Leaving Bangkok

We don’t have Internet access here so are going to try an Internet cafe down the street. Here it goes….

Hello Fellow Sojourners!

We finished out in Bangkok making new friends in ministry, and feeling like we learned a lot from our African brother who spoke on “Discipling the Nations” and the need for a mind transformed by the Word of God. Just as we in America tend to act in ways that are more “American” than Christian, other cultures do the same, only with more contrast, such as pagan practices of sprinkling salt on the ground around a house to keep the spirits away, as we heard one teacher in Africa was teaching. Unless people can see the difference of applying what God’s word says concerning who we worship, how we worship, how we are to think and live, etc., it is hindering to the change that can really be seen. We thought it interesting that we saw more visible signs of idol worship in the city of Bangkok than when we were there in January but then they were celebrating Christmas with trees , Christmas music etc.

We are now here in India. We are having plenty of interaction with nationals who are pastoring either full time or part time. The testimonies have been amazing. One member of our team from a church in Calif. said in the Middle East God is working through dreams and visions. Here it seems He is working through wonderful healings. The Hindu religion has been here from hundreds of years, encouraging worship of a lot gods. Many problems in families and the society are occurring because of that. People who come to Christ really know He is the true God, and that they have been rescued out of a harsh and oppressive religion. It isn’t the miracle that is important as much as it is the God who did it to show them He is good and just, and to worship Him is to obey Him. They are not looking to have all their problems solved because they see He doesn’t heal all the time but they know they need to just submit to His sovereign will, no matter what He chooses to do.

Alan and I both have enjoyed getting to know the congregation this morning. We had many opportunities to pray for different ones individually. That is a practice I wish we could incorporate more in our church fellowships. They love prayer and praising the Lord. Alan preached a powerful message about the man healed of his blindness but didn’t see who healed him. Eventually he was thrown out of the synagogue and when Jesus approached the man who now could see and told him who he was, the man fell down and worshipped Him. He now was given spiritual sight, but of course his problems didn’t go away---in fact he had new ones. Very culturally understandable here.

In the way of prayer requests for Alan and I , I ask for stamina. Good rest helps too. Also we ask that you join us in asking God to give us extraordinary ability to hear and understand what the Nationals are saying even if it is in English. Our hearing is not too sharp to begin with and we are finding it extremely hard to enter conversations or repeat names because we just can’t hear them clearly. So we ask you lift that up for us. We also would like the Lord to show us if he would have us to work here and what his will is in all of this. We need wisdom and the Spirit to prepare hearts for Alan’s presentation tomorrow regarding Church based training.

Thank you for your support and prayers,

Edie