As of yesterday, I am down to 3 months till departure for Thailand!
At the present, I am waiting to hear from my team leaders on how they want me to go about with raising support. I will be expected to raise a Minimum Support Requirement (MSR) for the ministry experience. MSR includes application fee and financial account set up, pre-trip training, travel from the Home Office to the airport on day of departure, airline flight to Thailand, In-country transportation, housing, meals, and supplemental overseas medical insurance. The total for my trip to Thailand comes to $
2500.
If God so provided any "extra" funds, I would love to be able to purchase a certain piece of camera equipment that would be highly beneficial and helpful as I document this missions trip to Thailand - namely, a Canon wide angle lens -- like a
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L OR a
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II), but if not, I could still shoot pictures without it. Let's just say that a good wide-angle lens would be a blessing. :-) After all, the trip isn't about what kind of equipment I am taking with me -- it's about the One who gave me the gift for photography. Most importantly I pray that I could use my camera in ways I never thought possible to aid in the advancement of His kingdom and that He would be glorified in every image.
Last night as I sat on our livingroom couch in the stillness of the night, I happened to come across a verse in Numbers 14:8. Joshua and Caleb spoke to the children of Israel and said,
"If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us..." This obviously shows that they had a spirit of surrender -- If God wants me to go there, he will bring me there. If God brings you to something, He will lead you all the way through it.
As you know, the children of Israel complained and murmered, and because of that, they had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. The Lord said in Numbers 14:24,
"But my servant, Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it." Wow. Could that be said about me? Could that be said about you?
"Because my servant [Leah] had another spirit with [her] and hath followed me fully, I will bring [her] into the [promised] land." If we'd only look past the giants in the land. If only we'd look past our current afflictions and trials. If God promised to bring us into the "promised land", can't we have faith and trust in Him that He will keep His word? We may not enter the "promised land" when we want to or how we want, but the Bible reminds that He makes all things beautiful in HIS time. Lastly I was reminded in Numbers 15:39,
"...seek not after your own heart and your own eyes." Sometimes it's easy to get our own mindset about how or when it's going to happen. Oh, that Jesus would help me not seek after my own heart's wishes and desires.
I will let you know when I have more details about my support!
“If God has called you to China or any other place and you are sure in your own heart, let nothing deter you….Remember it is God who has called you and, it is the same as when He called Moses or Samuel.” – Gladys Aylward“It is unfortunate that we have adopted such a phrase as ‘foreign missionaries.’ We are all missionaries and we are all pilgrims and strangers, foreigners in this world.” – T. J. Bach
“What we give up for Christ we gain. What we keep back for ourselves is our real loss” - J.Hudson Taylor“Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God’s plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins. Our broken lives are not lost or useless. God’s love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out His wonderful plan of love.” – Eric Liddell
