Southeast Asia: Day 18

Southeast Asia: Day 18

We continue to stand amazed at the incredible timing and purpose of Father. These two days have been filled with meetings in the mornings and afternoons with individual or pairs of students we've connected with over the past few weeks followed by larger group meetings in coffee shops in the evenings. Several of these connections came out of students we'd just met inviting their own friends to come hang out with us. Other connections resulted from random conversations with people in restaurants, one of whom turned out to be a Sister. She was surprised and incredibly encouraged when she found out that we were in the Family as well. No conversation or interaction is too short for Him to work in mighty ways. We've also made some connections with medical students and outgoing philanthropists that will be extremely useful the next time we are in this country.

Unfortunately, our time here is coming to an end and we only have a few meetings left.

Tomorrow, we are meeting with a Brother and Sister to strengthen our relationships and perhaps help connect them with a strong Family Group here.

Please pray that our energy levels would be just as high as on Day 1 and that we would persevere to continue Upward Focused conversations via social media once we leave this beautiful country. Please continue to pray for our fulltime Ms here, that they would be able to connect with those students with Upward Focused questions and that their Work here would be His and His alone. Lastly, please lift us up as we're making the long trek back to the States. We are humbled and blessed by your thoughts and prayers and we can't wait to share more stories and pictures with you all once we've arrived home.

In Him,

Southeast Asia Team

Southeast Asia: Day14-17

Southeast Asia-Day 14-17

We arrived safely at our northern destination, met our guide and continued our long, winding voyage up into the mountains. 

Our Father is incredible. The views across the valley were breathtaking and only increased in magnificence as we traveled higher. 

We explored the city the remainder of the afternoon and rested up for the 4 hour trek that awaited us the next morning. 

We woke early the next morning and trekked along various roads and mountain paths, passing all kinds of animals, fauna, and natives as we wound our way down the mountain into a small farming village. We met up with several families our group had made connections with in the past. Unfortunately, the matriarch we were looking forward to talking with was temporarily living in another village while her home was being renovated. Nevertheless we got to spend time with several of her family members, helping them with their English and giving the daughter a copy of the JC movie in their native language. 

Please pray that despite traditional and political roadblocks, the HS would radically move in that village and that its inhabitants would carry the Message to their own families in other villages. Please also pray for the leaders of HCs in the area. Pray that despite persecution and financial pressures, these men would continue to study and teach according to Father's Word. The HS doesn't need human literacy, wealth, or freedoms in order to do its Work, but please pray that It will sustain and protect Its people on the long roads ahead. 

During our last day up north we had the privilege of dining with our guide and her husband in their homestay. Her husband is studying to open his own HC and Father is working in miraculous ways. We also got to leave thick blankets and mosquito nets with two young girls we met several years ago. Please pray that their families will be blessed by these gifts and that they would come to know Father very soon. 

Even though our initial plans changed every day we were in the villages, we know that our steps were guided by the HS and that nothing He does is done in vain. We boarded the overnight train back to our original city and arrived back safely very early this morning. 

Day 17

We're currently resting up for our last three days in country. Each day is full of meetings with students and M friends from the States. Please pray that our team would continue to regain strength and that our minds would be locked on His Face. 

We'll be in touch again soon!

Southeast Asia Team

Southeast Asia: Day 12-13

Southeast Asia: Day 12 - 13

Yesterday we rested and took a day trip down to the coast of the country where we spent the afternoon on a big boat exploring beautiful islands and caves. Father blessed us with gorgeous, sunny weather and safe travels along slender unpaved roads between our city and the bay. We thank Him for a restful day.

Today, we went to service at the HC from a few days ago. What a joy it was to sing, pray and study with Brothers and Sisters from around the world. We learned about how Father equips each of us for the work He sets before us. He calls and He equips, we just need to obey His Voice. Even then, He gives us grace for when we don't obey. It was a very humbling message. The Shepherd of the group is leaving the country for a while to better perfect his English and to study the Word with other Shepherds from around the world. Please pray for him as he travels and begins a long period of study, following Father's Call for his life. Please also pray from his family back home who have experienced much persecution in the past. His mother and sister are believers but his father has fallen away. 

One of our nonbelieving friends joined us for group this morning. She received the message willingly and is planning to meet with the Shepherd's sister next week and attend another group meeting. Our team has shared the Good News with her several times over the past few days and Father allowed her heart to open a little more each time. Please pray for her to continue asking questions and reading the Word given to her this morning.

Tonight we're taking an overnight train to a city up north where we'll be interacting with some ethnic minority groups over the next few days. Please pray for safe travels, understanding and miraculous ease of communication. The Word is Living and Breathing and we're excited to go with It wherever it leads.

Southeast Asia Team

Southeast Asia: Day 10-11

Southeast Asia-Day 10

Today was full of one-on-one conversations with students who've been most inclined towards Upward focused conversations. We had lunch with a medical student we met who made a Decision back in 2012. We've followed up with him as often as we've been back in the country, as well as over Facebook, and we are excited to report that his Beliefs are still growing despite the rigors of hospital life and the restrictions faced by local believers. He has been meeting with one of our Ms here in the city but hasn't been able to connect with a HC quite yet.

Please pray that our doctor friend will experience incredible growth in the near future and that he will find a HC to plug into, to be fed, and to be equipped to help others.

This evening we experienced unworldly hospitality as we dined with 5 university students in one of their parents' homes. We got there and they quickly assigned us duties to help finish preparing the meal of fresh and fried spring rolls and something similar to crab cakes, except with chicken. We all gathered on a rice mat on their living room floor and dove into what our leader said was "one of his favorite meals in [this country]," and that's no small praise! After finishing the meal up with fresh mango and guava, we spread out and started talking more about school, football, and their "stories." There's always a disconnect between the importance of the Good News and good deeds, but we've found that every conversation, no matter how "insignificant" is worth having. It's not our responsibility to "make" things make sense. The Word is Living! Please continue to pray for open hearts, ears, and eyes.

Day 11

We had the supreme joy today to visit a HC led by a student-turned-teacher we met almost 6 years ago. He comes from a family of Brothers and Sisters who have been treated very severely for their beliefs. Thankfully he and his sister were able to graduate university and are working as Shepherds of other university students and community members. Our friend shared a Song he had written and we all sang a Song together in each of our own languages. Please pray that the Brothers and Sisters in his Community would desire to grow with Father and tell others about His Story, and not just be satisfied with being fed each week. Please also pray for the Community as our friend travels abroad to learn from another Shepherd that he might return to his country and better teach and share the Good News.

Later this evening we got to share the Good News with over 40 university students during a student organization meeting one of our friends invited us to. We shared about the differences in our respective country's education systems and found many opportunities to steer conversations Upwards. We got to continue these conversations with 2 of the friends from the meal the night before over dinner. Even though there is still misunderstanding and miscommunication on everyone's part, we have confidence that Father is working and that He will continue to guide our words, and hopefully replace them with His Word.

Please continue to pray for healing - the team is feeling a little better every day, but sleeping through the night has still been difficult for some of us. Please pray that He will be our strength as the days are heating up quickly!

-Southeast Asia Team

Southeast Asia: Day 9

Southeast Asia-Day 9

If you've ever doubted the impact that one simple invitation can make in a friend or family member's life, please read on! If you've ever doubted the impact that one simple prayer of faith can make in a friend or family member's life, please read on! If you're like me, and you've ever doubted the relevance of the Good News in this enormous, pain-filled world of ours, please read on!

Today we got to sit down and catch up with another one of our M couples living in this city. They are both English teachers at a local university and are carefully navigating the odd teacher-student barrier in hopes of building friendships with their students and sharing the Good News. Please pray for historically dead-bolted doors to be crashed open so that this couple can freely invest in their students. Please pray for travel safety as this couple returns to the States for the summer to rest and fund raise before returning back to Asia to continue Father's work.

This evening, we invited some of the university students we've met over the past 6 or 7 years to a coffee shop "English Club". Last evening, only 2 or 3 of our contacts had responded that they were going to attend, so we prayed that more would come. This morning, a few more confirmed, and we prayed that the hearts of those attending would be opened to the Good News, but personally, I was satisfied with that small handful of students, afraid that if too many students came, it would be too difficult to effectively communicate and keep order in the coffee shop. Thankfully, Father had different plans...

Over 20 students came to the coffee shop last night, many of whom we'd never met before, but who were invited by their friends. Several of those students we'd never met actually invited their own friends from university to come to the coffee shop! We all broke up into small conversation groups and got to know the students individually before forming a large group of all the students. Then our leader and another team member shared more about our reasons for traveling to Southeast Asia and shared their stories about how the Good News has changed their lives. Afterwards, one of the Asian students actually shared his own story about how he became a Brother and one of his friends translated for us. 

The Good News is spreading on its own! We are not responsible for its movement. It is Living and True and Powerful. All we can do is plant, water and obey! And that's all He asks us to do!

Please pray that we will have many opportunities over the next week to meet with individual students to talk more about each of our stories and the greatest Story of them all. Please continue to pray for the health of our team and for travel safety as we travel tomorrow to the home of one of these students and his friends for a home cooked meal and more conversation. We're also lunching with a medical student who made a Decision on one of our past trips, hoping to continue Upward focused conversations.

We love you all! Thank you for all your love and support!

Southeast Asia Team