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!