The Eternity of God

This summer, my teammates and I have been reading through The Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer. One of the chapters we read was on the eternity of God, which celebrates the everlastingness of the Lord.

This specific chapter explains that we are bound by time, but God is not. He has no beginning and no end. Tozer goes on to explain that being restricted by time is a source of frustration for mankind, whose hearts have been set on eternity:

“I think…here sets forth both the glory and the misery of men. To be made for eternity and forced to dwell in time is for mankind a tragedy of huge proportions. All within us cries for life and permanence and everything around us reminds us of morality and change. Yet that God has made us of the stuff of eternity is both a glory and a prophecy yet to be fulfilled.”

Tozer references Psalm 90, the prayer of Moses. In this Psalm, Moses reflects on both his morality and the eternity of God. Moses cries “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”

Moses recognized that his time on earth was short but that God is faithful to use earthly labors for eternal significance. Because God is eternal and we are limited by time, we can rejoice that He is able to redeem our efforts for eternal value. My teammates and I know we only have a short time in this city, and more and more we are reminded of how quickly this summer is coming to an end. However, we are trusting that God will establish the work we have committed to Him.

Our prayer for the rest of the summer is that the Lord would establish the work of our hands – that the work we have done, the conversations we have had, and the relationships we have built will outlast us far beyond what we can see or know for the glory of God. We ask that you join us in prayer that God would use our efforts for eternal value as we finish up our last week in the city.

-Mallory

Airplanes and Faith

Our team lives near the airport. So the sound of airplanes landing and taking off is a constant one in our tiny apartment. It seems though, that as our time to leave Thailand draws nearer, the sound of each airplane gets louder and louder. It’s a daily reminder that I will soon be leaving behind the city I have called home for 2 months.

With this constant reminder, my team and I were discussing how we feel about going home. All I was able to come up with was a “I don’t know.” Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to see my family and friends. But I am equally, if not more so, burdened over this city and the amount of work that still needs to be done.  It seems that everywhere we turn there is darkness: the girl in the bar, finding her worth by earthly standards. The young child, learning from his parents how to properly bow to the golden image set before him. The face of the man riding his motorcycle, empty and as hopeless as they come. The harvest certainly is plentiful, and leaving it behind has been a hard reality for me to grasp.

In 7 days, I will board an airplane that will carry me back home. I cannot avoid this. But I also cannot ignore the darkness I have seen here. Nor do I want to. And so, with the reality of going home so close, my team is praying boldly, full of faith and expectation. We are praying for more opportunities. Praying that our friends we have come to love so dearly will choose to follow Jesus, forsaking all the idols and good works they have known for the majority of their lives. We are praying, all the while clinging to the promise that the Word of God will not return void (Isaiah 55:11). We believe and know that even though our time in Thailand may be coming to an end, Jesus is far from finished with His work here.

In our last week of ministry, here are some ways you can be praying:

• Opportunities to share with our new friend Aae.
• The English classes we have started and the Bible study we are able to have with the women.
• For our team to have faith and peace in the work Jesus will continue here in Thailand as we prepare to come back home.

-Kenzie

Spiritual Enlightenment

...to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 42:7

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to Your light, and kings to the brightness of Your dawn. Isaiah 60:1-3

Team of the Day: Heartweavers

Country of the Day: Thailand

Pray for spiritual enlightenment of the lost as teams share the Gospel.

Perfect Timing

One of the phrases we hear a lot here in Thailand is “you have to be flexible.” This is not a phrase that is commonly used in my vocabulary. I love being in control and having a well-planned schedule almost as much as I love a good cup of coffee. (And all my Lion friends said “Amen!”J) This week though, my team and I learned that when we lose control, we are often exposed to the blessing of seeing God’s sovereign power.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my team and I normally teach English classes in massage parlors downtown. My teammate Mallory and I have been teaching in one particular parlor pretty consistently. We meet every week at 1pm, and we teach a short English class and a Bible story.

However, because of a Buddhist holiday that is taking place this weekend, most of the women were going home, which resulted in a shortage of staff. They had to cancel the class we planned for Tuesday, but we hoped that Thursday would be a different story. Unfortunately, when Thursday rolled around, they had to cancel again. Mallory and I were very discouraged, and we began to make a plan as to how we would spend the rest of our day.

While we were walking down the street, I saw my friend Oy, who I met in a bar one of our first weeks in the city. We chit-chatted a little bit, and eventually she asked us to join her in her home. We agreed and walked to her apartment.  While we were there, Oy began to open up to us about how she wants a man to come and take care of her. She wants to feel loved and wanted, and believes a man is the only way to satisfy this feeling. My teammate and I, heartbroken she felt this way, began to share about how Jesus loves us perfectly, and will never let us down. He loves us enough to die for us, even while we were still dead in our sin. His word tells us to cast our cares upon Him, “because He cares for us.” Man’s love cannot satisfy us like His love can. Oy heard these words, and even though she did not make a decision to follow Jesus at that time, we are praying that she remembers these words in the following days, and chooses to accept the free gift of God’s salvation.

Losing control is hard. But this week, I learned that no matter how well or far in advance I may make my plans, the Lords plans are always better. There is beauty in trusting the Lord through the unknown. He has appointed every day and every hour we spend here in Thailand. Even though our plans to teach English did not work the out that day, the Lord still gave us a person to share with. He had a plan from the beginning, and He knew that Oy needed to hear about the love He has for her. His Sovereignty is better than any well detailed plan I can come up with.

Please be in prayer for:

• The Buddhist holiday this weekend and our friends who are traveling home. Pray that while they are at the temple, they would feel Jesus drawing them to Himself, and that when they return, they would have more questions about Jesus and the peace He offers.
• Endurance for our team during these last few weeks of ministry.
• The English classes we have started to remain consistent and the women to be open to talk about spiritual things.

-Kenzie 

Endurance

...being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience...Colossians 1:11

Team of the Day: Heartweavers

Country of the Day: Thailand

Please pray for team members to have great spiritual, emotional, and physical endurance as they continue to minister to the lost.

More Joy in Heaven

The Lord is working in northern Thailand!

Our English classes (which are held at massage parlors downtown) are in full swing. My teammate Kenzie and I have been teaching a group of ladies since our first full week here, and we have been thrilled to see them improve their English and also hear God's Word - some of them for the first time.

We use a story Bible (one is read in English, and one of our students will read it in Thai), and the women enjoy the illustrations that go with each story.

This past week we taught on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. We explained that all of Christ's life and ministry was leading up to this moment, when He would take on the punishment we deserved so that we could be restored in relationship with Him. We shared how His resurrection proved victory over sin and death.

After we share each story from Scripture, we ask some questions:

"Do you understand?"

"What do you think about this story?"

"Have you heard this before?"

One of our students, Su, responded: "I have never heard this before. I had heard of Jesus, but I didn't know why He had to die. I didn't know He rose from the dead and that He is still living."

After we explained a little more about what it means to be in relationship with Christ, Su said that she wanted to follow Jesus! We look forward to sharing more about God's Word with her in the weeks to come.

Here are things you can be praying for:

• Pray for our English classes: pray that our students will receive the words of the Bible as truth and that they would respond in faith
• Continue to pray for opportunities to talk with people open to hearing the Gospel message (my team is really thankful that we have seen this prayer answered every week!) - also pray for focus and limited distractions while we are sharing
• Pray for our friends who have heard the gospel and want to know more. Pray that we will continue to proclaim the gospel and that the Lord would soften their hearts to receive the truth

-Mallory

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7

A light in the darkness

During our ministry this summer, we go into the red light district two to three times a week and try to share with women and follow up with people we’ve met from previous nights out.

Sharing can be challenging at times in the bars, because the conversations can be awkward and filled with distractions. Distractions can be loud music, customers, and the traffic on the street.

This past week my teammate and I shared with a woman named Magic. She was interested in talking to us but had many different beliefs regarding Buddhism. We continued to speak with her but she did not agree with us and would interrupt us during the conversation.

While we spoke with Magic we noticed a young woman selling fruit on the side of the road with a t-shirt on that said “I love Jesus”, my teammate and I wanted to speak to her but did not want to end our conversation with Magic.

After we finished the conversation with Magic, we ran to find the girl with the t-shirt on because she had moved down the street. We asked if she was a Christian, and she told us yes! We told her we were Christians too and how encouraged we were to meet a national believer. We asked her if it was hard to be a Christian in this city, and she said it was. We got her number so we can meet up with her to get to know her better and encourage her as she is being a light in a dark city.

We left the red light district that night with big smiles on our faces because we saw a light shining in the darkness. Sometimes it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the darkness we see, and begin to wonder how God is working in this area. We know from scripture that light overcomes darkness, and this confirmed that truth. Even though it was only a five minute conversation, it reminded me our purpose here in being bold by proclaiming His name above all names.

“In Him was life, and the lift was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:4-5

Prayer requests:

• ·         God would remove distractions during our time of sharing
• ·         Interest in English classes
• ·         Boldness for national believers
• ·         Opportunities to share the gospel

-Abbey

More English, More Opportunities

Hello from Thailand!

This past week we were able to meet with a woman for an English class that we had met in the red-light district the previous night. At the end of the lesson we were able to share the Gospel with her. She was attentive and listened to what we had to say. We asked her if she had ever heard this story before. She said her mother told her about it when she was young. She told us she is Buddhist and goes to the temple whenever she is suffering. This gave us an opportunity to share with her about the hope and peace we have with Jesus. Our lesson got cut short, but she agreed to meet with us every Friday morning for English lessons!

Prayer Requests:

• That the woman we met, Oy, will come back to our English class eager to learn more about Jesus.

• That the other woman we invited to the English class, Belle, will start coming to the class.

• That we will continue to build relationships with the women we’ve met in the red-light districts.

-Anna

Tell me about your experiences with God

Hello from the land of smiles! (aka Thailand).We have officially been in country for two weeks, and time is flying by. Our team is doing well and we have already become fluent in Thai. Ha! I wish, but, hey, we’re learning more and more every day! Our translator for the summer is living with us and while we are learning more Thai, she is learning more English.

So far in our ministry it has been our prayer to find people that we can clearly communicate with in conversation, and we experienced that this week.

During our ministry one night my teammate and I met a girl named Oum who works at a massage parlor. She is Buddhist but she was open to conversation and hearing the gospel. She asked “What kind of Christians are you?” That question came by surprise, but it opened a door for us to explain how beautiful the gospel is. She has heard about Christianity and other religions but she doesn’t know what is true and what isn’t. She then preceded to ask “Tell me about your experiences with God”, again, this was a great opportunity for me and my teammate to share how God has worked in our own lives.

After that first night, I decided to go back and see her. I learned more about her and her family, and the massage parlor agreed to let us come back every Thursday to eat lunch with them and teach some English lessons. I pray that this will lead to a closer relationship with Oum, and I will have the chance to tell her more about a God that is not a statue, but a God who desires a relationship with her.

Prayer requests

• That we are able to build relationships with Oum and the others at the massage parlor
• For patience in communicating
• For distractions to be removed when we are sharing the gospel
• For boldness from the Holy Spirit when sharing with others

-Abbey

City Girls to the Mountain!

Greetings from Thailand! We are doing well! Our ministry is going great, and we are enjoying the city and the culture.

This past weekend, our supervisors took us on a trip to a village in the mountain! Their friend Ami lives there. She used to work in the city, but after she became a believer, she moved to this village with her husband. They now serve the Lord together and work in the local church.

While we were there, we taught the local women how to make crafts and ministered to and encouraged Ami. Even though we were there to serve Ami, it was our team that was more encouraged. To see Thai believers growing and learning more about God stirred us to continue in the ministry we are called to this summer. The city we are in is very dark, and sometimes this darkness can be extremely overwhelming. However, this weekend, we saw God moving in a mighty way in the village!

Our last day in the village, we went to the local church. We had an opportunity to lead worship and share our testimonies. Worshiping with the Thai believers was a picture of what heaven will be like- people from every country and every language worshipping our great God.

Prayer Requests:

• Pray that people in the village we met will continue in their walk with Christ.
• Pray for clear communication with the people we are sharing with- that the language barrier would not be a hindrance.
• Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead us to people who are seeking Him.
• Our English classes we have started. Please pray the women we meet with will be open to hearing the good news.

-Kenzie

Meet the Team: Heartweavers 2017

Sawaadee-ka from Thailand! We are the Heartweavers team, and this summer we will be serving in a red light district in Northern Thailand. We will be teaching English classes and looking for opportunities to share the Gospel with women in the city. Here are the members of our team:

Abbey is studying Speech Pathology at the University of Mississippi. She is from Raymond, Mississippi. Abbey loves shopping, trying new foods, making people laugh, and spending time with family and friends. Her birthday is on July 6, and she is excited to spend it in Thailand! Her focal verse for the summer is 2 Corinthians 4:6.

Anna is studying Marriage and Family Counseling at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She is from Mt. Olive, Alabama. Anna loves hand-lettering, singing, gelato, and hot tea. Anna's focal verse for the summer is Psalm 72:14.

Kenzie is studying English as a Second Language at the University of Memphis. She is from Atoka, Tennessee. Kenzie loves guacamole, coffee dates, quoting movies, singing her feelings, and fan-girling over Drew and Ellie Holcomb. Her focal verse for the summer is Isaiah 61:1.

Mallory (team leader) is studying Accounting at Mississippi College. She is from Monticello, Arkansas. She loves to read, watch romantic comedies, send snail mail and drink coffee with friends. Her focal verse for the summer is Acts 26:18.

We have spent the last few days in orientation with the ministry that we are working with this summer. 

• Pray that we will be able to start English classes and form relationships with women in the city.
• Pray for boldness and opportunities to share the Gospel with them. 
• Pray for endurance as we serve throughout the summer.