After Again

Before and After

Christmas Pics...

This is just funny.....

An Open Letter of Apology to All My Teachers

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to all my teachers over the years who had to grade papers and decipher my handwriting. As I assisted my wife in grading some second grade work, I could only imagine the struggle my teachers had as they tried to interpret that scribble.

Oops, Apparently I Still Have A Blog

So much has happened since May and I have failed to document any of it. I guess my sabbatical is over now. Or my next one is just about to begin.

Stay tuned pictures may even show up interspersed to highlight the events of the last few months.

So there was June. I don't think anything real eventful happened there.

Followed by July. Now that month sticks out a little. I had July 4th off this year, so I got to participate in the whole holiday. From the morning parade watching, afternoon cookout to fireworks. What a blast! Then a few days later, I jumped off a diving board with a rather spectacular old man dive and dislocated my shoulder. Again. This lead to a month-ish of wearing the sling. Again. And a month-ish of physical therapy. Again. Gotta be more careful with my left wing. It wants to fly free a little too much.
Then down to New Braunfels to vacation at the House of Partain. Lovely accommodations and hosts. Had lots of one armed fun, hiking the Natural Bridge Caverns, trying to kinda tube and spending a whole day at Sea World.

August brought a birthday, #34, a job change for Stephanie and 2nd grade for Josh.

September Josh turned 8. We added a pup to the house. Sparky, our miniature schnauzer was imported from Oklahoma.

October was Steph's 36th birthday. Hayden got a stick stuck in his knee on the playground, which lead to a month-long infection and multiple visits with doc's, nurses and other medical personnel. He is one tough cookie, pulled the stick out, kept playing and toughed out what had to be a heaping dose of pain as he went through the multiple diagnoses' and treatments. Steph fell walking up the steps while walking the dog. Scrapes, bruises and abrasions abound. Our insurance compnay is not making money on us this year.

And yesterday at horse lessons, Josh fell off his horse for the first time while loping. Fell isn't quite the right word as he was flung into the fence panel by his loping horse. He is a little sore today, but he is becoming more tough as he goes along. Of course he had to get back on and ride for a little while to make sure he can face this hurdle. Of course horseback riding isn't safe. Neither is riding a bike, climbing trees, swimming or playing most sports, but we allow our kids to find out about themselves and what they are made of by pushing the limits. I continue to be amazed by him and what he is turning out to be made of.

I have taught him a quote I ran across and he is learning to live it.

“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior
takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything either as
a blessing or a curse”

Carlos Casteneda

Dad: Views From the Saddle

We had a couple of days worth of riding lessons this week and I'm still trying to decide what I'm enjoying more: the riding or watching my son grow right in front of me.

Nah, that's easy.

While the riding is fun, or a complete blast actually, the opportunity to see my 7 year old working hard at something is thrilling.

Last week he had the opportunity to upgrade horses, to move from the older, gentler, lesson horse to Sally. My own experience with Sally is that she was fun to ride, responsive to commands but willing to test the limits of the rider. She wants to know who is in charge: you or her.

The first time he got on, I thought "the kids gonna work today."

And he did.

By the end of the session as we were riding home during what always seems like discussion time, he said he sure wanted his former horse back, since he didn't trot as fast. As a dutiful dad, I let him know that if he wanted to ride horses that go faster and were tougher to ride, he needed to take the opportunity to do it when he had it.

Boy I sound like a dad.

There was more dad talk about how he was growing as a rider and that he didn't need the easiest horse and all that.

As we arrive for our next lesson, the older horse is tied to the bar waiting for us. I thought this was his perfect opportunity to just take what came his way.

Nope.

He spoke right up and wanted to know why he wasn't riding Sally this time and that he'd been looking forward to riding her all week.

That was news to me, by the way.

My inner dad puffed up as I saw my son choose the more difficult path.

He had lots to learn over the course of that lesson. He had to correct and demonstrate more than once that he was in charge. I kept waiting for the whining to begin that he was bored or this was too hard. He did great, and not just with me, but with the horse. He stayed calm and took her through the lesson just fine.

That night as I was putting a worn out kid to bed, he said he'd had fun riding her, but that he was too tired for the lesson scheduled for the next day.

Yeah right.

He went right back out and did it again. Sure we were sore and tired after back to back days riding more challenging horses, but we loved it.

When I began this there were a variety of thought going through my head about childhood dreams, opportunities to grow even further out of my box, fun with my son, but I never imagined that after a few months of this I'd see this much change in him. He is still better at this than I am. At this point, if I can trot and stay put in the saddle, I chalk that up as a victory. He is ready to go faster and do more.

He is living out his dream as a cowboy every Thursday or so, and I am living out my dream as a dad.

Missions Seminar

We attended a seminar designed to help candidates for international mission service understand some of the job duties and life changes. It was an awesome experience. After a long day at work, I headed over and sat down to hear how God may choose to use us. Wow!! There is so much going on around the world in the area of reaching lost people that we as busy Americans never stop to find out about.

In the past we may have tried to duplicate what we have here and what seems familiar to Americans involving programs and structures. Now the emphasis is on being strategic about reaching a particular people group in a way that allows that people group to own the task of reaching itself. The role of the missionary is to lead them to Christ and allow Christ to draw them to him and reach more.

Alright, I know this is too much detail and may not even make sense, but suffice it to say that we are even more excited about what God is doing and how we hope that He involves us in it.

It is an awesome thing that God is at work and wants us to have a part as His hands, feet and mouthpiece.

Meet Sally

This is Sally. I have joined Josh in taking horse riding lessons. My inner 7 year old is overjoyed at this, but my outer 33 year old knows the pain required to learn this new hobby. Sally is a 6 year old who enjoys taking off when I'd rather her walk. She has a slight aversion to going where I intend. Let me say that I am loving it. From cleaning hooves to saddling up, this is as cool as I ever imagined it could be. The first lesson, I made some errors that Josh was quick to point out on the way home. Getting critiqued by my 7 year old was a new, fun experience. He is loving being better at something that his dad.


I long ago gave up the idea of horse riding as a child, but have found out that it isn't too late to try that childhood fantasy after all. I will be able to check this off the "Wish I'd Done List."

Check out http://www.ridingpals.com/ for more info on horse lessons.

A Day at the Stables

Josh cleaning out Captain's hoofs.

Josh riding Captain around the ring.

Hayden brushing Nibbles.

Happy New Year!!

As 2008 dawns anew, I ponder all the possibilities this year holds. I have spent the last week thinking over 2007 and all that happened in our lives.
The biggest obviously started with our mission trip to Thailand and the path that has begun for us towards missions.
The next biggest has been our journey to get out of debt. We have been living on the Dave Ramsey plan for a little over a year. We are now down to just our car. We have learned more about each other through this than anything else we've been through.
This has been a year of blessings and opportunities and we expect 2008 to be more of the same. We are so thankful for all that God has done in us, with us and through us.

Dozenth Anniversary

Yesterday was our Dozenth Anniversary. It is difficult to believe that we have been married 12 years. Just like it is hard to believe that we have a 7 year old and have been out of college for more than 10 years.

Guess the evidence is mounting.

When I was young and thought that I knew everything, I never believed that marriage would really get better as we went along. The ups and downs have provided the opportunities to trust and know each other in ways those 2 kids 12 years ago could have never imagined possible.

As we contine on this journey to wherever God leads, I am blessed to be on it with Stephanie. Thank you for 12 years of life.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they
may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Hanging Ornaments

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanks be to God for all that He has provided.

Reliving Memories

We were asked to answer some questions for an article about our trip and this came to mind...

There was delicious Thai food, great friends, fun adventures, new smells, an amazing variety of exhausts from a never ending source of vehicles, breakfast with our team, 18 hours of flying, shopping in many different forms, living on the edge in a tuk-tuk, riding elephants, letting an elephant lift me with his trunk, eating the hottest food I’ve ever tasted, letting go of my everyday responsibilities and listening to God as He spoke, worshipping without a clock, seeing amazing ministries strive to change lives in tough circumstances, meeting people who quit their jobs to volunteer 6 months and serve the Lord giving Bibles to Chinese people, surviving Thai traffic, ice cream as the in flight snack on Japan Airlines, meeting a guy who trains Thai boxers to beat each other up so that he can share Christ with them, getting to know the people in our group better, seeing God answer prayer, being humbled by the generosity of those living in the slums buying us sodas, the whole ducks hanging in the food court, weary but excited by all that was going on, Swenson’s Ice Cream, running through the Tokyo airport, seeing the boys at the airport, bottled water, soda with a straw, iced tea in a bag, praying for the people receiving Bibles to turn to Christ for salvation, and so much more.

Here Am I. Send Me!

We have submitted our applications to serve full time. This is a long, thoughtful process. Please pray for us as we consider everything involved in this. We will try to share as we are able to in a public way what God has been doing in us.

Our trip to Thailand and seeing what God is doing around the world has had a profound impact on us. I found a list of seven reasons not to go on a short term mission trip. Pay attention to #7.

1. It will distort your perception of the world! Seeing it through the plastic lenses of our society is sufficient. They may be distorted, but you are used to them! Don't needlessly mess yourself up.
2. You could get sick or robbed! It's dangerous out there! Some places have a crime rate almost as high as our inner cities.
3. It will make you harder to live with! The way you view life and even your likes and dislikes are liable to change. Your friends and family probably won't understand or appreciate your sudden changes.
4. Afterwards you will feel awkward at some of the jokes and comments you currently enjoy. They will not seem as funny when you have seen life from the other side.
5. You will experience sadness you haven't felt before. After you see real
suffering, you won't pay much attention to your complaining about how hard you've got it. You are even liable to feel guilty and uncomfortable about the nice things in your house and the food on your table. Stay home and stay comfortable!
6. You might lead someone to the Lord. I know that is a laudable goal, but it tends to cause excitement and further interest in Christian Service.
7. You could feel a pull towards going overseas again--for the adventure, of course. The problem is that you could slowly, subtly get sucked into thinking about being a missionary!
My advice? Stay home and stay comfortable! It is too late for me - but
there is still hope for you! So keep praying for both me and yourself!

The list made me laugh, but it is quite on target as well. There is a whole world of hungry people who need the Lord.

Isaiah 6:8 (New International Version)
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Pray for Burma's Government

Pray for the Generals leading the Burmese government....

This country needs prayer as they are going through these struggles. Continue to pray for the Christians that are living there as they follow Christ. As Americans, our first thought is always about democracy, but as Christians our thoughts head towards Kingdom work. Christ works through all circumstances to draw lost people to himself. This is no different.

It seems that we get caught up in the human drama of events and overlook the mission of Christ working through us. It is sometimes a struggle for me to see how God is working in a situation. I pray that God would open my eyes to the work He is carrying out all around us. I pray that God would move me to join Him in His work.

Pray for Burma

As there is unrest in Burma, or as the rest of the world knows it, Myanmar, we need to be praying for the Christians there as they are seeking to spread the Good News.

Buddhist Monks are demonstrating for human rights....

Political change can make it more difficult to spread the word of God even as it seems that democracy is on the move. God has been at work in this country and we pray that through all this, people will seek Him.

Prayer Works as the Work Goes On

The missions team in Thailand is planning a presentation with the management team at a resort in the area to allow Bible distributions. There are many Chinese tourists who visit this resort and it would be a great opportunity to share God's Word with them. Please pray for the team as they make the presentations and build relationships that will allow doors to open to the sharing of God's Word.

It has been a few weeks since we got back from our trip. It seems so much longer as we have gotten busy with our work and school starting up. I have had lots of time to reflect on all that we got to be a part of. It amazes me how God used us during that time. I have learned to rely on Him in prayer so much more than I ever did before. I have been trying something new since learning about prayer walking. I have been prayer driving on the way to work. Spending my time in prayer during my commute has brought me closer to God on a daily basis and made the drive go much faster. I don't know how I got through without praying regularly before.

Learning as We Go

We learned about some worldwide mission movements while we were in Thailand. It is exciting to learn from missionaries in the field about what is going on around the world. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the activities we are involved in that we lose sight of the big picture that God is painting around the world.

Chinese House Churches Have a Vision

The Back to Jerusalem vision is something that thousands of Chinese Christians are willing to die for. Why? When many people first hear about “Back to Jerusalem” they misinterpret from the name of the movement that the Chinese Church wants to evangelize Jerusalem. The first thing to understand was that ‘Back to Jerusalem’ does not at all mean the Chinese want to rush to Jerusalem with the Gospel. The vision is much larger than that. The BTJ vision is a passion for the house churches of China. We pray about it daily, dream about it, and talk about it over breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Back to Jerusalem vision is not some small trivial matter for us, but the driving force of our lives and ministries. Many feel it is God’s ultimate call and destiny for the Chinese Church, the very reason they exist! Back to Jerusalem is not some kind of end times theory. We have no plans to rush to Israel. Rather, BTJ refers to a call from God for the Chinese Church to preach the Gospel and establish fellowships of believers in all the countries, cities, towns, and ethnic groups between China and Jerusalem. This vision is no small task, for within those nations lay the three largest spiritual strongholds in the world today that have yet to be conquered by the Gospel: the giants of Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

Reaching the World Through the 10/40 Window

The 10/40 Window is an area of the world that contains the largest population of non-Christians in the world. The area extends from 10 degrees to 40 degrees North of the equator, and stretches from North Africa across to China.

There is so much for us to learn about God's work around the world. We have barely scratched the surface. We have seen just enough to know there is a whole bunch more out there.

Learning to be Content

11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

We visited three different slum areas. This was a tough portion of our trip as we were confronted with just how much we have and how much more we want. The saddest part of this was watching the kids and learning that it is virtually impossible for kids born in this situation to ever get out.

We need more people who know the motions to "I'm Trading My Sorrows".

Kevin was very popular as the candy distributor.

Dawn, Kevin and Cade did their best to wear out these kids. A soccer ball soon appeared and it became apparent that kids are kids all around the world.

Lezlie passing out vitamins for the kids in the slums.


It is easy to talk about being content until you are faced with such extreme poverty. The residents of the first slum brought us sodas. As we all calculated the cost to them, we realized the deep sacrifice they had made to give us a gift. There were many moments that day when all the easy answers faded away and we were faced with the difficulties of life.

At the end of the day, we return to the life we know and continue to think of them. The children we met stay with us. Especially one little girl about 5 years old who was in charge of her little brother. He might have been 2 or 3. When he got his candy and didn't bow in thanks, she sharply rebuked him and made sure he got it right.

This trip brought home many realities. People need the salvation of Christ everyday all around the world. People are dying everyday and going to hell, having never even heard of Him. These people we met will live in this situation and conditions everyday. And they need the same Jesus who died for us. The easy answers just fall away.

Finally, A Few Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this is a very wordy post. Hope you enjoy getting to see some views from our trip.

The Partains in a tuk-tuk. These vehicles look so peaceful when they are parked. Kind of like our kids when they are asleep. Just imagine if they let golf carts drive up and down Cooper or Pioneer Parkway.

This altar was outside the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. There were people praying and offering oil and incense there.

This is our group as we began the trip with some sight seeing in Bangkok. We had wonderful tour guides, Nat, a former UTA student and her brother Neil. They lead us on a whirlwind tour of Bangkok. We visited a couple of temples and a large mall. They were fun to be with and gave us some insight into Bangkok and the culture. We were able to learn a little about Buddhism as well as share about what Jesus has done for us. Nat was introduced to the Partains by Roy Yabuki and the International Students Ministry at UTA. It was neat to get to visit her in Bangkok and let her show us around.

I will be working on adding some more pictures soon. Some have to be worked on before we can post them.

We're Back and the Work Goes On

The work goes on in our own lives as well as in Thailand. Another group is there carrying on the work of reaching the Chinese people with the Word of God. It is great to think of all that God accomplished while we were there, but even more awesome to think of all that He is doing week in and week out. To further think that this is only one particular ministry and that there are so many others. I have set up a new email to handle blog questions and such, jodyandsteph@sbcglobal.net. I am going to continue posting info that may be of interest related to our first trip to Thailand as well as future trips. This blog is certainly a work in progress so we'll see where it goes. I have commited to lead a men's team in May 2009. I am even more excited about the next one since we kinda know what we are getting into.

Most of all I want to thank the people who were praying for our team and the work we were doing. God showed me the power and importance of prayer in His work during this trip. Every distribution required that half of our manpower was dedicated to prayer. Some prayer walked the area, some prayed while holding signs informing the Chinese of our gifts for them, some prated for God to restrict the cult members nearby. During one of the heavy distributions, it was very difficult to remain on the side praying, but God showed me that praying wasn't the sideline job.

I said at the top that the work goes on in us and that is certainly exciting to me as I seek to see what God is doing all around me. I am more actively looking for what He would have me doing.

Thanks to everyone who has been interested in this trip and I hope that your interest will continue beyond this trip as well.

The Finish LIne is Beginning to Look Like a Mile Marker

As we are near the end of this trip, we are coming to realize that this is merely a step on the journey that God has for us. We don't know what God has for us as we return. We wish to take with us the lessons that He has taught us here. We gave away a total of 1,860 Bibles during this trip. That number represents over 18,000 people touched once they make their way into China. The Chinese people have a wonderful way of sharing new stuff with friends, co-workers and relatives. We had an awesome night on the pier last night. There was a couple of groups that attacked the boxes of Bibles like a feeding frenzy. They were so hungry for Bibles. God was so amazing. It was such a privelege to be used by Him in this ministry and to see Him at work.
Today we went to a beautiful garden and elephant park. We got to ride elephants, get picked up by elephants with their trunks, take a picture sitting with a tiger, and prayer walk through beautiful gardens that are visited by thousands of Chinese tourists a day. We are joining in prayer that this venue would allow Bibles to be distributed there as well.
We leave tomorrow morning at 4:30 to head to Bangkok for our 8:00 am flight to Japan and then back home. We are quite worn out and excited all at once at what God has done in and through us this week. We are ready to see the boys and tell them all that we have been able to do. We cannot wait to share photos and stories from this trip with anyone who will sit still for a moment. We are already planning our next one for May 2009. Thanks for your continued prayers as we wrap this up. We will see our small group Sunday morning ready to celebrate the Lord and worship with y'all again.

My, That's Hot

Yesterday was my birthday and as such I got to eat at the place of my choice. Stephanie told the missionaries wife that I wanted good Thai food. I ordered pepper curry wild boar. She said it was quite spicy. The waitress double checked that I wanted spicy when I ordered. I was full speed ahead. It was the hottest food that ever crossed my lips. I made a dent in the plate and was full, but there was no stuffing myself. The rice was so soaked in the juices that it felt like needles on my tongue. Robby took a bite of the meat and it hurt his ears. Kevin took two bites of meat and it was ok. He sure was drinking a lot of water. We followed that up wih ice cream cake from Swensons. It was a great birthday in Thailand. I loved the experience. Some on the group felt that I had immersed myself so much into the Thai culture that I needed a Thai nickname. So GangPhet(gang pet) was born. It means spicy soup. Seems fitting.
We spent the morning at a worship service of members of different ministries around the city. It was both in English and in Thai. There was lots of translation going in both directions. It was very interesting to see how people from different faith groups are all working in the same area to reach different people for Christ. The pastor from the slums was there, a trainer working with Thai boxing fighters, which is his secular job, and he tries to minister with them also, a man who goes out into the villages in the jungles to reach people, our project that reaches out to Chinese with the Bible. All different types and faiths of people working to reach people for Jesus in different ways and places. After the service, we toured the Tamar Center. It is a ministry reaching out to prostitutes and bar girls here. They go out into the bars 3 days a week in the morning and order cokes to talk to them. They offer English classes to them as a way to gain interest. They build relationships with the girls as they go. Once a year, they hold a 3 month training course for girls who are ready to leave that life. They train them in spiritual discipline and vocational training. They spend time learning cosmetology and baking. As they are learnign their skills, the center ensures their wages are at least equal to what they have left behind. As they develop their skills, they begin to make their own living. If they show an interest and skill they can go for advanced training to learn more. After they complete the 3 month course, they are welcome to live there as long as they want. Really. They can stay and work in the different shops the center has. There is a card shop where they make beautiful cards. You can see and buy them at www.tamarcards.com to help support them. There is a bakery and coffee shop where they learn both the baking and store selling side of it. There is a salon located in the night market next to the coffee shop where they cut hair. A company called Issan Inspirations has them make silk bed covers and other silk items. They support the ministry as well as give the girls the oppportunity to make a living producing these items. These can be seen at www.iisilk.com. For more info on the Tamar Center, visit www.projlife.com and look under projects for the Tamar Center link. Once I am back home, I will learn how to put the links on the side so that they will easier to find. I think this is a tremendous ministry trying to do an incredibly tough work here. The bar girls and prostitutes don't just work for the nights wages, they are working in the hope that a rich foreign man will take them away from all of this and take care of them. It happens just often enough for them think it could happen to them also.
And we gave out Bibles to another 260 Chinese or so. We had a good night of distributing, however many were returning for dinner on a different dinner boat and said they already had one. I placed myself at the end of the line for one of my shifts of prayer so that I could see them as they went through and after. There were people who held their Bibles up in thankfulness, there was a man who held his up to his tour group and said loudly some Chinese words that included Bible in there somewhere. I saw people clinging to them, hugging them tightly. I saw many who were already beginning to read as they were walking, some nearly run over by the zooming scooter and vehicles nearby. It was so cool to see them so ready for the word.

Another Great Night of Giving Away Bibles

Wow, this never gets old. Another 440 Bibles were given away last to the Chinese tourists. That brings our total to around 1,180 so far. Given that each copy is read by 10 people, we look forward to that being almost 12,000 people reached by the word of God in a couple of days' time. During my shifts to pray during the distribution. I am praying for the people to take the Bibles, but also for the people who will influence their workplaces. For the ones who will start a church in their home. For the parents who will influence their children. For the young people who could become strong for Christ. We met a young man last night whose grandmother and great-grandmother were Christian and feels good about Christianity. He thinks he is close to becoming a Christian also, but he is not ready yet. We prayed for him, that he will take the steps of faith towards Jesus. We had a great first group, during which we gave out over half of our Bibles for last night. Then the rain began. By rain I mean hurricane. We moved 20 boxes of Bibles into a pavilion and re-set up shop. This dampened the distribution a little, but we could still see God at work.
Fun note of the day. Almost the entire group ate meat on sticks from a vendor cart. Even Bill. Pork and chicken were the flavor of our day. In fact we wiped out her supply of pork. Delicious. The meat sticks are great. You choose your sticks and they grill them while you wait.
Today we will worship with Christian ministers from various ministries around town. So fun to meet so many brothers and sisters in Christ. We will have another distribution tonight. Please pray for dry weather. Please pray for the efforts of our group as we are growing in Chinese and in boldness. Pray that God will use us to reach the people he desires to bring to himself.

We are so Blessed

We went to minister to some people living in slums today around the city. We went with a pastor who has a church that is working with them. We went to three different areas and sang songs with them, shared testimonies about our salvation and what God has done in our lives, and passed out food packets. We sang some songs that they were familiar with, so we had a mixed English/ Thai choir going. The Pastor translated the testimonies for them. The people were very thankful and outgoing. We enjoyed our time with them. There was a mixture of both believers and non-believers in each group. We had an opportunity to pray with them. We also were there as a man gave his life to Christ and became a new brother. Very exciting.
Now to the obvious, the poverty level was quite extreme. It caused me to feel grateful for anything that God has allowed us to have. We think of the rich people who live in massive homes as being rich, but I discovered how extravagant my own apartment is. The children were so cute, but in this system, the Pastor says that they will remain in it. It is so sad to know that there is very little opportunity for these precious little ones to escape the poverty that surrounds them. Of course we wanted to load them all up and bring them to our world.
Tonight we will have another Bible distribution for the Chinese people. We will begin around 6:30 tonight, 6:30 am in the central daylight time zone. Please pray for the Chinese people that we are trying to reach. Please pray for the energy of our group as we had a late night and early morning today. The Bible distribution is time and energy consuming, but it is so great to see the Lord at work.

Wow

It will be difficult to describe what we went through last night. We spent 6-7 hours distibuting Bible and waiting to distribute Bibles last night. The Chinese tourists come by in waves every hour and a half. So we franticlly get the boxes of Bibles and packets lined up and give them out as quickly as they walk by. All in all we gave out over 650 Bibles and packets. God used us to plant the seed of His word with over 650 people last night. We are told that each one will share it with 10 people on average. It is amazing to imagine that a 7 hour period has an opportunity to impact 6500 people with the Word of God. We witnessed the power of the tour guide in a positive way last night. As one guide ordered his tour to take the Bibles and packets, they all quickly ran over to take them. There were still some tours that were clearly influenced to not take them, but the power of the Lord to overcome was evident. We had a young man who was speaking in English to Bill for awhile. Turns out he is from a Christian family in China. After a brief discussion, he asked if he could help pass out Bibles also. He stayed for a few minutes before he had to rejoin his group. For a few minutes he was able to openly share the Word of God with his countrymen in a way that he probably couldn't at home and in ways that we don't in our home. It was a cool thing. The missions team said they have Chinese Christians talk to them, but these two had not seen someone want to pass out Bibles also. God is clearly at work in the hearts of the Chinese people. We left the pier around 12:30 am. Got to bed around 1:30am after winding down. Like I started with it is difficult to describe this and my efforts do not do justice to what God has done.
Today we are off to minister with a Thai pastor in the slums and then another late night giving away Bibles. This is an opportunity to help a pastor with his ongoing ministry here. Thank you for your prayers. God is answering them.

Worship - House Church Style

We spent the morning worshipping with the missionary team in their office/warehouse. Surrounded by boxes full of materials to be packaged and distributed, we sat on plastic lawn chairs and shared, praised and sang to the Lord. There was no order or program and we stayed for nearly an hour and a half. The verse that they use a lot has been

John 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

This has come to mean a lot to me as we move from a world where everything goes as it should and as we plan to a world where we have no control. The phrase for the week has been to be fluid rather than flexible. Flexible will bend until it breaks whereas fluid will slosh around the cup but it is still the same fluid. Being fluid to allow the Lord to have control over our lives and what we do and how we react to the things around us. This has been a deeply moving trip already. It feels much longer than the 6 days or so that we have actually been here. We feel like we have compacted much more into that time. We are still so excited about the opportunity we had last night to distribute Bibles to the Chinese. We are even more excited about it tomorrow. We will spend the morning building packets for teams to distribute at various locales. We will then head to the beach area and distribute packets and Bibles to the Chinese tourists there. It is so exciting when we see them take the gift of scripture knowing that for them it is there first chance to have one. We feel so spoiled to think of the number of Bibles on our shelves at home that we never touch or that we neglect to spend time in it daily.

On a lighter note, lunch today was at a Texas style Rib restaraunt. That's right we ate BBQ, Hot Wings, Baked Potatoes, Nachos, Potato Salad, Ranch Style Beans and Corn on the Cob. Sounds just like an after church meal to me.

Please pray that tomorrows distibution will go well. Pray for the Chinese people who are receiving these Bibles that they may come to know Christ. Pray for the churches in China that will be adding new believers to their numbers.

Finally

Finally we got to do some work. This is what we came so far for. We spent two hours or so handing out Bibles to Chinese tourists as they left a restaraunt. We took shifts prayer walking and passing out Bibles. It was an awesome experience to pray while fellow team members were passing them out. To watch as a group approached out setup, and then wait with anticipation to see whether anyone would accept them. The key to a group seems to be the leadership of their tour guide. If the tour guide told them it was safe or good, nearly the whole group took one. One group had obviously been warned about us, as every person walked by with an unpleasant look on their face. Overall we passed out 80 Bibles tonight and the expected reach is 800 people will read those Bibles. This was an awesome night to see God at work and to be excited about this ministry.
Finally we got a group eating some Thai food in Thailand. Shamed by Melody and the Cheeks dining on Thai in Arlington, the Wrights, the Partains and the Goben went to a Thai eatery and all ate Thai. Even Bill ate Chicken and Fried Rice and is considering moving into some actual Thai food eating on our next outing. We are working on him. Peer pressure does work.
We will go to church tomorrow with the missions team of Southern Cross project. We are very excited to worship with our missionary team. These people love what they do and have a heart for the Lord in reaching the lost people here, particularly the Chinese.

First Half Day on Mission Field

We spent a good chunk of the day traveling to the coastal region. Two vans jostled us from Bangkok to here over the course of 3 hours. We took a break at the service center that consisted of many American style restaraunts. We went to a 7-11 and a Mcdonalds. We sampled the Thai Big Mac and Chicken McNuggets. Not real different. Just cheaper. We got checked into our hotel. A few differences we have already noticed. They do not air condition the hallways and lobbys. Our rooms were not air conditioned before we got there. There was much sweating. The humidity here is significantly higher than Bangkok. Sweltering is a good term.There was a group from Virginia leaving tonight as we were getting in. They were bowled over by what God had done during the week. We expect the same for us.
We have orientation tomorrow and a distribution at the a restaraunt tomorrow night. This will our first opportunity to interact with the Chinese tourists that we are seeking to minister to. So far we have done a lot of shopping and sightseeing, now the work begins and we are ready for that.
Our distribution should be finished about 8:30 tomorrow night, but the pier nights will be much later. Please pray for our group as many eyelids are getting droopy between 8 and 9.
On a personal note Bill bought Melody a

It's A-baht Time

The Baht jokes were flying today as we thought of every possible way to work Thai money - Baht - into a line.

• Get your baht over here
• Sitting on your baht
• The pay toilets cost 1 baht leading to "bottie pottie" or "1 baht allows you to sit on your baht"
• You just love me for my baht.

You get the gist. We were in great spirits and corniness as we toured Bangkok with Nat and her brother Neil. They were wonderful hosts and tour guides as we visited a couple of Temples and the Grand Palace complex. We ended the day by visiting an eight story mall. The food court included whole ducks and chickens minus feathers ready for consumption. Think of the Christmas Day dinner scene in "A Christmas Story." So we opted for pizza. Not too many adventuresome eaters in this bunch. I did eat boiled rice with spicy salad in it. Thanks again to the Cheeks for showing me what some of that is.

The highlight of the day was the ride from the Grand Palace to the Golden Mount Temple in Tuk-Tuk's. These 3-wheeled golf cart like vehicles driven by descendants of kamikaze pilots careened their way through the city. Traffic laws appear to be based on the premise that if you can nose your way through, hit the gas and go. At every stop light motorcycles and scooters zip by between the rows of cars and line up at the front of the intersection ready to take off. Driving is pure chaos, but thrilling nonetheless. Six Flags should come up with a ride like it.

Now for the real reasons that we came 12,000 or so miles around the world. We leave tomorrow afternoon for a coastal city. We will have a couple of vans making the 90 minute trek. And so begins our work seeking to spread the Word to Chinese tourists. We will have orientation and begin getting involved with the ministry there. This trip has been a great time of camaraderie and fun, but we are all here to see what God will do in and through us. In my quiet time today I was reading about when God called Samuel and Eli told him to tell God "Speak, Lord for your servant is listening." God told Samuel that what he would tell him would make everyone's ears tingle. We are tingling with excitement over what God is about to lead us into. We can't wait to get there.

Good Morning Bangkok!!

It is 7:45 in the morning and most of the group is likely sleeping off our late arrival. We will meet Nat around noon for lunch and some sight seeing around town and a little shopping. This trip has been so awesome just getting here. I love flying. The views were spectacular. I hope to be able to post some pictures, although the blog website automatically comes up with an Asian language link. I can remember the couple of buttons to get this posted, but I can't read much else. The world that God created is an amazing thing to see.

It is a little odd to actually be here after all the planning and discussing that it took to make this happen. I am so awed that we will have the opportunities to be God's light so far away. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I'll try and post again tonight when we get back from our day and hopefully get some pics up for y'all to share in this with us.

We're in Japan

We have arrived in Japan. It is 4:15 in the afternoon here. Thats 2:15 in the morning back home. We are hanging out in the airport for a couple of hours waiting for our connecting flight to Bangkok.

The first leg of our trip was 13 hours from DFW to Japan. The flight was very smooth and everyone is in good spirits enjoying the airports. Cade is a big fan of airport trains and trams.

A Few Thanks and Surely Some Left Out

As always no list of thanks is ever complete and no omission great or small is intentional. I want to list some of the people who are not traveling but who have been a help to us on this trip. In no particular order...

• Bobbi Nelson helped organize one garage sale and hosted another to help with raising funds.
• Bryan Hammons for agreeing to take two adrenalin buzzing travelers and luggage to the airport.
• Dennis and Pam Cheek for sharing luggage and their love for Thai food. Yes, Stephanie found Thai food she liked.
• Manny Toledo for making and selling salsa.
• Our entire small group for praying, supporting and allowing us to participate in this missions opportunity.
• All of our friends who had to endure our excitement about this trip.

There are plenty of others who have helped us and the others in the group and this is by no means a comprehensive list.

A Word of Explanation

Most everyone reading this blog knows that we are going to Thailand in a couple of days. For those who are not up to speed on why we are going or what we will be doing there, I'd like to share some details.

We are traveling to Thailand to participate in a ministry that offers Bibles to tourists on vacation from China. They will be able to take the materials they receive back home. There are 10 of us going on this trip as a part of our small group from Fielder Road Baptist Church. We hope to be able to share details of our activities and some pictures each day.

Stephanie has had a heart for global missions since before I met her. I was much slower to come around. This is my first experience and I am thankful for the example of my parents, John and Madeline for showing that regular people could go and serve the Lord in faraway places. I am taking this journey wide eyed and ready to see what the Lord has in store for us. We appreciate and need your prayers for us as we leap off into this exciting and sometimes overwhelming endeavor.

Thanks to Linda and Laylan for watching the boys for us during these 2 weeks. Thats one less worry for us and lots less rest for them.

We depart July 31st and look forward to sharing our journey with you.

Time with the Boys

I spent some time with the boys hiking around the Fort Worth Nature Center today. The wildlife was scarce. I think that they were forewarned of our presence by stomping boys excitedly yelling their way through the woods. We are now in the waiting period to see if any of those green plants hanging over onto the trail were poison ivy. That would be an exciting footnote to the trip. Josh loves hiking and can't wait to return without his little brother so we can go all day. Stephanie spent the day washing and packing the boys for their trek to Nana and Pops' house.

1 Week Away

9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power
is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about
my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for
Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 9&10

One week away and I am mindful that we do not go in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. For all the moving parts of this endeavor to come together, the Lord must be at work. As the excitement builds, the reality of the task looms. One week to get everything together and wrap up all the loose ends. Make all the arrangements for work to go on as if I were there, get the boys to their grandparents, pack those bags and be ready for a life changing journey of faith. At least I've got it into a list that sounds pretty simple. I expect that many times during the next three weeks I will see God's power made perfect through my weakness.

Countdown. . . .

We are eight days away from departing for Thailand. Bags aren't packed, but hearts are ready as we prepare to travel around the world to deliver the Word of God. We've been studying missionaries since elementary school. Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong were icons and to imagine that we will step onto a mission field far away is an amazing thought. It is difficult to imagine that God could use us to spread His Word to such an unreached land.

We are praying for the tourists we will encouter that God will plant a willingness to recieve the Bible and seek God. We are as eager for their vacation as they are.