Peanut Butter, Geckos, and Preaching.

I didn't realize how desperate I was until I looked down at the meal I had freshly crafted...four pieces of bread each with a mound of peanut butter on it. It was only until afterward that I figured out that I had eaten around 1,200 calories in about 10 minutes. You see I would have gone with the classic PB and J, but unfortunately I was out of jelly. I could have gone the ramen way, but alas I had had about enough of noodles and wanted to take a break from MSG poisoning. I thought about the one egg I had left, but I decide I would save that for a special occasion. Or what about the small portion of cereal that sat waiting for me in the bag...no no, that remains for breakfast. The decision was clear...peanut butter bread, a meal fit for kings (SATIRE ALERT). Lets just say that for this meal I literally needed water to wash it down. I don't know if you've experience the pain of a lump of bread and peanut butter stuck in your throat, but it isn't too much fun. Now don't worry about me, soon I'll be off to buy more supplies and restock my shelves. I just thought I would share this experience with you.

For the past few weeks I have been staying up in the mountains with the villagers at one of the major schools here. I live in a small wooden hut with the moths and geckos that come through the rooftop to visit me at night. The geckos enjoy devouring the moths and then leaving me nice little presents in the morning. In fact one Sunday I got up and went to put on the pants that I had set aside for that day and I discovered a pleasant brown spot where one of the critters left a surprise. I guess it was suggesting I not wear khakis that day, and I took that suggestion to heart and went with jeans.

Up here in the mountains the days are warm with a cool breeze, but as for the mornings and the nights...freezing. Not literally freezing, but when you have to use five blankets plus sleep in your jeans, socks, shirt, coat, and a wool hat, you know its pretty cold. There is no heater or air conditioning here. I wake up to the sounds of motorbikes as the students ride in to start their day at school. I get up around 7:30am, which is late here, everyone else gets up at around 5:30am. I put on...oh wait, I don't have to put on anything, I'm already dressed from head to toe. So, I prepare myself for my classes, eat some cereal, read some scripture, pray to God that I don't make a fool out of myself, unless it makes him look good, and then head out to teach my little kiddos some English. In the morning I teach the kindergarten class and also the high school students. After lunch I am done, at least with the teaching of English. The other activities I do here consist mostly of hanging out with the students, playing soccer and basketball with them, laughing at myself with them, leading in devotions and Bible teaching, harvesting and beating rice, preaching and of course tripping over the same tree root almost everyday (true story).

This place is unlike any place I've ever been. It is cut off from the rest of the world...peaceful and quiet, but also lonely. I am the only foreigner at the school, and the only person who can't speak Thai or Karen, although I learn a little each day. I live by myself and eat by myself except for lunch or when I am invited to eat dinner with the people here. It is hard, harder than anything I've ever done, but it is glorious. Isn't it funny how the hardest things we do in life are usually the most meaningful? Just look at Martin Luther King Junior, the Apostles, or most importantly Jesus. All these men lived hard lives, and almost all of them were killed because of who they were and what they represented. Jesus our lord and savior, our king and friend, lived a life where he was ridiculed and hated and eventually crucified on the very tree he created. These men and Jesus above them all, lived lives of sacrifice and love, lives that were not always easy or comfortable, but they were GLORIOUS. I'm not even close to the level of sacrifice that these men made, I've got a long way to go. But my point is that we need to be willing to step out of our comfort zones and step into action. We need to be willing to follow the lead of God wherever he may take us. It's not always easy, but it is always worth it. I am so glad that God has lead me here to Thailand. If I had not taken that leap of faith and stepped out of my comfort zone I would have never been able to experience the things that I have or impacted the people that I have. So please consider what God is calling you to do. I know not everyone is called to the foreign mission field, but where you are right now, in the job that you have, or whatever you're doing, don't miss out on doing the work of God. Don't miss out on doing hard things that are uncomfortable, but that bear significant weight in eternity.

Ok I’ll stop preaching for a moment. I want you all to know that I love you and I am thankful for your prayers and support. Without you guys this wouldn't be possible. I hope you haven’t forgotten that without Christ I am a weak, foolish, self-centered person and that none of this would be possible without him either. That being said, (Commence preaching) I also hope you realize that If Christ is using someone like me, he can also use someone like you. We do not qualify ourselves for the work of God, but God qualifies us and he can use ANY ONE. I hope you believe that, just check out 1^st Corinthians 1:26-31 if you don't. The bottom line is that no one can boast in anything he or she does, because in the end, all good things come from God. Don't believe me...check out James 1:16-18.

Ok now I am officially done preaching. I just want to make it clear that no person should be impressed by me, but only by God who works through me. Much love to you all. let me know if there is anything you want to know specifically and I will try to tell you about it. 

Living in Luxury

You have probably heard about the flooding in Thailand. The flood has taken a toll on the people here and it effects all parts of the country. In the stores where I buy my food some of the shelves are empty. A lot of the factories in Bangkok are closed down and there are certain items that are very hard to come by. Prices are going up and the people who were already poor are getting hit the hardest. My request is that you would pray for the floods to recede and that this would be an opportunity for people to turn back to God. According to most statistics less than 1% of the population in Thailand knows Jesus as their Lord and savior. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few, so pray that God will send more harvesters to come and gather Gods children.

My time in Mae Sai has been a tremendous blessing and God has taught me so much from the experience. I am so thankful that I came to Thailand despite my fears. I would never have grown so much if I stayed back in America. My family in Mae Sai will be missed dearly and I hope I will see them again before I leave.

A few days ago I was able to experience the wonders of something that I had not experienced in close to two months...that is...a warm shower. Oh how I cherished it. Finally I could take my time and enjoy a shower instead of rushing through it as if it was a race. Before this glorious moment, every morning I would wake up and shuffle to the shower with literal dread in my heart. At first the cold showers were kind of a fun new adventure, I would wake up and scream out loud as I was bombarded by the freezing pellets and then laugh it off saying to myself, “i'll get used to this”. Then day after day, the cold showers didn’t get any less cold, in fact they felt like they were getting worse. There came a point where each time I would literally have to count to myself in my head to prepare myself for the shower before I turned the knob. Or I might turn on the shower and then jump into it, kind of like that first jump into a freezing cold stream. Every time I took a shower when I woke up I thought of the quote from Braveheart when the old man says, “That'll wake you up in the mornin!”. Then the day came, the day I got to have a warm shower. Even this simple little pleasure was a blessing from God. But soon enough i'll be heading to a village in the mountains again. I'll be back to cold showers, washing clothes by hand, and sleeping under a mosquito netting. In the village I will be teaching the Bible, English and enjoying the time with the people. I'll be at a school of about 500 students from the various villages around the area. I had to buy a months supply of dry foods and such so that I can survive while i'm up there. They don't have Wal-marts or quick stops in the mountain villages. As followers of Jesus we have to be ready to give up anything and everything, even our very life for the cause of Christ. Sometimes I complain about my circumstances and whine to God in my head: “Why does my internet have to be so slow!!”, “Not another cold shower”, “Rice again!!”, “Why does nobody have AC!”, “WHERE IS A CHEESBURGER PLEASE GOD!”, But in all circumstances I must learn to be content (Phil 4:11).

Most Americans have it easy, we are spoiled and we don't even realize it. So I've got to get over my spoiled habits and press on and do the kingdom work. While more than half the world lives on less than 2 dollars a day barely scraping by, we in America live in luxury. Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I just want to open your eyes and help you see the impact we can have on a poor and suffering world if only we would be willing to sacrifice some of our comforts. America is full of the healthiest, wealthiest most prosperous Christ followers to ever walk the earth and yet it is also full of the emptiest…why is that? You go into Barnes and noble and you’ll find hundreds of books on finding satisfaction in life, step by step books on how to have a more fulfilling life. A lot of those books are Christian books. Emptiness and dissatisfaction is a big problem in our culture. We have everything we need, we have all of our nice stuff, we live like kings and queens compared to many people in the world and yet people are always wanting more more more, more money, more power, more women, more fame…never satisfied, full of greed. So my prayer for all of you as my supporters is that you would not be caught up in the rat race. That you would find your satisfaction in God and let him be your provider. The people I've been with lately are poor and live on very little and yet they find so much satisfaction and joy in Jesus. Remember how precious Jesus is. Don't let the things of this world that will pass away make you miss opportunities to live a full life in Jesus. What will you say to the father when you face him on judgment day? Will you say “I lived a comfortable easy life,” or will you say, “I gave it my all God and lived like a person on fire for you, I suffered for your name sake”. Have you suffered lately for Christ?

God may not be calling you to come live in some mud hut in Africa, but he is calling you to live for him and be willing to give up everything for him, if it comes to that.

Much love to you all. Keep me in your prayers that God would give me strength to do the things I am to weak to do on my own, that God would keep me healthy and continue to teach me. Pray that God will give me favor with the people I come in contact with, so that I may represent Christ to them. As usual, thank you all so much for your support. Peace out from Thailand.  

Mae Sai again

I am back in Mae Sai, the town on the border of Thailand and Burma. This time around I will be here for twenty days, preaching and teaching from the word of God. I have been preaching almost every Sunday. Also I have been going to many different houses of the Church members to give devotions. All I can say is that...God is good. Everything has been going great and I love being with these people. They are my family and I love them all. I have learned more here in Thailand over this month and a half then I probably could have in a years time back in the states. I took a leap of faith and my life won't ever be the same again. I have no room to boast in myself though because God is the one who has been working through me and if it wasn't for Jesus I wouldn't be doing any of this. So don't be impressed with me, be impressed with Jesus and how he changes the heart of a man.

My days mainly consist of prepping sermons, prepping for my English class, leading bible devotions, studying Burmese, helping out with the various activities that we hold and of course chillin wit my peeps :) Tomorrow we will be having a thanksgiving celebration. We had to wake up early this morning to go buy food at the market so that we can prepare for the meal tomorrow. Everyone is helping out and although I won't be doing any of the cooking, I make a pretty good potato peeler and dishwasher. It is a joy to live with these people and everyday they bring a smile to my face. They are simple people who work hard and love Jesus. Most of them don't make more than seventy dollars a month, that’s less than three dollars a day. Yet they have an unfading joy given to them by Jesus. This is it...this is life...it is only found in Jesus. Not in money, not in drugs, not in power, only in Jesus do can we die to ourselves and truly live. These people know how to live. 

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” - James 1:17

I've been bad

Ok, it's true...I've been bad. I haven't done a very good job keeping up with my Blog. Hopefully I will be able to step up my game and write more, but honestly it is hard work. My days are busy...getting acclimated with the new surroundings and culture, preaching, meeting new people all the time, leading devotions, observing English classes, traveling to the mountain villages and so much more. Some days are fun, some days are scary, some days are lonely, some days are full of adventure...and some days I want to knock myself out with a five pound sledge. That was a joke, but I will say, it can be very difficult sometimes. Even though I knew this wasn't going to be easy, I find myself being challenged in ways I didn't quite expect, but I am glad for that because these challenges help me to mature and grow in my faith.

With that being said I would have you all know that my preaching in Mae Sai went excellent. The Burmese people there were from many different tribes and they welcomed me with warm hearts and good food...mmmmm. I enjoyed getting to know them and learning about their lives in Mae Sai. These people are hardworking and make very little money, but they are on fire for Jesus and they love to worship him. It was such a privilege to be able to encourage them with the word and worship with them. The night before I left Mae Sai I bought some food items and drinks to enjoy with the people and show them my gratitude for feeding me and giving me a place to stay. I hope to visit Mae Sai a few more times before I leave Thailand, to see the people again and share some more laughs and moments of praise towards God. Since Mae Sai, I have been going to various activities around Chiang Mai, leading devotions and meeting new people. It has been a good week just to get to know some more people make some new friends.

Until next time...hopefully sooner than later...

-Joshua  

Trains, Planes and Motorbikes

I was sitting alone in a cabin on a train in the middle of a foreign country looking out the window as the great city of Bangkok melted away in the distance. A storm was brewing in the east sending streaks of lightning across the sky creating a dreamlike ambiance that could never be fully explained in words but that can only be experienced. Then I was thinking to myself, “Wait a second...I'm sitting in a train, in a foreign country, alone...with my computer, video camera, some clothes, some books, and a pocket full of baht (Thai Currency)...IS THIS REAL!!!”

You see, as a boy I had always dreamed of traveling the world and going on grand adventures. Then as a teenager my dream grew up with me, instead of just traveling for the sake of adventure I wanted to travel to do the most important thing a person can do, that is, share the good news of Jesus. I wanted to be a missionary...and now I'm actually doing it and its all because the grace of God.

Ten days ago is when I arrived in Chiang Mai and met up with James Hla who is the man I'll be working with while in Thailand. He showed me to the place I would be staying and talked with me about my plans. It turns out I'll be teaching English in a small town called Mae Si and also be working with the youth there.

Tomorrow I will go to Mae Si for the first time with a friend of mine who I met about a week ago, his nickname is NaNa...I can't remember what it means. We will go together to preach on Sunday and fellowship with the youth there. So if you want to know what to pray about, pray that God would speak through me on Sunday and allow me to love the youth with the love of Christ.

Rain In Bangkok

Outside you can hear the torrential rain beat down against the city. Everyone who is outside, umbrella or not, is going to be drenched from head to toe. How do I know this you may ask? Well, because just until recently I was outside in it and let me tell you, an umbrella is useless in rain like this. So I didn't use one. Instead I challenged the rain to soak me to the core along with my Pakistani friends Javed and John as we went through the winding streets in the downpour. We were making our way back home from the market place from which we had just purchased a few items to go with the fresh fish which was caught earlier. We walked, jogged and ran through the rain, laughing and smiling as each of us quickly became sopping wet. There was no point in denying the rain its satisfaction, it had won this battle and so we embraced the rain, literally singing songs of praise to God together. These are the moments in life when you feel alive, when you see God's beauty and your heart is filled with joy knowing that God is good. Seeing these brothers of mine share life with each other, laugh with each other (man do they laugh) and sing praises to God is an amazing testimony to the power of Jesus and how he makes people to be full of love and joy. These men, these soldiers, these friends of mine have given their lives to Jesus and have suffered for it in Pakistan where they were persecuted and where they have had family members killed by Muslim terrorists. Yet they praise God and give him glory realizing that suffering for Jesus is worth it and that in the end they will be reunited with their king in a perfect place with no more death or sorrow or crying. Only in Christ can we truly live, and these men know how to live. We made it to the gate of the house, soaked and smiling...we were home, and soon we will have a delicious fish dinner shared with joy knowing that God is provider.

In Bangkok

I am safe and sound in Bangkok Thailand. The trip here went very smooth and there were no problems at all. I was met at the airport in Bangkok by Matthew the brother to Mark AKA Amir, who took me to their home where I will be staying for the next few days. Mark and Matthew are both from Pakistan and living with them are four others all from Pakistan and all of them followers of Jesus. So far my time with them has been extremely encouraging. These men have such a deep love for Jesus and have been very hospitable.