we head into month five tomorrow. we’re headed to a closed country south of thailand to work with a drug rehab program and homeless ministry. we’ll be living among addicts, getting out on the streets to love on the homeless, working with a church youth group, and a slew of other things that our contact has his hand in the pot of.
our team has prayed and has decided that this month needs to be a stretching month for us – a month of more brokenness and more surrender. going on the race was a relatively easy decision for me – even though there was significant cost involved – but it would be easy to spend the whole year abroad without allowing the Lord to change my heart in the way he’s pleading to do. so this month, we’re going to spend some time fasting. we want to be stretched by the Lord, and we want to hold no part of our hearts or lives back from surrender to him. this month, i’ll be virtually MIA. other than AIM emails, i’ll be out of email contact. i wont be on facebook, skype or posting blogs until our next debrief. (but for the record, i can call skype for free from anywhere in the world i have internet, and i can call all american phones for two cents per minute – so seriously, download it for free and send me an email with your skype screenname…mine is the.dave.brown . but that won’t be used for a month, so you have four weeks to do it…)
our whole team is fasting this coming month. the goal is to find an area of control in our lives, or an area that we use as a functional savior, and lay it down before the cross. for some members of our team, it may be something having to do with physical adornment, for others it’s their own personal rights to communication with their families. whatever it is, God’s attempting to break something in me too. i’m still praying as to what that item is, and would love you to pray for me in that area too.
A few other prayer requests. Di has become our new team leader. I’m trying to figure out my new role on our team, and ask you pray that the Lord gives her wisdom and direction, and that he gives me humility and submission as i follow her leadership. she’s great, and will lead really well, but all leaders need intense prayer more than i know i give it to them.
Pray for me this month as i step into the role of squad leader. Jen Denman, Tonya Norman, and I will try our best to make decisions that will effect the rest of the squad. Pray that we have the same wisdom that you pray Di is given. Pray for the unity of the three of us. Pray for peace in the decisions we make, and pray that we are quick to listen. Pray that we handle the responsibility of the job well – we felt the heaviness of the responsibility this week on Koh Samet… (and for the record, i love reading the two of their blogs, and you will too…)
The one exception to our internet fast will be Anna Coffey posting blogs. I love Anna, and she’s still short in her support raising. you all have been so good about meeting other needs i’ve mentioned in these blogs, and i’d love you to pray for her finances or donate if you’re able.
Anna needs to raise about 6,000 up to this point. So does my brother Matt Williams. Matt has been my roommate this debrief, and we have shared dreams with each other, visions with one another, spent nights together in prayer, and even laugh hysterically at my stupid ‘dad’ jokes…but their finances become my concern since we’re family this year and beyond. his issue or worry is my issue or worry. Anna’s issue or worry is my issue or worry.
If the Lord leads you, i’d love you to share anna and matt’s blog with friends who may be interested in following them and supporting what God is doing in their lives. if he leads, be willing to support them – it’s an urgent need at this point.
this picture is a random from last month. it’s on a long boat on the Salowin River. it’s stolen from matt…like most of my pictures are. (rambo 4 was filmed on this river). it was our day of prayer for the burmese refugees, and we waited for what the Lord would reveal to us about the people. Matt is sitting to the right of me in the picture, with the red bandana. he’s usually at my side, or i at his…and Lord willing, his support will come in, and that’s where he will be for the rest of the year.
i love y’all and i will miss you this next month. keep me in your prayers, and expect exciting stories on the other side of May.
Mom, i’ll do my best to call on mother’s day…
Dad, happy birthday early. i got a thing or two for you for your birthday, and hopefully they’ll be in the mail real soon, but rumor has it i can’t mail one of the presents…
