Phang Nga, Thailand

Our team is now in Southern Thailand where we will spend the rest of outreach phase.  Some things have changed for us since we have been here.  My co-leader and I both agreed that our team was hard to manage because we were 12 people.  We found it overwhelming to try and disciple everyone with our different leadership styles.  Fortunately, a staff person from YWAM Sunshine Coast came out to visit for a few days.  I mentioned Merv in last week's blog.  He suggested that it might be more effective to split our team up.  This allows us to put more responsibility on the students and allows us to challenge them to step up.  We also can give more attention to each student on the team.  

So far, it has been much better.  The students had mixed feelings about leaving one another but I know this was the best decision for our team.  I have already witnessed people stepping up and taking more initiative. 

So far, my team has been working with a church here in Phang Nga.  Of a town of 50,000, there are mostly Buddhists and Muslims here.  We have had a chance to go into a couple of schools and teach English.  We are also helping out with a community center this week that is building a fence and a coffee shop.  The challenges here in Thailand are new, but the work is very similar.  I'm hoping to see the students gain an understanding of how much people need to hear the the Truth here.  We have been so blessed with this opportunity and have already seen so much here.  Compared to Cambodia, the quality of life is much higher here.  The food is phenomenal, but we have had a lot of sicknesses over the past week.  Please pray that our team gets healthy and that we seize any opportunity we have to share with people here.  

Remembering Cambodia

It is our last day here in Cambodia.  We leave tonight for Bangkok, Thailand for the 2nd half of our outreach.  Our last days in Sihanoukville were really amazing.  We were able to finish both the inside and outside walls of both the school and the orphanage.  We also developed so many relationships with the orphan children and with the school faculty.  On Wednesday, the school surprised us by having a traditional dance presentation as well as a fruit basket gift for our team.  Also, all of the children from the orphanage were giving gifts to us before we left on Thursday.  One thing I have come to realize from being on two separate outreaches is that it seems as if the most poor people in the world are able to give more of what they have than we can.  They love to give gifts.  Part of me wants them to keep what they have because they don't know how much I already have.  But it would break their heart not to take it so we do.  We accept their gifts gratefully and it is most humbling.  I am reminded of the story in Luke 21 when Jesus comments on the gifts given by the widow versus the rich.  The widow gave out of her poverty and the rich gave out of their surplus.  It truly is much better to give than to receive.  

Once we are in Bangkok, we are spending a few days there for orientation and to have a break.  We have a man named Merv from our base who is coming out to encourage and see how things are going.  We are excited to have him. He is the former base director of the Sunshine Coast YWAM base.  Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support.     

Painting and Teaching

We have now been in Cambodia for nearly 3 weeks.  As you know we have been working with a school  and orphanage set up by Assemblies of God Church.  We are nearly finished with painting the walls and teaching English to the Khmer children.  We have also had opportunities to host all of the school's chapels as well as join in the Sunday services at a local church.  The pastor of the church is probably the most kind person I have ever met.  He is so excited for us to be in fellowship with his church.  One things that has been challenging on this outreach is team unity.  We have 12 people from 5 different countries trying to serve beside one another.  We have been so blessed to have all these opportunities mentioned above.  Please keep us all in your prayers as we learn to serve beside each other and truly understand what missions are.  I don't know if I have shared this before, but I heard the best way to know if you have a servant's heart is to see how you react when someone treats you like one.  I think I have a long way to go.  

We have had a few people get sick including myself but I am feeling great now and most of our team is now in good health.  We leave here on Thursday the 15th and go to Thailand on the 17th.  We have another opportunity on the 16th in Phnom Penh to go to the city dump where children pick through the trash for food.  We are going to bring them food and hopefully play with them as well.  It should be a humbling experience.   

Cambodian Coast

We have made it to our first outreach location located in Southern Cambodia. The town is called Sihanoukville. It is full of European tourists and motor bikes. We are working at an orphanage started by an AOG Church and also working at a school. While we are here, we are painting the entire inside perimeter fence and also helping out the school connected to the orphanage. We are helping the students learn English and we are also getting to know some of the 82 orphans living there. 80 of the orphans also attend the school which is a K-12 school. So far it has been interesting getting to know the people and the culture. The food has been equally interesting. We have been eating a lot of rice, noodles, and vegetables. Our team is very lucky to be staying in a guest house across the street from the school and orphanage called Sunday Guest house. The people here are very kind natured and like to learn English. Most people who learn English can get better jobs which is why it is so important for the children in school. It's really a blessing to be able to jump into this ministry that is already set up and build relationships quickly. I'm looking forward to the effect this place will have on the students of our team.

I'm leavin' on a jet plane

So this will be my last blog written from Australia for awhile.  I am literally hours away from driving to the airport to fly to Bangkok and then on to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  So far we have only our first few days planned out.  We are spending Christmas in Phnom Penh and then making our way to our outreach destination which at the moment is unknown.  What is known is that we will more than likely be working with orphanage children and also working with churches while in Cambodia.  I must admit I am a little nervous as my American mindset is to try and have every step planned out for the next month.  However, we must be flexible going into a country in which relationships take priority over plans.  Our Cambodian contact has been working on setting us up with a place to serve in ministry and will likely have more information for us when we arrive.  Your prayers are most appreciated at this time as we are traveling and getting used to be around each other more.  Also, for trust that things we be more clear when we get there.  I am also nervous about leading 10 westerners into a country where it might be easy to complain and forget why we are there.  Thank you for your prayers.  I really wish everyone a Merry Christmas and I hope everyone is reminded of how truly blessed we are.  May we pass on the blessing to those who need it most.  

Christmas Lights and Baptisms

This past week I was asked by a few of my one on ones (see my first and second blog) to baptize them because they had never formally been baptized.  I felt very unqualified and yet honored to do it.  It was a little awkward since we had to go to a river to do it, but I was reminded that rivers are generally where most of the first Christians were baptized.  I was also reminded that baptism has so much symbolism in it.  To be baptized isn't just to have sins "washed away".  It's a symbol of being raised out of death and into life.  It was an honoring experience and I hope to do it again.  Also, this week the DTS has started working with a church called "Maroochy Baptist", which is where we have our lectures.  They put on a festival called "Christmas Lights".  The go all out during this time with an animal farm, Bethlehem walk, Christmas production, a food court, and other various events.  The students and staff are asked to help out in many different areas.  I am helping with parking as hundreds of people show up each night.  By the end of the festival which runs from Dec 11th to the 24th, they will have had thousands of people come through.  It's a great way to reach out to the community and talk about the real meaning of Christmas.  Some of the students are helping with the coffee shop, costumes, Bethlehem walk, parking, and serving food.  I hope everyone reading this blog has a very Merry Christmas and I look forward to hearing from you.

Covenants with Neville

"Covenants" is a topic that we were privileged to have Neville Strachan, pastor of Eastgate church in Byron Bay, teach this week.  Neville has partnered with our base and generally comes to speak on every DTS here.  I could try and explain a few things that he taught but it might take pages and pages. "Covenants" are not just promises from God as we would find out during this week.  They are an agreement between two parties and are everywhere within the Bible and throughout history.  A modern day example of covenant is marriage.  These things are almost always included in a "covenant".  Exchanging of coats (My stuff is now your stuff), Exchange of weapons (you pick a fight with me, you picked a fight with her too), exchange names (woman changes her last name), promise and oath (martial vows), blood cutting and seal (consummation of marriage), splitting of an animal (wedding cake?), blessings and curses (not normally said at weddings), memorial (wedding certificate and rings), covenant meal (wedding reception), and covenant attorney (wedding party).  All of these parts make up a covenant and can be seen in the modern day wedding.  Covenants have been known throughout history by every culture.  What Neville points out is that all of God's covenants with men are initiated by Him and that all of His covenants are leading up to Jesus Christ.  He is the focal point of all history, not only for the Hebrew people, but for the world.  It really was amazing to watch it all unfold as Neville explained the build up from the Old Testament.  It brings a whole new perception to God's plan.