after about 28 hours of traveling, christianne and i made it home safely to lax! we are doing well, and we had a very safe, peaceful trip back home. thank you all for praying for us! continue to lift up thailand, baan immanuel, and ron miller. we will continue to post pictures and ways to pray as this next week goes on, so please continue to check out the blog! we love you all!!
<3beth
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
holidays
well, as we've said before, the kids were on a holiday for the past three days. we finally came to a close on the last one. two days ago we went to a dam with the younger kids. the first thing i did when i got out of the truck was slip onto my back into the water :) i now have a nice bruise to prove it. christianne also shared in my afflictions and now has a couple good bruises to prove it as well. over all, however, it was a lot of fun :) yesterday we took the kids to the zoo...it was much different than santa barbara's...first of all, it was free! this seemed really strange to me, considering almost everything here is an attempt to make money. second...the animals were very very close...the kids loved it though. their favorite(and mine) were the ostriches. God has such a creative imagination!
it has been interesting that this entire trip a very large portion of our time talking with ron and praying (at least for me personally) has been about prostitution. it's so bad. and more and more the Lord keeps on putting situations in our midst that confront us with it's evil. the Lord has really shown me that while yes, there is obviously a very real physically dimension to this problem, the root is spiritual. we fight not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. this is more than a struggle of earthly justice; it is a fight against demonic forces that have ruled in this land for centuries. there is so much "social justice" being done in thailand to try to stop the trade of children and trafficking of women into prostitution. but to what avail? it's like trying to stick a bandaid on a gunshot wound; yes, it may cover the puncture, but the wound goes so much deeper than the surface. i was reminded of the partnership between evangelism and social justice when thinking about this. just as faith without works is useless, so works without faith is useless. to see Jesus glorified in thailand, we must work and fight with Him against the evils in the physical and spiritual realm. we must take hold of the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, and not only love in word or tongue but in deed and truth. prayer not only changes things, it prompts our hearts into action. it truly is the time to live for our Savior. He is more than worthy.
isaiah 1:16-17
love you guys. keep us in your prayers; we both have been experiencing sickness for the past couple days..headaches, stomachaches, bodyaches(this mostly just from slipping around in the dam...). pray that we would finish strong and walk in the good works God has placed before us daily!
<3beth
it has been interesting that this entire trip a very large portion of our time talking with ron and praying (at least for me personally) has been about prostitution. it's so bad. and more and more the Lord keeps on putting situations in our midst that confront us with it's evil. the Lord has really shown me that while yes, there is obviously a very real physically dimension to this problem, the root is spiritual. we fight not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. this is more than a struggle of earthly justice; it is a fight against demonic forces that have ruled in this land for centuries. there is so much "social justice" being done in thailand to try to stop the trade of children and trafficking of women into prostitution. but to what avail? it's like trying to stick a bandaid on a gunshot wound; yes, it may cover the puncture, but the wound goes so much deeper than the surface. i was reminded of the partnership between evangelism and social justice when thinking about this. just as faith without works is useless, so works without faith is useless. to see Jesus glorified in thailand, we must work and fight with Him against the evils in the physical and spiritual realm. we must take hold of the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, and not only love in word or tongue but in deed and truth. prayer not only changes things, it prompts our hearts into action. it truly is the time to live for our Savior. He is more than worthy.
wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
isaiah 1:16-17
love you guys. keep us in your prayers; we both have been experiencing sickness for the past couple days..headaches, stomachaches, bodyaches(this mostly just from slipping around in the dam...). pray that we would finish strong and walk in the good works God has placed before us daily!
<3beth
Monday, July 6, 2009
update
hello all :)
so sunday(your saturday) we headed to a hmong village to do an outreach. they did their first outreach there 17 years ago, and since then the church has grown and stood strong. it was really sweet to see the change in christian villagers compared to unbelievers. normally, hmong men and women are very cold towards one another in marriage, and it is very VERY uncommon to see a man be affectionate in any way. however, the men at this church were being affectionate with their children and some even with their wives. it was very sweet to watch. there are so many needs, guys. so many children that are malnourished. so much demonic baggage and strongholds. the Lord has done a neat work within the villages, but it is still a target for a lot of oppression. ron told us with a heavy heart that many children that he has watched grow up in the villages over the years will one day not be there, and when asked about their whereabouts, the parents will reply that they are "working" in bangkok. they are tricked into thinking it's a factory or restaurant business, but in reality it is slave labor, either in prostitution or hard labor. these are 7 year olds, 10 year olds, 12 year olds. babies. and their bodies are used for the profit of many twisted people here in thailand. there are thousands of girls and boys, no different from the kids you've seen at baan immanuel, being used as prostitutes in thailand. this is something that has always been near to my heart, but even more the Lord has been really breaking me over this. it is so easy to become apathetic as an american, where a lot of the world's pain is far away and easy to ignore. but the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for ALL who call upon Him. even a marginalized prostitute in Thailand. the Lord has so much more for their lives. we need to stop being so focused on ourselves and realize God placed us here for a purpose, and that is to give Him glory. i need to.
please be praying also for the pastors in the villages. a lot of them are struggling financially, and are dealing with a tremendous amount of physical and spirtual needs. and they are an open target for the enemy, who hates all that God does here. but the Lord has the victory; pray for physical and spiritual protection, and that they would be able to trust in hebrews 13:5-6 and rest upon the fact that God knows they have needs, and all they need to do is seek first His kingdom and righteousness and everything else will be added unto them. pray for ron that he would have wisdom in who to support.
the kids have a holiday for the next three days, so keep in prayer our time spent together. we bought some balls to play games tonight so pray that it would be a fruitful time of fellowship, and the Holy Spirit would be in control.
thank you all for praying for us, we are so blessed to know that we are being lifted up by so many people. we love you and will update you again soon!!
to Him be the glory, forever and ever, amen.
<3beth
so sunday(your saturday) we headed to a hmong village to do an outreach. they did their first outreach there 17 years ago, and since then the church has grown and stood strong. it was really sweet to see the change in christian villagers compared to unbelievers. normally, hmong men and women are very cold towards one another in marriage, and it is very VERY uncommon to see a man be affectionate in any way. however, the men at this church were being affectionate with their children and some even with their wives. it was very sweet to watch. there are so many needs, guys. so many children that are malnourished. so much demonic baggage and strongholds. the Lord has done a neat work within the villages, but it is still a target for a lot of oppression. ron told us with a heavy heart that many children that he has watched grow up in the villages over the years will one day not be there, and when asked about their whereabouts, the parents will reply that they are "working" in bangkok. they are tricked into thinking it's a factory or restaurant business, but in reality it is slave labor, either in prostitution or hard labor. these are 7 year olds, 10 year olds, 12 year olds. babies. and their bodies are used for the profit of many twisted people here in thailand. there are thousands of girls and boys, no different from the kids you've seen at baan immanuel, being used as prostitutes in thailand. this is something that has always been near to my heart, but even more the Lord has been really breaking me over this. it is so easy to become apathetic as an american, where a lot of the world's pain is far away and easy to ignore. but the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for ALL who call upon Him. even a marginalized prostitute in Thailand. the Lord has so much more for their lives. we need to stop being so focused on ourselves and realize God placed us here for a purpose, and that is to give Him glory. i need to.
please be praying also for the pastors in the villages. a lot of them are struggling financially, and are dealing with a tremendous amount of physical and spirtual needs. and they are an open target for the enemy, who hates all that God does here. but the Lord has the victory; pray for physical and spiritual protection, and that they would be able to trust in hebrews 13:5-6 and rest upon the fact that God knows they have needs, and all they need to do is seek first His kingdom and righteousness and everything else will be added unto them. pray for ron that he would have wisdom in who to support.
the kids have a holiday for the next three days, so keep in prayer our time spent together. we bought some balls to play games tonight so pray that it would be a fruitful time of fellowship, and the Holy Spirit would be in control.
thank you all for praying for us, we are so blessed to know that we are being lifted up by so many people. we love you and will update you again soon!!
to Him be the glory, forever and ever, amen.
<3beth
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Rice Fields :)
Sawadeeka (hello)
Me and Bethany borrowed a motocycle this afternoon and went to the rice fields..i stopped by the market to pick up some rubber field boots for myself too....they are kind of like rubber boots but they feel like long stretchy plastic socks..
The rice field workers loved that i took their pictures.. they kept saying Thank you thank you!!! it was funny.
Bethany didn't care to go in but she did get some funny pictures of me trying to wade through the mud. :)
thought yall would enjoy!
Me and Bethany borrowed a motocycle this afternoon and went to the rice fields..i stopped by the market to pick up some rubber field boots for myself too....they are kind of like rubber boots but they feel like long stretchy plastic socks..
The rice field workers loved that i took their pictures.. they kept saying Thank you thank you!!! it was funny.
Bethany didn't care to go in but she did get some funny pictures of me trying to wade through the mud. :)
thought yall would enjoy!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Morning Meditation: Trust Fall.
Joshua1:5-9
5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Be Strong and very Courageous, and be careful to obey all the laws Moses gave you.
These were the two things that would ultimately give the Israelites success for their Promise land. I personally see the world very black and white and also have much difficulty multi-tasking. Quite literally..I cannot walk and text-message at the same time. So when I read a text like this it causes me to think about it differently because God is giving them two very different callings in both orders... Be Strong and Courageous is written in a very physical sense here, while obeying the laws is about the inner person.
The thing is God calls us as believers to trust and believe his word. If you trusted in a chairs stability you wouldn’t be opposed to sitting in it but often we believe in God’s calling but lack the trust to act accordingly... There is a disconnect because we like to believe its ok just to believe and not trust!!!
You see here in the text God calls the Israelites to be Strong and very Courageous in a physical sense, to be prepared to physically walk out the commands he gives them. He tells them, “Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God WILL be WITH you wherever you go.”
Sooo what does that mean exactly?
The text tells us right underneath the calling to be Strong and very Courageous, to be careful to obey all the law Moses had given them, and not to turn from it to the right or to the left, THAT you may be successful WHEREVER you go. God gave them the law so that they could remain in His will for their life, wherever they went in His will. Earlier in Numbers 33:vs 50-56 giving them the Commandments and telling them to destroy the inhabitants of the land because of their disobedience. He ends with,
vs.55 'But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56 And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.' "
Your probably thinking..geez thats harsh but we have a way of strangling ourselves in sin. Sin leads to death. God did not want death for His people, He wanted life. In the same way He allowed the earlier generation of Israelites to die in the Desert because they would not trust in Him. God wanted to raise up His people to know and trust Him. So 40 years passed and a new generation who had been raised seeking and asking of the Lord entered in.
So God gave the Israelites Two points to lead them and continue leading them into to His will for their lives.. Physically proclaim your Trust in me, and also Mentally believe in me.
We also are called to believe in God and trust Him to walk out in faith what he has called us. It is not His will for us to believe and remain unchanged. I believe if you truly believe in the existence of something you would have no problem staking ones life on it. This is where our problem lies.
Love yall,
-C
5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Be Strong and very Courageous, and be careful to obey all the laws Moses gave you.
These were the two things that would ultimately give the Israelites success for their Promise land. I personally see the world very black and white and also have much difficulty multi-tasking. Quite literally..I cannot walk and text-message at the same time. So when I read a text like this it causes me to think about it differently because God is giving them two very different callings in both orders... Be Strong and Courageous is written in a very physical sense here, while obeying the laws is about the inner person.
The thing is God calls us as believers to trust and believe his word. If you trusted in a chairs stability you wouldn’t be opposed to sitting in it but often we believe in God’s calling but lack the trust to act accordingly... There is a disconnect because we like to believe its ok just to believe and not trust!!!
You see here in the text God calls the Israelites to be Strong and very Courageous in a physical sense, to be prepared to physically walk out the commands he gives them. He tells them, “Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God WILL be WITH you wherever you go.”
Sooo what does that mean exactly?
The text tells us right underneath the calling to be Strong and very Courageous, to be careful to obey all the law Moses had given them, and not to turn from it to the right or to the left, THAT you may be successful WHEREVER you go. God gave them the law so that they could remain in His will for their life, wherever they went in His will. Earlier in Numbers 33:vs 50-56 giving them the Commandments and telling them to destroy the inhabitants of the land because of their disobedience. He ends with,
vs.55 'But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56 And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.' "
Your probably thinking..geez thats harsh but we have a way of strangling ourselves in sin. Sin leads to death. God did not want death for His people, He wanted life. In the same way He allowed the earlier generation of Israelites to die in the Desert because they would not trust in Him. God wanted to raise up His people to know and trust Him. So 40 years passed and a new generation who had been raised seeking and asking of the Lord entered in.
So God gave the Israelites Two points to lead them and continue leading them into to His will for their lives.. Physically proclaim your Trust in me, and also Mentally believe in me.
We also are called to believe in God and trust Him to walk out in faith what he has called us. It is not His will for us to believe and remain unchanged. I believe if you truly believe in the existence of something you would have no problem staking ones life on it. This is where our problem lies.
Love yall,
-C
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
sawadee ka
it's been raining the past few days....today the sun is finally shining through:) pray that the real Son would shine through. thailand is covered in a spiritual fog, a cloud that restrains people from experiencing the reality of Jesus Christ. only God can clear the storm, and only He can truly reveal himself to thailand.
we have had a very mellow last three days, and it has given us a lot of time to reflect on what God has been speaking to us and listening to Him even more. we had a sweet time of prayer this morning. God really is faithful, and i believe He is starting a new work in Thailand. "the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." praise God that He is the God of new beginnings. pray for a new beginning in Thailand. that all works of flesh would burn away, and the Holy Spirit would have full control of what begins.
we are going to go help teach english to the staff right now, so i have to be brief, but thank you for checking up on us:) we feel your prayers. pray for continued strength, endurance, and importunity in prayer. may God's kingdom come!
<3beth
we have had a very mellow last three days, and it has given us a lot of time to reflect on what God has been speaking to us and listening to Him even more. we had a sweet time of prayer this morning. God really is faithful, and i believe He is starting a new work in Thailand. "the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." praise God that He is the God of new beginnings. pray for a new beginning in Thailand. that all works of flesh would burn away, and the Holy Spirit would have full control of what begins.
we are going to go help teach english to the staff right now, so i have to be brief, but thank you for checking up on us:) we feel your prayers. pray for continued strength, endurance, and importunity in prayer. may God's kingdom come!
<3beth
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