Hey all, so here’s a little recap/update on life in the Asian mission field. I thought I’d bring you up to date on what’s going on ministry-wise this month & what has been going on since I’ve left Canada. We leave Asia for Africa in a few short weeks!
”Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…” Colossians 3:23
INDIA – July
Currency: Rupee
Language: Telugu
Common Phrase: Vandanalu (Praise the Lord)
Location: Ongole
Ministry Partner: India Christian Ministries
Ministry Description: Every afternoon we would go out to different villages around Ongole & do a kid’s program involving play time, games, a couple hygiene lessons, worship songs & a skit followed by an explanation of the skit (we did one about Jesus being the Light of the world & another about the trap of sin & how Jesus is our only freedom). Adults often attended as well out of curiosity, they watched us interact with the children & were exposed to the gospel through our songs & skits. Afterwards we would go into the homes of villagers to pray for them & the children who attended that night (usually these children were enrolled in a sponsorship program for a school established by our ministry partner). Lastly we’d be served supper by either a Pastor’s family or another family in the village & return home after dark. On Sundays we attended a church in a different village each week, sharing testimonies & preaching. Daily there would be free time to spend playing with the kids who would congregate outside of our house.
Unforgettables: – Baby Danush, a little boy who would always be outside
waiting to play.
– Vijaya, the wonderful seamstress who made my saree.
– Sujy, the girl who was delivered from a demon when we
prayed over her.
– Being in the ocean.
– The intense heat.
– The oppression of females.
– The smell of Jasmine.
– Indian Coffee & sooooo much Sprite & Cola.
– Chapati & Chicken Curry.
– The caste system.
– The Lord working a lot on my view of beauty & myself (1
Peter 3:3-4).
NEPAL – August
Currency: Nepali Rupee
Language: Nepali
Common Phrase: Jamashi (Victory in the Messiah)
Location: Kathmandu
Ministry Partner: Agape Missions International
Ministry Description: This month our entire squad was in the same house, so our ministries were often exchanged between teams. One thing I loved about this month was the mandatory Amad time & Shabbat Shalom every Friday night. Amad was deliberate time taken to be in the Lord’s presence, seeking Him, worshipping Him before going out for ministry, & Shabbat Shalom was a celebration of the Sabbath, it was a time of worship, sharing messages & testimonies & then sharing a meal & fellowship. Our first week in Nepal my team & I taught English in a small shack in the slums. Our students ranged from age 4 to early 20’s. Our second week was spent getting to know the Pakistani Refugee community in Nepal, hearing their stories, fellowshipping & praying with them. We also spent some time doing prayer ministry in the slums, visiting local churches, hosting a soccer game for the kids involved in a soccer ministry other teams had worked with, & doing a faith day, during which we were sent out into the streets of Kathmandu with nothing but the clothes on our backs & the assignment of sharing Jesus with people, & receiving food, water & transportation for the day without paying…it was a beautiful way to leave room for God to provide & He really did provide.
Unforgettables: – Sprained ankles from tripping while leaving India, time
spent sick in bed.
– Shabbat Shalom nights. Our ministry contacts made me
feel so at home, they were like family.
– Bandas or strikes due to political unrest. During strikes
public ministry had to be cancelled.
– Experiencing a minor earthquake.
– Painting one day outside with kids.
– Faith day…receiving direction from the Lord on where
to go to that day, as well as receiving food, water &
transportation to get home in the evening. This day really
did increase my faith.
– The Lord working a lot on teaching me about rest (Psalm
46:10).
CAMBODIA – September
Currency: Riel
Language: Khmer
Common Phrase: Anyo (Korean greeting, we spent the month with Korean ministry hosts)
Location: Siem Reap
Ministry Partner: Samuel International School
Ministry Description: Everyday we would bike from our hostel to Samuel International School, once there we would go to our assigned classrooms where we would help teach, do afternoon English classes, make classroom decorations & do an evening program with the children of Korean missionaries in the area which would include worship, games, & a Bible Study. We also did kid’s church for underprivileged children in a village on Sundays. The Night Market was also a huge opportunity for ministry with a lot of prostitution, drug deals & street children hanging around among the tourists, I wish I would have spent more time there, but the Lord did a lot of awesome things there in the time we had.
Unforgettables: – Heat stroke/dehydration/parasite all at the same time,
resulting in an $800 hospital bill.
– Jon, a young boy who I would always see around the
Night Market, he left a huge impact on me.
– Playing Badminton with our ministry hosts.
– Getting supper on the street (Cambodian noodles) for
$1.
– Angkor Wat.
– Eating a tarantula.
– Banana Chocolate pancakes on the street.
– The Lord working on showing me that He is still present
and at work in 9-5 routine.
THAILAND – October
Currency: Baht
Language: Thai
Common Phrase: Ka poon ka (Thank you)/Sa wat dee ka (Hello)
Location: Changmai
Ministry Partner: Lighthouse in Action/Zion Cafe & Hostel
Ministry Description: We took daily shifts at the cafe attached to our hostel & took that as an opportunity to pour into the rescued girls who we worked with. At night we went to nearby Bar Street to minister to the women working as prostitutes & whoever else the Lord led us to. This month prayer was a huge part of ministry, half the team stayed back each time we did bar ministry to intercede. Time was also taken this month to work on team struggles & recognize that we are called to minister to one another as well, not just unbelievers.
Unforgettables: – Thai tea & khao soi…& just generally all Thai food.
– The tears shed in intercession for the women.
– Being more deeply informed about human trafficking &
seeing it on a personal level.
– Climbing limestone waterfalls.
– Spending time with the Lord on the balcony of our
hostel.
– Playing a lot of 90’s songs on the guitar when I’d get
homesick.
– The Lord working a lot on cultivating a heart of
intercession in me and reiterating to me the importance
of prayer. Jeremiah 8:18-21 stuck out from the Word.
And Isaiah 55.
MALAYSIA – November
Currency: Ringgit
Language: Bahasa Malaysia
Common Phrase: Terima kasih (Thank you), Lah (a word added to the end of statements to make them light-hearted & friendly).
Location: Semenyih
Ministry Partner: Desa Amal Jireh
Ministry Description: We live on site at DAJ which includes an office, a children’s home (boys, girls & nursery), a homeschool, & an old folks home. We are assigned different duties around the center which include leading devotions for the children, taking care of the kids in the nursery, office work, helping out with meals & kitchen duty, some classroom work, & generally just pouring into & loving the kids, elders & staff during our short time here. Currently we’re working on music & dance for a school play that will happen later on this month. I love these kids!
Unforgettables: – The children…these amazing, bright, hilarious, happy,
headstrong children.
– Chicken foot soup.
– The strong Muslim presence.
– The independence of the toddlers here, being hit with the
reality of the abandonment of children.
– Visiting my teammate Michelle’s family in Kuala Lumpur.
– Satay Skewers.
– Drinking Milo & eating a lot of
Pandan/Butter/Strawberry/Koko roti for breakfast.
– The diligence & dedication of the staff.
– Being exposed to Indian culture again since there’s a
large Indian population Malaysia. I love me some India.
– The Lord is working a lot on bringing me into my identity
in Him & just being myself in ministry & that being
enough.
Keep praying for me, people of prayer. You help me so much without even realizing it! Thank you so much to all my supporters!
