Pinocchio and the Gospel

So I have been learning a lot about the sovereignty of God and how He wants the best for His children. Wherever we are in our lives right now is what is best for us, whether we see it or not. I read in Luke 11 yesterday "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you." (v. 9-10) Jesus goes on to say, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (v. 13) Jesus knows that when our children ask us for something, we are not going to give them something that will hurt them, like a poisonous snake. We will give them what they ask for, as long as it's for their good. Won't our heavenly Father do the same? And to a much greater degree! So this morning I prayed that there wouldn't be any children in the nursery so I could go to worship (seems like a horrible thing to ask for but I wanted to go to church). However, when I got there, I had two kids. I questioned God why He would take away worshipping Him to watch two girls. I got my answer. I read the girls Disney's Pinocchio and the Holy Spirit spoke to me. Here's what I learned:

Pinocchio represents all of us. We are born into this life but as sinful beings and not whole yet; Pinocchio was a wooden boy, not a real boy yet. When Geppetto sends Pinocchio off to school, Pinocchio is tempted, just as we are every day of our lives. He gives into this temptation and works for a puppeteer. He has fun dancing but at night is locked up. When we fall into sin, it is fun at first, but then we get caught in it. There are consequences to our sin and we are slaves to it.

During the night, the Blue Fairy comes to Pinocchio. She asks him what happened. The Blue Fairy can represent Jesus in our analogy, coming to us as we are stuck in our sin. He gently asks us what happened. Pinocchio lied. We try to make excuses for our sin. After Pinocchio tells the truth, the Blue Fairy sets him free. After we confess our sin to Jesus, we are forgiven and released from the bondage of sin.

Pinocchio goes out the next day and is tempted again and goes to Pleasure Island. There he enjoys everything he could ever want but soon he starts to turn into a donkey. The evil guys tempt boys so that when they are wrapped up in the pleasures of the island, they turn into donkeys and he enslaves them to work for him. We are tempted by the pleasures of this world. Soon, we started to look like the world and Satan makes us his slaves.

Once Pinocchio gets away from Pleasure Island (which we can only do with the saving grace of Jesus), he goes to save his father. It's then he displays love and unselfishness. The Blue Fairy makes him a real boy. When we discover what it really means to be a son of God and surrender our lives to Him (showing love and unselfishness), then we are transformed and born again.

And of course, Jiminy Cricket is supposed to represent our conscience. We can go further and say he represents the Holy Spirit.

Thank you Jesus for keeping me in the nursery today. I saw the gospel in a new light through a secular children's story.

In Christ,
Christine ><>

Faith

As many of you know, I spent two months this summer in the northeastern region of Thailand on an evangelical mission trip. Nineteen of us from UNA and Samford ministered on the 30,000-student campus of Khon Kaen University every day during the week. We were focused on establishing relationships. We would go to the cafeterias for lunch and meet students. We would get to know them by showing interest in their lives and hanging out with them. When God opened doors, we would share parts of our testimonies or the gospel. Our main goal was not to share the gospel; it was to establish these friendships and introduce them to the ministry that we worked with. When we left Thailand, they were plugged into a ministry. One of my Thai friends, Tape, who we met at her sports practice, prayed to receive faith in Christ two weeks after we left! Tonight, I would like to share with you how my faith grew this summer.

God stretched me in so many ways this summer, and as a result, my faith grew and strengthened. For one, I was uncomfortable in Thailand. The beds in our dorm rooms were hard (the mattresses were made of coconut shells!). The food was different. We were on the other side of the world. It was hot and rainy all of the time. I did not speak the language. And let’s face it, I didn’t want to do ministry every day. I was stripped of all the American comforts I was used to. It was definitely the Lord that gave me strength to face the day and have a heart for the lost students on campus. Through all the tough things about Thailand, I really saw my need for the Lord. I really depended on Him to provide strength when I was sick or tired from no sleep on the hard beds. I was constantly in prayer when I was talking with a student. I was always seeking his guidance in what to say next in the conversation, what part of my testimony should I share, or if it is time to share the gospel. My faith grew because I saw how dependent I really am on the Lord.

The second way God grew my faith this summer was through ministry. I prayed for God to give me His eyes for the lost and to break my heart for what breaks His. He answered that prayer! I would look around at the masses of Thai students and just see dead bodies walking around. Without the saving grace of our Lord, the students are dead, just as we were dead in our sins before the Lord interceded on our behalf. In the words of John Wesley in one of his hymns, "No one can truly say that Jesus is the Lord, unless thou take the veil away and breathe the living Word. Then, only then, we feel the saving power." This made ministry more urgent for me. I would see a few hundred Thais a day. Statistically, only a few of those people would be Christians. The Thai unbelievers are on a fast track to hell by not knowing the Savior. We have to do something! In sharing the gospel and what the Lord has done in my life with my Thai friends, my faith in Him grew. It just had to.

The last way that my faith grew this summer was in seeing my sin. In the kind of environment that I was in, constantly surrounded by the CCP team and the American and Thai missionaries that loved the Lord, my sin was suddenly visible to me. I struggled for weeks because I was so caught up in the fact that I am a wicked sinner. I couldn’t get over how sinful I was and how ugly my sin looked. I wasn’t seeing the gospel. Our leader noticed this about a lot of us so he challenged us to look for the gospel around us. Sure enough I did see it everywhere around me. God gave me the strength to turn from gazing at my sin to gazing at the cross. What a gift He has given me! Saving me from my sin! All of it! I walked away with so much gratitude in my heart for my salvation. Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ, not even my own sin. My faith grew because I saw that I did not deserve grace and so my faith is truly a gift from God.

In Acts 20, Paul talks about going to Jerusalem. He doesn't know what is ahead except that the Holy Spirit will be with him. He knows imprisonment and afflictions await him but he doesn't count his life of any worth; he is only concerned with carrying out his purpose, and that is to serve the Lord. I really saw that this summer and have thought of Paul in my current situation: finding a job! The Lord wants the best for us; we just have to have faith in that.

Thank you to all of you who supported and prayed for me this summer. It was an incredible experience for me as I got to grow in my faith and in sharing it with others. I pray that God will continue to use this summer to change lives for the rest of eternity.

In Christ,
Christine ><>

Back on the Homefront

I have been back in the States now for a week. It has definitely has been an adjustment! I was really sick the first few days after the 2-day flight back home. My stomach shrunk in Thailand so I can't eat as much of the American food that I have been craving. But most of all, I miss Thailand. My dad and I ran up to his church last night and on the way home he asked if I was okay. He said I seemed a little depressed. (I had been very quiet and soft-spoken the two days I had been home.) I said yes, I was okay but my eyes filled with tears. I told him I missed Thailand. "Even with the food, the heat, the hard beds, etc. etc.?" he asked. Yes, of course. Those things didn't matter in the great scheme of things. I've been missing the team, the fellowship we had together, how we could always talk about the Lord together and encourage each other. How we laughed and joked together around the dinner table. I didn't exactly find that when I returned home. I miss the Thais, how joyful they are and their beautiful smiles. I miss how we would laugh together over the silliest things and how we would share even just elementary basics about God (whatever the language barrier would allow). I miss the overall experience in Thailand. It is going to be hard the next few weeks adjusting back to life here. My fear is that I will fall back into the American routine and forget about Thailand and what I learned this summer. It will be my constant prayer that it won't happen.

So what did I learn this summer? So much more than I will ever be able to communicate. However, I want to attempt to share my heart with you, to encourage you and as a way to express my gratitude towards your support this summer.

I really learned more about God this summer. I reflected back on the beginning. Buddhists don't believe in a Supreme Being that created the world. God created the world. He wrote the story of life on earth for all time (Psalm 139:16b). Therefore, He has all authority. Why not believe? Buddhists believe in idols that are empty of value. They can't save their worshipers. They can't even move; they have to be carried. God carries His people (Isaiah 46:4). He saves. He loves. He never fails His people like the idols do. God can heal us. God comforts us (Psalm 31:1-5). God did not spare His Son (Romans 8:32). So why would He withhold good things from us? God is sovereign-He is the Potter. Why would I question Him (Romans 9:21)?

As for a ministry update, overall, my ministry team met over 100 girls. We followed up with about 20 of those girls. We had really close relationships with 3 of them and 1 will be joining Bow's Bible study! Within another ministry team, 2 girls came to Christ! Praise be to Him!

Please continue to pray for the Isan people group. They are the 26th most unreached people group in the world, and we came in direct contact with so many of them.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers this summer! The journey is not over!

In Christ,
Christine ><>

God's Sovereign Choice

I have been studying Romans 8 and 9 and how they apply to evangelism. God will have mercy on whom He chooses; He will have compassion on whom He chooses (v. 15). No one can resist the will of God! How can we question our Maker (v. 19-21)? He has prepared each one of us for His glory, whether for destruction or exaltation (v. 23).

Paul wishes himself to hell in order that others may know Christ. Those verses (2-3) have been in the back of my mind this summer. I could not say that! I want to say that I want the Esan people group to come to know the Lord but to give up my own salvation for that? What does that say about my heart for the lost?

But the difference is that Paul has a heart like Christ. Jesus sacrificed a perfect union with the Father so that we can spend eternity with Him. Paul was willing to do the same.

I have been trying to look around KKU and see the students through eternal lenses-the students are just bones walking around because they are spiritually dead. What a responsibility we have! Even though God chooses who He will save, we have the responsibility to make His name known. "Faith comes through hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). We as believers are preachers of the Word. The lost are in great need of the Word. What are we doing about it?

Ministry has been great on campus. I have been able to share bits of the gospel and my testimony with one girl. What I have to remember is that my primary goal being here is creating friendships and interest. The CO staff will share the gospel when the time is right down the road. Building that relationship of trust is what we need to do right now. In saying that, God is working! Two girls have come to know Christ this week! Praise Him!

Thank you for your prayers! We have 3 days left on campus then a retreat with just the team. I cannot believe the summer is almost over!

Prayer requests:
1.)that God provides time in the students' schedule to hang out this week.
2.)that I have energy to pour out love this next week.
3.)that our team's heart for the nations continues to grow.

Thank you for your support!
In Christ,
Christine ><>

Ministry Update

CCP Thailand: Team Update Week 5 from Matt & Erin Francisco on Vimeo.

Ministry Update Podcast 2

Adoption Into God's Family

Last Friday, June 24th, CCP and COT staff went to visit an orphanage in the city of Khonkaen. The facility was very nice, colorful, and welcoming. We arrived for morning snack (which we provided-thanks supporters!). We sat with them as they drank milk and ate crackers. Of course they speak no English and hardly provided their names when we asked.

Then we took the children (ages 2 1/2 to 6) outside to play on the playgrounds. The girl I was holding took off so I just ran around with a few and took pictures. Then I went with the toddlers to another playground. I picked up one boy (we called him Dino because of his dinosaur shirt) because he was crying over his spilled snack. I carried him to the playground and had him sit on my lap while he ate. Another little girl climbed onto my lap. After Dino finished he eating he climbed down, I continued to hold the little girl (we'll call her Mai because she said "mai" a lot which means "no"). I played with her on the playground for awhile but then she just wanted to be held. Every time I tried to put her on the ground or on the playground equipment, she would scream "mai mai mai!!!" I knew it wasn't going to be pretty when we left. Sure enough she screamed bloody murder when we started to leave, even when I took off her shoes to go in the building. I tried to put her on the floor but she clung to me and screamed and cried. When I pulled her off my body she writhed on the floor as if she was in pain. All I could think was "I am totally messing you up for life kid. You have major attachment problems." I absolutely loved her and it broke my heart to leave. I wanted to scoop her back up and take her home. It saddens my heart to think that she is still there with dozens of other children without a mother and father. In Thailand, mothers are allowed to bring children to the orphanage if they don't want them. However, the mother can come back and get the child. Therefore, it is very hard to adopt in Thailand. Still, when the time comes, I would love to adopt from Thailand.

I left the orphanage thinking of how I am adopted as a son into God's family. And I say "son" because I can receive the full inheritance of a son.

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons...So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." Galatians 4:4,5,7 (NIV)

"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord God Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:18 (NIV)

"In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will." Ephesians 1:4b-5

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ..." Romans 8:15-17a

God has chosen me! The beautiful thing about adoption is that the parents chose the child. God chose me, even before I was born. God has pursued me and LOVES me as His own daughter. I am fully accepted by Him and can be secure in this.

I pray that the children at the orphanage will also be chosen by earthly parents and that they have been chosen by God to know Him. Please pray that prayer with me.

Week 5 of ministry has begun. We are meeting with several girls each day. We have met over 100 girls and we have established relationships with 20 of those girls. We have been sharing the gospel with a few of them and growing closer and closer to them each day. Please pray for time to hang out with them and for us to find "entry gates" to share the gospel.

In Christ,
Christine ><>

Thai Orphanage Video

Self-forgetfulness

The biggest thing that God has shown me thus far in the summer is my sin. The root of all sin is pride according to C.S. Lewis. Looking at my life, it really is the cause of all of my sin. Feeling superior to others, feeling inferior to others so acting to counteract that feeling, wanting to feel superior, comparing myself to others, and countless other sins that are caused by self-exaltation. We listened to a sermon this week by Tim Keller called “Humility: Blessed Self-forgetfulness.”

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me” (v. 3, 4; NIV).

According to Keller, pride is an overinflated, swollen, inflamed ego. However, the heart is empty. You have built your life around something other than God (self). Pride is busy! My ego is constantly comparing myself to others and boasting; it is trying to fill its emptiness. “Pride by nature is competitive” (C.S. Lewis). Our ego is also fragile because it is overinflated. It is “puffed up and not filled up.”

If we look at the life of Paul from 1 Corinthians 4, we see that he thinks this: “I don’t care what people think about me. I don’t care what I think of myself. I only care about what God thinks.” And the awesome thing about that is that God looks at us like we are perfect because we are covered with the blood of Christ! Why should we care about what others think of us or what we think about ourselves?

Tim Keller calls this self-forgetfulness. Have you ever just forgotten yourself? Just completely forgot about your feelings, pains, emotions, how you are looking to everyone else and focused your thoughts on other things such as the Lord and serving others? When do you feel your toes? Only when they hurt. Otherwise you have forgotten them. I’ll admit that I rarely even think to try to do that. I’m always caring about how I look (to others and myself), how I behave around others, and how I can impress people. Notice a common theme in each phrase? What can I do for me. Why not how can I be serving others through my words and actions right now? How can I be praising the Lord and bringing His name glory right now?

Since hearing this sermon and discussing it with other girls on our team, it has made me really want to forget myself. I’ll tell you, it really is a freeing feeling to not care about how I look here in Thailand. I have been trying to focus on how I can serve our team instead of how I can impress them with my ministry. But it has been so hard.

God is revealing so much sin in my life and it really hurts. My ego has taken a hit because I haven’t convinced myself that it only matters what God thinks of me and He sees Jesus in me. It’s amazing for me to see how I am here to share the gospel but I am not seeing it in my own life.

As for ministry on campus, week four has begun along with a new chapter in our ministry. Now that we have made over 100 new contacts (praise God!), we are slowing down to follow up with girls that we had a strong response from. Last week we went to Wan Wai Kru which is an event where freshmen make elaborate gifts for their teachers out of banana leaves, flowers, and ribbon. They were so beautiful! While the students spent countless hours making these gifts, we were able to sit down with them and get to talk with new students and with girls that we already knew. It was such a great night!

I have gotten into deep conversations with girls, especially about Buddhism, and have been able to talk to them about the Lord and share the gospel! It is such a reaffirmation of my faith to share it with others! Please be praying that we can continue to hang out with these girls to grow in our friendships with them in order to establish trust to share the gospel.

Thank you for being supportive with your prayers!

In Christ,
Christine ><>

Transportation in Thailand

The Fruits of Thailand Part 1

Ministry Update Podcast 1

King Cobra Show 2

My view of the show:

King Cobra Show

Matt's view of the show:

Team Trip - King Cobra Village from Matt & Erin Francisco on Vimeo.

My view is to come!

End of Week 1

Our first week of ministry is now complete. It was an awesome experience to see God working on the campus of KKU and to see events unfold that only He could orchestrate.

Our ministry team (Bo, Laura Ruth, and me) met at least 30 girls this week! We talked to them in the complex, a cafeteria where mostly freshmen go for lunch. I won't lie, I was uncomfortable most of the week. I was tired of eating Thai food, hot and sweaty (no AC), and the language barrier makes communication exhausting. But when I would have a breakthrough with a student, when she would look at me with begging eyes, wanting a friend. When they would laugh, either out of awkwardness or at our attempt at Thai. When they would light up when we saw them again. It makes it worth all the discomfort.

Right now we are just getting names and numbers of girls. In the afternoon, Bo calls the girls we met and asks if they want to hang out with us that night. So far, all of them have been busy or have cancelled on us. This week was the first week of school so the freshmen had a lot of activities going on. Please pray for opportunities to hang out with at least five girls this week. In these hang out times, we will have an opportunity to go deeper with them, really get to know them and earn their trust. From there, we pray that God will open doors to share the gospel.


Me and Nil, an extremely joyful and encouraging Christian

We learned during training this week that we should be looking for analogies to use when sharing the gospel. The Lord gave me one that the freshmen can definitely relate to. We went to the freshmen cheer last week which is where the freshmen are packed into the stadium and forced to sing the university song over and over. Sophomores were on the field directing them. Every time they messed up (the song had to be perfect), they had to start over. After so many times that they messed up, the sophomores were punished. They had to lay on the grass or run laps around the track. I started to think about sin and the gospel. The students could not get the song right. The song had to be perfect but they kept "missing the mark" (sin). Instead of them being punished, the sophomores were punished. In our lives, we can't be perfect; we are always "missing the mark." But, God, being rich in mercy, sent His Son to be punished for us. (Of course Jesus had to suffer more than running laps.) Whenever they messed up(or sinned), they were asked to start over. That's how forgiveness is; you get to start over. But of course we are never going to be perfect. The day we are perfect we will be in heaven. When the students got the song perfect, there was a big celebration and they were accepted into the university. When we finally are sanctified, we will be at a huge celebration in heaven.

God taught me so much as I watched these events. I pray that I am able to share this analogy with at least one student this summer.

Please pray for these things for us:
1. that we will continue to grow together as a team and cooperatively serve together.
2. that our team will solve conflict biblicly.
3. that my ministry team can meet 30-40 girls this week.
4. that we are able to spend time with at least five girls this week.
5. that the Thai Christians will continue to grow in the faith and walk alongside us during ministry.

Thank you for your prayers!


Me holding a python at King Cobra Village

Phil's Fantastic Voyage from Matt & Erin Francisco on Vimeo.

First Ministry Day

Today was the first day that we went out on campus. I was a little nervous, but only because I didn't know what to expect. This morning, we met at the church and had our first training meeting. Pi Betsy talked about our role in evangelism on campus. As a CCP team, we are here to be the "bait." We are new and exciting to the Thais so they want to talk to us.

Bo, Laura Ruth, Erin, and I went to the complex which is a cafeteria where most freshmen go for lunch. We went around and asked the students if they were science majors because we had a survey for science majors (our ministry team is just focusing on the science majors). Once we would find a group of girls who were science majors,we would sit down and introduce ourselves. Laura Ruth and I know quite a few phrases in Thai so we would start by asking how they were, what their names are, where they are from, what their major is, etc. After that, any additional questions went through Bo, who is on staff with CO. We would ask questions or say things in English and she would translate to Thai for the students. They would respond and then Bo would translate back into English for us.

Our goal is to meet five girls each day. That seemed really big to me when Bo told us this morning but we met six!

Ministering in this way is extremely exhausting. It is hard to try to speak the very little Thai that we know. It can also be hard to let the conversation just continue between Bo and the students in Thai. During that time, I just sit back and pray for the conversation.


Linda, Rachel, Nil, me, Gad

You may be wondering 'why did they go? CO is very established there.' Pi Betsy told us yesterday how much CCPs mean to the ministry. She knows girls that have been touched by four different CCPs! And they are all believers now! We really are to be the bait this summer, the shiny thing in the water. One girl we met today even said she wanted American friends! We are the fresh new faces going out on campus. The students see the CO staff a lot, so we are someone new to talk to.


The girls at church Sunday

This summer has been challenging in so many ways so far but I am learning to rest in God's sovereignty. One big personal prayer request I have right now is that I stay healthy and don't get sick. The past day has been really rough; I have been getting sick (adjustment stress and the food). Feeling sick can really put a damper on ministry. Please pray for our whole team that we will be healthy for the sake of ministry, but if it is in His will for us to be sick for His glory, by all means, show me the toilet. : )

Thank you for your prayers! Happy Memorial Day to you Americans!
Faan dii ka! (Goodnight!)

In Christ,
Christine ><>

Revelation 7:9

Today, church was amazing. It was a beautiful, yet small, picture of what heaven is going to be like. The church service was almost completely in Thai. A few worship songs were in English, but only because it was our first Sunday. The rest of the songs were in Thai along with words spoken by staff and prayers. It was so beautiful to hear praises to the Lord in a language that I don't understand. I began to think about how I can't understand but the Lord does. The Thai prayers are sweet to His ears.

"Behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb"
Revelation 7:9

ALL nations will be represented in heaven, including Thais! It was such a beautiful picture so see the Thais and Americans worshiping together! I got chills all down my body.

Please pray for the guests that are brought to church every Sunday. A girl that I met today is Buddhist but she is interested in Christianity. (Praise God!)

Thank you for your prayers!

In Christ,
Christine ><>

Sa-wat-dii-ka!

Sa-wat-dii-ka! Hello from Thailand, the land of the smiles! We finally arrived here Thursday night (Thailand time) after a 40-hour trip.


Our awesome team in Birmingham

We flew first from Birmingham, AL to Charlotte, NC but that first flight was delayed. We thought maybe that was a sign that we would have difficulties flying but the rest of the trip went very smoothly. We then flew from Charlotte to NYC. I have never been to New York so it was exciting to be there! Of course we didn't get to see the city but I think I saw the skyline when we traveled on the Air Tran (?) to another terminal. We had a six-hour layover there but it didn't seem so bad because we split it up: the first couple of hours we just waited in the concourse to check in. After we checked our luggage we went to eat. By the time we got through security, we only had about 30 more minutes to wait. Rachel and I walked laps in the terminal to get our blood flowing before we got on the 21-hour flight. Then we took off from NYC and headed to Frankfurt, Germany where we would stop to refuel. Within the first 30 minutes of that flight I got sick (luckily in the lavatory). The rest of the flight I was really restless. It was nighttime but I couldn't sleep. By the time we landed in Germany it was the middle of the day for the Germans. Even though we were going to stay on that same flight, we had to get off the plane for about an hour. By then I was pretty tired so I slept over half of the 11-hour flight to Singapore. Oh, in case you want to know, Singapore Airlines is the best airline I have ever flown with. The staff is wonderful, their planes are great, and the food was awesome! After a short layover in Singapore (awesome airport too), we flew to Bangkok. We had a seven-hour layover in Bangkok so we met up with our team leader's friend Jeff who Matt met when we was on CCP in 2007. Jeff took us into the city to eat at the mall food court. We road their version of the subway except that it is above ground. So we were able to see the whole city. Bangkok is huge! And the gap between rich and poor is unbelievable. Slums were literally next to mansions.


Bangkok

After our adventure into the city, we took a small plane to Khon Kaen where we received a very warm welcome from CO Thailand staff, families, and students. It was wonderful! We then took songthaews (trucks with benches in the bed) to our apartment. We settled in and finally took a shower after 2 days!
Yesterday started with breakfast (pork and sticky rice) and orientation meetings. Moe is in charge of our CCP this summer and he is amazing. Then we went to one of the campus cafeterias for lunch. I had cow pot guy which is chicken fried rice and a pineapple smoothie. Their fruit smoothies are so fresh here and naturally sweet. After lunch we took a city tour in songthaews. We went into the heart of Khon Kaen which was big and very modern. Where we live the roads are not as developed and the vendors are in huts, not buildings like the main part of the city. We stopped at the biggest Buddhist temple in the city and also the mall (Central). I walked around and talked to Thai students and staff to get to know them.


songthaew


KKU

After our tour, we went back to our apartments to rest. Then it was time to eat again! We went to another cafeteria (which is basically a bunch of vendors surrounding a central area with picnic tables). I had stir fry and another smoothie. Because we are still experiencing jet lag, we went back to our apartment after dinner to go to sleep. We were so tired!
Today started with more meetings in which we learned some basic Thai and how our summer was going to work. It got me so excited! Then we had lunch with the CO staff, families, and students. After a delicious meal we played games with everyone such as soccer, basketball,and badmitten. It was so fun! Now we're back resting before we go out with our ministry groups. I will be ministering with Bow and Laura Ruth this summer! Bow is Thai and on staff with CO Thailand. She is great!
God has been teaching me so much already! He has really been humbling me and showing me that He is all I need, not the comforts of this world. Our mattresses are made of cardboard so sleeping isn't as comfortable. Not knowing the language is really hard and the heat is really tough. However, God is continually proving His sovereignty and I can't wait to see how He is going to use me for His Kingdom this summer.

Thanks for all of your prayers!

In Christ,
Christine ><>

"Have you updated you blog recently?" my dad asked as we whizzed down the highway to Birmingham. Yes, in fact I had blogged lately but not about Thailand.
Now, as I am sitting on my bed in our hotel room, I'm not sure what to write about. Am I nervous about tomorrow? Sure. Am I in complete disbelief that the day has finally come? Sure. But what is really pulling on my heartstrings?

God is truly growing my heart for missions. I am understanding more and more what missions is and our role in it, specifically my role. The discipleship group that I am a part of in Florence just finished reading John Piper's Let the Nations Be Glad. It was a very heavy book but the main point I got from it is this: "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't." A lot of times we say that we were put on this earth to make God known; to share His gospel to the nations. And that is exactly what we are to do. But first and foremost we are to worship Him. Worship is the chief end of man. Because worship doesn't exist everywhere in the world, missions must happen.

"Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness." 1 Chronicles 16:28-29

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples." Psalm 96:3

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, O God, may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy...then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him." Psalm 67:1-4a, 6

This is a principle that I will carry with me this summer: 1. worship the Lord; 2. make His glory known..

I pray that you will carry this principle with you, whether at work, school, church, a concert, restaurant, Wal Mart, or at home.

Please be praying for our journey! God has written this part of my life out already and I can't wait to see what happens!

In Christ,
Christine ><>

The Lord Calls Christine

It seems fitting that on the eve of my college graduation, I opened my Bible to 1 Samuel 3, the calling of Samuel. In this chapter, the Lord calls Samuel as a prophet. The Lord calls him three times,each call increasing in intensity; but Samuel thinks it is only his foster father Eli who is calling. Finally the elderly Eli perceives who is calling, and Samuel receives his first communication from the Lord.

As I was reading this chapter, I thought about my own life. I connected with young Samuel when I thought of my own calling. We are all "called" (rather, commanded)to do missions, but my specific call from the Lord is to use my degree and gift of teaching children overseas where the gospel and love of Christ is needed. Just like Samuel, I heard God call but ran to other things, thinking they were calling out to me. Finally, just last year, I embraced this call coming from the Lord and telling me to take my life somewhere else.

Of course telling the family and friends hasn't been easy. In this same chapter in 1 Samuel, Samuel had to tell Eli what God told him: that his house will be punished for their iniquities. But Eli accepted it humbly saying, "It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him" (v. 18). I pray every day that my parents, family, and friends say the same thing when I finally make plans to move overseas. I know it is not their first choice, but it is the Lord's; it is what seems good to Him.

So,to say all this, I am reflecting on the eve of my college graduation on the four years I have spent at UNA. I went from wanting to move back to Huntsville, to teaching in Mississippi, to staying in North Alabama, to moving overseas, to teaching in New Orleans, and now I am set on moving to Asia. I aspire to make not only my family and university proud tomorrow, but my Lord. I hope as I walk across the stage, my parents are thinking how proud they are of me and how wonderful it has been to see me grow; but I also hope that God looks down and says "I'm not finished with you yet." I can't wait to see what else the Lord has in store for me!

Congrats to the UNA class of 2011 and the graduates all over the world! We did it!

Thailand is just over a week away!

In Christ,
Christine ><>

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Among Jesus' last words were "My God, my God, why have you forsake me?" found in Matthew and Mark. These words have come to mean so much to me in the past year.

C. J. Mahaney writes in Living the Cross Centered Life, “For Jesus, the cross will bring incomparable and unprecedented suffering of wrath and abandonment.” When Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, He wasn’t crying out to God and sweating blood because He was afraid to die; He knew He was about to face all of God’s wrath toward sin poured out on Him. When Jesus prayed for God to “remove this cup,” He was pleading for the Lord to save Him from His wrath. What is this “cup?” It is a reference to the wrath of God for our sins. Isaiah 51:17 says “Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up O Jerusalem, you who have drank from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.” In the words of Mahaney, “This cup contains the full vehemence and fierceness of God’s holy wrath poured out against all sins, and we discover in Scripture that it’s intended for all of sinful humanity to drink.” When Jesus prays in the garden, He is not worried about dying; He is in fear of the agony of being abandoned by His Father. Habakkuk 1:13 says “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong…” God is so holy and so perfect that He cannot even look at sin. When Jesus called out “My God my God, why have You forsaken me?” He felt God look away because He could not look at all of the sin on Jesus.

Adam Hamilton in 24 Hours That Changed the World has a slightly different viewpoint on these words from the dying Messiah. He doesn't think God removed His gaze from His Son; He suffered with Jesus. Hamilton says that Jesus was facing what most of us face in our lives but to a much greater degree: a "moment when the silence of God is so deafening that we feel forsaken by him. Pain and doubt creep in and block out any sense of God's presence." Hamilton goes on to say that Jesus knows how we feel in times of despair because He has experienced it too. As much as I can see his point, I still think that Jesus' words have to do with God being too holy to look at all the sin that was placed on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.

Whichever way we see it, one thing is for sure: Jesus died as the atoning sacrifice for our sins so that we can spend eternity with Him and God gets the glory. The cross is definitely a sign of love, but it is also a place where salvation is made possible for you and me.

Just a matter of time until we celebrate His resurrection!

In Christ,
Christine ><>

Please check out Matt Maher's song "You Were On the Cross." When we think God has turned His back on us, we must think of the cross-He was there suffering for us.

The True Vine

"I am the true vine and my Father is the vinedresser...abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:1-5

The Lord definitely showed me the reality of these verses today. I spoke at my home church in Huntsville about Thailand. I didn't have a big show planned with a video, music, or staggering statistics. I just prayed for the Holy Spirit to come. And He did. Big time. I thought I was a terrible speaker, I forgot the Bible verses and quoted them wrong, and I hardly smiled. But God showed up.

He provided $1,170 today alone at Aldersgate!

Praise the Lord! He is the only one who gets the glory!

Thank you for supporting me with your prayers and finances. It's not over yet! The journey has just begun.

In Christ,
Christine ><>

My Identity

The Lord taught me a very valuable lesson today. I had to ask myself, "Who do I belong to?" and "What do I find my identify and worth in?" And the answer to both of those questions is Christ.

I had a rough day today. I let one person make me feel worthless and I was utterly humiliated. However, as I was reflecting on the situation later, I realized all the people in the world could get mad at me but that wouldn't matter!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

Because I am in Christ, I am forgiven (Colossians 2:13-14), accepted (Colossians 1:21-23),and adopted as a son (Galatians 4:4-5). It doesn't matter what others think of me! Whatever wrong I do, I am forgiven. When someone does not accept me, Christ will. When no one wants me, Christ does. And it is all because I have a new identity in the Lord.

Without understanding my position in Christ, it would be very easy to base my worth off of things of this world, such as the approval of man. I probably will never earn the acceptance of the person who hurt me today, but it is not needed. I have the love of my dear Savior. My Savior loved me so much that He DIED for me. No one on earth's acceptance of me can do that.

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

God has pursued me and LOVES me as His own daughter. I am fully accepted by Him and can be secure in this.

And what the Lord reminded me of during this ordeal was that He was with me the whole time. When was being humiliated, He was right there, holding my hand. What a Father.

"But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,your Savior...
Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you...
Fear not, I am with you."
Isaiah 43:1-6

What are you finding your identity and security in?

In Christ,
Christine ><>

Alive Again

This song by Matt Maher is my testimony:

I woke up in darkness
sounded by silence
oh where, where have I gone?

I woke to reality
losing its grip on me
oh where, where have I gone?

Cause I can see the light
before I see the sunrise

Chorus
You called and you shouted
broke through my deafness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!

You shattered my darkness
washed away my blindness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!

Verse 2
They never loved you
you waited for me,
I searched for you…
what took me so long?

I was looking outside
as a love would ever want to hide
I’m finding I was wrong

Cause I can feel the wind
before it hits my skin

Bridge
Cause I want you!
Yes, I want you,
I need you
And I’ll do what ever I have to
Just to get through
cause I love you
Yeah, I love you!

Please check it out on iTunes or on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6w5szlpedY.
.

I am currently at 50% of my support for Thailand! Thank you for your prayers!

In Christ,
Christine ><>

$2,323

$2,323.

That is how much the Lord has provided me for Thailand. That's about 39% of my goal!

I am praying for $1,000 to come in this week. Sound big? It is. But God is bigger. Please join in me in praying for this specific goal.
Thanks for all you have done!

In Christ,
Christine ><>

BIG Things

There are some pretty big things happening in my life. As I near graduation, I think about the many changes that will be happening. I applied for graduate school last weekend!

I also became a member of New Beginning Church today! I am ready to take on the responsibilities of a member of Christ's Bride.

I have now raised $2,273 for Thailand!That is about 38% of my goal. God is so good!

In all of this, I want to be joyful because God is good in and of Himself; not because He has blessed me in all these ways.

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:17-18 (emphasis added)

"For you [God] make him [the king] most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence." Psalm 21:7
David is joyful just in the Lord's presence.

Please keep praying for Thailand!
In Christ,
Christine Black ><>

Jazz

"harmonious"-suitable and fitting; existing together in correspondence with others

My favorite chapter from Paul Tripp's book A Quest for More is chapter twelve: Jazz. Tripp says the bottom line is "God calls us to the vertically interactive lifestyle of living in moment-by-moment harmony with Him" (143).

Being a music-lover and ex-band member myself, I really connected with Tripp in this concept of our relationship with the Lord and big kingdom living being like jazz. The thing about music is that it is very structured; certain notes and chords sound good together while others clash. Music follows a set of rules. But jazz is a little different. Jazz musicians are free to be creative and wonder from these rules. But this only works if they stay within the musical parameters of the song.

I remember warming up in middle school band. Each band member played something different, whether it was scales or a section of the music we were working on. It sounded horrible! There was no structure; we were all over the place. Then, as we began the song together as a group, the notes and chords meshed beautifully together in a musical masterpiece.

In a different setting, a jazz band warms up in the same way but they have more freedom in playing the pieces. They freestyle a little more. But if they don't follow the general structure of the song, they sound like they are just warming up.

God's kingdom is like a jazz kingdom. He provides structure in His Word. We follow those guidelines just like jazz musicians do. But the thing is, God doesn't provide every note on the page. "What you are given are very important parameters [. . .] and you are invited by the Great Composer to make redemptive jazz inside of that structure [. . .] God hasn't given us sheet music. He has composed a structure that liberates us to improvise within the structure, and all the while listening intently to one another and to him" (150).

Why hasn't He given us everything? Why hasn't He told us exactly what to do in every situation in our lives? He certainly ordained every moment, but He doesn't reveal that to us. "What he wants for us and from us is much bigger than dogged obedience to a set of standards. What he wants is us! He wants to be the treasure of our hearts and the joy of our souls. He wants to know the same community with us that he has known with himself in the Trinity. He is after a relationship with us! So, he gives us just what we need. We know the key that we are to play, and he has revealed to us what they time signature is, but he has not told us exactly what to do and say in all the moments of life where we will be making music with him. And he does this because he wants us to seek him, pray to him, and rely on him as we are improvising our way through life" (151).

Now the question is, where in your life are you tempted to write your own music rather than making harmonious music with the King? For me, it is my future. I always wrestle with God on my plans for the next few years. I "plan" to start graduate school in the fall, finish in 3 or 4 semesters and then move somewhere to be a part of the Teach for American program. I want to stay in the U.S. for "security" reasons like a stable job and job benefits. I often have to ask myself if this is really what God wants. And I don't know the answer yet. He hasn't revealed that to me yet. He is going to wait until the last minute to reveal what He wants me to do with my career. Until then, He is teaching me to trust in Him and rely on Him. It's working!

Put down your music and take up His. Quit composing your own music; harmonize with Him.

Please continue to pray for CCP. I want to harmonize with Him for the gospel overseas.

In Christ,
Christine ><>

A Quest for More

I just completed Paul David Tripp's book A Quest for More. It was a book that challenged and convicted me. To be honest, parts of it were hard to get through because I knew that I was not living for the kingdom of God as Tripp describes. I would like to share with you a few highlights from the book.

The bottom line is, we were created to be part of something big. "There is woven inside each of us a desire for something more-a craving to be part of something bigger, greater, and more profound than our relatively meaningless day-by-day existence" (14).

We have a choice: to live for our little kingdoms or to live for a kingdom much bigger than we could imagine, God's. "Ever since that fateful day [the fall], human life and history has been shaped by kingdoms in conflict[. . .] Everything everyone ever does is done in pursuit of the success of one of these kingdoms. This war is unceasing and inescapable because it is fought on the turf of each of our hearts. Created for 'big kingdom' living, sin twists our allegiance and causes us to be all too dedicated to the little kingdom of our own making" (50).

So what is this "little kingdom?" It isn't a location, but a commitment of the heart. What drives your day? What satisfies you and gives you a sense of purpose? The answers to these questions will tell you what kingdom you are living for.

"The fundamental difference between the two kingdoms can be seen in who resides in the center [. . .] To live for yourself is to rob yourself of your own humanity. It is only in living for Christ that we actually begin to become what we were meant to be" (98, 100).

So, if we can identify these so-called "little kingdoms," why do we keep serving them? Sin. "The DNA of sin is selfishness. Sin is about wanting my way, in my own way, and in my time" (56)..."Sin causes fundamental changes in the 'molecules' of my heart. No longer is my heart driven by a deep-seated love for God...The DNA of sin is selfishness, and it shrinks the size of my universe to the size of one" (86).

It is also very easy to say were are living for the kingdom of God but our lives don't show it. Are you self-focused? Self-righteous? Self-satisfied? Self-ruled? If so, you are still living for the little kingdom. "There really is no place for Christ in many people's Christianity. Their faith is not actually in Christ; it is in Christianity and their own ability to live it out" (106).

Tripp's words are very convicting and it was easy for me to be bogged down with guilt of living for the little kingdom of self. However, Tripp constantly reminds us of the gospel. "His grace blows a hole in your self-contained kingdom, and in his redemptive love he reaches in and pulls you out, again and again" (68). Christ suffered on the cross to free us to live for something bigger than our lives. His death also guarantees that some day this kingdom conflict will be over.

What does big kingdom living look like? "...radical abandonment of our whole being in grateful trust and love to the God disclosed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ: so that we become willing agents in a costly confrontation with every form of evil and unjust suffering in the world. This faith involves us in embracing the pain and confusion of others, and in being willing to live with uncertainty ourselves while moving towards a future that is already at work among us" (76).

Tripp also talks about groaning, anger, and loneliness. If we are living for the kingdom of God, we will groan because we are dissatisfied with the way things are. The full expression of God's kingdom has not yet come. He talks about anger in that God is angry when He doesn't get His way. We should be angry for the same reasons; not because we didn't get our way, but because things are not going God's way. We are going to be lonely because our Redeemer is our love that we are waiting to return.

This book was a tough read but it definitely opened my eyes to how I am living my daily life. I often think I am living for God's kingdom but all I am thinking is "me, me, me." I think of the principles in Tripp's book almost daily, asking myself why today was a good day (because of the Lord or because of me?) and how I treat others (like Jesus would or out of my own selfishness?). I would recommend this book to anyone but be ready to be convicted. You will end up angry, lonely, and groaning. At least that's how I feel.

Please pray as I apply big-kingdom living to my college life.
In Christ,
Christine ><>

C.S. Lewis says in Mere Christianity, "If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were those who thought most of the next [. . ]Aim at heaven and you will get earth 'thrown in': aim at earth and you will get neither."

Support-raising

Support-raising is really picking up! God is being so faithful! This week alone the Lord has blessed me with $525!
Please keep praying!

"He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evila spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,b drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.

11“Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

17“Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

Matthew 9:1-23 NIV

In Christ,
Christine

Make your own Countdown Clocks

350 Billion

350,000,000,000. That's at least how many galaxies we know about. Why did God create such a large number? Was it to make us say, "Wow, God is really big?" Or, as Francis Chan puts it, "God wanted us to see these pictures [of the universe] so that our response would be, 'Who do I think I am'?"

When I begin to dwell on the $6000 I am required to raise by May, my head head starts to spin. Doubt fills my brain and I let Satan begin to convince me I can't do it. 6000 is too big of a number.

But thankfully, the Holy Spirit steps in this spiritual battle. Who is to say that $6000 is a lot of money? You? Me? Yes, sure. But are we the ones raising the money? No! The Lord is, and nothing is too big for Him. Nothing. If He created the universe, all the billions of galaxies, the 228 distinct muscles on the caterpillar's head, over 3,000 species of trees in one square mile in the Amazon, and the human heart that generates enough pressure as it pumps blood throughout the body that it could squirt blood up to 30 feet, can't I believe that He can provide $6000 for me to share His Gospel in Thailand? 6000 seems kind of small now doesn't it?

What started this thought was the comment of a sixth grade boy in my class. We are starting a unit on space in science. We were having a discussion about what they already know about space. One boy said that we don't know how big it is. It hit me. I have been so stressed about raising support and allowing Satan to convince me that 6000 is too big of a number. But if God created this whole universe, can't He provide for me? What is $6000 to God?

Please continue to pray for me as I follow the Lord's will on this difficult journey. Prayers really do work. A woman approached me after church on Wednesday to give me money for CCP. She told me God told her to give it to me. The Lord provides!

In Christ,
Christine ><>

Ads

Please understand that I don't choose the ads posted on my blog. My roommate saw a video about a Morman women. Please know that the ads do not reflect my beliefs or views.
Thanks!

Ads

I have now included Google ads to make money on my blog. This money will go to my CCP support. I am also working on adding a PayPal button so you can electronically donate to my support.
Thanks!

Support-Raising

As many of you may know, I am seeking God's will to go to the nations to spread the Gospel this summer. Campus Outreach is sending many teams this summer to work with the Campus Outreaches in other parts of the world. I was asked to join a team to Thailand for 8 weeks beginning in late May. We will be ministering on a college campus in Khon Kaen and working with the Campus Outreach that has been established there since 1990. Lately, I have been doubting God's will in me going. I have been discouraged about support-raising but I shouldn't be! It's too early in the game to doubt! Part of it is that I have $1500 due this Friday and I have less than 2% of that goal (which I am thankful I have that!). My roommates are doing really well with support which I am so happy for them but I look at myself and question why the support isn't coming in.

So naturally, I turn to God's Word in times like this.

"We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you...have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." -2 Chronicles 20:12,20
Support-raising terrifies me. Raising $1500 last year proved hard at times but $6000 this year?? It will take a lot of trusting in the Lord. I don't know how I am going to do it but God does. It is written in His sovereign will to spread the Gospel to the nations. I can do that in Thailand. I can't do it on my own! With God's help I can raise this money.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." -Psalm 127:1
I can't do this on my own! This is in the Lord's hands. It will be painful and discouraging if I try to do it without Him. And what do I have to lose? He is God of the universe! I can trust Him!

"Do not worry about your life...who of you by worrying can add a single hour to this life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" -Luke 12:22,25,26
Why worry about support? The lilies and the birds don't worry and God provides for them. I have to trust in the Lord that he will provide support. And I am more valuable to God than lilies and birds. I can trust the One who wrote the Book of Life to provide for me.

"You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:2,3
Why would God give me support if I do not ask Him? I also need to ask with pure motives. I can't spend the money I am raising so the question is why do I want to go to Thailand? Is it for selfish reasons or is it for God?

If you are considering joining my financial support team, please consider it an opportunity to be involved in God's global mission. You can impact the nations for Him by sending me to serve. If you have not received a letter from me, please contact me and I will send you more information.

Please pray for me.

In Christ,
Christine ><>