The Sacrifice for Honor

One of our first activities was visiting some monks to chat about their belief system. We learned a lot of very interesting things! Most of the monks we saw & spoke with were very young. One of them was only eighteen years old, and he told us that boys can become monks at the age of twelve. He also told us that many of the monks do not become monks for religious reasons, but rather to honor their family.

We learned from one of the monk teachers that Buddhism is more of a philosophical way to approach life rather than a religion. As we sat & listened to all of the rules they had to follow and the restrictions on their lives, we recognized the heaviness and sadness surrounding them.

Please pray for these young monks, as many of them are only there to honor their family.
Pray the Lord would work in their lives & show them the empty places in their hearts where only He belongs.

-Cora
Creative Media Team, Thailand 

Thailand Media Team Intro

The 2025 Thailand Creative Media Team landed on June 12, ready to reach the Thai people with the hope and Gospel message of Jesus Christ. The four of us will be focusing on serving through digital engagement, as well as reaching college students on the local campuses with the Gospel. We will also be partnering with local churches and ministries to continue to serve the people in the city. 

Hello! My name is Gabrielle. I am attending Cedarville University in Ohio, majoring in English with a Biblical Studies and Creative Writing minor. I am so excited to use my writing skills this summer with the Creative Media Team! 

Hi! I’m Anjuli, I’m based in Seattle and just graduated with a degree in Visual Communication Design from the University of Washington. My parents were missionaries in South Asia; I grew up on the field and have had the privilege of seeing the Lord at work there most of my life! I’m excited to return to Asia to see how the Lord leads us this summer!

Hello! My name is Emma and I am a senior at William Carey University. I am double majoring in Intercultural Studies and Art. I grew up in Brazil as a missionary kid serving in the Amazon region. This summer I am excited to dive into media and missions.

Hey y'all! I'm Cora, from DFW, Texas, studying photojournalism at the University of North Texas with minors in Jewish Studies and Classics. In my free time, you can find me taking photos, napping, or trying some new coffee. Can't wait to see how God works through me this summer! 

Emma: Where is the fruit?

I've been reading through Matthew recently... the incredible stories of the life & ministry of Jesus. Matthew 5-6... I've read that passage before but it just hit me so hard as I read through it this time. 

We are supposed to live as the salt & light of the world. I want to live as a light so that others may see Christ and give all the glory to God, not me. Jesus teaches in this passage about sin, loving your enemies, living sacrifically, how to pray, serving God above all things, not being anxious, and building my life on the rock of Christ. 

The morning I read this, the Holy Spirit really convicted me! I was convicted about bearing fruit in my life. Jesus said, "You will recognize them by their fruit." (Matt 7:20)

What is the fruit of my life? I can be doing ministry, but still living selfishly or distracted. I realized this is why my relationship with God must to be number one! If i want to bear genuine, lasting fruit in my life, I need to daily spend time with God. 

We learned a lot about this in AOT (Advance Operations Training), but I think that when a slot of time isn't prepared for you to have a quiet time & it's up to your discipline to spend that time with God, it can be easy not to make it a priority or lose focus. However, I've been learning that my daily time with the Lord is crucial. I want to bear fruit in my life that comes out of the abundance of the love & joy i experience daily in my love relationship with God. I am grateful for my relationship with God and how He sustains me every single day.

-Emma

NT365 participant, Asia Pacific Rim

Healthy Teaming: Julia

Ministering with longterm workers in my country has been such a blessing. I've been able to observe the aspects of everyday living while working as a team. Each family & individual is unique & essential. This team seems to be a healthy team & is a framework of what healthy teaming look like. They have become like family to me and for one another, pointing each other to Christ & loving the Kingdom work they are involved in.

-Julia

NT365 participant, Asia Pacific Rim

Never a waste: Julia (NEEDS PICTURE)

For the past couple weeks, I have been attending English corners almost everyday. I am constantly sharing my story & who Jesus is. I have connected with many students about struggles I have experienced. The students can relate to my story, often feeling caught up right in the middle of their struggles. Through this, God has been showing me that the years of pain, loneliness and depression I experience were not a waste. The days where I felt like I couldn't live anymore, now are being used as a purpose in my life. For His glory!! I am able to point students to Christ and speak into their lives in a unique way. Sharing that God has a purpose for their lives and that He loves them so, so much! God doesn't waste anything. I am living in His grace in this present moment. 

-Julia

NT365 participant, Asia Pacific Rim

Blessing to serve: Emma

I am so thankful for our longterm team we have the blessing to serve with. They truly live out Ephesians 4:2-3: "with all humility & gentleness, with patience bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace."

These families really do bear all things together in love: when someone is sick, they are taken care of. When someone is struggling in parenting, family issues, personal situations, everyone else on the team immediately jumps at the opportunity to pray for them & help them.

It's also taught me the importance of a healthy team & team unity. Each family has their unique gifting & ministry. That's what makes the work they're doing as the body fo Christ so fruitful. I am grateful to know them & learn from each of them!

-Emma

NT365 participant, Asia Pacific Rim

His Mercy & His Word: Jessica

Over the last couple weeks God has been teaching me more about His mercy & His word. I am in awe of how gracious God is. He has completely redeemed me though I do not deserve it. His mercy abounds deeper than I know & it is not dependent on me, but rather on His unchanging character. 

I have also been reminded that His word is not only trustworthy but also everlasting. In my quiet times I have been thinking a lot about how the things of this world are temporary. It is a blessing from God to have the relationships & possessions, but they do fade away. It is a comfort to me that the greatest thing I have will never fade away, because my God is everlasting & His word endures forever. (Isaiah 40:6-8)

-Jessica

NT365 participant, Asia Pacific Rim