Speaking of being away, I wanted to tell you about why we’ll be away! There’s a possibility of CT expanding to another city next year! We’re going to be scouting it out for a few days, splitting up into teams and targeting various influential campuses. Think of it like a short-term missions trip! We’ll be doing a lot of fact-finding, and a lot of talking to the Lord. I’ve been asked to lead one of the teams, which is cool, and means more pressure! However, I know that Father will help me along the way.

We started our first one a couple of weeks ago, and after a rocky start, it’s moving really smoothly now. It’s amazing to see our friends stepping out and taking leadership in different areas. Take my friend Charlin, for example. He was this kid who came to our book studies who was a little awkward. Sweet, but awkward. Now, he’s leading discussions from the Bible himself, emphasizing our need to honor and fear God! We had prayed for him recently that he would receive the dunking of the Holy Spirit. He didn’t get it right away, but told us recently that as he left the bathroom one day, he started speaking in another language! I love to see the way that God works in our friends. He’s reminding me that although I’m going home soon, these are His sons and daughters, and He’s going to take care of them!

As you know, we were doing an intense training session recently. Thank-you for praying! It went amazingly well, and we saw 5 of our friends water baptized by the end of it!! Well, one of our main goals in doing the training was to get our friends together to discuss starting a new fellowship. Many were on board, and so we set up a meeting with a few of them to discuss the details.

As Sydney and I met with our friends Charlin, Kellie and Echo, one thing became clear at the beginning: we needed a safe place to hold the fellowship! We talked to Father, trusting Him to give us wisdom and provide a way. Well, after the meeting, Sydney, Charlin and I went hunting! We went to many different places, but none of them worked. They were either too open, too public, or simply unavailable. The best possible option ended up being a room in a hotel that rented them by the hour. Slightly awkward? Yes. Clean, affordable and private? Yes! I have to say that I really like the fact that something the enemy intended for evil, Father is redeeming for good! So keep us in mind as we’ll be starting this in the very near future. May Father give us grace!

Would you please be praying about this weekend? It’s super important that as many of our friends as possible come, because we’re going to be starting new parties through them! Please ask that the enemy wouldn’t prevent any from coming, that there would be no distractions, that we would be hearing from the Lord and obeying Him, and ultimately that our friends would have an experience with God that would change their lives forever!

Thank you so much! Can’t wait to give you the good report next week!

Grace had a birthday recently, and asked that we would come and share the message of Father. She had done so with her friends many times, but their hearts were hardening. Honestly, after what she told me about her story, I knew my place. I knew that we were not sent to be an example to Grace on how to share the message. No, she was an example to us, on how to live it.

Earlier in the evening Grace had said that she thought it amazing that we would come all the way to Asia to serve God. I know better, though. It is no sacrifice to be here! Not compared with those who HAVE suffered for the Lord. I knew my place, and I knew I was in the presence of one greater than myself.

I felt like I learned new depths of gratitude, as I began to realize just how much God has taken care of me. Sure, my bed is NOT the most comfortable, but it doesn’t give me bruises, either! Okay, so maybe I don’t have any indoor heating, but I have a blow dryer to warm up the sheets before I get in bed, and I have a shower with hot water, too. I have to say, when I got home, I felt ridiculously spoiled in my apartment. The Lord has been very, very good to me!

It was amazing how connected I felt to these people. I could barely understand their language, and many of them could barely understand mine, but we were united by something deeper than language or friendship. We were united by God Himself.

What I love about this story, is that I can’t claim any credit for it! It was all God’s doing. I can’t say that it was my planning or that Sonata and I had spent so much time talking to Father this week (we hadn’t!). All I can say is that it was their time! The Lord worked in their hearts. As my grandfather told me before I left for Asia this year, “All you can do is plant the seed. It’s the Spirit who brings the increase.” True story! In fact, the day right after our party, two boys came into the family at our Bible study! We plant, and He increases!

So, as this is the week of Christmas, I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! I hope you have an amazing time and that Father shows Himself to you in a very special way this year!

Here in Asia, it’s normal for me to only wash my bedsheets once a month. “Once a month!” you say. Yes. If I’m lucky! It’s not like back home, where you can stick them in the washing machine, and then the dryer, and they’re all done in about an hour-and-a- half. Of course, if you’re busy, you can stick them in the washing machine in the morning, and finish the job in the evening! Well, here in Asia, we have these lovely little dual loading washing machines. On one side: get your clothes wet, soapy and very twisted! Repeat at least twice. (If you’re counting, that takes MINIMUM 45 minutes). Then, on the other side: the spin cycle! You can’t fit the whole load in, so you have to do it at least twice (Minimum 12 minutes. By the way, these minimum amounts are if you’re superman.) Once the clothes have been spun out, they’re ready to hang up! No dryers here! Today I hung my sheets over the edge of the balcony and clothes-pinned them in place. I was doing other stuff around the place today, so it took me about 2 hours. Yay!

In Asia, I have become very accustomed to not being able to read/understand anything that is happening around me. However, I’ve been learning the written language some more this year, and trust me, it’s distracting! Sometimes, I’ll know all of the characters on a sign, and I STILL won’t understand what it’s saying! Oh, Asia…

You know what else is normal? Normal for me, now, is to have a lot of friends that are really interested in Jesus. I have a friend named Charlin. He’s not in the family, ye. He’s really close! He’s been reading the Bible, but having a hard time understanding it, so I told him I’d ask the Lord to help him understand it better. He texted me later that evening, and thanked me. He told me that he felt Father’s power that night! This is my new normal.

While this was going on in my corner, Sonata was talking to Kelly and Fancy about God, also. I could hear them giggling and talking excitedly, and was thrilled when I overheard Sonata ask them if they also wanted to received Father’s gift, to which Kelly responded, “Count me in!”. Later on that evening we met up with another girl and all went to dinner together. It was so sweet to be surrounded by these brand new family members, all toasting God with their tea at the beginning of the meal! Hearts are incredibly open and hungry here. I’ve said it before, and I’ll definitely say it again: I’m so glad that I get to be here and see God’s work! May you see Him working through your life, as well, this week!