The Thailand team is focusing on language study and building strategic relationships. This team has the incredible opportunity to teach English in a Thai Buddhist T-mple school. Other o-treach opportunities include partnering with our long-term workers in an effort to reach out to children, single moms that are coming in off the street (from human trafficking), and university students.

Brittany writes…
“Since it’s now summer break for us we have started helping out at The Well (an organization that reaches out to the bar girls). They really needed some help with their summer camp for the kids and so we’ve been able to help with that a couple of times a week. Something that I’ve been questioning is what are we even really doing here (at The Well)? Are we even really helping them out? But something that I’ve been remembering is that we are totally here (at The Well and in Thailand) to be in the background. We’re not necessarily involved in a lot of “direct” min-stry in the sense that we are not the ones who are discipling Thai seekers or the ones that are going into the bars and rescuing the women, but we are supporting the long term, whether it be the workers or it be the min-stry itself. By serving them we are supporting their m-ssion. I know that that is why G-d has us in Thailand. Yes, we are here to reach out to the Thai people but one of our main goals is to bless and encourage the long-term workers. This is something that I’ve known, but I guess I was just reminded of it as I was questioning the importance of what we’re doing at The Well.

We had our once a month retreat day this past Monday and that was so good for me to just take some time to read/pr-y and process some stuff that has happened. After spending some time by ourselves with G-d we came back together to go over the team covenant/fruits of pride and to have a time of hot seat pr-yer. It was good to look back over the covenant and once again be reminded of what we said we came here to do. I feel as though we’re doing a good job in a lot of areas but we all agreed that there were certain areas where we definitely had room to improve in. Everybody really opened up and shared what’s going on in their lives during hot seat pr-yer.”

Pr-yer requests for the Thailand team:

• Pr-y for the girls as some of them transition into host homes
• Pr-y for the girls as they start volunteering with an organization that helps women at risk or who have previously been involved in prositution

The South Asia team will be working alongside an established YWAM base. O-treach possibilities include teaching English as a second language, helping with a bakery for widows, both rural and urban evang-lism, prison m-nistries, leper m-nistry, friendship evang-lism, and physical labor.

Simran, my 10-year-old girl, started out being pretty hard to deal with and really angry. She has been through a lot in her short life and had shut almost everybody out. There is no way for me to describe how much she has changed. She still has trouble with anger, but she has become so much more loving and is so thoughtful and sweet. My heart melts every time she gives me a hug or wants me to sit beside her. She threatens to lock me in the bathroom so I can’t leave. It is going to be so hard to leave her and I thank Father so much for allowing me to meet her for a little while.

Laxmi, my 21-year-old girl, has really severe learning disabilities and there are some things in school that I am sure she will never learn, but she tries so hard and is a joy to teach. I never thought I would be so happy to see someone learn how to multiply or see anyone so happy to finally get it. She talks about having a family and wants one so bad, but I don’t know if that will happen. She loves little children and often plays with them during break and they all adore her. She wants to help anyone with anything and is the one I can always count on to help when something needs cleaned up. She loves to play jokes on me and has been such a good friend. I am going to miss her so much.

David, my 13-year-old boy, has a lot of trouble with anger, but inside is the sweetest boy you could imagine. He doesn’t like school, but is very smart and picks things up so fast. He soaks in new information like a sponge. He is a wonderful artist and would rather draw than anything else. He loves to play jokes on people and tease me. His smile makes me just want to hug him, though I never would because it would embarrass him. He is very independent and wants to do things by himself. He is also pretty quiet and doesn’t voice his thoughts a lot, but he has a lot of respect from the other boys and the girls, even though he loves to tease them. I will miss his questions and teasing smile.”

Pr-yer requests for the South Asia team:

• Pr-y for strength for the team as they leave Ind’a and go to N’pal for the remainder of their o-treach
• Pr-y for continued growing relationships with people around them

The Middle East team will spend time in language school. They will also be involved in teaching conversational English, relational evang-lism, and assisting our long-term workers in established m-nistries. This team will live in host homes.

Laura and Denise are working for one of the neighbors. They help their son do physical therapy and clean the house and I'm not sure what else, but I think they enjoy it. We all love hanging out with each other and have come together nicely. It's really cool to be a part of that. I think we're all looking forward to being home as well though! And I know that we're all trying to figure out what to do when we do get home. As far as I'm concerned, that time will come when it comes and I won't worry about it because I've got work to do while I'm still here. I am really enjoying my time here, and coming down to this last month, it's really challenging me to 'remember the past, think to the future, but live in the moment.' It's difficult but I'm doing the best I can.

I jammed my right pointer finger playing soccer the other night and when we got home I asked Jared to pull it and when he did it made an enormous pop. We both cringed and then laughed. Now my finger is swollen but the pain is going away quickly.”

The Spain team will spend the first few months of their o-treach in language study. They will also assist in teaching conversational English, youth m-nistry, and helping with a gym/coffee house m-nistry. This team will be walking alongside an established ch-rch and helping in their efforts to reach out to the local community.

Things I have been learning are:  I always think when I look out at the sea on a day like today of how G-d created everything in it, and how I’m only seeing a tiny part of it. It’s unbelievable to think about all that He has created. Lately he been showing me just how many things he is doing. He is there right beside us, from cleaning the floor at the ch-rch to a walk with a friend.”

Pr-yer requests for the Spain team:

• Pr-y for team health – sp-ritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally
• Pr-y for the team as they say good-byes to close friends

The Himalaya team will be involved in a variety of o-treaches including trekking into unreached villages, helping in orphanages, and discipleship training initiatives.

We’ve also been doing our share of preaching the last month. The ch-rch body we are with has a normal ch-rch service Saturday and then (since the members are quite spread apart and not all can attend the Saturday service) they have three other fellowship services during the week. We haven’t missed a fellowship yet, and one of us has given the message at every service we’ve been to so far. So if you’ve been doing the math you know that means our team gives four messages a week (more if we split up to go to other ch-rches on Saturday). Strangely enough with all these sermons, work, and tutoring we haven’t gotten completely exhausted yet (thanks I’m sure to G-d’s power not our own endurance) though almost every day we roll into our mosquito nets quite ready to recharge.

One thing that I (and the others) have been increasingly grateful for is the times we have to spend with G-d. In America having enough time to talk to my creator was never something I appreciated too much because I always had it. But now the times that I sit down and have at least an hour for G-d seem like such a blessing and refreshment. I think we’ve all been coming to realize the necessity to follow Jes-s example of withdrawing often to pr-y.”

The Kenya team will start by staying a few weeks in Thika for orientation before heading north to Lodwar and Kakuma. This team will work in a refugee camp, trek into remote villages, and encourage the local ch-rches.

We are currently staying at the African Chr-stian M-ssion International (ACMI) base here in Kakuma. We are being hosted by three staff members whose company we enjoy, Betty, Cecilia, and Alex. We look forward to getting to know them.

We have encountered many opportunities to serve here. Dustin and I have been teaching two Excel classes at the local cyber café. Janae has been keeping company with Betty, meeting her friends, and going with her into the camp. Isaac has been working with an NGO called the National Council of Ch-rches in Kenya to help construct temporary and permanent shelters for new refugee arrivals. Some of the girls have been working with a group of women who make peanut butter to help support themselves. Maribeth has taught elementary school classes in Math, Science, Arts and Crafts, and Physical Education. She is still working to get involved at either the International Rescue Committee’s camp hospital or another mission hospital in Kakuma town. Many needs exist and I have enjoyed meeting new people and finding more and more opportunities to serve.”