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Bangladesh

Another Season Come and Gone

All but three of the people of this picture remain here at ywam maui. Another season of students has come and gone and once again I find myself looking to the future and what god has in store for me next. But first let me take a second to just briefly tell you what has happened.

I just got back from the country of Bangladesh - a crazy muslim country that can only be described as complete chaos. I am beaten up emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It was the best and worst thing I have ever done. But you know what God did? He remained faithful, He supplied every bit of strength, energy, and spirit. He remained good - never letting us out of His sight and hands. He truly remained our all in all.

That is what I learned on this outreach. Fight, fight for everything, fight for what the Lord has for you, for what He has given to you, for what He has spoken to you. Fight because you do not fight alone, because He is on your side and no matter what - and I really mean no matter what - He is there for you when you are in need, you will be squeezed until nothing of you is left and He will come and be himself. We are not in this fight of life alone. We have Him and His body.

Seriously read this:
Phil 1:27 - 2:18 and consider the hard times you are going through. Press on my friends for God is faithful and sure.

We are back!!

Wow

Well this is really the first time that I have had the time to sit down and update all of you guys on my life overseas.

I have now been on outreach for about a month and things have not been easy. Leading a team is the hardest thing I have ever done and it certainly is stretching me in ways that I have never been stretched.

Learning about yourself in the school of hard knocks is never easy, but it certainly will be rewarding. Currently the team and I are in Chittagong, Bangladesh. We are headed to a remote hill trek full of Hindus to preach the gospel and see what God has placed there for us. Bangladesh most certainly is a crazy place, similar to India it is a wild country of millions of people and very little order. Most certainly the craziest place i have ever been. In the midst of the crazyness there is a thread that the Lord has been weaving in me.

What does it mean to abide in christ. Reading through chapter 14 of John over and over again I have been trying to live life wrapped in christs love for me. Having it shield me, having it care for me, having it guide me. I wish that it wasnt so metaphorical sounding. I am seeing now that in the hard times how tangible his love really is, how sweet a comforter he can be and how much i really need more of him and less of my own strength.

Pray for us, as we head into the jungles. Pray that the broken hearted will be bound up and the captives will be set free. Pray for me. I need God, and I am helpless and cold without him. Life is so simple and yet such a struggle - love God and love people. We were meant for love and God has an endless supply of himself, after all He IS love.

1 Day

Here we are, on the eve of my next adventure with God overseas and the waiting is probably the hardest part.

I have been finding out a lot about myself these past couple of weeks: funny how being under the pressure of responsibility seems to squeeze out the crap in you. Me and Jesus have been becoming better friends everyday because of it. Simply put, I can sum up all of what God has been teaching me into a few short, age-old sayings: Keep It Simple, Don't take yourself so seriously, Jesus is with you always.

Turns out that these are the best leadership motto's I have as I follow after Jesus and lead a few of my friends into the unknown wilds of His plans for this trip overseas. BOY, I am excited!!

1 more week

We as a team have one more week till outreach and we have just received and put together our itinerary from the contacts within the countries. Here it is:

August 26 – Arrive in Bangkok, Thailand

August 27- Country cultural Orientation

August 28 – Bangkok temple tour

August 29 - Sept10: College campus Ministry

September 10 – 22 – Slum Ministry

SEPTEMBER 23 – LEAVE THAILAND

September 23-25 - arrive in Bangladesh

September 26-30 - COX BAZAR (ywam pioneering place prayer and un reached tribal ministry)

October 1-10 - CHITTAGONG (youth camp for christian youth, tribal ministry etc)

October 11-17 SHERPUR (women camp and ministry)

17-25th DINAJPUR (evangelism, kids mini, church mini)

26-6 nov- DHAKA (university mini, mercy mini, kids program)

An update of the team

Of course life here in the pleasant little hawaiian town of Haiku is going just swell. So far we have learned that not only that God loves us unconditionally but that satan most certainly does not. With that we would like some prayer for health as almost all of my team has eaither gotten sick or is sick or is starting to feel sick.

On a completely different and better note! Time has been flying by here and we leave in less than a MONTH!! Each one of these students has actually been growning in more ways than even I know. God is so personal and detailed in each of our lives isn't he? A verse for this week that hopefully will inspire some fresh meditation and encouragement is

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11 We have all read it before, but do you cling to it?

*Shrug*

It has been so long since I have given you an actual glimpse into my personal life and what the Lord has been doing in my heart. So comment on anything the Lord might be speaking to you through my life. Know that I don't have it all figured out.

Where to begin.... Turns out that God is real. NO large philosophical arguments or complex words or cunning illustrations. Just first hand happenings sent to you via a blog. I have been out here for over three years now. Hard to imagine isn't it? I have not worked for money since I was 16 years of age. I live in hawaii, I have no outstanding debts, and all my bills are paid monthly. Paid promptly by God and His cattle on a thousand hills (psalm 50:10). I travel to foreign countries as Jesus leads, sharing of a relationship that I have with a man that walked the earth, died on a cross, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sent His Holy Spirit to walk with us here on the earth till He returns(John 1:1-18) . This is simple life. Look to past blog entries for some empirical evidence.

So it turns out that what is spoken of in Hebrews 12:1 is true. Jesus, being the way to the father (John 14:6), can set us free and we can be free indeed (John 8:36). I can hear the Lord's voice (john 10:27) and I follow Him. The rest is history. The time has come to grow up.

Time to commit, and so here I am - grown up and serving Jesus Christ. Welcome to true life (John 10:10). (Song of Songs 6:3) Till next time...

Thai Tie Party

This past wednesday we had the 29th birthday party of our school leader Tik Pimpaeng. We decided to celebrate with a tie party in honor of her being from thailand!

The Team!!

Well Here is the TEAM!! I figured I would put up their "mugshot" visa photos, seeing as we are headed out in only a few months. Let me introduce you to them! You can only know their first names do to the sensitivity of the countries we will be traveling to.

This is Ms. Holly from California

Ms. Daena from the Philippines

Ms. Ashleigh from Florida

Mr. Michael from Texas

Ms. Alisha from Canada

Mr. Benaiah from Colorado

Praise the Lord that we get this sweet opportunity.. Pray for us as we begin learning more about God, His story, and His plan for this world. We are now official team Thailand/bangladesh

My Birthday!!!

Here are the pictures from the party.

The Mens Camping retreat

With the church i attend here called NEW HOPE i went witth 45 other men out into the jungles of east Maui to seek the Lord. I was an amazing time of healing, revival, and encouragement among the locals as well as myself.

Good is God with an extra O!!

I have recently heard of a unique university that is beginning in June of 2010. It is a private christian college that will offer a unique style of curriculum. While it still has regular subjects, the style of curriculum is from a holistic approach to the traditional disciplines, allowing for better results as well a perfect match for what I want in a university.

The details are very limited, I know. I will definitely update you all as I get more information. Please just pray some simple prayers for the opportunity to remain open as well as clear direction of how or even if I am suppose to approach it.

Picture Update

A Little Birthday Party Fun

Me and my cane

And the Hippy Hair

Wooohoo!!

Well we just finished another DTS. We actually just finished sending them off at 4 am! The spring quarter coming next brings with it some time of reflection, resting, and the occasional staff movie night. But for me this time is going to be some what of a mystery.

This Thursday is operation day. I am unsure of what, when, how long, or even where, that will look like. Details will come a little later. As for my life... God has blessed me with what I like to call, "The Gravy Train Life," First off I live in Hawaii, cramped 5 people in a bedroom yes.. but Hawaii: second, He pays for all my bills on time, sometimes on the day of, but they are paid all the same: Third, God has given me the truth, there is only one point to life and that is to bring Him glory through living in right relationship with Him and I can do that in a hospital bed in any amount of pain or anguish.

I like to be very blunt when I can, so here it goes; God sent Himself to earth to die a horrific death, proving His benevolent love that gives me what I need not necessarily what I want, the least I can do is not complain.

So here is my little motto on the eve of occasions such as these, "Everyday is a holiday and every meal a banquet." In the face of great suffering and opposition let us never forget that death hath no sting for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Constant transition

It seems that right when we get into a groove, life sends us a curve ball.

Jesus continually asks me simple questions about the foundations of life. What are you meant for? What am I telling you? What have I already spoken?

So here is my life, keeping up with the bills is impossible - like so many people out there, my knee surgery is on april 2nd, my sister is back in california - right when I finally feel like we are connecting, and God is moving me into a new season of revelation of Him through the bible.

In the midst of what should be stressful time of looking at the life I have created for myself with the Lord and beginning to wonder if I have failed, if I shouldn't be out here... Time to go home.. pack up... get a "real" job; I realize that God has not changed, His words have not changed, and His plans for me are now truer then ever.

So, then..Who will I choose to follow? My fear, my failure, my hopes, my dreams, or God and His perfect plans for my life?

...... I'll let you in on what I am thinking...... I am not going to go back to the world of depending on my own two hands, my conjured up decisions and opinions. It is useless to revert back to the lie of independence that broke my life in the first place.

Pray that I can hold true to all that the Lord has for me, especially when the storms of life try and push me in other directions.

fresh

what do you think?

As God instructs, destructs, forges and molds me and this life into a master piece of His own fashioning; I see the horizon receding ever before me. It really is fascinating to note that the horizon truly is just an invisible line that will always flee your approach, so like the Lord in our pursuit of Him, you find yourself thinking you are reaching His end and yet ever extending before you is the ocean of water that is Himself.

Great men and women have sailed the seas of his character, finding wondrous lands and riches and yet still these is so much to be seen - to be discovered. Given only one life time to accomplish such a task as to master the great sea of God I see the dark clouds of hopelessness discouraging me quickly. But the truth rises as the son off the sea, bringing warmth and clearness to my overcast sky of struggle. I have been redeemed, brought back into perfect relationship with my creator through the man of Jesus, for to be now and forever with God, sailing this great sea for eternity.

I now sail this sea in this life simply thinking of the life to come; plundering, advancing, charting, mapping, to show more people the way deeper into the sea of God, merely now building the legacy of those to proceed me, understanding that life has a purpose and a meaning. His name is Jesus Christ - He is my ship, he is my captain, he is the wind in my sails, the breath in my lungs, the beat of my heart, and I will sail on into the great sea of Him forever and eternity.

I want to learn more about Him and so I am planning a few things that I would ask some prayer and support for. In April begins a phase 2 SBFM focusing on the cores of biblical foundations accompanied by intense study of the world religions in response. Immediately following this school which will end in late June I would then attend a course at the U of N in Kona Hawaii with the sole hope of meeting the God face to face and learning to speak with Him more. The basic costs thus far are around $6,000 not including the outreach which should take place around December. Please message me with any further questions or confirmations of prayer support. He is all we have, I will know Him more.

'nuff said

So last week our school took a trip over to the "big island" to attend a conference at the YWAM University of the Nations. If the whole trip could be summed up in one picture, it would look like this.... 'nuff said.

Update

This is the theme of this particular school - winter DTS 09

Bible Reference"...giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger,in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left,by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; {regarded} as deceivers and yet true;as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death,as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things."

And here is a little piece of my tuesday. Waiting for Costco to open to buy groceries.

Here are some photos

The View From Our Exodus Campsite

A wonderful Summation of what actually went on. Read into this as much as you wish.


And here is a little flash back of my own exodus

And yes even though its dangerous we still jump off perfectly good water falls

Hot DANG!!

been quite a while...

As usual, when my life gets busy I start dropping the ball on communication.

So far I have been back to visit my family in California for two weeks. A new school, has arrived and I have had the privilege of going on a introductory camping trip with them all; its called exodus.

Photos soon to come.

In short god has been doing so much in my life as usual.

He truly is real and as of late i have begun to know Him in a way that I have never known before.

In the beginning God is an acquaintance: you get to know him, introduce yourself perhaps. Then, friendship: you hang out more regularly and realize how cool of a person He is. Next, you may move to the idea that your rather fond of the person of God: Then He introduces you to this girl, her name is Wisdom. You are rather nervous at first realizing how cute she is and exchange numerous lingering glances. As you warm up to Her, you see all the qualities of Christ in Her. The word of the Lord echos off the walls of your heart, bouncing - I was with God in the beginning, through me He made the heavens and the earth. Secretly, you begin to spend more time with her, calling her to hang out, maybe coffee or maybe something more.. And then, in one still moment of intimacy stolen in a very crowded room she whispers in your ear... I love you.. Your heart skips a beat: what is captured in a second seems so long a period of time as the awkward and ill-timed words," Me too" trip out of your mouth. Her smile then turning into a hand covered giggle of both excitement and understanding at your now completely stumbled words of acceptance and reciprocation. You want to marry her, her and no other.

Welcome to my life with the Lord so far, a bit rushed in the eyes of most but all the more my life to live for eternity. I wish I could tell you were this is going to go, but isn't that mystery just like the Lord to give?