This has been a wonderful week! Monday I spent time hanging out with other members of the team in town and then we headed to the pier for distribution. As always, God is faithful and we saw Chinese take Bibles and packets. Tuesday I was out the door before 6am headed to Cambodia. This was the fastest trip ever! We were the first van at the boarder which meant I was home almost a full hour earlier then last time. Now I'm not fully sure if that is because we were the first at the boarder or because my Thai driver, well drives VERY Thai. (ie, no rules, no speed limit, turning lanes become passing lanes and the guy sitting next to me continually putting his hand out to brace or point to a car he didn't think the driver saw!) Tuesday night we were again out at the pier. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy distribution? I just enjoy watching the joy on their faces as they take Bibles. I think one of the best moments for me on Tuesday was there was a group standing off to the side of the pier house waiting for their tour guide to lead them to the bus. A few were looking at the sign but no one was coming. Then one brave soul came and took a Bible and packet. Then two women came and grabbed Bibles and packets and returned to the group. As they looked over what we were giving the rest of the group came. We couldn't hand out Bibles fast enough! I went through an entire box myself with this group!!! PRAISE GOD!!!! Chinese people are taking Bibles and it's awesome! Wednesday we had UCM (a mid week service for the Christian ministries in our city). It was a wonderful worship service and time of prayer. We broke up into groups and prayed for different things. My groups focus was that everyone in our city would come to know Christ and receive salvation and that the face of the city would be changed. (it's a city known for prostitution) After UCM we went to lunch and then I started school with one of the MK's. We had a great time. She came over to my house and we worked one on one. Afterwards I took her swimming.

Today we are heading out to a village in the northeast part of Thailand to minister to the people there. We will be hanging out with the kids after school today and tomorrow we will be introducing a missionary who works in the area to the people. This will help the people of the village as we can only get up there a couple times a year and we are eager to see these people come to know Christ! (This is the home village of one of our Thai workers.) Please pray for safe travels and fruitful ministry.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support. I am truly being blessed!

So I wanted to post pictures from some of my trips but my computer is having some difficulties so for now I will do a short post. That and after a long day of out and about, then pier distribution tonight and getting up for a border run to Cambodia tomorrow... I'm more then ready for bed :)

Over the weekend I was able to go on a trip... my adventure to the north/east part of Thailand. We left early friday morning and road in a van to Bangkok and then joined a BUNCH of people in 4 tour buses! We boarded the bus for a very LONG trip.

There was some sight seeing, a lot of Thai food (ie fish and seafood with the heads and eyes still in tack!) that was spicy, and Thai karoke. I think I had the privilege of being on the party bus as we played games, most people took turns singing or sharing on the microphone and in general we stayed up late and made a lot of noise.

I was the only American on the trip but that proved to be helpful. On our bus several of the people sitting around us asked my friend who I was and where I was from. This opened up doors for her to share that I am a missionary here from America. She was able at one point to share her testimony! It was awesome! Made the very long hours in the bus totally worth it!

More to come on this trip! Thank you all for your prayers! I could feel the power of prayer hard at work during my meals ;) Gotta love fish heads!

Adventure

I was going to write about my time on the island this week and a rather funny story from my snorkeling trip, however, I received a phone call from a friend of mine that works with SCPT tonight asking me to go with her for an adventure.

For years everyone who has been involved with SCPT has been praying that God would open up the doors for distribution at a local garden attraction that sees many Chinese tourists. This fall God opened that door! Praise God. Well, my friend has made quite an impression on the staff at the garden and they invite her to many activities they host. And today she was invited on a tour trip and was asked to bring some of us along. As it turns out I'm the only who is able to get away.

She told me, "bring good shoes, it's going to be an adventure." I'm not sure what that means, but they are paying all our expenses while we are gone and I'm going to be at the border of 2 other countries.(IE I'm going to be able to get my passport renewed for another 15 days for free :)!!!) Praise God for how He works.

Please pray for me over the next couple of days as I do believe I will be the only American among many Thai. My friend speaks wonderful English but I know that we will be interacting a lot with the people from the garden and others. I'm praying that it will open more doors at the garden and will allow my friend and I to share God with those around us.

Squaty

You know when you're on a missions trip that God is going to stretch you and that sometimes you do things that you wouldn't normally do, nor want to do. On my trip home from Cambodia God decided to stretch me in a way I was really hoping he wouldn't!

The Saturday before my run for the border the whole team had gone out to celebrate a great CNY. While we sat around the table this picture began to circulate around the table. One of our LTV's had gone to Buddha mountain and there found that the only facilities were a squaty potty. As this was his first time out of the country, I'm sure this was his first encounter with this delightful instrument of comic relief. A picture of him standing on it shortly followed. We passed the picture around and all had a good laugh and shared stories of experiences with them.

I sat quietly laughing as I, too, had never used a squaty! And at that point never thought I would. God must have been sitting there laughing at me knowing that in just a few days I would encounter my first squaty.

On our way home from Cambodia we stopped at a gas station for snacks and bathroom break. I quickly walked to the bathroom and was stopped dead in my tracks. It was a squaty potty! Had I really just been laughing about not having to ever use one?!? It was tile all around, and me in my Old Navy flip flops that slide at the first touch of water. And yep there was water all right...with squaty pottys you don't use toilet paper and they don't have a nice little handle to flush...no there is a tub of water you use for all of the above!

Well, lucky for me I always carry an emergency stash of toilet paper and figured out a way to use it without falling and breaking my neck. I laughed and laughed. Upon returning home I shared my story with some of the other missionaries. They thought it was great, and I found out that outside of the city, or any tourist town that is all you will find in Thailand. In fact on our way to retreat I was told it would probably be my only choice til we got onto the Island! Way to stretch.

Retreat

Every year after CNY the SCPT and volunteers that are around go for a retreat. A time of resting and relaxing after the busy CNY and a time to reflect on what God has done.

This year we went to Koh Chang, an island in the south east. It was an amazing couple of days. The island was beautiful, the fellowship wonderful and the time relaxing.

We were able to talk about what went well, some things that might need to change in the future and we shared what God had done in our lives personally. For me that focused mostly on Gods faithfulness. He continues to show me over and over just how faithful He is and how much every part of our life matters to Him. One of the most wonderful things has been to watch as God answers specific prayers. I can remember so many times praying for a specific person or family, that they would take a Bible and packet and as I would watch them walk I'd see them maybe pass the first volunteer, so I'd pray even harder and you know we serve the most faithful God. Again and again I watched as people, families took Bibles.

God has been faithful in so many other areas of my life as well. Getting here was a huge struggle for me. I knew I was supposed to come and I knew this was where God wanted me but leaving family, friends, my church, my job and trusting in support coming in. Through it all God has been right by my side. While my support is not where it should be and I am daily struggling with trusting God to provide for me. But during retreat God just reminded me through our fellowship, my Bible study and just quite time with Him that He is in control and will provide for all my needs. God is not surprised by where my support is, He wasn't surprised that I was going to have to make runs for the border and He knows where the support is going to come from.

In trusting Him it is causing my faith to be stretched and reminding me of His faithfulness. If you would like to help support me you can send checks to my church, Laveen Baptist Church 5036 West Dobbins Road, Laveen AZ 85339

Please make checks out to the church as this will allow you to receive tax credit. Please attach a note indicating that it is support for my trip. Again thank you all so much for you support both in finical but especially in prayer! The God we serve is SO faithful and may He bless you beyond anything you could imagine!

Enjoy some pictures from my retreat. I will also be posting later about one of my more "exciting" days on the island.

Running for the Border

What a day!!! I woke up thinking how funny it was that I was having to make a trip to the border, I was going to be going to Cambodia. Now, I'd been told I wouldn't actually be going into Cambodia but more into a "no mans land," a space between Cambodia and Thailand.

There were 8 of us being collected in my van to head to the border. At an hour in which the sun had yet to rise, which I like to call "O dark thirty" I was given a call stating that they would be at my home in the next 5-10 minutes and I needed to be waiting outside. I was the 3rd person picked up. After gathering up our group, we headed to Cambodia.

As our guide turned to tell us good morning and that it would be a 3 hour trip... I couldn't help think of the Gilligan Island song that started out with a "3 hour tour." As our driving weaved in and out of traffic, I thought I might just find myself ship wrecked somewhere. Insert lots of prayer!!! :)

We arrived safely and proceeded to get our passports stamped stating we were leaving the great country of Thailand. I walked across the bridge, passing a sign welcoming me to Cambodia. I was pointed in the direction of "no mans land" and to my awaiting lunch. After lunch I returned to the Cambodian immigration office to claim my processed passport.( You have no idea how hard it is to hand your passport over to someone for them to process it for you, insert faith and prayer!)

I walked back across the bridge past a sign welcoming me to Thailand. I waited in line at the Thai immigration to get my passport stamped and a new visa. While walking to the van I looked over my passport and saw to my great distress that my new visa was only good for 2 weeks! What?!? I thought it was good for 30 days, but no it expires in 2 weeks. I went and talked to several people and found that a new law was passed stating that if you are traveling my air, you get 30 day visas but if you come by land(IE a visa run) you only get 15 days. Insert praying on the phone with my mom!!!

I got back in the van and tried to rest in God. I know He has a plan and for that I'm thankful! Please join me in praying that we can find a better solution to my visa problem. Not only would I like not to have to make a run for the border every 2 weeks, it will also be very costly! Please pray for my support as I'm also not a full support and with these new expenses I'm feeling my faith being stretched. I know God is in control and I have seen how faithful He is and how quickly He can answer our prayers.

PS. Anna, Jamie from Georgia's daughter, is doing better and Jamie and Nina were able to get on an earlier flight to get home. Thank you for your prayers!

1st of Several

The team of LTV's. Our last Sunday all together.


Our last team from Texas. Five first timers!! We had a lot of fun with them.

Wow! It has been an amazing Chinese New Year! Not so much in how many Bibles that we gave out, as it's not about the numbers, but in the joy of seeing the way God works. He was so faithful to answer prayer and to teach. This past Sunday we gathered in the warehouse for our last service with our last CNY team. It was a wonderful time of sharing and hearing what God was doing in individual lives and in the things we witnessed God do.

One of the stories shared was about a young boy and his family. Apparently he had been allowed to take a packet and one of our LTV's went over to this boy, his mother and aunt and tried talking to them. The mom spoke a little English but not much. In the packet we hand out a track called "The Four Spiritual Laws." This track is in Mandarin on one side and English on the other. The LTV had the young boy read out loud in Mandarin and at the end the LTV prayed with the young man and his family to receive Christ. In the mothers limited English she asked for help finding a church when she returned home! Praise God!!

During the service a passage was shared that stuck with me. I pray that I would always be ready and that these words would spur me on as I continue to work. "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." Colossians 4:2-6. It is important to be in prayer and also to be prepared.

In my own studying I was touched by the words of Jeremiah, "Then I said, 'I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.' But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not." Jeremiah 20:9 God's word was not meant to be kept to ourselves. He wants us to share it with the world!

To that we talked a lot about being obedient to God and His call and demand in our lives. He wants us to live and to share always. You don't have to be in another country to do it either, but if God is calling you to go, don't ignore it! The best place to be is to be in the center of God's will for you.

My Georgia team! John, Chris, Nina, Skip, Jamie and I. This was their last night working with us. We distributed at the Palladium. What a wonderful time. And praise God Jamie and Nina were able to get on an earlier flight!!!


This morning I had a break in activities and was able to go swimming in the amazing pool in my community! Isn’t it beautiful?!?


I recently realized during a conversation with my mom that most people don’t actually know what a baht bus is. As I tried to explain to my mom that “no it’s not actually a bus” and to a friend that “no they don’t have seatbelts,” I figured the best thing I could do would be post a few pictures. Baht buses are actually trucks with a row of seats on either side of the bed of the truck. In the picture below you can see one of the teams from Virginia is piled in the back, and yes those two women were standing on little steps they have for the entire ride!

Various parts of the ministry: Handing out Bibles at the pier, the many boxes at the warehouse that have been put together, waiting for Chinese to come back from the Island to hand out at the beach, and putting packets and boxes together for later distribution.

Blessings!

You know when you meet people and you know within minutes that you have been blessed to meet them and that they will forever remain in your heart. Over the last week and a half I have gotten to know a team of people from Georgia who have just endeared themselves to my heart. Their team leader is Nina, the sweetest lady, who you can't help but give a hug to. Jamie who has the biggest heart. Please pray for Jamie as it has been a rough year. She lost both of her parents and then her 10 year old daughter Anna has been really sick. She had a fever up to 104.6 for over a month and the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. She had been doing better so Jamie decided to come on the trip, and Anna had said, "Momma if you don't go tell the Chinese people, who will?" On Monday night Jamie got a call that the fever had returned. Please pray for them. And then there is Skip. What an amazing man!! He is 77 1/2 and out serving the Lord with the biggest smile! I hope that I can be half as active as he is and do it with as must gusto and joy. John injured his knee right before coming but hasn't let that slow him down a bit. Last night I was so touched by his continued prayer and reading of scripture, even in between waves! Lastly there is Chris. This was his first trip and he was so helpful and seemed to really enjoy it. When we worked in the warehouse Chris was so helpful, moving boxes, taping boxes, pretty much whatever we needed him to do.

Well, tonight is my last night with them. I will get to spend time with them at church and then later tonight I will be going out to help them distribute and then they will be leaving.(Pray that God opens the door for Nina and Jamie to get on an earlier flight to get back to Anna) I have been so blessed by them. It has really made the time fly by. I am sad to see them go, but I know that they will take home an amazing story and will share their blessings with their families and churches!

I have continued to stay busy. A full day out at the garden, followed by a night at the pier. Church was a day of rest and spending time with Jessia, one of our Chinese translators. (I taught her how to do eye makeup :) ) I continue to lead teams in prayer walking, had a full day in the warehouse, followed by a night out at the pier.

The Chinese continue to take Bibles and so many children and families with children have taken Bibles! What a blessing to be a part of this amazing ministry. The smiles alone on their faces has been worth the trip. Thank you for your continued prayers. Please pray that we finish out the Chinese New Year well. We will be down to our last 2 teams in the morning.