Thanksgiving

Each year Thanksgiving is celebrated on an adventure with my family. This year was the first year, that I am on an adventure during Thanksgiving without my family. Here in Thailand, I have been surrounded by a different, yet wonderful family.

The morning was spent as staff. We worshiped God in song and thanked him for many aspects of our lives (the ministries, the people around us,our authorities, His provision, etc). Then in the afternoon, we all prepared for the dinner. Some of us cooked, others took care of tables, others making the lanscaping look beautiful, and others puting together songs for our time together. This was the first Thanksgiving, that I had a variety of Filipino, Thai, and American foods. As shown in the top picture, we had three tables of this fantastic variety. Thanksgiving was shared with a Filipino team that came on a missions trip (shown in middle picture) to serve with us for a week, our Staff here at New Fellowship Community Church, and others whom we had invited throughout the past couple weeks to join us for the meal. Together we sang to God, prayed, and fellowshiped with one another. It was perfect!

Plus, I was able to eat some wheat bread, as well as some delicious pies!

God Moves while teaching a Natural English Class

I have been given the opportunity to teach English classes. Each English class holds a different level of English capability with the students. "Natural English" was the one class that worried me. Those who have known me through my teenage years, could probably attest that English was and continues to not be my strongest subject! In this Natural English class I am teaching things such as definite articles and relative clauses, etc. I am so glad that I could give it to God to go before me in this class. In preparation for each of my classes, one of my prayers (so pray with me please!) is that God shows me ways to share Him with my students. This week, we were discussing, stereotypes/prejudices, and God brought me right to His word for the lesson. He used what He is showing me in my BSF lessons and applied it to this class. Isn't it awesome to see how God shows you something in His Word that can so practically be used many times throughout your week? =)

I have been studying about the Jews and the Samaritans and on how they held huge prejudices against one another. What stereotypes were held toward the other ethnic/religious cultural group of people. Jesus broke this stereotype "as a Jew" when he spent time with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 6). So, as a class...practicing our English, reading, and understanding of what we read...we acted out three different skits. One of two Jews discussing their ethnic history and why they have so much hatred toward the Samaritans. Another skit of two Samaritans discussing their ethnic culture and why they have such negative opinions of the Jews. Finally a third skit as two acted out the scene of Jesus and the woman at the well.

I continued to pray that these skits are not offensive, and that each class member may take some truth out of it. Everyone seemed to enjoy acting it out and as I watched their facial expressions...there were looks of interest...enjoying the facts of history involved. Please pray with me that for each of my classes, God will help me in my preparation, be able to in some way incorporate some truth of who He is.

Rhianna, a woman on our team here and also the woman I talk to in regards to accountability each week, encouraged me with the fact that we are planting seeds. And one day hopefully the seeds grow into blossoming flowers desiring a personal relationship with God. She says that she has seen it here through this part of the ministry. As each missionary who comes here is used by God in these individuals lives and He continues to draw his sheep nearer to Him.

One of my roommates shared with me her journey to knowing and receiving God. She said that she looks back and is amazed to see how God had a hand in her life, how He was drawing her nearer to Him (partly through studying English), and after a few years of God moving quickly in her life, the lights turned on for her. At that time she desired that deep, personal relationship with God herself. Today, this is a woman who is mentoring/shepherding many other women here in Bangkok. Her faith/her walk with God, is mature way beyond her years. My prayer is that one day my students will choose for themselves to take that step of faith and develop their own personal walk with God as my roommate did ten years ago.

As a last note: I am going to be inviting my students to BSF each month. The next intro class is this coming Tuesday. Please pray that over the months of asking or even this very week they will decide, to come =)

Remember, each day you are planting seeds of Jesus in the hearts of those around you. How are you shining Christ's light and planting seeds of God's unconditional love to those around you?

Your Sister in Christ,
Krystle

Lets Go To The Lord In Prayer

Nothing is Impossible for God! In His word we know that He is the
Beginning and the End. He is our Creator. He is Never Changing. He is Merciful. He is the Bread of Life. Through Him we have Salvation. He is With Us Always...These are just a few Characteristics of God that our Thailand staff praised Him for on Thursday afternoon (a time set aside for the staff to worship and pray together for the ministries). We had a wonderful time of worship; praising God in words and in song.

Our staff went into a time of Thanksgiving to the Lord after we praised Him. You too can joyfully thank Him with us. 1) Our Campus Bible Study started up again Friday night there was a whole circle of people in attendance. 2)P'Chai and P'Pawn (a married couple on the team) found house to move into. 3)Napada Handicrafts ministry has a website up and are now working on the logistics. 4)My students in my English Classes have bonded well to me and we are off to a good start! 5)Approximately thirty children came to JOY Kids and had their eyes glued to P'Pang as she told the story of Moses parting the Red Sea. 6)A lady is able to translate the sermons in a room upstairs on Sunday morning to those that are only English speakers.

Then we prayed some prayer requests. 1) A flu/sinus/cold is going around the team. Prayer that those that are sick will get better and those that are not sick do not catch it. 2) P'Ying is going to interview with the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday...pray that it goes well so that she can go be a nanny in New York for two years (although we will really miss her!). 3) Campus Ministry-Those that we play badminton with with come to some activities that we plan; Also that more people will come to the "Club" on campus from 11am-2pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. 4)Mahatthai: I will begin teaching English to the Mahatthai women...that those relationships grow...and that the language will not be a barrier (Remember God can do the impossible!); Also more adults will come to seek after God in that Community...that they might decide to join us for worship on Wednesday Evenings. 5) Napada Handicrafts-Stores in CO will choose to sell the items and we may begin to have a better support for this ministry within Thailand too. 6) One of the ladies who works at Napada Handicrafts is beginning to ask deeper questions about God. Please pray as the Lord continues to soften her heart that she will desire to find that pure satisfaction that we know can only be found in Christ. 7) A student, Jane, from our campus ministry is also being mentored at this time. P'Yu has been talking to her about God for a long time now and she seems to also be beginning to desire having a personal relationship with God. 8) Filipino Team-This team is coming out here today and working with us for the next week. Pray that they feel loved by us. 9) Upper Thailand gets down to 40 degrees during this season and due to many people not having the appropriate clothing, often times they get hypothermia and die. So a prayer of God's protection over them this winter would be a wonderful blessing. 10) The interns on the staff that are in Bible Seminary at this time..God continues to grow them and reveal His timing and as He opens the doors for them to go out and continue to church plant throughout all of Thailand. 11) Prayer for God's guidance in where and how to open up churches in other locations. Your Prayer Support means more than you will ever know!

What characteristic of God is standing out to you today? What attribute of his is He showing you? What are you thanking God for today? Let me know so I can be in thanksgiving with you!! Also, I love receiving prayer requests from those that have sent them to me. I pray each day over them. Those of you that are not sending me prayer requests...Please do...I am a prayer warrior for you! I care about what God is doing in the ministry that you are apart of, in your family, and in your life.

Never forget to bring all things to Christ in Prayer!

NO Workaholics Allowed!

Those of you who know me...know that I have been a workaholic for the past three years. I am so thouroughly exhausted by the end of my workdays that I have no energy to give to others...no energy to build relationships by spending time with others that I do not yet know. Well that is not going to "fly" here in Thailand. I am learning that people are very relational. The Thai staff on my team will stop from their work to play a game with others that come into the church/office building. They are showing me that it is important to prioritize those relationships. In America, this would probably be labeled as lazy...There is always work to be done...and no body likes the "slacker" in the office. For having a co-worker that is a "slacker" usually just makes your work load double, right? That is NOT protocol in Thailand. You are caring, genuine, a true friend/mentor, if you care enough to take the time to get to know someone.

The whole reason for me being out here is to be an asset to the MTW team; used by God so that others may have a chance to know the sacrificial ultimate love of Jesus. I must understand this relational Thai way. A way most Christian Americans should probably adopt themselves. God's Word, The Bible, states our main purpose on this earth through Paul in Colossians 2:2-3 "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (NIV) Are you fulfilling God's purpose? Fulling His purpose with an open heart? allowing God to use you in other's lives? Taking that time to build relationships? And ultimitely showing Christ's love? Or are you (like I'm struggling with) finding yourself a workaholic, where you are stressed and focused on the "To-DO's" of your checklis that you have no energy to give to relationships?

I'm not saying be lazy...I'm saying we must manage our time wisely, do our daily work in Christ's strength, and not get to the point of burn out; that point where we have no energy to give to the REAL Purpose that God has for us on earth. Ask God to use us for His glory throughout our daily work day.

I was able to see God in action on Monday evening. This helped me see the difference in being too focused on the "To-Dos" versus the importance of taking the time to "hang out" and build relationships with people around me. Monday, I was at the office from 7:30am to 9:00pm...only allowing a break for lunch. (I was teaching my first Advanced English Class from 7-9pm and throughout the day I was worried about the best way to "spice the class up"..but I will get to this in a later blog entry). So, by 9:00pm I was exhausted...ready to go home and relax. However, One of my students stayed and everyone was downstairs talking. We ended up going out to dinner and singing karaoke together that evening. As a side note: Karaoke is a big thing here..probably because everyone has amazing voices). Taking time to hang out with some of the Thai staff and a couple students, has already given me a closer relationship with them...allowing for deeper conversation.

Picture of our group on Monday night: Starting across from me and going around the table is P'Yu (a roommate), Sarah (another intern), P' Pat (Staff-studying to be a minister), P'Go (staff-also studying to be a minister), P'June (a friend of P'Douy), P' Douy (my English student), and then myself.

This is a picture of me learning that doing God's Work needs to be a priority. Please pray for me to see God's hand as He reveals to me some specific people (who may not know Him as their Lord and Savior) that He may want me to invest in on an individual basis.

Thank You!

Space for the Saxophone!

This was the first week that I was able to join the worship band for the church. It was a true joy! For those of you who do not know, I play the saxophone. To my surprise a month before I left for Thailand, I was talking with Tim (one of my teammates here in Bangkok)and he said to bring my sax to Thailand. He informed me that the King of Thailand plays the Saxophone and the people of Thailand love the Saxophone/Jazz. This was exactly what I found out today when I played for the first time in with the worship team. Many came up to me, letting me know how much they love the sound of the saxophone. I may now even have a saxophone student to start teaching weekly.

Earlier I stated that it was a true joy for me to play with the band. You see, our church service is obviously in Thai...I do not understand the exact words of the worship songs sung in Thai. However, yesterday, the team explained to me what each song was about. So, today, I was able to worship God through the song coming from my saxophone. Isn't that cool?!!

On a side note. I encourage all you musicians to come to Thailand. The people here ALL seem to be gifted in musical talent. The talent here within our church is amazing. One guy composes his own music often. Many others play the piano, bass, and or guitar, and they all have vibrant, give me goose bumps, type of voices. Today, I was blessed to join in with my saxophone. God was glorified today!

Thanks for hearing a highlight of my day!

Beauty in the Middle of Ramkhanhaeng 2

I thought today I would share with you the special time I get with the LORD each morning. Due to the fact that a lot of the building of relationships with others happens in the evenings, I have found that spending time in prayer, in God's Word, and in worship (as I go for a jogg), is best done in the mornings. This time is so meaningful to me as it has become my untouchable time with the LORD.

Like Joshua said to the Isrealites in Joshua 3:9, "Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God", I too desire to take time to listen to the words of God before I go about each day. When Joshua told the Isrealites this, it was just before they were crossing over into the promise land. Of Course the Isrealites wanted to cross over instantly...but Joshua made them stop and listen. I often tend to fill up my schedule and I am used to rushing...in order to just keep up. It is easy for me to get too busy for what God says is most important-Time with Him. Before each day, I desire to take time with God and ask for His help to lead me through the day, doing HIS WILL. This way I will hopefully avoid any foolish mistakes I would have made without God's direction...

Well, with this time, I get up, spend time in prayer, and in God's Word. Then I will leave the house and walk down our muddy/dusty/conjested street(In picture above) for about ten minutes...untill I reach the Mahatthai Park. This park, is the park I consider the beauty in the middle of my town. As I walk to the park, I am singing worship music to God (Not that I get enough looks as it is...I am a "falong" (foreigner) here..that already draws attention). When I arrive to the park, I soak in the beauty of the flowers, grass, and pond in the area (see pictures...isn't it beautiful). Mahatthai park is a refreshing place to think, process what I am learning from God's word, and soak in the beauty of God's creation. It is here where I go on my jogg in the mornings...sorting my thoughts and becoming energized by the Holy Spirit!

Please pray that I can continue to prioritize this time as well as continue waking up early enough to have this uninterrupted time. Also pray that I follow closely after the Lord's will and direction in my daily activities and relationships.

Together, let's follow Jesus' example in Mark 6:46. After feeding the 5,000+ people, He had His disciples go ahead of Him in a boat, dismissed the crowd, and "went up on a mountainside to pray". He too did not allow anything to get in the way of His time with His father. Now, I ask you, "Have you set aside daily time for you and God...to listen to Him as He speaks to you and directs your daily steps?" Don't let the busyness of life get in the way of your "God Time".

Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) in Bangkok

Praise the Lord! I found a BSF Class in Bangkok and yesterday was the first day that I was able to attend since being in Bangkok. It took about an hour and fifteen minutes to get to the church (by bus)that BSF is held in...but, I was able to find a couple friends, Kieow(on right) and Mary(on left), to come with me.

For those of you who are not familiar with BSF, let me share with you what the class contains. Free of charge, each week we get to take home a lesson to fill out as we spend time with God in His word each day. Then when we go to BSF each Tuesday evening, I will be in a group of 10-15 women who have also spent time that week reading the same passage. We each share the answers to our questions, some are fact questions, others are application questions, and others are questions pertaining to the lesson and the truths of the scripture read. During this discussion time, I learn so much from what other women in my group took out of their time with God. Then the entire BSF class comes together for a lecture. At this time, the Teaching Leader gives a more in depth description, with application illustrations, and questions for us to process in our heads. This study is a wonderful way to get to know other women who are also interested in studying God's Word and deepening their personal relationship with God.

Now, the most exciting part of this Bible Study is that it is in English. I teach some of the highest levels of English Classes through our ministry. Please pray for me and the softening of the hearts of my students, as each month I am going to invite the women in my classes to this Bible Study (so that they can practice their English while studying the Bible). Also pray for our men's class here in Bangkok as they will be opening a class in January. Then I will also be inviting the men in my classes to attend that BSF class. Please Note that most of my students are Agnostic or Buddhist...This will be another way to share Christ with them.

It is very crucial that I can build relationships with the students in my classes, as only then will they most likely be willing to come to a Bible Study with me...Thank you for your prayers and once again Praise the Lord for His Almighty Hand each day!

Napada Handicrafts

This is a business here in Bangkok that we have for women in extreme poverty. Their are two goals of this ministry: to physically help these women financially so that they may support their families and to spiritually feed them in actions, words, and through a weekly Bible Study; thus sharing who the ONE true God is. There are six women currently employed. Praise the Lord one of the women "Wii" has become a Christian. One is also inquiring more about God today...we are praying that she will accept Christ personally someday very soon.

However, we have ran into a problem...we need more avenues to sell these purses and other miscellaneous items that they are making. There is concern that we might not be able to keep all six of these women employed if we do not have places to ship the items to. Check and see if you would like one or give them as presents throughout the year. Also, maybe you know of a store, a church, a christian bookstore, etc. that may be interested in attaining a selection of these bags...Will you do these wonderful women a favor and pray about the LORD providing more avenues to sell these Thai items?

Please note that the purses have different handles, the choice of button/zipper closures, and open/zippered pockets on the insides! The pictures shown are the type of items that Napada Handicrafts sell. Please Note that these purses come in many different colors and designs.

Badminton

My first Campus Ministry Experience in Ram 2 was yesterday. In this ministry we build relationships with the other students on campus by playing games, practicing english/thai, and through our actions. As we become close, we then share the love of God through our words as well. So, I prayed that God would show me how, through my actions, I may be able to share His love and begin to build relationships with the others that were there.
We arrived on campus to play Badminton with the other students at 4:00pm. Within 40mins I had the "birdie" smacked right into my eye...it hurt soo bad! Well, through this I caught other people's attention. Now the next time I go...they may remember and regongnize me. God has a sense of humor. What a perfect way to build friendships! =)

Loy Krathong

Loy Krathong is celebrated on the full moon night of November. This year I attended the festivities (November 2, 2009). The nationals buy floats made of banana leaves and flowers that have a light coming out of the middle. Most pray to Mae Kongla (the goddess of water) to take their sins away as they place their incense lit floats in the river and watch it float away. They believe that this is the one time in the year where they get a new, clean, light inside of them because their sins are gone. It saddens me that most do not know the true light that we have as Christians. They do not know that the Holy Spirit is the light inside of us and only in our belief in Jesus as the One true God are they truly purified of their sins in the eyes of God. I pray that this year, through relationships, and more and more Thai nationals becoming Christians, they too may discover the true light. Please Pray! The festival as a whole was beautiful and the floats were amazingly creative. I was also able to watch some traditional Thai dancing. Hope you enjoy the pics as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Welcomed With Love

Yea! I arrived in Bangkok late on Friday evening! It is very hot here. Outside has odors that range from fruit to a zoo. Saturday morning I woke up and went to a devotional and worship time with the rest of the staff at New City Fellowship. Everyone that I have met so far have been so thankful that I am here and with smiles they help me learn the Thai culture and language. We worshipped the LORD together in song, then went to Him in prayer-praising, thanking, and asking His guidance and strength for the activities for the weekend. I love how the staff keeps Christ the center of everything...bringing every aspect of the ministry to Him together! This week I am told that I am going to see the many ministries that we do as I shadow the staff. On Saturday, I went to Mahatthai to go to our Joy Kids Ministry. Kieow, Sarah and I went around the neighborhood inviting all of the children. We had lunch provided. The children were very excited. Kieow shared the Bible Lesson about Baby Moses. Then we all colored baby Moses pictures. The children sang songs and prayed as well. I also was able to observe a couple ESL classes. Both evenings I have gone to a different staff person's home. They have welcomed me as I have been able to get to know people better one on one. I feel welcomed with love and excited to see how the LORD grows this ministry. I feel blessed to finally be apart of it!