Assignment

Hey friends, I think Bangkok is getting hotter by the day.  Oh buddy.  If you're reading this with snow outside your window, I'm sorry.  Maybe.  One of my happiest moments since my last post was that I got to see my roommate from senior year Ellie and her husband Jake as they had a layover in Bangkok for an evening.  I cannot tell you how much joy it gave me to be with her again, catching up on Jesus glory stories, laughing at our jokes, and being loved by people who know me so very well.  It was hard to have to say goodbye again after only a few hours, but I'm so thankful for God providing that experience and reminding me how He loves to care for us, even in the seemingly small things.

In other news, I started language class today.  Our first class was learning vowels, consonants, and tones.  I had thought that knowing Chinese tones would help me out with Thai, but the tones are just different enough that it's confusing.  On the other hand, my China experience has been such a valuable stepping stone to Thailand in more way than one.  Because really, everything is preparation for something when you follow Jesus!

I went to Laos this past weekend with my friend and housemate Kate to apply for our education visas that will carry us through the rest of our time in Thailand.  We got into a van with a bunch of other expats in the evening on Wednesday, and drove all night until we got to the Laos border and walked across at 6am.  It was very much like a movie scene of some kind- a hoard of people with backpacks walking though a giant gate in early morning darkness.  However, we only had to walk because Thailand and Laos drive on opposite sides of the roads, and right hand drive vehicles aren't allowed across the border.  After that we waited in some lines, went to the Thai Consulate, and waited in more lines.  Kate and I's motto was to relax so we slept, watched movies and sat outside at our hotel.  The next day we received our visas, visited in excellent little coffee shop in Vientiane, and returned to Thailand.

That brings me to my next point.  A few weeks ago, I finished reading Unstoppable by Christine Caine.  I highly recommend it!  She compares life to God to running a relay race- being prepared, being ready for exchanges, and how everyone on the team does their part.  One idea she talks about is that of "knowing your assignment."  In her example (and in my life right now), it specifically applies to ministry.  We are most effective for God when we know exactly what we're supposed to be doing and doing it well.  The evening we were at the hotel, there was a most glorious sunset.  I was spending some time with God on one of the balconys, but the sun was away from me.  I ended up in a cleaning closet (that was only closed off by a curtain), with worship playing on my phone watching the sun go down in every color.

I thought about the people and nation of Laos, where churches are under scrutiny and Christians have been imprisoned and told to renounce their faith.  My heart cried out to God.  And yet, I sensed God say, ever so subtly, "this isn't your assignment."  My assignment was south of me at that time, in another South East Asian nation that is winning my heart in ways I didn't know were possible.  Because right now, this year, Thailand is my place and my people.  He has me to be here. Does that time and that love extend past November?  I can't answer that yet.  What I do know is that there's something about being here that's right and important.  It's more than me liking the food and the palm trees (even if my Instagram would give other ideas), it's a love in my heart that is bigger than me because its supernatural.  It's God's heart to see these people know Jesus Christ as Lord.  This is big and I'm not sure what exactly the make of that yet because it's one thing that could mean so many different things.  But, woah.  Because He loves this place a whole heck of a lot, and so do I.

Prayer Requests:
--grace and patience as I add Thai classes and studying to my schedule, and that I would have supernatural understanding for this language.  I haven't had much luck with language learning in the past, and I hope this time will be different!
--for outreach on Friday, that God's love would be tangible and communication between us and the women would be clear and meaningful.  Pray that it would be a night of blessing, healing, and God's presence!

Ellie and I! I'm so thankful for this.

Waiting to cross into Laos