On Friday night we welcomed my two sisters and brother-in-law to Chiang Mai!

^^^Excitedly awaiting to welcome our George/Biek group at the airport! Alicia walked out and surprised me with her pregnancy news!! So happy! (tears of love & happiness)

^^^They’re here for 4 weeks and already we’ve had a few adventures. It so fun for us to show them around and show them all of our favorite spots! Spent an afternoon at the Chiang Mai Zoo—they really let you get up and personal with these HUGE animals! We’re so blessed to have family visit…fun times, lots of laughter & love—fills us up!

As you read through the passage below, try to own it—read it as if you, indeed, are the first person.

“How I praise God, the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with every blessing in heaven because I belong to Christ.

Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose me to be his very own through what Christ would do for me; he decided then to make me holy in his eyes, without a single fault—I who stand before him covered with his love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt me into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for me. And he did this because he wanted to!

Now all praise to God for his wonderful kindness to me and his favor that he has poured out upon me because I belong to his dearly loved Son. So overflowing is his kindness toward me that he took away all my sins through the blood of his Son, by whom I am saved; and he has showered down upon me the richness of his grace—for how well he understands me and knows what is best for me at all times.

God has told us his secret reason for sending Christ, a plan he decided on in mercy long ago; and this was his purpose: that when the time is ripe he will gather us all together from wherever we are—in heaven or on earth—to be with him in Christ forever.

Moreover, because of what Christ has done, I have become a gift to God that he delights in, for as part of God’s sovereign plan I was chosen from the beginning to be his, and all things happen just as he decided long ago.

God’s purpose in this was that we should praise God and give glory to him for doing these mighty things for us, who were the first to trust in Christ. And because of what Christ did, all you others too, who heard the Good News about how to be saved, and trusted Christ, were marked as belonging to Christ by the Holy Spirit, who long ago had been promised to all of us Christians.

His presence within me is God’s guarantee that he really will give me all that he promised; and the Spirit’s seal upon me means that God has already purchased me and that he guarantees to bring me to himself. This is just one more reason for me to praise my glorious God.

That is why, ever since I heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and of the love you have for Christians everywhere, I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you wisdom to see clearly and really understand who Christ is and all that he has done for you. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can see something of the future he has called you to share. I want you to realize that God has been made rich because we who are Christ’s have been given to him! I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe him. It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in heaven, far, far above any other king or ruler or dictator or leader. Yes, his honor is far more glorious than that of anyone else either in this world or in the world to come. And God has put all things under his feet and made him the supreme Head of the Church— which is his body, filled with himself, the Author and Giver of everything everywhere.

Once I was under God’s curse, doomed forever for my sins. I went along with the crowd and was just like all the others, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air, who is at work right now in the hearts of those who are against the Lord.

All of us used to be just as they are, our lives expressing the evil within us, doing every wicked thing that our passions or our evil thoughts might lead us into. We started out bad, being born with evil natures, and were under God’s anger just like everyone else.

But God is so rich in mercy; he loved me so much that even though I was spiritually dead and doomed by my sins, he gave me back my life again when he raised Christ from the dead—only by his undeserved favor have I ever been saved— and lifted me up from the grave into glory along with Christ, where I sit with him in the heavenly realms—all because of what Christ Jesus did. And now God can always point to me as examples of how very, very rich his kindness is, as shown in all he has done for me through Jesus Christ.

Because of his kindness, I have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of me; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good I have done, so I can’t take any credit for it. It is God himself who has made me what I am and given me a new life from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that I should spend this life in helping others.”

Those words are from Ephesians 1 and 2 in the Bible (TLB). I have simply replaced any instances of “our,” “us,” “we,” with “I,” “my,” “me,” “my” in the pink lettering. The portions I left untouched are the purple lettering. 

I was reading this passage a few weeks ago and have come back to it several times since then—as I go back through, I make those changes in my mind—and the most wonderful thing happens. It becomes mine—personally mine. I can own it. God chose me. He understands me and knows what is best for me at all times. He has showered down upon me the richness of his grace. I have become a gift to God that he delights in. He guarantees to bring me to himself.

The goodness just goes on and on, what hope! And that prayer, ah! My heart has been flooded with light.

I just wanted one little post to share that with you.

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can see something of the future he has called you to share.

~Audrey

I am beginning to understand why many of us don’t like school.  Learning is hard work.  We just passed 70 hours with our Thai Tutor and I still feel like I am below a first grade understanding.  Add in lots of hot weather, our daily responsibilities, cultural misunderstandings, and you have a recipe for frustration .  But then there are moments of sudden comprehension: the lady at the print shop tells us our order will be ready tomorrow night (in Thai) and without thinking we thank her (also in Thai) and walk out.  Audrey grabs my arm with a wide eyed look and says: ‘we just understood that!’  It is good to celebrate the small stuff.  Also, we are very blessed to have good language helpers right here where we live in our college students. 

Audrey and I would really like to start a regular small group with our college students here each week.  They want to learn English and we want to learn Thai.  It seems like a perfect fit (plus ice cream brings everyone together!)  Would you pray for us in this new venture?    One lesson Thai is teaching me is that learning is often simply persevering.  What seems impossible today may surprise us tomorrow. Learning is hard work, but it can open new doors for us and others.  Here is a thought for the day:

What can we apply ourselves to learn that would enable us to do some good thing we cannot do now? 

“that the man or woman of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:17)

How can we be equipped so that God can use us in new work, to bless in new ways? 

Here is a video of me interviewing Gawley---one of my best friends and helpers here:

I got this rowdy group of boys in trouble right before their picture (playing soccer in their nice clothes!)

These are some of the incredible people your support is reaching.  Thank you for your gifts, prayers, encouragement and love! 

Matt & Audrey