Blessings to you all and a very Happy Easter and Passover from me to you. I pray you feel the power of Jesus’ Resurrection and enjoy the time with family and friends.
Currently I am in town number 5, Thailand (which I am unable to reveal the name) which is located on Phuket Island. The population is mainly Buddhists with some Muslims. At this time there are not any full-time missionaries living in this town.
The host missionary we are working with here in Thailand gave all the teams 5 locations to pray about and to see where God was leading each team to go for the next 5 days. I have been growing immensely on trusting God and following his lead. I know that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God so wherever our team would go, it would be God’s will.
I prayed about it and felt God’s heart for the young girls forced into the sex trade business and there was a town on the list that was heavy into the trade. A few others on my team felt the same call for that town. As the team leaders met, we found out that every team wanted to go to the sex trade town to do ministry. Another team was chosen to go and our team was sent to town number 5. At first I was a little sad that I wasn’t going to the sex trade town, but I felt and extreme peace that God had a reason for Blue Team to go to number 5…I didn’t know why, but I trusted God. He has never let me down yet! I have learned that even if God puts a call on your heart (like He has done to me for the sex trade girls). it has to be in His timing. This time He wanted me to go to a different town even though I wanted to go to the sex trade area to minister because He has placed it on my heart. The call is still on my heart so I will wait for God to open that door…in His timing.
Right before we were about to get into our cab to take us to town number 5, Kimmie began to feel ill and dehydrated from the heat. We decided that it was best that she stay with the set-up team and rest and than come to meet us when she was feeling better.
So, myself, Chad and Tauna jumped in a taxi and headed for our new town excited that God had a purpose for us in this next town. When we arrived, we felt God leading us to a Buddhist Temple so we asked the driver to drop us off at the nearest Temple. We quickly learned that we were totally in a non-tourist area and there wasn’t one hotel in our town. Most of the monks at the Temple did not speak English so it made it very difficult. There were many little boy monks running around learning how to be monks. Through various divine interventions God led us to another Temple in town and Chad spoke (women can not have much contact with the monks) to a monk who we later found out was the highest monk at the Temple. After a time of sign language and charades with the monk he offered us to sleep in the temple in the midst of many Buddhist gods and gold idols. We felt a spirit of heaviness in the temple so we stayed in constant prayed amazed how God was opening the doors for us to live in a Buddhist Temple for the next 5 days.
In the mornings we have been awaken by a bell and than the monks chanting. It is quite an experience. Please pray that God will use us and that the three of us are a shining light in the midst of darkness.
We are meeting many new friends (including Senators and restaurant owners in this town) and are learning and understanding the culture, family life, work ethics and the Buddhist religion as we immerse ourselves in town number 5. HAPPY EASTER!!!
