Another month ~ another country!
We’ve already said goodbye to
Thailand, sped through
Malaysia staying only a couple of days and headed on to
Delhi,
India for our next ministry site.
Thailand – We started on a
Muslim
Island that lost everything during the tsunami. Our job was to
live a life of worship
and to pray. We couldn’t share the gospel with anyone for fear of the safety of our friends. What we did do was create quite a stir by simply picking up trash on the island! It gave our friend many opportunities to explain to the local people why we were doing it. We must have looked quite a sight. We were there only a short time, but made an impact, both in the fact that some thought we were a bit crazy, some appreciated what we did, and the beach did look nicer when we left than when we arrived.
We spent a few nights camping on the beach and were blessed with being there to
celebrate the Thai New Year. Imagine bringing in the New Year with the tradition of dumping buckets of water on each other! What a crazy way to celebrate, but we had a blast doing it! (Check out some of my partners blogs for more details and lots of pictures of this crazy day!)
I then spent almost two weeks in
Patong, Phuket. Patong is known for their ‘
entertaining night life’. My ‘assignment’ was not to share the gospel but to be a
spiritual covering for the Brown Team and to
pray. It seemed like the most boring thing for me! It was so hot outside and I was getting sun burned easily due to my malaria tablets, so my time was mostly spent in my hotel room. I wanted to be working with the sea gypsies or living with the monks in the temple, but God and my leaders called me to Patong.
As I look back I think God was challenging me: would I submit and go where leadership asked?, would I pray more for the teams?, would I pray a blessing on the community and not step deep into spiritual warfare?, would I spend my time in the Bible and prayer?… yes it was difficult for me to be in Patong, but I when I left Patong, I walked away walking closer to God.
J
Blue Team –
I am now an official member of the Blue Team! (Sorry mom, but I promise you won’t have to provide new team jersey’s) I will now be traveling and ministering with
Chad
, Kimmie, Sarah C., and Tauna! I have been warmly and lovingly welcomed into their little family. I loved working with them in
China and can’t wait to see what God is going to do through our new little group!
India – We’re off to work in an
orphanage in
India. We’ll be tenting in the hottest time of the year (100-115 F), eating lots of curry and living in an environment which is very hostile to Christians. Please pray for us.
Europe – We’ve been given the
option to travel around Europe for three weeks after
India. I currently don’t have the funds to finish the trip so I definitely don’t have the personal funds to travel through
Europe right now. Please pray that God will reveal where He wants me to be and that He will provide the way. There is a possibility that one of my new team members and I might travel through Greece as Paul once did. My mom and stepdad are hosting a Thai buffet fundraiser this month to help raise support for their favorite missionary daughter, so God does have lots of helpers here ; )
India – I just learned that I will not be able to change my visa and I will have to leave India 5 days earlier than everyone else. Although this makes me very sad, I know that as I go with a member of leadership, God will be able to use the 2 of us in ways that He could not use 25, and that the time we will miss in India will be a blessing at our next destination.
Blogging – Internet is scarce in India and I will blog when I can, but my updates will probably be short. Please check with other members on the Blue Team site and check out the entire site for photos and blogs to get an overview of what we’re all doing and how to pray for us while we’re here. One thing that you’ll find consistent is that we need your continued prayers for our teams and for the people that we have met in every country. God has brought them into my life so that I can share them and bring them into your life.
Love,
Casey
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