Answered Prayers!

Wow, it has been quite a crazy past two weeks. For those of you who are skimmers and appreciate quick information (I understand), here is a brief: God holds my life in His hands, and I am glad. After a teeth pulling week of thinking my departure date to Thailand needed to change, I am still planning on going to Thailand in January and will be volunteering with this school: Hope International Schools (HIS)

Now for the details!
Two weeks ago I received two very discouraging emails, on the same day. The first was a rejection from an organization I had submitted my application to. The second was a very short email from a relative that I love. It said "you may want to Google the flooding that is going on there right now, it's crazy. It's been flooding for the past few weeks but got real bad yesterday. In addition to flooding, I just read an article about Crocodile, Snake, Scorpion and Tiger dangers since they have been flushed from their normal habitats. If you have not bought your tickets yet, you may want to consider going at a different time."

This is absolutely not what I wanted to hear! That day for me felt like the world was crashing. Not because I am afraid of scorpions or tigers (okay there is a healthy fear...) or of a flood (afterall, helping victims in a flood aftermath is a very practical reason to go to Thailand) but because it seemed like God was closing a door that I have been hoping to cross for years. In retrospect, obviously the world was not ending, it was just a hard day. And if the world was truly ending it would be because Jesus was returning (wahoooo!). So that day I focused on seeking God's will for my life (a topic that is in my thoughts often). I prayed for peace in the situation and sent out prayer requests to praying friends.

That night, I was reading through the Psalms, and this jumped out at me and has stayed with me:

Psalm 143:8
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love
for I have put my trust in You.
Show me the way that I should go
for to you lift up my soul.

-->WHOAH.
It became my meditation, and has gone deep. I even wrote a song about it. This verse has also ministered to me about some other personal issues--I am so amazed at how God works on us. Praise the Lord, for he is SO GOOD!

Haha, then, the next morning, I read this:

Proverbs 3:25-26
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the LORD will be at your side
and will keep your foot from being snared.

It is taken out of context. Don't be fooled.
But it brought me comfort.

A couple of weeks ago a very dear friend of mine asked me who I knew in Thailand, and I remembered an acquaintance whom I had done some design work for but hadn't contacted. The next day I sent out some emails to some different leads I had, including this acquaintance and heard back from him within a couple of days--

:D :D :D :D :D

It's a go.

He said "We have plenty of things that we could use you and your sister's help with." Those words were like music to my ears! He and his wife run a school in Chiang Mai and we'll be there during the summer break. We'll be able to just help them out with practical things while learning the language and getting a feel for Thailand. If you have a chance, check out the website and their newsletter: Hope International Schools (HIS)

Hope International Schools (HIS) mission statement:

HIS provides hope and a future to students and families in the developing world by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, providing excellent education, and breaking the cycle of poverty and oppression.

And something I found on their newsletter:

All but one student receives a scholarship. Many of our new students are at-risk for poverty, trafficking, or other
forms of oppression, and many are from Buddhist families. Several of the older students have come to us with little to no knowledge of reading or writing Thai, so teachers are working extra hard to help them catch up.

:D I feel elated about this. I am still praying--see, there is this thing about my character where I am always ready to jump on the boat without exactly thinking things all the way through. I'm praying for discernment. But I am moving forward and am confident that the Lord will take me where He wants me to go.

That was a long story, so I'm going to let this simmer.

I have a lot I want to tell you about the current situations in Chiang Mai/Thailand, but also I have a lot I want to tell you regarding human trafficking in the United States. I feel amiss for not having not mentioned this yet; it lays heavy on my heart. I am trying not to overload you with information. That'll be next to come.

Please pray for Mackenzie and I as we seek God in planning our next steps.
Thank you.
God Bless!
-Amber