It has been spoken...

For years it has been spoken: watch the children, God will use them for revival. I have eagerly watched and waited. My experience the last few days both on the other side of Mekong and here tells me something special is about to happen. Wilawan told me today of the four kids after church when the members had left. She shared about Jesus and they recieved prayer and they all suddenly had visions of Jesus and angels all around them. They didn't want to ''wake up''. That experience will be so real for them, an encounter with Jesus will not easily be forgotten.
To those who have children in your ministries. Watch over the children. Welcome them just like Jesus did, not like the desciples did. If they come and tell you extraordinary experiences with Jesus. Believe them. What you are seeing is the beginning of something great.

''Unless we become like children, we cannot enter the Kingdom.''
''Jesus said, Let the children come to me, and forbid them not.''
'' The Kingdom of God belongs  to them.''
Love Anna

...our break is approaching :-)

My body and soul tells me, I’m approaching my holiday. There isn’t much of reserve  energy. Sometimes we have a siesta after lunch because the strength and does not match the pace of work and the temperature. Still, I choose happily to spend a day in the village with Wilawan when she leads young thai guys to follow Jesus. Or teach an old woman of the need to forgive her neighbor or to see her pray for the sick and coaching balloon war before the gathering.

Being a mentor in children issues, we talk about how she will handle the restless boy? How can she help those who have been abandoned by their parents? So very common in Isaan that the children are raised by others than the parents. This is a hugh problem in Isaan and has and will have severe consequences in the society.  How does she keep watch over children's safety when they are with her? etc.

Otherwise I am a translator, ''healingprayerminister'' (too many right now) have no teams available here in Ubon, doing member care, I preach, teach .......

 

But now I long for  my children and grandchildren and after a special little cottage in our garden and after the salty breezes in Bleket and the occasional strawberry. 30th of June we head northwest and will be back 12th of August.
Love Anna

 

Flying termites, mud and heaven!

The monsoon rains just started. Slimy roads with threatening visits in ditches or swarming flying termites, the lack of pre-communicated program could not stop the joy of ministering to this beautiful tribe on the other side of Mekong. If I look to the outer appearance and not with the love of Jesus in my heart, I might see this village embedded in this tropical forest, poverty stricken and everything covered in red dirt.
Then suddenly one comes up and walks alongside me, starting to share her life. I ask how old are you? ''I am 21 years old, have 11 younger siblings. Mum takes care of the babies, dad is weak cannot not work enough to feed the family. I am working to help support us. I have 2 friends who have gone to Bible school. I would love to study the Bible.'' Then she leaves my side taking another trail to her house. Waving saying '' I'm coming to the gathering''.
I reach this church. They just hosed the stairs and floor in the church to get rid of a layer of red mud. It is truly slippery and I have to hold on to rails and wall, not to slip.
We are here because suddenly there has opened up a door, an unusual request to speak to the youth, in this place where officially we are forbidden as a foreigner to speak. Here we had received special permission from the headman. When I read my friends email prior to coming I said ''oops'' he went to the headman? This almost feels like a trap. Countless of people have been jailed because of doing what we were just going to do.
Here we are, 35 little kids are waiting for us in tidy rows. Noone hangs over them to keep them calm or disiplined. So unlike where we work. The youth were to come an hour later. The little ones just wanted to be there. They were not invited. The second day, the same happened, we took the opportunity to minister to them before the youth arrived and it felt like this was what heaven wanted.
As we prayed for these little ones they sat like little angels with faces shining with such peace and joy that I just wanted to drink in the beauty. So precious. My friends and I we just sensed that this  moment was to release these kids to be like firebrands in this community. I felt like we were commissioning the least and the greatest in the Kingdom of God. And I am eager to hear what will follow from this place.
When these kids and youth worshipped there was absolutely no performance. They really worshipped! Lord you have hidden treasures in this jungle and I am getting really excited for what he will do in this area on both sides of Mekong.
Love Anna 

Go over to the other side ...

We can be 100% right, but .... if we do not do it with the love of God it`s become wrong. This applies very much in our relationships with the nationals and others in our Church and Missionary teams. Ruamchai4Ubon ... and beyond has two meanings:

• Ruamchai = joining our hearts. The inside comes first.
• And when we are united in our hearts, we can go over big and small barriers. Both those who are close to us and those who are far away. We can go ..... beyond.

Right now, Anna is 4 days on the other side of the river.

 

 

A Church and an organisation has invited us (Anna is going this time) to help with teaching. They have many young Christians .... who are hungry. There are more and more freedom for those who live there, especially in the cities, but still there are rules and restriction to follow. We must listen to the Nationals and ..... you know what? The Gospel fits very well in for us all ... in all our situations when the inside comes first. We foreigners can do more when we do not push through anything. But we let:
• Inside come first. So we can have a Ruamchai-united in our hearts.
• And then we can go hand-in-hand serving God and people together. I love this way of working. Ingvar

Good Governance

Yes .... this feels very good. Today we arranged the table for the 1:st Board Meeting of Ruamchai4Ubon ... and beyond.

3 board members could not come, but we were 5 who felt God's presence and heartbeat for the unreached, this first Board Meeting.

.
The focus is ... to see new churches planted and multiplied. To be "midwives" to help those who are planting new congregations here in Isaan and southern L.a.os.

All Board members were very creative today and we are happy ... to move forward. Now all 3 parts are in place:

Tomorrow, both Anna and I will preach (in the same church) on the subject of The Holy Spirit and the Family. Will be exciting.

Have a blessed Pentecost Sunday tomorrow. Ingvar

The small Churches....

Lately several has emphasized the importance of the small Churches (also called: House Churches, Daughter Churches, Pioneer Churches, Simple Churches, Cell Groups + + + ) A Pastor in Stockholm (Stefan S.) wrote yesterday in Swedish: A translation is:
Mega Churches are important, but the small Churches that are struggling in silence are even more important. It is so good with the Pastors of the large Churches, but the great heroes are all the pastors of small churches who are faithfully serving Christ for years and years in their local environment. They are the great heroes.

Here in Ubon we have no Mega Churches. Among the 1.8 million people is 0.2% Christians (including Catholics ) in 44 small Churches. We see:

• That the small Churches can grow, become big and can establish new small Churches.

But we also see:
• That the small Churches can (as they are) do much in the society, for individuals, for families and .... not at least for Missions. What would the Missions be without the small Churches? Stefan S. calls them " the great heroes".
• That the small Churches can (as they are) give birth to new small Churches. Multiply themselves, the way they are.

Two important foundational attitudes are:
• From start focusing on being a movement. The goal is not that they must first become a large institution (Church or Mission) to be able to do something.
• All those who receive Jesus has received Life, The Holy Spirit and the Word in its full = 100%. Also the new believers.

Many are telling that the best Church Planting Methods is not to see the New-Believers as weak and second class believers. Wherever the Bible speaks about us and we ... this includes all the old Christians and all the new Christian equally, no matter what background we come from or how old we are.

Listen to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10ZIMJU3DhU#t=17

 
Ingvar