Thanksgiving and Back Again

Wasn’t it just Thanksgiving?  We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Youth Group at the Youth Center, the day before Thanksgiving.  It was great we shared a wonderful meal, talked, laughed, played games and even had a pie eating contest.

The weeks leading up to Christmas were busy, but especially the week of Christmas. . .

We had such a busy, blessing filled week.  We had a wonderful time with the youth on Wednesday night at the Youth Group Christmas party.  In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the youth made an 8 foot tall Christmas tree out of more than 500 re-cycled soda cans.   We stood around the lit Christmas tree, holding candles and sand Christmas carols and we gave a message about how God takes us when we give our lives to Him and recycles us into something far better than we ever could have imagined.

During the party, Bill received two phone calls.  One from a friend asking to come speak with us when we got home from Youth Group around 8:30, and the other asking if it would be okay for 20 to 30 Korean university students from Handong Global University in South Korea to come to sing carols at our house around 9:00 pm.  Bill told me about the calls as we drove some of the youth home from Youth Group.  As he spoke I glanced at the clock in the car and saw that it was ten of 8:00.  My first thought was ‘Yikes!’, and then I started planning what we needed to do when we got home.  As we arrived home I felt confident with the quick plan of moving a table, getting together snacks and juice, water and soda for the university students.  However, I had just put my purse down when our 8:30 friend arrived.  Fortunately, while we spoke with our friend, the Korean university singing group called and said they would be about 20 minutes late.  I thought ‘Great!’ we can still make this work.

The Korean group arrived and one student did a series of magic tricks with a rope.  He was really good, but it was funny because our puppy Alphie went and stood right in front of him wagging his tail and looking like he was going to jump up and grab the rope.  I am happy to say the Alphie restrained himself from grabbing the rope and running off.  Then the Pitch Pipes, an incredible a cappella group of university students sang a wonderful array of Christmas songs and finished by praying for us.  We then prayed for them, and offered them refreshments.

What happened next reminded me of a cartoon, the students surrounded the table and moved in tightly and then they swelled back out.  I looked at the table in disbelief. . .there weren’t even any crumbs left.  I dashed over to Bill and told him that I was going see if I could find any other food to put out for the students.  I triumphantly returned with some chips.  I handed the chips into the circle and someone relieved me of the chips, I saw that they were dumped on the table and again they went in tight and backed away revealing that the chips were gone.  Again I went searching for more food, I found a little more to put out, and everyone was looking satisfied so I thought all was well until. . .

One of the students picked up a can and said “Beer” pointing at the can; I quickly looked at the can and said “Root Beer” “soda”.  He again pointed at the can and said “Beer”.  I tried to assure them that it was soda, not beer.  Finally one of them opened the can and tasted the sugary sweet root beer.  Okay, they understood soda not beer.  Ahhh.

Thursday, I taught ballet class and then led rehearsal for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day presentations at Market Village Mall and Power of Love Church.  While I was teaching and rehearsing the girls, Bill was downstairs leading a cookie baking group.  After rehearsal we then joined them in making cookies to give away at the Youth Group table at the Christmas Eve celebration at the mall.

Friday, we went shopping for more cookie baking ingredients, followed by a wonderful evening with friends at the Connect3e fundraising dinner at the Sheraton to raise money to build a second home for Karen students. (http://connect3e.org/)

Saturday, we baked and baked and baked cookies to give out to people at Market Village at our Youth Group outreach table, where we also gave out free Thai and English Bibles and tracts, as well as information about the Youth Center. Fortunately we had a lot of help from the Youth Group. :-)

We just had enough time to dash home for the costumes for the girls to dance at Market Village as part of a Christian Outreach Christmas Eve celebration. The girls did an amazing job. I am so proud of them! They danced to one Christmas song in English and one in Thai.

Then bright and early Sunday, Christmas morning, I picked the girls up to dance at the Power of Love Church.  Bill preached at the Power of Love Church this morning, and in my unbiased opinion, did a wonderful job of making us want to draw closer to Jesus - not just for one Holy day, but for a lifetime. The girls danced wonderfully. It is amazing to me that I have only been teaching them for just over 3 months, they are already so good.

Then Christmas afternoon we were so blessed to spend the afternoon with wonderful friends, laughing, telling stories and sharing a meal.

And so here I am, my heart is overflowing with joy and thanksgiving.

I pray that each of you found yourselves drawing closer to THE CHRIST in Christmas.

Blessings to each of you in 2012!

Blessings,

April

So, How Do You Pray?

Have you ever had someone come up to you and say “I know you are going to say No, but I want to ask you the question anyhow”?

I have had that happen, and I always feel funny when someone starts with the phrase “I know you are going to say No, but. . .”

In the span of one week, I have counseled 2 different women, in regard to their marriages.  Each of them came to me with pain showing in their eyes and tears rolling down their cheeks, telling me that their marriage was over and that they had no choice but to leave their husband.

In each case, I let the woman tell me her story as I sat in silence and listened.  Then I prayed and asked the Lord to guide me as I gave them Biblical counsel.  The Lord brought verse after verse to my mind and I shared the Bible verses with them, explaining to them how these verses applied to their marriages and to their lives.

On both occasions, each of the women seemed to listen intently.  I talked with each woman and then asked them if they would like me to pray with them.  In both instances the woman said “Yes” she would like me to pray with her.

Before I prayed with them, I wanted to make sure that they truly had faith that the Lord could heal their marriages.  I wanted to be sure that as we prayed, that we would be two people gathered together of one mind.  The Bible says, "I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you."  Matthew 18:19

As soon as I finished praying with the first woman, she said “My husband will never change.  Our marriage is definitely over.”  And I knew that even as I had pleaded with the Lord on behalf of her marriage that in her heart doubts had lurked, and she had not believed that the Lord would intervene and restore her marriage.

"But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do."  James 1:6-8

A week later I met with and prayed with the second woman.  The very next morning I received a text from her.  She was praising the Lord and thanking me for counseling her and praying with her.  She proceeded to tell me that as soon as she had gotten home God had worked a miracle in her marriage. 

This woman had trusted that the Lord could and would work in her marriage, and He did.

Later that afternoon I got a call from her and she told me that God had also answered the prayers we had lifted up about a second issue.  She was so thankful to the Lord for answering her prayers, and truly filled to overflowing with joy. 

"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." Matthew 21:22

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."  Mark 11:24

So, how do you pray?

Blessings,

April

I am So Excited to Hear From. . .

The other day in Bible Study we started talking about how we come before the Lord.

“Do we come before the Lord, like some children come to their parents?” I asked.  The parents in the group all smiled, when I asked that.  They had all ‘been there’, feeling like they were just a wallet to be tapped, or a shoulder to cry on during a hard day.

The parents all said how nice it would be, if their kids:

• Didn’t want something every time they came to them.
• Wanted to spend time with them.
• Actually wanted to have a conversation with them.
• Believed that their parents had some wisdom to give them.
• Were as excited about seeing their parents as they were about seeing their friends.
• Loved and cared about their parents.

So how are we when we come before our Heavenly Father?  Do we. . .

• Always have our hand out, asking for something?
• Talk at God, not waiting to hear what He wants to tell us?
• Try to make our interaction with Him, as quick as possible so we can get on with life?
• Tell God and show God that we love Him?

After this conversation, I challenged all of them (and myself), to go before the Lord with new hearts from now on.  Everytime!

Instead of reading God’s Word, having morning devotion time, or praying. . .

• Because we should, or
• Because it is something we can mark off of our To Do list, or
• Because as Christians, that is what we are supposed to do.

Instead. . .

• Really being excited, as we go to read God’s Word, or to pray.

• In awe, just knowing that The Creator of the world wants to talk to us.

• Feeling the privilege that we have in having God’s Word available at our fingertips whenever we want to draw near, and knowing that the Lord is always available to us.

• Excited to hear what the Lord wants to say to us today.

• Hungry for the encouragement that He wants to give us.

o       Or even, to be admonished.  Yes, I have learned that it is even good for the Lord to tell us about something we need to change in our lives.  Maybe it is something that we need to change in our hearts, or maybe it is something we are doing (or not doing) that needs changing.  "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." James 4:17 Whatever it is, isn’t it always better to take care of an issue right away, rather than letting it fester and become a habit in our lives, or rather than letting it lead us further off the path that the Lord has laid out for us.  "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 

Wow!  It is so exciting for me to think about the fact that God prepared in advance for me to do good works.  Just like a parent whose child says they want to paint a picture, and then the parent goes and prepares everything for the child.  They gather up all of the supplies, and then they set out the paints, paint brushes, paper and sponges, so that their child has everything they need to succeed in creating their project.  The parent even covers the table and the floor area with plastic and newspapers so they won’t make a mess, so that it will be a good experience for the child.  Hmmmm.  God wants us to succeed in doing good works, and He goes before us and makes preparations so that we can succeed.  He even tries to keep us from making a mess out of our efforts.  As I think about the love the Lord shows through His tender care and thoughtfulness, my heart is just overflowing with joy and gratitude.

o       Joy in having the confidence, in knowing without a doubt, that we can trust His wisdom.  Knowing that He is the source for wisdom.  Sometimes in our dealings with people, we hear them say what seems like the right things, but something just feels off. . .and we wonder, do they really have our best interest in mind as they give us advice?  With the Lord, we do not have to wonder.  We know that He says "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

I am praying that each of us will have excitement, love and joy as we have the honor of having a daily relationship with the Lord.

Blessings,

April

Wedding Bells. . .

On Saturday evening Bill conducted another wedding ceremony.  It is such a blessing for me to see the time and care that Bill puts into each wedding he participates in, to personalize it and make it special just for that couple.

Right after the ceremony ended, the Uncle of the Bride came up to Bill and told him that he should give each person a copy of the wedding ceremony because the words he spoke were great advice for every couple.  We do not know if he is a Christian or Buddhist, but how wonderful that he could see the wisdom of the words.

It was a beautiful day, in a gorgeous setting on the beach with the people looking at the Bride and Groom and Bill with the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Thailand as the background.

Lord, please bless this couple.

Mark 10:9 "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

Blessings,

April

Everyday Lessons. . .

Usually the Lord speaks to me in one of two ways, either through reading His Word or by teaching me through everyday life situations.

Take yesterday for instance, it was a nice sunny day here in our area of Thailand, so I did laundry.  I had the laundry hanging out on the clothes line, blowing in the wind.  Generally things dry quickly in the Thailand heat, so several hours later I went out to see if the clothes were dry. 

Some of the clothes were dry so I started to take them off the line, and that’s when I saw it. . .gecko poop.  Ewwww!  There on the collar of two of my husband’s shirts, and on a bed cover.  Yuck!

I immediately thought, I just cleaned these clothes and here they are dirty already!  And that is when the Lord spoke to my heart. . .”Just like when you come to Me asking for forgiveness, asking Me to cleanse you; and then, a short time later you are back again asking for forgiveness and cleansing for the very same thing.”

I stopped my indignant march to the washer to rewash the three items.  Oh, wow!  How true.  Well, of course, it is the Lord addressing this issue with me.   

I immediately thought of how I had gone to the Lord about letting other people’s anger or negative actions toward me lead me to become angry as well.  I know that returning anger for anger is not how the Lord wants me to react, and yet, I find myself returning to the Lord for forgiveness for that very thing.

The Lord then put Paul’s words on my heart.  In Romans 7:15 Paul says "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."

I have been there!  I want to be fast to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger, and then I falter.  Thankfully the Lord is doing a work in me on this, and I am getting better at not returning anger for anger.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not walk around angry (my normal disposition is joyful), but I do sometimes let other people’s anger make me react in a way I don’t want too.

James 1:19 says "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;"

Here is, Shoey, a gecko we took a picture of when we first moved to Thailand.  We called him that to remind us to look in our shoes, because you never know what might crawl into your shoe in Thailand.  J

“Thank you Lord for the daily lessons you teach me, and thank you for always welcoming me when I come back again and again asking for forgiveness.”

Blessings,

April

Serving The Lord in Thailand

Hello my name is April and I have been married to my wonderful husband Bill for 23 years, and we are missionaries in Thailand.

Four years ago Bill and I were living in Pennsylvania, where Bill worked as an attorney and I worked for a municipal government in the Finance Department.  We were busy with work and serving in many different capacities at our church.

Back in 2005 God had placed it on our hearts to sell our large home (we were thinking Christian Bed and Breakfast, but God had a different plan.)  So we sold our home and started to rent a small bungalow.

Bill and I both felt that the Lord wanted us to serve as fulltime missionaries, but we did not know where or when.  So, we just kept praying.  We started to feel that the field had been narrowed to Australia or Thailand.  (Let me just stop and tell you that our claim to ‘world travel’ up to this point had been that we had traveled into Canada, several times.)  J  We really wanted to serve where the Lord wanted us to serve, so I kept praying that God would make it SO obvious that even I would get it.  And He did!

One day Bill and I were in New Jersey.  We had just gone to church down in Ocean City, and we decided to go for a drive.  We were driving in our Prius, when all of a sudden the GPS started talking.  It said “Your destination has been set!”  We were truly startled when the GPS started to talk.  We had not programmed it, and to be honest, we really had not used the GPS other than to look at the screen that shows where we are currently driving. 

We both turned to look at each other, and Bill tried not to drive off of the road.  Bill looked at my hands to see if I had pushed a button or something, and I looked at his.  But, neither of us had touched the GPS or any controls for that matter.  Just then, the GPS started to speak again.  This time it said “The Point of Interest will now show all Thai Restaurants.”

The screen did not show anything, but from that moment on we knew without a doubt that Thailand was where He wanted us to serve.  We had such a peace in our hearts from that time on.

So, we left our jobs, our families and our friends, got rid of our stuff, and moved halfway around the world to Thailand.  From the time we landed in Thailand, we have felt at home.  Okay so there were things that we had to adjust too: Like not being able to speak with most people, because we did not know the language; Not having the luxury of going to a bookstore to buy a book written in English; Dealing with the fact that a simple Thai Bible costs nearly $30.00, which puts it way out of the reach of the average Thai person; Geckos crawling on the walls inside and out; Washing dishes and clothes in room temp water; and Hot weather all year long.  The list could go on.  J

God has really given us a heart and a love for the people here in Thailand.  I really like the Brandon Heath song “Give Me Your Eyes”, and that is what I pray daily, that God will give me His heart shaped eyes to see people the way He does.

When we came to Thailand we did not know exactly what the Lord wanted to do through us, but in the two years that we have been here He has used us.  Praise God!  We have helped start two churches.  We opened a Youth Center and where we have Bible studies, games and dinner for youth between the ages of 10 and 18.  I teach Ladies Bible study every week.  I started to teach Ballet and Praise Dance about a month and a half ago, and the girls have danced in two churches and for church gathering of 200 people.  We have taught English at church and at an orphanage. . .

Everyday is a new opportunity for us to reach out, serve and love like Jesus.  We are so humbled that He would use us in this way.

People here ask me about my joy, which is a wonderful segue for me to tell them about Jesus.

When people ask me how I am, I always say “I am blessed!”  This too leads into conversations about the Lord.  Yes, there are potholes in the road of life.  There are challenges and hurts, but I know through everything that I am blessed because the Lord is always with me.  Loving me, and loving through me.  Guiding me, and helping me guide others.  Giving me wisdom, discernment, and encouragement, and helping me to teach and encourage others.    

So with a grateful heart I serve the Lord with my husband, here in Thailand.  I feel blessed and honored to serve the people of Thailand.

Giving all the credit, all the praise and glory and honor where it belongs, to the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, Jesus, my God and my Savior!

Blessings,

April

Shall We Dance. . .

Since we have returned to Thailand from America, God has just been so incredible in my life.  In fact, sometimes, I have felt as if I am running just to keep up.  Sadly, one area in my life that has gotten set aside during this time is my blogging.  I say sadly, because I truly enjoy blogging.  I love to share what God puts on my heart, in hopes that it will speak to and encourage someone else.

Here in Thailand I have offered to share my knowledge about ballet and Praise Dance with the girls in the area.  The girls have been so dedicated and enthusiastic!  They have picked up the basics of ballet so quickly.  Okay, okay, I know I sound like a proud teacher, but listen to how the Lord has worked through this ministry. . .

A friend popped into in Youth Group one Saturday, and chatted with Bill and I briefly, while the youth ate dinner.  I talked about how well the girls had done in their first ballet class.  He immediately jumped in and said, “Oh by the way, would the girls be available to perform at an all church gathering the last Friday in September?”

I laughed and told him that they had only had 1 class so far.  He said that was fine, and that he was sure that they would do a great job.  Some of the girls were at Youth Group and I called them aside and told them that they had been asked to dance in two weeks for a gathering of hundreds.  They all started to laugh.  I told them it was true, and they laughed all the harder, saying that they had only had 1 class so far.

I went back and told our friend that 2 weeks was just too soon.  Not to miss an opportunity, he said “Okay, how about if they dance at the following gathering on the last Friday in October?”  I told him I would let him know.

At the next ballet class I discussed with the girls the possibility of dancing at the end of October.  They kept asking me if I thought they could do it.  I really felt like the Lord was saying “Yes, they can do this.”, and I told them I thought they could do it.

And they did!  Two nights ago, they danced in front of about 200 people from Thai churches and from English speaking churches, and they did an amazing job.

In fact, as soon as the worship service was over, the coordinator came over and pleaded with me to have the girls dance at the November gathering.  Not just one dance, but two.  She said she wanted the girls to open the worship service with a dance and close the service with another dance.

We (the girls and I) decided that it would be too much for me to choreograph two dances, teach them the dances and rehearse enough that they would feel that they had done their very best.  So, we are looking at maybe December.

So far, the girls have danced at two churches and the all church gathering of our town.  They are dancing at another church in December, and. . .

Well, we are still working out details about other dancing opportunities.

I have seen this group of girls draw closer to each other, encourage each other and seek to Honor the Lord with their dancing.

Praise God!

"Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!"  Psalm 150:4

Blessings,

April