“What Happened to Them?” ~ Ric

Dear friends,

It’s been a year and two months since we arrived in Thailand, and we want to thank you for your patience and prayers during this time. We apologize for not being in touch since our last post a year ago, as we’ve been through countless formidable times. However, we want to share our journey with you and express our gratitude for God’s hold on us, His deliverance, and His patience with us throughout this period. 

To summarize the past year in a short message is quite challenging. I’ve attempted to write this post several times over the last three months, but each time, the reality overwhelmed me, making it nearly impossible to put the experience into words.  There is too much pain.

In our previous post, we discussed feeling lost and unsure about the direction we should take, especially regarding our visas, which became complicated. Since that post, the challenges we faced seemed to only grow more daunting month after month, far exceeding what we thought was our breaking point. We reached a point where we stopped posting, entered survival mode, and succumbed to emotional and physical exhaustion, followed by despair. We didn’t even know what was happening to us. We were hopeful that life would calm down, but a break never seemed to come as we continued pushing forward while following Jesus to the best of our abilities.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

This wasn’t sudden; it was a slow build-up, like water coming to a boil, and it felt like the pot boiled until it was dry and became red hot. We faced great difficulty in settling our visas, finding a car, purchasing car insurance, finding our first home, setting up our home from nothing, dealing with unbearable heat, battling an insane ant invasion that destroyed our expensive electronics, experiencing culture shock, coping with crippling back pain, and more.

Facing difficulties was one challenge, but finding a solution was another, plus the devil trying to tear our family apart, and the length of time it all lasted. The months from February to May were the darkest and most difficult I have ever experienced. As the challenges and setbacks piled up, it became hard to see Jesus through the fog of our tough circumstances. Depression crept in, but instead of giving up, I persevered, relying on what felt like the last of my strength. It was God carrying me through. Like Peter walking on the water and then succumbing to the waves about him, we too were sinking. We were becoming a product of our circumstances, but God was always there to pull us out.

The devil wanted to eject us from this country.  

In the midst of troubleshooting and persistent problem-solving, I began to realize that the battle I was facing was spiritual rather than one against a ridiculous set of circumstances. The challenges we encountered seemed almost humorous. I had been too focused on overcoming these obstacles instead of surrendering everything to God’s will.

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12, 13

Understanding came painfully slow. Things started to become clear.  Last fall, as a family, we began to pray more frequently, even praying every other hour throughout the day, asking the Holy Spirit to prepare us for what God wanted to accomplish through us. We felt strongly that God intended to do something remarkable, especially with the unprecedented times that lie ahead, beyond what we were prepared for. Little did we know that our prayers would be answered through trials and tribulations.

Two issues emerged: Firstly, the adversary was strongly against our presence, especially when we were focused on praying for the Holy Spirit’s power to cleanse us. Secondly, God was answering our prayers amidst the trials and hardships. This should not have surprised us. I believe the intensity of our trials was directly linked to the depth of our prayers.

When we become hopeless, we have forgotten how big God is.

The relief has come very slowly. While the ants have gone into hiding and the heat has diminished, the trials continue to pile up, and the heat of the purifying furnace hasn’t changed. We don’t anticipate that the trials will decrease, and we are accepting them. We believe that God knows what we can handle, and we find joy in what He is doing through the trials. It’s like being the delicious pizza baking in the oven. He is developing our character with patience, and endurance. We are finding joy in the heat.

“He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength.  Even the youth will faint and be weary, and the young men will utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings as eagles; they will run, and not be weary; and they will walk, and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:29-31

My consolation has been Jesus telling me, “You are the light of the world. I think you are amazing, and I’m doing something very special in you right now. Yes, it’s taking time, but that is because you keep asking me for more of the Holy Spirit than yesterday. You will be so happy with the result.” God has never failed me. My success has been in waiting on God. Jesus continues to help me persevere like Jacob, “I will not let You go until You bless me!”

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he will strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalm 27:14

PRAYER REQUESTS

1. OUR CONTACTS  The people we are working with (subsequent post).
2. THE HOLY SPIRIT  The baptism of the Holy Spirit on us as God prepares us for what He wants to do.
3. LABORERS  The harvest is ready and the laborers are still so few.  Will you come?

********

If you are struggling and everything seems to be going wrong, or if you think you’ve made a mistake, remember that Jesus understands how you feel and is supporting you. If you look to Him, He will come through. Relief will come, though it might take longer than you want. Take some time to rest, read His promises, talk to Him, listen to what He wants to tell you, and leave your feelings in God’s hands. He will turn your efforts into success.

Don’t feel like you need to understand everything. Working harder isn’t the answer. Share your concerns with Jesus and wait for Him to act. Ask Him to take your burdens and wait for His help. Just like waiting for relief from a bad headache, Jesus will come through. WAIT.

Ask God to guide you to Bible promises that shift your focus from your circumstances to the power of God and the truth about who you are, rather than seeing yourself as a victim of your circumstances. Fully immerse yourself in promises that resonate with you. Persevere like Jacob.

“Father, please help my friend who is struggling and feeling overwhelmed. They may have lost sight of you and feel like giving up, or maybe they have already given up. Please help them find hope, rest, and power in you. Help them to believe that you will rescue them from their despair. Give them encouragement and praise, and help them see that you will take care of their situation. Guide them and turn their sorrow into joy. Help them to persevere and wait.”