Week
Three Report!
one more week in Chiang Rai...
3/2/04
“…be like a watered garden and like a spring of water…” Isaiah 58:11
“Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house – when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood? Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you [conducting you to peace and prosperity], and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am. If you take away from your midst yokes of oppression [wherever you find them], the finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and every form of false, harsh, unjust, and wicked speaking, And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity and gloom become like the noonday. And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.” Isaiah 58:7-11 Amp.
Praise God for all of His guidance tHis past week: 2/23 to 2/29
Last Tuesday morning, I was blessed to go back to the Family Learning Center (FLC) to lead praise and worship and to help in the Library. I was also able to stay and to have more fellowship over lunch with the FLC staff. I also praise God for David gave me rides to and from the FLC.
On Tuesday afternoon, I had a chance to go back to visit Eden House. Praise God for even through the language barrier, I was able to visit with one of the other Thai staff. Her name is Ladda. Through our broken communication, I learned that she is in her early 30’s and she lost her husband in 2001. She is raising up her two teenage children on her own so she is working two jobs: at the airport and at Eden House. I asked her if she has any prayer requests and she shared her concerns for her children. She specifically asked for prayers that her son would stop being rebellious. So we prayed at the same time in our own languages, trusting our hearts are as one by His Spirit and God’s love. After prayer, Ladda invited me to come and visit her home during one of her days off and we agreed to visit this coming Thursday evening. May God’s will be done.
Last Thursday, I was invited to have dinner with Jesse and Ute, and their family. I was blessed to cook a Filipino dish for their family and praise God for they all liked it. I also learned more about the intercessory ministry that they are leading here in Chiang Rai. In addition, Jesse shared additional information regarding the Medical Ambassadors International Ministry. This was a wonderful introduction because it sounded like they could even help the community in the Philippines that we will be visiting in April. May God bless tHis connection and God’s will be done.
As schedule permitted, I finished preparing for the teaching opportunity (on Worship) at Ban Khao Dee (BKD) last weekend (Friday-Saturday-Sunday). Spending this past weekend at BKD made me more in awe of God’s grace and power. Preparing for tHis opportunity has been very humbling and it was such a wonderful privilege for WWWMinistry to be able to serve and to become a part of BKD's history.
I praise God for the wisdom and the ideas that He gave me, and for His guidance and the leading of the Holy Spirit to help me complete my notes last Thursday night. I also had peace from God and I knew everything was under His control. I also learned this past week that the number of sessions has been upped from three to four: Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, and Sunday afternoon.
Toby K. from the Father’s House Ministries was very kind to give me rides to (and from) BKD. By the way, God also provided enough funds so we were able to bless BKD with a new printer. We picked one up on the way over last Friday afternoon. “San soen Phra Jaow!” (Praise God!)
Because it took us a shorter time than expected to get to BKD, and it was around the time when the children got out of school, we decided to stop by the school to give some of the children a ride home to BKD. They recognized Toby’s van when we got there and very soon the children started piling inside the van, and we actually fitted 23 children! (The pick up truck from BKD also arrived the same time.)
Praise God for the warm welcome we received at BKD. They blessed me with a private room in Gai’s home (one of the staff and also my translator). I am very grateful for everything that they did to bless me and to make my stay with them comfortable. Their generosity and loving spirits touched my heart.
Toby tried to install the printer last Friday night but we learned that we were missing a USB peripheral and their computer did not have enough memory. After consideration, we agreed that Toby would return the printer in exchange for some memory instead. Then Toby was going to give to BKD his old printer. (As it turned out, the store would not let Toby exchange the printer so he went and bought the required USB peripheral. He brought the printer back on Sunday and praise God for making everything work. BKD is able to use the new printer. San soen Phra Jaow! (Praise God!)
Before dinner last Friday, I was able to go over my notes for the first session with Gai. I was blessed when Gai let me know that the information touched her and she showed me she had goose bumps. All glory to God! Soon we were both very excited in anticipation of what God was going to do. I asked her how many will be attending the sessions and she surprised me when she told me that the first session will be with everybody (all 100 children and some of the staff) during the Friday night service. (The two afternoon sessions however will be just for the worship team, which I learned to be about 50 attendees with ages ranging from 13, and above.) “WOW GOD!” was the first thought that crossed my mind. (It actually continued to be in my mind all through the weekend.) I couldn’t believe what God has prepared! I was more blessed because Gai shared my excitement and awe of God’s works. I also learned that Gai also has a deep heart for worship (and she did an excellent job translating). I’ve worked with a translator before when I spoke to a Chinese fellowship and looking back, I’m grateful for that experience because it helped equip me “for such a time as this.”
In-between the teaching sessions, I was also blessed to fellowship with and to pray with the widows and the other women staff. Praise God for His Spirit to minister to each one of us according to His perfect will. Some of the children also started to be more comfortable having me around and some of the littler ones even blessed me with hugs. Once they got over their shyness, they were gracious to bless me with big smiles.
During the Friday evening session, I focused on defining "Worship." The second session on Saturday afternoon was spent covering: What a worship team is; The role of a worship team; The responsibilities of each worship team member; What worship team is NOT about; How a worship team can grow together; and How to pick praise and worship songs to usher others to God’s throne of grace. On Saturday evening, because the service time will be shorter than expected, we agreed to include the teaching during the worship time. The idea was “outside of the box” and their openness to God’s leading blessed my heart. I met with the evening's worship team - led by Amun - before the service so we can discuss the quick change in the format. Praise God for everyone was willing to follow however the Holy Spirit was going to guide us to make the change work. We prayed and we discussed some ideas, and we prayed for God’s will to be done. And His will was done and everything went smoothly.
On Sunday afternoon, I learned that Gai had a family emergency right before we started the session, and that the Pastor’s Son, Lang, has agreed to step up to translate for me. After a very quick prayer, we started the last session. Again, praise God for everything went well. We reviewed the different topics we covered since Friday night and we also had some “Q&A” time. In addition, we also had an opportunity to teach them an English praise and worship song, “Hallelujah To The Lamb” by Don Moen. Lang translated and the children read the song after me, line by line. (We also got more familiar with the song “He Is Yahweh” by Dean Salyn during the weekend.) Then after the session, the whole worship team laid their hands and prayed over me. I have never experienced anything like it before. The best way I can try to describe it is like receiving showers of prayer-blessings because everybody (about 55 worshippers) was praying out loud at the same time. We also prayed for God’s will about my coming back to BKD in January 2005 to teach more on worship for a whole month. I can’t wait to come back! (I also praise God for they asked me for my teaching notes so they can continue teaching others.) May God’s will be done to His pleasure…
tHis week… (my last full week here in Chiang Rai), please continue to pray for God’s will to be done.
Work in the Library at the Family Learning Center
Visiting Eden House
Fellowship with Ladda and her family on Thursday evening. (Actually, just last night, Ladda invited me to visit her workplace at the Airport this morning (Wednesday) so she's picking me up in a couple of hours. Praise God for tHis impromptu opportunity and I praise God for paving the way.)
Praise and worship time with the Chiang Rai International Fellowship on Sunday afternoon
Other good works that God has prepared and God’s will be done to His mighty pleasure!!
“Lord, we stand in the midst of the multitude
Of those from every tribe and tongue
We are Your people
Redeemed by Your blood
Rescued from death by Your love
There are no words good enough to thank You
There are no words to express my praise
But I will lift up my voice
And sing from my heart
With all of my strength
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah to the Lamb
Hallelujah, hallelujah by the blood of Christ we stand
Every tongue
Every tribe
Every people
Every land
Giving glory
Giving honor
Giving praise unto the Lamb of God!! (Jesus Christ, Lamb of God!) Lord we stand by grace in Your presence We’re cleansed by the blood of the Lamb We are Your children called by Your name
Humbly we bow and we pray
Release Your power to work in us and through us
’Til we are changed to be more like You
Then all the nations will see Your glory revealed and worship You Every knee shall bow Every tongue confess that You are Lord of all Lord of all Lord of all!!”
“Hallelujah to The Lamb” by Don Moen
His Majesty's servant,
Bettina