both of these guys. Pray that God would be preparing Eddie to stand strong as a witness for Christ in the military, and pray that God would open Note's heart to faith in Christ.

the week in review

2009-09-14T03:03:00.000-07:00

Well this was a truly an exceptional week. It was just about as busy as it could be. On Tuesday, I taught a Bible lesson for the church's school staff. Imagine my shock and surprise when I was told by Ahjan Vee that I would do the whole thing in Thai. He helped me when I got stuck on a few words but for the most part I was able to get through it. I taught about Ephesians 6 and putting on the armor of God each day and compared that to fighting against the H1N1 flu and the precautions we all take for that. They were all very nice and said they understood me just fine, but I was terrified.

After that, Ahjan Vee and I went out into 2 of the slums near the church where they have ministry currently underway. Next week, he and I are going to start canvassing new slum areas that they have never been into before. We are really praying right now about ways to reach out to young men and adults. Please keep that in your prayers!

On Wednesday night I had the great joy of having dinner with Terry (Big-C), Son, Ting, and Eddie at Terry's condo. This was a warmup gathering for a new Bible study we are starting this week at Terry's place. Eddie (who is pictured in the middle between Son on the left and Ting on the right) was drafted into the military a few months ago.

He reports in November, and will have to serve for the next 2 years. So Terry had the idea to get some of the young men together to encourage Eddie and study about the Bible's definition of being a man of integrity. Pray for this gathering over the next 7 weeks and pray for Eddie to stand steadfast in Christ as he serves out his time in what will be a very difficult environment for a Christian.

On Friday, I had another banner day. I told you about the radio station the church had started. Well, I was interviewed (in Thai) on the radio for almost 30 minutes by DJ Tony. We were inviting more people in the community to come study English. The highlight was when a caller called into the show and asked me "Do you like Thai ladies?" I said something about them being very nice and that both women and men were welcome to come study English. whew

On Friday night, there are two worship/Bible study sessions. This Friday it just so happened I ended up teaching both of them becuase Ahjan Winit was not well. I taught on church planting and people groups in the first session and Matthew 2 in the second.

And then of course there is Sunday. This Sunday I taught Sunday school and covered 1 Samuel 4-6 about the incredible journey of the Ark in Philistine hands. And then the usual Sunday schedule of teaching English at church and at the slum. Also, I got another dramatic role in the childrens Bible story. I played the part of the fish in the Jonah story. To my great relief, the fish never talks : )

Another great Sunday

2009-08-31T05:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday was another busy and blessed day. I had the wonderful opportunity again to share at Immanuel Baptist in the early morning service. I preached on Psalm 22 and the parallels with the crucifixion. I talked about how Jesus had to be separated at that moment from the Father in order to receive the punishment for our sins. (that is Pastor Winit translating)

I found out last week that the church has a new outreach going. A few weeks ago they started a Christian community radio station. Recently, they began to advertise free English classes at the church. The response has been huge. So, after the main service I teach English for one hour at the church. Yesterday we had around 20 people come. We will be inviting the students to come earlier and check out the church service and have lunch with us.

After that, I travel with the group down to the Baring community. I was informed on the way down that I would play the role of King Solomon in a drama for the kids. I am not sure that I got my lines quite right, but I think they got the point.

The team then played games with the kids while I taught an English lesson for the adults. One of the games they do involves the kids eating a bunch of foods and then blowing into a plate full of flour. It makes for good fun and good pics.

Son and Ting did a magic show for the kids. Their big finale was Ting said he would pull a rabbit out of his hat. What he pulled out was a notecard with the word "rabbit" written on it.

Finally, here is shot of all the kids from yesterday.

Chapter Two Begins

2009-08-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

I landed safely and on time back in Bangkok last night. I was very happy to see my friends Ahjan Vee and Big C (See post from 1/23/09) there to welcome me back and drive me home.

I was really looking forward to seeing my bed, but see it I could not because my power had been disconnected! Turns out I missed my electric bill deadline by a day. Luckily the doorman was able to round up one of the utility guys to flip my power back on just in time for an air conditioned and deeply satisfying rest. (I don't sleep on planes for those who don't know)

I had a wonderful time back home getting to see almost all of my family and many of my friends. I was very encouraged by how many of you said you are reading this blog and praying for me. THANK YOU!

Some of the things I did while I was home: drove a car, ate a steak, caught a fish, saw a braves game, saw the stars (in the sky not in Dallas), ate a Krystal, played darts, listened to country, watched cable, worshiped in English, and made a few pars.

It was a fun and refreshing time, and I am grateful to God that everything went smoothly with travels and with my transition from PIONEERS to being an independent missionary. Thus begins the second chapter of my life and work in Thailand. In the next post I will offer some possibilities about what I may be doing with myself in the coming months. But for now I am exhausted. My body has been telling me to go to sleep since 2pm and I made it this long!

good night

Coming home!

2009-07-13T20:07:00.001-07:00

My visa is just about up, so I will be making a brief trip back to the States to make new visa arrangements.

I am sorry that I will not have the time to get to see and talk with as many of you as I would like, but I will probably be asleep most of the time that you guys are awake anyhow : ) However, for those of you that will be in the Chattanooga area I would love to connect while I am back. (you can get me at 423-821-0622)

Please pray for travel and flight connections to go smoothly. I will be flying from Bangkok to Tokyo, Tokyo to Atlanta, and then into Chattanooga Wednesday night.

I am a little late with my formal update newsletter and I will get that out to everyone when I get back. There are some exciting changes to report with my ministry here, and I need to cross my t's and dot my i's before I can publicize them.

God bless all you guys and thank you for your continued support!

Sunday service

2009-06-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

This Sunday was a very long day but another really rewarding one. I preached the morning service at Immanuel Baptist Church, and then I got to spend the rest of the day with my friends from that church.

I preached on Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus stills the storm on the Galilee. Ahjan Winit translated for me. He is a man who practices what he preaches. Thailand is blessed to have him as a leader in the church.

In the afternoon, I got to go with Terry and Ahjan Vee to a new slum where they have been working for 2 years. It never ceases to amaze me how many slums there are here. The children there were SO excited to see the group.

I got interrogated by the children. One of the little girls asked me why I was a farang (white man) but I could speak Thai. I told her that I was a student and studied Thai in a school. She said, "it must be a big school."

I then traveled with the team to our usual Sunday evening ministry site at the Baring Slum community. As is our custom there, we ended the evening with a meal and then a time of worship. God draws very near during those times.

May Update

2009-05-28T01:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings all. My apologies for the long span of time since I last posted. I was quite busy for a while with moving, and then I did not have internet until recently. The move went great, and I am really enjoying my new place. Here is a little self portrait of me on the roof (25 floors up).

Things have been somewhat slow over the last few weeks. I did finally find a young man to tutor me in Thai. We started meeting this week. Please keep praying that I will grow daily in my Thai. It takes a lot more discipline and self control when you are not in school every day.

I have also continued to go to the Baring slum on Sunday evenings. This past Sunday we said goodbye to four of the gang that are headed up to Bible college in the north. (pictured left to right are Peace, Jamnian, Bee, Noom)

Please pray for this whole group!! Noom and Peace are going back for their second year, but this will be Jamnian and Bee's first year. Ask God to grow them in their faith, understanding, and obedience. Thailand needs more Thai leadership in all areas: church planting, evangelism, pastoral ministry. If this country is going to see a widespread movement to Christ it will be through the faithful and bold ministry of Thai Christians like these. "Stay the course guys!"

it is HOT

2009-04-25T01:19:00.000-07:00

It is summer in Thailand. It has been over 100 each day for a week now, and the heat index has been maxing out around 115. Thankfully, it is not too humid, but I have had to set up shop in the mall the last few days to stay cool.

One thing I have been doing is translating the Thai Bible. I found a very informal translation that I can actually understand. Reading the Bible in another language is such an incredible blessing. It forces you to read more slowly and thus you see a lot more when you do so. I compare it to taking a walk through a park versus driving your car.

I am probably going to be moving next week. Hopefully the heat will subside a little, but there will be sweat. I will post some pictures of the new place soon after.

Otherwise, I am still trying to make arrangements for a Thai tutor. Please be praying that God would connect me with the right teacher. Also, please keep praying that God would connect me with a Thai ministry partner. I have some good contacts to help me in my search, and I will be pursuing those as soon as I get settled in the new room.

stay cool!

Songkran!

2009-04-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

Thailand celebrates the new year based on a calendar that is dated from the death of the Buddha. So their new years celebration falls in mid-April. For 3 days, Thai people celebrate the new year by engaging in a national water fight. People roam the streets armed with squirt guns. Trucks loaded with barrels of water and people with buckets cruise the roads looking for easy prey.

This is an example of one of the trucks absolutely loaded down with people and water that are everywhere during Songkran.

This is what it looks like when one of the roving attack units comes across a fixed attack position. Things get wet.

Snipers are positioned at every crosswalk. He looks innocent enough but given the chance he wouldn't hesitate to hose you down.

Finally, this picture says it all, everybody plays! You can not skirt by and ask for mercy on account of the fact that you are an innocent passer-by. If you go out in public then you are in the game. I think this poor guy probably stayed home after this.

Praise!

2009-03-31T02:11:00.000-07:00

Well, the days of early morning commutes and intensive language study are just about to draw to a close. This Friday will be my last day at Thai language school. Thank you for all your prayers throughout this period. It has been physically and mentally draining, but the Lord has given me strength and focus to make it through.

This does not mark the end of my language learning. I will be transitioning to meeting with a tutor 3 days a week and self study. Six months ago I could not read, write, or do almost anything in Thai, but God has brought me a long way. Of course, this is an endless process. There is always more to learn, but that is why you have to put a stake in the ground every now and then and look back at how far you have come and say thank you Lord!

Another answer to prayer is that we have a new team member! Her name is Connie. She was just recently accepted onto our team, and she is now in the process of raising support to join us here in Thailand. This is a huge answer to prayer. Please join me in praying that God would get her over here quickly and that He would continue to add members to our team.

"You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness,
O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas"
Psalm 65:5

Contemplating Tragedy

2009-03-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break, I spent a week with a group from a Bangkok Church doing Christmas programs in the towns hit by the deadly Tsunami of 2004. Through a translator, I was given numerous opportunities to talk about Jesus with people who had never known anything about the real meaning of Christmas. These are people whose lives have been forever changed by the deaths of their friends and family on that day 5 years ago. The beach resorts have been rebuilt and the sunburned tourists have returned, but the wounds and the trauma have not faded from the hearts of the people.

I also recently visited another disaster zone, but this one was caused by the deliberate and cruel actions of men. It was the location of the central prison and torture facility of the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Today, it is a museum that documents the cruelty of the atrocities carried out there by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970's when they took over Cambodia. The genocide perpetrated by the regime took the lives of nearly 2 million people. The displays at the museum (pictures of dead bodies, display cases of human skulls) turned my stomach, but the government wants to make sure that the brutality of those years is not forgotten and hopefully never relived.

These two places have endured very different but equally devastating disasters. The question that the people ask in each place is the same, "Why?" Some faiths would answer that it was simply fate. Others would say that the gods were angry and this was punishment for sinful living. Some say there’s no reason at all. Would these responses bring you comfort if you were the one asking “Why…?”

As Christians we are assured that God is sovereign over all that happens. The Tsunami, Khmer Rouge, 9-11, and the present financial crisis did not sneak up on him by surprise. Paul tells us in Ephesians that God “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (1:11). God permits and plans all things so that his ultimate purposes triumph.

A great example from Scripture is the story of Joseph. Here is a guy that gets sold into slavery by his own brothers! Yet, God guides events so Joseph ends up in a position of power and influence where he can save his brothers from a future famine. When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers years after the cruel betrayal he tells them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen 50:20).

We don’t know exactly how God will work through each tragedy. Each instance is unique, but we can say confidently to every person that HE IS working and the result will be the advancement of his good and perfect plan. This brings meaning to our suffering and that should give us the strength to endure faithfully.

(Sorry for the rant, but I just needed to process my own thoughts about these places and events.)

God Bless

Oh, the People You'll Meet!

2009-01-23T22:16:00.000-08:00

Dr. Seuss wrote a well known book titled "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" I would love to see someone write a book about missions titled "Oh, the People You'll Meet!" I cannot begin to express how rewarding it is to fellowship and serve with Christians from all over the world. Each one has a unique story of God's grace in their lives.

I would like to occasionally highlight some of these folks and offer their story to you for inspiration and encouragement.

In the photo above are two guys that I have been honored to get to know in my time here. On the left is Terry Collins ("Big-C"). Terry is an American who accepted an offer from his company to go and work at their offices in Bangkok for 3 years. He works full-time during the week as a manager at his company. Normally you would expect such a person to take it nice and easy on the weekends. Not Terry. He has chosen to give every ounce of his free time to serving the Thai people through Immanuel Baptist Church. He has only been here for 8 months but he has already been on mission trips to the north, west, and south of Thailand. He also serves with the group from Immanuel in the slums every Sunday afternoon.

Whenever he is asked about all the time he gives to serving the church his ready answer is, "there is nowhere else I'd rather be."

The other man in the picture is Ahjan (means= pastor/teacher) Vee. He is the associate pastor at Immanuel Baptist. I met him in the Sunday slum outreach, and he is the one who invited me to go on the trip to Khao Lak. He is an incredibly gentle and loving person. His devotion to Christ is total. God has folded a number of gifts into him. He is a pastor, encourager, evangelist, and leader. He is the husband of a wonderful Christian woman and father of two energetic young boys.

Yet, Vee's life was not always so together. He grew up in a Buddhist home. In his teens, he got into drugs and alcohol. A few years later he was a full blown herojoin addict. He wanted to quit but could never find the strength to do so. Until one day, a pastor shared the gospel with him and promised him that Christ could deliver him from addiction if he would believe. He did believe, and Christ took over and cleaned up his life.

It is so cool to meet folks like these who have been so moved by God's grace in their lives that they can think of no other reponse than to serve him joyfully and faithfully.

I pray you will be inspired and challenged by their stories.

Back from Khao Lak

2008-12-31T21:55:00.000-08:00

For the last week I have been in the Khao Lak area of southern Thailand. This is the area hardest hit by the Tsunami in Thailand. The locals estimate that 10,000 people were killed there that day. When I visited the area in 2005 it was totally devastated. Rubble was everywhere, the people were living in the hills in refugee housing, and no one knew if the area would ever recover.

Today it looks very different than it did 3.5 years ago. The hotels and restaurants have been rebuilt, and the tourists have returned. Above is a shot of the beach at Khao Lak. Most importantly, however, is the surging growth of the church in this area. Many of the aid workers that came here were Christian groups. Many people responded to the gospel and numerous churches were planted here. We thank God that many came to Christ becuase of the Tsunami.

There are numerous small churches, but the leadership is thin and they need lots of help. For this reason, I travelled there with a group from a Thai church in Bangkok to help the churches there put on Christmas outreach celebrations for the community.Above is a picture of the community outreach party that we held at our host church. There were almost 200 people that came to hear us sing Christmas songs, eat dinner, recieve gifts, and hear us explain the real meaning of Christmas. This was a very big event for a church of only 4 people!

We did a number of these Christmas parties all throughout the area to many different groups. We did one at a government housing project for sea gypsies. They are a nomadic people that live in boats along the Thai/Burmese coast. Pray for these poeple, the Moken. There are no known believers among them.

We also ministered at a pre-school. Here is a shot of our "little" audience there.
We had a lot of fun playing games and singing songs with the children.

A few times we went out to sing Christmas carols for people. When we were done, someone would share for a few minutes about Jesus and the real story of Christmas. I got to share many times on the trip, and I thank God for these opportunities. Here is me sharing with our wait staff before dinner one night.

This trip was a great blessing to me personally. Through the translation of my Thai Christian friends I got to share the story of Jesus birth and mission on earth with many who had never heard before. Most of all, I was blessed to share a week with some incredible brothers and sisters in the Lord that share a burden for reaching the lost. Here is a picture of the team that I served with.

Please join me in praying that the seeds of truth sown in Khao Lak would find fertile ground in the hearts of many and be nurtured to saving faith by God.

-Greg

As Christmas approaches...

2008-12-23T00:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I finished my last module of the year at language school last week. They are closed for three weeks over the Christmas and New Years holidays. I just spent this past week entertaining a fellow missionary friend who is visiting from another country. We spent some time at the beach and exploring the city. It was great to catch up with him and have some time to unwind in the islands.

Here's a picture of me devouring the catch of the day.

I have a really cool opportunity the next few days. From the 25th to 30th I will be in the Phang Nga province of Thailand. This is the area of Thailand that was hardest hit by the tsunami. I have been invited to go with a group from Immanuel Baptist (the church that I do slum ministry with on Sunday) to do Christmas ministry in that area.

I will be travelling to the same town that I visted just six months after the Tsunami back in the summer of 2005. At that time, almost everything was destroyed. The people were all living in refugee camps up in the hills and there were piles of debris everywhere. It will be very exciting to see how the town has changed and especially to encourage the growing Christian population there.

Please pray for our safe travels there and back (it is a long drive), and that God will use us to encourage the churches and proclaim the true message of Christmas to the greater community.
I will have some pictures and updates as soon as I get back.

Have a joyous Christmas!

Greg

Update: political situation

2008-12-06T05:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I was away for few days and did not give you a timely update on the crisis here. The short version is that the Supreme Court of Thailand voted to dissolve the ruling political party on Tuesday. The protesters were satisfied enough with this and they ended their siege of the airports.

Things have been very quiet the last few days. The Thais are observing the King's birthday this weekend. The King is very cherished and dear to the Thai people. It seems that the battling factions in this crisis have put things on pause right now out of respect for the King. But there is every expectation that tensions will resume soon. I will keep you posted on any important developments. Please continue to pray that God would lead this country to a peaceful resolution of this matter.

Political Crisis Escalates

2008-11-27T01:05:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned in a few posts and emails about the political crisis in Thailand. In a nutshell, there is a group that wants the current government to totally disband. This group has been holding rallies and protest marches in Bangkok for a couple of months now. There have been very isolated and limited outbreaks of violence since that time.

Two days ago, this group took over Thailand's main airport, BKK, here in Bangkok. Since that time there has been zero air traffic from the airport. The group has also just seized the other Bangkok airport which services mostly domestic flights.

The closure of BKK is a major hit to the Thai economy. Thailand depends heavily on tourism and the upcoming holiday season is when they have the most tourists. Uncertainty about political stability and flight availability has already resulted in thousands of foriegners cancelling vacations in Thailand.

Thailand needs your prayers now! God commands us to pray for the leaders of nations that they will govern with wisdom and establish peace for their people:

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior"

1 Timothy 2:1-3

Two Months in Missions

2008-11-04T01:14:00.000-08:00

Wow! The time has been flying by over here. It is hard to believe that more than 2 months have passed already. I had visions of posting to the blog a couple of times each week but the days are moving faster than I had planned. (sorry)

I am happy to report that 2 months into my service here things are really going wonderfully. God has kept me from getting sick and helped me along with adjusting to the living situation here. Next week I will start the 3rd of 6 language modules and then break for a few weeks at the end of December. Please be praying that God would grant me focus and discipline to really apply myself to studying both in and out of the classroom.

Each week I am in school for 5 days. Then I try to relax and catch up on things on Saturdays. On Sundays, after church, I serve alongside some Christians from a church up in the city. They have an outreach to children in a slum nearby my apartment. Here is a picture of one of the volunteers teaching a Bible story to the children.

The group from the church has a desire to plant a church in this area. Right now they are meeting under a plastic awning that they built up against the front wall of an old woman's home.

This past Sunday, my teammates and I were invited to travel with these volunteers on a retreat to a nearby beach. The retreat was for new Christians from their church. I had the opportunity to share with them a bit about my life and challenge them to stay focused on Jesus as they began their walk of faith.

Here is a shot of me with my teammates Phil and Jenny. As soon as I finish learning Thai, I am going to study Aussie so I can figure out just what in the world they are saying : )

I want you to know that God is taking very good care of me in answer to your prayers. Please keep me and Thailand before the Lord.

Some prayer requests for the rest of the year:

-Language study (will be halfway complete Dec. 16th)
-Discipline (in diet, Bible study, exercise)
-Continued good health
-Ask God to raise up new teammates join us here and work this large field.
-There have been some very isolated outbreaks of violence in the ongoing political crisis here. Please pray that the leaders can find a peaceful way to resolve this divisive issue.
-Amidst political instability, pray that Thai's would yearn for that eternally peaceful Kingdom that God promises to all who believe.

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe"

-Hebrews 12:28

Mid October Thoughts

2008-10-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

Everything over here is going great. I have completed the first of 6 language modules and am enjoying a lengthy 2 day break from school. So far I have really enjoyed language study. In Thai I can now talk about where I live, order food and describe my likes/dislikes. The vocab and the sentence structures get more complicated with each module so please keep praying!

One of the highlights of my week is getting to hang out with Thai Christians at church and at the slum ministries I visit. They are almost all first generation believers. Meaning, they were the first person in their families to respond to the gospel and exit Buddhism. Each of them faced opposition from parents, friends, and society at large. (And this is a culture that places tremendous priority on family unity and on not "rocking the boat" by making big changes to your life)

Serving and worshiping alongside these believers is truly a joy and a privilege. They evidence a gratitude to God and and a ready obedience that is truly inspiring. For them, Christianity is something fresh and urgent. It is new to them and they desire eagerly to share it with their fellow Thais.

Thais reaching Thais is the dream of every missionary here. It is the ideal that we are striving for. Today, however, there simply are not enough Thai Christians to do the work on their own. That is why I and many others from around the world have come here, but we all pray for the day when our being here will be unnecessary.

Along these lines, please pray that this generation would see the explosion in church growth here that so many have prayed and labored for over the last 150 years. Join me in praying that this generation would see Thailand become a nation that sends out more missionaries than it receives.

City of Life?

2008-09-30T01:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture that I took a few days ago of the famous Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok. The shrine is jammed into the middle of streets, skyscrapers and the monorail system. It was actually funded by the adjacent Hyatt hotel to appease the spirits because too many workers were dying during the hotel's construction.

I think it is ironic that you can read "Bangkok City of Life" on the monorail track and there below are crowds of people praying to a lifeless metal idol. The imagery is very informative about the character of Bangkok and the Thai people. The people wear western clothing, they enjoy most of the same modern conveniences that we do, and they even like many of the same movies and tv shows. My teacher in school today just told us she is watching a whole season of Prison Break on DVD. But below the surface, their worldview and thinking are very much still rooted in ancient eastern beliefs.

Please join with me in praying that God will deliver many out of the darkness of this place into a true city of life. A city where living water flows from the very throne of God and where nothing and no one will receive worship except for Him to whom all is due!

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him."

-Revelation 22:1-3

Language School: week 1

2008-09-19T00:57:00.000-07:00

I have just finished my first week at Thai language school. I am exceedingly glad to start formally learning the language. My class is made up of people from Germany, Korea, Denmark and China. Most of them are learning Thai for business related reasons. The teacher is very high energy and keeps things fast and fun. I am in class every morning from 8am-noon. The course is composed of six month long modules. After that, they offer specialized modules that introduce vocabulary for things like Thai culture and social issues. I will likely take a few of these also when I finish the foundational set.

All in all, it was a very good start to learning the Thai language. Please ask God to help me stay rested and focused throughout these next few months. God bless!

Video Tour of Neighborhood

2008-09-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a brief collection of shots showing off my living quarters and the area around my apartment building. Enjoy!

Settling in

2008-09-05T02:53:00.000-07:00

I did finally make it to Bangkok. My travel arrangements were altered such that I ended up on the LA to Bangkok flight. It was only 17.5 hours long, but I am grateful that it got me where I was going. I moved into my apartment on Monday.

Here is a shot of the first sunrise from my room on Tuesday morning.

I am living in a very busy neighborhood with lots of people, shopping and food stalls of various kinds. I have spent most of my time thus far just walking back and forth to the large shopping center getting various things for my room. I have also been sampling some of the interesting eating options around my place.

Today we went up to the city proper to enroll me in language school. I will start my classes in Thai on September 16th. Please make language learning a top priority in your prayers. Thai is very difficult, and laying a solid foundation in the language will pay huge dividends in ministry down the road.

I mentioned the political situation in the previous post. It is not affecting most of the city or country. All the events are taking place in a small part of Bangkok. Do not be alarmed if you hear about Thailand declaring a state of emergency on the news.

Be looking in the next few days for a video that I am going to put together and post showcasing my neighborhood. Until then.

On the Road

2008-08-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

I am now on the way to my new home. There have been some travel obstacles already, but it looks like I will be setting down in Bangkok around Sunday evening (EST). I had a truly wonderful summer at home in Tennessee. We had the whole Brown family at home for almost the entire summer, and so I am very grateful to God for all the time I got to spend with them. On top of that, I was able to see the Braves, hike the Smokies and eat numerous Krystals. What more could you want?

I want to alert you to a new prayer request. There has been some political instability in Thailand for a few days, and it is not clear what the result of it will be. You can read about the most recent developments here: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/

Please ask God to guide the leadership towards a peaceful resolution of this matter.

Double Praise!

2008-08-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

I am very glad to report that I received my passport back from the consulate this week and they did issue me a 1 year visa! This was a huge answer to prayer. A lot of things happened at just the right time to make this possible so I give all the credit to God. Thank you for joining me in praying for this.

That was not the only prayer answered this week. Many of you know that I have been trying to sell my car for a few weeks. Unfortunately, it was a big old gas guzzlin SUV, and to say that there was little interest would be an understatement. But our God loves to respond when the deck is stacked against Him and He found a buyer for my car. Praise God!!

"...nothing is impossible with God." Luke1:37

Ticket Booked! Visa prayers...

2008-07-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

I have officially booked my travel for Thailand. I will be leaving on August 30th. The language school I will attend starts in mid-September so I will have 2 weeks to settle in and get acclimated before the start of classes.

There is only one thing that still needs to be addressed before I can leave, my visa. There are a number of different types of visas for various lengths of time, but I want to get a non-immigrant one year multiple entry visa. The granting of these visas is totally at the discretion of the consulate staff. I will be sending the paperwork (along with my passport) to the consulate in Atlanta next week. Please pray that the staff there would grant me this 1 year visa and that all the paperwork will get to Atlanta and back safely.

Thank you!

Summer Update

2008-06-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Things have been somewhat slow since I returned from Bangkok, but I did take a very important step this past week. For the whole week, I was at Pioneers' headquarters in Orlando for our final pre-departure training session. We met with counselors that helped us understand how our unique personality types will best function on a team. We studied strategies for planting churches, and we covered a lot of the administrative details about finances and living in another country.

What I most enjoyed during the week was getting to know all the people there who were getting ready to head out into the mission field just like myself. There were people going to India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kenya, Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, China, Israel, Russia, and a few other places. I loved swapping stories about how God led each of us to these places and how He has provided incredibly to make it all possible. It was a great reminder of God's love and concern for ALL people. What a privilege to be among those whom God has recruited and equipped to spread His fame around the world!

"Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens."

-1 Chronicles 16:23-26

Big city, big needs

2008-05-23T20:47:00.001-07:00

I had the really cool opportunity the other night to dine at the top of Thailand's tallest building. The Malones have been volunteering in a slum ministry with some Thai Christians. The Thais wanted to show their gratitude by taking them to the Baiyoke Sky Tower for dinner. (I got to tag along!)

84 floors up in the air we walked around the building and took in the immensity of greater Bangkok. There are 10 million people living in the city. 1 million of them live in slums. 2 million of them make their living from the sex industry, and almost 99% of them do not have a saving relationship with the Lord.

The needs here are too big for me to handle, but that reminds me to rest in the sovereignty of God. He will accomplish his perfect and glorious purpose for this place. I only have to be faithful in doing my part were He places me.

I thank God that He has confirmed in my heart that this is the place where He wants me to serve, and I thank Him for the encouragement and support that He has brought to me through each of you. Please continue to pray for me and especially for the Thai people.

I will be in transit back to the states tomorrow night (which is Sunday afternoon for you). I ask your prayers for safe travel home. Thank you!

Contrasts...misery...hope

2008-05-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have seen a bit more of the city now, and I am beginning to understand that Bangkok is a city of sharp contrasts. There are hotels and shopping areas that rival anything 5th avenue and Beverly Hills has to offer. Then, just around the corner you might find a dilapidated slum comunity. There is tremendous wealth here and also tremendous poverty.

I have been able to visit a few different slum communities now. They are smelly, cramped, and generally unpleasant. Drug use and prostituion are major problems. There are small children who have been abandoned by their parents and left in the care of infirm relatives. One old woman said that she had to take in her grandaughter because her parents "threw her away."

Although they are mired in physical and spiritual darkness, God has not forgotten these people. There are small rays of hope and truth piercing into these areas. We met a blind man named Char-lee that is living in one of the slums. It has about 10,000 people, and he is the only Christian. He lost his sight in a fight as a teenager. Since then, he came to Christ, and the people of his slum say the change in him has been incredible. He teaches about Jesus to the orphaned children and any who will listen.

When he needs to go somewhere, the children gather around him and serve as his eyes. He loves the Lord, and he desires for all of his people to know Jesus like he does.

I hope you will be as blessed as I was by seeing this man's smiling face. My prayer for myself and all of us is that we might know a fraction of the joy that Char-lee has in in his relationship with God.

Things I saw this morning...

2008-05-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

Good morning from the other side of the world! Thanks all for your prayers while I was traveling. Everything went great, and I am safe and sound here in the Malone's home in Bangkok.

I wanted to briefly share what it's like to step outside and grab a coffee in the city. The first thing I noticed before even leaving the apartment parking lot was a large Buddha shrine. Many of the people on their way to work and school were stopping to place an offering on the shrine and say a prayer. You can see some coconut juice and bananas in the foreground.

I had not walked much further when I saw a pair of monks doing their morning rounds. The monks are supposed to live off of the food offerings they collect from the people each morning. The people kneeling in the picture had just given some food items to the monks. Giving food to monks is one of the ways that Buddhists believe they can gain merit. If they can earn enough merit (good works) they escape the cycle of reincarnation and slip into eternal nothingness (nirvana). Pray that these people will one day know the grace of our Lord Jesus which is given freely and impossible to earn.

The last thing I noticed before completing my 60 second walk to the coffee stand was a group of laborers waking from their sleep at a construction site. Phil tells me they are mostly Burmese illegal aliens. The construction companies pay them next to nothing, and that is about all they have from the looks of it. It is expected that the number of Burmese illegals will jump tremendously following the cyclone. Pray that the church here will sieze on this opportunity to reach out to the Burmese people with love and truth.

I did finally get my coffee, and it was delicious.

Graduation Day!

2008-05-10T19:54:00.001-07:00

Today, I walked the stage at Dallas Seminary graduation and accepted my diploma. God is good! This would not have been possible without the love, encouragement and prayer of my friends and family. Thank you all for the different ways you have impacted me and entered into my life.

This weekend was a celebratory time, but it was also about facing the weight of responsibility that comes with having been given such a wonderful endowment of truth. I have been eagerly looking forward to moving overseas and sharing the wonderful news of Jesus. To that end, I am leaving in just a few hours for my survey trip to Bangkok. (see earlier post if that is news) Please be in prayer as I am traveling for almost 24 hours straight and pray for the Spirit's clear leading as I seek his direction for the future while in Thailand.

For those of you in Dallas who I did not see before leaving. It has really been a privilege to serve with you, learn with you, worship with you, and just have fun. Please keep me in the loop on what God is doing in your lives!

Tennessee, I'll be there in two weeks.

(Check back in the next few days. I hope to make some postings while in Bangkok.)

Part 2: Thailand Calling

2008-03-20T12:20:00.001-07:00

In my last post, I discussed the roots of my interest in missions and my first trip to Thailand. Now, I will explain how I ended up choosing to serve there long term.

When I graduated from school, I ended up heading to Wisconsin for work. In Madison, I found a really good church and I got back into regular reading of Scripture. It was an incredible time of growth for me spiritually. I began pray about God’s plan for my life, and I eventually came to the point where I felt convinced that I was going to be a missionary. At the time, I had no idea how to become a missionary. I had never heard of Pioneers or any missions agency, but I knew that I needed to know the Bible better before I moved anywhere. So, I told my boss that I was going to seminary, and a few weeks later my business career was over.

Before starting DTS in the fall of ’05, I decided that it would be good for me to take a missions trip over the summer. I was really interested in working with Muslims and so I applied to an agency called Frontiers that specializes in Muslims. I told them that I was willing to go anywhere in the world and for the whole summer. Imagine my surprise when they called to tell me that I had been accepted on a trip to…Thailand. I didn’t even think there were Muslims in Thailand. As it happens, there is a Muslim people group there of about 4 million people.

Well, I can hardly do justice to the experience that I had on that trip. We worked with a long term missionary teaching English to Muslim and Buddhist students. While the focus of the work was on reaching Muslims, I felt myself drawn more to the Thai Buddhists. When we left, I never dreamed I would go back. I wanted to go to Central Asia or the Middle East and work in a more typically Muslim country.

While studying in seminary, I developed some very strong convictions about the approach I wanted to take with my ministry. I decided that working in a city and working among the poor were both very biblical and very strategic emphases to have. I wanted to plant churches among the urban poor and train them to go back to their home countries and villages and plant churches on their own.

After joining Pioneers, I took a survey trip to Turkey. I was interested in Turkey because of the desperate need for a Christian witness in that land. However, after much prayer, I decided that the type of ministry that God had put on my heart was not a match for Turkey. In order to work there today, one has to operate as a businessperson and evangelize very carefully.

As I stepped back from my narrow focus on Muslims to consider the bigger picture, I felt like God had been pointing me towards Thailand from the beginning. I had already been there twice without ever really choosing to go there. I had a wonderful experience with the people both times, and although Thailand has long been open to missionary activity, the church has not firmly taken root among the Thai as of yet. Also, I have come to believe that God has prepared Thailand as a strategic launching pad for ministry in Southeast Asia. Of all the bordering countries (Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia), Thailand is the only one that is wide open for missionaries. And people from all these countries can be found in the big cities of Thailand, especially Bangkok. Finally, Bangkok is full of slums. Some estimate that as many as 1 million people live in the city’s slums.

I had been praying about working in a large city with lots of poverty that could serve a strategic purpose regionally, and it took me all this time to figure out that it was a place I had already been when I was 13 years old.

Thailand 1994: Experiencing the Need

2008-03-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants to know why I chose Thailand of all places. The easy answer is that God chose it for me. The real question is how did I come to discover that...

My first trip to Thailand was not a missionary trip. Rather, it was for a one month summer camp. I was part of an outfit called CISV that brought teens from 6 countries around the world to live and camp together in Thailand. I had no idea where Thailand was. I simply agreed to do it because my best friend at the time was already part of the group.

(Check out the pictures from the '94 trip that I scanned. You can find them by scrolling down on the right side. Click on them to go to the album)

The experience was incredible. I got to see wild monkeys, hike in rainforest and eat shark soup. The trip was definitely an exhilarating experience for a 13 year old. However, I was also very unsettled by what I was seeing. The family that hosted us for a few days in Bangkok had a shrine in their home with a Buddha statue. Everywhere we went there were spirit houses on the street corners to keep the spirits from coming into the homes. Large Buddhist shrines and temples with throngs of people were also a regular sight. I didn't understand what it all meant, but I knew it was not Christian and that these people did not know Jesus like I did.

The timing of my trip to Thailand was truly providential. I had just begun to really dig into the Bible on my own, and I was beginning to ask theological questions like 'what happens to those who have never heard the gospel?' The reality and significance of such questions hit home in a big way during my time over there. When I returned home, my perspective on missions and evangelism was changed. I realized that Jesus' command to reach the nations was not largely finished, rather, it was largely unfinished.

That was the beginning of my desire to be a part of spreading the good news to the nations. I didn't know how it would take shape, but I told God that I understood the importance of that task and that I wanted to play a role. I didn't share this with anyone, and I really didn't do anything proactive in this regard. I simply opened myself to the possibility of being used by God at the time and place of his choosing.

Then I went through high school.
Then I went through college.
Then I got a job.
Then, God came calling...

In the next post I will discuss my 2005 trip to Thailand and how it ended up being the country where I am going to serve long term.

What is a church plant?

2008-02-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

Many people look at me quizzically when I use phrases like church planting and church planting movements. Let me try and clear up some of the confusion. My goal in ministry is to start new churches. This has nothing to do with building a physical building. The churches I will be planting are gatherings of Christians in homes and open spaces in order to study the Bible and worship God.

I have added a video to help give you an idea of what I will be working towards. This is a church in a Bangkok slum that was planted by another ministry organization. Take a look:

These outdoor and house churches are excellent for many reasons. They can be started with little to no money. This means that they can spread much more quickly. Also, the atmosphere of these gatherings really mirrors the close fellowship of early Christian gatherings.

Initially, the missionaries do most of the evangelizing, discipleship, and teaching. However, the goal is to get the new believers involved in these activities as quickly as possible. No matter how long I am there, they will always know the language and culture better than me. When the nationals get active in evangelism then that is when things can really takeoff. If everyone shares the gospel with their friends and family then you get exponential church growth.

So when you think of church planting, I hope that the first thing you think of is not a building. Rather, think about the simple and vibrant gathering of believers to worship the one who saved them.

Bangkok Survey Trip Booked

2008-02-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

This is very exciting news!
My desire for ministry in Thailand is to work in the slum areas of Bangkok. Until recently, there was no one else in Pioneers that shared the same vision. So, I was going to join a temporary team in the north for language study. Imagine my joy to learn that there was an Australian couple recruiting people to create a team that will plant churches in the slums of Bangkok.

I have been able to speak with them, and we both decided that the next step was for me to visit them in Bangkok. It is customary in Pioneers and many agencies for potential team members to visit the field and allow each party to get to know one another before making any decisions. So, I am now going to be spending 2 weeks in Bangkok after I graduate from May 11-26.

Please keep this exciting opportunity in prayer. Pray that God will give me and the family a clear sense of direction as to whether or not we should partner together.

Home for Christmas

2007-12-28T18:33:00.001-08:00

The fall semester is over, and I have been enjoying a wonderful Christmas break at home.

It has been good to get rested and ready for the final semester at Dallas. I have a pretty light load of classes in the spring, and so I am planning to use a lot of time for studying Thai.

If you want some exposure to Thai, you can listen to some Thai phrases at this link:
http://www.thailandphotoalbum.com/ST_Flash.html

Monkeys Like Beards

2007-11-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

This is from my 2005 trip to Thailand.

You have to think twice about having a beard in Thailand because the local primates can mistake you for one of their own.