Happy New Year!

This is the year that I will move to Thailand and I can't wait to see what else God has in store!

I'm finishing up some free lance devotions on this first day of 2009, so my creative energies are focused on those for now, but I will be sure to write a real update very soon.

*If you'd like to hear my first (and probably only) foray into the world of video voice-overs, and learn more about the Assemblies of God National Prayer Center, click the following link. http://ag.org/top/Media/Video/index.cfm#National-Prayer-Center

Political Unrest in Thailand

More than likely, you are aware that there is a great deal of political unrest in Thailand right now, specifically in Bangkok. The country has been making headlines the past few weeks as protests against the government have, among other things, closed the two major airports in Bangkok.

My friend Lauren Becker is on her way to becoming a career missionary to Thailand. She has been to the country multiple times for ministry and to work on her master's degree, so she has a much better understanding of both Thai culture and politics than I do. Lauren wrote a brief summary about the current political situation and I found it so helpful that I wanted to share it on my own site.

CURRENT THAI POLITICS IN A NUTSHELL
By Lauren Becker

Two years ago (Sept 2006) there was a bloodless coup that deposed the prime minister, Thaksin. He was accused of a variety of charges, most involving money. People are upset with him and also with his political party. Thaksin and his wife fled the country and have been living in Great Britain (who recently revoked their visas).

The prime minister who followed Thaksin was Samak. Samak was accused of being Thaksin’s puppet in government, so in August and September, protesters gathered at the government buildings in Bangkok to try to remove Samak. They caught him on a technicality - he had been on TV, on a cooking show, and had received payment for doing so; courts deemed that it was payment as an employee, and it is illegal for the prime minister to have another job; thus, Samak was out.

The newest prime minister is Somchai. He is Thaksin’s brother-in-law (married to his sister). So, people still aren’t happy. Somchai is currently in Chiang Mai, because yesterday he flew into the country from Peru and could not land in Bangkok because of the closed airports. I have heard from friends in Thailand that the protesting party is on their way to Chiang Mai by train, and there may be trouble once they reach the city.

Please keep Thailand in your prayers during this time of unrest. Among the specific prayer requests Lauren listed are the following:

• For Thailand to have peace - no bloodshed, and a quick resolve to the political turmoil
• That in the midst of this struggle, people would turn to Jesus for TRUE peace
  

In addition to those requests, I ask that you pray for the missionaries to Thailand, including Lauren, who is scheduled to travel there in late December. At this time, the missionaries are not at risk, but I'm sure there is some level of fear and anxiety. Pray for their safety, as well as opportunities for them to share Christ, the only hope for true peace.

Well, the mechanics are still trying to determine exactly what's wrong with my car. They told me yesterday that there's a parasitic draw that was sucking power from the battery, eventually causing it to die. So once they figure out exactly which circuit is the parasite to blame, hopefully they'll be able to take care of it...and at a reasonable cost.

Even though I'm not sure how much these repairs will set me back financially, God's already been providing. On Tuesday morning, the day after my car died, we were told in chapel that we'll be receiving our Christmas bonuses next week. Then at the end of the day, I got an email offering me a free-lance writing assignment for an AG teen devotional. These small supplements to my income come at just the right time and I am so grateful for them!

I'm often challenged by Matthew 6:25-34, when Jesus tells us not to worry. Worry is something I do all too well, but when my car died on Monday, I was determined not to let feelings of despair or anxiety get the best of me. With God's help, I've been trusting him and reminding myself that my trust and feelings of well-being should not solely depend on the amount in my savings account. I'm thankful that the Lord continues to teach me lessons like these, as I find I don't always retain the lesson the first time around.

Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But week first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Lessons Quickly Applied

I started reading through Philippians yesterday, which includes the following verses:

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." 1:27a
"Do everything without complaining and arguing." 2:14
"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." 4:11b-12

And this morning I'm having the opportunity to put these verses into practice.

As I got into my car, ready to begin another work week, my little Saturn apparently decided it didn't like Mondays and refused to start. After several failed attempts to turn on my car, I realized my efforts were in vain and headed back into the apartment to ask Bethany for a ride to work. (Thank goodness for a wonderful roommate whose job is located a mile from mine!")

In the process of exiting my car, I also noticed a huge, brown stain on my winter coat. I realized that the spilled coffee I thought I had so nimbly jumped away from on Saturday night, had in fact, landed on my coat. So, I mentally added a trip to the dry cleaners to my to-do list, along with getting my car towed this afternoon.

Now, I know that in comparison to Paul's imprisonment as he wrote this letter to the Philippians, my circumstances aren't so dire, but they are still discouraging. However, I'm thankful that this is the chapter I "just so happened" to be reading yesterday and today. Those verses helped put an event that could easily bring me to tears into perspective.

But, if you're reading this, I'd definitely appreciate your prayers. I had to purchase brand new tires for my car two weeks ago, so my budget is already pretty tight right now and I'm not sure how much I'll have to pay to get my Saturn up and running again. Thankfully, I have AAA, so I don't have to worry about paying to have the car towed. In the midst of everything, there are blessings.

I leave with what I would consider one of my life verses, also found in Philippians:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

Well, fall has arrived in the Ozarks and while I'm enjoying the cool, crisp air right now, I'm sure that by the time the inevitably bitter and icy winter comes, I will be even more motivated to get to hot, humid Thailand!

Yesterday I had my new support letters printed off and I am so happy with them! My friend Carrie designed them and she did an incredible job. I'm actually going to be proud to send them out, which I think is important. In my opinion, sending a quality piece helps convey just how serious I am about my time in Thailand. Hopefully, the words I've written will also communicate my heart and passion for what God's called me to do.

If you are interested in receiving a letter and prayer card, please click here to send me an email with your address. I'd love to share in greater detail what I'll be doing in Thailand and I'd greatly appreciate knowing others are praying for me. Which reminds me, please remember to pray for any missionaries that you may know. I know with the current state of the economy, budgets are tight for many people right now, but that does not lessen our obligation to reach others with Jesus love. Many missionaries are having a hard time financially, but pray that God will continue to sustain them and provide for their needs, as well as the needs of those they are ministering to.

I am way overdue for a Thailand update, and for that, I apologize. Unfortunately, sometimes I get really overwhelmed at the thought of writing these because I'm such a perfectionist and I worry that my entries won't end up as informative, inspiring and entertaining as I would like.

But my personal quirks aside, there's a lot of news to share.

A couple months ago, I was faced with a really difficult decision. (I'll try to make this shorter and less complicated than it actually was.) When I was hired at AG headquarters last November, it was with the understanding that I would be leaving in early September or October 2008. They wanted me to stay longer, but at the time, that was my target departure date for Thailand. Over the course of this summer, I realized my budget probably wasn't going to be raised by October of this year, which would have been fine, except with the role my job plays in General Council preparations, I didn't have the option to just stay until my budget was raised.  My department either needed to hire somebody in the early fall or I needed to stay until after General Council in August 09. 

For weeks I spent a lot of time praying, and admittedly worrying, about what to do. With only having around 20 percent of my budget raised at the time, it didn't seem practical to just quite my job and have no source of income while I tried to keep raising my budget. But, I also didn't want to discount the fact that God can do miracles and provide in ways we could never imagine. But as June and early July progressed, the more I prayed, the more peace I felt about pushing back my Thailand departure. There were times in prayer when I really sensed God telling me "wait." Yes, there were some feelings of fear and worry that I had disappointed or let down the missionaries and my supporters, but once again God was faithful. When I talked to Michele Dove (the missionary I'll be working with) she was tremendously supportive and understanding of my decision to wait. I also spoke with a handful of people who have supported me in prayer and financially and they too, were encouraging. In everything, God seemed to be guiding the hearts of everyone involved in my future ministry in Thailand. So, in case I haven't been clear, I made the decision to stay in Springfield and at headquarters until after General Council next August. I believe God will continue to provide for all of my needs and that come early September next year, I will be on a plane to Thailand. 

In the meantime, I am praying for the women of Thailand and those who are already ministering there. Michele and I have also talked about me starting to write and edit some articles for the magazine, so that I can help her even while I'm in the U.S. Thanks to the power of the Internet and email, I think that will work out well.

Throughout the past few months God has continued to provide encouragement at just the right time. Whether it's been an aptly timed sermon at church or a new contribution to my budget, God's reminded me that he has indeed called me to Thailand for a year. I am so appreciative of all the support that people have given. I've never been one who's been good at asking for help, so as I've mentioned before, the budget raising is truly the most challenging aspect of this journey. But time and time again, generous people have provided support. If you are one of the many who's helped, please know what a tremendous blessing you have been. Words can't express how much everyone's support means. It's incredibly humbling (and a honestly, a little bit scary) to know that God and others have entrusted me with the task of sharing His love in Thailand. With your prayers and continued support, I will do my best to serve Christ on the other side of the world. I am so thankful that He will be my source of strength and wisdom as I prepare and once I arrive.

O is for the only one I see

After attending three weddings this summer and talking to two newly engaged friends yesterday and today, I'm just so happy knowing that my friends are going to have great marriages. Love is great. And one day, when it's time for me to get married...I vow to throw the biggest dance party of all time at my reception. It will be the stuff of legends.

I mean, forget the groom, I've got to start working on the play list.