Serious Thoughts: What are my tools?

        I just finished read “The Heavenly Man” by Brother Yun with Paul Hattaway. Brother Yun shares his story of becoming a christian in China along the highs and lows of his walk with God. He spent time in prison where he was beaten and tortured for his faith. 

As I read, there were a couple different things that stopped to make me think. Here are some excerpts from the book that share what has been impressed upon my heart and my mind the last couple days.

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“Today, the nations along the ancient Silk Road are the most unevangelized in the whole world. The three biggest religious strongholds that refused to yield to the advance of the gospel - Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism - have their heart here. More than 90% of the remaining unreached people groups in the world live along the Silk Road and in the nations surrounding China. Two billion inhabitants live and die in this area, completely oblivious to the Good News that Jesus died for their sins and is the only way to heaven.” (on page 278)

“A closer examination of history reveals there were actually three main ‘silk roads’ leaving China. The one starting in Xian and heading through Central Asia and the heart of the Islamic world is the best know one. The second major trading route went through Tibet, across the Himalayas to Bhutan and Nepal, then towards Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran connecting up with the main highway to Jerusalem. The third Silk Road went through south-west China, where the majority of unreached minority groups live today. It headed south into Vietnam and then westward into countries like Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and India. This route went deep into the heart of today’s Buddhist and Hindu worlds.” (on page 285)

“Then I want to challenge not only the Western church, but the believer all around the world, to join hands with us in partnership to train and equip workers for this mighty harvest; to establish God’s kingdom not only throughout China but also all the way back to Jerusalem.

A new church era has begun.

I believe the west’s role is to be partners with us so that together we can get the job done. 

We’re not looking for handouts, but partnership.

I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I do know who holds my future! Since the Lord saved me as a teenager it has been an exciting ride! I’ve never known what was waiting around the next corner.

One day I may be killed for the sake of the gospel in a Muslim or Buddhist nation. If you hear this news, please don’t grieve for me, but grieve for the millions of precious souls who are enslaved by Satan without any gospel witness. Death ins;t the end for a servant of God, but just the start of indescribable everlasting life in the presence of Jesus. 

If you hear I have been called home to heaven, please of on in my place with the gospel, preaching and discipling the people groups of the world util Jesus comes again.

My Lord Jesus in the most wonderful friend you can ever have. He has been so loving, patient and kind to me over so many years and through so many valleys.

Many people have said to me. ‘Yun, you must really love Jesus.’ You need to realize that any love I have in my heart for Jesus in only because of his love for me. We love him because he first loved us. I John 4:19

Jesus is truly worth knowing. He is worthy to receive our whole lives. If you do give hime your life, you’ll surely never regret it.

Will you follow him?” (pages 346 and 347)

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Throughout the book he talks about how prison can be God’s training ground or seminary and that sometimes it is necessary for people to go through it. Brother Yun shares that what many don’t have and rely on the western world for is the Word of God, the Bible.

I finished reading this book and then went to bed that night still thinking about the stuff that I’ve already shared. Then when I woke up the next morning and did my devotions I read this in ‘extreme devotion’ by the Voice of the Martyrs.

Day 162: extreme tools (United States)

The smoke of the train wreck was thick as cries of agony came from the sea of passenger's bleeding, broken bodies among the ruined cars. Among the wounded and dying walked a surgeon who was unharmed in the collision. His luggage, though, was lost in the confusion, and he cried out, “My tools! My tools! If only I had my tools!”

With medical instruments, the man could have saved many lives. With his bare hands, he stood virtually helpless, watching as many died.

Today’s persecuted church is like that surgeon. They have the knowledge and the willingness to save many lives fought in the wreckage of Communism or Christless Islam. What they lack are the tools.

“Hear the cries of you brothers and sister in captive nations!” wrote Pastor Richard Wurmbrand when he first cam to the United States. “They do not ask for escape; they do not ask for safety or an easy life. They ask only for the tools to counteract the poisoning of their youth-the next generation-with atheism. They ask for Bibles. How can they spread the Work of God if they do not have it?”

Christians in restricted nations cannot provide these tools for themselves. They count on Christians in free nations to help. “Give us the tools we need,” one Christian told us, “and we will pay the price for using them!”

Day 163: extreme travels (Vietnam)

Each clicky-clack of the train wheels bounced the Vietnamese Christian woman’s frail body painfully on the hard wooden seat. But she was on a mission.

She needed spiritual food for the Christians she let in North Vietnam. Three congregations of people were praying that their leader would be successful and bring back precious copies of the Bible.

Her work back home was tiring. She was the only mature Christian in the area, and she had planted the three churches from nothing, winning one soul at a time through her personal witness. She had no car or even a bicycle. She walked or paddled a small wooden boat to her church meetings.

She had faced police threats and harassment and her Buddhist parents’ dismay because of her faith. Now she rode the train across eight hundred miles for three consecutive days, hoping to find on believer who could help. Finally she reached Ho Chi Minh City. 

There she met visiting western Christian who gave her Bibles for the Christians in the North. They also gave her bicycle to help her minister to the three congregations. Before leaving, they prayed together, asking God’s blessing on her travel and her ministry.

“How old are you?” one of them asked, just as she was about to leave. 

The women smoother strands of black hair away from her face and whispered, “I’m twenty-two.” 

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         I find myself wondering, what are my tools? What is the best way for me to use those tools for God's glory; to let His light shine through my life onto those who don't know him, and also encourage and minister to those who do?

I don’t know if it’s coincidence that while I was in Liverpool last June I was able to go hear Brother Yun speak in person. Now I’ve had a chance to read his book while I’m in Thailand, where I know I have come into contact with unreached people groups. I’m not sure what God’s purpose is for me here in Thailand, but I want to open to his plans. 

During my second week in Thailand I was helping out with a medical clinic, where the majority of the people we saw were not saved. The owners of the compound where we held the clinic are Christians and they are working and witnessing within their own people group (the majority of these people are unreached). The husband would help me translate when he wasn’t busy talking to the neighbors. At one point, we had some down time in the pharmacy and we started talking about life and God's call. I don’t remember the exact question he asked, but I remember my response was “I’ll go where ever I feel that God leads me. I don’t know what direction that is right now.” Immediately, his response was, ‘What if God is calling you to Thailand?’

Is God calling me to Thailand? That I don’t know, right now I’m taking one day at a time and trying not to figure out what my future is. Instead, I pray that God will give me wisdom for today. If I follow him today, He will direct the path through the future and I don’t need to stress about it.  Maybe this doesn’t make any sense to anyone other than myself. 

Early Thanksgiving

Last Friday I was able to visit a village. Now getting there is not to hard in the car, but if you get car sick easily then you should take dramamine before you get into the car. I didn’t and was sitting in the truck telling myself “I’m not sick, I don’t need to stop and throw up. I can make it.” I did manage to keep everything down that I ate for breakfast. 

After we arrived we had a cup of tea and then walked up a really steep hill to go to the church. Rice harvest is just beginning and so they were have a rice festival (or Thanksgiving service). It was a simple church, but was decorated with colored string, some silver garland, sugar cane, and then a bunch of pumpkins, banana’s and other fruits and vegetables were at the front. 

There was singing, and then as people wanted they could go up front a present a special song or scripture reading that they prepared. After that, there was a message shared, offering taken and then everyone walked down to the bottom of the hill where they had a couple large tents set up with tables and chairs. It was a community feast, where everyone participated in preparing and serving the food. There was rice, noodles, a potato soup with meat, and grilled green beans. It was delicious! 

Once everyone finished eating I walked around a little. There were kids around, but like Africa they hadn’t seen many foreigners and so they were very shy. 

I had my camera with me and was able to get a couple pictures of some of the boys that were around. When I finally convinced them that it was ok and they could see themselves by looking at the pictures they warmed up very quickly and started to be silly. They were acting for the camera, and seemed to be loving it. By the end, they weren’t nearly as scared and would actually crowd around to see the digital photos.  

  

The entrance to the church was decorated as well as some decorations inside.

I'm up at the top of the hill by the church looking down.

They loved to run around

Looking out the church window

Being silly

Fun Photos

I know that the last couple blogs have been more serious and so I've decided to post some pictures.

One Sunday afternoon while the team that I originally came with was here, we took the kids to the zoo. It was and interesting time, some of the kids ran through the zoo and saw everything as fast as they could. Afterwards, we all had ice cream.

 

Watching the monkeys

Some of the kids didn't run through and would walk along with us

The method of transport to church that morning and the zoo was piling into what looks like a school bus with long benches. Up, you sit in the back with no seat belts and hang on to the bars along the top if you want.

I've also tried some things that I never thought I would. For example, the picture below is one of fried bamboo worms...yes, I ate one after learning how they are cooked. 

Just in case you are wondering, you take the live bamboo worms after picking out the dead ones. If you choose to you may wash them before putting them in a frying pan and turning on the burner. The heat quickly kills them and then you continue to let them fry until they start to pop and straighten out. That's how you know they are done. An interesting fact, you don't need to fry them in oil, as they are frying they produce enough oil. Time to eat!

Fried Bamboo Worms

There is an abundance of coffee, which makes me really happy!

Thailand: Week 2

The adventure and stressful situations never stop! Since I’ve been doing so much traveling, I was beginning to wonder if something new that I’ve never experienced would happen. That’s a very bad thing to wonder about, I’m in a situation that I haven’t ever experienced stateside let alone international. 

Since you are probably wondering what happened, here it is. I lost my credit card so now I’m in Thailand without access to my money which I was going to use to live off of while I’m here. I don’t know how I lost it, I just know it’s gone but I’m praising God that it wasn’t used before I got it cancelled. 

I’ve figured out the easiest way for me to get the money that I need, but it’s going to take a little time. I’m not completely out of money, but if I run out before I get more then I’m going to have to borrow money and then pay people back. That’s really not what I want to do, but maybe there is a lesson in here that I need to learn. Holding onto finical security is really easy to do, but then it means I’m not depending on God. Maybe it has nothing to do with that, I don’t really know. 

Onto a better topic, the second week here was a little easier. Maybe I’d adjusted into the routine a little more, but I had fun working in the medical clinic’s that we did that week. Each clinic was in a different place, and so we would see different people. 

During all of the clinic’s I was the pharmacist. After the patients had seen the doctor they would bring over their paper with the medication written down and I would give it to them and explain how to take it. For the first 3 clinics I had the same translator which made it fun, but by the end he had everything memorized so I didn’t have to say much. 

The last clinic we held, was a good 3 hour drive from where we staying and so we drove up to the village the evening prior and spent the night there before having clinic in the morning. Since, it was so far away, we worked with different translators. 

After the clinic started I lost my translator for part of the time since he was needed for other things. Motions became my explanation because I haven’t learned enough Thai vocabulary to explain it myself. It was also an entertainment show for those waiting to see the doctor. As people would walk over to get their meds, those who were waiting would turn and watch, waiting to see what I would do and we’d all start laughing. Eventually, a very helpful lady who didn’t speak English but understood my gestures would translate from my gestures and that seem to help. It made for an interesting day in the pharmacy. 

I do think the best part of that trip was sitting in the bed of a pickup truck with three others as we went speeding down the road at 70 miles per hour. Most people have trucks here and it’s not illegal to have people riding in the back, so transport has been a fun!

The rest of the team that I came with left and so now I’m working on starting to figure out my routine and what I will be doing here for the next several months. I think it’s going to take a little bit of time, but eventually I’ll get there.