As many of you know I am heading off to Thailand tomorrow. This is an area of the globe that until January 26 of this year I had no desire to go to. It never ceases to amaze me how God can open doors & place a yearning in your heart that you never even knew existed. With that said my trunks are almost packed & I can't wait to see what God has in store! We have a team of 8, lead by Rusty & including Don (Face2Faith Ministry), Leigh Anne, Chandler, Tracey, Priscilla, Rhonda, & myself.
Thank you for your prayers & support!!!!
Cindy
Here is the first Newsletter sent out by Don (F2F)
Don: Well it is coming up quickly, packing our bags, picking up last minute items,
coordinating ground transportation, hotel, checking and double checking everything.
We all fly out early Wednesday morning 9 April and arrive 11:30-11:50 pm Thursday
night. It feels good to get back into the excitement, anticipation, and expectation of
what God is going to do on this trip. Not sure if I need to say sadly or joyfully many of
the team are experiencing satanic attacks the closer we get. I think I’ll use these
attacks to confirm we are doing what the Lord wants us to and Satan doesn't like it.
Thanks Lord we are so thankful you have called us to serve you In Thailand.
Rusty Russell [our team leader] has labored for months to gather information,
supplies and support for and from team members, assign projects, coordinate with
our host [I’ll call her Susie] for in-country accommodations, conference, travel
arrangements and IDP Camp coordination.
The team consists of Rusty, Leigh Anne McLean, Chandler McLean, Priscilla
Griffin, Tracey Marshall, Cindy Albertson, Rhonda Hilliker and me. Interestingly
enough we have four different departure times from two different airports with
connecting flights in Beijing and others through Seoul, yet arrive within 20min of
each other in Chiang Mai.
Some of the activities we plan are; an Evangelism Conference in Mae Sot, street
ministry, children ministry, VBS, showing the Jesus film in the evening and
attempting medical awareness training. Finally we will visit with “Internally Displaced
Persons” [IDP] from Burma [Myanmar]. Some of these Refugees have spent their
whole life in these crowded, unsanitary camps. We hope to spread the WORD to all
that will listen.
Rusty: In November 2009, I was part of a Face to Faith team that went to
Yangon, Myanmar. While travelling I sat next to an American missionary nurse
who is the Susie, to whom Don refers. She told me about the work she does with
Partners Relief Development providing relief and development assistance to the
IDP’s inside Burma and the Burmese Refugees who fled persecution in their
country to live in refugee camps in Thailand. Their ministry fascinated me and
we’ve kept in touch.
In 2011, I went to Mae Sot to join Susie and another American missionary to hike
into the jungle along the Thai-Burma border to help establish a Christian house
church in Hskay, Thailand. They also took me to a Burmese refugee camp
where I saw the desperate living conditions. These camps were designed for a
three to five year life which has now lasted 30 or more years. Parents are
becoming great-grandparents and there are generations that only know life in a
refugee camp. I love the people and the ministry draws my heart.
We’ll spend our time in the Mae Sot, a large city on the border. Don will hold his
evangelism conference with a church where the members work in factory
sweatshops 16 hours a day 29 out of 30 days a month.
This is the one-week of the year they have off because it is the Songkran water
festival in Thailand. So understand this and you’ll understand why we go. These
people get one day a month off, one week a year off and they choose to spend it
learning how to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost and dying world in
which they live. Oh me of little faith and little effort.
We’ll also meet another missionary couple for the first time working with the
Shanty Town children doing VBS for three days. We don’t know what to expect
but the description of “Shanty Town” has positioned our hearts a little higher in
our throats.
This is the most experienced and capable team. Being called their leader is
superfluous as each one is a leader himself or herself. The team has a diverse
set of talents. They love the Lord and are completely sold out on serving Him
with all their hearts, souls, minds and every ounce of strength. I’ve have no
doubt that they will leave it all on the field for the glory of God.
Thank you to everybody who has helped to send us. We covet your prayers.
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