Family Beyond the Borders

Friends dressed up for a traditional Thai dance.

"You are my heroes." Said our national director.  

No, wait.  We aren't the heroes.  It's the other guys.  The people who came before and braved Thailand without internet.  It's the people who will come after and battle the challenges of the new generation.  It's the people who served for 30+ years and gave their whole life.  

Dressed up Thai style!

 "You are my heroes." Our national director repeated.

This year is YWAM's 40th in Thailand, and God had some powerful words to speak to us.  Just as Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness before entering the promise land, we believe God's promises and inheritance is at hand for Thailand.

As we step into this next season, we were encouraged to think beyond Thailand's borders.  How is God planning on sending out Thais to reach the nations?

A few points that apply to any season, any country, any area of service stuck out to me:
* We are not responsible for the outcome, we are responsible for being obedient.
* Identity is not in what we do but in Christ.
* Look at what you have, don't focus on what you are lacking.
* Security is found in Christ.  He will always be faithful.

A couple days were spent just with our YWAM Thailand family, a meager 450ish people who were able to come, with many more back home, keeping things running.  Before that, we spent a few days as the whole Asia-Pacific region.

Sitting in a room, surrounded by about 850 people from 20 or so countries, family wasn't on my mind.  But as the conference went on, I began to see why it was being called a "gathering" instead of a "conference."

As a family we worshiped together, in many languages yet to one faithful God who understood each voice.

As a family, we prayed over and commissioned the new leaders for YWAM Taiwan.  Being the first Taiwanese couple to be the country's national leaders, it was a beautiful moment and one many people have been looking forward to for years.

As a family we took an offering and received bills and coins in 12 currencies. 

As a family we celebrated the years past and were challenged toward the future.   We heard from YWAM's founder, influential people throughout the years, and our newest generation of leaders.

It is a great privilege to be a part of such a beautiful and diverse family.  A family that is so ready to listen to God's voice and follow his leading.

God just doing what He does

 

"Why couldn't people work on the Sabbath?"
"Why was Jesus not supposed to talk to the woman from...ummm...Sam...Sameria?"
"What is a Pharisee?"
"Why is Jesus called the Lamb of God?  Lamb like a sheep, right?"

The questions went on and on.  The girls seemed like they couldn't get enough. 

Neither could I!  This was amazing!

A few months ago these three girls seemed to come to small group for the food, English, and hanging out.  Now they came with a purpose.  To ask questions about what they had read in the Bible.

Only God could have sparked such an interest.

I wasn't alone in my excitement.  After small group, my Thai co-leader messaged me,  
"These girls keep asking me about how they can know God, with those hungry eyes.  No matter how tired I am, I just want to spend time and share with them.  It's so wonderful.  I'm so excited about this and what God's going to do." 

Praise God for working in hearts and giving Thai leaders the multiplication vision as well!

 

No one says our small group is only for students. 
Our "aunt" from around the corner often joins us too.
(second from right)

"Everything that has passed, God has used to teach me."

J shared a bit of her testimony and what God has been teaching her recently when the dorm girls gathered for an evening together. 

I was encouraged by what she shared, and I hope you are too!

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I am the oldest child in my family.  When I was born, my parents supposedly were Christians.  But ever since I can remember, my parents haven't followed any religion.  I was born in a very poor family, so as I grew up, not many people wanted to be my friend.  Even some of our family members didn't want relations with us.  I wanted to study but my dad discouraged me saying, "You can't even walk on your own, how will you go to school on your own?"  

I finally got the opportunity to go to school, and it was a Christian school!  But I wasn't very smart.  I was a couple years behind because I started late.   Even though I was born in Thailand, I couldn't really speak Thai.  At home we would only speak Chinese and Akah.  Even though I was still a child and my parents weren't Christians, God was still with me. I might not have know that God was with me, but as I grew up and began to know God more, I could see what God had given me and how he was always with me.

After I graduated from 6th grade, my parents said that was enough studying.  In my heart, I wanted to continue.  Finally God opened up the opportunity to go to study in a bigger city in my province and live at a Christian dorm. 

One thing that has always been on my heart, is that I want to be able to go out of the country to evangelize.  But I don't have citizenship, so I can't leave the country. (This is a common struggle for people from the hilltribes who aren't recognized as citizens.  J is working towards getting her citizenship now.) It's okay though because God has given me opportunities to meet many foreigners and evangelize in my own country. 

Everything that has passed, God has used to teach me.  From not being permitted to study, to having the opportunity, and going on to university.  No one in my family thought that I could study university.  No one else from my village has studied as far as me.  Many people from my community have the old thinking that, "She is a girl.  She will study through 6th grade and then have kids."  That's all.  They think like that. Sometimes that's still a struggle with my family.  

Satan knows what areas can make us fall.  I have stumbled many times. Sometimes we think, "Just wait God, I'll do it myself." We think we can do it on our own.  I have had this thought many times in my heart and mind.  This has caused me to fall to the point that I can not get up on my own. Whenever we think that we don't need to rely on God, we are going to fall. We are going to really fall. In the times that I would begin to think that I was able to do it on my own, God would send a close Christian friend to remind me.  Then we could check our hearts and throw away the ugly thoughts. 

Truly, we have nothing if God doesn't give it to us.  If we don't have God in our life, we can not walk forward in our life. Only by God's power do we have the power to stay or go.  We have to submit ourselves to God and let God be the leader.  When we know we've done wrong, we must quickly ask for forgiveness, come back to God, and let God take first place in our lives again.  It's not that we will never fall again, but when we do, we get back up and follow God's path.  No matter what we do, we want to focus on God.  He is with us, and he is our foundation.

I want to encourage you that everything, from the time you were born to now, has been prepared by God.  If God hadn't led, we wouldn't be in this place now.  We aren't the ones who chose God, but God chose us first, so now we can chose him. Many people like to say they got themselves here on their own, but actually it's God who guided us here.  

As we pray and draw closer to God, we will know that God has given us everything.  Whether it's a good thing or bad.  I used to complain to God saying, "Why do I have to have a family like this?  Or why do I have to have problems like that?" But really, everything if we really think about it, is given from God.  

Two verses that I like to keep in my mind are: 
 
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  (Philippines 3:12) 

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippines 4:13) 

I don't want us to have the mentality that, "I know this much of God and that's enough."  But we want to continue to seek God more and more.