The retreat this past weekend was a perfectly timed break from ministry and period of refreshment. We had absolutely no responsibilities, so we spent the two and a half days getting recharged. You could count the number of words Hector and I exchanged on two hands, but I'll get to that later. Throughout this trip, as expected, I've been blessed and inspired by the Thai Christians. But they have surpassed by expectations in terms of just how much they have touched my life. There aren't many Thai people who worship God, but the few who do truly worship with all their heart, soul, and strength. This might sound lame, but their faces radiate joy whenever they sing praises to our LORD and they pray with a fervor that seems rare in the states.
The theme of the retreat was "glom git" which roughly translates to "harmony." We talk about having true fellowship all the time, but the Lighthouse church really has it. I've felt like a part of their spiritual family since day one. In preparing for this trip, we were often reminded of John 13:35 "By this all people will know that you love one another, if you have love for one another." Unfortunately, we failed to capitalize on the veracity of this verse. But the Lighthouse has the kind of brotherly love that could potentially attract a good number of non-believers. But the speaker said that Thai churches tend to be content, which kind of explains why this church isn't experiencing explosive growth. Pray against feelings of complacency. Pray that the Spirit would compel the members of the Lighthouse church to truly be Jesus' hands and feet to reach the surrounding neighborhood and the rest of Thailand.
The night after we returned to Bangkok; Brian, Hector and I finally had our much-needed discussion. I finally vented most of my frustrations and to my surprise Hector admitted I was accurate in most of my judgments. Praise the LORD that we have overcome a huge barrier in our path to reconciliation. Pray that the Spirit would continue draw us closer together in our last few days of ministry together.
At the retreat, the speaker also used the marathon analogy repeatedly. I've definitely seen the parallels between a marathon and this mission trip. I wanted to hit the ground running, but God knew better than that. Pray that as we enter the homestretch that God would fill us with the grace and energy to finish strong. Our mission continues even after we return home, but we want to leave a positive lasting impression as we prepare to return to the states.
Wish I had more time to write, but we have some sowing to do.
grace be with you,
rebecca
"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. " - Philippians 3:13-14
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