Sleepless night in Chiangmai.

It's past 1 a.m. in Chiangmai, Thailand. I'm lying on a mattress, the fan is cooling me down and as I'm listening to music I'm trying hard to fall asleep. I give up. I'm still jet laged. So I figured I could use this time effectively and give a brief update or share a thought.

The trip here from South Africa took approximately 36 hours. Out of that time I slept too little, ate too much, didn't brush my teeth once (for your information) and had a lot of time to process and think. This is one of my many thoughts. 

As we we're sitting on the 10 hour bus drive through Thailand, drinking butterfly pea drink (I'm still not sure what that is) we passed countless shrines and temples. I thought about how people are seeking for truth, purpose and reality. People are seeking for that one thing to fill the hole in their hearts. 

Countries differ from each other, each people group is special and each individual unique but we are all in need of the same thing. That thing that will fill the hole. I tried to fill my own hole with alcohol, weed, people, travels and experiences. I seeked the world but its not a destination or experience that could ever fulfill me. 

The hole is a separation of the very thing I was created for. Created to be in unity with love Himself. Only God can fill that hole. Only God can make me whole. That's what Jesus came to restore. 

With this outreach my prayer is that God would use us to reach those hearts who are seeking. That we could somehow reflect who He is and show His love for His children. That broken hearts would be restored and become whole. That's my line of thought.
I really need to sleep now. Goodnight all.

From Africa to Asia.

A new phase, a new era, a new season in life. Soon, this place in this time with these people, will just be memories. It will be memories that have transformed, shaped and changed me. Memories that I will carry with me through the rest of my life. It might sound melancholic, but I remind myself that more and greater memories are waiting to be created. I KNOW more and greater memories are waiting to be created.

This weekend will be full of packing, cleaning and preparing for outreach. Two of the teams will be leaving on Sunday and our team will head into Thailand on Wednesday. There we will be for 3 weeks, and then we will head into the Philippines. 

I feel blessed to be with this team, with the people put together for this next journey. For 10 weeks we will go into different places in Asia, meet new cultures, lots of people, work with exciting ministries, learn new things, share and help in every way we can. Blessed to be a blessing is what it is. 

I will do my best, at what I might do worst, in keeping this blog updated. I really do want to share what God is doing in us and through us in the following two months. Exciting times are ahead...

/e.

A little rhyme or reason.

All it takes is an hour. But the hours turn into days. The days into weeks.  Three weeks later I now give you an update. During this time we've talked about missions/laying down our rights, relationships and hearing God's voice. 

Let me try to summarize through a rhyme.

Laying down my rights to comfort, safety and own desire.

This life I dedicate to the one I love.

I pray that nothing will quench this fire.

I used to live a life satisfying to my own flesh.

Earning money so I could spend it on myself.

Finally I realized that He is the one that knows best.

I give it up, I give it all to the one I love

It's not forced, manipulated or sad

It brings me life. 

Created in my fathers image, created as a relational being.

I've learned to appreciate my family and friends

But love is more than just a feeling.

It's easy to love when I rejoice

But when someone's pushing my buttons

Love becomes a choice.

Everyday I want to choose to love.

Everyday I need to be humbled.

Everyday I choose the one I love.

I can pray for the sick and feed the homeless

Yes I can do very good deeds

But without love it's absolutely pointless!

Listen child, listen to His voice

Just stop and listen

He calls you by choice.

From sins I've been set free

So that we can do life together

He wants to partner with me.

Sometimes He may seem silent in the middle of a storm

But I must never forget 

That the one I love, loves me even more.