What an amazing trip!6 countries in SE Asia [Thailand, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore] in two weeks [July 19 - August 1]... I'm almost recovered from the jet lag ;P a few of my thoughts since arriving home (with link to photo album) are posted here... Enjoy!
Sunday
8/3/14 Facebook Post
It was an awesome trip, for sure - this
morning, as I sit here resting my way through jet lag & last traces of
sickness (which thankfully didn't affect me until after I got home), I find the
question returning about why I do short term missions. Yes, because God sends
me - this time that was very obvious! as it all came about so
"suddenly" & supernaturally. I realized on the plane heading over that I had blocked Asia somewhat from my consciousness
& heart for "the nations" - it was too far, I don't speak the
languages, didn't really see myself going or being involved in that part of the
world? Then I got launched! For two weeks, through
six nations. And yes, I believe God uses
us in those few moments we touch the lives of children, the poor, & (my
heroes) the long-term missionaries who do God's work in hard places day after
day. Healings happen; Love is
displayed. Holy Spirit shifts
atmospheres & refreshes weary souls, pours out prophetic prayers,
encouragement & proclamations releasing divine destiny over individuals
& changing nations. I'm under no
illusions about our own abilities or personal goodness apart from God, but I
know He ordains & orchestrates these amazing symphonies of His Love, even
though they are so intense & for such a short time... I know He digs deep
in our hearts, making lots of new connections & commitments to support His work
in other places - with prayers, finances, sharing new awareness with others -
as I return to my job in the USA Thailand ,
Cambodia , Philippines
♥ I want you to see this. ♥
♥ I want you to see this. ♥
Link
to my digital photo album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10202235907082019&type=1&l=327d7275b9
[To
enjoy the full captions & comments, which tell more of our story, click on
the first image and then page through the album by clicking the arrow at the
right edge of each photo, one by one.]
Travel
Math!
I’m glad I didn’t figure this up quite so
precisely until I got home - my “travel math” for 14 days:
6 countries [Thailand ,
Laos , Burma , Cambodia ,
Philippines , Singapore
10 airplanes
63 hours of flight time
24 hours of layovers (time in airports between flights)
9 hours x 2 days = 18 hours of bus travel from Bangkok to Siem Reap, then on to Phnom Penh
= 105 hours of travel, plus bus rides to/from sites & waiting to check in/out of
airports & hotels
In retrospect, I think only a bunch of crazy –
wild – fun – loving - Jesus people would do all that in 2 weeks to visit 4
children’s homes, 3 garbage dumps, 2 red light districts & a couple of
temples. And we had the most amazing
team of 32 people (35 counting our amazing leaders) who fit that
description! Now we all miss our time
together, but I'll admit I’m pretty glad not to be on a plane for a little while. ;)
Want
to know / do more?
As God opens our eyes to see His treasures
around the world, I want my short-term mission trips to be more than a “moment”
– I want to partner with those who are literally changing nations
by rescuing children, transforming orphans into sons & daughters of God,
whose hopes & dreams & abilities will shape the future. We saw
this in the Upper Mekong region, where children
who had been taken from their parents for military training are now in
Christian children’s homes, attending school, strong in spirit & full of
dreams for their future! After speaking briefly with Marcus Young of Project AK47 (whose family has been involved in SE Asia for 125 years) about the connection between long &
short term mission activities, I felt in my heart a deep & joyful
conviction to invest an amount equal to the cost of this trip in what Marcus
& his team are doing to rescue & care for children through Project AK47,
by making a series of small
monthly gifts over a period of years. I
share that mainly to encourage readers that, as Marcus told me, “Little is Big”
in the Kingdom of
God
Likewise, Global Celebration provides ongoing support for children in the nations they visit, now through their dedicated website “Rescue the One,” where one-time or monthly donations of any size add up to changing the world by assisting trusted partners & Christian caregivers to provide children at risk with love, education, & other basic needs for life, God-given identity & destiny as citizens & leaders of the next generation in Bulgaria, Cambodia, India, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Philippines & Thailand... For more information, see www.rescuetheone.org
Likewise, Global Celebration provides ongoing support for children in the nations they visit, now through their dedicated website “Rescue the One,” where one-time or monthly donations of any size add up to changing the world by assisting trusted partners & Christian caregivers to provide children at risk with love, education, & other basic needs for life, God-given identity & destiny as citizens & leaders of the next generation in Bulgaria, Cambodia, India, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Philippines & Thailand... For more information, see www.rescuetheone.org
You can also find many more photos &
stories from our team under #HopeinAsia
on Facebook.
If you have any questions for me about what
I’ve written here, my email is holy1fire@gmail.com
Thanks
again to all who supported me with prayers & finances on this trip – may
God bless you abundantly, many times over, for every moment & every measure
you give into His kingdom! ♥
 |
| Photo by Vanessa Ong |
Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the
[Luke 18:16 GNT]
♥
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