FIRST OF ALL…THANK YOU! THANK YOU. THANK YOU! I can’t tell you how amazing it is to have you on this team!!! I’m not kidding when I say we can feel your prayers and support and God is speaking through you. He is so much and is doing so much and YOU are a HUGE part of this epic mission and learning experience! I am sitting here in my Team SUSHI: Let’s Roll! shirt writing to you and reminiscing on our journey. How amazing to come from where we were when I wrote “About Me and This Journey” on this blog to here and all the stories and moments in between! YOU make a difference! Don’t you forget it! Wouldn’t be here without you! Here’s a little update…
When we arrived in Pattaya, Thailand, we had no idea what to expect. We didn’t have a place to stay, we didn’t know a soul, and we didn’t speak the language. Awesome :o). No, really.
Let me tell you a story in bullet points… (Pictures are not uploading, but I’ll try again in another blog!)
- 5 Americans arrive in what’s argued as the sex tourism capital of the world. (To Beloved Warrior number 6…Ali, we miss you! See below about praying for Ali.)
- They stay in the cheapest hostel they can find…actually quite nice…but still over budget, even though the Frenchman came down a fair amount.
- They pray. They open their hands up to God and admit that they have nothing and ask Him to provide.
- They walk to a restaurant with Wifi.
- They find and call the pastor of the International Church.
- He has a friend named Jack who owns a guesthouse.
- They call Jack. Here’s Jack…
- Jack comes within 3 minutes.
- They see Jack’s guesthouse, then tell him their allotted budget.
- It is too expensive, but…
- Jack tells them that there is a Christian guesthouse that he used to run.
- Jack takes them there…it’s a 1 minute drive and about 50 feet from their initial hostel.
- It is BEAUTIFUL and UNDER budget! WHAT!?!
- Jack sits down with those 5 Americans and asks what they are doing here.
- They tell him.
- They find out that Jack’s heart is to find and unite all the churches, pastors, and ministries in Pattaya and surrounding countries. He LOVES God and knows everyone, small and large!!!
(Pause from the story…again, WHAT!?!!!)
- And continue…It is the first full day we are in Pattaya and we are now on the phone and setting up our calendar to meet and serve with small and big ministries all over the area with the purpose of finding contacts that future World Race teams can also support and serve!
- WE THANK GOD! See below for info on these amazing ministries!
This month is all about Unsung Heroes! Literally, this is what Adventures in Missions calls Unsung Heroes Month on the Race. What that means is that instead of going to a country, meeting an awesome ministry, and serving with them for the month, we go into a country meeting awesome ministries and serving with them for the month ;o). The catch…The World Race did not know about these phenomenal people and ministries before we got there. But they will now! Love it!!!
So…my teammates and I (seen on the left sidebar or Meet My Team) are going to tell you about some of these ministries! Stay tuned! They are coming to our blogs within the week! Some of them you can even support or possibly take a team to sometime from your church! Pray about either or both options…but please know they are all awesome and legit! It’s been a month FULL of God’s mischievous love and surprise! We’ve…
- Been to pastor’s meetings
- Led in person meetings
- We’ve swept the biggest bar street while dancing alongside people from many countries
- Held babies
- Sang songs
- Prayed over and hugged girls in bars
- Prayed over and hugged people behind bars
- Shared testimonies
- Passed out Bibles to Chinese tourists
- Helped at daycares for the impoverished
- Heard an awful lot of God’s heart in the stories of redemption!!!
What a beautiful time we’ve had here!!!
You will need our passwords to get in to our various blogs…Here you go…
Grace…worldgrace Kyle…captainslog Leah…leahinlaos Landon…revival
Write those down and hop on some of our blogs this week! Get inspired by people on the other side of the world who are living out their faith just like you!!! Say it all the time…WE are all ONE BODY!
Prayer requests…
- We are missing our teammate Ali…please continue to pray. She is stateside for gall bladder surgery :o(. Her password for her blog is notforsharing. Send her a note of encouragement!
- Next month we are on a pig and fish farm in Laos! Yep…it’s what it is no matter how many times you read it! So excited! I always wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder!!! Have fun in your prayers for this!!!
- Please be in prayer for all of the precious people and incredible ministries we are about to highlight from this month in Thailand!
- As always…unity and growth! God is weeding, stretching, loving, growing, and uplifting! We are learning a lot! The enemy has plans against us, but God ALWAYS uses everything for good!!! Really, continue to pray Romans 15:5 and claim Romans 8:28! Praying the same for and with you! He is amazing!
LOVE AND HUGS!
Julia
