Here on the Storm...

For the last month or so Mark 4:35-41 has been a significant passage for our team. We came across it in a team time, and it became a real encouragement for us, and something we felt strongly about sharing with the people of Angsila. Recently, it became a bit more personal for me. Read it...

Mark 4:35-41

As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke him up, shouting, "Teacher, don't you even care that we are going to drown?" When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, "Quiet down!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. And he asked them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?" And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, "Who is this man, that even the wind and waves obey him?"

For a long time I wondered at Jesus' rebuke of the disciples, why after they almost died is he asking them why they were afraid? Don't they have a right to be afraid? I didn't really understand how it was a matter of faith.

About a week ago, I went to Pattaya for a worship night. It was a great time, there were lots of Thai bands as well as bands visiting from Canada and the States. It was a great encouragement to see something so glorifying to God happen in a city where so much sin and darkness occurs with such frequency.

At one point two men from Canada played, and after, before they left the stage, one of them started prophesying. He stated specific three incredibly specific medical conditions, and proceeded to say that people with those conditions were present and God wanted to heal those people. I don't know if all of you know this, but in the last couple years I have had some medical issues with no resolution, and since being in Thailand, they have caused me a significant amount of pain and fatigue. Anyhow, one of the medical conditions he talked about was wijth out a doubt mine.

My team leader Diana was sitting next to me and she leaned over and said "Jill, that's you." I knew it was me of course, but this medical issue has been something that has caused me a lot of confusion, I've been prayed for before, and God has chosen not to heal me. I wasn't sure I wanted prayer, I wasn't sure I could handle the disappointment of God not healing me. I believed God could heal me, but I lacked faith that he would. So I stayed in my seat, and didn't go up for prayer. Shortly after though, my Thai language teacher went up for prayer, and my team member Fauna and I ended up going over and praying for him. Then Fauna leaned over and said "Jill, you know that blood condition, the person he was talking about, that's you." At that point I was feeling pretty convicted about my lack of faith, so with some encouragement from Fauna and Diana, I went up to the man that had been prophesying and told him that I thought I was one of the sick people he was talking about.

He and another girl proceeded to anoint me with oil and pray for me. Like I said, people have prayed for me before, and nothing has changed, but this time I can't really explain it, but I felt different. There was no way to tell immediately if God healed me, but somehow in my heart I knew he did.

But I am a doubter. And, I've never wanted to look like a fool, so I was hesitant to tell anybody. What if God didn't heal me, what if it didn't work? I would look stupid. I decided I needed blood tests to absolutely confirm that I was healed, so the next day I talked to Carmen, one of the missionaries we work with here, and asked her if she would take me, and she gladly agreed, already giving God praise for this miracle. Then I called my family, and told them about the night. After that came an influx of emails, praising God for his ability to heal. All these people just accepted it. I felt really convicted. I realized I was more concerned with how I might look than with giving God glory for the work he did.

So while I still went for blood tests for confirmation, from that point forward I've been trusting God that he did heal me, and praising him for that, looking back at the storm that was just calmed, in awe, saying of Jesus "Who is this man, that even the wind and waves obey him?"

Another Saturday Night.

Saturday night, well it was eventful. For the last week I've been living in Angsila, the fishing village where Michelle and Diana live; in an attempt to increase unity and understanding in our team we implimented what we refer to as "The Switch," which basically just means we are rotating through living in all possible locations with all possible team members. So, for the last week Michelle and I have been living together. So, this Saturday I got the priviledge of attending cell group for the second time.

The night started out fairly averagely, with contained chaos. Adults chatting, kids running around like maniacs, people eating, people practicing playing musical instruments, and about a million other things happening also. When people finally all made it to their chairs, the youth band led us in some worship, we played a game, and the adult band was up. My friend Waw was on bass. A couple songs in I looked up and noticed that Waw was no longer playing, and asked Michelle if she had noticed when Waw had left. Apparently her mother had come with a large stick and demanded that she leave. Waw's family has never been okay with her being a Christian, even though Jesus has changed her life dramatically (rescuing her from gang involvement and a hot temper). Recently it has become overt, her Mother becoming violent and preventing her from attending church or church events. Immediately after noticing Waw was gone, Michelle and I spent some time interceeding for her, specifically asking for her protection, that God would bind her mother's hands and not allow phyiscal, emotional or spiritual harm to come to her, and that God would give her grace to respond to her Mother with love.

The night continued with a short testamony, and then a prayer time. Recently we feel like the Angsila church has been under attack, with many members falling away, and going through incredibly hard times. A vision team (a group of pastors and buisnessmen here for a couple of weeks to see all the various ministries going on and consider involvement on some level) happened to be there so, we surrounded the people of Angsila Church, layed hands on them and prayed for them. At the same time in the next room P' Ping and P' Somsak (2 of the church leadership) were having a conversation with a lady named P' Den, the sister of another church member, who was considering becoming a Christian.

A little bit later, when cell group was over, and people were starting to return home, Michelle and I were asked to come and pray for P'Den. For years she's been oppressed by a deamon at night, that has caused her to do attrocious things, and she said if God could keep that deamon away for one night she would believe in him. So we prayed with her, for her protection, knowing that God has more than enough power to protect her. When we finished praying, she said in her head she heard a voice saying "no, you don't believe this you are a Buddhist, no, you are a Buddhist," and that her response was to think "no, I believe in Jesus." So, P' Ping and P' Somsak continued to talk with her, and asked that we continue to pray for them. Twenty minutes later we were called back into the room to sing Happy Birthday, and welcome P' Den into the family of believers. She believed in the saving power of Jesus. It was truely a celebration.

(to the left: P' Den and P'Dan)

Later that night Waw came back and told us that her mother had not laid a hand on her that night, that God had truely bound her mother's hands. So...if you are ever doubting God answers prayers, please stop, and remember that God not only can but DOES hear us, and not only can but DOES answer.

So, in saying that I would that you would join us in prayer. Pray for P'Den as she begins her relationship with Jesus, that she would really experience the freedom Jesus offers from her past life. Pray for P'Dan, that this will an encouragement in her faith, as she has struggled recently. Pray for Waw that she will continue to be strong in her faith despite this persecution, that she will cling to Jesus, and that she will have wisdom in dealing with her family. Pray that God will continue to reveal himself to the people of Angsila and that he will be glorified.

Thank you so much for your continual support, prayers and love. I'm so blessed to know that I have such a strong network of people around me! I love you all.