Disturbing Hmong Shaman Dream

I had such a disturbing dream this morning. I dreamt that the Hmong people were calling shamans and witchdoctors to their houses for healing. In actuality, the shamans and witchdoctors were vessels being used by Satan to deceive the Hmong people to stay under his oppression. I know that because I could feel his dark presence all throughout the dream. He would continue to rule over their homes with deception, darkness, and with fear of the unknown. In my dream, I saw a Hmong man invite an elderly woman shaman into his home where she would conduct her rituals. I did not know what kind of ritual it was, whether it may be for the healing of a child or whether it may be for the family or home in general. I just know that there were at least two instances where I saw these elderly women take up this role, entering into their trance-like states, and carrying out Satan’s plan for the Hmong. Even in the dream, I felt the fear that Satan was using to manipulate the Hmong to be under his control.

When I woke up, my body was trembling and shaking all over as if I had just undergone another one of his demonic attacks. I suddenly felt the urge to get out of bed, kneel on the ground, and cast out his influence over me in the name of Jesus Christ…but I was deathly afraid. I laid there, underneath the blanket covers, still shaking and wondering if I should kneel down that instant. I still felt Satan’s dark presence around me. In my mind, I could see his darkness like that of a cloud creeping up over me on top of the bed. If I get out of bed right now, what if he does something even more drastic? I thought to myself. But you can’t let your fear overtake you, I heard the Spirit say. Resist the devil, and he shall flee from you. If you don’t, he knows that he can control you. Those words gave me amazing strength! I immediately jumped out of bed, knelt on the floor, and, though still scared, prayed for the powers of the shamans and witchdoctors to be rendered useless in the Name of Jesus Christ! I asked the Lord to break away the chains of bondage and oppression that was associated with the traditional religion and for the Hmong to turn away from their sins and unto the God who loves them and made them for Himself. I proclaimed that the powers and authorities of Satan were already overcome when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead! Hallelujah! I felt my entire body heat up as I uttered my last request: Father God, don’t let me be afraid of anything in this world, but instead, let me fear not doing Your will more than anything else. Hallelujah (x infinity)! Amen.

Last time I was under a demonic attack, I received threats that if I kept on seeking the Lord and pursuing His will for me and if I continued praying for the Hmong people from Scripture according to the Spirit’s guidance, I was, in his words, “going to get it.”

[“Well, how did you hear that?” you might ask. Well, it sounded like someone was speaking to me; except instead of hearing it with my ears, I heard it with my heart. I knew it wasn’t me and I knew it was evil—the only logical answer would be that it was the cunning serpent of old who tried to convince me as a young child to commit suicide. His words come to me when I start dwelling on thoughts that may hinder me from doing God’s will. And did he speak to me the same way he did back then, too? Yes. I have no doubt that it’s him. And might I add that a lot of bad happens in this world from people who listen and follow his voice—they just don’t know it’s him. And I’m not talking about only nonbelievers, either].

Well, I didn’t hear Satan say that to me this time, but I think that this was just the thing I needed to let me know that I was headed in the right direction. ;)
May our Father God in heaven, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be given the praise and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Back in the States

Back in the U.S. (and with sushi...yum)

Greetings to everyone in Christ Jesus! It has been a while since my last update but I hope everyone is doing well in our Lord, just as I am doing well under the care of our sovereign Savior. I don't know why I continue to be surprised to see God's hand at work in my life, but truly more and more, He's showing me that with Him, "all things are possible" (Mat. 19:26).

My arrival in the U.S. has been delayed due to some political unrest in Thailand concerning the red-shirt campaign to overthrow the current prime minister. Because a lot of their protest rallies were being held in Bangkok, where my visa was being done, some government workers decided to play it safe and not come to work for a few days, being unsure of the violence level that the red-shirts were going to implement. Anyhow, I'm back safe and sound without a scratch thanks to those who have been praying for me.

I met with my church mission board, Trinity Christian Headquarters, in Sanger, CA, about upcoming plans for ministry. I am incredibly blessed to be working with such a dedicated staff who, in spite of working for and with a stubborn people group, have overcome many odds in their determination to reach our people for God's Kingdom. Key leaders that have truly inspired and encouraged me the most are Pastor Ching Zohng Her and his wife, Rebekah. You two hold such a special place in my heart and I can never thank you enough for the encouragement that you have given me through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I have also met up with many of our encouraging pastors and youth members, being incredibly blessed by their hospitality throughout Fresno, Merced, Stockton, Sacramento, and Portland. It is such an amazing privilege to travel, speak God's message as given to me through the Holy Spirit, and see many sights and people who have a heart on fire for God and to see His will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Truly, the Lord is stirring up a movement among the nations, He is doing something great among the Hmong, something SO astounding, that many will not believe even if they were told (Hab 1:5). He has us in the palm of His hands (Is. 49:16).

I have also had the opportunity to visit family and friends...even my childhood neighborhood in the small town of Atwater! Only God can be so gracious to surround me with loved ones who care about me and support what the Lord is doing. It just feels strange, after a long time of intense trials, one after the other, having a strong sense of loneliness, being unsure of direction, meaning, and the purpose of my stay in Thailand, of having to enforce self-discipline and self-restraint due to a lack of monetary funds, almost starving, getting lost in a strange city, and all the while trying to maintain a peace of mind after undergoing many misunderstandings and criticisms from dear family and friends, that I think I'm finally ready to surrender everything and be used fully by God for His purposes and for His glory. I guess you could say I went through Suffering 101. Nothing says it better than 2 Cor. 12:10: "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Now, I'm being incredibly spoiled with all kinds of amazing food, love, care, hospitality, people I can speak to without much difficulty, American food, sushi, pho, egg rolls, Asian bbq, mint and chocolate chip ice cream, oh my goodness...whatever I desire, God gives. And whatever I need, He provides. His faithfulness truly is amazing. But what has blessed me more than anything is to have fellowship with those whose hearts are touched by God. Now I understand what Paul was getting at when he prayed that the Church would be "encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col 2:2-3).

There are a few more churches to go! I have yet to speak and fund-raise at the following churches on these dates:

Holy Trinity Christian Church, Hickory, NC - May 2nd
Almighty Trinity Church, Charlotte, NC - May 23rd
3 of our MN churches - May 29th
House of God, St. Paul, MN - May 30th
Wisconsin - June 5-6

My goal at the end the summer is to raise approximately $6,000 for the following needs:

Cash budget (one-time needs):

Need	Amount
Plane ticket	$1500
Motorbike	$1000
3 months savings	$1500
Visa Fees	$1000
Start-up costs for housing	$200
Total	$5200

Monthly Budget:

Need	Amount
Living expenses and utilities	$150
Work Funds	$250
Retirement
Social Security
Insurance
Taxes (motorbike, insurance, etc.)	$400+

Please pray for me:

-that I will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, to speak His message, His words, from His wisdom and not my own
-to have the confidence needed to spread it boldly and without hindrance, everywhere He opens the doors for me to go
-For God's will to be done, that I may follow His leading back to Thailand in August
-to raise enough funds for the bare essentials
-to have an active prayer team who are dedicated to praying for me and other harvest workers

**And above all, please pray for the Hmong, that we may be a people united in love, with generous hearts toward the needy, hearts that are on fire for God and His work, and for the churches to wake up from their slumber and be what God has called them to be--salt and light to the world (before He removes our lamp stands from its place [Rev. 2:5]).

During my morning devotion from 2 Corinthians 1, these particular verses popped out to me:

Nws pab peb dim ntawm txojkev tuag uas txaus ntshai heev, Nws yeej yuav pab kom peb dim; thiab peb cia siab hais tias Nws tseem yuav pab peb mus lawm yav tom ntej rau qhov nej niaj hnub thov Vajtswv pab peb. Yog muaj coob leej thov Vajtswv pab peb,

1) Vajtswv yuav teb sawvdaws tej lus thov, thiab
2) Vajtswv yuav foom koob hmoov rau peb, thiab
3) yuav muaj coob leej ua Vajtswv tsaug vim Vajtswv pab peb (v. 10-11)

This can only be found in the Hmong version of the Bible. Here is a brief English translation:

He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and He will deliver us; we have placed our hope in Him that He will deliver us again because of your daily prayers for us. If there are many who will help pray for us, 1) God will answer your prayers, 2) God will bless us, and 3) there will be many who will rejoice in thanksgiving [because of His aid for us]

So remember, the key is to pray, pray, pray!

I also want to give a special shout out to every church that the Lord has opened up the way for me to go to, the TCC churches of Fresno, Merced, Sacramento, Stockton, and Portland. Because of their generosity, I was able to raise approximately $3,500 already (meeting more than half my budget)! I don't know about you guys, but when Hmong folks are giving money, especially that much money towards doing God's work, it's GOT to mean something! I am being touched by seeing God move through the hearts of His people in uniting us for His cause, making our hearts generous in helping ministry workers and the needy alike, as well as a sense of loyalty to the Good News of Jesus Christ that we have received as His Body, His holy Bride, the Church. Father God in heaven, let our light shine before men so that they may see our good deeds (spurred by the Holy Spirit) and praise you in heaven (Mat 5:16)! Amen.

To visit my page from Trinity Christian Headquarters' Mission Department, click here.

Newsletter/Prayer Update #2

02/13/2010
Trinity Christian Headquarters--Mydur Xiong

Following God's Calling
____________________

The map on the right was made by the previous students who attended the Bible Training Center from the Hmong Foundation. Their vision, along with pastor Somboon's (Xibfwb Kaub Yaj), was to spread the message of God's love throughout Southeast Asia. This map now hangs in the home of Somboon as a continual prayer reminder for the training of Christian leaders in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Experiencing Hmong Culture in Thailand!

God’s faithfulness never ends, amen? I don’t think there has ever been a time in my life where I have experienced His grace like I have here these past six months in Thailand. He has lead me to many places, experienced many cultural events, and have blessed me with incredibly encouraging friends!
Before coming to Thailand, I came with expectations of observing how things were among the Hmong-Thais: their way of life, how they worship, work, eat, everything! The Lord has been faithful to honor my prayer by leading me to a countless number of Hmong villages, watching local Christian leaders as well as missionaries evangelize, encourage, and disciple believers. Much of this has been possible through my dear friend, Doua Her. With many thanks to her, I have been able to spend a few nights in villages without electricity and running water. I have cooked with the women, worked with children, given a speech, shared my testimony, prayed with and encouraged local believers, harvested rice, attended a Christian camp, lead worship, and the list goes on. There is still so much more to do, so much more to learn! After experiencing what life would be like here as a missionary in Thailand, I feel the Lord calling me to a long-term career. May His name be praised for the amazing opportunities He has given me in

experiencing many of the joys and hardships of a life that is fully dedicated to His work. There have been many times where I wanted to give up, but the Lord encouraged me with John 16:33: “In this world, you will have suffering. But be courageous! I have overcome the world.” I am ready for whatever the Lord has for me!

Teaching English in Sansai has been a very valuable experience. I have

learned many things as a budding teacher. For instance, learning should

be fun and relaxed or else it would be a lot more difficult to get information through—especially to children! Second, a growing desire on the student’s part to learn makes teaching all the more enjoyable for the teacher. Unfortunately, I was only able to teach the children for an extended period of time. An unstable schedule on both my part as well as the church leaders and Pastor Bunsoem made it difficult to find a time to teach. Work, school, visa runs, and even holidays seemed to randomly appear. In whatever case, the Lord allowed us to grow closer to one another—an invaluable experience that I’ll never forget.

The Hmong Developing Quality of Life Foundation

What a blessing it is to learn from and observe such an energetic, dedicated group of people! With God’s grace, I plan to continue grant-writing and funding for this Foundation in order that many may come to know Him! A recent study shows that many children who grow up in Christian hostels keep their faith when they are older. Due to financial reasons, the boys’ hostel might have to be cut off from the Foundation this upcoming school year. Please pray that the Lord will provide enough to keep them here and growing in His name! The picture on the right are the hostels celebrating Christmas together--worship, games, gift exchange, and prayer.

Village Evangelism--The girls from the hostel continue their outreach to the village of Baan Muang Gan twice a month, initiating games, activities, songs, and Bible stories with the children. About twenty come on a regular basis—but more always randomly show up! While the girls are busy going about their agenda, their staff leader, Kia, encourages the fellow believers in their home. Since there is no established church in the village, this fellowship is vital to their faith. Among these believers is a woman named Pawn, a bold woman of God who would go to any length to be a faithful witness to her opposing neighbors.

Pishon Church has recently finished their Christmas outreach program. This outreach effort is an ongoing process. Susan Staples, a missionary from Arizona who has been working with the Foundation for six years, has been teaching English to locals while Pastor Somboon teaches guitar lessons. Please pray that the Lord will honor the hearts of His servants and make the field ripe for harvest among the Hmong and Thai in Chiang Khong!

I can never thank all of my supporters for praying for me and giving me the financial means I need in making a living here. There have been many times where money was very tight, but the Lord always came through right on time. I have decided to come back for a season to set up future plans with the mission board and to fundraise for certain needs. The most immediate need, however, is a plane ticket to come back to the U.S! I don’t have enough money to get back home and I need your help! These are the prices of the tickets:

One-way: $700

Two-way: $1000

With such an affordable second option, I’m praying that the Lord will provide me with enough funds to make it back to Thailand soon! My classes start again in Chiang Mai around August. I’m hoping that the Lord will create a miracle and help me come back in time. If not, my second bet is January. I am very sad to be leaving after much work put into language study and building relationships, but I trust that the Lord, with your help, will bring me back to Thailand soon! Let His will be done!

Prayer Requests:

TCH Meeting:
That the Lord will give us wisdom to know how to reach the Hmong in SE Asia

Boy’s Hostel
That the Lord will provide enough funding for their stay

Pishon Church
To be a light in their community

Going, Going, Gone!

11 February 2010

Blessings—One After Another

Praise the Lord for His never ending faithfulness! These past few weeks, I have been incredibly busy, going from one place after another, making new friends and visiting old ones. The following is a brief list of where I went and what I did these past three weeks:

Doi Pui—graduation party, sight-seeing

Chiang Mai—English party at Songsawang Church

Chiang Khong--Hmong Foundation

Chiang Rai—Christian Paisanat School

Doi Saket--Hmong/Thai wedding at CMA headquarters

Phayao—CMA camp at the village, San Thi Suk

Mae Pow—Wisut’s house

Why in the world did I do so much, you ask? Well, it turns out that I’m leaving for the States in March. Yes, I’m leaving… *sigh* :’( But I’ll be back soon, Lord willingly! I will be in California, meeting with the mission board about goals, objectives, and steps to take in reaching out to the Hmong by the Hmong. I plan to take a few months off to fundraise for immediate needs here in Thailand and to prepare for long-term stay. Exciting, isn’t it? It’s not easy, but I trust that if this is the direction the Lord wants to take us, He will work out the fine details.

“The Lord will fight for you—you only need to be still.” (Exodus 14:14)

I have only one problem—and this is where you come in! I need help in raising support for the following immediate need:

A plane ticket (I don’t have enough to come back yet, but I need to make it to the board meeting in March! I found a great two-way deal on China Airlines and need only two or three hundred left!)

Make your checks out to:

Trinity Christian Headquarters

1028 P. Street Sanger, CA 93657

**make sure that you write on the memo line that it's for "Mydur Xiong" :) Thanks, and may you be blessed for your generous heart!

Let the Lord’s will be done!

God, if it’s pleasing to You, please send me back home so I can get some things organized with the mission board and get a clear focus on what You want us to do before I come back to Thailand again!

Doi Pui-Graduation Party, Sight-seeing

Because of our rural background, education is highly valued in the Hmong culture. Every time someone graduates, whether it may be in high school or a doctoral program, the family almost always celebrates this special occasion with a huge feast. I tagged along with Doua Her in joining a family in the village of Doi Pui, a tourist attraction known for its beautiful flower gardens and Hmong heritage. Many of these flowers, called “yeeb” (yeng) in the Hmong language, were harvested for opium in the past. Now that it has been banned in Thailand, however, these plants are only for landscape purposes.

Celebrating with graduates at their home in Doi Pui

The mother of the graduates is the only Christian in her family. Please pray that God will use her as a light to reach out to the rest of her family members with the love that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Praying God's blessings upon them

Stopping to take photos at the flower garden

I'm standing here with Doua Her and her adopted daughter, Kue. She is handicapped, in that her legs are stunted and she walks on her arms. Praise God, He saved her from committing suicide. She is now going to school, getting a high school degree, and learning how to sew.

Onlooking the village of Doi Pui below

Chiang Mai—English Party

English classes ended in December but I never had a good opportunity to celebrate and have proper closure with the students. We sang songs, had cake, chips, donut holes, and dinner together. The overall experience, though mistakes were sometimes made, has been a positive one. I taught English for the first time in my life, learned teaching techniques, established relationships, and simply had a lot of fun. I will miss them all terribly!

Going over the past songs we learned in class

Celebrating the end of our class with cake and goodies! Yummm.... :)

They're all so precious...I will miss them so much!

Chiang Khong—Hmong Foundation, Pishon Church

What a blessed group! Every time I make a visit to Chiang Khong, I always stay longer than expected because I simply don’t want to leave! Plans are changing here at the Foundation—the children at the hostel are preparing for their end-of-course exams and leave in March for their summer break, Susan is leaving on furlough, and Somboon is focusing on Pishon Church in reaching out to their community. Everyone here always lifts up my spirits and encourages me when I see them worshipping the Lord with their hearts, evangelizing to the greater community, and praying hand-in-hand for the Lord’s guidance in their lives.

Ready to take off after church!

Left to right: Phii Nai, Cho, Sai, Mone

The church band, consisting of Somboon's younger brother Chai and two youths from local villages

Visitors from Korea stop by Pishon Church

I joined with Kia in encouraging the believers in the village of Baan Muang Gan (they don't have a church in the village)

Goong (Paj Nyiag) pausing to take a picture with the kids

While Kia and I did our thing, the girls from the hostels played with and evangelized to the children

Susan wrapping up her English lessons with the teens from the hostel

KIA!! I'm going to miss you!

Kia, who has been working as the head of the girls' hostel, is leaving to fulfill God's calling for her to pastor the church in her home village

Chiang Rai—Reunion at Christian Paisanat School

On my way back to Chiang Mai, I made a pit stop in Chiang Rai where I reunited with the place of my internship in the summer of ’08: Christian Paisanat School, a Christian boarding school for hill-tribe children from kindergarten to 9th grade. What an amazing experience this was! I met up with old friends and was greatly encouraged when I found that I was more able to speak to the staff and children there in Thai (whereas last time, I could barely say anything)! Language can be such a barrier, but praise be to God, He’s helping me gradually crack away at it!

Phii Ben and Phii Jong, the staff members I worked with during my internship in the summer of '08

The small boys' dorm--where I spent much of my time during my internship

Chris and Esther Hoagland along with their children, Joshua, and Jasmine! Like a second family to me. What a blessing it was to spend time with them again!

This was my best buddy at Christian Paisanat School! His name is Phijit--the best behaved and sweetest boy on campus!

Doi Saket—Hmong/Thai Christian Wedding
A young Hmong Christian woman got married to a young Thai man whom she converted. Their wedding was held at the CMA headquarters in Doi Saket. This was the first wedding I have attended since being here in Thailand. And just like the Hmong in the States, the members of their congregation all helped by chipping in their share: those who knew how to work with flowers decorated the church, those who knew how to play instruments and/or sing created a band, and those who knew how to cook catered for the reception party afterwards. The communal bond within the Hmong people still catches me by surprise sometimes.


After the reception, however, everyone encouraged me to join a group of girls in catching the bouquet. So I said, “Well, why not? It’s just for fun and it’s nothing but superstition, right?” So I joined, and when the bouquet came flying in my direction, my heart pounded, I was gripped with fear, and I quickly turned away to allow Pang, the girl behind me, to catch it. She looked at me and said, “What?! Why did you do that?!” I turned and all the onlookers said, “We KNOW it was headed in your direction, Mydur. Why didn’t you catch it?” I responded by saying, “I…uh…I…just got scared.” LOL!! I don’t know of anyone else who has this problem, but you’d be surprised to know that this is the second time I avoided a bouquet that was headed straight in my direction. I’m honestly not sure why I’m so afraid…perhaps the mere thought of marriage and family overwhelms me with expectations of a Proverbs 31 woman. I mean, those are some pretty big shoes to fill, don’t you think? *Sigh* You’ve got to love weddings and how it makes you think about these things!

Doua and I pose with Ntxhais (Xai) and her new husband at the CMA headquarters

This is the Hmong outfit Doua lent me for the wedding (น่ารักดี โน?) :)

Visiting with Pastor Txawj Pe and his wife at their beautiful home in Doi Saket

Phayao—Church camp

Sight-seeing, fellowshipping, teaching from the Bible, how can it get any better? I traveled with a Doua Her, Wisut, and Lee Her (a Hmong missionary) to the Hmong village of San Thi Suk where one of the CMA churches was held. We spent the night at Pastor Toua’s house where there was almost no electricity—only two small light bulbs that kept flipping on and off due to the generator in the village (when the villagers use too much electricity, it goes out temporarily). After spending so many nights in my comfortable apartment in the city of Chiang Mai, I had almost forgotten what it was like to go without the convenience of running water and electricity. We cooked dinner in a pot over a propane stove and ate it hot-pot style—each person had their own plate of rice and, using spoons, scooped the main course from the one pot.

San Thi Suk Alliance Church

Hot-pot dinner, consisting of "thooj laj" with pork soup and rice (and pepper, of course!)

Three Hmong-American missionaries enjoying an authentic Hmong dinner at an authentic Hmong home: Doua Her, me, and Lee Her, the only other Hmong missionaries I know of here in Thailand (we're all 20 years apart, each marking a different generation)

I want to say that I had a good time but everyone there spoke the green (a.k.a. blue) dialect of the Hmong language, plus, added a good number of Thai words here and there that I often felt lost in the conversation. I think a lot of Hmong Americans can relate—when we’re listening to a conversation in Hmong, we kind of get the jist of it, but because we’re not familiar with total immersion in the language, our minds tend to wander and before you know it, the conversation has traveled somewhere else and you have no idea how it got there! This is a good reminder of how much more language learning I need to undertake. This is the order in which my language learning needs to take priority:

Thai—Central dialect
Thai—Northern dialect
Hmong—White dialect
Hmong—Green dialect

Lord, have mercy!

We then traveled to a nearby camping site where we stayed for the night. The theme was, How to Avoid Being a Lukewarm Christian. Amazing, isn’t it? While the adults listened to Doua teach from the Bible, Wisut and I led the children in songs and activities.

Phii Wisut and I lead the children in songs and games

Pastor Toua of San Thi Suk village leads worship

Eating dinner: wild game (chicken, some bamboo-eating rat, and fish) (haha, sorry, I don't know the name of that rat in English...but it wasn't tasty)

Doua Her teaching on lukewarmness and how spouses should treat one another.

I've heard her teaching numerous times on this topic and I never tire of it.

Afterwards, the children begged us to take them hiking on the mountain. As it turns out, there was a cave up there, too, fully equipped with peeing bats! This was no easy hike—I love hiking and have done it quite often in the past but this particular trail was definitely not hiker-friendly! There were some holes near the peak that were quite dangerous if one were to fall through it, not to mention spike-shaped rocks and wide gaps that perhaps would not be open to children in the States. YET, these adventurous children know no danger. They had to wait a while for Phii (me) to cross through.


One child ran ahead and yelled, “Wow! Phii Mydur, come look at this! This view is even more amazing than the one before!”

So I yelled, “Coming!”

A few minutes later, he shouts, “This view is SO incredible! Where are you, Phii Mydur? Hurry up?”

“Phii Mydur’s on her way,” I said.

A few minutes pass, he goes, “Phii Mydur, where in the world are you? How come you’re taking so long?! This view is amazing!”

So I said, “OH my gosh, I’m coming already!”


**I was in the process of crossing a bridge made of spikey rocks in between two massive boulders that required rock climbing.

Exploring caves, staring at screeching bats

The whole hiking team

The view at the top! Beautiful, isn't it?

These two girls, Sarah and Dia, picked me a beautiful bouquet of flowers! Doua asked them how they knew I liked flowers and Sarah answered, "Well, I don't know, she's just pretty." How sweet! I really connected with them.

Hanging out with the kids during free time

Mae Pow—Wisut’s House
After camp was over, we headed straight to Phii Wisut’s house where I met his family and the believers in their village. The first night, Lee introduced TEE (Theological education by extension) to the church leaders to see if anyone would be interested in the training program. It was good to see an experienced missionary to the Hmong seeking to train leaders in reaching their community. I spent the second day at Big C with Doua, eating ice cream and discussing church history among the Hmong in Thailand. She told me about the past problems that denominations had with one another and offered a few suggestions for future ministry. God has blessed me with such incredible people in my life!

There was also a dinner in Doua’s honor because of her generosity in giving a car to Wisut’s family. Because Wisut’s father is the pastor of the village, the whole church came over and cooked up a storm in their backyard. I joined in a bit just for fun, peeling and breaking stalks of “kav theej,” a bitter, fibrous vegetable often used in Hmong soups. My parents use it in their cooking too, though it was always dried since it isn’t native to the States. I thought I knew how to cook, but when I saw these ladies slicing and peeling away at the vegetables with only their hands and knives, I bowed down and kissed their feet (not literally).

Introducing TEE (Theological education by extension)

Meeting Pastor Nyiaj Ntxawg (Nhia Cher) and his wife

Doua and me enjoying ourselves. I just love this pic.

Joining in the cultural Hmong experience of cooking with the women of the village.

Random: taking out my contacts. This family has never seen this before, so they all gathered around and watched me do it!

Dinner in Tais Nruag’s honor for the car

On top of everything, I recently moved out of my small apartment into a condo that a friend had already paid for (for this month). It provides me with a nice break, considering everything that has happened these past few weeks. I’m glad to finally have some solitude and reflect over all that has happened since I came here to Thailand. Now, I just have to prepare for my transition to the States in planning out a long-term career here.

Lord, let give me the grace and mercy I need in walking down this path You have set for me. Pab kom kuv muaj laj lim tswvyim los ua taus Koj tes dejnum raws li Koj lub siab ntshaw.