Pictures From Thailand On Flickr

I've added some new pictures from my travels in Thailand to our site on Flickr. You can find them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourworldmissionaries. Enjoy and feel free to leave comments.

Southeast Asia- January Update

Wow, it is hard to believe that January is almost over. This has been an incredibly exciting month. I have been traveling throughout southeast Asia for most of the month. Those travels have taken me to Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Tomorrow morning I leave for a few days in Indonesia before starting the long trek home. Lord willing, I will be back home with Tammy and Rebecca on Saturday evening. Be in prayer about that as one of my international connections only allows for an 80 minute layover in Korea. It sometimes take longer than that to get through the security checkpoint at the transfer desk.

I have been amazed by the courage and commitment of our ministry partners in each country we have visited. With one exception, all of these partners are nationals who work with little or no pay to reach children and youth in their communities with the gospel. Why would they work so hard for so little? They measure their compensation differently than most in the USA. They see their compensation in more eternal terms and not just in how much money they will have at the end of the month. These men and women are truly living a life of service and sacrifice in order to take the good news to a people who are not always receptive or understanding.

The southeast Asian region is culturally, economically, and religiously diverse. There are areas that are heavily Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim. In some places, two or three of these groups peacefully coexist. However, in other areas there is extreme hostility toward anyone bringing a Christian message. Nevertheless, the young men and women who make up our national distribution teams work tirelessly to take the gospel to every child and every young person in their area. Please pray for their safety and for provision of every need as they continue to minister.

Most striking for me was the cry of pastors and lay ministry leaders in one area we visited. They are desperate for laborers. The pastors have vision, but lack the resources to see those visions become reality. The political and religious situation is open in a way that it has never been open before, yet there are few workers ready to respond to go through these open doors. This is truly a modern and living example of the harvest fields being white for the harvest but the laborers being few. This openness may last for many years. However, it is just as likely that it will close at any time. Pray with us for the Lord of the Harvest to call out laborers. And pray that those who are called with not delay one minute in responding to that call.

While I am excited to be coming home at the end of the week, I am going to miss this area of the world. There are many places in this world where the people have touched my heart. However, few of them have touched me in the same way as those here in southeast Asia. I haven't even left yet and already my heart longs to return.

We All Can Praise

Pastor Rodel, the worship leader at International Charismatic Service in Metro Manila sings a solo in Tagalog that encourages everyone to worship, without regard to their singing quality. Today was the 32nd anniversary for ICS.