Do Not Give Up

This morning I woke up early, first worrying over the finance of the 3 projects. Than I opened the Bible ...... and God spoke to me from Hebr 6:14: 

Yes... this is God`s word to Abraham. But as I was reading it ..... I heard God saying the same to me. Wooooow. The word is living .... also for me today in Ubon-Pakse.

We were lost on the way to destruction. We met Jesus and he made us alive. First we became so exited. All things are new and we are in a honeymoon. Soon we found out that also as a Christian, my life can have problems. But in all   circumstances Jesus is confirming to us that: "I am with you and will help you". 

Sometimes we can believe: "Only if I could be a missionary .... life will be good". 

5 month ago I met one new missionary who has been on the mission field 1 year saying to me with great surprise: "Also in Missions there are problems". Hope and pray he will work this out with Jesus and not give up. 

• I meet people full of enthusiasm. Inside and outside.
• I meet people continue the ministry but have lost the fire inside.
• I meet people that have given up.

I have taken a decision:

 

In order to stay fresh and not end up old and bitter I need to eat new fresh God`s Word. 

God bless you and do not Give up. And most of all, if you have given up inside be true to yourselves, to God and to others, also outside. Don`t pretend that you have not given up. The truth will set you free. Ingvar (Fred)

www=Woow What a Week

This Monday morning ....... we look back on a  very good week. Exiting. Most important is all the Encounters with God and with people. The following 3 parts is always needed:

..... coming in right proportions and at the right time. We have all different giftings we have to use during different seasons. But in all seasons, it is God's will that we "....shall bear fruit every month". Even if I work in an office. At the time of cold winter days or a hot summer days it's easy to stay inside and hope people will come to us. This week we have had a good balance between people coming in and we going out.

But, we also see tough things happened. Yesterday afternoon we both should speak in a Church service in Ubon that has been going on the last 10 months. But ... sat face .... it was canceled. In pioneering work, tough and sad things can happen. We can

•  give up and run 
• or be challenged, and do more

We have had a very good  www = Woow What a Week. Thank you all who enriched it, especially wonderful visitors, wonderful coworkers and all supporters. Thank you all for a very good retreat Thusday-Friday-Saturday. Ingvar (Fred)                                   

  

To speak from our hearts

We are many millions (may be billions) over the whole earth that have been blessed over the years by Billy Graham. He became 99 years old.

Once, many years ago, I heard Billy Graham preaching and I was struck by that he did not make the Gospel complicated. He preached a simple gospel, but with authority. Billy Graham had a clear voice, but I understood that he believed what he said and he made the gospel easy for us all to understand .... by heart.

We missionaries sometimes struggle because we feel limited in language. We can not go as "deep" as we like. Perhaps the answer is: "....deep speaks to deep...." when we are simple and we allow God to speak with power and authority right into everyone's heart.

The answer is that when I speak from my heart ...... people will understand. And when others speak from their heart ..... I will understand them.

From to 

Ingvar(Fred)

Update from Thailands Samaria

I had goosebumps yesterday when I received the news about one of the broken vessels I was involved in trying to be her mentor and supporting her in prayer, a couple of years ago. Shattered, rejected for another woman, robbed of her home and her daughter, her reputation. Her in-laws took her husbands side, she took refuge with her parents and we lost contact.

Now I hear that she has started a church and she is sharing the good news with people in her parents village and they are believing and filling the house. She sends her assistant to us, to learn, to receive and she goes back and shares with the new believers and they are growing.

Women... at the well.... women accused of this and that.... women who receive the calling to be evangelists and shepherds etc...... many of who do not have the standard most of the churches would demand. But they might be restored and they are heeding the call, responding with their YES. And God backs them up with signs and wonders.

Did I say I love the way the Father works here? But it challenges my boundaries. I pray I will not be somebody who would hinder anyone being obedient to their call.
Love Anna

3 Safe Modes needed

I am still after 45 years in Missions a learner and a disciple. I still need many more learning experiences. Here in a pioneer area like Ubon-Pakse there are much to learn together with the local people. In India, for many years ago, someone said to me:                                                                    

We are now working here on how to have following 3 modes in-place:

Safe Mode 1.  Prevention mode. Prevention is the act of stopping something from happening or of stopping someone from doing something:

Safe Mode 2. Equipping and discipleship mode. This is to teach the Bible, while modeling and guiding us all together toward living righteously as followers of Jesus Christ.

Safe Mode 3. Rebuilding and restoration mode. To bring life back to a former, original or normal condition.

We could put these 3 Modes on a scale like

Mode 1. Prevention

Mode 2.  Ordinary building up

Mode 3. Restoration

                                  

Yesterday came a mother to the Center with her daughter to get help at the court. She is indeed in a restore-Mode. She will come back on Monday for more assistance. Tomorrow a team will go to another place for a "restoration" work. 

This plus much more is all how children can come back to normal life again. And it takes long time and ... they need much help. It is easy to ruin a child but it is hard to restore the damages.   

Music is a very good tool for restoration. 

Let`s learn and do all 3 more and more. Ingvar

We need each other across denominational or nationality barriers.

I so much enjoy meeting the group of people who are involved in church planting in the area. 

The hunger and thirst for the word. The freedom in worship.

The team of Jom, Art, Paul and Moses are wonderful musicians and worshipers. It is so rare in this area to have skilled and anointed musicians so it is such a treat to have them serve in this group. Where most is in need of refreshing from heaven.

We started this first fellowship meeting of 2018, giving Thanks for 2017. Then also spending time to give our burdens to Jesus for the things we have failed to do or things we did wrong. Asking for forgiveness and forgiving ourselves too. We took some time to bless each other. 

I taught on forgiveness and the freedom from bitterness and the entanglement with our enemies encouraging to release them to the Lord. Freedom was already felt in the meeting, such sweet spirit. 

I had a feeling that Father was smiling as they spontaneously took each others hands around the room and sang about loving each other and being as one.

Some of the church planters are extremely lonely in their work. We are happy to serve them encourage and strengthen them. 

Today I had the news of 3 more missionary units leaving Isaan and my heart is saddened. We pray for more church planters both local and foreigners. I like to encourage all to be incorporated in a caring network to be able to endure the tough spiritual climate here. We need each other across denominational or nationality barriers. 

Love Anna  

Anna is in Ubon.

                            
Anna writes today on FB: Arrived safely to Bkk. On the shuttle bus to DMK.
So happy to be in the nation of my heart, calling and assignment again.

Arrived 19.45 Thai time - travelling 26 hours. Welcomed by our Thai family. Thank God for a good journey. Now it will be nice to hit the pillow. Tomorrow I will meet the pioneer workers in the area. A meeting I always look forward to.

Pray for Anna and the team in Ubon having the pioneer meeting tomorrow 9:00 - 12:00. I will greatly miss them all. Ingvar (Fred)