Noteworthy

She is my hero!

 

On Saturday I spoke at the Pastor's Conference here in Khon Kaen.  The women next to me are Saranya and her adopted daughter, Fresh.

Saranya was my interpreter for this meeting and she also interpreted for Johannes Amritzer for the fetival meetings.  She is Thai but spent more than 20 years in Great Britain so her English is great.

Her life story is intense.  12 years ago she was raped and conceived a son.  She is raising this son and adopting other young women who have been sexually abused and is training them in the ways of the Lord and training them as evangelists.  This very child she had from a such a terrible circumstance was one of the interpreters who went out with us on our outreaches, preaching the Gospel!!!

Fresh was gang raped by men in her village.  The experience was so traumatic it left her mute.  Saranya brought her into her own home, prayed for her healing both physically and emotionally.  And then she gave her a new name to symbolize a new beginning.  Thus the name "Fresh"!

Saranya has planted a church on one of the southern islands of Thailand.  She and her children have been in the process of not only starting the church themselves but also are  building it by hand.  They mix the cement by hand and have poured the floor.   They cut the bamboo by hand and have been constructing the building...

God has given Saranya favor with the local police.  Southern Thailand is visited by many, many tourists every year especially from Europe but people from around the world come to the beautiful,l white sandy beaches.   When the police need someone to interpret for these foreigners, they call for Saranya.  So she has won many of the police force to  God.

Sarany and her family also run a small bakery and sell breads and pastries to the tourists.  That is how she supports her family and her new church.

This woman is a woman of faith and determination.  She has alowed God to take very difficult situations and turn them around for His glory!

Saranya is a hero of the faith! 

Video Report From Thailand

Thai Womens Prison

Yesterday I had one of the most moving experiences of my life.  I had the opportunity to preach at the womens prison here in KhonKaen, Thailand.

The pastors wife, Marielle, runs a weekly Bible study with about  30 women.  She started this ministry about a year ago.  Marielle shared with me some details of the conditions...

• The reasons for the women being in prison vary from drug related charges to murder.
• This prison holds 1000 men and 140 women, in two different areas of the facility.
• There are no individuals sleeping areas or bathing areas or bathroom facilities for either section (men or womens section).
• If a woman enters the prison pregnant (or becomes pregnant by one of the guards), they are allowed to keep their babies with them but are given no more food rations than any other inmate. The babies are treated as inmates as well and do not receive medical attention of any sort.
• Marielle is raising up one of the women to be the leader of the Bible study.  There is always the possiblity that the government or prison staff could one day refuse her access and she has been working diligently to train leaders in case that situation would one day arise.
• The one leader she is training has been in prison for 3 years.  A local government official in her village arranged for drugs to be planted on her because she had crossed him. She received a life sentence for drug possession!!! 

Yesterday two of the Swedish Bible school teams, Marielle, Maria Amritzer and I had the opportunity to minister to these 140 women prisoners.  The teams sang and did a traditional local dance (the Papaya dance).  The ladies loved it and joined in.

Then I spoke to them about God and His desire for relationship with them.  30 women gave their life to Christ!  I had to hold back the tears... 

Like Marielle says, these new converts may be in prison but they now have true freedom!!!

PS.  For all of you moms (and families) who have students on the trip, everyone is in good health!  Just thought you would want to know... because I sure would.  I am hugging them for you and telling them how proud I am of them.  And I truly am proud!  They are an amazing group of young men and women!

A Day in the Life of an MCM Ministry Student in Thailand

Thought you might be interested in knowing a typical day of our team...

Breakfast is at 7 am.  We are staying in dormitories about 10 minutes from the church.  So each team gathers in the lobby at 6 40 (again, this computer is in Thai and I cannot find all of the right buttons). We encourage each team member to have their own time with God prior to this, so that we are individually prepared for the day.

After breakfast we gather as a large team for worship, prayer, a short devotional and then practical instructions for the day.  (ie. Do not stand in the sun unless you have to.  Drink both bottles of water you are given every day...about 4 liters.  And so forth...)

There are several outreaches in the morning. Then lunch. And another outreach till 3pm.  We walk back to our rooms to shower (yes!  showering twice a day is a real privilege.  On the trip to Ethiopia, the team had to use cups of water to bathe.  Sorry, Debbie Lynch!  I am sure you are thinking this must not be a real missions trip...HA!)

We gather back at the church at 5 45 and walk to the festival grounds for the evening meetings.

After the meetings (about 9 or 10 pm) we walk back to the church for dinner and then to the hotel for a good nights rest.

Wish I could show you more pictures, but I can only jump on the church computer once a day and do not have access to the photos being taken.  But check Cullens blog, as he has more access to all the tech stuff since he brought and iphone and laptop.

Speaking of which,it did occur to me to ask Jeff if I could bring his iphone but I thought he might not survive two weeks without it.  Once you get used to technology it is hard to go back...(insert smiley face here as I can not find the right keys.)

Just want to thank all of you who are joining us by praying.  It is so important and the team here in Thailand is grateful!

The One

If you have been at Allison Park Church for any length of time, you will know that our mission is to love the one who is hurting, lost and disconnected from God.

Yesterday I had the chance on one of our outreaches to minister to  a couple of girls and our motto came to my mind.

One girl came up to me at an outreach.  I knew in my spirit instantly that she was involved with prostitution.  (I read that it is estimated that 15 % of the total economy in Thailand is from prostitution. )  I would not guess this girl to be more than 15 or 16 years old.  I talked with her for some time and asked her if she wanted to pray and accept Jesus.  She was a little hesitant and told me she believed in Buddha.  But she agreed come to the festival tonight...

The other girl that I cannot get out of my heart and mind was a young girl who was deaf.  She recently lost hearing in both ears.  I was a little uncertain about why but I believe it was due to some illness or injury.  I prayed for her and she said that some of her hearing had returned.  I encouraged her to continue to call on the Name of Jesus when she went home and also invited her to the meetings.  She told me that if Jesus healed her, she would come. 

God keeps bringing the face of these two young Thai women to my mind. My heart breaks for them.  I am believing that they will come to know Jesus and that their lives will forever be altered by that encounter!

Thailand!!!!

Tomorrow I leave for the Signs and Wonders Festival in Thailand.  I will try to blog as often as possible while there.

As Jeff mentioned on his blog, there will be a few of us recording the adventure!  Hopefully, these different  "voices" and perspectives will give you a fuller picture of the experience.

Our trip begins by meeting at the church at noon.  We fly to New York - then to Hong Kong- and then to Bangkok.  Then we will have a 6 hour bus ride to Khon Kaen, which is located in the northeastern part of Thailand.  We will not arrive until late Monday afternoon. 

I have tried to make extensive lists:  phone numbers, where things are located, and so forth. Alissa is usually around when I have been away for ministry and she helps the guys in our family locate things.  (My youngest two are notorious for misplacing their shoes.) But the Leake men are on their own for two weeks!

I just want to end this post by thanking my generous husband for this opportunity. Not only was he willing to take on this additional responsibility of running the household, it was his idea and nudging in the first place.  Jeff is amazing!

I am excited to see what God will do in the lives of the people in Khon Kaen!  Please join us in your prayers.