Crazy Plans!

Wow, God is so good. We got to return back after missing a week to the Saturday kids ministry in Daiut that we have going on...there were almost twice as many kids as usual! I think there were about 20 or so...I just pray that they'll come again next week because numbers really vary each week, and sadly, Kendall and I won't be there this upcoming Saturday...She's leaving for the States on Sunday, so we both get to ride the overnight train to Bangkok Friday night! I'm so excited about this short trip because I'm actually just going to Bangkok for the day Saturday and then I'll be swinging up to Chiang Mai, where I'll get to stay with a missionary couple for a few days...I've heard so much about Chiang Mai, but didn't actually expect to have the opportunity to go (because it's a 15 hour drive from Khukhan...). So anyway, our plans really start to get crazy this weekend; another summer missionary (Amanda) will be arriving in Bangkok on Sunday the 6th--the same day Kendall flies out, and the day I arrive in Chiang Mai! Needless to say, we'd all really appreciate your prayers as we head every which-a-way :)

It's been really neat the relationships Kendall and I have been able to have with a few different Thai girls...in fact, I might have already mentioned Patty, a teacher at Khukhan school who speaks fluent English as a result of living in the US for 10 years. We've started getting to hang out with her pretty consistently every weekend, and once a week we get to help out with her high school English classes. Over the past week, we've gotten to eat dinner with her several nights, go places together, and just get to hang out. She's definitely becoming one of my favorite Thai friends :) I love how God brings along special people like Patty--especially when I may be questioning how effective I can be in a country where I can speak only nitnoy (a little) Thai. And plus, since she's close to our age, we can do things together that we all enjoy. She's very polite whenever we bless the food before dinner and in fact, she even asked one time if we have to pray before every meal, etc. and just kinda curious. The conversation didn't go far past that, but I'm excited to see what opportunities God will give us to share about Jesus and what a difference He makes.
Anyway, tomorrow we'll get to go to help out with her classes like we do every Thursday, so I'm really excited about getting to see her again and many of her students we've had before ;)

I've been learning so much during my time here...the other day on our drive out to a school where we passed out tracts, I really got to thinking about our responsibility--as Christians. It completely blew me away as to how much God has given us to do--and yet it's not really up to us to do it. This probably doesn't make much sense coming from my head being written out, but I realized that there is so much work out there to do; so many people who could be worshipers of God Almighty, and yet they're not because they don't know Him. We have so many people to reach, and so it may become discouraging at times. But then you take the focus off yourself and it becomes such a more hopeful picture--God is sovereign, accomplishing His plan through us. I've had to remind myself to not take my eyes of Him, because once I do, the Thai people I see are only people who don't know Christ...instead, I should see them as people who don't know Christ but CAN if we continue to persevere and share the gospel, believing God can help them understand.

The Thai people as a general rule (from what I've seen) tend to be very apathetic when it comes to religion--not sure if it's just with the gospel or with any religion. It gets frustrating when we try and try to share about Christ and the life He lived, and they politely listen, but then we get no response either way to what they think about what we've shared. Sometimes, like today, we encounter someone who says they believe in Jesus (they've said the prayer), but then they won't come to church, or they don't really think there's anything else they should do. As David was telling me about the lady today, it's kind of as if she just wanted a change from Buddhism or something. Or if we encounter a Buddhist, they may just nod their head and go along with it, or just add God in there with all their other gods. I just pray, and ask you too as well, that the people we encounter would see the urgency of a Savior in everyone's lives, and that they would truly care about how and Who they live their life for.

Talk to you again soon!
Hannah