Temporary Home

"So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him." -2 Cor. 5:6-9

Before I begin, I want to ask that you PLEASE click on the ads that appear on this page. I do not endorse these ads in any way, but with each click gives money toward my ministry leader, Nai, that is serving the Lord faithfully among the unreached Isan people group in Northeast Thailand. Each dollar goes a long way. All you have to do is click and you have helped support a missionary in Thailand. Praise the Lord! Thank you!

COT Staff, Nai (in pink), with freshmen students

I safely arrived in Peachtree City last night after a weekend of rest and fellowship in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. with Campus Outreach's Summer Beach Project team. Our team arrived in Birmingham Thursday night, July 22nd, and drove down to Fort Walton Friday morning. Exhausting? Yes. Still affected by jet lag? You bet, but it was amazing to see how much God is at work in the lives of 200+ college students who spent the summer with full-time jobs while learning how to be Christ-like leaders and laborers of the gospel to the world for the rest of their lives.

How is it to be 'home' in America? I have extremely mixed feelings. Yes, it has been nice to rest in a bed with 4 pillows, enjoy Starbucks/cereal/chips & salsa, and fellowship with friends and family whom the Lord has used to shape my heart and life with their love and care, but it has also been a bit frightening. Coming off a summer where I was exposed to a country that roughly 1 person out of every 250 people or so know Jesus and knowing that the surrounding countries such as Malasia, Laos, Cambodia, and China have hundreds of cultures and billions of people with similar statistics, its been a sobering reality to say the least. I'd say that being in America these past 4 days has broken my heart more for the lost nations than the summer in Thailand itself, seeing the desperate need of gospel to move forth from America to the world. Driving through Peachtree City today, it was amazing to see church after church, and some even right across the road from each other while in Thailand 100's of miles separates the nearest churches. Now, I am not saying it is a bad thing for America to have so many churches? Absolutely not. The Lord has blessed America with the good news of the gospel to be spread throughout because of the freedom of Christianity and the body of Christ through the church. But, as Christians, how can we freely receive the beautiful gift of the gospel of Christ redeeming us from an eternal separation from God through our sin and keep it to ourselves??? The nations must hear! The nations must know the name of Jesus! The gospel must go forth! The eternal souls of billions are at steak for eternity. This is the reality of life, and this is why we're alive and why we were made, to reflect his glory so that ALL may rejoice in the One True God. 

 'For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,

"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,   and every tongue shall confess to God." -Romans 14:10-11

One of our last dinners with Thai freshmen students

It has been difficult, on the other hand, trying to process everything I experienced this summer. From everything the Lord taught me about overseas ministry, the importance of the body of Christ, living to reflect the life of Christ, my own vision for what the Lord wants me to do with my future, and how to effectively use my last year at Samford to lose my life, my desires, and my comforts for the sake of His name and the gospel on campus. It is even difficult writing this blog, as I feel overwhelmed with the amount of lessons I have taken away from this summer. Which is why I have come to a conclusion that I will continue to blog in short bits of the lessons and life-takeaways that God has graciously blessed me with this summer. 

This summer has been difficult in a lot of ways. The Lord showed me great amounts of my own sin that I have never seen before. He has shown me how much I take comfort in the things of this world such as food, internet, sports, alone time, TV, etc. He has shown me how little I give up in my life for His name and the gospel's sake. He has shown me how selfish, prideful, selfishly unselfish, and possessive I can be over my own life even when I am not my own and have been bought with the blood of Christ.He has shown me how much I live to serve myself and not to serve our creator and provider of everything. There have been many moments of tears and trials, yes, but above all, and above how sick and sinful and deep our rotten sin lies within our souls, is the grace of God piercing through the darkness of our very being. We serve a God who loves unconditionally, a God whose love is eternal and everlasting, a God who no matter how much we run and turn from Him chases us down like a good shepherd and will NEVER let us go. Our home is not this world. We were made for a greater purpose, but while we are here on earth away from the Lord, we will make it our aim to please him. 

At the farewell party

God is good. I thank him daily for giving me a support team that has given their money, time, and prayers to make this summer in Thailand possible and ultimately to impact God's kingdom for eternity. The gospel was heard this summer among an unreached people group through the Lord speaking through me and the Campus Outreach Thailand team, but also because God has been faithful in giving me a support team. I love you team and will continue to post this week and onward of the blessings that the Lord has provided through your support and for his glory. Please continue to pray for Nai and the students in which God used us to build relationships with this summer, that the Lord would continue to draw near to their hearts and soften their hearts to receive the greatest gift of the gospel of Christ. 

Please CLICK on the ads to support my ministry leader, Nai. Thank you.