Wednesday and Thursdays are our University Day, and Pastor Tae had hoped we could continue to build relationships with non students, being the university is shut down for several weeks.
In the morning our college student friend Cayme called and said he is finally through with his tests and he can take a break. He wanted to swing by and spend the day with us. So we said come on by. He is a geological engineer, and he takes great interest in the science that demonstrates evidence of the Great Flood (Noah's Ark story) from the Bible. I happen to be working on that poster last night in the wee hours of the morning, so it was cool Cayme called today this morning because he could help me a lot with the thai translation.
Answers to prayer happened, galore. Tammy had really hoped that I would take her to a beautiful secluded beach with white sand and gorgeous, clear water like that of the Tropics/Carribean. I told her yes, it could happen probably at the end of our trip. Our friend Cristina, who has just come in from Ireland, had asked if we could please take her to the beach too...But I knew Pattaya was a bit dirty. Not exactly pristine beach. I myself am not a big beach goer, but I want to accomodate as best as I can. It turns out Cayme came by to hang out and ask us if we would like to accompany him and his 3 friends to a place in the south near Phuket called Samoi (something like that). He showed us pictures and told us we can stay at a place for $20/night, and take an 8 hour bus ride there, and we decided to go for it. So please pray for this to be a powerful time of sharing with his cambodian friends, and for safety on the trip, and for the Lord to keep our times there clean and fun, and away from temptations of the worldly ways there. There are some areas where many foreigners are drunk beyond comprehension, many people dancing and having fun, but many problematic situations that can happen there, especially for us all who have chosen to leave that kind of life for true life following the Lord. We called Cristina and she said count her in, so we will meet her on the way there. So that was a big win win situation for us, because she had planned to visit us in Bangkok, but truthfully, I was getting burned out on being down there after this week.
Another great thing is that Tonecow's mother is giving us VIP tickets to a big soccer match. When she had originally offered it, I said sure... I 'm sure Tammy won't want to go, but I want to ask Cayme to go. And today everything lined up because right when Cayme got here, Fang came by and gave the tickets to Tammy. I felt bad because Tammy all of sudden looked like she wanted to go, but in my heart I thought Cayme would want to go, and here he is for the first time in 2 or 3 weeks in our living room. Then we found out Tammy forgot but she promised to baby sit for Fang on that saturday. So that took care of itself. Praise God.
We hung out and joked and watched batman together. I thought I'd scare Cayme by dressingup in makeup like the joker. Tammy was cracking up doing the makeup for me, and then we kind of surprised Cayme...and we had a good laugh. I was surprised Cayme didn't have as much of a reaction as we thought he would have, but then he showed us pictures of his friends and they were in makeup at a football rally, and so I understood being around transvestites was a way of life for him. Just kidding.
Anyways, we went to the college because i got sick of sitting on my butt all day. We took a good walk and brought our baseball gloves. We were surprised that there were still plenty of students hanging out playing softball. I really wanted to go and felt compelled to force the issue and ask permission to play, but Tammy and Cayme were like no, let's not, let's not. And then the Lord blessed me because there was a player who looked our way from the distance and summoned us if we wanted to play. Praise God. We had a great time. I struck out and hit a weak ground ball. But had fun playing defense. Tammy got a hit and was running all over the field. The guys are from the Navy Maritime for K.U. One guy had a shirt that said US Navy SEALS team. I told them that my brother in law Mark is special forces, and we got married at Coronado, the base for the special forces. I should have also told them my niece is an officer in the Navy, but they wanted to get the game started. We had a great time.
We met many dudes, and they have my number and they wanted us to come by for several weeks leading up to the tournament. I said sure, I'll swing by some more and play with Tammy. So this is a delayed answer to prayer for me, because i wanted in, in the worst way to play with those guys.
Then we went to see the Chicken wing lady while tammy went to take a shower. She said she missed Tammy a lot (we were gone from Ao Udom since Friday, five days). She was waiting to see us. I always joke with her and her family, and we always chat about the Lord in a playful but truthful fashion. Cayme was with me so communicating was so much easier. I had a chance to share the wedding story about the white birds in the background and in the sky, just as I had prayed for prior to the wedding, and the guy was amazed. I gave him a flyer we made about wanting hope, and agood future, listen to the radio 87.5FM, and later a thai short story pamphlet about a famous, well respected Thai man who is now christian. It's also kind of refreshing to see the sweet little kid with no teeth come by. I think her mom is hardly there, because the shop's owner is always baby sitting her but saying this is her grand daughter. But it's funny how a little encouragement for the kid can go a long way in terms of self esteem. You just see the body language change and the excitement in the kids demeaner to see Tammy and me. I know the seeds we plant of Pra Ong (GOD) become that much more impactful when someone who is filled with the joy of the Lord is sharing it, and someone who, especially Tammy, is such a loving, caring person comes and shares. People see the face of a real life story who knows God, and there's hope (kwuam wang) for them.
We later went to Suchia's restaurant. She said she really missed us and wondered where are we? She said something happened, and when her necklace was lost, but then found, she rejoiced and actually said "Praise GOD". She said huh? I don't even yet believe in God, but where did that come from?????
She said from the moment we came in to her shop something told her there is something about those 2 people that can help me but I don't understand what or how. I think that was God. She said her son was once a monk, a high level one, but now, he's into drugs. She doesn't know what to do. She said would cayme come with me and Tammy and come to her home and pray for him? he has some major issues, and she's broken because she has to work work work to survive, but she wants time to tend to her son. Cayme did a great job encouraging her, and translating for us everything we wanted to share before but couldnot without a translater. Many people kept coming in and out of the shop, it was so bothersome because we could see the Lord was really really working on her...The tears of hope and joy were coming to her as we read her the bible and Cayme translated. Finally at the end of the night we prayed for her and her mother, who was once christian, but has not returned to church to follow the Lord in many many many years. Both were weeping uncontrollably as Cayme prayed for them, and Tammy and I prayed for them. We asked Tammy to give them a big hug, and Suchia kept crying...not only for her son, but from the hope, and what the Holy Spirit does as He fills a person with gratitude, and comfort, and as He leads them to Jesus as their Lord. This is not just an emotional thing that is misplaced like some stupid fanatic screaming and throwing their bras at an Elvis concert, but something much more real when a person sees their need for God, and God' meets them and answers their generic cry for help through caring people, but more powerfully through the TRUTH spoken straight from the Word of God. Wow!!!! God really does care, He really is Sovereign. How he does it, I don't know. But the church had been praying for this lady for a while.
She had told us many people from the church ask her to go there, but she always says, no, no, no and no. But for some reason she really wants to go knowing Tammy and I are there. and I can tell she has a great fondness for Cayme as well, not knowing he was there to be a translator.
Whats also amazing is Cayme is an engineering student with little time available, but he really wants to know how to experience God more in his life, so I told him the secrets that I know of (that are not really secrets, but really are something that has to be applied and prayed for)...He was in tears experiencing what it's like to lead someone to the Lord, and to sense God moving on a life...he said to us, I feel so good, i'm so happy. I really don't know how to explain what I'm feeling right now. We told them that's the Holy Spirit upon you as you're serving him. It's effortless, you just live your life and don't forget to ask God to guide your steps, and to be available if He asks something of you...and to be concerned about the things that concern God. Cayme was so encouraged and felt very special today because really so many specific answers to prayer occured today, he saw that he was in the middle of something the Lord, who is Sovereign, had orchestrated.
God bless your day. Please pray for Suchia and the Chicken Wing lady. Please pray for Boiy and Cayme, the college students. Please pray for VJ and Dao, and Gaiy, who we would like to continue relationship with. Please pray for the trip to the special beach, that we can share the Gospel on that trip to hearts prepared prior. Please also pray for protection for me, because I don't do well in areas where it is loud, drunk people running around half naked. I typically want to avoid places like that. But where ever there's a paradise that God made, you can count on people to alter that place.
Also would you please pray for a young lady named Funn. She is the niece of our friend Paisan, in Vista. She is an art student. We want to see her and check out her art with a new christian friend we made named Tone. Tone's a talented Christian man who is a muscian and is also a painter. His art exhibit is at the end of the month, we really really want to go to it, and hope that the schedule while we are in Bangkok en route to Samoi, will allow for us to enjoy time with him, and if the Lord is willing, the young lady Funn who is an art student. Lots of balls in the air right now. Please pray for the Lord to orchestrate days like we had today.
 |
We were watching Batman 2 (Dark Knight), and the villain was the Joker. Really creepy, so I thought I'd dawn makeup to try to scare Cayme. It was funny for me and Tammy but Cayme was surprised but not too impressed. After I saw his facebook pictures of his friend, I understood why. I guess he has a lot of friends that like to wear makeup and dress up like every day is Halloween! ha ha  |
 |
| Chicken wing lady and family |
 |
| Suchia and Tammy. Suchia and her mother had just been prayed for and were in tears asking God for help and actually sensing the Holy Spirit come and comfort them. It's inexplicable, and much more real, then silly emotional stuff having to do with a little cry. Jesus promised, the Comforter will come, the Spirit of God, that will lead you in all truth regarding Himself....it is the gift from God that points us to Jesus, as Jesus points glory to His Father in heaven who sent Him down from heaven to earth. Tears come from a repentent heart being cleansed after confession is made that we need Him. It's this same spirit from God that testifies to the true believer of the Gospel, that they truly are children of God, adopted and dearly loved. That's all in the Bible. |
 |
| Suchia and her mother (who is a christian believer who turned away from God several years ago). Suchia shared from her heart about what she can't understand is tugging her toward believing in God. She and her mother were in tears. Please pray for her son Bank. He was once a monk as a young man, and now is hooked on drugs. |
No comments:
Post a Comment