0.7%

We are very thankful for your prayers and we praise God that our whole team was able to return safely! Esther made it onto U.S. soil and was not even asked a single question during immigration. Caleb also passed the health checkpoint in Korea after leaving Chiang Rai with a fever! 

It’s been around 24 hours since we got back from Thailand and I can probably say on behalf of our team that our hearts ache after being separated from the Thai people.

But just because we are not there does not mean that God’s work is not being done.

Help us pray for Peter and Lillian, the missionaries who hosted us, that they will have energy, wisdom, and health to continue their ministry at Bethel Bible Institute. We are so thankful for their kindness and the joy that they brought to our team!

Pray for the Jian Hua students who we had a chance to interact with. For some students, our friendships with them might be the only glimpse of Christianity that they will have a chance to experience. Pray against this being their only opportunity; pray that these students would have more Christian influences placed in their lives so that they might know Jesus one day. Pray for the principals and the teachers that we befriended, that they too might accept Christ into their hearts.

Pray for the Canaan Center kids. Words cannot describe how grateful we are to them for their hospitality and how encouraged we are by their faith in God. The Canaan Center leaders and students truly have servant's hearts. Pray for the students, that they will continually look to God for guidance and that they will have the courage to share their faith with their peers. Pray that God will provide the Canaan Center with the funds to renovate so that they may house even more students, allowing them to continue their good work!

Lastly, pray for the Kingdom of Thailand. A predominantly Buddhist country, but interestingly enough, 0.7% Christian (I read this on the Thai Airways in-flight magazine). After observing the 20% Christian demographic at Jian Hua, the Bethel Bible Institute students, the Canaan Center, and the village churches, it is clear to me that God is moving in Northern Thailand. God is raising a generation of leaders to save the lost. Pray for the gospel to spread like wildfire throughout the rest of Thailand. Pray that His name will be made known, that tongues will confess that Jesus is truly the King of Kings.

I’d also like to share a few important things that God has reminded me of during this trip:

1. God’s love transcends all obstacles, including language barriers.
2. God perfects us in our weakness…ALL of our weaknesses.
3. And it is by GRACE in which we have been saved, not by our good works or by ourselves.

Thank you to all of our readers for your prayerful support! May all the glory and honor go to God!

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” -Matthew 24:14

(Also check out the 10/40 movement!!)

Rochelle L.

A Taste of Thailand

Some delicious street vendor pad thai

Fresh chicken noodles in our first village visit

Tender chicken and cow blood curry noodles at school

Satisfying cravings to start of our first day of teaching

10 Baht ice cream! Mocca chip flavor

Pig trotter noodles anyone?

Taiwanese jajangmyun

Softest taro buns you'll ever have

More ice cream!

More organic veggies from the village

Huge fried chickens

More noodles

Pad seeew

More pad thai

BBQ chicken wings!

The famous sausage alley

The Feels

For my teaching group, today’s class included a lesson on “Feelings”. I’m sure many of us on the team have experienced a range of feelings today:

HAPPY for opportunities to interact with the students and for times to be SILLY; no longer being SHY or NERVOUS.
SURPRISED in how God has been orchestrating our time here in Thailand.
EXCITED for how God has been working in the lives of some of the students.
SAD because today was the last day of classes and the last chance to see many of our students.

Our time here in Thailand has really gone by quickly. We’ve had so much fun interacting with our students in and out of the classroom, and yet I think we all want more time to spend with them.

God has definitely been working during our stay. A couple days ago, a Thai teacher asked if we’d be willing to host a Christian program for students who chose not to go the Buddhist temple. [Ha, we didn’t have to ask to share the gospel!] Our program took place today with over 50 students in attendance. We taught a few songs; presented the gospel through the Evangecube; and had a question and answer time, which included sharing when and why we chose to become Christians. Many of the students in attendance were Christians, but there were also Buddhists and Muslims. Pray that seeds sown would take root and grow.

I hope our witness has emboldened the students who are Christians. Knowing that we are Christians, some would ask us to say grace for lunch, which would include their non-believing friends at the table. May God use to them to personally share more of their faith.

Today also included opportunities for spiritual conversations. Many on our team were encouraged by Sam, who just became a Christian a month ago. He chose to follow Jesus after he experienced God’s answer to prayer. Pray for his growth and for God to provide good friends. He’s only been in Chiang Rai two months and is all by himself here, as his family is three hours away in Chiang Mai. Pray for God to continue working in Aem, who wouldn’t want to disappoint her parents by becoming a Christian. Pray for Ize, who says he hasn’t experienced love and yet is unwilling to accept the love from our Savior.

Tomorrow, we’ll be exploring a bit of Thailand and spending time with our friends at the Canaan Student Center. Let’s hope the rain lets up in the afternoon, so some of the team can get in some bball time!

It’s getting late, so I’m feeling a little SLEEPY.

Signing off, Doris

Fighting the Good Fight, FIGHT ON!

As our days here in Thailand is coming to an end, I can't help but feel a little worn out. It's been a few emotionally straining days for me. 

Yesterday I had an encounter with a guy that felt like a direct spiritual battle with satan. The guy was curious about who we were and because he only spoke Chinese, I was asked to speak to him. The progression of the conversation escalated very quickly and I felt like I had to defend everything that I believed in. For every truth I spoke about God, he had a rebuttal for he knew a lot about other religions including Christianity and he used that to argue against everything I told him about God and his love. Originally, I didn't want to talk to him for very long but I felt the spirit telling me to stay and continue to talk to him so I did. Throughout the duration of the conversation, I felt darkness and my spirit gradually weakening. But I knew I wasn't alone. When I felt like I needed physical protection saw my teammates who were by me and praying for me. I knew the spirit was with me because there was no way I could've said everything I did with the limited mandarin that I knew. The conversation eventually got to the point where I had no more to say so I asked to pray for him but right when I asked him, he sprinted away. I was left feeling vulnerable, naked, and defeated. I felt like my faith was shaken to the core and my heart broken. I burst into uncontrollable tears and cried sorrowfully in fear. In that moment, my team and a few Christian students who were standing nearby gathered around me. Together they prayed for me and God's power surrounded all of us and the darkness went away. I am still in a daze and have many unanswered questions but I trust that God had a reason and that he was in control and protecting me. 

In addition, for those who do not know, I found out that my green card is expired the day we were gonna leave for Thailand (I really thought that I wouldn't be able to come). But I found out that if I applied for renewal online, the renewal receipt and my expired green card will be okay for me to return to the country. However when I got to Thailand my mom told me that she called the consulate office to double check and they said that I need to go to a US consulate office in Thailand to get a returning visa. That was very disheartening because it meant a lot of trouble for everyone especially because the closest consulate office was 4 hours away (Chiang Mai) from where we are (Chiang Rai). Either way John helped me book an appointment for the consulate office and I was suppose to ride the bus to Chiang Mai this past Tuesday. But on Saturday, my mom emailed me and told me that using the receipt will be okay. Thinking that it was God's answers to my prayers, I was very happy because I don't need to worry about that anymore. I doubled checked with my mom to make sure it was certain before I cancelled the appointment. But today, I was told again that I do need the returning visa...according to a consulate officer back home and he is positive (they were all positive but all gave my mom a different answer...). After reading the email, I just felt so defeated and overwhelmed again. Tomorrow is a Thai holiday which means that the consulate will not be open and they are closed on the weekends and we are leaving Sunday...I don't know what to do and I don't know what to feel...

But through all of this I am reminded of Paul as he said he had been "very thoroughly initiated into the human lot with it's ups and downs" (Philippians 4:12). He was hard-pressed, persecuted, and struck down. But God in his mercies did not chose to remove the dilemmas Paul was facing. God chose instead to make himself known to Paul because of them, in ways which would strengthen his faith. Paul begged God to remove his dilemma but it was not in Paul's way or Paul's time. It was in God's way and God's time. 

I don't know why I was chosen to talk to that guy and it currently seems impossible to resolve my green card situation. I just wanted to give up. But God promises that none of us will ever be tempted beyond our power to endure. God promises his unfailing presence. Spritual warfare is so real here and satan's hold on this country is so strong  but our God is stronger. Even in our mistakes and weakness, he is sovereign. So while I do not know what is going to happen, I will not let satan destroy my spirit and faith. I will continue to be steadfast and pray and believe that God has everything in control. 

But please pray for me, for my situation, and also for my teammates. May we finish strong and continue to fight against satan who is trying to discourage and break us apart. May we make the most of our few remaining days especially with all the different programs and activities we have planned. 

Thank you for all your prayers! 

In love,

Esther 

Near, Far, Wherever You Are

First off, Happy Birthday to mamma Choi back at home. I miss you and I'm sorry I won't be home to celebrate with you. I hope that you're feeling better and I hope you have a great day! Take care and may God bless you. Love you.

Second, yesterday I must say was one of the funniest bike rides I've had. I had the opportunity to bike the one and only John Chow back to our resort. We almost crashed a couple times cause we couldn't stop laughing but like the Titanic, it was a pretty magical ride (before it went down). All thanks to God for keeping us safe.

But all jokes and funny things aside, there is much to be thankful for on this trip. This is my fifth year and I can definitely see God moving here in Thailand. Today Clement and I had an opportunity to eat with some of the students after teaching class and when we sat down, one of the students asked us to pray for their meal. Both of us were a little bit surprised at first but Clement went ahead and prayed for their meal. It's amazing to see that the students know that we are Christians and because of that, opportunities are opened up to share about why we our here as well as share our own testimonies of how God has moved in our lives.

I am also thankful for this team. From the moment we got to Thailand, I was very encouraged to see the courage and boldness of the new team members going out to meet the new students despite not speaking the language. And even though our schedules aren't always set in stone for each day, everyone has been very flexible and has been able to adjust to what has come our way.

Lastly, you can pray for our team in a few ways:

1. We only have a couple days left so pray that we take every opportunity we have to share God's love with the students. May we have sense of urgency and continue to go out with boldness.

2. Pray for Thursday as we will be holding an assembly for some of the Christians at the school as all the other students go out to the Buddhist temple. May we use this time to encourage the students to be bold about their faith so that they can be lights upon this campus even after we leave.

3. Lastly, pray that our team doesn't forget all that God has taught us and shown us on this trip. It's very easy sometimes to forget once we get back home because we can get caught up in our busy lives whether it be school or work. Pray that we may always have a missions mindset because the missions field isn't just here in Thailand. Whether we are near at home or far away, wherever we are the harvest is plenty but the workers are few.

In Him,

KK (Caleb)

No Sign of a Drought Here!

Hi all! 

Today marks the start of our second week of teaching at Jianghua Vocational High School. We could not be more blessed with the outpour of love from the school! Rain poured non-stop and all day long. In the morning we would typically ride our bikes to get to the school but God is so good to us and right as we were leaving, we saw a van coming up to our driveway that the school sent to pick us up. Once we arrived at the school, we were all excited to start a new week with new teaching plans and plans to share the gospel with our peoon (Thai for friend) we made last week. Shortly after adding a few students on Facebook during lunchtime I was surprised to catch them staring at a photo from my baptism. They were really curious to know what was happening and asked me to explain it to them, so I told them that I was a Christian and despite the language barrier I tried my best to explain what baptism is. Even though I did not get a chance to share the gospel with them I felt very blessed by this moment because they knew that I was a Christian and why we are here in Thailand. They responded in a very respectful and understanding tone, which uplifted my spirits because I did not know how my friends, who were either Catholic or Buddhist, would react to me being different from them. I hope to share the gospel with them soon because they are very dear to my heart! Besides that, our day was pretty calm and filled with a lot of relaxation from our long weekend. I am so amazed how God's timing works and I am very thankful that God has given us a day to rejuvenate. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!!!! 

-Noel 

Village Setting

This past weekend we visited the Akah village therefore we didn't have a chance to post on the blog ...so here's a recap of Saturday and Sunday!

Our trip to the mountains took around 3 hours and a few doses of Dramamine. The Akah kids were at first very shy but it's crazy how God's love can transcend language barriers! That night we helped the Canaan Center kids with their children's program. Our team had a blast teaching them the songs "Making Melodies," "Deep Deep" and "Jesus is a Friend." Unfortunately and/or luckily, on the way back from dropping off the village kids in the pick-up truck, we ran over a large snake!

The team stayed overnight at the village's church with the Canaan Center kids on floor mats. We didn't get a chance to shower but we did get to use the infamous squatty toilets! Despite how uncomfortable it was, by God's grace we had a decent amount of sleep (enough to function and to play with the kids the next day)!

And side note: every meal we had this past weekend was delicious!

On Sunday we performed "Hosanna," body worship to "Unchanging," and a mime to "Lamb of God." Our team learned and practiced the body worship and mime only four or five times the day before we performed! Cindy also presented her testimony to the adult village congregation.

As for the kids program, Caleb shared the gospel using the Evangecube and Kristy led a Popsicle airplane craft. Lastly, the kids had a great time whacking away at our piñata! After church, Lillian helped many of the Akah adults with acupuncture. All in all it was a very joyous Lord's Day!

We drove back to Chiang Rai in time for dinner at Tesco and then immediately headed to the Canaan Center to visit! The kids prepared a performance which included different dances, instrumental, and singing numbers. And I have to say, these kids are so talented!!! Our team also performed the body worship to "Unchanging" and had a Q&A session with the kids (not our idea haha)! Some questions even included why some of our team members were so tall and why some of us are still single. It was a very encouraging time getting to share our testimonies in how our team dealt with hardships and how God perfects us in our weaknesses.

We have a week left here in Thailand and we cannot wait to see what God will do. Thank you so much for your prayers thus far! May all the glory go to God!

-Rochelle

A little late, but happy fourth (seventh) of July!

Long post (sorry!), but bear with me :)

On a normal day on July fourth back in the states, people celebrate with BBQ and fireworks with family and/or friends. We were expected to continue teaching today, however it was the school's volunteer project day; therefore we didn't teach and instead was able to spend the day winding down, prepping for the upcoming weekend, and celebrating the American holiday!

We went to Bethel Bible Institute (BBI), home of our Thailand mother and father (Lillian and Peter), for lunch and met some of the students/residents. Most of the students studying at BBI graduate in hopes of becoming missionaries, ministers, or pastors. A good portion of them are Chinese students who come from surrounding borders, and the rest of them consist of Thais, Burmese, and other minorities. Some of our teammates met Elaine, a graduate from Canada visiting her parents who are teaching at BBI, and shared many wonderful conversations about one another's stories and faith.

After the stop at BBI, our team made Tesco and Makro runs (equivalent to our Costco and Smart and Final) to stock up on team necessities as well as buy more materials (candy and such) to prep for the weekend (elephant-atas)! We came back to our resorts and immediately started on our projects for the villages. Every weekend, the Canan Gospel Center students travel up to the mountain villages in hopes of sharing Christ's love by serving and loving the residents. Through hosting evening services and acupuncture treatments, the Canan students continue to faithfully love on the villages' elders and children. This weekend, we have the honor of partnering alongside them to serve and love on the kids. We built 2 piñatas out of cardboard boxes and construction paper, and filled them each with candy and prizes.



After much team bonding and silliness, we headed off to BBQ in celebration of America's Independence Day! (Yay!) but before we did, we picked up Elaine on the way and invited her to celebrate with us. The location we decided on wasn't too far from where we were staying, so it was a nice night to just enjoy and embrace community with one another.









After dinner, we headed back to the resort, and then to end the day...we celebrated with lanterns! (YAY!) Caleb was kind and generous enough to surprise us with some floating, wicked lanterns he bought for the team. We spent the rest of the night lighting and watching them float through the clear sky! It was beautiful. Many smiles. Many laughs.





Coming off of a packed week, it was nice to have a day to wind down and celebrate. We praise God for being with us in our time of restfulness and joy.

But on top of the many adventures we've been having in Thailand, I want to share a blessing I've encountered with a former Thai kid I met last year by the name of Somrak. Elliott and I met him last year playing frisbee in the fields, and luckily this year, he remembered who I was! Yesterday (Thursday) for lunch, I sat by him and for the first time, got the chance to hear his testimony. He lost both his parents at a very young age, his mom due to a car accident and his dad to a gunshot fired by a friend who thought he was a cop. Thankfully, his parents were Christians, and in turn, raised them through the Christian faith. He has two older brothers and one younger sister who live in Chiang Rai (about 3-4 hours away), so he doesn't get to see them often. At one point during the conversation, I got sad because he began asking about my year in school, found out I was a fourth year, and then realized it was my last year coming back. I told him that it's true that our team won't be coming back, but not because of our age, but because of certain circumstances. (I didn't get a chance to, but my hope before I leave is to share with him why we're here in Thailand and how he can share and empower others through his faith, especially since we won't be coming back!) And then I was saddened again when I found out he didn't have a computer, cellphone, or Facebook not because he lacked the funds or resources, but because he intentionally chooses not to. Such a sweet and kind kid with a gentle soul. I was touched. Humbled. I'm so encouraged by him and amazed at how God uses him and will continue to use him here at Jiang Hua. There was a mix of emotions and thoughts going through my head until God gently reminded me that...it's not through me, or through our team, or even through missionaries that people come to have a relationship with God. Yes, we get the opportunity to share about the life of Jesus and people come to know about him, but only God breathes in life into each person and only in his timing will they come to know him! (Not that that stops us from coming and witnessing, continually sharing the gospel!) And even when our team is gone, God's still working. He's been working and will continue to do big things here in Thailand. Us coming is only a glimpse of his magnificence, and so as we have one more week left, pray that our eyes and ears would be open and sensitive to the opportunities God is giving us.

And to end this post, some prayer requests!

- We're heading to the mountain villages this weekend so pray for safety in health and travels going up, down, and transporting from location to location. Though the Thais are used to it, riding in pick up trucks aren't quite the norm for us. In addition, some of us have motion sickness and aren't used to the weather and conditions traveling.
- We're finishing our first week here and jumping into our second week, so pray for sensitivity to the Spirit working. Pray that we'd continue to deepen the friendships we've built here with the Thais, and that we'd be bold in our sharing. In addition to our sharing, pray that we'd be people who are listening as well.
- Lastly, because we've been here for a week, pray for our team to grow stronger and deeper in unity and relationship. Jesus is the backbone to our trip, but as a team, pray that we continue to be one another's support and encouragement. Pray that we'd lift one another up in words of joy and love, that we continue to learn how to serve one another with a humbling and sacrifice heart.

for His glory

Hello friends! This post is a little late, but I hope that it encourages you as much I was encouraged throughout yesterday. I'm going to share about how I experienced God in times of prayer, stillness, and fellowship.

Thursday was one of the days this week that I really experienced God speaking clearly to me. My teaching class didn't have class in the day time at all yesterday, which allowed us to have a lot of freedom in what we wanted to do that day. As a team, we were able to take some time and go on a prayer walk around the school campus. As I walked and prayed, God really reminded me that education is a blessing, and that school in Thailand is definitely a means of students coming to know Christ. I was reminded that because of education, our team is able to come and work with these students and teach them with what we have been taught in the US. As I continued to walk and pray, God put on my heart to pray for the teachers and administrators that work at Chian Hua, and that they would also come to know Christ and be examples to these students. Lastly, God put on my heart to pray that Thai culture would really bring together the students. From what I've observed, most students aren't bound by religion here, and that Buddhism is more culture than religion. It's really great because these students that are culturally Thai can connect with these students that are Thai and Christian, and that these Christian students see that they aren't restricted by being Thai and can share that with their classmates and friends.

In my times of being still and listening to God, He reminded me to remain joyful throughout the difficult days of this trip. He reminded me that the work we are doing for him here is not in vain, though it may be something small. I saw that these relationships we have and are forming with these students mean a lot to them, and that us working and interacting with them in something to be cherished. He reminded me once again that short term missions is for His long term glory. Building relationships for two short weeks is worth it if it means that these students can see Christ's love in us!

Lastly, I was extremely encouraged and blessed by a conversation I had with Cindy and the devotionals time that Kristy and I had together last night. I share much with these sisters and their hearts for the Thai people encourage me and remind me that God has called us here because we have experienced His love in such great ways. As we reflected on how half of this trip is almost over and how this may be our last trip here, we all shared that we felt that God wasn't exactly closing the doors for FCBC collegians to come back to Thailand. These relationships with the students have reminded us that God really calls us to love the Thai people, and that if God wants us to continue to be in relationship with these students, he will make a way for us to return. I am encouraged that my sisters share the same heart for Thailand, and that it motivates us to make most of our time here with the students, whether we return or not.

I hope that the things I've experienced are a small glimpse at how God is moving in Thailand! God is great and mighty, and He truly holds power here in Thailand. As we have another week here, pray that we will be renewed each day and be able to see God's heart for His people. Also pray that we would know that God's power gives us authority to go and be love, kindness, and compassion for our students. Lastly, pray that God's name would be glorified in everything we do here!

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!" Psalm 115:1 (ESV)

-Joyce

Everyday is an Adventure in Thailand

After our first two days of teaching, the team got to take the morning off from teaching as there was some sort of special assembly for the students. Our team took this opportunity to go and explore the district of Mae Sai. Peter took us to see and smell and experience the street markets. The fruit was extremely cheap and oh so very sweet!!! Our team bought a large bag of mangos to share. I'm really looking forward to eating them tomorrow.

We had lunch in this small noodles and Baozi shop where our team demolished bowls and bowls of JaJiangMein and pig feet with noodles as well of steamed taro baozis and steamed ground pork baozis. We were given a few more ours to explore the streets and buy souvenirs but we all grew pretty tired from the intense heat and humidity.

What makes Thailand and adventure everyday is that something unexpected and crazy happens EVERYDAY! On our car ride back to the resort, a thunderstorm rolled in. 7 of us were sitting in the bed of Peter's pickup truck when the intense rain started pouring down and pelting us. Peter thought he knew a shortcut back the resort which accidentally turned into dead ends and one way back streets so by the time we got back to the resort, the 7 of us who sat out in the back were soaked. Our light rain resistant jackets and ponchos were no match for the downpour. Still, this was quite an adventure. 30 minutes prior, we were all sweating from the 90° weather+the humidity. Now, we're all wet from the rain. Though soaking wet, this was definitely a team bonding experience that we won't be forgetting any time soon.

My teaching team (Caleb, Cindy, Rochelle and I) were the only ones who had a class to teach in the evening. We had an energetic and smart group of students in this class. The hour and a half flew by extremely quickly and we had a blast teaching them. (All) The students are really sweet, though a bit shy at first. By the end of class, most feel comfortable talking to us (the teachers) despite the language barrier. It's extremely evident how big of am impact a warm smile makes in building relationships, pointing out how the love and joy that comes from Christ really does transcends all language and cultural barriers. Some of our students stayed a few minutes after class to talk to us and to take pictures and selfies with us. 

After a short team meeting back at the resort, 6 of us and John biked back out to the night market next to the high school for some food. We bought some baozi's and meat skewers and brought them back as late night snacks for the team. Caleb, Ian and I each rode a bike and each carried one female member of our team on the backseat. Our bike ride back eventually turned into a race where our very own Rev. John Chow out pedaled the 3 of us and beat us back to the resort. We ended the night with some more team bonding: eating baozi's and meat skewers and playing tonk/tunk and Heads Up.

Today was an adventure indeed.
I'm grateful that we got a small break and a day of rest. Please pray for strength and energy and joy and patience and love as the week goes on and as the heat and humidity brings us out of out element.
I'm thankful for all the fun and adventures that our team has had. Please pray for continued safety as we go about our day. There have been some adventures that could have potentially ended badly but God has been good to us in keeping us safe.
I'm encouraged by my teammates efforts to get to know the students in and out of class. Please pray for boldness and the willingness to be the initiator of conversions.
I'm excited to see these students learn English. Please pray that our lessons would be a blessing to them as this is our method of starting relationships with these students. Please pray that we would have the opportunities outside of class to foster and grow relationships with our students so that we can have the chance to tell them and show them the good news and the great gift that we have in Christ Jesus.

We are half way through our first week and we are still all alive and well. Thank you for partnering with us on this trip and for supporting us with your prayers.

Khap khoon kap!
-Clement N.

Teaching in Thailand

Hey everyone!

Tonight we just finished our second day of teaching and boy was it exhausting. Even though it was exhausting, every minute of it was worth the effort. Our team's purpose is to help and teach the Thai students at Chian Hua high school to practice and use English. The team is divided into three teaching groups, and each group is assigned to a grade. These grades are equivalent to the american school system's sophomores, juniors, and seniors. With in our groups we design  lesson plans which can consists of basic grammar, pronunciation, and games. These lesson plans are usually taught multiple times, as our teams have to teach during the day and at night and taught to different levels with in the grades.
Teaching has been such a humbling experience for me, as I was able to learn how to serve others in a much more rewarding way. I would have never imagined that the English I have been using in my daily life  can be used to help others. Through the brief conversations with the kids, I am able to see their curiosity for the English language and it is this curiosity that excites and energizes me to teach them. Even though we are not able to evangelize as much during our teaching times, we are able to show Gods love through our actions.

Prayer requests:
-Energy for the team so that we may be able to give our 100% to the Thai students
- Quick recovery/ health: some our team members are still recovering from sicknesses prior to the trip. pray that they will recover quickly so that nothing will be hindering them

Khap khoon kap! (Thank you)

Ian K.

Sunday Trip to the Lishu Village

Craft time with some Lishu village kids

Lunch was amazing...like always 

The kids are so cute and we all had a lot of fun playing together

We got to go on a hike with them...

...to their backyard. Nbd. 

Our time at the Lishu village was really encouraging. I think every time we go to an orphanage or we visit villages, I am always reminded how God's love is so great that it can go beyond language barriers and cultural differences. While only 0.7% of the population in Thailand are Christian, God is definitely here and he is doing work. It is so awesome to see and be able apart of. 

Sawasdee kaa!

A lot has happened within these past  few days!
First of all , I would like to give glory to God.
We visited the Lishu village on Sunday. We arrived and met the children. They were from the ages of 3-12. They welcomed us with warm smiles and even sang songs for us! In return, we taught them the song "Making Melodies". Through this song and the silly hand motions, we were able to bond as one. Soon after, we attended the Sunday Service with the adults. It was awesome to be united through worshipping the same God despite the language and cultural barriers.

After service, we went back outside to start the program we had planned for all the Lishu children. Lillian and Peter (the missionaries) did acupuncture for the adults in the village. We first sang "Deep deep" and then we taught them how to make an airplane out of clothespins and popsicle sticks. Through this craft, we were able to start to build personal relationships with the children. We then taught them how to play link tag. It was very heartwarming to see the joy on the kid's faces as they ran around in the game. The last thing we had planned for them was a piñata. Each child got a chance to whack the elephant and every time the elephant came closer to falling apart , there was a huge amount of laughter that would fill the air. After finishing all that we had planned, we continued to play with the children and even took them to see the beautiful plantation of green tea leaves. When we got back, the sky began to turn dark and it began to sprinkle. We decided to leave before it started to rain because it takes an hour to get back and some of us had to sit in the back of the pick up truck (which has no roof). But God is good and throughout the whole ride back, it only rained for a little!

Overall, the trip to the village was very very tiring; but through the interactions with the children, we were able to love them and  share joyful moments with them.

Happy Sunday!

We arrived safely to Chiang Rai yesterday afternoon! Praise God for safe travels. We didn't have a long layover in Bangkok this year so traveling time felt a lot shorter but the team was still pretty beat...After we checked in to our "resort", we had dinner at Mae Sai, which is the area with a lot of street food vendors :) Some delicious pad thai anyone?

We called it a night early after a brief meeting together. Some of us helped put together a piñata filled with yummy candy and toys for the kids we are going to visit today in the mountains. Super excited to be able to worship the Lord with some Lishu villagers today! We have a program prepared for the kids that includes games, crafts, songs and testimony (Cindy's using her Thai skills so we won't have so much translation! PTL!) 

I have to go brush my teeth now...more updates and pictures to come!

OH. The weather is pretty nice :) not super hot because it has been raining a lot but it's really humid. No bloody noses so far so yay!

K bye!

And the Countdown Continues...

Sawasdee kaa! (Hello!)

It’s so unreal that we’re leaving in TWO DAYS! This will be my first time going to Thailand and I am so excited to see how God will use our team to sow His seeds.

Partner with our team as a prayer warrior! After all, 1 John 5:14 affirms the power of prayer, saying that “that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” 

Here are a couple other prayer requests in addition to the ones posted below:

VULNERABILITY - Sometimes we get so caught up in the last minute details and planning and often leave out God. Pray that as we finish up our last minute lesson plans and itinerary, we would understand that God has the ability to change our expectations unexpectedly when we are actually in Thailand. Pray that we would decrease and that God would increase throughout the duration of the trip.

RELATIONSHIPS - Because we will only be in Thailand for 18 days, it is easy to forget that we have a responsibility to pray for Thailand and to keep the kids accountable even after we leave. Pray that we will have a long-term missions mindset, that we would understand our roles as sowers of the seed, but it is He who will grow their hearts.

Thank you for all of your support so far!

"Taste and see that the LORD is good." -Psalm 34:8

I pray that God will use us as waiters to serve this good news to the Thai people.

-Rochelle

T-minus 3 days until departure!

First of all, I want to thank you for all your generosity and support whether through prayers or funds thus far! It has all been very encouraging and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me and my teammates as we head off for Thailand. 

In terms of planning for this trip, our team has been a little behind. Because of the political unrest, there had been uncertainty of whether or not we would still proceed with this trip. It has also been hard for us to plan ahead. However, prayer is powerful and God is the one that is ultimately in control. There has been some positive news about the conditions in Thailand!

This is an update from missionaries that are currently in Northern Thailand, ChiangMai.

From Buzz & Ruthi Curtis in ChiangMai: “1. Ruthi and I are well and safe during these coup days. The Thai Army has done a quick and good job of bringing order and peace back to the streets. Anxiety is not an issue these days as it was over the last half year when the two factious sides could not get to any agreements. The General in charge has swiftly arrested those who had been involved in instigating riots and division and damage over the months, stashes of weapons have been found too. The past government is now out completely and the protesting side which has gone somewhat corrupt also has been banned due to rioting charges. The curfew has been almost lifted and calm is present. Praise God.”

Also, curfews have been lifted in more provinces!

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/thai-military-junta-lifts-curfew-20-provinces-24072421

As of now, we have been planning lesson plans in teaching groups. We have planned games, activities, and lessons that work on pronunciation, spelling, or comprehension. Aside from teaching English, we are also planning to visit some villages on the weekends. 

As you can see, prayer is powerful and God does answer prayers. So I ask that you guys will continue to join me in prayer as we prepare for departure!

Things you can pray for:

-Focus: Pray that we will constantly keep God as the center throughout our trip. 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)
I think this verse is the prayer we need. Whether everything is going smoothly or there are hardships, we still need to seek and depend on God because we alone cannot do anything.

-Boldness: Pray that we will all put aside our fears and have faith that God will use us even in the littlest ways. Pray that we will be able to build relationships with the students and to share our own experiences  that will show them how God has been working in our lives.

-Our Team: Pray that we will have unity throughout the trip! There are four first timers (including me) and the rest are returners. Pray that we will build each other up throughout the trip. 

Also, pray for safe travel and good health throughout the trip. We have a lot of layovers and traveling (to villages and the school). Currently, a few of us are sick; so pray that God will bring healing and that we can maintain our health and energy throughout the trip!

Thank you again for all your support ♡♡♡ !

Meet our (whole) team!

Thank you for supporting and praying for us :)

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Colossians 3:14

Leaving for Thailand in t-minus 4 days!!

These last three months have been absolutely crazy and so insanely busy, but in that time I’ve managed to finish Spring quarter, finish my second year at UCI, move home (for literally 24 hours), and attend LTC with my fellow AACF brothers and sisters from all over the West Coast! I want to share so so so much about how amazing the last 7 days were at LTC, but I’ll have to save that for another post on my personal blog!
To be completely honest, this year I don’t think I was able to send out as many prayer letters as I would have liked/should have sent out. I probably sent out a total of 50 or so letters, which is on the lower end of numbers I should have had. Spring quarter became ridiculously busy and I was literally buried in so many things to do in terms of school, work, AACF, and church. I didn’t get the chance to ask as many people to partner in being prayerful for my team, BUT with that said, it’s not too late for me to ask you to partner with me in prayer for my trip to Thailand!!
This week at LTC, I was reminded that I need to seek God in prayer before I do anything. Our God is such a BIG God and we can go before him with BIG prayers. I’ve come to be reminded that when we pray BIG prayers, we are saying that “God, you have all control and I have faith that you can and may answer things that are completely crazy and impossible.”
Some things that you can definitely be praying for include:

• PREPARATION: If there’s anything that needs to be prepared, it’s our hearts. Pray that our hearts will be in a place where we will be completely ready to serve God and His people in Thailand. Moreover, we are still in the works of finishing some last minute things with our teaching lesson plans! So prayer that we would finish those plans and be ready to teach English to the students!

• CONFIDENCE: It’s seriously so exciting that I get to return to Thailand this year, but I think that there is nervousness is not knowing how God will allow me to make His name known. Pray that I’ll be confident that the Holy Spirit is alive and moving in me, and that my conversations with the Thai students will lead to opportunities to show Christ’s faithfulness, goodness, and love for them!

• OPPORTUNITY: Pray for opportunities to come up for us to have intentional conversations with students and be able to share why we come to Thailand! Pray that we’ll be equipped with words and life experiences and testimonies of how God has changed our lives and caused us to want to come to Thailand to share of His love.

• TEAM UNITY: I love my team! We are such a unique group this year, especially with a high number of girls and low number of guys hahaha but really, please pray that as we spend the next (almost) three weeks together, we will build each other up, be encouraging towards one another, and be sensitive to each other during the trip. 

• JOY: I don’t know about you, but when things get hard, it’s extremely hard to be joyful, but joy is the exact thing that God has been teaching me this entire year. Pray that on the hard days, the maybe discouraging ones, that I would choose to be joyful because I have been saved by the Gospel, and true joy has been found in salvation! 

Wooooowz, that was a long post, but one that was completely necessary. I hope that you will pray for my team and I as we are leaving for Thailand later this week! I’m extremely thankful that God has allowed me to return to Thailand and has also provided more than enough financial support to send me on this trip! The Lord has been so good and has provided beyond what I really needed! Praise the Lord!!
Lastly, if you would like more details about my trip and a copy of my actual support letter, email me at joycejlam@gmail.com and I would love love love to send you a copy! And last lastly (I don’t know if that makes sense oops), we’re leaving Thursday night from FCBC, so feel free to come love on our team and send us off from FCBC to LAX at 9 pm! :)
Thanks again for reading and for praying! I am thankful for you! ♡ 
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV)
here am I, send me.

-Joyce 

Our Team! Partially :/

Here's part of the 2014 Thailand Team from FCBC-LA! This picture is of us at Big Sunday (we're missing two members). We had a great time removing weeds from a neglected garden. Now Robert F. Kennedy Elementary in City Terrace has its garden back. 

There are 11 of us on the team, and we'll be going to Chiang Rai, Thailand, to bring friendship, share about God's love, and help Thai students with their English. We travel from June 27 to July 13. The members are (front row) Cindy, Esther, Joyce, Kristy, Rochelle, and (back row) Caleb, Clement, Doris and John. (Missing are Ian and Noel.) 

Follow us on this blog as we journey by faith and fulfill God's call upon each of us. 

Tea is for Thailand!!!
We'll be serving various drinks, like Thai Iced Tea and fruit drinks, this Sunday, May 25, at the FCBC courtyard. Please come by and support the team. Donations are welcome but please take a prayer card when you visit. We'll have another drink table the following Sunday, June 1. (You can also send in any financial support to "First Chinese Baptist Church, ℅ Thailand Team, 942 Yale Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012" (Make checks payable to "First Chinese Baptist Church", which are tax deductible.)

Prayer is Needed. 
As you've been hearing or reading about Thailand, the country is going through political turmoil—again. (It seems to do this every few years.) Essentially there are two parties that vying for power, and as of today, the military has initiated a coup. While we know the unrest has great effect on the Thai country, it has also created some angst for us as we prepare to go. We know the media can "build a story" so it's left the team very uncertain as to real conditions in Thailand. We have no fears about going. It's the access we are concerned about, and whether travel will be difficult. 
****

Pray for our preparations to go. With students still attending school and some working, it's been difficult to gather the entire team to prepare everyone on what needs to be readied. Pray especially that our hearts would be fixed on God and we'd have great love for the Thai people. Pray that the confidence of the Holy Spirit will develop in us, and we'd bold and courageous when it comes to sharing our love story of God and his transforming work in us.