Leaders, floods & prayers...

Our DRIME Thailand leaders

(campus team – or – “R_DRIME” – the rangsit zone team)

I LOVE our leaders! They just bring me so much joy and I cannot help laughing when I’m around them! I feel SO BLESSED to get the opportunity to spend time with them and build friendships and teach them about DRIME. Yesterday we had the opportunity to perform at the National Plan Meeting. This is a meeting where all the church leaders of the different churches come together to talk about their plan as a nation. Right now they want to see 1 million Thai Christians by 2015 – their slogan is “With Him We Can” Vision 2015! Our DRIME Thailand leaders did an amazing job of learning a drama and performing it all in less than a week! I literally was beaming like a proud parent as I watched them perform Ragman in a room of about 60 – 75 people. Every time I sit back and watch our leaders I can just see how much they are growing (especially Kong - he's come along way already) and it makes me so excited and proud of them every time! He has definitely come out of his shell and it’s amazing to watch! And being able to have the opportunity to hang out and get to know our leaders better is so wonderful! They have this DRIME bond as a leadership team already – they have something you cannot teach - they are crazy and funny and they are “monkeys” (that’s what they say). They constantly make me laugh and they are just suud yod mak! We hung out at the boys’ house a couple weeks ago on Sunday and Por started making up songs on the guitar about DRIME and about prayer and about Kenya and Arm was right in there with the percussion and Kong was in there with the rapping version of the song. Just so funny! I love our leaders so much! Chan rak our leaders mak mak ka!

Apparently they told us we say “perfect” too much so we asked a new word we could say: suud yod (greatest)

City Team still unknown

We have decided that there is not enough time to work on two teams while we are here without going completely insane and stressing out… It’s an overwhelming task to think of on top of training our current leaders. But we are training Kung in everything she needs to know to start up a city team when we leave; especially because January to March are the slower months at the TCCC office. The only thing is we don’t know if we can give some extra training to some potential leaders while Janna and I are here to help Kung out… and that depends on if God lets us know that this person should be on the city leadership team and all three of us agree that’s God’s plan. Keep this team in your prayers and that God would guide us and give us wisdom about this situation and what is best for Thailand.

Floods in Thailand

“Do you own a boat?"

"No I don’t."

"You should get one."

"Can I borrow yours?” 

"Okay, I'll come pick you up on the way to work"

Lol. (The campus staff joking with us lol) Maybe we should build one like Noah did :P

Update about the floods in Thailand. I’m sure a lot of you have been seeing and hearing about the floods in Thailand. The river and canal levels are higher than they have ever been and with all the rain this rainy season the level of the river is rising higher than the dam walls. So everyone is taking precautions. Filling sandbags and making more barricades. People are making sure they are prepared with water boxes (jugs of drinking water) noodles and food supplies in case the floods come. In other districts and provinces they have come. Our friend, Looknut, said that 60 out of the 77 provinces in Thailand are flooding. My heart has definitely grown for Thailand and it breaks at the families and homes that the floods have affected. The area in Bangkok, called Hoganka, where we live is not near the river and isn’t in danger of flooding. Please keep praying – just because I am safe doesn’t mean that you should stop praying. I truly care about this country and the people who are at risk - God is bigger than this water and I know there is a purpose in all of this; a reason why Janna and I are here during this time. Thailand has experienced flooding before but never like this. God is and will protect his children and can use this experience for good, I know! God wants us to rely on him always, but usually we are reminded when things like this happen. Praying that we all draw closer to Him through this.

I’m not writing any of this to worry you. But rather to inform you and to ask that you keep praying for Thailand. I am not worried. I know I am safe and God is protecting me. I have confidence God hears our prayers “if we ask anything according to his will” and “if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask -  we know we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14b-15) Some of my friends live in districts that are closer to the river and close to where the flooding is already happening. I know God will protect them and keep them safe too but you can never pray TOO MUCH! Keep them in your prayers! I appreciate them (your prayers) so much! Khorb Khun Mak ka!

Prayer Requests

• Pray for my friends that live in areas that may be affected by flooding. Pray that God would keep them safe and keep our church safe from the floods!
• Pray that through the flooding, people in Thailand will come to know Christ.
• Pray for my back – it was re-aggravated last week and I just want to be fully healed not back at square one.
• Pray for our decisions in helping train one potential city team leader – that God would help us to determine the right plan of action and for His wisdom to discern whether or not this potential leader would be a good fit for DRIME leadership – if that is God’s plan for him.
• Pray for all 3 of our leaders but especially Por to get some rest and relaxation the last two weeks of October. He is going home to see his family and then to Chiangmai for bible camp. But right now he’s like the energizer bunny – as Campus Director (and DRIME Thailand leader) he keeps going and going with so much work to do. His body is physically telling him to stop by making him sick and tired. So pray that he gets the rest he needs and the rejuvenation to come back strong next semester. Pray that God would be his strength when he is tired and weary. Also pray for Kung and Kong to have restful and relaxing breaks. They ALL have many things that they are busy with and rest is so important!
• Pray for recruiting – people go back home after exams, during the October break from school so our leaders don’t have much time to recruit during this time. Pray for LOTS of interest and that people would be willing to decide to commit to be members by November 11^th – 13^th when Bootcamp (and kick off to the year) is scheduled for. Pray for God to show himself through this and providing lots of interested members! Praying for at least 15 to 20 team members to sign up and be involved. (if not MORE :D!)
• Pray for the desires of our heart... in terms of how our October will look - pray that the things we would like to do in October fall into place and our schedule allows!