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.

December 2007 Newsletter

Our final newsletter for 2007 is now available online. Click here to go immediately to this newsletter. You can also find this and all our previous newsletters on our website at http://YourWorldMissionaries.org/.

Thank you for your prayer support in 2007. Please continue to pray for good health for us all, for financial provision, and for effectiveness in our ministry.

Chemo Update

I visited the cancer center today for my first six-week check-up. I've just finished cycle one of y chemo and they tell me I'm doing great. It was truly not the news I wanted to hear. Doing great? My feet were hurting so bad during weeks three and four that I could hardly walk. How can that be doing great? They tell me that relative to other chemo patients, my pain and discomfort was only a level two. They don't consider adjusting your chemo until your pain gets to a three. A three? What is a three? If my feet exploded with each step I took during those two weeks my pain could not have been any higher. Nevertheless, they have assured me that the new steps I am taking to keep my feet healthy will keep my pain in check for the next cycle. Please join us in prayer that this is the case and that the pain is a thing of the past. This will be especially important here in cycle two as I will be traveling in Southeast Asia during weeks three and four of this cycle.

Cancer Changes Your Prayers

Lots of things in my life have changed since I was diagnosed with cancer. First, I had to cut back or shuffle around my 2007 travel plans with Book of Hope. Then there was the truly restricting concept of surgical recovery that left me home bound for three weeks following each surgery. That is no easy task for a type-A never been sick worker such as myself. But one area of impact is something I had not expected. My prayers have changed.

No, it's not that I didn't expect aspects of my prayer life to change. The fact is, when you hear the word cancer mentioned by any doctor and the fear and uncertainty that comes with that word starts to overwhelm you, your prayer life will change. I've met those who never really had a prayer life for whom their diagnosis of cancer was the catalyst to start praying. I know others who have been mighty prayer warriors who nevertheless saw a dramatic change in how they prayed when the word cancer hung over them like a dark cloud. That happens and I expected those changes.

No, the change I'm alluding to is different. It is the the simple change in the simplest prayer that nearly all believers will pray. It is the new conclusion to my mealtime prayer. I've been driven by necessity to add an appendix to my prayer. "And Lord, please don't let this meal make me sick." Each time I sit down at the table, the question of impact runs through my mind. My question is not will this meal be good, but is more like will this meal be good to me? Will I be able to go through the day and night without getting sick off of what I'm about to eat? This is my current challenge. And this is my current prayer need; Lord, please don't let this meal make me sick.

Merry Christmas From The Brown Family - Your Assemblies of God World Missionaries at Book of Hope

UPDATE: Two Urgent Prayer Requests

Thanks to all of you for your prayers. Rebecca was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon. She seems to be doing well. Please continue to pray for a quick, complete, and complication-free recovery from the surgery. As for my feet, there is still pain, but much less than before. Praise the Lord! Please continue to pray that all the side effects from this medication will go away and that I will complete my year of treatment with no additional problems. Again, thank you all for praying. You are an awesome group of prayer warriors. I can't imagine going through the things we have gone through this year without you.

Cold Showers

One of the greatest joys when waking up each morning is pulling myself out of bed and stepping into a steaming hot shower. The hotter, the better. Today, that is simply a memory from days before chemo. The drugs I am taking are causing my skin to break down. As a result, I can no longer take hot showers. It's lukewarm to cold water that greets my body each morning. Even drying off after the shower has changed. No more rubbing the towel here and there to dry away every little drop of water. Now, its patting here and patting there. A simple shower seems to take ten time longer than before.

So, is it worth it? Absolutely! While I'm being a little more careful about how I care for myself, my chemo drugs are busy hunting down and killing any of those pesky little cancer cells that may remain in my body. Cancer Free! I'm declaring it. I'm believing it. And I'm doing everything I can to make it happen. Thanks for your continue prayers for a complete deliverance from cancer.

Pray For Kristy Dykes

Please join us in prayer for Kristy Dykes. She was diagnosed with brain cancer several months ago. She has undergone surgery and will start radiation therapy on Monday at 3:00pm (est). Her husband is asking prayer warriors around the world to join together at that time. Please join with us and pray for a miracle for Kristy. Also, be sure to check out her blog and read how our Lord is taking here through this challenge. She and Milton are posting updates nearly daily. The bolg can be found at http://christianlovestories.blogspot.com/.