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