Weeks 10-11 Pictures

Hank, me, Wit, Erin, and a girl from university.
















Joh, Krit, Folk, and Go at the retreat.















Yu and a university student.









The dance class at the beach. We had five workshops during three time periods on Saturday and Sunday. The one in which I was involved was English. The others were Photography, art, and crafts. The last session involved all of us painting a tile that we all put together to make a mural.













Bik (a Christian), another girl, Folk, and three other students in drawing workshop.









Some girl, Blah (Wit's girlfriend), Nat, Krit, a Christian, Jane (the girl who was my buddy for the weekend - we were arbitrarily assigned a "buddy" to converse with via notes and gifts through the weekend), Joe, and another girl.












I'm not sure who this is, but this is the path to the beach.















BEcky and her Thai friend on the beach. Becky and her husband Andrew spent quite a few years in Thailand, Andrew first as a businessman, then both of them as part of the MTW team before going back to the states to go to seminary.














Someone, once again I don't know who it is, at the beach.








Folk, a girl, Fon, another girl, Pat, Go, some guy, and Erin in the tropical area of Thailand.













Fanta (the girl who had my name as a buddy), Sarah, and Beer (my roommate).















Pat, one of my dearest Christian brothers here, leading games at the retreat.












The party bus.















Me, Dan, Hank, Le, and another basketball friend whose name I can't remember (the guy in the white shirt). This is at our barbecue.











Me and Go (along with Pat, probably my closest Christian Thai friend here).











Some farang (white foreigners) and Thais playing pretty much the only game the Thais know how to play with cards - Slave.

Week 11: Prayer Further Fulfilled

The team of interns is driving out at 8:00 AM tomorrow morning to spend our day off recapping the summer thus far at Kow Yai, translated - "Big Mountain". Hopefully we'll enjoy some beautiful scenery, exotic animals, a cheeseburger or two, and a milkshake or two at a dairy farm among other things. That's just to explain that I won't have an opportunity tomorrow to share about this past week with you - something I'm very anxious to do; so I'm writing now instead.

Last night we returned from our campus retreat at the beach. We stayed in a beautiful house within walking distance to the shoreline, and I basically lived on the roof of this house, from which vantage point I could see both the sea and the mountains. It was amazing! But what was even more amazing was the thoroughly satisfying nature of our time with all of these Thai college students. I think I can legitimately say that every one of our ten interns had at least one interaction which they can point to as significant for the spiritual state of that Thai friend. Going into this weekend, a large part of me fully expected three days of inevitable uselessness at best and constant frustration or death at worst. Instead we found that our God is moving in the souls of Thai people, and that He was willing to grant us sight into that movement and even parts in their process.

Three events pointed me to the reality that I could not draw up times of sharing my heart with any Thais, but that the Lord was uniquely leading us into places where we could help them toward truth. The first came for me on the beach one night as a Thai named Tii was hungrily learning English from me. He asked what I wanted to do with my life. Explaining my desire to be a pastor led into us talking about the differences between Buddhism and Christianity. I found out at the end of the weekend that he had conversed significantly with at least three other Christians about the faith. He told me that it was all very confusing to him, but he kept pursuing answers. The second event came when I felt exhausted on Saturday night. We'd been encouraged to stay up late to talk with people and just pour ourselves out for them. I was seeing very few opportunities to spend time with any Thais, and I was tired, so I went up to the roof and decided to enjoy some time alone on the roof for a little while praying and thinking. My dear friend Wit came out of the shower and decided to come stand by me for a while. We talked about the testimony Erin had given that evening, and about where we wanted our lives to go. It was a sweet moment of sharing friendship and seeing God furthering that relationship. The third was on the bus ride home when the staff handed out packets of Genesis 1-3, John, and some other part of the New Testament. I asked my seat buddy, Folk, to translate Genesis 1.1-10 for me. We struggled through it for about 25 minutes or so (really enjoying it the whole time though). I asked him what he thought about Christianity, and he said that he thought Buddhists and Christians essentially had the same God. He asked if I thought that, and I said I thought that we definitely have different Gods. He was surprised, and said he thought he'd read the rest of that packet to see what the differences might be.

Opportunities like those seemed to crop up incessantly throughout the weekend. And none of them were forced, or involved me pushing myself upon them. I fully saw this weekend how my call is never to force myself upon people. God ordered those situations so that I could share life with those Thai men. I saw Tii's confusion over the reality that not all religions are alike. I felt in Wit a close friend with whom I could share my heart about the reality of life as I've experienced it. I saw in Folk a similar confusion to Tii, as well as a desire to know truth. It is just so beautiful to me to share life with people, and to see the Lord form that living into His good desires.

In addition to these are the many other small blessings I'm surrounded by. We had dozens of guys and girls come to our spur-of-the-moment barbecue. The girl I've been tutoring has finally opened up and has been laughing happily and consistently through our lessons (a very important thing for Thais). And friendships seem more solidified in general than they had before. God has proven that although He is under no obligation to bless our service with fruit, that He is often willing to encourage us by allowing us to see how His kingdom is moving forward.

Ok, so time for a few interesting experiences. Not too many good ones this week. Sorry. I ate squid and pork in an open-air restaurant where I got to sit on the ground with a cussing, somewhat inappropriate Thai friend (quite an interesting guy whose are an anomaly in Thailand). At the retreat I had a Muslim roommate who's name is Beer. I got to play soccer on the beach in the rain with some Thai guys. We also had another dance party on one of those multi-colored buses with spinning ceiling lights.

Lastly, please keep praying. It connects you to us and to the Lord's work across the world, and to this specific people. It also encourages me and is used by the Lord to move His kingdom forth and accomplish His beautifully good purposes in history. Here's how I see that you can pray:
-My Friends. Dii and Fok are definitely at turning points. I continue to have a heart for Wit. Then there are all of my basketball friends and the people that the other interns are meeting.
-Yu and Kieow. Two Thai women on staff; Yu's grandfather died this past week and Kieow's grandmother is in bad shape.
-Our Four-Week Intro. To Christianity Course. Starting this Thursday we'll be leading a four-part study/discussion on Christianity, how it is different from Buddhism, and how it answers humanity's big questions. We need for it to be fun, Christ-centered, and well-adapted to the hearts of those who come. Go - a Thai believer on staff at church who's also a close friend - will lead weeks one and three. Fellow intern Hank will lead the second week. And I'm leading the final week.

Life moves forward, my life continues to have questions, and it is all so good.

June 29: The Simple Pentecost

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” –Acts 2.37
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” –Matthew 5.6
Those who were in Jerusalem at Pentecost heard what Peter said about Jesus dying and rising again for the sins of the world. They heard that Jesus was now glorified in heaven, and they saw the results of His Holy Spirit being poured out on those who believed in Him. And their first response was like a little kid who has been playing all day and forgotten that it’s almost dinnertime. When he sees another kid on the playground with some delicious meal, and smells it, he’s hungry. He finds his parents and figures out what he needs to do to get some food.
Oh, that we would be hungry like these people! What would it mean for us if we were to be “cut to the heart”? Because that’s what God’s Word should do. If the Holy Spirit is convicting us, we will see that God’s message cuts us right to the heart and leaves us wide open. Why wouldn’t we be hungry to understand what to do next?
1. Have you ever felt “cut to the heart”? Have you ever been hungry to know and obey God? If so, reflect on that time. If not, ask yourself why you haven’t.
2. Sit and realize that you cannot create that hunger within yourself. Ask God to have His Spirit let you be “cut to the heart” and hunger for Him.

June 28: The Spirit of Hunger

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” –Acts 2.37
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” –Matthew 5.6
Those who were in Jerusalem at Pentecost heard what Peter said about Jesus dying and rising again for the sins of the world. They heard that Jesus was now glorified in heaven, and they saw the results of His Holy Spirit being poured out on those who believed in Him. And their first response was like a little kid who has been playing all day and forgotten that it’s almost dinnertime. When he sees another kid on the playground with some delicious meal, and smells it, he’s hungry. He finds his parents and figures out what he needs to do to get some food.
Oh, that we would be hungry like these people! What would it mean for us if we were to be “cut to the heart”? Because that’s what God’s Word should do. If the Holy Spirit is convicting us, we will see that God’s message cuts us right to the heart and leaves us wide open. Why wouldn’t we be hungry to understand what to do next?
1. Have you ever felt “cut to the heart”? Have you ever been hungry to know and obey God? If so, reflect on that time. If not, ask yourself why you haven’t.
2. Sit and realize that you cannot create that hunger within yourself. Ask God to have His Spirit let you be “cut to the heart” and hunger for Him.

June 27: The Promised Teacher

“26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14.26
Some people ask, “How do we know that we can trust the words of the Bible?” They wonder, “Are the words of the Bible really the ones that God wanted us to have?” These are very good questions. And here’s an answer: the words of the New Testament came directly in fulfillment of a promise from God!
The events at Pentecost meant that Jesus’ Spirit had come not only to live in all believers, but to specially teach and remind the apostles of the meaning of Jesus’ life and death. Because the Holy Spirit came back to the apostles, we have the words of the New Testament. And it’s through the truth of the apostles’ teaching – the truth of what Christ’s life and death really mean – that we come to trust in Jesus. How good it was of God to provide for His children!
1. How and why did the Spirit come to specially work through the apostles?
2. What does it mean for your faith and Christian life that the Holy Spirit was bringing the real meaning of Jesus life and death to the minds of the writers of the New Testament?

June 26: The Baptism of Fire

“John answered them all, saying, ‘I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’” –Luke 3.16
Fire consumes things. If you happen to drop your favorite book into the fire, it’s gone. The fire which John told the people Jesus was bringing was a fire of judgment that would consume the one whom it baptized. But the tongues of fire at Pentecost – which came with the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit – did not destroy the disciples. Why?
Luke 12.49-50 answers this question: that fiery judgment had already fallen on Jesus. Paul says in Galatians that he died with Christ. Therefore, in Jesus we did receive the baptism of fire – but it could not consume Him. Jesus suffered the judgment on the cross because of the baptism of fire that we deserved so that when Pentecost came the baptism of fire which the disciples received was a fire of grace. It gave to them rather than destroying them.
1. What would it have meant for us if Jesus had taken the baptism of the Holy Spirit only for Himself and left the baptism of fire only for us?
2. How did we receive the baptism of fire and the Holy Spirit in Jesus? And what does it mean for how we should continue to live now? (Read John 15 for direction.)

June 25: No Go-Between

“31Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…33I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts…34And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me.” –Jeremiah 31.31, 33-34
In the Old Testament (the “old covenant”), people could really only come to God rightly through the priests. They could only know God through the prophets. Some people throughout the history of the church have tried to tell Christians that they have to approach God through priests or pastors. But this is definitely not true!
What Pentecost finally established was the freedom and ability of everyone to personally know God through Jesus! 1 John 2.27-28 says that “you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing (the Holy Spirit) teaches you about everything…” Certainly teachers are still of great use in the church. But here’s the point: God now teaches us about Himself personally in His Word and in Jesus Christ!
1. How does this change the joy of your responsibility to approach God in prayer and in His Word?
2. Spend some time simply enjoying the Lord’s presence. Maybe you want to thank Him for teaching you about Himself personally.