Ready to go!

So, I feel really refreshed and encouraged today. I feel ready to return to our people and start our work. I have SO MUCH to learn, but have so much excitement to learn it! I am not sure how I’ll go about it- but can’t wait to figure it out!

Another package!

YEAH!!! ANOTHER PACKAGE!!!

Twizzlers!

Yea for twizzlers that came in a package!!!

(Conor, Clayton and Nathan - sons of some of the teams here)

Hello from Thailand (Email to Parents)

I’m here, back in Thailand, back from the retreat. All went well. Things are quickly getting busy around here- I had forgotten how last time things were actually pretty busy- even for email…I will try and stay in touch as much as possible…

Anyway, I'll try and use skype to call you...should be cheaper that way. I love riding my motorbike aroudn town…it’s so freeing!

It’s SO HOT here though. I had a nice afternoon- sat by the pool, (I’m really getting brown!!)…read some, read all my letters from people…and then played with the kids in the pool for a bit. Was really relaxing. Training starts at 9am tomorrow…

We (Shanna, Jeff- oh, they are now engaged!!!!!...Heather, Amanda, another Heather, Jimmy and I) went on bikes to this waterfall yesterday. It was REALLY hot, but really fun- Amanda and Jimmy actually slid down this rock slide thing into the water- was realy cool! And these Thai kids were jumping off this really high rock into the water…reminded me of when we went to the Lake and jumped off those cliffs! We had to hike a lot to get there, up rocks and stuff- was really fun and a nice chance to just relax!

Bye for now…

~ Elizabeth

Village Kids in Thailand...

Here is a quick pic from our hiking/bamboo rafting trip in Thailand-- During our lunch break, I went back to this little village and hung out with the kids- had a great time. It reminded me of my time in India with the boys coming down that mountain. I really do enjoy the kids…hmm. This is the best pic I have, but think it’s really cute. Oh yeah, and I ate some of whatever it was that they were eating….hope I don’t get sick!!!!

Thailand Adventures (Email Update)

Update November 1, 05

Thailand Update:
* Training
* Meeting Others
* Thailand Adventures (Motorbike!!!)

Training
“Our level/amount of understanding of God is what we have to share with others. We need to know God more to be able to share Him with others. We have to start with God in all that we do. Our goal cannot be to ‘seek and save the lost’ or we will be greatly disappointed. The first and greatest commandment is to love and worship God- that is our first priority.”
This is just one of the challenging quotes that have struck me during our training the past two weeks. I’m challenged to read my Bible more and learn as much as I can not only so I can be better equipped to share with others, but also to deepen my relationship with Jesus!

Meeting Others
Being able to meet others who are just starting out in the work, like we are, as well as others who have been out on the field for a year or two, has been a huge blessing. It’s so encouraging to hear their stories about the people they have been crafting stories with! Although we’ve only spent a few weeks together, we’re already close friends because of the common bond we have in storying work.

Thailand Adventures
Renting a motorbike while we’re at training has been a huge blessing for me! Driving around the city during the day and night as well as driving up to 100kpm (kilometers per hour, not miles!!!) on the “superhighway,” makes me feel “free.”

Prayer:
* Language situation- when we get back to our location, we will begin learning Kahani (a pseudonym for our target language- the one in which we’ll be storying). [“Kahani” means ‘story’ in our regional language).
* Pray that we would be able to find someone who knows both Kahani and English.
* My back- My lower back has been giving me issues for a while now, and I’m not sure what to do to help it. It’s constant, but minimal pain 24/7, but bothers me most when I sleep.
* Now that we’ve had the modern conveniences of running water, electricity, etc- pray for adjusting to life when we go back in 2 weeks.

Praise:
* Time of spiritual refreshment
* Encouragement from other Epic teams
* Learning a lot about storying

Thank you for your support- and for your e-mails.

Till All Have Heard,

~ Elizabeth

Bike to Falls (Email to parents)

We’ve been really busy lately…but I’m doing well, things are going well- training is good…I’m learning a lot.

I rented my OWN motorcycle/motorbike thing yesterday and drove all around the city. I was with other people, but still I was the one driving! It was wonderful, perhaps the best part of my time here- so freeing, and lots of fun! Yesterday we had a free afternoon so Tina, Karen and I took the bikes and went to a really cool waterfall park place…see above pic..

Girls at Training! (Picture!)

Fun in Thailand (Pictures)

Pictures of us hanging off of trucks in Thailand... :)

One more Language Represented in Heaven (Journal Entry)

Borner Christian Church – Cheng Mai
“Sin is not breaking God’s law, it’s breaking God’s heart.”

Today we went to a Thai church. Actually, it was actually a tribal language- wow! How cool! Another tribe reached for the Lord. It was a long service and most people got bored or fell asleep I think- those who couldn’t understand the tribal languages, and I must admit I too felt very tired. However, at the end, I thought “this is just another langauge that will be represented in Heaven!!!"

Thoughts from John Mark (Journal Entry)

Notes from Training/Devotions...

* Our level/amount of understanding of God is what we have to share with others. “To know God and make Him known.” We have to start with God. Our goal cannot be to ‘seek and save the lost’ or we will be greatly disappointed. The fist and greatest commandment is to love and worship God- that is our first priority.

* We often think how our actions affect other people, but we should think ‘how do our actions affect God.’ Instead of dealing with hurt with your partner, think about how you’ve hurt the heart of God.

* When we first become a Christian, we are like a pin. God puts just enough of Him on the top of the pin (like a drop of water) because that’s all we can handle. Then, he breaks us in some ways and we become like a thimble- holding a little more of Him. This process repeats itself over and over, each time God breaks/crack one pot/vessel to create a new/bigger one to allow us to see/know/experiences more of Himself.

* Sin isn’t a problem for a sinner. If there is no reason to get out of sin, then there’s a no problem with it. It’s only when we become saved that we start to see this ultimate example of perfection and strive to attain it realizing our sin is what keeps us from that peace with God.

* Will you start and end everything with God? When will what’s inside of you start affecting you on the outside instead of the other way around? Of course, that is, if God is working inside of you and if you’re letting that happen- then you want what’s inside of you to come out.

*You are called to love everyone. You are not called to unconditionally trust everyone. Love is unconditional, trust develops and grows. You will be trusted with more depending on what you do with what you’ve been given right now. Do you want God to find you trustworthy?

* God is trusting us with people groups!!! If God can’t trust me with my family, why would He give me more people to hurt?

* If you can’t figure out what God’s calling you to next, go back to the last thing God told you- were you faithful to it?
2 Timothy 2:20-21
Is 59:2
Gen 12:1-3
Ps. 67
Matt. 28:18-20
Ps. 22:27-31
Gal. 3:8- people on the field will challenge you saying that you’re not getting to Jesus fast enough. But really, each story has Jesus in it!

* Take one step at a time. However far you get will be the farthest you’ve ever gone. Wherever you get to, will be the farther than where you were before.

Matt. 11:12
2 Cor. 10:3-5
Ex. 17 – “If they drop their arms, they’ll die.” (Moses’ thoughts)- Epic leaders
“Get off their high stool and come down here” (soldier’s thoughts) Us!
“You don’t understand!!!” – a sure sign that you’re in the spiritual battle

* God can and will use ready and available people. If you don’t listen and obey, God will move on to the next person, He’s not out of options- it’s just that you were His 1st choice.
Is. 30:20
Deut. 28:47-48
1 Sam. 8, 10 vs. 20, 16

Email from Thailand (Email to Parents)

Mommy and Daddy,

We made it! One 3 hour bus trip scrunched with all men, an overnight train trip- arriving in Old Delhi train station at 5am, which can be a scary enough place in the middle of the day, let alone in the dark, getting a rickshaw- the driver having no clue where we were going, though we finally made it to our hotel, the hotel not having our reservation, but had a room available, so no problem, going to the bathroom for the first time in a month having to actually sit on a toilet!(!), spending the day in Delhi, getting our plane tickets, visiting the Shaw family to drop off things to be mailed, (since there is a big festival right now, the post office is closed for 3 days (ugh!)), eating at Pizza Hut (yum!), talking to Trisha’s sister on the phone (I think a total of 5 times!), finding a MOVIE theater and watching an English film (Cinderella Man- it’s good if you want to see it, probably came out a few months ago in the states?), eating brownie and ice cream at TGI Friday’s!!! Finding our way back in the dark with the rickshaw walla, sleeping for an hour, taking our first hot shower (wow!), having A/C in the room, resting for a short period of time and then heading to the airport at 10pm, arriving, getting checked in, eating at SUBWAY(!!!), calling you(!- it was only about 65 cents this time, I made sure before I called!!!), then getting on the plane around 1:30am. Trying to sleep, but the man sitting next to the window kept getting up (ugh!), arriving at 5:30am with very little sleep, getting through customs, immigration in Thailand, getting our bags, going to the domestic terminal to get our next flight to Cheng Mai, getting our flight (all we had was a confirmation number written down on a pad of paper- no actual tickets- it worked!), having eggs, toast and hot dog (?) for breakfast, getting onto our flight (1 hour), sleeping the whole way, arriving, finding a taxi- our driving only speaking in Thai- but we made it to an big building that ended up being the right place.

We’re here, in A/C, with AWESOME accommodations!!! Granted, they may not be awesome for everyone, but for us they are BY FAR better than anything we’ve had in the past three months. We’re so excited!!!

At the same time, I’m not sure how to process everything I’ve felt along the way, I need to journal a lot about it….

It started before we left "Kahan." I started to feel really sad about leaving, leaving our family, leaving the town, the people…just not wanting to leave at all. And then started to think about in two years how will it be…and couldn’t even entertain that thought. Then the thought was, “I’m coming back, so all is well.” That got me through our bus and train trip and in Delhi- things were fine. They were fine because we were still in India. We got on the flight and arrived in Thailand and sat down the breakfast, and I shared with Robin. “I don’t want to be here right now.” She asked, “By that do you mean, ‘here at training?’ or ‘here in Thailand?’ or ‘’here in this situation?’ or what? I said, “I just want to go back to India.”

I think I’m realizing it’s not that I don’t WANT to be at training or in Thailand, it’s just that I’d rather be/want to be in India! Hmm.

Not sure what all to think about all that. It’s very nice here, and I am excited to meet people and once training starts know that these thoughts will go quickly. Who knows, I may not want to go back after living here for a month!!!!

Both Robin and I are overwhelmed by how great it is and that we have a fridge, and a pillow that doesn’t feel like rocks, and running water…things like that. I’d still take all our inconviences to be back with our family in Kahan…..but know, soon enough we will be….

Pray that I’ll “BE ALL HERE” as Jim Elliot says!

I love you- and will work on getting a phone at some point…Oh yeah - we have WIRELESS internet here- did you hear me? Can you believe that? :)

I better go---going to have my first Thai meal!

Love,

~ Elizabeth