Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Delighting In Ghost Crabs

      The other morning I was sitting on the beach having my quiet time.  I was facing the west while the sun was coming up behind me.  Sand crabs surrounded me but I noticed this one sand crab nearby working diligently to dig its hole.  At the same time it was cautiously looking out for predators and watching me.  Every time it came out of the hole it would look at me to see what I would do, then move the sand in its claw to the pile outside the hole.

     Other crabs nearby stopped working all together.  They would sit with their eyes poking out of the hole watching me.  Some scurried into their holes and never came out again the whole hour I sat there.  A few crabs came a little close to me to check me out.  As soon as I moved a way they didn’t like however, they scurried back into their holes.  Some were halfway out and some just had their eyes out.    

     After awhile the crab closest to me didn’t seem to be bothered by me anymore.  It trusted that I wouldn’t hurt it and it even let me get close enough to video it working.  The ones further away however just kept watching.  They didn’t trust me. 

     During this encounter with the crabs I realized that this is like our relationship as humans with God.  When we are close to God we can trust Him because we know His character and what delights Him.  We know He wants our best and not to harm us.  The longer we are close to Him the less we have to worry because we know what delights Him and what He is like.  We the more time we spend close to Him, the more we learn about His character and purpose for our lives.  When we know God, we can go about our business, living out our purpose, bringing glory to Him, because we know He delights in us when we live out our purpose. 

     This crab was living out its purpose and I was delighted by it.  The other crabs however I found boring.  Then I thought, does God find me boring or does He delight in me?

     Sometimes I’m like the boring crabs, the ones that don’t move.  Instead of fulfilling my purpose, I just stand, far away, waiting to see how God moves.  If it is a way I don’t like, or a way that makes me feel uncomfortable, I run back to my partially completed hole to hide.  When the uncomfortable situation goes away I’ll come back out.  I can never fully trust God when I’m far away from Him because I’m too afraid to get close to Him.  When I’m hiding I don’t fulfill my purpose and that makes God sad. 

     When I am fulfilling my purpose however, God delights in me.  He probably wants to show me off to the world just as I am doing with the video I took.  He wants to show me off because He wants me to be an example to others.  This is called a testimony.  No matter how scary life may get, I must continue living out my purpose!  I mustn’t be afraid of my circumstances or people around me because the purpose of my life is to bring glory to God, in good times and bad, it doesn’t matter!!!  I can trust Him and so I can keep doing what I was created to do regardless of my situation!

     How awesome is that!? I serve a Creator who just wants to be delighted with me and for me to delight in Him!!        



     “Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.” ~Proverbs 8:30-31

Saturday, March 19, 2016

27 IN 27 CAMPAIGN

I believe God is doing great things already in Missions, as He equips His people to assist the Human Rights needs across the globe.  I also believe He has even bigger plans for this in the near future!  I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE!

            This “27 IN 27 CAMPAIGN” is a way for me to raise money for the Justice school I will be attending the next 6 months. I am asking for 150 people or more, individually, to give a one-time donation of $27 or more sometime in the next 27 days

            This school is crucial to my call for missions as I desire to combine evangelism with human rights.  If you read my latest newsletter, or last blog, then you know I am currently attending Youth With A Mission’s Justice and Mercy Discipleship Training School (YWAM DTS).  If you haven’t seen or heard this news, here is a link to my latest newsletter with more details.

            This DTS is based in the south of Thailand in the city of Phang Nga Andaman.  We have 5 staff and 5 students. I chose to stay in Thailand so I can continue developing in the Thai Language and because I don't believe God has called me to leave Thailand yet.  Also, Phuket is where I heard the voice of the Lord ask me to consider Thailand so it just makes sense to come back here as I pray and ask God for clarity about recent past events and my future in missions here.

            The team and I will spend a couple months in "lecture phase" helping us grow in our relationship with God and His call in our life. We will then spend some time doing evangelism and other outreaches in the south of Thailand.  After this we will go on 2 outreaches; one to Pattaya, Thailand and one to Nepal.

           While Thailand is primarily a Buddhist culture, the south of Thailand has a huge Islamic population.  I was here 2 years ago for a vacation and the Muslim population has definitely increased between that time and now.  When you ask these Islamic Thais questions about their Muslim faith they cannot answer you.  The fact that Thai's have embraced Islam is strange because Thai people are very set in their Buddhist culture.  They will listen to what you have to say but getting them to change their belief is a difficult.  The fact that they are so open to Islam here is actually an advantage to us because it shows that they are open to other things.       

So why did I pick the number 27?  I asked God for a creative campaign idea to raise the remainder balance for DTS and that night He woke me up with this idea. The justice issue that I am most passionate about is Human Trafficking.  According to enditmovement.com there are at least 27 million people trapped in slavery around the world today!

           I know times are tough and it is hard for some to give regularly! I completely understand which is why I am asking for a ONE-TIME gift only.  If 150 people would be willing to give this one time gift I could make my goal for the next 6 months and my transition into the next stage of missions work.    

If you are currently giving regularly thank you! I ask that you please continue being faithful in giving until the end of this year.  This work is yours just as it is mine. What a blessing you have been and are continuing to be to so many people! In every newsletter that has been sent I hope you have seen that!  

I have 235 people who get my newsletters quarterly.  I have over 600 friends on Facebook.  Surely this goal is possible. Please support this campaign financially and by sharing with others!  If your church would like to do a fundraiser or love offering let me know and I can supply you with more details!

WAYS YOU CAN GIVE:

**PayPal or Stripe click here

***If you are a Korean supporter message me and I can give you my Korean Bank Account number

*****For USA SUPPORTERS wanting to make a tax donation:
Make checks payable to Una Baptist Church
On the memo line write "Rachael Thailand"

Mail checks to:
Una Baptist Church
C/O Robin Broadwater
1931 Murfreesboro Rd
Nashville, TN 37217


Shopping on one of the beaches in S. Thailand



Monday, March 7, 2016

Entering a Season of Mary

A friend of mine told me a statistic she received in DTS that “the number one reason people leave the mission field is because of other missionaries.”  How extremely unfortunate is this statistic!?  After being here for only 10 months it is understandably believable.  While I have come across a few extremely loving and caring missionaries here in Thailand, who have opened up their doors and hearts to me, giving me unbelievable opportunities to grow and serve, I have also met a lot of missionaries who have been extremely unkind, competitive, territorial, selfish and dead on the inside; forgetting that everything they have and are doing comes from God. 

These past 3 months have been difficult for me.  For reasons I’m not going to mention they have been months of unnecessary confusion, frustration, and hurting caused by pride, greed, unkindness, and selfishness.  God is teaching me to walk with humility, trusting Him to provide for me, trusting Him to vindicate me, trusting He will make the wrongs right.  And I believe He will.  Regardless of man’s behavior, His plan will not be thwarted. 

Unfortunately, I have allowed all of this to steal my passion and joy for missions and this truly breaks my heart more than anything I’ve gone through these past months! Missions has grown in my heart from curiosity as a child, to passion as a teenager, to reality as an adult.  Wherever I have lived, even in America, I have strived to make missions a daily lifestyle; not just a short-term mission trip I take one week a year.  I am praying desperately that I can bounce back from this and that it is only for a moment!

DTS

As you know the church in Korea told me they wanted me to go to DTS while I was visiting back in December.  I prayed and fasted during that time about their decision but never heard anything.  I said yes only because I felt forced to say yes and because I wanted to submit to my leaders, believing they wouldn't have made this decision if it hadn't come from God.  When I returned to Thailand I kept praying about this decision but instead I was feeling lead to do other things.  

I asked the church in Korea for their blessing to release me to pursue a direction I felt was different from theirs and they agreed to release me.  A few days later the people at DTS reached out to me because I hadn’t communicated with them for weeks.  They gave me a list of specific things God had given them to pray on my behalf about.  They have no idea what I have been dealing with but that list was so specific to my situation including things about my word for the year.

As I began to pray over their list, I began to realize the church in Korea was right about God wanting me to go to DTS.  The only thing was that their reason for sending me was not God’s intention for me going.  I had to be released from them to see God’s purpose for me going.  He wants me to go so I could “abide in His love,” and “for restoration and healing.” I was given scripture from John 15 about the vine and the branches as well as Deuteronomy 8:3.  Then on Sunday, as I was coloring and talking to God, He began to speak to my heart about the story of Mary and Martha.


MARY AND MARTHA

If there is one thing I’m good at it is the role of Martha.  I suck at being Mary.  (If you are unfamiliar with this story read Luke 10:38-42)  My first 2 months in Thailand I had a broken shoulder and all I did was complain about how I wasn’t able to serve.  I could have been using that time to pray more or get in the word more.  Even study Thai more or try to make contact with neighbors.  But I just chose to complain and watch all 10 seasons of “Friends.”

 Ever since junior high school I have been serving in some capacity.  In high school I gave up my summers to work at an inner city camp.  In every city I’ve lived, I’ve given up many weekends, vacations, and free time to help others or the church.  For the 2 years in Korea I hardly had a day off because I was in Red Light Districts or restoration homes most Saturdays and at church all day Sunday.  And I love it!  I love serving the Lord by helping others!  It is such an honor, blessing, and so rewarding!  I am passionate about seeing others come to know Him, grow in their relationship with Him, and helping those in need!

I say all this not to gain praise from anyone but to show you how I have perfected the role of Martha.  One lesson I have learned in the past that I keep having to be reminded of is that it is possible to make service to God an idol.  Here is the thing, every time I’m hurt or struggling with something I serve as a way to numb the pain until it goes away.  Only this time it hasn’t!!!   I have pushed pain deeper and deeper into my heart with every hurtful situation I have experienced that hasn't been resolved, using service to God as a way to numb the pain instead of relationship with God to restore it.   This past month was no different.  I only had 1 day off the entire month (thankfully it was February and there aren't as many days:) !

For the first time in my life I’m choosing to be Mary.  I’m going to use these 6 months to heal from a lifetime of hurt Martha kept pushing deeper and deeper into the depths of my heart and soul.  The best part about this is that I’ve explained this and my situation to the DTS staff and they look forward to having the broken mess I am right now!!!  Who does that!!!?  JESUS!

As I begin to embark on this next 6 months I look forward to sitting at the feet of Jesus and having Him pour His love over me.  Having Him “dance over me with singing.” 

Don’t get me wrong, I still love to serve and this is going to be so hard for me.  I don’t know how to sit still.  But if I’m going to be fully effective when serving God, I need my relationship with Him to be more important than my service to Him because that is what He cares about more. 

What’s going to happen after DTS?  I have no clue and I was encouraged not to think about it because it will distract me from being Mary, putting me back in Martha mode.  I was told God would make it clear to me when it’s time to decide about what to do after DTS.  Right now I just need to bask in His presence for the next 6 months and “live on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

“But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘ Martha, Martha,
you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one
thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not
be taken away from her.”’ Luke 10:41-42



If you would like to know more about the specific DTS I will be attending click here


If you would like to support me going to DTS here are some options.....

*****Use PayPal or Stripe click here

*****If you live in Korea you can email me and I will give you my Korean bank account number 

*****If you want a tax deductible donation in America 
Make checks payable to Una Baptist Church
On the memo line write "Rachael Thailand"

Mail checks to:
Una Baptist Church
1931 Murfreesboro Rd
Nashville, TN 37217