Bangkok!

I'm here!

The flights were good, had a nice layover in Addis. I was actually pretty nervous about coming to Bangkok by myself and going to a hotel. But Jon Wood sent me the address and a map of the place so I gave that to the taxi driver and got here just fine!

The rest of the group flew in at 1AM and got here at about 3. Right now Daniel is resting as well as the rest of the group.

But for me? Its CHRISTMAS! Daniel brought me all sorts of treasures! Macbook Air, Camera Lens... etc. I'm like a kid in a candy store! And Thanking God for His many blessings to me.

We will be here in Bangkok until next week some time and then go to Mae Sot, and visit Sunshine Orchard. (Its a school my parents went to for 3 weeks last year) And then we're going to visit the Jesus For Asia TV studio in Chiang Mai. At least thats the plan as I know it now.

Daniel using my new computer. Don't ask.

Asia for real!

I have tickets!

January 22nd, 2013... 6:25PM, I fly out of Nairobi. I arrive in Bangkok the next day at 1:20PM. (with a layover in Addis Ababa) I'll arrive about 12 hours before the rest of the group, because they get in at 1:15AM Thursday morning! Right now I'm planning on going to the guest house that Jon usually stays at. Bangkok is a city of over 13 million people, so I'm sure it will be interesting!

The trip will include three countries (Thailand, Cambodia, and India.) It will last just under two months and after that I'm planning on coming home, unless God leads otherwise! The trip will be pretty intense, not staying in one place for very long so we can see as many places as possible. But I'm really excited!

In continuation of my last post, God provided money for the lens, and a new computer for me as well! Pastor Frank doesn't have a Mac, so I decided to leave my computer with him because he really needs a mac to do his work effectively.

I need your prayers for this trip. We all need your prayers. (27 people going on the trip last I heard) I want to specifically ask that you pray for God to provide the resources for me personally. God has led very clearly and I know it is His will for me to go on this trip, so I know He will provide. But please pray that I will have peace about the whole situation.

I don't know how much I'll be able to access the Internet during the journey. But I'll try to update my blog when I have a chance.

God is Real!

I woke up to the noise of cars outside my window. It was 5:55 A.M...

I rolled over and then remembered that there was a good reason to look at my computer just then...

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes I lifted the mosquito net and woke my computer up from sleep...

I scanned the emails that had come in since I went to sleep the night before.

And as I finished reading the email, a solitary tear trickled down my face, followed quickly by more.

Speechless...

Amazed...

Thankful...

All I could do was whisper... "Thank you, Lord"

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Ever since I was little I can remember asking my parents questions like, "When are we leaving?" "What are we doing tomorrow?" "What's the plan?".

You see, I'm one of those people that like to have all my ducks in a perfect row and have everything planned out ahead of time.

Now having said that, I'm not too bad at doing things on the fly either, but I certainly prefer to have it all planned.

So in the last few weeks I've been wondering, praying, and asking God to show me whether I am to go on the trip to Asia with Daniel and Jon Wood and several others.

I just had this sense of not knowing, and that can get stressful for me... But I kept asking God for a sign.

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Early in this week, for no particular reason I decided to look at Craigslist near my home for a camera lens. (I need a new camera lens with Image Stabilization for taking video.)

I found a particular lens that was half of the new price but still in great condition. (Canon 24-105mm L IS, for you camera geeks)

But, I don't have any money...

I lamented that fact, because it was such a great deal! And it is a much better lens than what I was expecting I would be able to get.

To make a long story short, without boring you with details.

God worked a miracle! He provided money, and saved that lens for me! (with a price like that it could have been gone in a very short period of time)

I went to bed Wednesday night not knowing whether it was going to work out to get the lens. And when I woke up Thursday morning is when I got the email that my mother had been able to get the lens. (with the help of another friend as well.)

I asked God for a sign, and he has certainly given me one! And since then God has been providing money for the trip! We serve a prayer hearing and a prayer answering God!!

God is good, ALL the time! And ALL the time, God is good!

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In moving forward with the plans for the trip, today I went to the Indian Embassy here in Nairobi, and applied for the visa. I go to pick it up next week.

Right now I'm planning on leaving here on January 21. I'll fly to Bangkok to meet up with the team and then I'll travel with them in Thailand, Cambodia, and India. After that I'll be flying back home to the US. (thats the plan at this point, but that can change!)

I just want to thank all of you who are following my blog and keeping updated on what I'm doing. And also to every one of you that have helped me, either through prayer, or with expenses. God Bless each of you!

Getting ready for Asia! (they wear flip-flops a lot)

Baboons, Lions, and Asia!

Something about growing up in Washington state... Christmas will never feel like Christmas without snow.

And I can assure you there is no snow in Nairobi!

But despite that, Christmas day was amazing!

We went to Nairobi National Park. It has the distinction of being the closest game park to a city. Just 10 Kilometers away from downtown Nairobi.

We got to see 3 of the big 5, (Water Buffalo, Lions, and a Rhino) and many other well known African animals.

We stopped at a picnic area to eat lunch, and there were a bunch of Baboons hanging around! Frank and Valerie started to unpack the food on one of the tables there, and like a lightning flash one of the baboons streaked in and nimbly displayed its skills as a thief and ran off with our bread! Then the rascal sat like 20 feet away and started to eat the bread! Needless to say, they packed the food right back up and we ate lunch in the car!

This is one of the male lions that we saw. So majestic.

Caption, anyone?!

Its hard to believe that I've been here in Africa for nearly 3 months... Time has flown by quickly.

Its even harder to believe that I'll only be here another few weeks. (hopefully) I haven't really talked much about my future plans on my blog. So its about time!

I'm hoping to join a group of people going on a trip to Asia capturing video footage to show the needs of the unreached people there. The trip will include time in Thailand and India. The group from the US is planning on leaving Jan 22. And it will last somewhere around 2 months I think. I'll be headed back home then unless God sends me somewhere else.

Will you join me in praying that God will supply the resources needed if He wants me to go on this trip?

Living without...

You know how sometimes there's something you think you can't live without? Maybe a friend, a computer, phone, teddy bear, whatever. You just think you can't live without it...

That was me about 4 days ago... my iPhone had quit working. That was my source of internet, phone, texting, everything that I needed to stay connected to the "outside world". Something I didn't think I could live without.

Well after a couple days of frustration and trying to fix my iphone, it has officially died. (I got it used and the previous owner attempted to fix it and in the process only caused more problems.)

Now there's two ways I can look at this. I can see that Christmas is only 2 days away and lament that it happened during this season. I could be upset and depressed because it was so useful while it was alive.

Or...

I can move on and recognize the fact that God is teaching me something very important. Even though I may not understand it fully right now...

Which do you think is better?

Well I can tell you which one I've chosen... The second, because thats the only one that makes any sense at all.

I don't have time to waste being depressed about a little phone!

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.  ~  1 Timothy 6:7-8

Thrown in.

There's plenty I could blog about, much has happened since my last post. Here's a little bit...

Sunday afternoon, (Dec 9) I moved in with Frank and Valerie. I wasn't able to get to bed early and Frank told me to sleep in monday morning. Which I did, at about 8:15 I walked into the living room. Where without much ado I was informed that we had been asked to record some ALIVE (Africans Living In View of Eternity) meetings for the week up at AUA (Adventist University of Africa).

I was awake then.

I hurriedly ate some breakfast and got over to the studio. Started the packing process, worked on uploading playlists so I could forget about that for the time being. Then went to the house, packed some clothes, went back to the studio and finished packing and left. We got up there and set up in the afternoon, and started recording that night.

That was one of the most stressful weeks of my life. I'd never been in charge of anything like that before.

To add to that, Frank and Valerie left on Wednesday (Dec 12) to go to Tanzania to be at two weddings. That meant that I was there by myself in charge of the whole operation, the likes of which I'd never done before.

Kind of like the indian chief that threw the young man into the lake so he would learn how to swim.

I was thrown into a deep lake alright! When Frank was leaving, he said there was fear in my eyes. First time he'd seen that in me.

But I learned to swim, at least I learned how to stay afloat. I came out of that experience a little bit older, a little bit wiser, and a whole lot more tired! But I learned a lot and I'm so very thankful for the opportunity.

On a side note, Daniel is back in the US and on his way home for Christmas. :-)

Take Action!

Data, in the form of sound, entered my brain... 

The words that were spoken, once my brain had processed them, caused me to cringe inwardly...

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Daniel had just gotten back from Tanzania. He went there for several days to get some rest. You see, he's been working nonstop, for 10 months. (He planned to be here for 2 months!) Living by himself, in a completely different culture, with multitude of challenges that most people can't comprehend. Doing the work of 5 people.

 FIVE PEOPLE! 

He burned out... 

And here's why:

Because some will not lift the burdens they could lift, or do the work they might do, the work is too great for the few who will engage in it. They see so much to do that they overtax their strength, and are fast wearing out. ~ Christian Service pg 45

That describes Daniel, perfectly...

When I got here to Nairobi, I knew my job was to get Daniel out of here. For his own safety and well-being. He was physically, and mentally exhausted. And quite honestly, it is only through God's sustaining power, that Daniel is alive today. 

They see so much to do that they overtax their strength, and are fast wearing out.

Dedicated... 

Committed... 

Faithful... 

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As the words sunk in, it hurt. 

The night Daniel got back from Tanzania, I asked him a very simple question. 

"Did you get lots of pictures?" 

The answer I got, made me realize how burned-out he was. 

"No, it's going to take awhile to learn to love my camera again." 

Ouch. 

You see, Daniel loves photography. Its one of his biggest hobbies. But he worked so hard, for so long, that he lost his passion and love for his camera. 

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Friends, there are people dying who have never heard the name of Jesus. 

Never...

What are you going to do about it? Will you continue to go about your daily life and try to forget? Or will you take action?

"The Christian is not obedient unless he is doing all in his power to send the Gospel to the heathen world." ~ A.B. Simpson

Get involved. Take action. 

Jesus gave His life for you, can't you give back?