Christmas Outreach Extravagenza!!!

It has been a BUSY WEEK! This week was the focus of so many months of planning and prep! We were able to hold 3 HUGE Christmas outreach programs! It has been a crazy busy and tiring time, and we are exhausted, but God is so good! He has made a way for us to make it through, and through the dilligence and committment of the team of interns here and the leaders and the church members, the Christmas outreaches for 2014 were amazing! 

In the week leading up to the outreaches, we bought gifts and wrapped gifts and bought gifts and wrapped gifts! And then we bought more gifts and wrapped them TOO! Just for fun! From Dominoes to Dishtowels, Pillows to Plates to Picture frames, Toy Cars to Crayons, Bowls to Books, and everything in between, we bought and wrapped well over 300 presents! With a little help from Chaw ka lat Mary (one of the awesome interns) we managed to complete our task!

One of the things about the Christmas outreaches which was so cool was the way the Christians took ownership - it was their outreach, not the missionaries! They cooked, they brought supplies, they prepared special music numbers and dances, rented equipment, got transportation, set up chairs, prayed, and everything with a smile and a heart full of Joy, knowing that they were reaching their friends, their neighbours, and their countrymen. Adrienne and I lent a hand where we could, and we also prepared a drama with the Bang Sai believers! We did the Everything Drama; most of you have probably seen it, but where we presented it, it was fresh, new, and POWERFUL! We were blown away by how the young adults of the Bang Sai church learned it in ONLY AN HOUR AND A HALF! They got into it! We are still bruised from their amazing acting talents. They seriously rocked it - I've been in it 6 different times, and this time was the most real, and the most passionate. 

The first outreach was in Bo Thong, a small town in what seems like the middle of nowhere. Surrounding it though, are dozens of factories which the Burmese people work at. Starting out slowly, we suddenly turned around and experienced 130 people attending! God answered our prayers, brought people there, and touched their lives! We had a HUGE pot of soup, cookie decorating (and eating!), Christmas card and bracelet making, and a big stage! The music lasted for HOURS! The preacher had come from MCA in Bankok, and a bunch of people accepted Christ, between his sermon and the Everything Drama. Starting at 6, and going til almost midnight, it was a serious party for Jesus! After that it was off to Bang Sai for the second outreach!!!

Bang Sai again was amazing - we performed the Drama, the sermon was great, big ol' Pot O' soup made an appearance again, and I even got to play the drums for the whole evening! Let me tell you... Playing drums with seasoned musicians when you don't know a thing they are saying.... with over 24 songs on the list? WOW by God's grace I did it haha! At least 5 more people came to Jesus here, and we rejoiced with the believers that over 100 people came out!

The next day was spent recouperating from 2 crazy late nights, and holding a kids club/evangelistic outreach at a factory near Chachoengsao! Louise has been working with the believers in the factory, and they are growing stronger every day, praise God! Games, crafts, snacks, and songs drew a crowd, and then Louise shared the gospel and we gave out presents! It was a very merry time.

And then yesterday... the last big outreach! Chachoengsao! The place was packed, and God was smiling on the church that evening! It is amazing to see the love that God puts in the hearts of believers... The Burmese Christians here are so full of love and joy and self-sacrifice that it just puts us to shame, really. They brought their friends to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, and 20 people got saved! Yeah, 20! It was amazing and spectacular to see God's kingdom explode in our midst... He did the work! After that, we had the gifts - presents were flying everywhere, and people were partying and dancing and the band was playing and the name of Jesus was lifted HIGH! Such a powerful time...

So, with Christmas outreaches nearing their end, we are heading back to Bang Sai soon for a few days, and then it's Christmas! We will celebrate with Louise and all the foreigners here, and it's going to be great - but still, it's our first Christmas away from Canada. After that we are taking a week to regroup, and rest - everyone takes holidays after Christmas, so we are heading to the coast! 

Thank you all for your prayers and support! We feel so blessed to be here, able to love people in the name of Jesus, because of the generosity of everyone back home. Pray that we will be able to rest and get some energy back! Pray that we will be able to get back into a rhythm in Bang Sai with music and language study in the new year, and pray that we will be faithful in building God's kingdom here, whether sick or healthy, full of energy or drained! God bless you! I'm remembering this season that Christ came into the world at Christmas, as a baby... but then He grew up, and He turned the world upside down! His love and radical example set the course of history, and there is no other way we can get to God - People need to know this! They need to know that God loves them! That He sent His son to die for our sins! That Jesus lives to bring us together with God again. To bridge the gap. To remedy our sickness. To be our saviour. Merry Christmas!

Celebrating All God is Doing - Graduation, Crusades, and Christmas!

Hey everyone!

Well, I suppose it's about time for an update... we've been kept pretty busy prepping for Christmas outreaches, so it's been a while. Here's a bit of what we've been up to!

So December 1st I had the privilege of going to an MCA (M*anmar Christian Assembly) discipleship school graduation, to see 7 of our B*rmese interns graduate. It was an amazing day of worship, prayer, and celebration, as the grads all shared what God had been teaching them and how they were laying down their lives to serve Him! So now, together with the B*rmese leadership team and interns, we have been prepping for Christmas parties and outreaches at all 3 Lighthouse Churches (in Chachoengsao, Bo Thong, and Bang Sai). It's meant lots of decorating, wrapping gifts, practicing music and dramas, and praying for the people that will be attending. Many people have no idea what Christmas is truly about. So, as we throw Christmas parties and celebrate, we also have the incredible chance to share the reason for the season! So be in prayer for our team and the people here - for open hearts as we share the gospel!

setting up the tree in the Bang Sai church!

putting up lights on the outside of the church - definitely don't want to fall in here!

Jeremy and I also had the chance to go to a big evangelistic crusade in Bangkok (also put on by MCA). Over 200 people attended and 182 of them became Christians that weekend! Then, Saturday night, in the hotel pool, over 150 of them were baptized! It was truly an amazing evening! I'm sure there was much rejoicing in heaven, as many B*rmese people decided to follow Christ! 

In the middle of Crusades and Christmas Parties, we've also been doing weekly music ministry with a bunch of Thai children and youth at the Bethel Church (together with 2 Trekker's from the Thai Trek team). The Bethel Church is in a small village between Chachoengsao and Bangkok, which originally started as a small kids club on a mat under a tree, and has grown into a great ministry with amazing Thai leaders! Some of youth in the area had wandered away from the Lord and were no longer coming to church, but were interested in music lessons. So, a few weeks ago we walked around in the village, with Louise, and invited them to come learn drums, piano, bass, and guitar. Now they've been coming every week, with huge smiles, and are learning worship songs! Jeremy's been teaching two young girls how to play drums, and it's been awesome to see God softening their hearts and giving them joy. Last week we taught the whole group Joy to the World, and they did a fantastic job! What a talented bunch of kids!

Here's a link to the kids playing Joy to the World: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152473770097267&set=vb.535742266&type=2&theater

teaching piano in Bang Sai

We also are still teaching lots of music in Bang Sai, and enjoying connecting with all the young adults there. And... every Saturday, we get to help out with a Thai kids club, led by Japanese missionaries Moto and Maria, and Tia and Gina, two short-term missionaries from Germany.

Thai kids club!

Last night we got to go to a huge Christmas Party for everyone involved with the Thailand Mennonite Brethren Foundation (which includes the 3 B*rmese Churches, and the Thai Churches and orphanage). There were 75 people there, including missionaries, 3 Trek teams, and all the Thai and B*rmese leaders and their families! It was quite the celebration!
Ricky (part of team2000 - the 3 families that came to Thailand 14 years ago, including Dave and Louise) shared about God's goodness and how they've seen His hand at work as their ministries have multiplied in a big way! What started as 3 families has now grown to over 50 national leaders, and multiple church plants! The work has also spread into L*aos, C*mbodia, and B*rma! Isn't God amazing?!

So, we invite you to continue to partner with the work that God is doing here in Southeast Asia! Continue to pray for the missionaries, the national leaders, the 3 Trek teams, and the churches. And pray that God would work through the Christmas outreaches to draw more and more people to Himself.
Also, pray for the 7 B*rmese interns. They are with us only for a few short weeks, to help with Christmas, and then on the 21st, they are headed into B*rma to re-visit some of the villages we were in, as well as some new ones. They will be sharing the gospel, strengthening the existing churches, and planting new ones. And, out of those 7 interns, only 1 is returning after a month. The rest are staying in villages to continue to church plant and serve God! These are amazing and passionate young adults that have given their lives to serve God. They know that it could cost them everything, and that they may undergo persecution; but they also know that it's absolutely worth it all!

Blessings!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas?

Greetings from Thailand!

Now, close your eyes and picture this... December is right around the corner... all the churches (and everywhere else!) are madly decorating with Christmas trees, lights, streamers, and tinsel... Every coffee shop and restaurant is playing thai renditions of Christmas Carols... the words "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" are wafting through the air... it's +35C... Sweat is rolling down your back...?!

Welcome to Christmas in Thailand! The whole country is crazy about the holiday, and nobody knows the meaning behind it! This December, we get to be a part of a big evangelistic push called "Give Christmas Away", which is basically all the churches here going into OVERDRIVE! We are going to be joining with them as they preach the gospel through Christmas programs, parties, and productions! Everyone here wants to have a Christmas party, so we are going to be throwing them right left and center! In homes, businesses and even in factories! Please pray with us as we gave this unique opportunity to reach people for Jesus.

I'm getting ahead of myself though... Before all that happens, we have language learning and music teaching to do! This last week, we moved to Bang Sai, a small community right on the outskirts of Chonburi, a city of 1 Million people. The church here is being watched over by a young couple of Burmese interns, who just had a baby last week!!

We are going to be stationed here for the majority of the rest of our time, to support the church and immerse ourselves in life here! 

The Church is built right on the Ocean... but not a very nice section of Ocean. 

We are in the process of starting language learning, which is already a crazy experience! We are ministering to Burmese people, so our main language learning will be in Burmese... but we live in Thailand, so we also need to know some basic Thai! AND the 2 languages are nothing alike! pretty wild... just yesterday we learned a word which means 3 different words if said with slightly different tones! Please pray for us as we dive in.

Some of the guy who come every night

Outside the Church

Thankfully, our musical gifts give us a language that everyone can understand - we have been blessed with many opportunities to teach music to children, youth, and adults! Every evening, the young adults of the church gather after work to jam with us, and we are so blessed to get to teach them music and hang out. This last week, we got to help lead some worship with the Thai church and experienced a powerful prayer time with them. The church here is so alive! Many are added to their number daily... It's like we're in the middle of Acts! 

Worshiping in Bang Sai on a Sunday!

Please Pray that we will be faithful as we work hard here, and that God will keep giving us the strength we need! Pray that we will be able to understand the language, and work hard to learn more. Pray that we will connect with the believers in Bang Sai, and that we can be a blessing to them! Pray that the church here would grow!

God at Work - Stories from the villages we visited!

"Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should" Ephesians 6:19-20.

This was our team's theme verse as we headed to B*rma. We knew we were going to villages that desperately needed to hear Truth. Two of the villages had no Christ followers, and the villages that did have a church presence were often under pressure and experiencing persecution (with the majority of people being Buddhist). But, we serve a God that is bigger - a God that empowers us with His Spirit, and equips us and enables us to speak with boldness! So we headed out, relying on God to open doors and change hearts, and with willing hearts to be used by God in whatever way He wanted.

(most picture in this post, and in the last one, done by JohnMark Bergen. Thanks JM!)

This is what the villages and houses looked like! 

As we trekked through the jungle, through rice fields, and through mud and streams, Jeremy and I were reminded of Mark 6 where Jesus sent out His disciples. Here we were going from village to village, staying in homes, being fed along the way, sharing the good news and praying for healing and release from bondage. Many people had never heard the gospel or even seen a foreigner. It was like we were living the book of Acts - praying for boldness and seeing the gospel spread as we went out in faith on our missionary journey. And wow was God at work!

Pastor Isaiah showing the teachers how to set up the computer and printer

A team had gone into some of these same villages in July, and were seeking to build relationships with one village in particular, which had no church presence and no Christ followers. They had gone into the school and asked if there was anything they needed. The teachers said they could really use a computer. They had been trying to get one for quite a while, with no results. So, Louise and the Burmese team of leaders began praying for God to provide a computer that they could donate. Well, God answered their prayers, beyond what they had hoped for! Through the generosity of a woman that had visited Thailand, they now had not only 1 computer to give, but 3! So, here we were presenting computers to these three schools, sharing how God had provided them, and demonstrating love and generosity!

sharing God's love with the children! 

praying for the teachers, the children, and the village (Pastor Paul, our wonderful translator is the man in front) 

While Pastor Isaiah showed the teachers how to use the computers the rest of our team taught the children English songs, Sunday school songs, shared Bible stories, and shared the gospel. We then prayed for the school and the villages. The children (as well as all the people we met) stole our hearts very quickly! They were all smiles, and it was truly a privilege to be able to share the love of Christ with them!

teaching the children at the school some English songs (Jeremy has turned into quite the song leader!) 

As Pastor Isaiah would proclaim the gospel and share his story with the adults and youth each evening, we would share Bible stories, sing songs, do skits, and color with the kids! This was a highlight for both Jeremy and I! We loved getting to know the children and had many laughs together.

the happiest kid you will ever meet! His huge smile and laughter brought us so much joy! 

some of the children from village number 4 

For the first three villages, we had Pastor Paul translate for us as we did kids programs. However, part of our group left after the third village, including dear Pastor Paul, so we were without a translator for villages 4 and 5. But that didn't stop us! In fact, God even used that situation to sow seeds.

In the fourth village, we asked if there was anyone who knew even a little bit of English, so they could help translate for our kids program that afternoon, while Pastor Isaiah did some teaching. Well, there happened to be a Buddhist school teacher (who actually was fairly new to the village) who knew a bit of English and a bit of Thai. I don't know if he would have volunteered himself, but everyone else quickly pointed to him, so really... he had no choice (all part of God's plan!). So with his limited English and our limited Burmese, we (Jeremy, Louise, and I) shared Bible stories, acted out stories, and shared about the love of Christ with the children. The whole time I just couldn't help but think, how cool is God! Here we have a devout Buddhist man, who happens to be the only man in the village that speaks English, translating the gospel message to the children, and hearing the love of Christ. Isn't that awesome!

coloring with the kids, after telling them some Bible stories! 

parachute games with the kids! We could have done this for hours! They absolutely loved it! 

That evening, we met with almost the entire village (including our Buddhist teacher friend) to share the gospel message. As Louise and Pastor Isaiah shared, many Christians stepped forward asking for prayer - that they would be strengthened in their faith and that God would equip them as church leaders. We also saw many people decide to follow Christ and receive His gift of salvation. I noticed that the teacher was engaged, taking it all in, and flipping through the Burmese Bible he had received. He didn't stand with everyone else to pray, but I know that seeds were sown. He heard the gospel and the message of God's love, and we trust and pray that God will continue to work in His heart and life.

acting out the story of David and Goliath in village 3 

coloring by candlelight! 

As we traveled from village to village, often a bit of a crowd would gather and come with us (likely wondering what all these crazy foreigners were doing in the middle of the jungle). But, that provided an opportunity to share our stories, share God's love, and worship together everywhere we went. There was one man in particular, however, that really stood out to me.

As we were headed out to village number 3, there was a man in a bright yellow shirt who showed up and wanted to help carry our bags. He had heard about our group, and wanted to learn more about Jesus. So, he helped carry our backpacks and Bibles through the jungle and rice fields, just so he could talk with Pastor Isaiah and hear more. He then joined us at the church in village 3 for times of teaching and discipleship. Here was a man who was clearly hungry for more of God! We found out later that this man had left his job and his work, to carry our stuff and come with. Isn't that unreal!? I was reminded of when Jesus talks about the cost of being His disciple - leaving family, leaving jobs, and taking up our cross to follow Him. This man did that! He didn't have a lot, but was willing to leave his work behind, to just hear even a bit more about who God is. Wow! Am I hungry to know more about Christ like that? Am I willing to give up all I have to know and follow God?

the man that came with us to learn more! 

spending time in worship and prayer 

two of the Karen pastors (the man on the far left, and the woman on the far right). they were both such a blessing! 

The last little bit of our trip we spent in Mindon (all the villages we were in previous were Karen villages. This was a Chin area). We really enjoyed meeting some of the church leaders, and young believers there! We also made 300 goody-bags as Christmas presents for the children in that area!

Goodies, not garbage - the Christmas Presents! 

We truly loved our time in the villages. It was amazing to see God at work, and to see people responding. God opened doors and opened hearts! Please continue to pray that the churches in these villages will be strengthened - that they will grow in their knowledge of the Word, and be filled with the Spirit. Pray for the leaders there, that God will strengthen and equip them to continue to make disciples and to go and reach out to the villages around them. Pray that the church will continue to grow and that God's kingdom would be built! God is at work! Let's join what He is doing by praying for our B*rmese brothers and sisters!

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns" Philippians 1:6.

GOD IS GOOD! An update on our time in B*rma

Hello Friends! Adrienne and I just returned from a 10 day mission into B*rma! Setting out last Monday, we travelled with Louise, John-Mark the Video Producer (from MB Mission Fresno Office), Pastor Isaiah (the main B*rmese evangelist and visionary for the MB church planting effort here), Pastor Paul, our amazing translator (fluent in English, Thai, B*rmese, and the Karen local dialect!), as well as Andy, the director of MB Mission South-East Asia. 

The TEAM!

We went as a relationship building team with the B*rmese local church, an evangelistic team to the unreached Karen villages, and an encouraging team for the Christians who exist in isolation and persecution. A big part of the journey for us was to see the people that we would be working with and ministering to in Thailand in their own country, where they are not outcasts. We got to see the people of B*rma in their glory, and experience their amazing hospitality and love! As we walked, people invited us into their homes for food and drink, and we shared the good news with them. Everywhere we were, we were welcomed with so much care; laughter and smiles were rampant!

So, the journey... We started with a 7 day trip through the mountain villages of the Karen people. This meant rising early, usually holding either a school program or a teaching time, then journeying on to the next village, 2-5 hours away (depending on the day!). On arrival, we were met by the people, ate, and rested in the heat of the day. Evenings were spent holding evangelistic meetings and playing with kids, doing Sunday school, and just being together. In a number of the villages, we were the first foreigners they had ever seen! It absolutely blew our minds, how the people gathered to see us and meet us and just stare and smile! Culture there is so amazing - if you meet someone new, you are invited into their house for a meal. When you arrive somewhere, you must greet everyone with a handshake and a smile. We showed God's love and smiled until our cheeks hurt!

I can't even summarize it all! We delivered 3 donated computers to these mountain village's schools, where they didn't have money for even desks or chairs. We sang songs with SO MANY KIDS! We coloured, acted out bible stories, played games, and shared our testimonies. The small mountain churches were so blessed  by our encouragement and prayer, and the people of the villages could see something different about our group - it was amazing to see the way they talked about the 'Christians' who had come to visit. 

One guy we met was so encouraging to me - we met him while he was drunk, but he invited us in and gave us some shelter and water on our journey. After that, he followed us for an entire 2 days, listening intently to the words and growing more and more joyful! At the end of our journey, he took a stack of sermon DVD's back to his village, set up a sound speaker, and started blasting sermons day and night through his whole village! We found out after we left that he had travelled once more to try to find us at the end of our 7 days, and wanted Christians to come to his village and plant a church there! God is so good - in a place where there are hardly ANY Christians, God is making a way! 

(the man on the left with the brown hat is the one from the story)

We finished the trip by travelling by van over the mountains, and encouraging a community of faith in Mindon City. After that, we drove straight south for 10+ hours to Yangon, the capital, and flew back to Thailand. What an amazing time! God showed us that He is our sustainer, our strength, our healer, and our voice. We experienced His provision and the power of His Holy Spirit to build relationships! At times it what exhausting, and we didn't know if we could make it. Climbing mountains in 40 degree weather for hours on end is pretty crazy stuff - and yet, our B*rmese pastor friends sang songs and encouraged us every step of the way! We were carried by His hands through so much, and we've only been here on TREK for like 2 weeks and a bit! We are so excited for what's next - thanks for praying and supporting us! :)

If you want to see more pictures, we have an album of them on Adrienne's Facebook page!
Check It out! God bless!

Amazing Race: Chachoengsao!

 Sawatdee ka! or Min ge la ba (as the Burmese people would say)!

So we're finally awake at the right hours, sleeping at night, and beginning to learn some basic phrases in both Thai and Burmese! And... best of all... we have had the chance to meet and spend time with some incredibly wonderful people at the Lighthouse church in Chachoengsao. We moved into one of their sunday school rooms on the third floor on Wednesday (needless to say it is extremely hot!) and have been extremely blessed by the hospitality of our Burmese brothers and sisters! It's been an absolute joy to spend time with them, learn some new phrases, eat with them, and most importantly laugh together!! 

our room at the Lighthouse (complete with mosquito netting and as many fans as we could get our hands on!)

While in Thailand, Jeremy and I are primarily serving with the Burmese churches. But, there are also 2 other Trek teams from Abbotsford, working with the Thai churches. So, we had the privilege of spending some time with one of the Thai Trek teams yesterday, doing the Chachoengsao Amazing Race! We split into two teams and were sent out to explore the city! I was amazed at how friendly and helpful everyone was. So many people came up to us to offer us help, to give us directions, or just say hi (and practice their English)! 

the Wat Sothon Buddhist temple we visited

Watching some of the boat races!

That evening, we also got to join in some of the city's festivities, together with the other Trek team, and some of our Thai brothers and sisters from the Hope Center (one of the Thai ministry centers). The Thai people were celebrating Loi Krathong. This is a Buddhist (mixed with Animistic) festival where people launch small wooden vessels with flowers, candles, and other decorations, into the river, to symbolize the removal of their sins, and as an offering to the river goddess for prosperity. 
We didn't take part in the launching of the boats into the river, but did enjoy some really good Thai food from the many stands and vendors along the way! It was also just very interesting to learn a bit more about their culture, religious practices, and to just spend some time observing. I also was really moved to just pray as we walked along. While the festival was exciting, with amazing colors, lights, and great food, there is still a need for the people to know true hope and forgiveness.

And on Monday we leave for Burma!! Please continue to pray for us as we prepare and then head out, and for the Burmese people that we will meet! We are excited to see how God is already at work there, and to join Him! 

Blessings!

The TREK to Thailand!

We made it!!! Our whirlwind of training and getting ready behind us, we are in Thailand! 

I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone praying for us - We can't do this without you! Thanks for all of you who came to our commissioning or tuned in online! It was a wonderful evening of worship and stories and prayer, and who knows maybe it'll be the push someone in attendance needed to get them into missions :) . 

Anyways, we hit up Winnipeg airport at 4:30 AM, flew to Vancouver, then WAY over to Hong Kong, which was a 13.5 hr flight. Talk about crazy and tiring!!! This is us after we landed. (looking fine!)

We outran sundown all the way along, so we ended up with a 26 hour daytime day, which was weird because usually you don't have 6 meals before night... 

This adventure is huge and crazy and awesome and we are so pumped to see what God has in store for us! We have so much cool stuff ahead of us, and we are praying for boldness! Join us in that!

We got to the SInclair-Peters' house at 2:30 AM when all was said and done, and then we are up by 5:30 AM, on our way into Bankok!!!! We traversed the city (home to over 12million) by Taxi and Train, and got our Visas for Myanmar, where we will be travelling next week. So right now, we have had a 2 hour sleep and a 3 hour sleep in the last 3 days, so it's nap time! God bless you all!! :)

An Update on Whats Next!

Trek Orientation and Training is nearly complete! With only a few more days on Canadian soil, I'm looking back and seeing what a great time it's been. We have had the privilage of sitting under the teaching and wisdom of some of the best and brightest of the MB conference, and have been filled with new information, knowledge, tools and skills for building the Kingdom. We've also learned how much we need the Spirit, and how nothing we do makes a difference unless God's hand is in it! We've been preparing so much... Now we just want to get out there!

Looking forward, I am so excited to step out in faith in Thailand! We've gotten a better picture of what we will be doing, and its pumping us up in a serious way! We're going to be trekking through Burma(Myanmar), travelling through the jungles and mountains of that country telling people about Jesus! We are going to be supporting a Burmese church plant in Thailand, helping to lead (and be led) by our passionate Burmese brothers and sisters! We are going to be working with at-risk Burmese children, teaching them and loving them! We are going to be playing and teaching music, to bless the body of Christ there! And we are going to be immersed in culture as we attend language classes, eat, live, worship, and serve with the Burmese people in Thailand! God is at work, and we get to be a part of it!

The idea that God wants to use us to further His Kingdom is so amazing - sometimes I think that God couldn't possibly use me! He couldn't possibly work through me to change peoples lives! And yet if God is for us who can be against us? What could possibly separate us from the love of God? In his hand, the weakest and most seemingly useless tool becomes a STRONG and POWERFUL agent for redemption and transformation! So don't focus on yourself - be open to be used by God! You don't have to travel accross the globe or change postal codes to make a difference; it can be as simple as stepping out in faith in your own neighborhood. 

We are having a commissioning service at CMU in Winnipeg at 7:00 PM on November the 2nd (Sunday evening) - if you can, come out to hear some cool stories and worship God with us. DO IT! If you can't because of distance, we will be streaming it online!!! www.ustream.tv/channel/trek-send-off-nov-2-2014 will get you in, and you can join us from afar! (I think thats pretty cool)

So pray for us as we step out in faith! We are almost there!

Some thoughts on Discipleship!

This week we were joined in training by Paul Kroeker, who inspired us with his passion for discipleship! I've always been very excited about discipleship, and for me just made me SO EXCITED for our assignment. 

Below I'm going to share some insights that Paul gave us, just because they are SO GOOD, and I hope that Adrienne and I and you guys will be invited to a life of discipleship!

"Discipleship is not Optional for those who want to follow Jesus or claim to be 'Christians'.
Discipleship is not striving to be better/work harder - it gives permission for the Holy Spirit to work. Discipleship is not defined by an academic curriculum; it is not a package of dvd's, or a set of books. Discipleship is not a one-size-fits-all program. The training must be tailored to those involed. Discipleship is not just for professional clergy or those in paid ministry but for every follower of Jesus. Discipleship is not hierarchical; it is not a master training a servant, and it is not us and them. Discipleship is not a 'perfect person' working with imperfect people, or thr successful working with the unsuccessful; it is broken people being used by God to heal broken people in the name of Jesus. Discipleship is not 'part-time' nor simply an enrichment program for self-improvement; it is for every follower of Jesus, every-where, all the time and our transformation is always intended to bless others. Discipleship is not a mission trip/one-year program but a long obedience in the same direction, for life. Discipleship may begin as a one-on-one relationship but it continues in the body of Christ, the church."

Keith Phillips: "Ingenious in its simplicity, this was the essence of Christ's plan to reach the world for God. He knew that it could not fail. For true disciples will not only grow in the likeness of their Master; in time, by His Spirit, they will reproduce His life in others."

Bill Hull: "Discipleship is not one of the things the Church does, it is THE thing the Church does!"

Discipleship is not just something we do and then stop doing, it has to be what we are about! Jesus spent His ministry years with a group of 12 men, rather then taking every opportunity to speak to the masses, He chose to speak to them, because Life-on-life mentoring and discipleship is where life change is. 

In the non-North-American church, in many discipleship training programs, you graduate once you've planted your own church. Then, once you've planted 4 or 5, you start a discipleship training program of your own! WOW that hit me! The 5 prayers most common there are: Let us be faithful and endure, let our blood not be wasted, let others join us, let God be glorified, and let the global church stand with us. Not for health, or safety, or comfort, but for boldness and endurance to stay the course and continue multiplying people who love JESUS!! I pray that we be able to experience that too. 

Evangelism!

Woah it's already been 5 weeks! Time flies when you are having fun! It's hard to believe that we will be in Thailand in under a month, but it's the truth. Thanks to all of you reading this for supporting us and praying for us - we definitely can't do this without you!

This week of training, we focused a lot on evangelism. Now, I know for some of us (me included) that word can be crazy scary! Like, is it just attacking people on the street and yelling at them about Jesus? I had always wondered if evangelism could be accomplished without being offensive. Well, I've learned two things. One, evangelism is so many things - it is building relationships with people, telling them about Jesus, living life with them, and being who Jesus wanted us to be in the world; salt and light. It can be accomplished in many ways - through relationships, discipleship, proclaiming the gospel, social justice, and so much more.  Two, unfortunately the gospel is offensive! We are telling people, basically, that it isn't all about them! WHAT? It's not all about me? Truth. With Jesus as our Lord, our lives are lived for His glory, not our own. That means being humble, and not seeking to build our kingdom, but HIS. Evangelism is telling people in a dying world that they need Jesus; that there is a remedy for their sickness, a purpose for their existence, and a God who at the same time is the creator of the universe, and close enough to touch. It isn't telling people how bad they are compared to you, because we are all the same; It's like one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. If we look at it in those terms... we realize that there is a time limit on our evangelism. People are dying every day without Jesus - some without ever hearing His name. Can we sit by and accumulate wealth on earth, while we are going bankrupt spiritually? It's a lot to think about! It has made me re-think what evangelism means to me. I've also been just realizing more and more how much we need the Holy Spirit in us. We can't do anything apart from it! We are the hands and feet, but the Spirit is the one who saves people. 

Here is a short video from this week. (here's the link, if the video doesn't work)

http://vimeo.com/108612845

Also this week, we got the privilege of delivering sermons that we had prepared, under the ever-wise eye of Elton DeSilva, the MB conference pastor. It was a great growing experience for all of us! I spoke on the relationship between Faith and Works found in James 2, and Adrienne spoke on 1 Corinthians 1:26-2:5, about the need for us to be weak for God's strength to work in us. 

Adrienne rocking her sermon!

God bless you all, and Happy Thanksgiving!

- Jeremy

House Blend!

So for most of the month of October, we are staying at a SWEET place called house blend ministries! It's in Winnipeg, and it is a rooming house that offers low rates so that people at risk of homelessness can have a safe, chill and awesome place to live!! It's also a house church plant of the MB conference - they meet for a potluck and church every Tuesday at 7! Our housemates are super cool people, and we've had a great time getting to know them in between all our classes and busyness. It's our home for the month!

House Blend!

 Also, we have the privilege of having an amazing camera for our TREK journey, courtesy of our friend Aleida Riedstra! Hopefully we'll be able to bring you lots of cool pictures, thanks to her!

These pics are from our back lane! :)