Sunday, January 11, 2009 @ 10:26 PM
Sawadee Kah!
This is my ChiangMai mission trip [22-29 DEC 08'] testimony! Other updates will do it soon! but just to update.. I truely also thank God for giving me good results and truly God will never shortchange anyone who honors Him. May 2009 be a different change for me. Currently, I'm having my last attachment for my Year One. It's a diferent set of challenges altogether.. But I know the Lord is beside me and through the many reminders that, the Lord has already prepare the way before me, so I dont have to be afraid but to trust in Him to guide and lead me. I'm encourage to hear many news of certain patient whom I've nursed before is well and all.. I'm really grateful to God and am encouraged to have heard it. It's two different ward but yet i can still meet the lady whom I encouraged the first ward I went, It really brightens my day. Anyway.. I am back to the second ward in my first posting haha.. abit of difference because now we are not really under any teacher.. but somehow.. now i really wished that there is a teacher. but anyhow, i am enjoying my job although I perspire the whole day kind.. hahaha. alrite thank GOd for everything! Looking forward for CNY!!!!!! hahaha
Firstly, I thank God for His providence and blessing me with help to be able to go for this Chiang Mai Trip. I wasn’t really prepared mentally to go for any trip yet, it seems vague to me or a dream to me when I agreed to go for this mission trip when Jaime and Aunty Amy first approach me. However, I Thank God for moving my heart and that I agreed on: “Yes, I would want to go.” As we all know the condition in Bangkok and Chiang Mai it was almost impossible to go this year, but truly if God wants us to go nothing could stop Him. I thank God for the increasing number of people who were moved to come for this trip and this were church members that I hardly got to talk to them. I thank God for making up this team of 27 people to be able to make it for this trip. Thank God for seeing us through our meetings that involved rehearsals for different team’s skits, practicing of Thai Christmas songs to preparing and discussing about food, guard against malaria etc., and how we got together to pray when we heard the air port in Chiang Mai and Bangkok has closed, we could see God working in us and answering our prayers.
I thank God that He has seen us through a smooth custom check in and out at the airport. Thank God for granting each of us safety and none was unwell. It was already evening, when we reached Crystal Spring where Brother Nat and some Thai Friends came to pick us at the Air Port. We settled down and had our first dinner at Lemon tree house restaurant [The food is "YUM"!]. Some of us who came the second time recognized the familiar faces and for me, I managed to spot some familiar faces because some of them visited Singapore earlier this year or last. Thank God for their warmth welcome when they received us.
Fast forward, I thank God that I am in the West Team who needed to be one of them to accomplish the 6km hike back and forth from Molochi Village to Mae Po Village which is Jack’s Hometown Village. We definitely expect the unexpected from God, we just marvel at how God time and again provided so much help e.g. sending the Molochi Villagers to carry our “Barangs” downhill to Jack’s Village, sending Jack’s Father to receive us and with some of us still carrying our bags were relieve to see that He and his Villagers brought a bull cart with them to lighten our load while the remaining 2km hike. It is almost amazing that because God held the rain, the rivers or streams were manageable to cross by the help of the Thais who go before us to prepare for us to cross safely and there was no sight of leeches although we made so many plans in Singapore e.g. putting on plastic bags, wearing thick socks, bring lighter in case some were bitten by a leech. God was sovereign; Indeed God promised that He will be with us always. Thank God for the hike up and down, God reminded me of the verse “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31.
Following on, God’s sovereignty did not stop there. During the stay at the two villages, I thank God once again how they received us and allowed us to stay over at their house. They gave us their best food, mats, blankets and pillows to make us as comfortable as possible. I really thank the Lord for them who reminded me also that I should give my Best for the Lord and not my second best. I was touched by their sincerity. I thank God that during the celebration nights that we prepared went on very well, many villagers came for the two different nights. The villagers eagerness were really an encouragement to me and I’m sure also to our team. God see us through the night, and was pleasantly surprised to see many were receptive to the Gospel message and wanted to receive Christ. Thank God for softening their hearts! We were all so glad to watch some of Children’s, Youth’s and adults who presented some song items too. I thank God for the opportunity to share part of my salvation testimony to them, it came it useful and I was encouraged to hear Jack’s grandfather’s testimony and was moved to hear that 6 villages have converted into Christianity. I marvel at how God could use him and because of his faith many saw Christ lived in Him. However, I urge Galileans to continue to pray for these two villages because their faith is not so yet strong. However, their simple childlike faith is what that speaks to me most and their willing hearts to give and serve. My two days in two different villages really give me a great insight of living a life in full surrender to God to provide and freely give even we are not able. The joy that I see in their hearts is really different from us. It’s unspeakable joy that only God knows.
After coming back from the two villages, we went to Mae Sariang, it was yet another eye opener for me, we settled in a church for a night and from there, we were informed that we will be performing a song and a mime from the song “So You would come” in front of 600 crowd people in a open air Christmas celebration concert which were organized by a few church in Mae Sariang. I was not prepared, but thank God that night God see us through and kept us. I am so thankful that God allowed Thailand people to have free will to preach the gospel and not being condemned by their own country men. They were all so receptive, even to the point we were encouraged to see that most of them were very receptive and polite to received tracts from us. They don’t reject, but pray that they don’t reject God’s word and its truth.
Coming to a closing, I thank God for sustaining our health thus far until we came back to Crystal spring. God really protect us and was with us all the way on this whole trip and He had worked differently in each of our hearts in this trip. I’m especially touched by how God has been real to me through different circumstances knowingly or unknowingly. There were also two small incidents that God showed that He is truly a all knowing God e.g. sending P’Gade to ask me to put the portable Hi Fi set to my room which I don’t know why must it be our room. So when I got back I found out that our door was not locked and it was left opened, all our lagguages and valuables were inside. I don’t think this is ever coincidental that something like that could happen. Thank God for a lot of great things He had taught me by several uncles who shared their devotions and the rest of the West and East team who got together to share our testimony. Indeed, after this trip it has strengthens our bonds with each other and our spiritual minds were refreshed. It was really God at work and was reminded in Jeremiah 29:11 and Jeremiah 33:3. That God has plan the way for us and when we call out to Him, He will truly show us great and mighty things which we know not.
Thank God for the opportunity to celebrate the light house Church 2nd anniversary! I was delighted to see different races that made up this church and was glad to see Brother Michelle and Sister Ruth and two daughters after a long while since they last came to Singapore. We ended our last few days with shopping around different places and eating their delicious delicacies and food there, and we played their hot air lanterns and fireworks, it was really great experience! God provided abundantly and I really thank God for Dn Kok Wah and Aunty Amy who coordinate this trip with Brother Nat and had made this trip possible all in all by God’s grace. There is so much to thank God for but seriously, hearing the works in Chiang Mai is not enough; the best is you could really experience it yourself. I thank God once again for allowing me to go for this trip and God willing, I really wish to go back again and continue the work in the villages this year. Pra Jao Wei Porn! May God Bless you in Thai! :)