Pray for rocks

People ask me often, what do you need prayer for? and a lot of times it simply are the things that usually I struggle with on a day to day basis. Like trusting God fully with everything, waiting on God, and sometimes I just need people to ask God to allow me to have patience with everything and for everybody.

But today, I need prayer that (and I know this will sound random) but I need prayer that God would send rocks. I told ya....random.....but I really feel like the girls at Eden House need a place where they can go and seek after God's face. A quiet oasis where they can actually spend time alone with their Maker. Growing up with 30 plus girls does not always ensure a time where they can reflect and spend 'alone' time with God. So creating this space or Garden of Eden would provide the opportunity for that. After brainstorming, we think having a fire pit, with maybe some stadium type seating, and some Thai style lounge seats would be awesome. When looking at what we would need, it's a bunch of rocks for the fire pit and mural patio flooring. Also we would need bamboo, but being in Thailand bamboo is everywhere, so that won't be a problem. 

Honestly this is something I feel like God would smile over, so when you pray, pray that He would send rocks. As simple and random as that may sound, that is what we need. We serve a Big God that takes simple things and makes them great. A little garden doesn't seem like much but when it promotes depth and yearning for their Maker, it means a lot for the Kingdom. So when you pray today....pray for rocks. 

Small Blessings

Yesterday I was blessed to be able to go back to Mae Sai Thailand, where two years ago the stunning 6.9 Earthquake hit with us being only 15 miles from the epicenter. Now some of you might remember that time when I was here in Thailand, and my blogs explaining what had happened and such. And actually through God's beautiful plan how the earthquake brought me to Eden House, which is where I am today.

But I want to bring back the memories of that night when everything turned upside down, and a little boy walked into our lives. His name is Abbabba and he is from Burma, who comes sometimes to the Thai side to beg and receive food from the Drop in Center. There was something special about this boy, something that I can't really explain even to this day. He is deaf, so communication was very limited and consisted of mostly hugs, nods, and smiles. On the night of the Earthquake, he happened to be near the center, and came running for protection and safety. Not understanding or knowing what happened, he clinged to our arms as we tried to decide what to do. After waiting many hours on the street our contacts thought it best that we be evacuated out of the city, which meant that precious Abbabba would not be able to come with us. There were many road blocks where we were going and with him being Burmese, it would not be safe for him to try to sneak in. So as we loaded the truck, he looked at us confused and puzzled. We tried to explain that we had to leave, but words were meaningless. The truck started to drive away, and my heart began to drip with pain, as he grew smaller and smaller in the distance. My thoughts were, "Would he be ok?" "What if he thinks we abandoned him?" In a couple passing days, we decided as a team to go back to Mae Sai to try to say good bye to the kids before we left for our next destination. Everything in me wanted to see Abbabba to make sure he was ok, and to hug him one last time. He walked into the center and sheer relievement and thankfulness overcame me, that he was safe. Even though it's been two years when I think of Mae Sai, I think of many things but mostly, the Earthquake and Abbabba.

Which brings me to today. When arriving in Mae Sai yesterday, I was filled with almost nervousness as to maybe being able to see him again. But my head doubted, "What if he doesn't remember me?" "What if something bad has happened to him over these past two years?" And so part of me began to doubt a little that I would even get to see him. As I walked down the street, that leads to the Drop in Center, I was so excited, I thought my skin was gonna jump off me and run there. And as I turned the corner, the gates were closed, and a sign was up saying that they will be closed till April 19th. My heart sank, and I almost said out loud..."Told ya so...." So I decided to just walk around and look at all the shops and items for sale. Time passed, and once again, wanted to check the Center to see if anybody was there. Nobody. So I started walking up to the gate and bridge that separates Burma from Thailand. Just taking in everything, watching people try to jump the fence, older ladies begging for money. Little kids begging for money.....and all of a sudden, I looked over and I saw a face I can never forget. As I continued to stare at him, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that.....that was Abbabba!! He crossed over the road and our eyes finally met. He just starred right back, until finally a little smile. I motioned for him to come over, and coming over rather quickly he ran to the fence. I put my hands up on the chained links, and he put his small little hands up trying to grab mine. Right then and there, my eyes filled up with tears, and I began to point to the Center. I said "Abbabba", and he just shook his head. He then motioned like everything shaking, meaning the earthquake, and I knew he remembered. There in front of me was that precious boy that captured my teams heart. There was our Abbabba, alive and well.

God's timing is impeccable and perfect in everyway. I cannot choose to think any differntly. Time and again God has shown me this, and yesterday was another simple reminder of that. Beautiful is the God who orchestrates this thing called life. Beautiful are His ways. Seeing Abbabba has challenged me to once again fully trust and hope that God knows and sees all. When I saw Abbabba, I think of hope and God's power used through this little boy. Pray that God would protect him. Pray that God moves in and through him. Pray that this little deaf boy will change the nation of Burma. We serve a powerful God that uses unlikely things to bring about His glory. I cannot choose to see the world any differently. Once the heart has seen, there is no other life outside of truth. Blessed are we!

Change is a comin

This is something that has been on my heart over this past week, and it's something that I believe if we grow to adopt to have priority in our own lives than we would begin to see the world change. I want to start by telling you about this beautiful daughter of the King of Kings, that has left a huge imprint on my heart. She was one of the original seven girls at Eden House, when Vern and Audrey first started this ministry. So she has been and seen it all from the beginning. And I have had the privilege to spend some time recently with her, while she is home from university, and our conversations have been so full of the Spirit and eye opening for me, that I can't help but share.

She was born in the Northern Hill tribes of Thailand, and a huge percentage of these people are not even accepted as Thai citizens. Which means they will never be able to own land, drive a car, or get an education past the 9th grade to say the least. These people are ostracized and neglected. Having this assumption about them makes life that much harder for these people who already have many things against them. Injustice, corruption, and evil found their way into these areas, because of lack of opportunity and education.

I asked her about her life at Eden House, and when talking about her time here, her voice is filled with so much thankfulness and gratitude. She explained to me that if she hadn't come to live at Eden House, she probably would have had to get married at a young age and start having children. She also said that the risk of something very bad happening to her would have also been high. The knowledge that her future would have not been the same is something very real to her. And as I listen to her story, I think of all the girls that have never been given the chance of this opportunity, and my heart aches. Then she says something to me so raw and captivating that I almost want to start crying. She says, "If you treat people as they are, they will remain as they are, but if you treat them for what they could be, they will become what they can be". And as I heard the words, the symbolism in that moment almost overwhelmed me. Here is this beautiful woman, who from birth was dealt a card of hardship, who had the opportunity for someone to come into her life and tell her she could be more. And look at her, she is in University, about to graduate, and have a life outside of forced marriage, prostitution, or slavery. That in and of itself is so beautiful, that I could just weep because of God's glory in it. And then she has the wisdom to grasp a concept that a lot of people have not grown to understand. So I asked her what she wants to be when she grows up, and at first she says, "I don't know." But then I say, at the end of your life, you could stand before your Maker happy and fulfilled because of doing......what?" And she then said, "I want to help people see that they can be more and realize what they could do." And at that I felt like my soul was about to burst into happiness. The world WILL change! If we start seeing the potential in people instead of what society says about them. The world WILL change if people are given affirmation about how Christ sees them. The world WILL change if we choose to sacrifice self for the progress of others. It will change. Her story has pulled the strings of my soul into action beyond what I even think is capable, and it's something that if we accept as priority I believe our Maker will smile down on us. A famous man once said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." And I would say, "The people will change, if you see them as changed." God is working. My perspective is changing. And through it all, God is good.