In our lack of traveling experience we had to change hotels three different times in our five days in Mae Sai. We never seemed to explain how long we wanted to the rooms for and since it was a busy time of the year they were pretty booked. We ended up finding a inexpensive but very nice hotel that overlooked Burma and was very close to the border. I was not going to allow myself to get frustrated by all of my mistakes but was going to trust in God and knowing that He works despite our mistakes.
Our whole team was with us at this point and we decided to have a time of prayer and worship one night outside of the hotel. We were praying for our team and for the city we were in and also for people that were involved in prostitution. We were asking God for His heart for these people and didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into. About a half an hour into it I looked up and saw two men taking a young girl dressed like a prostitute into the hotel and up the elevator. I knew what was going on but didn't want to interrupt our prayer time. When we were finished we decided to take a walk and prayer around the area that we knew had brothels.
The walk was very quiet since most of the brothels are behind closed doors and the streets were pretty quiet that night, but we prayed out loud and I brought my guitar and worshipped God. We got back near the hotel and decided to stop and get some snacks before heading in. Outside of the store were about 6 young adults. Some were drinking and hanging out but there was one young girl holding a baby. I stayed outside and played my guitar and the girl with the baby started speaking english to me. She began to ask me questions like my name and where I was from. I ended up finding out that a church payed for her to go to bible school and to speak around America including Ohio!
Another man was there that was also a Christian in the area and we talked about God and what we were doing. Out of nowhere the two guys and the girl I saw earlier walking into the hotel walked right up to us standing there. I was so shocked and nervous that I was standing there with these people. The girl with the baby grabbed the girl that I assumed to be a prostitute and took her home. When she came back she told us about the girl she took home, that her father had sexually abused her and that her mother passed away so she ended up on the street prostituting herself at the age of 15. Our hearts sank as we stood there embracing the reality of the area we were in. We talked more with the girl and she told us that she was praying for the girls in the area and trying to take care of them.
After all of this we stayed for a few more hours talking and also playing some worship songs that even the drunk guys were singing along with! We had no Idea what we were getting into that night but looking back I could see how we got exactly what we were asking for. We wanted to have Gods heart for the area and for the people and we got it. We were thrown right into the life of the people and the reality of their struggles. Our hearts were broken but we could see that this is what God's heart was for these people.
I had a whole new perspective on these Burmese/Thai people of this small town. I was shown that they were so hungry for the love of God and that us making ourselves available that night to just hang out with them and love on them was exactly what God wanted. Our five days in the small border town with no plans gave us the chance to just be available and see what God wanted to do. I didn't just get Gods heart but truly fell in love with the area and the people and hope to someday return to Mae Sai.
"In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years." Isaiah 64:9
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Drop in Center
The morning of our second day in Mae Sai, Chris and I started our day by going out and getting coffee from a nearby restaurant and had no other plans for our day. We had left our students for a few days to go ahead of them and had no other plans but to pray into the rest of our outreach. On our way back to our room we stopped at the front desk to ask about doing some laundry and were met by a tour guide named Saemoon. He had been waiting in the hotel lobby for us because he had heard that there were three foreigners were staying in the hotel and he wanted to offer his tour to us. I decided to talk to him since we were planning on going into Burma and I wanted to have a guide take us in. I told him that we were Christian missionaries and what we had been doing the past two months and he was very excited. He began to tell me his testimony and and how he had been an alcoholic and in the streets until a English man named Frank came and took him in and gave him cloths and a shower. Saemoon was so excited at this point and had no desire to sell us his service as a tour guide but instead now he wanted to take Chris and I to meet frank!
We were walking down the streets following Seamoon into the red light area near the border to meet some man named Frank and had no idea what to expect. We arrived at a large building and walked in to a see people of all ages hanging out watching "Mr. Bean" and eating lunch. We met Frank who was an older English man. He sat down on the floor with us and began to tell us all about the Drop in Center and how God gave him a heart for the people in the area of the border and especially the children that hang out on the bridge. The kids are sent out by their parents to beg for money that is usually to support their own drug habits rather than pay for food. Often times if the kids don't bring back enough money they will be physically abused. Many kids also have problems with sniffing glue.
Frank wants to give the kids a safe place to come and stay whenever they want that is safe. He feeds the kids as well as teaches them the bible. The building is four stories with allot of space and Frank wants to use the top two floors for discipleship training and to be sending them back into Burma. This was such an amazing day of seeing a glimpse of what God is doing in this area and how there is a light shining in the midst darkness.
If you would like more information about the drop in center or if you would like to help support you can email Frank at frank@supportingheart.com
We were walking down the streets following Seamoon into the red light area near the border to meet some man named Frank and had no idea what to expect. We arrived at a large building and walked in to a see people of all ages hanging out watching "Mr. Bean" and eating lunch. We met Frank who was an older English man. He sat down on the floor with us and began to tell us all about the Drop in Center and how God gave him a heart for the people in the area of the border and especially the children that hang out on the bridge. The kids are sent out by their parents to beg for money that is usually to support their own drug habits rather than pay for food. Often times if the kids don't bring back enough money they will be physically abused. Many kids also have problems with sniffing glue.
Frank wants to give the kids a safe place to come and stay whenever they want that is safe. He feeds the kids as well as teaches them the bible. The building is four stories with allot of space and Frank wants to use the top two floors for discipleship training and to be sending them back into Burma. This was such an amazing day of seeing a glimpse of what God is doing in this area and how there is a light shining in the midst darkness.
If you would like more information about the drop in center or if you would like to help support you can email Frank at frank@supportingheart.com
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Our Shelter
Chris, Sarah-jo, and I arrived in Mae Sai after a five and a thirteen hour bus ride. We decided to leave the students for a few days and go ahead of them. It was 7am and we didn't even know where to say. We had a taxi driver take us to a guest house and hoped and prayed for God to bless us. He drove straight up to the border checkpoint and then took the last road on the left down into the market area which was a small China town. Literally in the middle of a crammed market area we were dropped off at the guest house. As we climbed the four floors with our luggage all I could think about was getting sleep, and after 18.5 hours on a bus with no sleep I was very motivated to climb those stairs.
We entered the room and were immediately blown away by the view of the mountains of Burma. With just a tiny river separating us from the closed nation of Burma a.k.a Myanmar, we were as close as you can get with a birds eye view. I went straight to bed and woke up after having a pretty crazy dream about being bitten by snakes. Chris also had some crazy dreams and we realized that our location was a huge spiritual stronghold and we needed to cover each other with prayer and create an environment in our room that was soaked in Gods presence. After staying in locations that were covered in prayer for the past two months we realized it was our turn especially if we wanted to have any joy or peace in this place of Spiritual chaos.
The rest of our team will join us on Friday and we will then go across the border to Burma so we can get visas for our last couple weeks in Thailand. We will do our best to soak this place in prayer and get perspective for the rest of our time in Thailand. It's overwhelming coming to places like this where there seems to be no glimmer of hope or sign of progress but, sitting in Gods presence and remembering who it is that we serve brings more hope than I could ever create.
"The number of Burmese women and girls travelling to Thailand through Mae Sai to enter the sex industry is increasing. 60% of them are under 18 years of age." (Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, "Influx of Burmese sex workers via Mae Sai on the rise," Bangkok Post, 2 June 1997)
"20,000-30,000 Burmese women are in prostitution in Thailand." (CATW - Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”
Psalm 91:14-16
My prayer is that the people of Burma will know God and cry out to him.
We entered the room and were immediately blown away by the view of the mountains of Burma. With just a tiny river separating us from the closed nation of Burma a.k.a Myanmar, we were as close as you can get with a birds eye view. I went straight to bed and woke up after having a pretty crazy dream about being bitten by snakes. Chris also had some crazy dreams and we realized that our location was a huge spiritual stronghold and we needed to cover each other with prayer and create an environment in our room that was soaked in Gods presence. After staying in locations that were covered in prayer for the past two months we realized it was our turn especially if we wanted to have any joy or peace in this place of Spiritual chaos.
The rest of our team will join us on Friday and we will then go across the border to Burma so we can get visas for our last couple weeks in Thailand. We will do our best to soak this place in prayer and get perspective for the rest of our time in Thailand. It's overwhelming coming to places like this where there seems to be no glimmer of hope or sign of progress but, sitting in Gods presence and remembering who it is that we serve brings more hope than I could ever create.
"The number of Burmese women and girls travelling to Thailand through Mae Sai to enter the sex industry is increasing. 60% of them are under 18 years of age." (Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, "Influx of Burmese sex workers via Mae Sai on the rise," Bangkok Post, 2 June 1997)
"20,000-30,000 Burmese women are in prostitution in Thailand." (CATW - Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”
Psalm 91:14-16
My prayer is that the people of Burma will know God and cry out to him.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Straining toward whats ahead
Our time in Cambodia has ended and our work in Thailand has just began. Leaving Battambang was a very sad time. We had a great time of ministry there and many friendships were formed. We were able to plant many seeds and see authentic interest in a relationship with Jesus. It's almost too easy to see God moving there. You get a real sense of how much God loves people and is seeking a people that are desperate for Him.
There were at least 20 of our friends at the house the morning we left Battambang. We were able to stay at a pastors house the whole time where we were cooked delicious khmer dishes and soups. They really treated us like family and dealt with our loud Western culture for 7 weeks. I started to feel at home sharing a bedroom with my co-leader Chris Little, making coffee every morning at 4:30am and enjoying the presence of God in our room covered with pink tile all over the walls. It was a huge 3 story house that was mainly built to house all of the YWAM teams that were there serving. We would have our prayer and worship times on the empty open roof space where we would have all the loud city noises including the metal workshop that was next door.
Getting into Thailand was like leaving a spiritual warzone. Phisically and spiritually I could feel the diffence of the atmosphere of the two countries. It's almost a relief to be in Thailand right now but the biggest challenge is to keep focus and have perspective that outreach is not over in any way. This is a mentally challenging time because most of us want to start talking about Christmas and home.
We are working at a local church in Kantharalak, Thailand. Teaching english, sharing testimonies, doing dramas, and giving out bibles. It is amazing getting to go into the schools and talk about Jesus and his love to hundreds of young Thai kids. After our time here we will go up to Mai Sia which is the very north of Thailand and Serve in a wedding!
Well my prayer this next month is Philippians 3:14 "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Alot has happened so far but my eyes need to stay on the prize!
There were at least 20 of our friends at the house the morning we left Battambang. We were able to stay at a pastors house the whole time where we were cooked delicious khmer dishes and soups. They really treated us like family and dealt with our loud Western culture for 7 weeks. I started to feel at home sharing a bedroom with my co-leader Chris Little, making coffee every morning at 4:30am and enjoying the presence of God in our room covered with pink tile all over the walls. It was a huge 3 story house that was mainly built to house all of the YWAM teams that were there serving. We would have our prayer and worship times on the empty open roof space where we would have all the loud city noises including the metal workshop that was next door.
Getting into Thailand was like leaving a spiritual warzone. Phisically and spiritually I could feel the diffence of the atmosphere of the two countries. It's almost a relief to be in Thailand right now but the biggest challenge is to keep focus and have perspective that outreach is not over in any way. This is a mentally challenging time because most of us want to start talking about Christmas and home.
We are working at a local church in Kantharalak, Thailand. Teaching english, sharing testimonies, doing dramas, and giving out bibles. It is amazing getting to go into the schools and talk about Jesus and his love to hundreds of young Thai kids. After our time here we will go up to Mai Sia which is the very north of Thailand and Serve in a wedding!
Well my prayer this next month is Philippians 3:14 "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Alot has happened so far but my eyes need to stay on the prize!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Being Available
Life in Cambodia is beginning to set in. The reality of living in a place like this takes some time to set in and to mentally BE HERE. Once you accept the fact that you are living in new place you begin to enjoy the small things and to make it your home. You invest your heart into the place you’re at you begin to see why God has called you there and what he actually wants to do through you. I have to quickly turn my focus from the minor discomforts to seeking Gods presence perspective.
We were able to spend a week at an orphanage in a village a few weeks ago. As we adjusted to sleeping on the floor in mosquito nets and taking bucket showers in rain water, we had our lives changed by these kids. They were mostly between the ages of 3 and 12 and were mostly all Christian. These kids wake up at 5 every morning to do chores before breakfast and then have a time of prayer and worship before school. They have prayer and worship three times a day and the rest of the day they are either at school, doing chores or playing games. The simplicity of their lives and their pure desire and devotion to God was nothing like I have ever seen. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”(Matthew 5:8) Seeing these kids sing to the Lord and cry out to him brought me to tears, not because of their lack in material things but because of the reality of Christ established in their lives. Those kids taught us more than we could have ever taught them.
“And he said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
God is working so visibly in people’s lives here. We were able to take a two day trip to a city called Siem Reap which is home of one of the Seven Wonders of the World Angkor Wat. God had been speaking to me allot about sharing the gospel and being available for him to move. I had these things on my mind as we headed there and had a good feeling that it was going to be more than just a weekend trip. I ended up running into two people that I was able to talk about Jesus with and pray with one of them to have a revelation of Jesus.
Our team is doing Korean classes and dance classes at the Youth Center we are working with. One of the classes has added a bible study and both have kids that are asking for bibles. The openness of the people here is incredible. They are truly hungry and wanting to know about Jesus. There is so much hope in my heart for this nation to be transformed and be built up with a foundation of Christ. What an amazing opportunity it has been to speak the love of Christ to the future leaders of Cambodia!
We were able to spend a week at an orphanage in a village a few weeks ago. As we adjusted to sleeping on the floor in mosquito nets and taking bucket showers in rain water, we had our lives changed by these kids. They were mostly between the ages of 3 and 12 and were mostly all Christian. These kids wake up at 5 every morning to do chores before breakfast and then have a time of prayer and worship before school. They have prayer and worship three times a day and the rest of the day they are either at school, doing chores or playing games. The simplicity of their lives and their pure desire and devotion to God was nothing like I have ever seen. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”(Matthew 5:8) Seeing these kids sing to the Lord and cry out to him brought me to tears, not because of their lack in material things but because of the reality of Christ established in their lives. Those kids taught us more than we could have ever taught them.
“And he said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
God is working so visibly in people’s lives here. We were able to take a two day trip to a city called Siem Reap which is home of one of the Seven Wonders of the World Angkor Wat. God had been speaking to me allot about sharing the gospel and being available for him to move. I had these things on my mind as we headed there and had a good feeling that it was going to be more than just a weekend trip. I ended up running into two people that I was able to talk about Jesus with and pray with one of them to have a revelation of Jesus.
Our team is doing Korean classes and dance classes at the Youth Center we are working with. One of the classes has added a bible study and both have kids that are asking for bibles. The openness of the people here is incredible. They are truly hungry and wanting to know about Jesus. There is so much hope in my heart for this nation to be transformed and be built up with a foundation of Christ. What an amazing opportunity it has been to speak the love of Christ to the future leaders of Cambodia!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Week One!
Hello everyone! I have finally found internet and a chunk of time to write. Since leaving Kona over a week ago it has been an amazing adventure learning how to lead a team of 11 all the way to Battambang, Cambodia. Our trip took us from Kona, Hawaii to Bangkok Thailand where we spent the night and left the next day for Cambodia. We had to leave one of our students back in Kona because of visa problems which ended up causing him to have to join our Haiti team. We had a three hour drive to the border which ended up being more than just a normal border crossing.
Our van driver that picked us up from Bangkok drove us and dropped us off at a official looking small office where a very polite, English speaking Cambodian man greeted us and had us sit down to start filling out visa paperwork. He kept talking to me and telling me all about how great the visa process was and how fast they get it done. I started feeling very uncomfortable looking around at all of the workers staring at me. We were just about done filling out our paperwork when the man began to tell me about the price. He was asking for 1200 per person baht which is the Thai currency. Now it's been a while since I was in Thailand and the numbers were not making sense in my head. grabbing a pen and paper I realized that he was asking $40 to process a $20 visa. This is where I started getting a little frustrated. I looked behind me to see if the van that dropped us off was still there and I didn't see it! I quickly realized that the van driver had moved the van and was sitting right behind me.
So I spent a few minutes arguing with both men about the price and why it was so much. The Cambodian man, swearing that he was an honest man, was trying to tell me that he could get it done in 10 minutes and that the real border would take 3 hours and since it was closing in an hour that we wouldn't make it in time. At this point I was angry that we had wasted our time there and knew that we were right in the middle of a scam. We packed up in the van and headed for the real border. Getting out of the van the second time was a little different. We were surrounded by men asking to carry our luggage and to help us get visas. We kept our mouths shut and walked across into Cambodia.
Battambang is a pretty large city about two hours east of the border. It is very hot and humid especially when it rains. I would compare it to breathing through a sock. The streets are pretty dirty and and very busy with people on motor bikes and a random Lexus SUV. Right now we are staying at a house that is owned by a retired Cambodian pastor. We were able to sit down with him one night and hear his incredible story of how during the time of the killing fields him and his family were taken across the border into Thailand for two years to work in deadly conditions. He was an English teacher at that time and since he hadn't worked for the government at that time he was not a target but out of suspicion there was a order sent for him to be killed three times. The man in charge of the camp liked him and protected him each time since he knew he was a good man.
The ministries we have worked with so far both involve teaching English. One of the ministries is a restoration ministry that takes care of girls that have been rescued out of sex slavery or abusive situations. The other ministry is in a poor area of the city that teaches kids English and is an amazing opportunity to disciple new Christians and share the love of Christ with the ones that aren't Christians. We will start teaching more specialty classes when the youth center starts its new quarter after next week.
I am amazed at how much English the Cambodian people speak compared to Thai people. It is amazing because it is allot easier to do friendship evangelism since open evangelism is illegal in Cambodia. A few days ago we found a gym and went that night where I met a young man named Ponits. He was a very good English speaker and very talkative. We didn't have allot of time to talk but we planned to meet back at the gym another night. I am amazed at how open and excited the people are to hang out and talk. We are very excited to spent six weeks here and live life with the Cambodian people. We are definitely getting Gods heart for the people and excited to see what God is doing in their lives.
Well that is a taste from week one. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to settle in here and build more relationships with the people. Thank you for all your love and support! God bless.
Our van driver that picked us up from Bangkok drove us and dropped us off at a official looking small office where a very polite, English speaking Cambodian man greeted us and had us sit down to start filling out visa paperwork. He kept talking to me and telling me all about how great the visa process was and how fast they get it done. I started feeling very uncomfortable looking around at all of the workers staring at me. We were just about done filling out our paperwork when the man began to tell me about the price. He was asking for 1200 per person baht which is the Thai currency. Now it's been a while since I was in Thailand and the numbers were not making sense in my head. grabbing a pen and paper I realized that he was asking $40 to process a $20 visa. This is where I started getting a little frustrated. I looked behind me to see if the van that dropped us off was still there and I didn't see it! I quickly realized that the van driver had moved the van and was sitting right behind me.
So I spent a few minutes arguing with both men about the price and why it was so much. The Cambodian man, swearing that he was an honest man, was trying to tell me that he could get it done in 10 minutes and that the real border would take 3 hours and since it was closing in an hour that we wouldn't make it in time. At this point I was angry that we had wasted our time there and knew that we were right in the middle of a scam. We packed up in the van and headed for the real border. Getting out of the van the second time was a little different. We were surrounded by men asking to carry our luggage and to help us get visas. We kept our mouths shut and walked across into Cambodia.
Battambang is a pretty large city about two hours east of the border. It is very hot and humid especially when it rains. I would compare it to breathing through a sock. The streets are pretty dirty and and very busy with people on motor bikes and a random Lexus SUV. Right now we are staying at a house that is owned by a retired Cambodian pastor. We were able to sit down with him one night and hear his incredible story of how during the time of the killing fields him and his family were taken across the border into Thailand for two years to work in deadly conditions. He was an English teacher at that time and since he hadn't worked for the government at that time he was not a target but out of suspicion there was a order sent for him to be killed three times. The man in charge of the camp liked him and protected him each time since he knew he was a good man.
The ministries we have worked with so far both involve teaching English. One of the ministries is a restoration ministry that takes care of girls that have been rescued out of sex slavery or abusive situations. The other ministry is in a poor area of the city that teaches kids English and is an amazing opportunity to disciple new Christians and share the love of Christ with the ones that aren't Christians. We will start teaching more specialty classes when the youth center starts its new quarter after next week.
I am amazed at how much English the Cambodian people speak compared to Thai people. It is amazing because it is allot easier to do friendship evangelism since open evangelism is illegal in Cambodia. A few days ago we found a gym and went that night where I met a young man named Ponits. He was a very good English speaker and very talkative. We didn't have allot of time to talk but we planned to meet back at the gym another night. I am amazed at how open and excited the people are to hang out and talk. We are very excited to spent six weeks here and live life with the Cambodian people. We are definitely getting Gods heart for the people and excited to see what God is doing in their lives.
Well that is a taste from week one. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to settle in here and build more relationships with the people. Thank you for all your love and support! God bless.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
He is worth it!
How is my life prioritized? Is God first in my life? Do I put other things before God? Do I seek the presence of God and live from His grace? These are some of questions that I have been challenged with lately. At this point in my life I am being challenged more than I ever have and stretched in so many ways. This challenge to put to death the old man and seek a life in Christ that is powered by His Spirit and motivated by Love.
When I prayed and ask God to take my life and make me new I had no idea what I was asking or what would come out of it. I know this is what God wants and what is best for me but I had no idea what this required. I have to say that I am at a really hard place in my life but I know that there is breakthrough ahead. I know that since I am coming against strongholds in my life and that I am seeking Christ I will have breakthrough and I will walk in more and more freedom. Since I have started battling and putting to death desires to give up and continue to press in, I am seeing breakthrough and God is revealing so much to me that I was oblivious to.
Since I am leading an outreach team, closely walking with three male students, helping manage and prepare our building for the the extra amount of students that will be arriving next quarter, working the classroom sound, as well as many other responsibilities, how do I spend time with the Lord and prioritize my relationship with Him first? I can't say that I have done this as well as I hoped I would but I am learning more than I could ever imagine. If I knew that staffing was going to be this amount of hard work and stress with constant 12 hour days and needing to be constantly physically, mentally and spiritually ready I would probably have chose a different path. I know that God is leading me in this and He is wanting me to grow closer to Him and more dependent on Him. I know that this is a lifelong process and a daily decision to pick up my cross and follow Christ.
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:24-25
When I prayed and ask God to take my life and make me new I had no idea what I was asking or what would come out of it. I know this is what God wants and what is best for me but I had no idea what this required. I have to say that I am at a really hard place in my life but I know that there is breakthrough ahead. I know that since I am coming against strongholds in my life and that I am seeking Christ I will have breakthrough and I will walk in more and more freedom. Since I have started battling and putting to death desires to give up and continue to press in, I am seeing breakthrough and God is revealing so much to me that I was oblivious to.
Since I am leading an outreach team, closely walking with three male students, helping manage and prepare our building for the the extra amount of students that will be arriving next quarter, working the classroom sound, as well as many other responsibilities, how do I spend time with the Lord and prioritize my relationship with Him first? I can't say that I have done this as well as I hoped I would but I am learning more than I could ever imagine. If I knew that staffing was going to be this amount of hard work and stress with constant 12 hour days and needing to be constantly physically, mentally and spiritually ready I would probably have chose a different path. I know that God is leading me in this and He is wanting me to grow closer to Him and more dependent on Him. I know that this is a lifelong process and a daily decision to pick up my cross and follow Christ.
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:24-25
Monday, August 23, 2010
Great is His faithfulness
Please read this slow and try to think about your own life.
What would I do if my right arm stopped working? I wouldn't be able to play guitar, baseball, frisbee golf, go fishing or many other things that I love doing. All of these things that I love and enjoy are possible because God has allowed me to have two working arms. I am so blessed to have the things that I have. In no case do I deserve to have what I have or be where I am.
Life can be so frustrating sometimes and can cause us to forget the things that God has done for us or stop appreciating the things we do have. Last year during my discipleship training school one of the speakers made the statement "gratitude will change your attitude." I took that and ran with it. Going on outreach to Thailand last year was amazing but there were many sacrifices that went along with it. I realised how much I had when it was taken away. Sometimes at that point its too late and we can't get back what we have lost. Thankfully I was able to come back home from Thailand and have new perspective on how much God has blessed me.
My challenge to myself and any reader is to spend a couple minutes every day and thank God for what He has done and for what He has given us. It's when I am most frustrated or just in my worst mood that this has completely changed my life.
What would I do if my right arm stopped working? I wouldn't be able to play guitar, baseball, frisbee golf, go fishing or many other things that I love doing. All of these things that I love and enjoy are possible because God has allowed me to have two working arms. I am so blessed to have the things that I have. In no case do I deserve to have what I have or be where I am.
Life can be so frustrating sometimes and can cause us to forget the things that God has done for us or stop appreciating the things we do have. Last year during my discipleship training school one of the speakers made the statement "gratitude will change your attitude." I took that and ran with it. Going on outreach to Thailand last year was amazing but there were many sacrifices that went along with it. I realised how much I had when it was taken away. Sometimes at that point its too late and we can't get back what we have lost. Thankfully I was able to come back home from Thailand and have new perspective on how much God has blessed me.
My challenge to myself and any reader is to spend a couple minutes every day and thank God for what He has done and for what He has given us. It's when I am most frustrated or just in my worst mood that this has completely changed my life.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
He restores my soul
What happens when you just run out of gas, or when you hit a wall, or you just can't do it anymore. Is it a lack of sleep, or a lack of caffeine or a lack of food? When the weight of the world is on your shoulders and you just can't do it anymore what do you do?
I got to this point this past week and was in one of the hardest spots I've been in a while. The school is going so well and I am seeing more and more of the awesome power of God in other peoples lives, but it's requiring so much more of me constantly giving of all that I have. I didn't get much rest during the weekend and started off the week physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained. This was beginning to worry me since I need to be there for the students and I didn't think that I could even make it through the week. This was where I realized that I could not do this. With all of my heart and all of my efforts I could not possibly do this on my own strength. I came to the end of myself and had nothing left to give.
This is where I realized that I was not receiving my strength from Christ. My focus went from putting Jesus first always and living from His love to putting the school and the students first and losing the intimate relationship with Jesus that I had. Getting to that point of burning out truly led me to the place of realizing how much my soul longs for the living God. These days are getting harder and harder but I know that putting Christ first in my life and seeking revelation of His love will always give me the strength and hope I need for every day.
"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:1-3)
If you can relate at all to how I was feeling I highly recommend checking out this weeks speaker Andy Byrd. You can listen to the podcast HERE. This gave me great perspective and taught me so much. Peace and Love!
I got to this point this past week and was in one of the hardest spots I've been in a while. The school is going so well and I am seeing more and more of the awesome power of God in other peoples lives, but it's requiring so much more of me constantly giving of all that I have. I didn't get much rest during the weekend and started off the week physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained. This was beginning to worry me since I need to be there for the students and I didn't think that I could even make it through the week. This was where I realized that I could not do this. With all of my heart and all of my efforts I could not possibly do this on my own strength. I came to the end of myself and had nothing left to give.
This is where I realized that I was not receiving my strength from Christ. My focus went from putting Jesus first always and living from His love to putting the school and the students first and losing the intimate relationship with Jesus that I had. Getting to that point of burning out truly led me to the place of realizing how much my soul longs for the living God. These days are getting harder and harder but I know that putting Christ first in my life and seeking revelation of His love will always give me the strength and hope I need for every day.
"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:1-3)
If you can relate at all to how I was feeling I highly recommend checking out this weeks speaker Andy Byrd. You can listen to the podcast HERE. This gave me great perspective and taught me so much. Peace and Love!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Borrowing soil
Our speaker last week, Matt Rawlins spoke on "Fear of the Lord". It was a very challenging topic and I didn't have very much time to process it all. I did go back and listen to one of the days that he spoke on the podcast that we have available Click Here. It took me about 2 hours to listen to a one hour lecture since I had to pause every ten seconds to write down certain quotes that really hit my heart.
One thing that I just barely caught was that we can borrow other peoples soil. In other words we can borrow other peoples experiences and revelation of God and use it to help us in trusting and obeying God. Now this is something that I do all the time. When I listen to speakers here or go to church on Sunday and hear the preacher share his revelation, I can usually come away with something that encourages me or gives me a boost of faith.
This made me think about my life and how many people have spoken into my life. How much soil I have borrowed from other people. I have to admit that it feels pretty good when I get to hear the latest revelation from some of my favorite pastors. Its like I just got some nice, fresh, dark soil. It looks good and it feels good at first but how long does it last before the wind blows it away, or the rain washes it away? I eventually loose grip of these revelations and then I'm back to needing more.
I am not saying that listening to sermons is pointless and that sharing revelation is meaningless. I am saying that it is important to work that soil down deep where my roots are so that I can use it to grow. I want to take that revelation and use it to build faith so that in obedience I may know/experience God. Simply, revelation requires a response.
James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
One thing that I just barely caught was that we can borrow other peoples soil. In other words we can borrow other peoples experiences and revelation of God and use it to help us in trusting and obeying God. Now this is something that I do all the time. When I listen to speakers here or go to church on Sunday and hear the preacher share his revelation, I can usually come away with something that encourages me or gives me a boost of faith.
This made me think about my life and how many people have spoken into my life. How much soil I have borrowed from other people. I have to admit that it feels pretty good when I get to hear the latest revelation from some of my favorite pastors. Its like I just got some nice, fresh, dark soil. It looks good and it feels good at first but how long does it last before the wind blows it away, or the rain washes it away? I eventually loose grip of these revelations and then I'm back to needing more.
I am not saying that listening to sermons is pointless and that sharing revelation is meaningless. I am saying that it is important to work that soil down deep where my roots are so that I can use it to grow. I want to take that revelation and use it to build faith so that in obedience I may know/experience God. Simply, revelation requires a response.
James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Peace
The students are here and the first week of lecture is in full swing. This weeks topic is hearing the voice of God which takes me back to last year in my DTS when I was here fresh from Cleveland and so hungry to hear God. I know these students are just as hungry as I was and it just makes me excited knowing that God is so real and wants them to hear His continual proclamation of love over them.
I started my day at 4:30am saying goodbye to my sister Jessica as she heads off to India for her Photogenx outreach. It was amazing seeing her for the month and Her extended two weeks since her visa came late. I am considering that a blessing since we were able to hang out more and pray with each other more and have crazy times of uncontrollable laughter. I consider our lives as a true testimony of God bringing families back together and uniting them in His love.
What God has been doing in my life here so far is giving me His peace. I have never been so at rest with where I'm at and what I'm doing. One thing I realized is that this school is bigger than me and discipling these students is also more than I could ever handle, but I know that it's not me teaching these students. I know that the Spirit of God is going to teach these students and love these students more than I ever could. I am truly finding peace in knowing how much God is in control of this school and in control of my life. The more that I let go of my worries and the more that I acknowledge God then the more I am feeling His peace wash over me and His joy strengthen me and His passion drive me to do things out of Love.
My hope is that I can continue to have this perspective and live from it. I know that this is the best place to be discipling these students. I hear so much about staff being burnt out and sometimes even hurt after a school. My prayer is that I can continue to live from the abundance of God and be a servant to these students constantly giving out of the overflow.
I started my day at 4:30am saying goodbye to my sister Jessica as she heads off to India for her Photogenx outreach. It was amazing seeing her for the month and Her extended two weeks since her visa came late. I am considering that a blessing since we were able to hang out more and pray with each other more and have crazy times of uncontrollable laughter. I consider our lives as a true testimony of God bringing families back together and uniting them in His love.
What God has been doing in my life here so far is giving me His peace. I have never been so at rest with where I'm at and what I'm doing. One thing I realized is that this school is bigger than me and discipling these students is also more than I could ever handle, but I know that it's not me teaching these students. I know that the Spirit of God is going to teach these students and love these students more than I ever could. I am truly finding peace in knowing how much God is in control of this school and in control of my life. The more that I let go of my worries and the more that I acknowledge God then the more I am feeling His peace wash over me and His joy strengthen me and His passion drive me to do things out of Love.
My hope is that I can continue to have this perspective and live from it. I know that this is the best place to be discipling these students. I hear so much about staff being burnt out and sometimes even hurt after a school. My prayer is that I can continue to live from the abundance of God and be a servant to these students constantly giving out of the overflow.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
In My Place
There is nothing like being put in your place by the Creator of the universe. While snorkeling for the first time yesterday I was just amazed by how scary, beautiful and vast this ocean is. I was about 50 yards off shore swimming by myself looking down at the beautiful coral and all the different sea creatures. I could have stayed out there forever, floating around thinking about all of Gods creation in that tiny speck of ocean I was in.
Being in that place gave me a good perspective of where I am and who He is. He is the creator of the universe and submitting my life to Him gives me perfect peace. Also, knowing that the creator of the universe thinks about me and knows my hearts desire gives me hope for my dreams and my future. "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand." Psalm 139:17,18
Students arrive in 11 days!
Being in that place gave me a good perspective of where I am and who He is. He is the creator of the universe and submitting my life to Him gives me perfect peace. Also, knowing that the creator of the universe thinks about me and knows my hearts desire gives me hope for my dreams and my future. "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand." Psalm 139:17,18
Students arrive in 11 days!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Simply Jesus
Aloha friends and family,
Arriving in Kona, Hawaii was almost like a dream. Friends from last years school came and picked me up at the airport. It was like I'd never left. They couldn't stop talking about how the Spirit of God was being poured out on the campus like never before. They told me about some pretty intense encounters that they had and I was a little overwhelmed. Going from home and living the more normal American lifestyle to the largest YWAM base put me in spiritual shock. It took about a week to let go of my doubt, burn my ships and accept the fact that I am exactly where God wants me.
Right now our staff consists of fifteen with a possibility of five more. We have been meeting in the mornings to work on student applications and we spend the afternoons in prayer. These past two weeks we have had the most amazing times of prayer together and we have really been able to get to know each others hearts. We all went on a retreat to a nearby Christian center and spent three days sharing testimonies, praying, and prophesying over one another. God gave me his heart of love for each staff member and really bonded us together.
Being part of the staff for the first time is definitely intimidating. Having the opportunity of walking with Gods beloved and to be involved with their discipleship is a responsibility that I know I couldn't handle if I didn't have revelation of the simple fact that Jesus loves me! He not only loves me but he likes me! I know that there will be really hard times during this school but I also know that if I abide in His love than I don't have to worry about how much experience I have. It's God's love that flows through me and it's His Spirit that will transform the hearts of the students and make an eternal impact in the Kingdom. It is the simplicity of the love of Christ that I want to truly know first and foremost in my life. "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8).
This is just the beginning. The students arrive in 26 days from all over the world. My prayer is that they would simply know Jesus.
With love,
Matthew Scaparotti
Arriving in Kona, Hawaii was almost like a dream. Friends from last years school came and picked me up at the airport. It was like I'd never left. They couldn't stop talking about how the Spirit of God was being poured out on the campus like never before. They told me about some pretty intense encounters that they had and I was a little overwhelmed. Going from home and living the more normal American lifestyle to the largest YWAM base put me in spiritual shock. It took about a week to let go of my doubt, burn my ships and accept the fact that I am exactly where God wants me.
Right now our staff consists of fifteen with a possibility of five more. We have been meeting in the mornings to work on student applications and we spend the afternoons in prayer. These past two weeks we have had the most amazing times of prayer together and we have really been able to get to know each others hearts. We all went on a retreat to a nearby Christian center and spent three days sharing testimonies, praying, and prophesying over one another. God gave me his heart of love for each staff member and really bonded us together.
Being part of the staff for the first time is definitely intimidating. Having the opportunity of walking with Gods beloved and to be involved with their discipleship is a responsibility that I know I couldn't handle if I didn't have revelation of the simple fact that Jesus loves me! He not only loves me but he likes me! I know that there will be really hard times during this school but I also know that if I abide in His love than I don't have to worry about how much experience I have. It's God's love that flows through me and it's His Spirit that will transform the hearts of the students and make an eternal impact in the Kingdom. It is the simplicity of the love of Christ that I want to truly know first and foremost in my life. "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8).
This is just the beginning. The students arrive in 26 days from all over the world. My prayer is that they would simply know Jesus.
With love,
Matthew Scaparotti
Monday, April 26, 2010
Hello friends and family,
As you may know, I recently spent six months attending a Youth with a Mission Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Kailua-Kona Hawaii. I had just ended a five year relationship that started when I was sixteen. The relationship left me broken and scarred and needing to find healing and restoration. Through the first three months I experienced major healing and restoration in my life and was baptized for the first time.
With a solid foundation of Christ in my life I was able to go with a team to Thailand for the second portion of my school. We traveled all over the country for about three months. From teaching English to children to ministering in the slums, red light districts and orphanages, hill tribes to college students, God was continually giving me His heart and strength to be passionate daily about the ministry. I was just about ready to move in with every ministry that we worked with.
After my DTS experience coming home was a bit weird. I definitely had to get used to the usual Scaparotti diet of pasta, cheese and more pasta instead of the Thai diet of rice, soup and more rice. I've had an amazing time being home and getting to spend some much needed time with my family. I was able to go to my high school and share my testimony and experiences with the senior class. It was amazing to see the students respond to my story. A couple of students even wanted to stay and talk after school. One student said that the struggles that I had were the same that they had been dealing with and didn't know what to do. I have been able to stay in contact with that student and talk through things with them.
My plan for this summer is to join the staff of the next DTS in Kona, Hawaii which will go from July to December. I will be leading a small group as well as meeting individually with the students. Then I will be taking a team on a three month outreach which could possibly be back to Thailand where I have ministry contacts and am familiar with the landscape and culture.
God restored me and gave me a new identity in Him but this came from completely surrendering my life to Him and letting Him heal me of my past. My goal is to see the students let go of everything and allow God to heal and restore them. I hope that in walking with the students during this time I can help them to find their true identity and seek Christ relentlessly.
I am ready to pour out my heart for this school but I need prayer and encouragement on the way. I am hoping that you might be willing to partner with me for these six months to make an impact on these students as well as the nations. I really appreciate any support you may feel led to give.
As you may know, I recently spent six months attending a Youth with a Mission Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Kailua-Kona Hawaii. I had just ended a five year relationship that started when I was sixteen. The relationship left me broken and scarred and needing to find healing and restoration. Through the first three months I experienced major healing and restoration in my life and was baptized for the first time.
With a solid foundation of Christ in my life I was able to go with a team to Thailand for the second portion of my school. We traveled all over the country for about three months. From teaching English to children to ministering in the slums, red light districts and orphanages, hill tribes to college students, God was continually giving me His heart and strength to be passionate daily about the ministry. I was just about ready to move in with every ministry that we worked with.
After my DTS experience coming home was a bit weird. I definitely had to get used to the usual Scaparotti diet of pasta, cheese and more pasta instead of the Thai diet of rice, soup and more rice. I've had an amazing time being home and getting to spend some much needed time with my family. I was able to go to my high school and share my testimony and experiences with the senior class. It was amazing to see the students respond to my story. A couple of students even wanted to stay and talk after school. One student said that the struggles that I had were the same that they had been dealing with and didn't know what to do. I have been able to stay in contact with that student and talk through things with them.
My plan for this summer is to join the staff of the next DTS in Kona, Hawaii which will go from July to December. I will be leading a small group as well as meeting individually with the students. Then I will be taking a team on a three month outreach which could possibly be back to Thailand where I have ministry contacts and am familiar with the landscape and culture.
God restored me and gave me a new identity in Him but this came from completely surrendering my life to Him and letting Him heal me of my past. My goal is to see the students let go of everything and allow God to heal and restore them. I hope that in walking with the students during this time I can help them to find their true identity and seek Christ relentlessly.
I am ready to pour out my heart for this school but I need prayer and encouragement on the way. I am hoping that you might be willing to partner with me for these six months to make an impact on these students as well as the nations. I really appreciate any support you may feel led to give.
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