Thursday, March 18, 2010

Some of our Yummy Favs.

Here are just a few of the yummy enjoyments we have here in Thailand...

Bubble Tea

Taro balls in warm coconut milk.

Tom Kha Gai

Pad Brio Waan Gai ( sweet and sour fried veggies with chicken)

Sour green mango salad.

Mangoes with sticky rice and coconut milk

Pad Krapow Gai

Cha Nome Yen in a bag (Cold Milk Tea)

Tom Yum Goong


Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Northern Thailand Trip

2 weeks ago we returned from a 2 week teambuilding trip up in Northern Thailand near a city called Chang Rai. Our purpose was to harvest a rare valuable wood called teak. This land with all the trees was donated to the ministry several years back. Much of the wood will be sold to help with the ministry’s vision to expand and church plant throughout Asia and the rest of the wood will be kept to assist building projects within the ministry. As soon as we arrived at the site we started a small fire to clear out a camping area. But the hot and dry weather combined with strong winds blew the fire out of control.

The students and I fought hard in the heat to stop the fire from spreading onto other peoples land threatening their crops and even some homes. Many students were running back and forth with buckets of water but it was way out of control so one of our leaders and I agreed on creating a dirt path perimeter a hundred feet back to cut the fire off. Eventually we had all students working on raking out a dirt path which seemed to be working. As the fire was weakening the fire fighters showed up and put out the rest of the fire. What happened in the beginning was that the fire was pretty much out and the students looking after it got distracted for a minute and then it just took off. At the end of that day exhausted and covered in soot I thought to myself “what a way to test our team dynamics!” Part of the focus of this trip is in fact team and character building. At the beginning the students were running all over the place throwing water almost everywhere but near the end we pulled it together and began to overcome the situation. So many life lessons came out of that experience about leadership and team work. The fire ended up being a great thing because it cleared all the brush and vines providing easy access to cut down the teak trees so we burned the rest of our property under good and experienced supervision. No one was injured throughout the trip.

The rest of the trip consisted of hard work: cutting down heavy teak logs and lugging them down the hill into a pile from 6 am to 5 pm. The trip was a great time to get away from everything so we can focus on our spiritual growth. It was an awesome opportunity to glean from our leader’s knowledge, wisdom and experience.My wife and I are looking forward to our return to Canada but it doesn’t mean that it is the end of our service to God overseas for who knows where He may lead us to next whether it be short-term or life-term. Please keep us in your prayers about God’s direction in our lives that we make the right choices according to His will for our next step in life and the steps to follow.

God Bless,

Josh

Friday, March 5, 2010

It's No Longer I that Live!

Galatians 2:20 (New International Version)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

RE Focus Your Focus!

Went to be a blessing and was blessed- OKAY so let’s roll back a couple of months, back into December. I (Bekah) was so wonderfully blessed with a visit from my friend Cathleen from Canada, what a true joy it was for me to have her here with me in Thailand. I had the opportunity to show her around the ministry here and to introduce her to my wonderful Thailand family. Part of her visit here consisted of us and two other missionaries travelling over to one of our bordering countries called Cambodia to do some ministry outreach work with Joel Reimer in Poi Pet; Poi Pet is nicknamed “the armpit of Cambodia”, I think that gives you a vague idea of what Poi Pet is like if you can imagine it. We were given the opportunity to minister at a few home churches where we helped lead worship, preach and teach Sunday school. We even brought over balloons and made balloon animals for the children which brought so much joy to the children’s hearts and smiles to their faces. Visiting the Aids clinic in Poi Pet was one of the highlights of our Cambodian trip. We were so blessed to minister with the people in the clinic and to give them hope and everlasting life. Ministering in the Aids Clinic was really hard for me, not because I don’t have any compassion, that’s not it at all, it’s because I have too much compassion and I didn’t know how to handle it. It was so heard seeing all these women and men lying on their death beds waiting for their time to die, their friends and families would drop them off at these clinics and leave them alone to die. People with diseases such as aids are considered outcasts in the Buddhist religion. All of us were moved with compassion for all these men and women; we grew close with them and ministered into their lives the hope of Jesus Christ. We bought food and drinks for those in the clinic and provided what we could with what we had to offer. Children always seem to move my heart wherever I go and I can’t help but love on them. God pressed on my heart to buy clothes for these four children in the clinic that were playing amongst themselves while their parents were sick and lying in bed. They were so thankful for what was given to them. On top of ministering to the women we girls decided to paint all the women’s fingernails in the clinic which they in turn LOVED! We walked into that clinic wanting to be a blessing and walked out being blessed, how truly amazing it was for us to minister within the aids clinic.

What little blessings these Khmer children were

Location: Aids Clinic Poi Pet,Cambodia!!


YAY!! New clothes =)

Ministering at a home church in Poi Pet, Cambodia
Children are the future of any nation!

Bekah with Cathleen in Sriracha,Thailand=)

I will NOT be SILENT!- Throughout our mission trip in Cambodia we travelled out a little further from Poi Pet to Siem Reap for a 2 night and one day stay to see the world famous ‘Angkor Wat’ and other such historical ruins surrounding it (a must see!). As evening began to approach our 1st night we decided to hit up the Night Market closest to our Guest House. At this Night Market we discovered a Fish Massage pool (sounds crazy I know)!! Basically you sit on the edge of a round tub/pool and dangle your feet in all while these tiny fish nibble at your feet, gross I know and madly ticklish. After a few pass by’s we decided to give it a try! It seriously took me about 20mins to suck it up and stick my feet in the water but I was determined to get my 3 American dollars worth! The girl running the Fish Massage pool came and sat beside me and said with a smile “I knew you’d come back and try it!” This simple little comment sparked our amazing God ordained conversation. We got deep in an endless conversation about life and God all while these fish were continuously nibbling at my feet. Before ending the evening I was blessed with the opportunity to pray with this beautiful Khmer woman. Sometimes all we have to do is just put our feet in the water, we just have to be there and HE will do the rest! You see, we are all here to do a call back, to call back those souls that the enemy seeks to take their breath, we are called to stand in the gap for Him, He has enabled us with everything we need, let’s not waste His breath and not be silent! - - Psalm 150:6 says “ Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.” I want that very breath that was breathed in me to bring glory to His name, I want to let everything that I say and do bring honour to His name.


Fish Massage in Siem Reap, Cambodia!


Fish Massage Employee- Such a God divine day!

Making the Transition- After 4 years of working in the English Outreach Center God began pressing on my heart to change direction. As I prayed and sought after God I was really feeling led to work alongside of Kathy (Kathy is the new editor of Continuum Magazine) in the Continuum Magazine department. I arranged a meeting with Dr. Al and Terry Purvis, and Pastor Matt and Becky Watson (our core leaders here in Sriracha) at the end of December to discuss with them my strong desire to make a transition into the Continuum Magazine department. I shared with them my hearts desires and my passion for graphics and they loved what I had to say. They wanted to see me walking in my giftings and why not now! So I am happy to be the new member of the Magazine team heading up the graphics department for the remainder of my time here in Thailand. If you would like to receive a copy of our latest issue please feel free to email me at bekah@continuummedia.com and I’ll be happy to get you connected.

Reach STRATEGICALLY, Teach PASSIONATELY, Mobilize FOR GLOBAL CONQUEST --Victory Asia Leaders Seminar 2010 (February 4th, 5th & 6th)- February began with a busy start. We had leaders gather here at our mission base for some powerful and effective leadership training. Dr.’s George and Hazel Hill (founders of Victory Churches International) along with some other great leaders from Canada came to our Leaders Seminar with powerful and insightful messages to hearten and encourage our Asian leaders. Awesome messages went forth that stirred the hearts of our leaders from our 9 Asian nations.

It goes without saying that hard work goes into preparing for these conferences. Josh was one of our main camera men that was capturing footage of the conference for Continuum TV, long hours standing behind a camera and all for a purpose. I, on the other hand, also did a lot of behind the scene work such as designing and creating banners to set the ambiance for the seminar. Lots of late nights sitting in front of a computer was well worth it to see God’s vision proclaimed over southeast Asia, hearts being stirred for His greater purpose.

More to Come- Josh is currently on a 2 week north trip with his VBCI classmates and will be returning back Feb. 27th! So more updates to come. Josh’s VBCI studies are going well, he is the top in his class, what can I say.. I’m a pretty proud wife =) I have seen so much spiritual growth in my husbands life and it does not go unseen. God has truly blessed me with a remarkable husband that I am proud and blessed to call my own!

Almost There- Living sacrificially is an incredible challenge for us and I’m sure for us all! Josh and I want to thank all of you who support us prayerfully and financially as TOGETHER we expand the harvest. We are ALMOST there, all we have owing on Josh’s college tuition is a mere $400can and by our faith and yours we will see this PAID. Again THANK YOU, you are the ones who have gotten us to where we are at today and so thanks again for giving into our calling.

Bittersweet Goodbyes - April 29th is creeping up on us way too fast!! As hard as it is for us to wave goodbye to Thailand and jump on a plane back to Canada we know in our hearts God is directing us back onto Canadian soil. Would you please pray, not only for our personal needs being met here in Thailand but also that our personal needs will be met back in Canada. We will be traveling back to Canada April 29th- Establishing ourselves back in Canada is a time of faith for us – we will be starting from scratch as a married couple. Would you pray that the Lord will provide anything that is needed for our transition off the mission field to Canada (jobs, a place to live etc.)? We have witnessed God do miracle after miracle here at the Heart of Thailand, as well as personal miracles. We believe that the Lord will do what is needed again.

So Sorry- I apologize for the late update as it does get busy for us in and around this ministry (not using this as an excuse =P). I pray that our blog update blesses you and encourages you to keep praying for Thailand. We love you guys and are excited to see you all in the up and coming months!! Blessings, Blessings, Blessings.

-Bekah

Friday, January 29, 2010

New Blog Post Coming SOON!

This has been a very busy time for Josh and I so we apologize for not updating our blog. We assure you that a new update will be coming soon.

Thank you,
Bekah