Tuesday, September 11, 2012

What my new life as a missionary looks like...

Our church is located in a government housing projects area. On weekday mornings and afternoons, I teach private classes to adults. They're kind and generous. A couple have taken me out to lunch or dinner. We've had some great conversations about my life and what God has done for me. This a great starting place for sharing the Gospel.
Starting at 5 pm, the calm environment shifts to one of high energy and excitement. The elementary students come ready to sing songs and play games. I make sure they learn something too. I'm pretty strict if they don't pay attention while I'm teaching. High school and adult students follow and my teaching day ends around 8:30 pm. (I don't teach all day long, only 4-5 hours)
On Wednesday, we have cell group, a small group Bible study, at 7:00 pm. It's a great time of fellowship. Our focus is on evangelism and discipleship of new believers. We host parties for birthdays and holidays. It's a great time to introduce our high school and adult English students to the concept of a small group and to let them see the difference Jesus has made in our lives.
On Sunday, I attend the Thai worship service. I take turns teaching kids' church. We have Thai people who teach the Bible story, and my missionary teammate and I lead games and arts and crafts.
All the children who come to kids' church live in the neighborhood surrounding the church. None of their parents come to church yet. We provide lunch for the kids and celebrate birthdays every month. We make a cake, which is a big deal in Thailand. Most Thai people don't have ovens and don't know anything about baking. I think the kids feel very special when we ask what kind of cake they want and then take the time to make it ourselves. Thank God for the opportunity to show them that they'r valuable to God and to us. I love what I'm doing. It's wonderful to have the time and energy to truly get to know people in our community. I'm so thankful the Lord has allowed me to make the switch to full time missions. If you would like to partner with me in reaching Thai people for Christ, you can support me in the following ways: -PRAY! The nation of Thailand will not be changed without a major move of God. -Host a small group event (maybe your Sunday School class or Bible study group) where I can share about the work the Lord is using me to do in Thailand -Give Tax deductible contributions can be made to Church of God World Missions. Checks can be sent to : Church of God World Missions P.O. Box 8016 Cleveland, TN 37320 Please include a note that the contribution is for me and write my project number as well: #065-0799 Online contributions can be made at www.cogwm.org. In the "Project" field, please type my name and #065-0799. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for me and been a friend to me. I'm so thankful you're in my life.