Friday, July 22, 2011

Thailand Bound

Passports are purchased. Fundraising has begun. Childcare is confirmed. Now we wait until November.
I'm honored and humbled to have been asked to go to Thailand to participate in Pattaya Praise which is a 4 day praise and worship event in Pattaya, Thailand. Our band, Restored, will be playing during this event which is going to be an amazing experience. We are not only going to play music. We will have the opportunity to visit an orphanage, go into the slums and reach out to the people there and we are going to take small things for the children to put together to resemble instruments that they can play, we will do prayer walks through a couple towns, and we will visit some of the prostitution bars. I am hoping to be able to get into those bars with a guitar to play and sing about how those women are made for more than who they are and their lives can be changed if they will allow the change to happen. I have several songs in mind so I'm going to have to remember to pray that God will work that part out.
I'm just excited about what's ahead even though I know this will bring struggles. Heck, it already has.

The Scripture that I have recently read and begun to memorize is this:

 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, 
   because the LORD has anointed me 
   to proclaim good news to the poor. 
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 
   to proclaim freedom for the captives 
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a] 
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor 
   and the day of vengeance of our God, 
to comfort all who mourn, 
 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— 
to bestow on them a crown of beauty 
   instead of ashes, 
the oil of joy 
   instead of mourning, 
and a garment of praise 
   instead of a spirit of despair. 
They will be called oaks of righteousness, 
   a planting of the LORD 
   for the display of his splendor.
 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
   and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
   that have been devastated for generations.
                                  Isaiah 61:1-4



God will surely bless this!