Encouragment from good friends

We are so thankful for all our friends. And... we have maaaany. Two of them are Christopher and Britta. They are truly inspiring us. Today Christopher wrote some very good word on his fb;

For some older missionaries and field ministers who have been advised by "well-meaning people" that they must retire:

                    If your body is well, 

                    if your mind is sharp and clear, 

                    if you can still hear from God, 

                    if your church is still growing, 

                    if people are still getting Saved and Healed, 

                    if your ministry is still fruitful, 

then you must keep on preaching the Word of God. The Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable. Spending the rest of your days doing nothing is not an option. You may resign from your pastorate to hand the church over to a younger man, but be there speaking and preaching wisdom to the next generation. 

For Missionaries, Evangelists, and Field Ministers, we will preach until we die with our boots on.

Keep on Believing God for Divine Health and strength in mind and body. Stay in the Word and in Prayer. Keep on fulfilling your Destiny! 

Thank you so much Brother for these words.

Our learning experience is that pioneer areas like Ubon-Pakse needs spiritual parents and spiritual grandparents. Welcome to join.

Prov. 11:14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Interns

We have been blessed to have Paul as intern with us for 1 year and 5 months and Chon  as intern for 1 year. Missing them, but also praying for them now as Chon has gone to complete Bibelschool in Chiang Mai and Paul to work.

An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time.

To have Interns, volunteers and other kinds of short-termers is both a blessing and a challenge. We are open for other Interns to come to us, in right time.
                              

THANK YOU both Chon and Paul for your Internship time with us. And we are praying you, one day, will come back and serve God and the people of Isaan.   

Our team in Ubon-Pakse up to last week. Some fulltime som part time.

We are praising God for them all. Fred

Where is my heart?

We people can try to solve problems by fleeing. But this “Conflict Solving” method will only make us to run the whole life. In Member Care we ask: 

                How can we help people who do not live in contact with their own heart? 

                                     They are here, but their hearts are "in another world".

                            

What happens when we start fleeing:

1. We will lose our Will-Power. The Problems becomes our masters.

2. We will lose our love for the local people, lose the grace and all our complaint will take over. I will complain about employees, the boss, the traffic, the MC noise, the food, etc. I cannot find the rest in who I am, what I do and Gods leading. So I believe my only solution is to flee again. But to where?

"For God so loved the world that he gave Jesus..." to us. Into our hearts. Thank you, God, that your Fathers heart will help our hearts to be active, here and now. I can make a difference. I work in harmony with myself, with God Himself, and I get God's love for the people.   

                                                                                                                                                                                              

A woman who moved here to Ubon told the other day:

I have always seen giving to others, as a loss.

Now I can give and experience joy and blessing in giving.

                                               

How can we have effective Member Care these days? We have projects, counselling, an open Church and grace with people who struggle. But perhaps the most important thing is that I myself have my Father's heart in my heart ... down here with the people. God help me.

Ingvar (Fred)

Come down to us!

Just feel that I have to write, to get some things off my chest! 

One of our subjects that Ingvar and I are discussing and analysing much these days: “Let`s go down to people, where they are”. We are tired of all superstructures that are not in contact with the local people. Nice institutions, nice programs and “papers” up there, or plans that does not involve the cries of the grassroots .

Here in Isaan and southern Laos the “common people” are struggling. The little once, the vulnerable, the one who does not have food on the table or those lost in some market places. I could write a whole book on how the people here are crying out: God help me! 

Right now, the children and teenagers are going into summer holidays. Parents (mostly outside Ubon city) are not here and the grandparents wants the children/teens to go and work for 2 months and preferably to Bangkok.

But there is hope. We see awareness is helping children, parents, grandchildren, teachers etc. to start looking for help and helping each other.   

“And the common people heard Jesus gladly”. (Mark 12:37). 

Let us follow Jesus…… down to the people who feel forgotten or rejected. This means life for them.

With Love Anna

Training leaders.

Last Wednesday we had a very good monthly Pioneer workers meeting. The subject was Encouragement in the local church. We were all encouraged. Also we heard the question: What do you have in your hand?

To be a leader in Isaan and in south Laos is not easy. Many are struggling. There are many children and old people to take care of.   

We are all leaders in different capacity. To my understanding there are two main groups of Leaders….everywhere:

Type 2. Leaders. The leaders up there trying to make formulas, systems, laws and they take good decisions so the people down here can live in peace. The main challenge for these leaders is how to overcome other leaders By the help of ordinary people they can stay in power… up there.

Type 1. Leaders. The leader building up from below living with the ordinary people.

Thes leaders have an open heart serving the ordinary people and together with them go up together. Lifting up the weak. 

Jesus shows how to come down, be humble and be a servant leader. He was a true Type 1. Leader. 

"God help us all to lift up other".

Thank you for your participation. We are happy for all that was done 2018 here in Ubon-Pakse. Now the Book Keeing for 2018 is gone to the Auditor. Anna and Amporn has done a wonderful book keeping work. 

 

Have a good Sunday. Ingvar(Fred)

The local Church a Blessing

My life-learning-experience is that my Sundays becomes a greater blessing if I also spend time worshipping with the local believers in a local Church. I was blessed today in The Streams of Grace, the 2 months baby-Church here in Ubon.

I am 100% sure that the local Fellowship you choose today will be a blessing for you.

Sometimes (due to language) I don’t understand the whole preaching, but God always shows up and speak straight to me.

Ingvar(Fred)

Why so many turnes?

A river winds its way through the landscape and doesn't take any straight shortcuts to reach the sea. Yesterday I asked this very “deep” question: Why is it so?

Yes the reason is that the water always flows down to the lowest level. And when it has filled the lowest "space" it runs on to the next lower level .... and after some days or weeks, it reaches the sea. 

Yesterday, this became a "rhema" for me. God's living water, the river of life, always first flows to those at the lowest level. Fills them, takes a new turn and fills other people who are "struggling" down there.

Sometimes I stand at a river and think. Why doesn't it run out of water? No, because when the water reaches the sea, it again raises high up into the sky, it is brought to high altitudes where it again begins to fall downwards and again first fill the lowest "space".

God never gives up with people…. at the lowest level. And Jesus as the River of Life is calling us: Follow me!

I am happy to be filled with God's presence up there on the high places. Then in God's presence we can together go to those who are at the bottom and we can bless them?

                

We humans strive to build as straight and fast roads as possible from A to B. 

But God builds rivers that takes many big turns.

                          

This became a clear Rhema for me yesterday. Ingvar (Fred)