Great Day of Speaking

Thank you to all of you who prayed and thanks to God for the day he gave me. I started the morning off speaking to the Western Carolina Presbytery of at least 100 pastors and elders of many churches. Having spoken to them three years ago about my calling before departing to Thailand, I felt it only appropriate to go and share what God is doing in me and in Thailand. Once I walked through the doors, I realized how many faces I knew around me. What a blessing to be surrounded by so many godly men serving the Lord. My talk was about five minutes long and they all responded well. Two churches have already signed up for dates in March and April for me to speak to their congregations. Four more at least will be following up with me. Praise God!

After a good nap this afternoon, I headed off to a church member's house to share with a community group from my church about Thailand as well. In a much more intimate setting sitting on sofas around a fire, I shared pictures and a video. They were not in a hurry to leave, asking many questions and praying for me. What a blessing to my heart. After my talk, all the kids who were there got fresh pieces of paper out so I could write their names for them in Thai. I was a hit! Now time for sleep before I get up and do it all over again!

Thailand-Inspired Song

The boys of Bluetree were asked to travel on a missions trip to Pattaya, Thailand, one of the top tourist sex destinations in the world. That trip brought about the writing of this song with the words "greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city." Listen to the story and the song below.

Rest in Christ

This week is flying by fast. Within the next week, I'm speaking three more times. I should be done with my online course by tomorrow if I work hard today.

Amidst the busyness, I am beginning to read the book Revelation. The portrayal of Christ comforts me, "I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like a roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like a sun shining in full strength."

This passage deserves great explanation if you haven't read it before. It is full of imagery and illustration. What comforts me is that Christ stands in power even today like this. He holds the power. Nothing is done or can be outside of his awareness. So as I finish up a busy week, and look ahead to plans in my future, I can look to the character of Jesus and find rest. I pray for rest in him today.

We Click

I'm off to Winston-Salem to visit some friends through Thursday. When I pursued my calling to be a missionary, they had been home for about a year from their two year term as missionaries in Asia. They were really helpful praying and listening through my finding a placement and preparing to go to Thailand for the first time. They reminded me of God's grace often.

So I'm looking forward to talking some about re-entry with them. In some ways, we missionaries feel like another culture, a third culture. We don't belong here, we don't belong where we serve. But when we get together with other missionaries, we click. We understand each other. So, this will be a great time of conversation and sharing memories together. I'm looking forward to it.

Dreaming in Thai

People ask me if I ever dream in Thai? Yes, I do. At least a few times since being home, I've had Thai-speaking dreams. During the dreams, I usually am struggling communicating in Thai. My subconscience remembers that I've been gone for a while and I can't retrieve vocabulary from my memory very well.

From the online course I've been taking, the books encourage us to keep our ministry based on people and relationship-building. So, in my dream, my friend Kieow is telling me to take my time and talk with the people. At least my subconscience is remembering what I'm learning. :)

Update from Sunday Talks

Thanks for your prayers. I was honored to have the opportunity to speak to about thirty people this morning about God's work in Thailand. The room held two adult Sunday School classes. As I sat down beside them for the class's announcements, one shared with me that he was a descendant of a Thai immigrant to America. He had always wanted to know more about Thailand since then. I hope from my talk, he is able to pray with more knowledge for the country of his descendants.

My thoughts felt very scattered during the presentation. It is hard to think from the mindset of the people listening after having the new mindset from being in Thailand for two years. Each time I look at the pictures of my friends and share their stories, I feel almost lost in their faces and struggle communicating their stories to those listening. Yet, the Lord is working in each presentation. I pray that the people from my presentation today will have open hearts to the needs of the world and more of a desire to pray for Thailand and the many people who do not know Jesus around the world. I also pray that the Lord would raise up supporters of my ministry from that group as well. Either way, I was so thankful for the opportunity and praise God for his goodness. It is an honor to speak about him.

Speaking Tomorrow

I will be sharing with two Sunday School classes tomorrow morning at my childhood church in Charlotte. I am thankful for all these opportunities. I pray that the Lord will provide partners for my ministry in his due time.

Leaving People Behind

My brother informed me tonight that my five-year-old nephew had a dream about me leaving him for five years. I asked him about it, and he gave a very sad face. He sat down right beside me when he got to the restaurant and asked, "Do you remember when you came back from Thailand and I saw you. I was SO excited."

That just breaks my heart. Please pray for me as I follow my calling to leave again this summer. It's hard to leave my family behind. If you have any wisdom, please share it.

Remembering Names

I've been trying to find my Thai friends on Facebook. It takes some memory. Everyone in Thailand has two names. First they have their real name, "Panadda Thongluan." Then they are also given a nickname for everyone to call them, like "Kieow". Often, the nickname comes from nature like animals or flowers. So although I know all my friends' nicknames, I've got to remember all their long real names too if I want to find them on Facebook.

And...the surprise!

A few of my friends got together a surprise party for me too! What a blessing to have such marvelous friends!I was completely surprised, walking into the house with Jen thinking we were going to just have cake and watch Lost. Sarah, the excellent photographer who got these pictures and captured me right at the surprise.
I had some excellent helpers to blow out my candles and help me eat my cake.

THANK YOU everyone who came out and made this birthday so wonderful for me.

Birthday Fun

What a day of FUN! Praise God for my friends and a day just to enjoy myself. I'll save my surprise pictures for another post, but here's my first pictures as a 30 year old. (Not to disclose the age of anyone else in the pictures.)The morning started off with a visit downtown Asheville to eat brunch at a local joint with some friends and then we went outdoors!
It was cold and snow was falling a bit. Due to ice and snow on the hiking trails, we stuck to a local park and a photo shoot. To end the evening, some more friends and I went to eat Mexican. The waitstaff all sang a rendition of "Happy Birthday" that was below-average on skill, but I wasn't paying attention. While that was happening, the waiter put the whip-cream from the dessert on my face! And a sombrero on my head!

3 Decades Old

30 years old today! What a big birthday. If I was in Thailand right now, I'd have to treat all of you to a party because its my birthday and pay for everybody! I don't know if you'd come because I'd order lots of big fish to eat! I am glad to celebrate in the US as well, with the snow drifting through and many family and friends around.

I am thankful for all thirty years and so thankful I am a child of God!

New in Christ

My friend, Catherine, shares a story about what the Lord is doing in our church plant. Jane, a new believer and member of our church, is the first student directly from our campus ministry that we have seen become a Christian.

On Sunday, I noticed that Jane, one of the girls (college age) who became a member of our church and was baptized last month, was all decked out in (practically) an evening gown. We don’t typically dress up that much for Sunday morning worship at our church, so I told her she looked very beautiful and asked if it was a “wan phiiset” (special day) or something. “Yes!” she said, “Today I get to eat communion for the first time!” I was touched by her demonstration of love to her Savior – getting dressed up to share in this special meal with Him!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Chinese New Year!

I hope all of you wore red today. Not just for Valentine's Day, but for Chinese New Year which just so happens to be the same day on the lunar calendar. Due to the number of Chinese-Thai people, Bangkok has quite a celebration as well. I usually know its CNY when firecrackers go off outside the office wall and I jump to the ceiling. These firecrackers are used to scare away spirits. Here's the background, please pray for the message of Christ to be spoken today to those in fear of spirits.

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nien (Chinese: 年; pinyin: nián). Nien would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nien ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nien was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nien was afraid of the colour red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nien. From then on, Nien never came to the village again. The Nien was eventually captured by hong jun lao zu, an ancient Taoist monk. The Nien became hong jun lao zu's mount. (from Wikipedia)

Familiar with the Land

I got an email today from an American man who'd just returned from his father-in-law's funeral in Thailand. His father-in-law had been a Thai pastor. Kindly enough, he wanted to share with me his recent experiences. I thought they might grab the attention of some of you desiring to understand the Land of Thai better.
He talks about what passage he shared at the funeral and how he's seen the country change.

Habakkuk 1:4 says that the "law is paralyzed" (ESV). One of the reasons that laws get paralyzed of course, is because the righteous try to live by their good works, then they discover that it's an impossible task, and they give up trying to obey the law altogether.

20 years ago, I was not very optimistic about God working mightily in Thailand. But with the [recent events], I believe that maybe people will figure out that trying to live their lives by good works won't work, and that there will be some kind of revival, and I believe that the revival has already started. Let's pray for this revival in Thailand led by the Holy Spirit. It is good to hear someone else share the same hope as me.

Three New Revelations

1. Thailand is not participating in the Winter Olympics. :(

2. Showing my shoulder still feels scandalous after being in modest Thailand. But it was fun to dress up for my friend's 80s Roller-Skating Birthday Party, even though it got cancelled due to snow!
3. Two years of not driving in Thailand has not prepared me for driving in the snow. I attempted driving around a "roundabout" which I ended up going straight into it, but amazingly the Lord saved my fender and me. Just a bit shaken up.

Creative Dreaming

Last night, I dreamed that I was saving some Haitian children. Yet, while in the middle of the task, my body slowly began to become paralyzed. Finally one of my teammates ran in. I screamed, "Save the kids!" while laying on the floor helpless. I can't be sure about the ending, but I think the kids are alright.

I tend to have the most creative and suspenseful dreams while in anxious seasons of my life. As I keep thinking about this dream, I recognize a few flags. Yes, I am being called by God to help him do mighty work in Thailand. (And lots of it involves kids!) Yet, this support-raising season does make me feel paralyzed. I cannot do the work I feel called to because I'm stuck here support-raising.

Now those feelings are feelings, not based on the truth of the Gospel. The truth of the Gospel is that the Lord is sovereign over all our lives. The kids of Haiti and Thailand will be saved through him however he chooses. I am not the Savior, Jesus Christ is. And this support-raising season is a calling as well to share the work of God with the people of the US. I am calling other people to become partners with me in my mission. But that dream, weird as it was, unmasked some of my anxiety.

Keeping in Touch with Thailand

Many folks like to ask if I'm keeping in touch with my friends in Thailand. I do a bit through email, Facebook, and Skype. Here's a recent email from a teenager in Mahathai, Fern (Our picture together is on the right).

hi! P'malanie
how are you?
เมื่อไหร่จะกับมา
ทุกคนคิดถึง
ขอพระเจ้าอวยพรนะค่ะ

Translation:
"Hi Miss Melanie!
How are you?
When are you returning?
Everybody misses you.
May God bless you.

"When are you returning?" is the first question I receive from everyone. I am thankful they remember me and we have the ability to communicate. (It's keeping my Thai reading and writing up too!)
เมลานีคิดถึงเมืองไทยและเพื่อนทุกคน

You Know Thailand is Far when...

...the weather there is in the 90's!!

Isaiah 40-49

While in this land of support-raising, I feel like I can become quite inward-focused and selfish. I decided to put in some more extended prayer time once a month. Today I went to the camp I grew up attending to walk around the lake. The memories of my time there remind me also of how God has grown me.

I followed up with a suggestion in a book I'm reading, "Read Isaiah chapters 40-49, and highlight the passages where God speaks His purpose and plan. Meditate on each passage. Pray these Scriptures back to God, thanking Him for his sovereignty in your life as you make your requests to him."

I only got through Isaiah 42, quite awe-struck even by the first words of the first chapter. What a reminder of the magnificence of our God!
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord or what man shows him his counsel?.... Isaiah 41:12-14
It just goes on and on taking me out of myself and looking the glory of the Lord and how he desires for it to be revealed!

Tsunami Video

I just finished watching a video on hulu.com with more testimonies of folks that had been in the tsunami of Thailand and elsewhere on December 26, 2004. One particular testimony is from a Thai man. Because of his family's deaths, he became a Buddhist monk. He said he hoped the "honor of the yellow robe" would "earn merit" for his family to go to heaven. Though I wasn't in Thailand in 2004, the effect was still there when I arrived. It is helpful to know about the tragedies that happened in the country where I serve. I still pray that God opens many hearts to himself that are still in grief over that day. Check out the video when you have time.

What Year Is It?

In Thailand, its actually the year 2553, not 2010.

And for those of you with no plans for February 14, check out your nearby Chinese restaurant! This year, Valentine's day is on the same day as Chinese New Year! They might have some dancing dragons?! Or maybe dancing tigers, because it is the Year of the Tiger.

The "M" of HMA

I found a blog from a fellow missionary home on HMA from Japan. She's been serving many more years than I have, but I find her explanation of her time in the US very familiar. Maybe this will help you understand what I'm doing while "home."

HMA. Home Ministry Assignment.

What is the "M" of HMA? What is the ministry to which I am assigned this year?

Sometimes it is standing in front of a church, being their eyes and ears, recounting what God is doing in Japan.

Sometimes it is joining in on family devotions, showing pictures and explaining the spiritual needs of Japan in a kid-friendly way.

Sometimes it is listening to someone who has a heart for the world but is not sure what to do with that heart.

Sometimes it is examining budgets and finance reports and exchange rates and then praying and determining where and how to seek to build the financial support team necessary for returning.

Sometimes it is planning trips, making phone calls, arranging logistics, and putting together the jigsaw puzzle that is my schedule for HMA.

Sometimes it is driving all day to get from here to there. Sometimes it is breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner in four different states. Sometimes it is a different bed every night. Sometimes it is calling AAA to come unlock your keys from your car, and not being able to answer their question, "Where are you?"

Sometimes it is sitting around a dining room table with a family that has given sacrificially each month, sharing in their end-of-the-day stories, answering their questions, saying "thank you," and growing in our sense of being partners together in what God is doing in Japan.

The "M" of HMA is varied. The "M" of HMA is not a 9-5 desk job. The "M" of HMA requires sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's leading to know what that "M" should look like today.

The "M" of HMA is very different from the "M" the other four years, but "M" it remains, still the same, and a very crucial "M" at that. The "M" of HMA would not exist if it were not for the past four years. And were it not for the "M" of last HMA, the past four years would not have existed!

Prayer for Fon

Fone, in the red shirt, has just become a staffmember at our church plant. She has an amazing heart for outreach and will be helping in our campus ministry. Only about two years ago did she become a believer and then came through the doors of our church needing friends and discipleship.
Recently, she found out her friend died in a motorcycle accident. He owned the icecream shop that we went to so often this past summer with short-term teams. In this picture, he is in the foreground on the right. Please pray for Fone as she struggles through losing a friend, and he was not a Christian. May it bring our team more compassion and boldness in the sharing of our faith.

A Day at the Plow

Ok, so I'm not farming. But a day at the laptop or a day at the phone doesn't sound very exciting. And I have put in a good full day today of support raising. I woke up to start a new book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes. I prayed first that the Lord would open that book up to me in a new way. Solomon tried wisdom, pleasures, and power. Yet at the end, he saw "without God, who can eat or find enjoyment?"

I put in my first hour towards my online course, finding the opportunity to turn my head towards my ministry in Thailand so refreshing. Afterwards I just had to dance around the kitchen. I'm thankful for this online course because it helps re-focus me to why I'm raising support, to help the people of Thailand learn about God's love! With that burst of energy, I went to the plow.

My favorite part of the day was calling some of my supporters to say thank-you. The opportunity to share my heart with more experienced women and have them direct me to the Lord and His Word. I still have 39% of my support to go, but I am trusting in the Lord and thanking him for the day.

Did You Know?

One out of six people live in the slums. That makes it the largest unreached people group in the world.