Merry Christmas

Season's greetings and merry Christmas from Kezia and I. It's been an amazing four months. So much has happened thanks to all of our supporters. 

Kezia got all of her documents straightened out and has been ok'd to stay and teach at the Sowers school here for a year. We are still, however, waiting for an interview date from U.S. immigration.

I'm working closely with Pastor Sipat on the new English speaking church plant in the neighboring town called Ao Nang. It's going REALLY well. I preach there every other Sunday, and lead worship on the Sundays I don't preach. It seems like there's someone new there every Sunday. As of now our congregation is made up of people from Thailand, the Philippines, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, the U.S., and about 6 different countries in Africa!

I just wanted to let you guys know how much we appreciate all of your support, especially through the holiday season. Living on support isn't easy, sometimes it's really hard. I start to wonder where God's gonna come up with all these things that I know I'm going to need. I admit, I have times of doubt and fear, even though He's never failed to provide. His track record with me is perfect, yet still I'm surprised when He comes through in amazing ways. Why is that? I should be used to it by now, I have story after amazing story of God’s faithfulness in my life and still He continues to amaze me. About a week ago we sealed the deal and drove home in a new car! Neither my wife nor I have ever owned a new car before, we were so excited, so blessed. We had been praying for that day and there it was. He is so good to us!

Ironically it’s easier to trust God for the big stuff (house, car, etc…), the things that are impossible for me to conjure up on my own are the easiest to depend on God for. And He is faithful; He loves to provide that stuff. There’s no way that a friend of my dad’s in LA decided out of the goodness of her heart to buy me car. God did that, he put my need on her heart, and she was discerning enough to recognize it as God, and to move in obedience. God does that stuff, and it blows me away every time. But every once in a while, He goes above and beyond.

You see as easy as it is to depend on God for the things you can’t get for yourself, it’s just as easy to depend on yourself for the things that you can. And this season, God has been showing me that I’m better off just depending on Him for everything. A few days after we got the new car, we received a package. And in this box, that got here the day before Christmas, were a couple of bags of “Reese’s” peanut butter cups. Now for those of you who don’t know, Reese’s peanut butter cups are my favorite, and what a blessing it was to open that box. A dear friend of ours, in Windsor N.C., felt a desire to send us a care package for Christmas. A package of something menial to most, but oh, so meaningful to me. If sent to any one else it might be considered a waste, since its postage surely out valued its content. But it wasn’t, it was sent to me, and to me it was priceless. I was just as blessed opening that package, as I was when I drove my first new car off the lot the week before. This package, along with its timing, its message was perfect. The message I heard in my heart was “Arise and eat!”

There’s a pretty random story in the Old Testament about Elijah. And if you’re just reading through the book of 1 Kings you’ll just glaze right over it and dismiss it as irrelevant, because basically, that’s what it is. It’s got nothing to do with anything else that’s happening in 1 Kings, but that’s the brilliance of it. Elijah, is afraid for his life because the prophets are being killed, Jezebel even sends a messenger to him to tell him he’s next. This is what happens next… 1 Kings 19:3

³Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

As you can see Elijah isn’t doing so good, first he’s running for his life, then he’s asking God to take it. He’s confused and tired, then this happens…  1 Kings 19:5

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Arise and eat.” ⁶He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 

First of all, the angel touched him, I want you to remember that, but second: God baked him a cake! I love that! Well, He sent a cake through an angel, but God did it! And not just once, but twice! 1 Kings 19:7

⁷The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” ⁸So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.      

Now at some point Elijah’s plan changed. He starts out by running away, overtaken by fear and running for his life. This totally drained him, and he was done after just one day of running. Defeated, depleted, and desiring to be deleted. Then we find out he’s running to something, the mountain of God (Horeb is where Moses received the Ten Commandments) and he lasts 40 days on two angel cakes. There’s a lot that can be drawn from this, but I think the main point is this: Running away I’ll always run out, but headed for Horeb I won’t be without.

God has shown me this month that He can provide everything and anything and I should depend on Him for all of it. I bet the cake that Elijah got was his favorite flavor; I mean it wasn’t just there, it was freshly baked, waiting for him on hot coals. God wants to provide everything, not just the big stuff. And while the value of the gifts may vary, the richness of the blessing never will. If God’s the giver the gift is perfect. A new car and a box of candy, there could be no clearer picture of the pendulum’s peaks. He’s got it all covered; if we just head for the mountain He’ll get us there.

We’d like to send a special thanks to those who have been supporting us. You are to us, the angel in the story. You know the Masters voice and hunger to hear it. And when the Father of Lights has that perfect gift He wants delivered, He sends it through you, a good and faithful servant. You are to us what the angel was to Elijah, a comforting touch with inspiring words. We are so grateful that God has put us on your hearts, your generosity and obedience touches us, your words and your prayers, encourage us, strengthen us, and beckon us to Arise and Eat. Merry Christmas, happy New Year, and please keep in touch!!

Grace and Peace

Jason and Kezia   

work permit

I finally got my work permit that allows me to legally stay and work in Krabi!  Praise God for this!  Now, on to our next steps... getting our new Thai visas and continue working on our US immigration papers.  Papers, papers... they never seem to end, but always God comes through for us in all of these!

Hajj

In Krabi International airport, on our way to Bangkok for our US Embassy appointment, we met a large crowd of people.  I was amazed with the sight because I have never seen such commotion even in really large --- really busy --- airports like LAX or JFK. 

I found out that these are people from different villages in Krabi who are there to support their representative brother/sister for the Hajj.  Hajj is the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that takes place in the last month of the year, expected once of all Muslims.  As we have previously mentioned to you, South Thailand has a large group of Islam believers.

I thought it would be interesting to share with you some of the pictures I took while hurrying past the crowd to check-in and grab a seat at the gate for our flight.  

Thai Music at the Night Market

Jason and I went out for dinner tonight and found out that there is "night market" on friday nights.  Night market is when they close-up a section of the road and allow different vendors to display their goods like jewelry, clothes, handmade bags, food, etc. on the street for people to look at and buy.  So after we ate, we went out and took a stroll at the night market. 

While strolling and looking at different things, we saw a group of Thai kids playing Thai instruments in the middle of the market.  It was definitely the highlight of my day.  Just want to share with you what we saw and heard.  Below is a short video of it. I hope you enjoy it!

Sawatdee Kha

Sawatdee Kha!  (Translation:  Hello, Welcome, or sometimes even used to say farewell in Thai).

One of the very few phrases I have learned in the last two weeks, I have become accustomed to greeting almost anyone with it; and always I am received with a similar reply along with a big smile befitting to the country’s title.  Thailand is, indeed, the “Land of Smiles.” 

Jason and I are now in Krabi, South Thailand.  God has not only provided us with a house to live in the moment we arrived, but He has also faithfully supplied us with things that we need to function here: a bed, a motorbike, and some furniture, etc.  This is but a few of the many things He has allowed us to have.  We are both overwhelmed with His gifts and how He has shown us that He knows exactly what we need and more.  We also found the car, but haven’t bought it yet, that we believe will benefit us the most as we go around the area.  And yes, God has given us that too!  We are super grateful for the goodness and generosity of friends and family supporting us as we pursue God’s call in our lives here. 

Jason and me at Ao Nang Beach taken at sunset.  I am wearing Thai-styled pants.

Wednesday (September 14), Phylla (our co-worker) and I went to the Bangkok immigration office to apply for my non-immigrant visa allowing me, and eventually Jason, to stay longer here. I was finally given my visa!  Praise God for that!  This visa is only the first step of the several steps we will be taking in order to get a work permit eventually giving us a legal reason to stay.  On this note, I will also be continuing to work on my US naturalization papers when Jason gets back from the Sowers Conference in Beijing, China at the end of this month.  It will be too much for me to explain all the details of US and Thai immigration here, but we trust that it is all in the hands of our Father. 

On Monday, I will begin working at Prakhun Language School (Sowers school) teaching English to little Thai kids from 4 pm to 8 pm; and I will also be helping in the worship team.  Jason will begin working with Roslen (Phylla’s husband) doing bible studies and preaching in Ao Nang (a town about 15 minutes away from Krabi).

Please don’t stop praying for us and the whole Sowers Thailand team as we fulfill God’s vision for the Thai people.  Pray that He will keep us strong and firm in Him.  Pray that He will open the hearts of people we come across with. 

We are glad to have you all as our partners in the work of the Lord.  And as the Thai people would say it, “Kop Khun Kha”,which means ‘thank you.’

Episode 2 (from Boise, ID)

http://www.vimeo.com/28932244

click the link to watch the movie!!

Our Move To Thailand Video (Episode 1)

Thanks so much to everyone in Windsor for all your support, we hope you enjoy this short video of some of our NC memories...

Well, It Could Always be Worse

Hey guys, this is Jason. As you all know, today was our interview with immigration and unfortunately, it didn’t happen. We got down there and found out that they are still waiting on her file to arrive from the main office. That wasn’t the hard part; we can understand stuff like that, no big deal. The hard part was when he told us he had no idea when they would be ready for us, that was harder to swallow. Not only is the office 2 and ½ hours away, but everything stops for us here at the end of the month. Cell phones, internet service, cable, employment, rent, getting rid of our furniture, buying airplane tickets, selling the car… all these things just got collectively thrown up in the air and we have to juggle them with no idea for how long. The lady on the phone told me it could be next week, could be next month, it could even be longer!! PRAYERS PLEASE!!

Well, it could always be worse, they could have been ready for us and said “no”. The good news is that although we are disappointed, we have peace that God is in control. We are even encouraged that our faith is being tested, if we were venturing outside of God’s will the enemy wouldn’t even bother with us at all. So please remember us in your prayers in the coming weeks, we need wisdom, patience, and more faith.

Thanks and God bless!

Jason and Kezia

Thank You and an Update on China!

Thanks to all of your prayerful and financial support, Kezia and I are happy to announce that the process of naturalization has advanced to the next and final step! Kezia has an appointment on July 13, 2011 with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services for an interview. After passing the interview she will take the US history and civics test and an English proficiency test, then the oath, all on the same day! She’s a little nervous and would appreciate your prayers. We are so excited! If everything goes as planned, the best case scenario looks like this:

July 13 – Kezia becomes a US citizen

August 1 – Move to Boise to and acquire a US passport

September 1 – Move to Thailand J

Again thanks so much to all of you who are praying for us and please, don’t stop now!!

China Highlight (sensitive material, don't repost)

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:1

We’ve all heard the stories about the underground movement in China. Stories of whispered worship in hidden houses and secret studies of smuggled bibles. A church pursued but never captured. By the Holy Spirit cloaked and by the Truth divinely daggered. It’s enemy, vast and tireless yet confused, because the prey it hunts seems to grow stronger by the chase. Those who do get caught turn to God joyful, grateful for being found worthy of suffering in Jesus’ name, persecution only fans the Christian flame. Inspiring stories from what we call “HC’s”, and if you’ve ever been to one it was probably the highlight of your trip to China. Whenever I go to one I feel overwhelmed, what a blessing it is to join these people in praise. But this highlight isn’t about an underground church, it’s about something more, it’s about an underground school.

Now I know some of you are thinking that’s nothing new. They’ve had these for a while. Pastor training seminars, discipleship training schools, etc. and you’re right, these have been around a while. But where I went these last two trips is something totally ground breaking, it’s revolutionary to what God is doing in China, and it’s taking faith to a whole new level. You see before all the underground schools were for new believers, usually adults, to help them mature in their walk. But this school’s totally different. This school starts at grade one and goes through high school. They cover all general education using Christian curriculum. It’s basically like our homeschooling with one major difference, according to the Chinese government they don’t exist. All schools in China, to be recognized with accreditation, must teach Party approved curriculum. You can imagine what that entails (Darwinism, Socialism, Atheism, etc.). Therefor, Christian curriculum will never be recognized. The problem is that if you go to a non-accredited school in China, according to the government, it’s like not going to school at all. Which means no education, no job, no life.

Well, a few “HC” parents got together and came to the conclusion that their children would be better off going to a school that “doesn’t exist” learning the Truth, than going to a school recognized by the world in hopes of securing a comfortable future. Welcome to the next step. The parents of these kids are trusting that if Jesus doesn’t come back before their kids graduate, that God will simply provide jobs and security for them. Amazing. Upon crossing the threshold of this place I could feel my seed-sized faith finding fertile soil, sprouting and growing. Their fearlessness was contagious. A room full of children, ages 6 to 16, welcomed the team and I with a sweet version of “Jesus Loves Me”. It was powerful; the whole team was moved by the implications of what was taking place. These kids’ futures, their lives, were in God’s hands now. But can you think of a better place to be? Even the teachers had to drop off the grid for this, it’s full time work, they quit their government assigned jobs to teach there and now live solely on the support generated for the school through the Christian community. But for them it’s worth it. No turning back. They know that their children + Jesus = hope for China.

The dictionary defines faith as “belief in something without proof”. The bible however, defines faith as “the proof that something is believed”. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I like that. I’d like to thank the students, parents, and especially the teachers, of a school that doesn’t exist somewhere in China, for actually showing me what faith looks like. What a huge blessing you were to my teams, and will be to the future of your country.

Severe Weather

Hey guys, this is Jason...

We've had a few of you email us wondering if we were ok after the storm this past weekend and yes, we are ok. The storm was pretty intense though.. rain, wind, lightning, thunder, the whole deal! There were even a few tornadoes that ripped through Bertie County (that's where we live). A good friend of ours lives a couple of miles up the road and some of her neighbors were right in the path of one, pretty incredible carnage. Poor Bertie County, just got over an insane flood, now this. But Kez and I are fine, thank God.. Here are a couple of pics from just up the road -

God Be Glorified!

Galatians 1:24 “And they glorified God in me.”

April.  Wow.  Where has the time gone?  One minute I was planning for the Spring Semester classes, and the next thing I know it’s almost time for spring break.  Soon classes will be over and summer will be here!  I can’t wait!

In the recent weeks, Jason went to China leading a team of college students from Canada to Beijing.  (I will leave the highlights of that trip to him.  He definitely has a lot to tell about it.)  During this time of separation, I started practicing being silent and letting God do the speaking in my quiet times.  This was definitely not easy for me.  I always end up babbling instead of listening and in a hurry to finish all of my requests and “suggestions” about what should happen for the day and in the coming days.  I realized God wants to tell me what’s in His heart too.  And with all the noise I create, it was hard for me to hear Him clearly.  I have lots to learn in being silent, and I am excited to learn more about Him as I grow in this area of my relationship with Him.

While listening to God one morning, He spoke to me the word in Galatians 1:24, "And they glorified God in me."  It was so audible.  It was like I was face to face with Jesus, and He was telling me this.  God will use Jason and I to glorify Him.  His desire is for us to be so captivated by Him people will see Him in us and cannot deny His presence.  God will use our marriage for the purpose of making known His love to His people.  And they will know that it is because of Him that we are doing what we are doing.    This revelation made me even more excited of the days ahead of us --- of our future in Thailand.  Thank You, Lord, for ministering to my heart while Jason was away.

Now on the news about my naturalization process, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services emailed me last March 21, 2011  with the information that I will be skipping the 2^nd step of my citizenship application since my recent biometrics with them is still valid.   This meant that I am down to the last step of the process --- Testing and Interview!  I was definitely overjoyed to find this out because I have been waiting and waiting for my biometrics appointment with them.  Praise God for this!  We want to thank you for being there for Jason and me and for praying for us.

Now, we are praying and preparing for this next step that will eventually pave the way for us to go to Krabi, Thailand unhindered!  We definitely need your prayers that I will find favor in the eyes of those who will be handling my papers, and that I pass the test and interview. 

Jason will travel again to China in May through June.  He will be leading a team of students from Palm Beach Atlantic University.  They will be going to Inner Mongolia and will be in close contact with Chinese university students.  Please pray for him and for the team as they prepare their hearts for this trip.  Pray for the people they will encounter during this time that God will prepare and open their hearts for the Good News of His love. 

Guatemala

What a trip! That’s me preaching at the Ministerios Sembradores church in Quetzaltenango (“Sembradores” is Spanish for “Sowers”). I had an absolute blast there. It was great meeting up with Pastor Juan Castro (our Latin America director) and his friends. I knew that the movement there is Pentecostal, so I prepared to be stretched beyond the boundaries of my conservative style of ministering. Sure enough, that’s what happened. I was definitely out of my theological comfort zone, but in a good way. The best way I can sum up the trip is that it was 50% sanity, but 100% God. I know the math doesn’t add up, but that’s kind of the point.

Everyday had a new highlight in store for me, everyday a new lesson, a new takeaway. For the sake of time, I’ve chosen one story to share that basically embodies the whole trip. In Guatemala, it’s an honor and a privilege to host a missionary. Not so much because of who the person is, but because of what the person is doing. The act of serving God is held in very high regard, and someone who is in transit in the service of God is well looked after. They see you as heaven-sent. A gift from God worthy of the best stewardship they can muster. A missionary, regardless of who he is at home, is anointed with the Holy Spirit for the task, and to be able to have that anointing in their home is a great blessing for them. By serving the servants, they please the Master. Actually that’s the name they called us the whole time we were there, “Los Siervos”, Spanish for “The Servants”. Three times a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we went to a different church member’s house to be served their best food on their best china. What a joy it was for me to break bread (and tamales) with those fine families, and my prayer is that Jehovah Jireh may replenish all that was consumed, and more. So that’s the setting for my story, we were on our way to a house to eat lunch. We had been in Guatemala for a few days already and I was starting to get used to the routine. We go to a house, they roll out the red carpet, we feast on amazing Guatemalan cuisine, we pray for the hosts, and we move on to the next thing on the schedule. This house however, was going to be a little different than the rest.

The host was a sister from the church there, mid 20’s, servant-hearted, gentle, and altogether pleasant. She welcomed us with a warm smile and a very un-shy kiss on the cheek, the staple of all Latin American greetings. As we broke the threshold we were overpowered by an aroma that was clearly hours in the making, perfectly timed to peak at our arrival. We sat at the table. As course after delicious course poured out from the kitchen, the only thing better than the food was the fellowship. Except for Carlos. A background shadow of a presence, and a proverbial elephant in the room. He kept to himself and stayed off to the side. Nobody paid him any attention because you just knew that any attempt to engage him would be awkward. I couldn’t help it; I confess: I judged him.

His hair was greasy and clumsily styled, his clothes were dirty and slept in. He was probably a drug addict, an alcoholic at least. A burden to his family and a nuisance to his neighbors. Trouble. I felt sorry for him, obviously a lost cause, no hope of ever reaching the level of holiness that I have. Why was he even here? Did he not know that men of God were coming? This afternoon was supposed to be about how great I am, I came here to be served! How dare he impose his sad state on my lunch plans? Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, that was the track my train of thought was on. A sense of spiritual pride had crept in, and I had shown it safe harbor. In hindsight, shameful.

His sister (our host) motioned for him to join us, and he did, but reluctantly. The ambience changed as he sat across from us at the table. It was all of a sudden all about him. I felt bad for him. He was physically outnumbered and spiritually outgunned. I could see right thru him. I thought that thanks to me, on that day, he would have an encounter with God he would never forget. That he would see my obedience and be challenged to change. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Actually, what happened was, on that day, I would have an encounter with Christ that I would never forget, thanks to Carlos.

Pastor Juan started the conversation with a stern statement, “Carlos, God wants to set you free today”. We all knew what that meant; it was a declaration of war. Carlos proceeded to confess all the things he was struggling with. These were big struggles. The desperation in his voice was genuine; he was sick and tired of being sick and tired. But there was something else; he nodded to his sister as if to signal her in way, to tell her that it was time. Then softly, and politely, she asks us if it would be ok if Carlos washed our feet. What? We looked at Carlos, he told us that he heard men of God were coming to his home and he thought if he washed our feet, it would help him get the victory he was longing for. He began to cry. His sister began to cry. We all began to cry. The Spirit of God had fallen in that place in an “upper-room” kind of way. It was more than the Spirit of God; it was the Spirit of Christ Himself, and He was with Carlos. They took us to another room, and to my amazement, Carlos had it all set up. Clean towels, wash bins, warm water… The whole time I had been judging him, he was trying to muster the courage to ask us to allow him to wash our feet. I’ve never felt as small as I did that moment.

We said yes, of course. So he did, he washed our feet. During the process I felt the Lord speak to me for Carlos. After Christ washed the disciples feet, He died. After He died, He arose in victory! Christ not only wanted Carlos to obey by the washing of feet, He wanted to take Carlos from his chains, to the upper room, to the cross, to the grave, and finally, to victory. After he finished washing we laid hands on him, and prayed, Carlos prayed with us. I am glad to tell you that the old Carlos, on that day, past away. And the new Carlos rose up in victory. The Spirit of Christ that was with him was now within him. His whole countenance changed. The chains were gone. We had a new brother. Brother Carlos. Forgive me for judging you Carlos, and thank you for teaching me about humility, obedience, and victory.

2011

2011!...Can you believe it?...Time definitely flies...

First off, I want to greet everyone a Happy New Year! 

2010 was an awesome year --- such a great testimony of God's faithfulness.  And I know that this year will be no different.  Jason and I are super excited with what He has in store for us. 

As I mentioned in my previous blog, we celebrated Christmas with family in Boise, Idaho.  We had a blast spending time with everyone eating, playing Wii, hanging-out, laughing and talking.  This was a treat for me because this is my 'first-ever' Christmas in the U.S. with family.  It was such a blessing! 



Jason opening his presents! 

Bo and Pooka preparing our Christmas dinner...super good dinner!

Gwynn opening our present for him!

Lunch at a Greek Restaurant with Pooka, Becka, Ellie, and Mike.

Ellie and I at downtown Boise...I got to hold her for a long time!..Yay!

In the weeks leading to Christmas, I was quite anxious about my new Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) because I applied for a new one with my new name on it and it took quite awhile for it to arrive.  Jason bought my ticket for Idaho with my new name, and I had no official I.D. with it.  But the day before our flight, my immigration card arrived with my new name on it!  Complete with all my first names, middle name, and last name which was definitely not easy to explain to the immigration officials.  Praise God!  His timing is always perfect.  Once again, He reminded me to trust Him completely with all the details of my life.  What a sweet reminder of my God's sovereignty over everything!  

This week, we are preparing and submitting my application for naturalization to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that will pave the way for us to go to Thailand unhindered.  We are praying that this whole process will be completed by summer around the time that my teaching job here in Windsor, NC also ends.  We ask that you pray for us, specifically for this and for the preparation of our hearts and minds as we enter in to His field in Krabi, Thailand.  Please pray that we may find favor in the hands of those who will be handling my papers.

January 19, 2011, I am driving Jason to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) --- a two hour-drive --- for his trip to Guatemala.    We will be using my friend's (Randy) car for this.  Our little green car is such a blessing to us, but it may not make it to RDU back and forth.  And we want to thank Randy for his generosity allowing us to use his car for a day!  God definitely provides for what we need!  Please pray for miracles and for God to continue to reveal Himself to His people.  And please pray for Him to speak through Jason as he preaches in Spanish!

In the coming months, Jason will be leading teams to China.  Please continue to pray for all these trips and for the teams he will be with!  Pray for revelation!  Pray for passion!  Pray for people to be saved!

Let our hearts be in tune with the heartbeat of our Father!  As my youth pastor preached one Sunday morning, "Life is to know Him."  Pray for the unquenchable desire to know Him more in your life!