Greetings from Thailand!  

I apologize for the unusually long gap since our last blog.  

It has been a full season of life, with lots of highs and some lows too.  We were able to visit family and donors in Colorado for the past several weeks, and it was a wonderful time.  But it has been really good to be back in Thailand, and in our normal rhythms of life.  

If you have never experienced jet lag, let me give you a little window into what it is like.

• Leaving a sweet Thai tea on the counter overnight.  Ezra takes a drink in the morning and we all jump when a gecko swims in the cup he just drank out of.  
  
  
• Getting out of bed in the morning, and going to the bathroom, then hearing Audrey scream and finding a large scorpion walking around.  
  
  
• Audrey so tired she accidentally put a red linen shirt in the laundry with her new white clothes from the US, and dyed them all pink.  
  
  
• Audrey, still very tired, dying her hair to match her highlights she spent hours doing, accidentally using the wrong dye and turning her hair a color she hates.  

Welcome to jet lag in the tropics! 

What does that have to do with the coming of God's Kingdom in our world?

It turns out, lots of things in life don't happen the way we expect or intend.  (Can I get an Amen?)

But here is the important part, that doesn't mean God's Kingdom isn't still coming. 
Just because it doesn't go as we expect or plan, doesn't mean that God's work is hindered.  

I am tempted to go off on a tangent about history and politics, but I will reign it in for now, and talk about how we see this in our ministry here in Thailand.  

One of the things I have been trying to do is spend 10 minutes every day praying;
forcing myself to be still, to listen, and to bring all my stress and concerns to God.  

One of the results has been a greater awareness of all the things God is doing around us. 
It isn't just in the big, grand events that we see God and His Kingdom coming.  

It is in all the little things too.  

Jesus prayed that the Kingdom would come on earth as it was in heaven, and then he ate breakfast with his small group of friends.  

One of the difficult things about trying to do ministry long term in another country and culture, is that we are constantly being challenged and changed.  

Which leads us to continually reflect on the work we are trying to do; what we are doing, and how we are trying to do it.  

Is this helping?
Is this working?
Are people's lives getting better?
Are we hindering or helping?

I sometimes have to remind myself that I don't bring the Kingdom, I participate in the Kingdom. 

I remember on my Dad's desk in his office at church, he had a saying printed that read:

"I will build my church... -Jesus"

The emphasis was on the I, and the MY.  

It was a way my Dad reminded himself he was in charge of serving the church, and God was in charge of building the church.  

The same is true in the church and the kingdom.  

This is tremendously comforting. 

We are not called to produce change, but to be faithful. 
More than that, the change is coming, it is happening, the Kingdom of God is coming all around us, all the time, even if we don't see it.  

Because it does not rest on human wisdom, energy, or power, but on God.  

Some seasons of ministry feel like harvest time. 
We can see God doing great things, answering prayers, working wonders, changing hearts. 

But other seasons of ministry can feel like planting time. 
The ground looks barren, we toil but see nothing, we water, but see nothing and we begin to wonder; is this working?  

Jesus' prayer was not a request for God to do something he wasn't doing, but a statement of recognition for what He was already doing, and a desire to see it continue, and participate in it himself.  

We might adjust the verb tense like this:

"Keep letting your kingdom come, keep letting your will be done until it is complete."

 What are we seeing at Faithful Heart Foundation in Thailand?

A homeless, orphaned boy finds a home and a family.  

A college graduate thanks us for providing a safe place for them to live and grow before they move out to start a new season of their life.  

A young woman who starts a new job and a new college program, who tells us God has changed her life by bringing her here.  

A young man who has been confused about his sexuality tells us he is understanding God better and going to church every week. 

Helping a poor, disabled family find new ways to grow food and crops on their land so they can provide for themselves and their children.  

One of our social workers receiving a call from a young lady we have helped in the past who is contemplating suicide and taking the time to listen and help her calm down.  

Little things.  

Maybe big things.  

God things.  

We have many decisions we will have to make in the coming months. 
We are just about maxed out with our current resources, both human and financial.  

We need wisdom to know how to proceed.  

We are supporting 60 vulnerable families, with over 100 children every month in our family strengthening project.  

We continue to operate two of our children's homes as well as support two foster families.  

Our college dorm is just about full, and we have another 40 students receiving external scholarships.  

Our landlord has informed us they are trying to sell our office and dorm where we currently reside.  

Our friends at Rise Foundation Asia are trying to purchase our dorm in Mae Rim.  

Our friends at Power Church are trying to purchase a piece of our land in San Sai.  

We need to pray about possibly hiring an additional staff person, and the funds to cover their salary.  

Ona personal note, I have had some chronic health issues for over a year related to my ears, nose, and throat.  I need prayers for a good doctor who can help me figure out what I need to do so I can stay healthy.

At times like these when we have lots of decisions to think about, it gives us great peace to remember that God will accomplish His purposes in us and among us.  

Indeed, He is doing it now.  

His kingdom is coming in thousands of little ways every day.  

When we feel confident.
When we feel uncertain.
When we feel overwhelmed.
When we feel underwhelmed.
When we can see it.
When we can't.  

Praying that we can all see and participate in all the ways God is working in and around us, that His Kingdom may come, and His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

Thank you for your prayers and support,

With lots of love, 

Matt, Audrey, Ezra, and Sienna Pound