What has been going on for the last month in my life?  Hopefully this update will help answer that question for you, and I'm not just talking about an update on the weather - mainly because I still can't figure out Thai weather patterns!  I still don't know if this is the hot season or the rainy season.  One day it is pouring, the next day it is scorching, then the next day it is both!  So without further ado, here are some of the big things that have been going on out here: 

OLC Bible Study

This group has been such a blessing for me to be a part of since I first got involved - thanks to Mrs. Lee!  This  Bible Study consists almost entirely of Thai people who want to learn English and also learn about God.  For all the participants, English is their second language and most of them are still learning.  Even though everyone that comes is working full time I usually teach on both Tuesdays and Thursdays every week because of the incredible desire everyone has to study.  I usually take a passage from the Bible and then pull out vocabulary words for comprehension.  Since I don't have a translator, I usually spend the first half hour explaining the meaning of the words.  The vocabulary has been good not only to help everyone learn English, but also really get a better understanding of the words before we look at the passage.  Then we read the passage with the newly defined terminology and discuss the meaning and how it applies to our lives.  Right now we are studying the book of Romans, which is an intense book to study even if everyone is studying it in their native language, so it has presented some significant challenges!  But the challenges have all been worth it to dive into the Word with a group of people who are eager to apply God's truth in their lives.  This has been a great place for me to learn a lot about teaching the Word in spite of the language gap and actually utilizing that gap as a tool.  Later this month I will be going to the island, Koh Samed, with a group from the Bible Study.  I am really looking forward to just encouraging them and getting to know them in a deeper way as I spend time with them outside of the Bible Study. 

Studying the Word together at the OLC Bible Study

Wednesday Night Verge

A couple months ago we started this new Bible Study for anyone who wanted a place to dive deeper into the Word.  Many of the people interested in the study came from varying backgrounds.  Some people had been believers for a long time while others had a very new faith or were just interested in finding out more.   We also had both Thai and English speakers interested.  For the format, we decided to sing together but then separate the study into English and Thai speaking sections.  This allows us to engage in deep discussions without having to worry about translation.  The topics have been very foundational topics about our faith and also deep enough subject matter that have been able to provoke very stimulating and challenging discussions for those long time believers.  We put together a rotation of both Thai and English teachers who would facilitate each of the discussions from week to week.  I have had a great time in the spiritual discussions we have had and in the community that has developed there.  My role in this has not just been as one of the teachers, but also to prepare the material to teach on each week.  I always appreciate the help that I receive from the wonderful team out here to create videos, focus our topics, and prepare material for the facilitators to teach about.  It has been a great venue for me to learn and refine skills of preparing materials for others to teach on a regular basis.  I think this may be a way that we can provide tools and resources for people to have in-depth studies in places all over.  There is still much for me to learn and much for us to develop in order to help others launch these meetings but it has been a great time so far!

Some people chillin' before we start the Study on Wednesday night.  I think DK is trying to see how long he can hold his breath.

Getting some food with some of the guys after the Study on Wednesday night.

Undergrounds

NewSong has a number of different regular events out here and one of them is the Underground.  Most Saturday evenings every month, NewSong gathers together in different places to worship together.  Some people meet in houses, some meet in coffee shops or restaurants, and now we have one meeting in our new building.  The reason we have these different Undergrounds is so that people can connect with others in their area or in a similar life stage and have more discussions and close interaction with others as they study the Word together.  This past month I have been a couple of the different sites and each one is unique and special.  I helped out one week with the kids in one of the sites (Thong Lo).  I also taught at one of the undergrounds for the first time just last night.  In this particular underground (Siam) there is a large high school student population as well as a large number of college and young adults that come.  I remember being in Southern California and being thankful for the diversity there.  I love diversity and one thing that I love about Bangkok is the diversity of people coming to worship.  Last night there were people from Fiji, India, China, the Philippines, Canada, the States, and of course Thailand and there may be even more that I am missing!  The challenge that I encountered last night was to present something that was relevant and challenging to people of all those different life stages.  I have been learning a lot about different teaching styles and this has been a place to learn about teaching larger groups with a discussion oriented approach.  There is such a great team of people serving and using their gifts to touch people with God's love.  I also got a cool surprise to see one of my favorite students from Elite come and bring her brother and a friend!  God is doing many wonderful things in the lives of people over here!

Thong Lo Underground - Helping with the kids

Abe teaching at the Siam Underground in the new building.  This is just the front half!

Night of Worship (NoW)

A few weeks ago we had another NoW.  These have always been such wonderful times!  Once in a while, instead of all the undergounds meeting separately, we gather together and have a time of celebration and worship.  We have some incredibly talented musicians here at NewSong Bangkok and there is always a sense that there is something special going on.  This NoW was no different.  The musicians did a great job of bringing us to a place of worship before God and Sabastian presented a great message of restoration and hope.  There were people from different countries, backgrounds, lifestyles, languages, and professions but it was such a beautiful thing to see everyone there worshiping together.  I suspect that participating in that was just a tiny preview of what it will be like in heaven with all different people.  God has been teaching me about not trying to analyze everything so much but find times to just enjoy the good things that He has given.  Moments can easily be lost by trying to figure out how to recapture something like it again in the future.  But the NoW was an example of a time where God was reminding me to just immerse myself in this time of praising Him without trying to figure out everything - just praise him for how wonderful, loving and faithful He is. How awesome!

Pictures (especially with my camera) couldn't capture the energy of this event with people seated all around in a near 360 degree arrangement, people seated above, and the voices of many from around the world worshiping together.

SDRF Video Shoot

A few weeks ago, Abe was asked to get video footage of all the things that the SDRF (the foundation that I originally came out with) and NewSong are doing in Thailand.  The foundation has been doing some incredible things in the North, Northeast, South, and middle of Thailand.  Abe went to some of the places with DJ but he asked me to go with him for a few days and help record in the South.  I have seen one of the churches and fish farms up in the Northeast and I have been wanting to see the Marine Research Institute and other ministries down in the South so I gladly told Abe that I would go with him.  It was a very short trip but it was so amazing to see and hear about what was going on.  We were able to meet with a woman who has AIDS but has been helped by the foundation.  She was an outcast of her society because of her illness but because of the love that she has been shown she has become a believer and a leader in her community.  God's hand has reached well beyond her household into a number of other communities in the South.  Even in some of the dangerous regions that the government can't even safely go into God has been made known.  I was able to see a meeting of some of the leaders from numerous AIDS communities that had gathered together to find out how they can help each other and share God's love with people in their own regions.  A number of the people in that meeting had accepted Christ because of the love that they saw and received and they wanted to share God with others so desperately.  It was amazing!  We also went to Koh Yao and saw the research that the SDRF was doing to help provide jobs, food, and opportunities for people on the island through lobster and fish farming.  There was much more that we were able to see including a school that the SDRF has been assisting with.  We were in the famous tourist island of Phuket and were blessed to be able to have one morning free to enjoy the beach and the pool at the hotel that we were staying at.  As always, I had many great impromptu conversations with Abe along the way.

Meeting of the leaders of different AIDS support communities in Southern Thailand.  Many of these leaders are recent believers from Strongly Muslim areas who now are sharing Christ in their communities.

Serving up lunch at one of the schools that the SDRF has been able to help and work with.

Abe shooting Jim G on the way from Phuket to Koh Yao - this is one of the areas that was hit by the tsunami and we had a tsunami alert while we were there but it was a false alarm.

The SDRF is teaming with this community to do groundbreaking lobster farming research.  It's a good thing I didn't bring any butter!

The Slum Ministry

Since the end of last year both NewSong and the SDRF have been working together at Chom Chun Wat Praya Glai.  I have no idea if I spelled that right but that is supposed to be the name of the slum that we have been teaching music and English at.  A number of people have been giving their time and energy to come and teach either music or English on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for the past 4 months.  This community had previously been approached by a Christian organization who said that they would teach English only if the people in this slum became Christians.  I don't know if they were trying to get them to sign a contract to become Christians or what but that obviously left a bad taste in their mouths.  We have come in here with an opportunity to love the kids and the families in this community.  I have been told that there are anywhere between 1-10 thousand families in this particular slum.  Many of the people there have AIDS and have alcohol and drug issues but we have been coming consistently just to look for ways to care for the community.  Last week we had an "end of the term" party for the kids and it was wonderful to see them bring fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and even grandparents to just see what they have been doing and meet the teachers.  This has definitely been an opportunity to love those who can't necessarily pay you back in a typical way.  It has given me a chance to love by just being there.  Now when we walk into this huge community we see people smile and wave at us and send their kids on their way.  The work that we are doing in the community right now is just the beginning.  We are developing relationships and showing them that we aren't there to get something from them but rather to show them that we love them and want to be there for them.

This, that, and the other thing...

There is so much more in this past month that I haven't even been able to start to tell you about.  Even though I am not working for Elite anymore, I helped out by teaching one of their math classes at an international school one week ago and I got to startle a couple of my students with my limited Chinese when they were talking to each other in Chinese.  I spoke at the chapel service for ICS (one of the big international schools out here) a while back.  ICS just had their graduation and many of the teachers who I have been able to spend time with and really enjoy are going back to the States or moving to different places.  We have had visitors and teams coming through on a fairly regular basis to learn about what is going on and see what God is doing.  They always keep us on our toes as we want to show them as much as possible while they are here for a short time.  I have been playing basketball on a weekly basis with a great group of guys.  It has been an awesome time to hang out and get exercise as well as make some great friends.  The best thing that has been going on is the conversations that I have been having with numerous people about what God is doing.  There are so many incredible stories out here that I have been able to hear about lately and I know that it is not just here in Bangkok.  God is moving in mighty and incredible ways all over this Earth.  As people pass through they tell us what God is doing in India or the Taiwan.  I get to hear the stories of what God is doing in the lives of people in London and Egypt.  America, Canada, Mexico, and the list goes on and on.  God is bringing deep emotional and spiritual healing to people and stirring up life where hope had been lost.  God is renewing passions and giving purpose to people of all professions.  Yes, life has been busy out here but I am always eager to hear about what is happening in the lives of people all over the world!

Peace