Language- Communicating can be challenging and funny

Pretend it's morning, you're hungry. You locate the number for room service on the dresser next to the bed in your hotel room......and you dial it.

Can you decipher this conversation?

Morny, rune sore-bees.

Oh sorry, I thought I dialed room service.

Rye. Rune sore-bees. Morny. Jewish to odor sunteen?

Yes, order something. This is room thirteen-on-five. I want…

Okay, torino-fie. Yes plea?

I'd like some bacon and eggs.

Ow July then?

What?

Aches.

Ow July then? Pry, boy, pooch…?

Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry. Scrambled, please.

Ow July thee baycome? Crease?

Crisp will be fine.

Okay. An Santos?

What?

Santos. July Santos?

Uh…I don't know…I don't think so.

No? Judo one toes?

Look. I really feel bad about this, but I just don't know what judo-one-toes means. I'm sorry…

Toes! Toes! Why Jew Don Juan toes? Ow bow eenlish mopping we bother?

English muffin! I've got it! You were saying toast! Fine. An English muffin will be fine. We bother? No. Just put the bother on the side.

Wad?

I'm sorry. I meant butter. Butter on the side.

Copy?

I feel terrible about this but… Copy.

Copy, tea, mill…

Coffee!! Yes, coffee please. And that's all.

One Minnie. Ass rune torino-fie, strangle-aches, crease baycome, tossy eenlish mopping we bother honey sigh, and copy. Rye?

Whatever you say. Okay.

Tenjewberrymud.

You're welcome.

Prophetic Art

I have always had a passion for the arts. Recently, I have been meeting with a few of my friends (there they are) to do something called prophetic art. This is an idea I was introduced to about two years ago at Bethel Church in Redding California. I guess some are curious why it is referred to as prophetic? It's not very complicated, we meet together to worship God by using our artwork. Prophetic art is just another form of communion with the Creator of all things! We use art not only as a means of worship, but also intercession. We simply capture on paper, with images and colors, what others are more comfortable recording with words. Sometimes our paintings are specific declarations, such as a hope of healing for our community. Other times the art takes on an abstract, impressionistic look.

We try to gather for a few hours every other week, always preparing our spirit with prayer and sometimes singing. Then we begin. We come to our easels and ask God, "What is on your heart?" Since God is real and not some distant figment of our imagination. we fully expect to hear from Him. God desires relationship with His people!

The Spirit of God reveals much to those who are willing to listen. I'm always in need of practicing my listening skill! I find the arts to be a powerful and intimate way to express what God is stirring inside of me. Sometimes there are no words to express what we sense in our spirit. Prophetic art is not about drawing the perfect masterpiece; it about having the freedom to express yourself to the Most High God.

"Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring...who gives breath to all the people...I am the Lord, that is My name....I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to a graven images"

YWAM Tyler-TESOL

One of the best and also one of the most difficult courses I have ever been through, was a recent TESOL Course. The BEST part of my adventure will be the focus of this short entry.

Living on campus with hundreds of other followers of Jesus was so inspiring. Students and adults from all over the world were there to be discipled and equipped for ministry to the nations. While I lived there, multple teams were sent out to do short term missions all over the world. I met people there whom I hope will remain friends forever.

The YWAM base in Tyler Texas is a tremendous location if you are considering training. There are many schools, evangelism, media training and missions are only a few. I's a huge sending base located on hundreds of open acres that are dotted with lakes and trees. At one time this land was home to David Wilkerson ministries (Author of The Cross and the Switch Blade) Other near by ministry centers include Teen Mania and Mercy Ships.

The culture of the YWAM community is that of worship and servanthood. It is an obvious value of all who serve there. From the time I was picked up at the airport until when I was dropped off, generosity and kindness prevailed. It was an honor to meet so any passionate young people, who plan to serve where ever God should lead them. What a great experience to be part of the community for those few months.

URBANA 09

The URBANA mission conference is this year!

I have heard some Christians say, "Evangelism and Missions are really not my thing". That's an interesting statement, especially since the God of the Bible is all about those two subjects! As Christians, we have a mandate to love people and to worship God. Evangelism and Missions are simply the heartbeat of such love. We need to shift our thinking. Evangelism and Missions were never expected to be the work of a select few, but an invitation to all who call themselves followers of Jesus. It is not optional. Christians are to demonstrate love in tangible ways to our neighbors across the street as well as across cultural, ethnic barriers. We are called to love others with the irresistible, supernatural love of the Heavenly Father!

"Where is fellowship? Where is community? Young people everywhere are searching for authentic relationships of love. And the one place where they ought to be infallibly certain of finding them (the Christian church) is the one place they often don't even bother to look for them, so certain are they that they will not find them there. But if the church is ever to draw people to itself and so to Christ, it will do so only by the almost irresistible magnetism of a fellowship of love." John Stott

URBANA 09 is a massive missions conference hosted by InterVarsity. The conference, which has been held every three years since 1946 on the University campus in Urbana Illinois was moved to St. Louis for the first time in 2006. For generations, college students have come to this conference from all over the world to hear about cutting edge issues on global missions.

My first URBANA was in 2000 and then again in 2003. It was there that I was challenged to understand more about God's heart for the nations! It was an intensive five days that totally set me on fire for missions. Although the conference is aimed at mobilizing college age students for the Kingdom, there were many adults like myself who attended.

This was a conference unlike any one I had ever attended. We participated in corporate multicultural worship, attended workshops, seminars on favorite topics and met people from all over the world. Messages were presented through drama, dynamic speakers, music and prayer. And if that didn't keep you busy enough, there were opportunities to interact with representatives from more than 300 mission agencies and educational institutions!

To be immersed in a community of THOUSANDS who were hungry for God was exhilarating! One night during worship, I remember glancing all around the arena. Behind me I could see a group of Chinese people, to my right a Filipino looking woman and a young man from Australia, and to my left knelt a cluster of students from Europe. Directly in front of me stood a young man with Down-Syndrome who joyfully sang to the Lord and clapped his hands. For a moment I felt like I was in Heaven ... every tongue, tribe and nation gathered to worship the King of Kings. If you've never attended an URBANA conference, maybe it's time

URBANA 09 will be held December 27-31, 2009

Need more information?

Check out the official URBANA 09 website

http://www.urbana09.org/vitals.FAQ.cfm

Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists. Hebrews 11:1

Some of the best things in life require incurring great risk. Getting to know someone at a deep level requires being vulnerable with that person. A whitewater rafting experience is thrilling because to an extent, one's life is placed at risk. Crossing a busy intersection to get to one' s destination involves the small risk of being run over. As I respond to God's call to the nations, some risks are involved. I must put my faith, my confidence in Him and in the certainty that He will accomplish His purposes.

"Faith lies in the setting out on the journey, not in being sure of exactly where we are going... faith is simply obedience and the willingness to risk; not an absolute certainty about what is going to happen on the journey!” Francis Mac Nutt

Lausanne Covenant -Section 6. Church and Evangelism

Section 6. THE CHURCH AND EVANGELISM

We affirm that Christ sends his redeemed people into the world as the Father sent him, and that this calls for a similar deep and costly penetration of the world. We need to break out of our ecclesiastical ghettos and permeate non-Christian society. In the Church's mission of sacrificial service evangelism is primary. World evangelization requires the whole Church to take the whole gospel to the whole world. The Church is at the very centre of God's cosmic purpose and is his appointed means of spreading the gospel. But a church which preaches the cross must itself be marked by the cross. It becomes a stumbling block to evangelism when it betrays the gospel or lacks a living faith in God, a genuine love for people, or scrupulous honesty in all things including promotion and finance. The church is the community of God's people rather than an institution, and must not be identified with any particular culture, social or political system, or human ideology.

(John 17:18; 20:21; Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 1:8; 20:27; Eph. 1:9,10; 3:9-11; Gal. 6:14,17; II Cor. 6:3,4; II Tim. 2:19-21; Phil. 1:27)

Lausanne Covenant -Section 14. The Power of the Holy Spirit

Section 14. THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent his Spirit to bear witness to his Son; without his witness ours is futile. Conviction of sin, faith in Christ, new birth and Christian growth are all his work. Further, the Holy Spirit is a missionary spirit; thus evangelism should arise spontaneously from a Spirit-filled church. A church that is not a missionary church is contradicting itself and quenching the Spirit. Worldwide evangelization will become a realistic possibility only when the Spirit renews the Church in truth and wisdom, faith, holiness, love and power. We therefore call upon all Christians to pray for such a visitation of the sovereign Spirit of God that all his fruit may appear in all his people and that all his gifts may enrich the body of Christ. Only then will the whole church become a fit instrument in his hands, that the whole earth may hear his voice.

(I Cor. 2:4; John 15:26;27; 16:8-11; I Cor. 12:3; John 3:6-8; II Cor. 3:18; John 7:37-39; I Thess. 5:19; Acts 1:8; Psa. 85:4-7; 67:1-3; Gal. 5:22,23; I Cor. 12:4-31; Rom. 12:3-8)

Those are powerful, and convicting words!

How many Christian leaders would be willing to sign their names to such documents today, as they did at the Lausanne conference back in 1974? The original conference brought together 150 Christian leaders from around the world to Lausanne Switzerland. The committee was headed by Billy Graham. The drafting committee for the document was chaired by John Stott. It was during this gathering that the Lausanne Covenant was writte and adopted by 2,300 evangelicals. The Covenant consists of an Introduction, 15 points and a Conclusion which can be read in it's entirety by going to this link.

http://www.lausanne.org/lausanne-1974/lausanne-covenant.html

Living and Growing in Community

I live in community. Like these shoes piled up near our front entry, we are an interesting collection of different ages, backgrounds and worldviews tossed together for an uncertain period of time.

Could you tell by the shoes? There are seven of us now living in this house. A majority of them are male! We share the same roof, kitchen, living room, driveway, laundry area and coffee maker! It's never boring.

The owner of the house is a "collector" of sorts... but not of tea cups or Chia Pets, she collects people! They're "gathered up" by her and tucked around the house in all sorts of places, including the garage. She seems to be quit content with the arrangement and in turn, we too are content to live simpler lives with smaller living spaces.

This unique living environment has provided me with some interesting missions pre-field training! I am daily challenged to choose flexibility, cooperation, patience, forgiveness, self-control and love, over my own selfishness. This is a humbling thing, in fact an impossible task to accomplish apart from God's grace and power. Only by His indwelling, the Spirit at work with in me, can this happen.

As followers of Jesus, we need to do more than "preach the gospel". We are called to "be the gospel" to those we are in community with. We are to live our lives in such a way that we demonstrate or manifest Him. We are to be the essence of Jesus where ever we are. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for salvation" Romans 1:16

We are ALL called to BE THE GOSPEL not just PREACH THE GOSPEL. This is not a neat and tidy idea. Living the gospel is messy, because we as humans are not perfect. We have to be willing to take off our "dress shoes" or "slippers" and get a little dirty, maybe even scuffed up! For many that is an unappealing thought, even if it is true. We were designed to live in community, to rub up against each other. How else will others have a chance to touch, see and hear the Jesus that lives within us?

Survey Trips and Practical Tips

The best thing about going on a survey trip is that you get to see and experience a country and it's people first hand! You get the opportunity to observe another culture and interact with them. Another good thing is it allows you to figure out (hopefully ahead of time) what does and doesn't work in another country! Getting a grip on some of these practical things ahead of time can save you a lot of headache and heartache.

A few practical things I figured out:

Internet? I really missed this convenience when it wasn't available. That surprised me, because I am not someone who spends a great deal of time on the internet. Because I was jumping around to a variety of locations (rural, urban slums and city) the availability of wireless services was also varied. Most of the time I was unable to use my own computer, which made it very difficult to keep my supporters and family updated or to make Blog entries that documented my activities. Although people were very generous to offer use of their lines (when ever possible) it usually meant using their computers, time frames, passwords or configuration codes. Time, if any, was very limited and when and if I could get logged in, it was considerably slower. Because it was slower, everything took longer. I didn't feel comfortable interrupting my host's personal routines just to wait for information to load up. It also felt like I was being disrespectful to my hosts if I spend time trying to do any updates instead of engaging in social interaction with family members.

Cell phone service: I called ahead to find out if it were possible to receive or make calls from my Razor with my Verizon account. I was told that there would be a roaming fee, but that most of Thailand has coverage. That was not the case. Also my Razor style phone could not be adapted with a SIM card. Next trip I will consider renting or buying a cheap phone in country. Apparently they are easy to come by and then you purchase your "airtime" as you go with a SIM card. In the future I will try using the free SKYPE download for internet phone calls and communication. That seemed like a nice way to stay connected, plus you can use a camera/microphone to see as well as hear your caller.

What is a SIM CARD?

I had never heard of a SIM card before my trip to Thailand. Many international travelers as well as locals use them all the time. They are an inexpensive alternative to long distant roaming fees in addition to being convenient for day to day use. This is how they work-

A SIM card or Subscriber Identity Module is a portable memory chip used in some models of cellular telephones. By simply sliding in the SIM card, you can make your old cell phone a new one. The SIM holds personal identity information, cell phone number, phone book, text messages and other data. It can be thought of as a mini hard disk that automatically activates the phone into which it is inserted.

A SIM card can come in very handy. For example, let's say your phone runs out of battery power at a friend's house. Assuming you both have SIM-based phones, you can remove the SIM card from your phone and slide it into your friend's phone to make your call. Your carrier processes the call as if it were made from your phone, so it won't count against your friend's minutes.

If you upgrade your phone there's no hassle involved. The SIM card is all you need. Just slide it into the new phone and you're good to go. You can even keep multiple phones for different purposes. An inexpensive phone in the glove compartment, for example, for emergency use, one phone for work and another for home. Just slide your SIM card into whatever phone you wish to use.

A SIM card provides an even bigger advantage for international travelers -- simply take your phone with you and buy a local SIM card with minutes. SIM cards can be purchased in airports as well as small markets through out the country of Thailand.

Information gathered from the Wise Geek website http://www.wisegeek.com/

*Side note from Kathy: It is important to note that not all cell phone styles can be fitted for SIM cards

In Search of My Ankles and Bananas!

I got to bed last night, had a good sleep and woke up ready to go! Stepping out of bed I glanced down to see my feet….look mom, no ankles! Any of you who have traveled in a plane for more that 7 hours understand how puffy you can get. I thought I would be clever this time and select the low sodium meals while in flight. With in-flight meals carefully selected, lots of water and getting up and moving around a lot, I figured there would be much swelling. WRONG.

Oh well, today will be full of new adventures, all of which involve lots of stairs! That should be good for circulation and swelling. My room is on the fourth floor, so there is plenty of opportunity for exercise!

Today’s goals are simple:

1. Rest
2. Try to send communications back to the States
3. Find my way around this massive Resort
4. Locate possible PIONEERS members
5. Find drinking water and locate some food.

Our stay here includes a wonderful breakfast, but we are on our own for the rest of the meals. Wish me luck. Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Conference and the meeting of new friends!

Long live the King!

This is what greets you as you walk off the plane and into the airport in Bangkok! This GIANT statue represents the protective forces that guard the King of Thailand

I have finally arrived in Thailand. My travel adventures began 5:00 pm on Monday and ended on Wednesday 7:30 pm. (That’s when I entered my Hotel room!) Considering I only slept an hour or two solid, I felt relatively alert and in good spirits, at least I thought so until I arrived at the front desk of the Hotel and couldn’t remember the simplest details... sleep depravation will do that to you!

My flight was exciting to say the least. We hit a major wind turbulence while over the ocean which caused our giant jet to be tossed around like a toy for hours. We used up so much fuel fighting the wind that we had to do an unexpected refueling along the way. I have new appreciation for the song by Jeremy Camp(?) “I Will Praise You in the Storm”. Eighteen hours of that trip was spent seated next to the Senior Pastor at Walnut Creek Church. We had great conversations about the post Christian generation and how to reach them. He also was a great navigator for me as we RAN through the corridors and up and down escalators so as not to miss our Hong Kong connection. It's always fun to meet new people!

When I finally arrived in Bangkok I was very excited! One of the first things I noticed as our plane taxied around, were huge painted signs at every point of entrance. These banners read (in English) Long Live The King. Those were my sentiments as well!

On my trip from Bangkok to Pattaya, I met up with two new aquaintances from India. They flew in for the conference and we decided to travel together to Pattaya. Along the way, they were thrilled to see a McDonalds! They do not have them where they live and had been craving cheese burgers. "Aroy dee" delicious cheese burgers and fries made them smile from ear to ear! "Sawatdee kaa" Ronald, I had no idea you knew Thai.

For the next few days I will be in Pattaya at the largest Resort in Thailand. It is cheaper to stay here than at a Hotel 6 in California. It is very nice here, and must have been unbelievably beautiful when it was in its prime! We are on the beach and the surroundings feel very much like Maui, including the weather. However, it only takes a closer look behind the scenes to quickly remind me that I am in another land! There is so much to learn, I just take one step at a time! Even with my connectors, adaptors, and travel books, communications and language are challenging! Today I did well; I made it here in one piece, got to the Hotel and send this short note to you before becoming unconscious from exhaustion!

Funny Story #1 – Getting from Bangkok to Pattaya compliments of “Mr. Taxi” a local transportation service. Our driver was so helpful that we wanted others know how to find him! He could speak a little English, so we asked if we could have another business card to give to friends. I also asked, “What is your name?” He smiled and said, “Koom Ponee”. Okay, that’s great…I wrote his name on the back of his business card. Thank you Mr. Koom Ponee, I said in Thai. Then he started laughing which made me start laughing… “What is so funny Koom?” He smiled some more, still laughing while shaking his head as if to say no, no. After we all had a good laugh I realized his name was not Koom Ponee. He was trying to tell us about his “Company!”

Well, here I am before climbing into bed. It's been many, many hours of travel. All my essentials for travel are piled next to my bed. B-E-D that sounds so wonderful right about now. I actually made it to thailand! Long live the KING JESUS, good night...

It's like reading noodles!

สวัสดีค่ะ ยินดีที่ได้พบคุณ Could you please repeat that? Well, then maybe you could just read it to me? Oh, you can't make out the sounds because there are no letters to pronounce... What was that?... It's like reading noodles? Well, keep practicing!

Thai script is beautiful and loopy and has a melodious "sing-song" sound to it, all of which is totally foreign to me! This is their heart language. Luckily, what I lack in natural ability I hope to make up for in sheer determination and tons of prayer. This is my goal, learn the language well enough to communicate effectively with the people. This will not be an easy task, but I just keep telling myself if millions of little Thai children can do it, so can I. So for now, ฉันก็เช่นกันค่ะ

สวัสดีค่ะ ยินดีที่ได้พบคุณ = Hello, it is very nice to meet you

ฉันก็เช่นกันค่ะ = It is nice to meet you too!

A Beautiful Sight!

A well-worn bible is a beautiful sight! Taped up, tattered pages, rubber banded together and jammed with notes is a good sign of a well-studied, well-loved bible. What condition is your bible in, could your bible use a little more "alone time" with you?

How beautiful are the feet...

WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED...

"Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed. And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS!" the Bible, Romans 10:11-15

God's heart is for the Nations

Not all countries are open to the Gospel. We have many missionaries that will be traveling to countries that are considered closed, which is why I have been unable to disclose some of their "real names" or which part of the world they have been called to. My fellow missionaries will be headed to Haiti, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Cambodia, Venezuela, China, Tanzania, Peru, Ireland, Germany, Turkey, Sudan, Kenya, Mexico, Afghanistan, Nepal, Russia, Bahamas and the USA Navajo Nation. Please pray for them and their families. Pray that God will use their lives to bless people all over the earth.

Missionaries in Disguise!

These friends are almost as colorful as my former Lady Bug friends, but they're a lot more fun and you don't have to vacuum them up at the end of the day!

The friendly neighborhood Exterminator came today to spray all the housing units for bugs and spiders. I learned a lot more about bugs than I really wanting to know. For example did you know that Lady Bugs are on the endangered species list? Ooopps. Also, you should never vacuum them up. Lady Bugs produce protective oil when they feel threatened which can make your vacuum cleaner smell horrid for days! Oooops again.

My friendly Exterminator (is that an oxymoron?) told me that there are 2.5 billion insects per every human. Hey, that's interesting because there are approximately 2.5 billion people in the world who have never hear about Jesus, which is why I am here in this Lady Bug invested apartment.

You never know when you'll have an opportunity to share the Gospel. The bible says we are to be prepared to give account for our faith, we are to be ready in and out of season......even bug season!

The Power of Encouragement!

Tokens of love and concern from my friends.

To those of you who understand the power of an encouraging word, thank you so much!

Is suffering in contradiction with the goodness of God?

The Bible Has Something to Say About Suffering
(As Reflected in 1 Peter)

Jesus is our model as we look at the nature of God. He is the perfect reflection of the Living God. God’s great love is demonstrated through the sacrificial life and death of Christ. It was the willingness of Jesus to suffer death that we as Believers are able to experience spiritual life. “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made us alive in the spirit”, 1 Peter 3:18. The very purpose and ministry of Christ involved suffering.

As followers of Jesus, our lives should reflect the same nature. We willingly subject ourselves to the living God, knowing that we too will be rejected at times. Jesus, “the choice stone, a precious living stone” was rejected and became a stumbling stone to those who were perishing. Although Christ was rejected and suffered unjustly at the hands of men, He endured patiently and faithfully unto the end. He entrusted Himself to the One who ultimately judges righteously.

As followers of Christ we are referred to as living stones. Our lives will not be exempt from suffering, in fact as a point of identification with Christ we are called to the same ministry of suffering. The suffering itself is not the end results, it is the patience and love we demonstrate through the process of suffering that honors God. We are given the opportunity to reflect God’s character through the process.

Jesus willingly chose to endure suffering for our sake to bring about an eternal benefit. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by His wounds we are healed”. Jesus patiently endured, not returning evil for evil or retaliating when threatened. The long suffering patience of a holy God is demonstrated through the meekness of Jesus. He became a bond slave, purposely forfeiting all of His rights. When we respond to testing trials or distresses in the same manor as Christ did, we honor God. He finds favor in us when we faithfully endure. Our faith is compared to fine gold that has been refined in the fiery furnaces. It results in praise, glory and honor to God.

Through suffering we are exhorted to remember our position in Christ. We are not to be fearful or intimidated by circumstances. God considers us His chosen possessions, holy and loved. He has rescued us by grace out of darkness and into His marvelous light. At first the ministry of suffering appears to be in contradiction with the goodness of God. However we see both qualities displayed simultaneously through the person of Christ. Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, was compelled by love. It was His good pleasure that He should suffer for us.