My DTS Outreach Phase

For outreach we had two choices we had to pray and see whether God wanted us to go to Thailand or Chile. I prayed and felt God wanted me to go to Thailand, I myself wanted to go to Chile. But I listened to God and went to Thailand.

We left for Thailand on the morning of the 31st of December. The plane ride was so long. This was the first time I had been overseas. I was really scared of going to Thailand I didn't know what to expect. But God really had his hand in it.

When we arrived in Bangkok, Thailand it was the night time. So we got there at a good time! We headed to the place where we were going to be staying for a week night before we headed to our first location. When we arrived we were all so tired and ready to go to bed. When the girls and I walked into our room we noticed there were beautiful flowers on our bed. I went and picked mine up....just to find out there were little ANTS all over them and all over our pillows. Haha....we all were freaking out trying to kill all the ants we saw. We were all like oh my goodness this is only the beginning.

Then next day our official day in Thailand we went site seeing. We went to many temples but because of the New Year just happening the temples were full of people giving offerings, prayers and just worshipping the Idols in the temples. It broke my heart to see this kind of thing. Seeing all those people, GOD'S people giving their lives over to something that are not even real. Something that will never satisfy their longing hearts, something that will NEVER love them back. But I have hope that every in every person we met God allowed us to plant a seed of his love in them.

We went to three different locations while in Thailand. We spent about 2 1/2 weeks at each location. The places we went were Maha Sarakham, Kanchanaburi and Nikon Si Thammarat!

All three places were wonderful. In Maha Sarakham we went to Colleges and tough English. The awesome thing was as long as we taugh English we could do whatever we wanted. So we did Skits about God, shared Testimonies and just showed God's love to every college student we met. It was really cool how God opened up that door for us. Also during our time there we passed out tracks to a camp that they were having the weekend before we left. The Camp was a lot of fun. We got to bond with the students and just share God's love to them. The Thai people really love white people. They think the color of our skin is Beautiful. They want to be white. Which is different than us because in America we want to be tan...lol. On the base we were staying at during the week we also got to know a Korean team that was staying there as well. They were so nice and easy to get along with. It was such a blessing to get to know them.

In Kanchanaburi we stayed in the beautiful mountains on a goat farm. The girls lived in a tree house type of thing for 2 1/2 weeks. There was not much for privacy for us while trying to change our clothes. But being on the goat farm was pretty rough for me. Not my cup of tea to be cleaning up two years worth of goat poop. But other than that we went to schools and work with the children. We played with them, and taught them English. Again we were able to teach what we want as long as it was English. So we did Bible stories, and skits, and little fun lessons for them to practice and learn English. It was not easy because of the Language barrier but as long as well just loved on them that is all the kids cared about.

In Nikon Si Thammarat is where we saw many healing and many people come to the Lord. This is where we really worked in the slums of Thailand. God really showed himself during the whole time in Thailand and especially when we had 20 people come to the Lord at one of the slums we were at. It was so amazing. God did some major work there. Other than going and loving on people at the slums we went to more schools and taught the children. They seem to have a lot of fun. We also got up at 5 in the morning to leave by 6 to go to the exercise track that the Thai's go to bright and early to work out. But in doing that people would come up to us and talk to us. We were able to lead 3 people to the Lord one day. God can use you anywhere you are at as long as you are willing and opened to it.

That is only pinch of what God did in Thailand. God really moved there. He really has a heart for Thailand. I could really feel it when I was there. God is SO good. And if are willing he will use you no matter what.

I mean Look at little old me. Shy, Scared, and Not Outgoing, yet he chooses to use me. He also is changing me as well. Although I may still be a little of all those things God really showed me I could make a difference with him as my focus and guide. Praise God!!!

~God Bless~

My DTS Lecture Phase

                                                                                              

Wow....where do I even start?

The last five months have been life changing. God has really rocked my world. He has brought me through so much. Things that I thought I would NEVER over come he has healed and helped me through.

When I first arrived at the school I wanted to leave right away. I was so scared, there was NO WAY I was going to survive 5 months way from home. I had NEVER been away from my family that long and there was no way I was "really" called by God to be 16 hours away from them.

During the three months of lectures phase the first couple of days were the hardest. I did NOT want to be there. I didn't feel like I fit in and I just wasn't willing to try to make friends with people. I figured that they didn't like me anyways so way even try. But eventually I began to warm up to a few of the girls and started to let myself open up to them. God really used their openness and sweethearts to just make me feel loved and very welcomed.

But it seemed as soon as I started getting comfortable and making more friends that I started having these CRAZY panic attacks. I've never experienced panic attacks before in my life so I was so scared. Thankfully one of the staff members used to have them all the time so she knew exactly what to do and how to help me. Once again do to the panic attacks I wanted to go home. I didn't think I was strong enough to deal with everything going on. That was exactly what Satan wanted me to do....he wanted me to give up and go home because he knew the healing of my heart that was about to come.

We had three months of lectures and I enjoyed all of them. There is one lecture that stuck out to me the most. It was a week called "Father Heart of God" lead by the speaker Mike Berg. This week helped me really see God love for me! No matter what I do God loves me and I don't have to work for it. Towards the end of the week we took a whole day and just took time to search our hearts and forgave people we need too. We not only forgave them but also prayed blessings over there lives. This really opened up my eyes to see that know matter how much someone hurts you God still loves them. So we should love them as well....and trust me that was a really hard thing for me to grasp! But during this week I was set free from many hurts and pains that I had held in for years. God set me free!!!!

During my time at the school I just fell in love with God even more. I just found myself wanting to spend longer quite times with him and just wanting to sing praises to him. I could feel God's presents more than ever before. He really showed himself to me in many ways. God's love for me is more real to me than it's ever been before. The passion he has placed in my for his people is greater than it's ever been.

My dts has changed my life. The school is SO God focused and hits the area's that everyone needs to grow and learn in. They had worship every Tuesday mornings with the whole base. It was so nice to get to see people that lived off base and get to know them a little. After worship we would also have intersession for different parts of the word. It was amazing how God really showed up in these times...you could really see God's hand at work!

I would not trade my time at my dts for anything. I have met some of the most amazing and passionate people ever. The guys at my school helped me understand that guys who aren't really family can still be loving and you can trust them. The girls just became my like my sisters, we all got along really well. It was such an amazing experince getting to know each and every person in my school. And the leaders and staff were absolutly wonderful. They really cared about each and every person, they were there at any time of the day or night if you needed to talk. They really are called by God to be there and you can really see the love of Christ in them!!

GOD IS SOOOOO GOOD!!!

1 John 3:16

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."