This is my last blog from C-Land for the next three months, and the end of this trip has been an amazing one. God has been raining down His blessings on us and the work here. We have had so many opportunities to show people His greatness. I am thrilled to be coming home to see all of my friends and family, and I’m also already excited to return here to see the work continued.

Aidan

However, there is one thing of which I’m completely assured: it is not my responsibility alone. God loves these people, and He will continue working in their lives whether I am here during the summer or not. It is His desire to see them become members of His kingdom. So while the enemy attempts to spread lies into our minds, fill us with doubt, and overwhelm us with pressure, we take heart. We know in faith that God is moving in this place, and we return home fully trusting that He is not leaving. He has begun a work in this country that He plans to see completed. With two weeks left, I’m trusting that God still has amazing things to do here.

Aidan

We recently received some training in discipleship methods, and the first principle we learned proved distinctly true that night. The key ingredient to a disciple’s growth isn’t our methods, earnestness, or skill. The key is his hunger. We can follow every other guideline for successfully facilitating someone’s growth in God, but if he doesn’t have an inner desire to grow, it will just be futile. So we’re going to work with Durk from where he’s at. We can’t force him to grow if he doesn’t want to, so we’re going to start trying to inspire a hunger for God in him. Ultimately, God’s the one who will do the work. He has promised that He will “transform our hearts,” and we’re trusting in Him to do that for Durk.

Most people came with a friend or two, but at large the entire group was strangers. However, after Summer led us in some playful activities, everyone was feeling a lot more comfortable with each other. “We’d like to take some time and show you guys what Easter is really about,” we said. “So we prepared a skit for you. We hope you guys like it.” As Summer, Sonata, and Sonata’s brother Hurley came out in costume, the crowd fell silent, their eyes focused on the performers. The sound of African drums filled the room through our speaker system, and the mood instantly changed. Our three actors – respectively playing Humanity, Satan, and God – began their well-rehearsed performance as our friends watched intently. They acted out the gospel message for our friends, and the remainder of us sat wondering how they would receive it.

According to plan, I stood up as the drama concluded, and I explained the meaning of what they had just seen. I drew to a close and said, “Do you guys have any questions?” We sat in silence for ten or fifteen seconds, and then one girl in the front row raised her hand. “If he was God, why didn’t Jesus save himself from dying?” I breathed a sigh of relief. They understood. “That’s a great question. Let me explain…”

We spent about thirty-five minutes answering all of their questions. It was clear that God was moving that day. As our time here has continued nearing its conclusion, He has been giving us more and more opportunities to share the truth with our friends. We have been trying to remain faithful, taking every chance we get to spread the word.

Aidan

Furtively stealing away from the English Corner to get some food before leaving morphed quickly into a meal with eight friends. Things tend to do that sometimes. We can try to routinize our activities, but we still have to be ready to react when things get mixed up. With such play-it-by-ear work here, plans can change within a moment’s notice. Fortunately, this has provided me with the chance to learn two awesome lessons. First: surrender all of my plans to God. No matter what I have in mind, it generally never happens exactly as I want. Second: be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is something in which I still have a lot of room for growth, but opportunities abound here.

Aidan

That was Saturday afternoon. When a friend from a different team asked me to help him with his team’s activity day, I was a little hesitant. Upon hearing what my job would be, however, I was more than thrilled to oblige. One of the harder parts of living, working, and spending a majority of one’s working time with the same four or five people is learning how to work well together. That’s why the teams in our city have established regular group days. We intentionally spend time together in teams outside of a work setting so we can think of each other as more than just coworkers. We aim to build real relationships. Sometimes that means taking one night a month to make tacos and watch a movie together, but sometimes it means planning out elaborate games like the one with which I helped. The organizer of that event gave his teammates a mission: to transport him across one of the campuses on which he works while aiding him from the potential attacks of ninja assassins (me). Fortunately, he told me beforehand that he was going to stop and use a specific restroom on campus. The event provided me with a great opportunity for fun, but more than that it gave his team the opportunity to grow closer together.

Until next time,

Aidan

Fortunately, God used that opportunity to allow me to speak some truth to Bart. He still has some steps to take, but I can tell he is willing to learn more and make changes. In the time since I returned, we had a week of teaching with guest speakers from the states. It was an awesome time of worship, learning, and seeking God. We received words of encouragement and prophecy from all the speakers who came through, and it was an edifying time for all of us.

Aidan

Thirty-four platforms, four rappelling lines, and two water breaks later, we were finished. During our retreat in Thailand, we had four full days to relax and be tourists. This was just one of these days. The trip was outstanding and provided multiple once-in-a-lifetime experiences, but that wasn’t the only thing we were there for. During the first week of our trip, all of our organization met up to listen to speakers from different sides of the world in order to refocus and re-inspire us for our work. It was a wonderfully energizing time, and God definitely worked through the whole experience.

-Aidan

Things have definitely been changing here lately. Classes at the local universities have all ended, most of the students have headed home for Spring Festival, and our remaining friends have a lot more free time. But new things have been happening in the spiritual realm as well. We have heard some new words from God, and the whole group has been feeling that He has some changes in store. We have been seeing more development in our friends, receiving more encouragement from everywhere, and are convinced that the movement is experiencing a renewed blessing from above. Obviously, we are all fairly excited.

 -Aidan

On Wednesday, we had a two hour meeting. We took some time to talk about practical things, and then we spent the remaining hour and a half in worship. I had a bad attitude going into the worship time, but I asked God to calm my emotions and give me a pure heart. Like always, He came through. It turned into one of the most real and personal worship times I’ve had here or anywhere else. About an hour in, a group of my teammates called me over and asked if they could pray for me. I didn’t realize they had planned to pray on everyone’s behalf, so it was a very pleasant surprise. They didn’t know quite how I was feeling, but their prayers cut right to the heart of the issue and lifted my spirits. Everyone was so encouraged by that time, the meeting ended up lasting almost three hours.

The stressors here are completely different from back home. Because of the language barrier and cultural differences, something like a quick trip to the store can become significantly taxing on one’s emotions. But when I remember that I have a Father in Heaven who loves and cares for me, the whole process becomes easier. It’s no longer about what I can and can’t handle; it’s about the opportunities in my life to show His faithfulness.

-Aidan