Hello from Thailand!
We arrived safely with no problems and i still cant believe we're here.
The first night was hard; the heat was brutal and my body was exhausted but my mind was working overime trying desperately to proccess everything around me.
Sleeping conditions have been much better than i expected. I'm sharing a large room with 4 other girls, we each have a bed and a fan. Initially i felt a tad bit spoiled with my own fan, but the heat here is insane and the 100% humidity is harsh. One of the first things i noticed when i explored our room was that there is definately no sink in our bathroom...sketchy! Thank God for hand sanitizer and the shower! Oh yeah and the shower isnt sectioned off like it is at home, it's just a shower head on the wall in front of the toilet. So basically when you shower everything gets wet.
The driving here is insane! People drive on the opposite side of the road here...or at least they're supposed to. Everyone always seems to be in a hurry on the road so they drive wherever they need to in order to get where they're going. Our main form of transportation seems to be in the back of trucks, it's crazy how many people you can pack in there!
The food here is really good but it's pretty much all the same. I'm definately thankful I like rice since we have it usually twice a day! Theres alot of chicken and veggies as well. I've been eating pineapple for breakfast which i love! I never liked it at home but it's so fresh here it's completely different.
Yesterday we went to a bunch of buddhist temples. That was interesting.
They're incredibly beautiful but it's sad to watch people in them. I watched a little girl who couldnt have been older than 3, bowing and praying in front of a statue. It's heart breaking to watch. It's sad to think she doesnt even know what she's doing, it doesnt really mean anything to her but she'll grow up not knowing anything else. We went into one temple and a group of us started praying. The lady in the temple got pretty angry and kicked us out. There's defniately a spiritual battle here.
This morning we attended a local christian church. That was sweet. We knew the songs they were singing so we sang along. It was cool to hear the mixture of thai and english. It was a powerful thing to see the two diferent types of people all worshipping the same God, I enjoyed it. It realy expanded my view alot.
Already I know God is doing sweet things, and I'm loving it!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
South Africa support
In my time here I have been praying that God would show me what I am to do when I get home and if it will involve YWAM.
Just this past Friday I was offered an opportunity to do mercy ministry in South Africa! This would take place at the end of June. Initially I said I couldnt because I dont have time to plan for it as I will be in Thailand for the next two months and it seemed like a very big decision to make so fast. But since then I have not been able to stop thinking about it. I believe God has placed this on my heart for a reason and I have decided to go!
The trip is from June 17 until July 5 and I will be staying in Orlando after Thailand until then.
For this to be possible I am asking for your support - both in prayer and financially. The ground fees (for accomadations and building supplies) is $1400 and then there will be a plane ticket on top of that.
If you are interested in supporting me financially you can send money to 13020 117 street T5E 5K1. If you are sending a check please make it out to me.
I will not be available by phone until the end of May but if you have any questions you can contact my mom (Nancy) at 473 6084 or email her at erinas@telusplanet.net.
Please pray that God will bring the money in as i need the money by the beginning of june and I will be gone until the end of May. Also prayer for my trip to Thailand would be greatly appreciated!
Until ALL have heard!
Just this past Friday I was offered an opportunity to do mercy ministry in South Africa! This would take place at the end of June. Initially I said I couldnt because I dont have time to plan for it as I will be in Thailand for the next two months and it seemed like a very big decision to make so fast. But since then I have not been able to stop thinking about it. I believe God has placed this on my heart for a reason and I have decided to go!
The trip is from June 17 until July 5 and I will be staying in Orlando after Thailand until then.
For this to be possible I am asking for your support - both in prayer and financially. The ground fees (for accomadations and building supplies) is $1400 and then there will be a plane ticket on top of that.
If you are interested in supporting me financially you can send money to 13020 117 street T5E 5K1. If you are sending a check please make it out to me.
I will not be available by phone until the end of May but if you have any questions you can contact my mom (Nancy) at 473 6084 or email her at erinas@telusplanet.net.
Please pray that God will bring the money in as i need the money by the beginning of june and I will be gone until the end of May. Also prayer for my trip to Thailand would be greatly appreciated!
Until ALL have heard!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Gods Timing
Wow I was really hit today by how God really provides for everything.
Last week we had two of our guys who were struggling with money. It came to the point where if they didnt get the money they needed they would have had to leave on friday. We all prayed about this and on thursday over $10 000 came in for these two guys. It was exactly enough to cover what they needed and half of it was from an anonymous donor. It was crazy to see how Gods timing is perfect.
YWAM Orlando has been working at purchasing a massive property outside of the city. In total it's 199 acres of land! The base has been working on this deal for over a year and there was a big meeting downtown this morning to talk about price and whatnot. So we spent the morning in prayer and worship for this meeting. It struck me while we were in worship how cool it is to be somehwere where everything stops for God. Usually we have class and various other things on tuesday morning but this morning we spent all morning in prayer and worship for this property. I love how when someone needs prayer the entire base comes together as a family and seeks God on whatever the issue is. It's really incredible to experience and i'm so thankful to be a part of this. We listened to people talk about how much YWAM Orlando has grown and been blessed over the years. God has truly been incredible in providing. It's crazy to me that YWAM depends completely on the support of others. All finances, vehicles, everything, comes from somewhere else. No one gets a salary from YWAM and yet there are about 60 staff who have everything they need. Thats cool.
When we had finished praying our base director, Michael Berg, came in and told us something he had found out during the meeting. I guess some original documents were found that state that the property is to be used only for religious purposes, which ruled out anyone else that was interested in the property. It's been great watching as this comes together and it will be amazing when YWAM Orlando finally owns the property.
I just thought i would share that with you guys since i was pretty stoked about it.
Last week we had two of our guys who were struggling with money. It came to the point where if they didnt get the money they needed they would have had to leave on friday. We all prayed about this and on thursday over $10 000 came in for these two guys. It was exactly enough to cover what they needed and half of it was from an anonymous donor. It was crazy to see how Gods timing is perfect.
YWAM Orlando has been working at purchasing a massive property outside of the city. In total it's 199 acres of land! The base has been working on this deal for over a year and there was a big meeting downtown this morning to talk about price and whatnot. So we spent the morning in prayer and worship for this meeting. It struck me while we were in worship how cool it is to be somehwere where everything stops for God. Usually we have class and various other things on tuesday morning but this morning we spent all morning in prayer and worship for this property. I love how when someone needs prayer the entire base comes together as a family and seeks God on whatever the issue is. It's really incredible to experience and i'm so thankful to be a part of this. We listened to people talk about how much YWAM Orlando has grown and been blessed over the years. God has truly been incredible in providing. It's crazy to me that YWAM depends completely on the support of others. All finances, vehicles, everything, comes from somewhere else. No one gets a salary from YWAM and yet there are about 60 staff who have everything they need. Thats cool.
When we had finished praying our base director, Michael Berg, came in and told us something he had found out during the meeting. I guess some original documents were found that state that the property is to be used only for religious purposes, which ruled out anyone else that was interested in the property. It's been great watching as this comes together and it will be amazing when YWAM Orlando finally owns the property.
I just thought i would share that with you guys since i was pretty stoked about it.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Drama stuff
I wanted to send you all a link to a drama we're doing in Thailand. We found it on youtube and it's quite powerful. Check it out.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FVJqRLU3J0I
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FVJqRLU3J0I
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Outreach Update
I finally have some information about our outreach. We will be in three different locations within Thailand. We fly into Bangkok and will be there for a few weeks. I’m really excited about this part of our outreach. We will be working with a ministry called Baan Jai Diaow (BJD). This is a YWAM university student ministry located next to the largest university in the world (600 000 +students). BJD is a student center that offers university students a home and a place to hang out. We will have the opportunity to be part of bible studies, teach English, lead worship and really just chill out with the students. I’m so excited for this!
Within the first few days of being in Bangkok we will be doing a prayer walk through some of the biggest temples in Thailand such as the temple of the reclining Buddha. Also while we are in Bangkok we will get a chance to take part in the annual water fight! The Thai people celebrate the New Year with a massive full day water fight. This will definitely be an experience.
Our second location is Koh Kho Khao. Here we will be working with a community center that was built shortly after the tsunami. We will be helping with the construction phase as well as be active in the early stages of evangelism as opportunities arise. We will be doing a lot of the same stuff as in Bangkok; leading worship, sharing testimonies and building relationships with the locals.
Our last location is Phang Nga. We will be working with a YWAM church planting team during our time here. We will be teaching English in schools, working in a local orphanage, working with youth ministries and helping with construction projects in Muslim villages.
This morning we spent an hour in intercession, asking God how we can pray for the Thai people, as well as how we can pray for each other. This is always one of my favorite times; it’s always interesting to hear what God has to say to us. It’s pretty cool.
Here are a few things you can pray for:
• Boldness
• Unity
• Health and safety
• That God would prepare our hearts as well as the Thai people’s hearts
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:1-2
Within the first few days of being in Bangkok we will be doing a prayer walk through some of the biggest temples in Thailand such as the temple of the reclining Buddha. Also while we are in Bangkok we will get a chance to take part in the annual water fight! The Thai people celebrate the New Year with a massive full day water fight. This will definitely be an experience.
Our second location is Koh Kho Khao. Here we will be working with a community center that was built shortly after the tsunami. We will be helping with the construction phase as well as be active in the early stages of evangelism as opportunities arise. We will be doing a lot of the same stuff as in Bangkok; leading worship, sharing testimonies and building relationships with the locals.
Our last location is Phang Nga. We will be working with a YWAM church planting team during our time here. We will be teaching English in schools, working in a local orphanage, working with youth ministries and helping with construction projects in Muslim villages.
This morning we spent an hour in intercession, asking God how we can pray for the Thai people, as well as how we can pray for each other. This is always one of my favorite times; it’s always interesting to hear what God has to say to us. It’s pretty cool.
Here are a few things you can pray for:
• Boldness
• Unity
• Health and safety
• That God would prepare our hearts as well as the Thai people’s hearts
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:1-2
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