(warning: this is a long, meaty blog. the best stuff’s at the bottom, but its all pretty amazing so I encourage you to read it all and please be praying for me and my team!!)
Its race time!! I’m sitting in a hotel in Atlanta, after enjoying a nice gym workout, a few slices of pizza, and my last hot shower in a LONG time. We are in the hotel because we have to be at the airport at 4:00 in the morning, and our training camp is a good 90 minutes away.
SO…I have some new and exciting info to share:
a)
my team has a name! our name is “seven:eleven”, which has many different facets. Mark 7:11 says “Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is,
a gift dedicated to God)”…(and our leader’s name is Mark)…we also are a team of seven, around the world in eleven months…plus we really like Big Gulps 😉 Our hope as team seven:eleven is to not only be given to God but to be a gift to others throughout this next year of ministry.
2)
my team’s location in Thailand has been announced! this is the info we have:
Local Thai Ministry – Ratchaburi
Ratchaburi is a province in central Thailand close to the Thai-Burmese border. A plethora of ministry opportunities are available to your team in Ratchaburi. The ministry of YWAM Ratchaburi is mainly focused on the youth of Ratchaburi, building relationships with them through teaching English and running camps (English camps, sports camps, music camps etc). Other ministry opportunities include going to a local orphanage, serving the local churches and evangelism in the nearby villages.
Vision –
The vision is to see every generation in Ratchaburi touched by the love of Jesus. This is done through children receiving quality foundational education – the youth seeking to know Jesus – the poor being able to support their families with dignity – the elderly having a place where they can receive love and care.
3) Some of our
itinerary has changed in the coming months! Instead of spending two months in China, we have been given the opportunity to spend November/December in the Philippines before continuing to China around Christmas! I think we’ll be working in orphanages near Manila, but I’m not positive, so I’ll let you know more in the coming months.
and lastly..
4) We are able to receive
mail while in Thailand! Though my team will be about an hour away from Bangkok, you can still send mail if you so desire. Ask me in a few days if you want to send me something you think I may be in need of (or something I just really miss)! Here’s the info:
Packages can be mailed to the September Racers while they are in Thailand. DO NOT send any valuables through the mail and clearly state a $0 value for the package. Note that it is a gift with no commercial value. This helps avoid taxes through customs. Packages must arrive no later than October 3rd –
allow extra time than what the postal service tells you. Be sure to include their name on the package.
The address is:
Youth With A Mission
6/479 Soi Numberone 1
Ramkhamhaeng 2 Road
Dokmai, Prawet
Bangkok 10250
Thailand
I apologize for the length of this very informational blog, but I also want to leave you with a video about NightLight Bangkok, which is helping to provide women with business opportunities outside of the sex industry. The video moved me a lot, and though my team won’t be working with NightLight or any of the ministry in Bangkok, please continue to pray for these girls and check out the website at www.nightlightbangkok.com
Fly, dove! Sing, sparrow!
Gimme fat boy’s famous arrow
Gimme, gimme that thing called love!
