Chiang Mai, Thailand  February 18, 2016    

We are settling into a rhythm and routine here in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  Our hearts are full of gratitude for so many people who have helped us in so many little ways make our adjustment here.  We certainly could not have done it without their help. As reasonably intelligent and capable people in our own culture, we are humbled by our helplessness here—especially at first.  It is still difficult to communicate some of the most basic things. (Even the messages on my cell phone I cannot understand).  Driving was—and still is at times challenging (driving on the wrong side of the road with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car).  This also takes adjustment and, of course, there’s the fact that there are very few driving regulations.  Imagine coming to a four-way intersection and no stop signs at all.  Somehow, though, traffic flows and it seems to work most of the time.  All of these things add to our feelings of helplessness.    

            We are beginning language training this week and are excited to communicate a little more.  We’ve had a lot of paperwork to do and had to make a trip to Bangkok for a few days to complete some of it.  However, it was a great joy and encouragement to visit with our Berean team while in Bangkok.  It was so good to see those familiar faces, and they were a “shot in the arm” for us. 

•           We are very glad to have Matthew and Audrey back with us again, and we are all very excited about their new addition coming at the end of July. 
              The Thai people are such a gracious, generous people.  I was walking to the Big C (a Walmart type store), when a lady about my age on a scooter stopped me.  “Big C?” she questioned.  When I said yes, she indicated that I should hop on.   We tried reaching out to our neighbors with some homemade, fresh banana bread.  When we took some to our neighbor right beside us, she indicated that we should wait.  She ran inside and returned with a well-known Korean dish.  “Just a little spicy,” she said.  As someone has said, “You can’t out nice the Thai.”  Chiang Mai is a lovely place with lovely people.  We feel very blessed to be here, and of course, we are enjoying the warm, sunny weather this time of the year.  Yes, I know, the very hot is coming, but I have decided to enjoy what I have right now.       
              It is good to again be under the teaching of my favorite preacher.  I’m so glad Dave is able to preach again; it is his gift.  He will have the opportunity to preach at another international church here in March.  We had our first church baptism—at the pool in the hotel where our church meets.    We are seeking to host families from the church in our home in an effort to get to know them better.  Also, another plus in having church in a large hotel next to a big mall is that there are lots of places to fellowship together after church each Sunday.  Last Sunday, we had lunch with a wonderful Indian family and this past Sunday with a Chinese family.  The Chinese family took us to what they say is the best Chinese restaurant in Chiang Mai.  They ordered for us, and we were able to experience some excellent Chinese cuisine—which we would have been hesitant to try on our own.  We love the international flavor of our Gathering church.  We have much to learn from all of them. 
              I (Sher) have just started a women’s Bible study on the names of God, and the women seem excited to have this opportunity.  I have also been teaching English to some of the college students at Faithful Heart Foundation.  Sometime soon, Matthew, Audrey, and I, along with some others at Faithful Heart will begin English classes at a government school here. 
              With the feeling of helplessness, comes greater leaning on our faithful, loving God.  Jesus Calling on January 10^th says, “Every time you affirm your trust in Me, you put a coin into My treasury.  Thus you build up equity in preparation for days of trouble.  I keep safely in My heart all trust invested in Me, with interest compounded continuously.  The more you trust Me, the more I empower you to do so.”  On the 11^th, it reads, “Trust Me by relinquishing control into My hands.  Let go and recognize that I am God.  This is My world; I made it and I control it.  Yours is a responsive part in the litany of Love.  I search among My children for receptivity to Me. Guard well this gift that I have planted in your heart.  Nurture it with the Light of My presence.”  So here’s the process:
  ·         We can’t live our lives on my own terms. We can’t control people and circumstances. 
  ·         God, our heavenly Father is in the continual process of using all things to mold our lives.
  ·         By affirming our trust in the Lord (each time we do), we put money into our treasury.
  ·         This is the way we build up equity for the day of trouble—which is sure to come.
  ·         Interest is compounded continuously by God.  The more we trust, the more He empowers us to do so.  “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter.” Isaiah 64:8
  Please pray:
        On contemplating what it means to give glory to God, (one of our purposes according to the great Catechisms), I have settled on my own rephrasing of Kay Arthur’s definition: to everywhere and at all times give a correct estimate of who God is.
        For health and strength to do the tasks God places before us.
        For health and strength for Audrey and our precious grandchild forming in her and for Matthew and Audrey in their continued ministry with Faithful Heart Foundation.
         For our ministry and encouragement to our church body.
        For Sher’s Bible study—that we would grow in our intimacy with God through the study of  His Word and with one another.
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January 12,2016
      What a great encouragement it was to us when we walked into our mall and saw a huge poster of the    Nativity inside a manger.  Seeing this Nativity in the large shopping mall near our house heartened us  both since we had been in the midst of a flurry of  activity in finding a place to live and furnishing it,  Now, we suddenly found ourselves in the Christmas season.

           We feel blessed in so many ways with what God has provided for us.  We are learning the challenges of living in a new country and a new culture.  With our visas in preparing to come here, we learned there were layers to the process.  Once again, we are finding layers to the adjustment process.  Just like anywhere, we deal with the adjustment better some days than others.  However, we rest in this most certain truth: it is God who brought us here, and it is He who will be with us and provide for us.  I Thessalonians 5:24 "The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it."
      Our church had a wonderful Christmas party on the Monday before Christmas.  Pastor Dave read the Christmas story beginning with the Old Testament prophecies.  We sang Christmas carols with the story at the appropriate time, and the children enacted the story in costumes.  We all brought food to share; it was a great evening and good way to usher in the Christmas week.
      We think our house is located in a good spot.  Again the Lord blessed us because we really didn't know what we were doing.  We are beginning to drive and get around.  It is quite the experience; you really need to be alert at all times.  Scooters dart here, there, and everywhere--even cross the road in front of you and drive going the wrong way.  Somehow it all flows and works--most of the time.  Though we are getting used to driving on the other side of the road and having the steering wheel on the wrong side, we still frequently turn on the windshield wipers when we want to turn.
     I recently read Psalm 18 and realized afresh God's

care for us that is personal.  In verses 1-6, the pronoun "my" is used 8 times: my strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God is my rock in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and my stronghold.  Verse 30 says, "As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the LORD is flawless, He is a shield."  Matthew Henry says, "For there is that in God which is suited to all the exigencies and occasions of His people that trust in Him.  He is my rock and strength and fortress--that is I have found Him to be so in the greatest difficulties and and dangers."
     We covet prayers that God would use us in this place.  Please pray for The Gathering--many nationalities represented.  Pray that we will encourage and build up the body.  We continue to be humbled by so many--the ministries they are involved in and the difficulties they have encountered in serving Christ.  Pray that we will be a light in our neighborhood.  We have really enjoyed getting to know our neighbors.  Some know a little English.  The Thai people are such a wonderfully gracious and friendly people.  Please pray for visa extension and work permit hopefully finalized soon, Sher's Bible study to start in February, and for Dave in preaching and leading the congregation.

December 16, 2015

God's love

Long ago, one silent night;

God revealed His glory bright;

His own image came to man

For salvation's matchless plan. 

Jesus, Savior, Shepherd, King

Lord of all to you we bring

Praises, wonder, thanks, and love

For this gift from God above.

Remembering you at Christmas and praying your celebration brings a heart full of joy as you remember God's amazing love shown through His son Jesus.

     We thank you for all your prayers and thoughts concerning us and our move to Chiang Mai, Thailand.  We are ebullient to finally be ministering here in Chiang Mai.  We are humbled by the servants of Christ in our Gathering Church—brothers and sisters in Christ who, in obedience to God’ s call upon their lives are faithfully serving God in a myriad of ministries here in Southeast Asia.  Each week we meet new people whose commitment and courage in following Christ is an inspiration and encouragement to us.   

     We thank God for His wonderful provision for us in many ways. We are renting a lovely home in a small Moobaan(neighborhood).  Pray for our contact with neighbors—that we might be the light of Christ.  We also have a car—a used one that should work just fine for us, but are still working on paperwork for that. Thankfully, we are very close to a nice mall—8 minutes walk with a grocery store.  We’ve made many trips—several bags at a time--just thankful we can do that.  Again, we have been very thankful for the many people who have helped us.  Several of our church people have taken us on numerous shopping trips to furnish our home.  Also, a man from our church just hooked up our washer.

  We are also still working on paperwork for my (Sher) visa extension and Dave’s work permit.  Eventually we will have to travel to Bangkok to complete this process.  We appreciate prayers for this process to be completed. 

     The Lord has been pressing “Trust” on my heart.  Dave and I are such goal-oriented people; we like to accomplish tasks.  We are learning—here in this culture—a warm culture—quiet trust and patience.  We are learning once again to wait on God and His timing.  Nahum 1:7 “The LORD is good, a refuge for those who trust in Him.”  Isaiah 30:18 “In returning to me and resting in me will you be saved ; in quietness and trust is your strength.” Lori Lahaye Scheck talks about a God-box.  She says it is created when we do not adequately trust God to be God and to work out His will in His way and in His time.  Complete trust is a difficult thing.  It requires us to let go! I know most of us would say that we trust God.  I believe we all want to trust God. .. I believe our ability to trust God is dependent on our view of who God is.  We need to be yielded to God so He can mold us and make us effective for His glory, but that involves putting our complete trust in Him.  Does God deserve our trust?  We know—intellectually--God has proven Himself faithful to His people throughout Scripture.  Emotionally, it is a different story.  However, when life gets too big for us to handle, we find ourselves crying out to God.  And God says that’s where I wanted you all the time.  We know our God is awesome in power and that He is sovereign.   Finally, we know that He loves us and cares for us.   Beverly Lahaye says, “The reality is none of us has control of our life.  We have no guarantee what tomorrow might bring…The true joy of trusting God is the peace He provides when you do.  Trusting God in His way and in His time is the only way we can have true and lasting peace, and I guarantee the outcome will be exactly what God has in mind for you.” (Excerpts taken from A Woman and Her God).