Ps 23... and the whole Bible for the whole life.

Over the years, life can become complicated. We can take on many different "burdens". Physical, mental and spiritual. Then it's just wonderful to again and again return to the basics.

Psalms 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 

Yes ... this truth (and the whole Bible) applies throughout life. Have a great weekend blessed by Psalm 23. Ingvar

Making firm the feeble knees

It is now little over 2 years  since we started ‘’National Pioneer Workers Fellowship’’ here in Ubon.
Serving those who have a heart for Planting Churches.  Our vision was to build and strengthen their lives, encourage and create a safe and loving place where they can ask for prayer and share their struggles. We want them to share what works and what doesn’t here in Isaan, so that they can cross pollinate.

The interest has grown and we are outgrowing our facilities. But it is not the numbers we seek. We are looking for what it can have meant in the lives of those whom we serve.

The area has been known for ‘’discouraged ministers’’ and  ‘’aborted ministries’’ .   

I can hear Jom is preparing for the worship downstairs and others are preparing some fruit and refreshments, and I have joy in my heart  knowing that soon I will meet around 35-40 precious servants of God and I expect that God has some good fresh bread for them so that they will be refreshed and that we can be a little part of ’’ strengthening the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees’’ Is 35:3.
Love Anna

Can I count on you even .......?

For good and for bad we learn from school that life is full of testings. Some are wrestling constantly with their "Baggage," their daily living and their future.

They are tested themselves and also like to test both God and man. "Are you standing by my side .... even after all I've done?"

In life we build TRUST between each other and it can take time, so to speak ..... from both sides. Many here in Isaan are tested and are testing others. Can we count on you?

On Friday, Anna and the Tree of Life team had a very good day ..in a work that we are cooperating with outside Ubon.

It was the first time that these leaders sat down and ..... studying how to become free and ... how to help others to live in freedom.

So, dear Blog friends, we all must be prepared that there are people in our midst that are growing but at the same time asking: Can I count on you even though ...?

The Good News is that with an open heart we can always count on The Holy Spirit to be our: Called-along-side-friend. 

Ingvar

Automatically......

Life contains of many small steps. Life is a journey, not big jumps. Acts 12 describes this very well. The congregation prayed and we see how:

God acts

Peter follows

God acts

In verse 10 we read: "..... they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord.." This of its own accord is from the Greek 'automate' = automatically. 

God is the master of opening iron doors (and glass doors) that we ourselves can not open. But the question is: Do we dare to approach a closed door? Take steps forward ... even though the door is closed.
Do we dare to go through even if we ourself are not controlling the openings and the closings?
                                                           

And for us serving here in Ubon-Pakse it is our goal 

• to dare to go forward
• and to dare to challenge others to go forward                                                                  
• It is not I who keeps the handle. This is the Kingdom of God.

... even if I am not controlling the door handle. Because this is the Kingdom of God. Ingvar(Fred)
                              

''The little forerunners''

                                     
I enjoyed so much the testimonies of Lampuang and the church planting teams within the network, when they are back from the villages. After a while we see patterns of a movement that is so special and I sense that we need to watch prayerfully over this delicate, but yet powerful move. We have found it is the children that are ‘forerunners’ here. I literally mean forerunners.

In my vocabulary that word has often meant someone who is leading a movement, often some anointed person who has the ability to lead others in the right direction. And they can impact a city or even a nation.

When the team comes to the village the children by their own initiative run around gathering other kids to hear about Jesus. But they also lead the team to adults, such as are ready to meet Jesus or those who need prayer for healing. 

Last week one little ‘forerunner’ a 1^st grader was bitten by a dog in the butt. Dampening the joy and sending the team for a while into worry and fear. Why wasn’t she protected?  Should they discourage the kids from being involved? So many attacks have happened during the last couple of months, of anyone being involved in sharing the good news. ( It so happened that in another area a lady who prayed for someone who received healing to a paralyzed leg was bitten in the butt the same week.) 

Yesterday the team was back in the village and went to visit this little girl, they had bought a doll to encourage her. When Nang enters the house, Lampuang tells, Nang asked a question: who is a follower of Jesus in this household? And everyone, mother, granny’s and uncles and everyone raised their hand and said that they follow Jesus. What a surprise!  

After receiving more information Nang makes sure once more they pray for salvation : Just to make sure.  

Yesterday they were also following up one man they had prayed with some months ago. They had lost contact with him because he had to watch the fields. They found him trying to water his corn field and the water source was almost dried up and the plants were starting to ‘hang their heads’. The team was told by the Holy Spirit that God would water his field and he was not to worry. They prayed for him and left. Before they drove out of the area the sky opened in heavy showers.
                                                 
                                                 

There are many testimonies of Jesus in this area which is known for its black magic and sorcery. We thank God for wonderful teams of church planters working in this extreme heat this year. We would love to have more workers joining the teams of the network. By faith we call them to the harvest, because it is very ripe in Isaan.