Hello from Chiang Mai Thailand!

I really can't contain all that happened or describe what emotions are going on inside me through mere words in this update. But, I must try to do my best.

First I want to thank you all for your prayers and support over the last year and while here in Thailand. Thank you for standing beside me in our effort to bring the gospel of hope and life to Thailand and to Nahong. I can't thank you enough or really tell you how much your prayers mean to me and have helped me.

Yesterday morning was a sea of emotion as we left Nahong. Even though I'm coming back next year I really did not want to leave. Here is a list of the people who came to a faith in Christ or are very close. They're all studying the bible. Keep them all in your prayers! Lamud, Baby, Pawn, Bob, Sam, Peem, Urt and Urt's mother. All of these people have either come to Christ or are at least studying the Word. Keep Urt and Lamud especially in your prayers as they are the strongest and will be attacked by temptation and persecution. Here are people who have heard the gospel and continue to process it: Kru Euw, Kru Taweeb, Kru Nueng, Urt's father, Pii Sak and Pii Lie.

I love the people of Nahong very much and it is hard to leave them. There is a small fire burning in Nahong and there are logs that are close to being thrown into the fire. But there will be great seas and winds to try and put the small fire of believers out. Pray protection for them and that our Lord Jesus Christ would cover them with His blood.

I praise God for all that HE did this year. It wasn't our team. We are not English teachers but God gave us what we needed to teach well. We ran out of human strength again and again but Christ strengthend us. To Him be all glory, honor and praise.

Now we have gone into our "debrief" time in Chiang Mai. The team leadership for debrief falls to myself and Cheyenne. Please be praying for us this week. We are noobs, haha.

I miss you guys and I am excited to see you and hear about what has been happening in your lives since I left two months ago!

Blessings from Chiang Mai,

Luke

Last week in Nahong!

Hello all,

Well a lot has been happening here in Thailand! We are now doing a bible study with 9 kids. All of which have asked for Jesus to be their God! Please pray protection over them so that they can continue to grow in Christ!

One of the boys is a boy named Urt. He's very serious about it and he has lead a couple bible studies himself! After the first few days of studying with him we asked him what he had learned. He replied "Jesus came as a man but was God and he came as my redeemer."

We are all very pumped about what is going on here. We are praying that some disciplers will be able to come back before next year to be able to check on things and continue the ministry. I believe Nahong is very close to exploding for Christ!

Yesterday after the bible study we we're able to have the kids pray for each other! This was a huge moment that really brought joy to my heart. Just pray that they continue searching, finding and following Jesus Christ. Thailand is a very hostile place spiritually so pray for great strength in these kids. And pray for their families. Many of which have heard the gospel!

I'll see you all soon! God bless

~Luke

Nahong Update 2.0

Hello all,

There has been a lot of happenings in Nahong since my last update. The last you heard I asked you to pray for a girl named Lamud. She is a 6th grade girl who gave her life to Jesus last year. This year when we got here we found out very disturbing news, she had lost some of her memory and was not feeling well. Her mother had taken her to the temple and to 'wise men' who told Lamud that when she gave her life to Jesus it was not her but a spirit that had come into her. Lamud was blinded to the truth and believed the wise men. She forgot all of last year and her conversion to Christ.

That is when the praying started! Our team went to very hard intercession for this girl and we began to visit her in hopes to pray with her at her house. Her mother gave us that chance! We prayed with Lamud and her mother. The next day Lamud told us she had never known such joy! The following day she remembered her love for Jesus and asked her mother if she could give her life to Him. Mother approved!! As of tomorrow afternoon Lamud and some of her friends are starting a bible study with Cheyenne and Joanna!!! We hope to move the study to Lamud's house before we leave.

Now I'll tell another story about a teacher at the school whos name is Cru Nung...

Cru Nung was telling our team leader (Tom) that she was moving into a new house and that she was afraid of ghosts. She asked Tom if he was afraid of ghosts. Tom told her he wasn't and there was the openning. Tom went on to tell her why he was not afraid of ghosts, because of Jesus Christ. Since then Cru Nung has prayed to Jesus and we are continuing to disciple her!!

Another teacher Taweeb (formally Batime hee) has been told the gospel and really wants to talk about it in detail this week. GOD IS MOVING!!!

In other team news..

On Thursday this week our team (minus Tom) went to the Chiang mai zoo with the students! Itwas a gruling trip for sure but it was fun. We left for the 3 hour drive at 5am and got back to our house at 9pm (the teachers partied a bit).

The zoo was fun because they don't have cages like we do. I was 6 in away from two hippos which was sweet!

Yesterday we went with some Nahong friends up the moutain to see a natural sprig. The trip was quite the adventure! We ended up 5,000ft above sea level trecking through the jungle!!

So its safe to say that our spirits are high and we are PUMPED about what God is doing! it's also safe to say we are TOTALLY wiped out.

I love you guys and miss you all!

God bless,

~Lucas

Nahong!

Hello all,

We are now safely in Nahong. I've been thinking of a way to describe our trip up to the village but I haven't found a way without profanity so I'll just say "It was scary". We got a truck (praise God) but that is just what it is.. a truck. Usually we get a song taw which is a truck with a cab on the back with bench seats in the truck bed. This is just a normal truck so 3 of us had to sit on our luggage in the back of the truck all the way up the mountain. So that was fun.

But we got here safely. We're actually staying a mile outside the village in an amazing river side home with no chickens and a western toilet. It's pretty crazy!! It has been really good so far to see how much the people missed us and desire for us to be in the village. Tomorrow night we're going to be having a little party at one of the teachers houses after going to a wedding. So tomorrow is going to be a CRAZY day!

Thanks for all of your prayers. Please continue to pray that our ministry opens up and we are able to really move in the village this year! Personally please continue to pray for my back. I'm really trying to not let it get me down. If God is trying to teach me something through it I'm willing to learn. It's just a great discomfort and I don't like to move or sit. I'm pretty much comfortable when I lay down. But I know that it will get better soon. If not here then when I get back. It's a very strange problem and I can't find the source.

I love you guys and I'm really missing you!

God bless

~Lucas

Chiang Mai!

Hey ya'll! Well we made it to the wonderful Chiang Mai! Words can't tell you how happy I am today. Not only am I in my favorite city seeing some amazing people today, but God has blessed me mightily since I arrived here in Thailand.

Last night we took an 11 hour night bus from Bangkok all the way to Chiang Mai. There is something you need to know about the night bus before you get all excited about "having a new experience". First of all the food they try to give you periodically is scary to say the least! (bring your own snacks). Secondly, the goal is to magically not have to go to the bathroom for 11 hours. And last but not least, they call it an "air conditioned bus" which normally on a 90+ degree day would excite ones heart but this feeling however fades away in about 20 minutes.. I know that Minnesota is cold and I am use to that, but when your dressed for 90 degree weather and you were just sweating.. it's not nice to spend 11 hours sitting in a place that is colder then most ice storms in Minnesota. Your sweat freezes, you have to pee.. oh and it's a bus for 11 hours.

But praise God all went smoothly! One of the mighty blessings occurred over the trip. If you've heard me talk about Thailand you know that I'm passionate about the food and also I like it spicy! So much so that I cannot resist even when I know I probably should. The last meal before I got on the bus was INCREDIBLE! But I knew eating it would put my entire digestive system ( and my entire life) in a state of emergency. Luckily somehow I was able to flee the impending doom and make it to Chiang Mai without incident. I have recently found out that I am fine and very happy with.... the function of..er that thing.

Our team will be here until Thursday afternoon and then to Nahong! I'm sooo happy to be seeing friends from last year here in Chiang Mai and going to some of my favorite places. Talk to you guys soon!

~Lucas

Romans 8

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time, are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." This coming from Paul, a man persecuted all his life. He had such an understanding of the gift of God and that everything that matters is the eternal, not the now. Amen!

We've Arrived!

Well, I am sitting in a small room on an ancient computer at Ywam Bangkok!

Thank you all so much for your prayers. I have no words to say how I feel right now. It's really crazy to be back here experiencing the sounds and smells of Thailand again. Our travel could not have gone better! We flew from MSP - Tokyo and from there to Bangkok. Both flights went smooth, security was a breeze and nothing bad happened to our luggage!

I just praise God and give Him the glory for amazing travel!

Today is our day off and then we have orientation tomorrow afternoon. On Monday night/freaking early Tuesday morning, we'll be taking the overnight bus 11 hrs to Chiang Mai! I'll let you know more once we arrive there safely.

Highlight of the first afternoon in Thailand? Praising God with worship music and Bible study AND Spiced down Pad Thai!!! I'm loving it!

God bless

Lucas

Leaving on Friday!

Hello everyone! I hope that you all had a great Christmas season and that your new years is also awesome!

Our team will be flying out on Friday the 31st. P

lease pray that our travel goes smoothly and everything goes according to plan. Thank you all so much for your prayer and financial support. God has truly blessed me beyond what I deserve with all of you.

I will be updating you guys as much as possible while in Thailand (once a week "ish").

I wanted to leave you with a list of prayer needs for the village of Nahong. Thanks again for your prayers! I love you guys.

PRAYER NEEDS FOR NAHONG

*Relationships with the people would be built easily and soon!

*The adults would be soft to the Gospel and our team

*We would be able to communicate the Gospel in a clear and relevant way.

*Our team would be bold in friendships and sharing the Gospel.

*The chains of Buddhism would be broken in Nahong.

Join in prayer for key relationship that we have already built

*Sap & family - she read the entire New Testament in one night. Pray the Gospel penetrates her heart.

*Lamud - Lamud became a Christian last year praise God!! Pray that her and her friends continue to study the bible and seek God.

*Pii Li, she has been our cook and has good friendship with our team, Pray for her salvation

*Bahtim - He is a teacher and has built relationship with our team. He is seeking truth, pray that he finds it in Christ!

*Nit and Sa - Pray for their salvation. I lived with them last year and they are great people and would be great leaders for a church in Nahong.

Pray for our English teaching

*Our team would teach English effectively and efficiently

*We would fully rely on God for wisdom and strength

*For opportunities to share the Gospel in the school

*That Thai children would receive English well

These are some prayer needs right now. I will update you on more needs once I get there in person.

Please keep Cheyenne and I in your prayers. We have a ton of responsibility and we know that we will not rest in the next two months. Also in Thailand our relationship dynamic will change a lot because of the culture and that can be a real challenge under the emotional hardship of the outreach.

Love you guys and God bless your new year!

~ Lucas