Nefarious
Defined by Merriam-Webster, nefarious is “flagrantly wicked or impious”. ”Nefarious” is also the title of a documentary Evette and I watched on Tuesday—a very powerful, eye-opening, and heart-wrenching film. ”Nefarious” is about the issue of human-trafficking in the world, focusing specifically on prostitution as the primary avenue for this slavery. The film talked about how these women got wrapped into the sex-slavery—either kidnapping, trickery (promised a job in a big city and desperate for a new life or a way to support their family in their home country), their families sold them (many... Read moreThere's something about Yolanda
The Philippines is no stranger to rain. Every year, the country is walloped by 20 to 25 typhoons. And then there's this one. Typhoon Yolanda (or Haiyan, as it's called internationally), is the 25th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. A local paper claims it's one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded. It's even got one guy at The Atlantic wondering if it's the most powerful cyclone in history. Yolanda is not your friendly neighborhood typhoon. She's big (clouds affected 2/3 of the country at one point), fast (with winds up to 170 mph), and angry (damage could be "catastrophic... Read moreP'X
This past Sunday, P'X (yes, "X" is her actual nickname, the "P" is the Thai form of "Mr." or "Mrs."), one of our church's members here in Bangkok, who has been fighting stomach cancer for the past few months went to be with Jesus. She was a wonderful woman of faith, a loving mother and wife, and a simple lover of Jesus. Her service and smile were very much adored and appreciated in our little church. She was a pillar and a role model for all who knew her. Her funeral was a sight and sound to behold as we all gathered in the local temple and sang some of P'X's favorite worships songs, read God... Read moreProven Faithfulness
Almost three weeks ago, my roommate and I had about an hour of extra time before we had to leave for house church, so we decided that we would spend our morning at the community center. We left our home with no intentions or preconceived plans, we were simply just going to sit and most likely study our Thai. And although we left with the simple expectation to just become more of a known presence in our community, we were about to catch a glimpse of our Father’s faithfulness to his people. So when we got to the community center, there was a woman there whom we came to learn was named P’Lamyai... Read more
Joy: Singing while Cooking, Praising while Living
I’m learning a lot lately about joy. That’s a good thing, especially seeing that the only way to learn most things is to experience them. I’m experiencing a lot of joy lately. But not all the same kinds. I want to – in fact, I’m about to – use food as a fitting metaphor for joy. But I can’t do so without acknowledging that I’m not the first, since I’m stealing the idea straight out of the Bible, where bread is more than once used to stand for daily sustenance and provision. And because I can, I’m adding music as well. Music and food are my signs of joy. I eat every day. I play music (almost)... Read more
Teaching as Witness
I keep trying to bear in mind why I’m here. To teach English, that’s the first-level answer, and not a bad one. That is why I came here, and what I’m doing. But then I can ask again: so why did I come here to teach English? This whole idea is supposed to be for God and for the Russian people – so how does teaching fulfill that? Of course there is the hope that I may be able to witness to students or others with whom I build that significant a relationship. But those opportunities will not be frequent, and only God knows what will come of them. Whence, then, will come... Read more
Recent Thoughts
Hello, Recently I have been thinking a lot about the topic brought up in this book "Jesus Wants to Save Christians". I have only finished reading the first chapter since I am not a fan of reading at all (which makes me think about how I made it through college but whatever), but it has made me think about what do it mean/look like for God to have a heart for the oppressed. Having grown up in a Chrsitian context, I know in my head what it means for God to have a heart for the oppressed but how does this play a role in my life? What does it have to do with me being in Japan? I still don't... Read more
Weekly Meeting
Hey All, Here is a little update on how God is moving here in Tokyo. As you should know by now, I am in Tokyo, Japan working as an international intern trying to me college students and tell them about the love of God. Here in Japan, it is not just my teammates from America and Canada that I work with but also Japanese national staff and international campus staff who are the long term people I work with as part of Student Impact (CRU in Japan). Every Friday, Student Impact has a meeting for Christian and non-Christian students to come and either learn how to share their faith with their... Read moreOctober in Central Asia
Learning and growing! The month of October has been another month of growth. He has been showing us how much He loves us and what it looks like to be His light. School:We have been teaching for about 6 weeks now. Most days feel successful, while some feel like we failed our students after we notice their faces of confusion. It is incredible to see how He shows us the importance of grace on those bad days. For being our first year of teaching, this has been such an humbling experience and an opportunity for us to grow on our dependency and constant reliance on His wisdom and strength to... Read more