God's Provision

I will keep this blog kinda short. Well basically, this is post of how God has provided for me to go on my trip to Thailand so far. About a month ago I was kind of foolish with my money and bought someone $424 CAN in groceries (don't ask me how, because I don't even know how it got to be so much, and I was there). I know that if it doesn't cost me anything than I am not going to learn from my mistake (which wasn't giving, but giving beyond my own means (and putting their family before my own) and not allowing the other person to be dependant on God), but I was asking God for mercy, so that it didn't cost me as much as it did. So after about 3 weeks I get a phone call from work to come in and pick up my Christmas bonus package, only thing is that I have been laid off since Oct. 5th. So I come in and get my bonus package, and I am at home and I start opening everything and there are these gift cards in there. A $10 one, and then another $10 one and then another, but there is a fourth gift card and I thought that it would be another $10 gift card, but nope, it is a $100 gift card for groceries at Save-on-Foods, for a total of $130. So God gave me mercy in the form of four gift cards, so that buying the person their groceries only ending up costing me $300 CAN instead of the full amount. So praise the Lord that His merciful love endures forever, and that He is gracious enough to provide for even a wretch like me (yeah olde English).

Before I tell you this next part, you should know that I never asked anyone for a penny I jus told them I was going to Thailand. Last Friday (22nd), I was at a friend's birthday party, and someone came up to me and gave me a check for $500, then the next day (yes on Saturday) I was at church and some of the people there gave me money out of their own pocket for a total of another $100. Then yesterday (Tuesday), I got a Fed-ex from Wash. state and it was a money order for $100 US ($113 CAN), and just to make it even someone gave my a twoonie as well, to make to total $715 CAN. Now all this after not asking for a single penny and just trusting that God would provide for me (and He did, yet again). Oh taste and see that God is good!!! Oh soooo good!! Well I guess that is enough for now, so may the Lord God Jehovah bless you all in the mighty name of Jesus Christ with a deeper love and understanding of Himself and may He bless you with whatever else He wants to bless you with (the Lord does as He pleases (Psalm 135:5-7)).

John's Testimony

One night when I was at my girlfriend's house, saying bye at the door, my cell phone rang and it was John, my little brother. He wanted to know if I would come home and pray for him, so I said 'yes' and got home as quickly as safely possible. When I got ther we talked about it just to make sure that he was doing it for the right reasons. After he convinced me (which didn't really take much), I lead him in prayer and then he was back on the right path again, instantaneously. The Bible says that god takes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west, so if you know anything about math, that basically means that your sins become nonexistent; and that is as soon as you ask for forgiveness. So it was as if John had never done anything wrong as far as God is concerned (it also says that he puts our sins in His sea of forgetfulness, meaning that He will never bring it up again). So thank God for the holy blood of Jesus Christ, that this happens to us each and every time we ask for forgiveness after we have done someting wrong. So after John resumed his walk with the Lord, he went to bed and I was so excited I could hardly sleep. That is why I e-mailed most of the people that are reading this right now at 3:30 am. Then next day we got up and went to church, and I told everyone I could what the Lord had done. He has made alot of impressive changes in the last week, it is simply amazing. Like tonight for example, he offered to and actually did make me supper, which is a first and then he also blessed the food too. I was so proud of him, and I know that that may sound cheesy to you but after so many years of John being the way that he was, and now even seeing the slightest improvements, is just plain cool for an older brother to see. Anyways, that is his testimony for the time being, so I will cut it off there. God bless you all in the mighty and holy name of Jesus Christ, amen. Please also remember to keep John Schile in your prayers as he restarts his walk with the Lord, thanks a bunch and blessings on you all.

The Photos (starting from the top and progressing down): Saying 'hi' to his love, Katrina; love from afar (this was the first time John was at Katrina's House); "Siblings and Friends", (right to left) Lydia (friend), Sarah-lynn (sister), John (as himself), David (that's me!), Daniel (brother), and Duane (friend); "Brothers", John, Daniel, and me again; John and Enrique (are awesome, loving, providing and protecting step-father); John and our mom; and last but not least John and Sarah-lynn.

More about Thailand

This is just some more info about Thailand and how it all started. Well about 4-5 months ago when I was praying, I started having dreams and visions of these people that I had never met or even heard of before. I felt like I knew them and was friends with them even though I had never met them before. It also seemed like I shared in their sufferings (for lack of a better word) as well, which has never happened to me with so many people at once before. So after about 3 weeks of of these dreams and visions of these people I go to youth group one night and a guy named Paul was there giving a presentation about the Karen Hill tribe refugees in northern Thailand. About as soon as I saw the photos of the refugees and what he was speaking about I knew that these were the people that I had been dreaming about. So I continued to pray for them after this, finally knowing who I was praying for. And I guess it was less than a month later when everyone was soaking at youth that I got this really clear message that I was going to be going to Thailand in the near distant future to work with and live (foriegners aren't actually allowed to stay over night in the camps, Thai rules) with the Karen Hill tribe as much as possible. Also that I would be there for sereval months. So I kept praying into it and talked about it with many other people and God kept opening doors to enable me to go, and others have confirmed that I should go. In fact, no one so far has said anything against it, except my mother and that was only in concern to how long I was going over for. So when I finally get over there, I am not 100% sure of what excatly I am going to be doing, except I do have some contacts in Thailand and I already have my place to stay all worked out. I guess I will just have to trust God that when I get there I won't be there in vain (and that is fine by me). Well praise to God that I am given the oppurtunity to serve Him and trust Him. These are some photos of the Karen, courtesy of www.williamzhang.com/Asia/Thailand/Karen%20Hill%20Tribe%20Village.htm. Thanks for reading, and may God bless you all in Jesus name with His love, peace, joy and an increase in intimacy with Him.

First Blog

This is my very first blog, and I am just seeing how it works. Well will actually put on here some stuff about me just for no reason. I am 21 years old, live in Abbotsford, BC, Canada (I was born here too), and I am a Christian (well I try to be). On New Year's I am flying to Thailand for a missions trip for 3 months, and I will be working mostly in the Karen refugee camps in the north, with a pastor that is Thai and speaks Karen and English as well. This is a pic with my girlfriend Elisa.