Make the Most of Every Opportunity!

Hey everyone!

So this last month we've continued to teach tons of music and tons of English! And it seems like we have more people coming every week! Praise God! The church here truly is a family - they meet together every day, share meals together, worship together, pray for one another, laugh together, share testimonies of God at work, and just live life as a community. No wonder the church is so attractive, and more people keep showing up. The love of Christ, and their love for another is bringing people in!

This last month I've also started exercising early in the morning with Mary and Moe (the wonderful church-planting interns in Bang Sai). There's this beautiful park at the end of our street, right by the ocean, complete with walking paths, and outdoor exercise equipment! So a few mornings a week we head out there to work out. After we finish, we've been heading to the pier, to do our stretches and to pray for the community. This pier is also where tons of B*rmese people work on the many fishing boats. So as we stretch and pray, we've also had the chance to meet tons of new B*rmese people. Mary and Moe never hesitate to invite them to church, English classes, or evening bible studies! Morning exercises have turned into such an amazing chance to share the gospel and build relationships! God continues to teach and remind me to make the most of every opportunity!

So at our evening bible study that next week, tons of the people we had met at the pier showed up! That night our bible study was on John 3:16, and Pastor Moe Aung (the pastor of the Lighthouse church in Chachoengsao) shared the gospel with everyone there! And more and more people would walk by the house we were in, stop to look in the window for a while, and then come in and join us. Normally we have about 7 or 8 people, but that night we had about 15! 

That night one of the men that showed up also accepted Christ!! And since then, he's been faithfully coming to church every Sunday! Continue to pray for him, as well as the other men that have been coming - that their hearts would be open to the gospel, and that they would experience the love and power of Christ.

This last Monday, we also had the opportunity to go to Bo Thong for the day. Bo Thong is where Sue and Htoo are now living and serving, so it was great to visit them for a day, and serve together with them again. Bo Thong is a small community made up mostly of migrant workers from B*rma, and other neighbouring countries. There's tons of factories in the area, and most people work extremely long hours with tons of overtime. It's awesome that so many of them have consistent jobs, but it poses a bit of a challenge for the church-planters and interns. Since people work late into the night, it's been difficult to have any bible studies, or to teach any music. Basically the church has only been meeting on Sundays, and even then lots of people have work.

But, this last week God really opened up a new opportunity. Quite a few people from the church decided not to work overtime on Monday, so that they could come learn guitar, piano, and drums. So that evening for almost three hours Jeremy and I, together with Pastor Isaiah and Vi Jay, taught tons of music! And as people heard what was going on, slowly more people trickled in - even some people that had never attended church before! After teaching, we ate together and excitedly talked about how God was opening a new door in Bo Thong! We're hoping to keep going out there on Mondays, to both teach music, and start a Monday evening worship night and bible study. Pastor Isaiah was really excited at the opportunities to go in and share the gospel! So, continue to pray for Sue and Htoo, and the community of Bo Thong. Right now the church is fairly small, but I know that God is going to continue to draw in new people and transform that community!

Thanks so much for all your prayers and notes of encouragement! Please continue to pray for the churches here (in Chachoengsao, Bang Sai, and Bo Thong), and the leaders and interns that we serve with! 

God bless!

Transition, Sacrifice, and God's GOODNESS!

So this last couple of weeks has been a time of serious transition! Sue and Htoo have moved to Bo Thong, and Mary has moved into the Bang Sai church! With Mary came a wonderful woman named Moe, who recently got inspired to leave her job and dive into the life of a ministry intern with her whole heart! 

They are seriously awesome, and Adrienne has connected with them a lot! Both of them have been Christians for under 2 years, and now God is using and guiding them as they help lead a church plant!!! 

As I see the committment of the believers here, it makes me think of the idea of sacrifice. My camp director from back home, Ryan Wiesner, always says that sacrifice isn't sacrifice unless it costs you something - and these people understand that! Sue and Htoo, faced with moving to a new town, uprooting their family from their home of 2 years, and moving with a new baby to a small town and a new church simply smiled and said "We are moving to Bo Thong". No questions asked, totally trusting God's goodness to see them through! Mary moved to a church she has never been a part of, and Moe gave up her work and moved from B*rma here to work with the ministry! Sacrifice. These amazing people understand the importance of sacrifice. Louise has said to us that as we give what God has given to us, as we give it up and bless people around us, God will just keep giving us more and more and more until we have much more than we started with! 

I think it's a question of treasure - where are we storing up treasures for ourselves? On this earth, in houses and cars and toys and bank accounts? Or are we storing up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves don't break in and steal, and where our actions and words in this life contribute to a crown of RIGHTIOUSNESS, and the great words: "Well done, my good and faithful servant!".

As we sacrifice things, and give of ourselves, and palce God's plans higher than our own, we see His Kingdom coming on this earth! If all the pastors and interns here were all about comfort and living easy lives, you can bet that not a single one of them would be serving the Lord with reckless abandon like they are doing right now! It's inspiring.

The result of transition is often sacrifice... and this sacrifice is already being covered by God's goodness! In Bo Thong, Sue and Htoo have gotten a place just a few doors down from the church, and the church is growing! Instead of only being open on Sunday morning or when one of the pastors can make the long drive out to hold a bible study, they have a capable and passionate couple living right there! Bible studies all the time, hospitality, and a church building that is really taking shape! We were out there last week, just as the believers were finishing building a stage for it, and we got to help hang the new cross! Everyone was so pumped - The church in Bo Thong is growing! (And it even has a drum set now!!!!!!)

In Bang Sai, Mary and Moe have become the perfect fit. Even though Sue and Htoo are gone, and we miss them greatly, people are still getting saved in Bang Sai! There are bible studies almost every night, music practices, church services, and the believers gathering just to hang out and fellowship. After long hours of work, the believers sacrifice the only free time they have to come to the church faithfully every day, to hear from the word, to grow in their faith, and to just be together as the church. These fishermen and labourers are the richest people that we know - they are committed wholeheartedly to Jesus Christ. 

As we learn more of the language, we get glimpses into the deep truth that they are learning every day - their understanding and wisdom in the Lord is growing! Every time we meet everyone shares testimonies of what God is doing in their lives and what he is teaching them. It's amazing to see guys who have been saved 2 months speaking deep words and realizing that they need to sacrifice things in their lives that don't bring them closer to God. 

When we give of ourselves, out of our own strength, we get tired, and we crash. Not only that, but we get cranky, and we feel entitled to feeling sorry for ourselves, to complaining, and to reminding people how much we do for Jesus. But, when we give out of the limitless strength of Christ, there is no end to what can be accomplished! When we realize that HE is the one with all the power, that HIS kingdom is what we are building, not our own kingdoms, and that HIS name is the one that people need to know about, everything changes. Serving here is amazing... it opens our eyes every day to how great God is, and how good He is, and how little we could ever hope to accomplish on our own. God is good!

I hope that you guys enjoy reading what we write! Let us know if there's anything you want to hear about, or are curious about, or want to hear more of! I hope that you are just getting pumped up to serve God where you are, in your daily routine! I hope that sacrifice goes from being a scary word in our vocabularies to one that reminds of of God's plan, and His goodness to us. 

We love you all! Thank you so much for your prayers!