Dear Friends and Family,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a restful holiday season.
Sorry for the wait, but here is my update for this past month!
DECEMBER 10 : Ministry at Arunothai
We went back to Arunothai, the Chinese village on the Thai-Burma border that we often do outreach at. We did another day of VBS for the kids at the school there and showed them what Christmas is all about: Jesus! We also provided Christmas gifts including snacks and school supplies for all the kids.
This trip was extra special because we brought MH kids who have never been before! We wanted to teach them what it is like to serve outside of MH and show them why we outreach. They were some of our high school and middle schoolers, and they were so excited for this opportunity to serve and take initiative in God's work. Even if the 4 months I have been here, I have seen them grow so much towards a heart to serve, and I thank God everyday for the opportunity to help with this mission of showing them what it means to be a follower of Christ.
DECEMBER 14-15 : I said goodbye to two MH volunteers :(
I wanted to give a special shoutout to these two special brothers in Christ whom I was able to meet and connect with here.
Ben (on the left) recently graduated college and came to serve at MH for a few months before starting work back in the states.
Frankie (on the right) goes to SBMC in Los Angeles (one of the churches that visited in October). He wants to pursue long-term missions, specifically Gospel-motivated hospitality, and is planning on moving full-time to Thailand next year.
Watching them form relationships with the kids served as a huge encouragement to me, and I grew so much from both our interactions and watching their interactions with others. I am so excited to see how God's plan continues to unfold in their lives.
DECEMBER 16-21 : We visited Hong Kong to renew our visas!
We decided to visit Hong Kong to renew our visas, due to our partnership with Harvest Mission Community Church (HMCC) in Hong Kong.
They sent a young adult team later in December (see more below). Because of this, we joined in on one of their missions trainings in preparation for their trip to Thailand. It was a great opportunity to meet the team members before they came and grow from each other's experiences.
We were also able to visit their church on Sunday, and it was such a blessing to see how people worship around the world.
Thank you again HMCC HK for your hospitality and the opportunity to fellowship with your church members! :)
DECEMBER 24-25 : CHRISTMAS!!
Right when we came back from Hong Kong, we had to finish shopping, gift-wrapping, and other Christmas preparations. While it was my first holiday season away from home, Christmas at Mango House was so special.
We had many activities planned. One of the favorites is Secret Santa, where we secretly put in gifts, letters, snacks, anything all month and then have a reveal with everyone on Christmas Eve. I loved watching the kids more excited to give to their Secret Santa than receive. We also did White Elephant, cookie decorating, a Christmas dinner, and Christmas worship. It was not only a great time to celebrate, but to also remember why we celebrate through worship and thanksgiving.
DECEMBER 25 - JANUARY 1 : HMCC HK arrived!
Shortly after we returned from Hong Kong, we then welcomed HMCC into Thailand!
Because they have brought teams before, they jumped right into work.
They lead clubs such as coding, worship, and music. Just to emphasize how God uses them to work in these kids, one of the MH kids, Chai Chai, is about to graduate high school and now wants to pursue a career in computers/technology due to this coding class!
They also consistently teach a discipleship class called ALIVE, which stands for ABIDE in Christ, LIVE by faith, IMITATE Jesus, VALUE the Kingdom, and EQUIPPED to make disciples. The goal of this class is to provide applicable tools so these kids can continue to grow in loving God and becoming disciples of Christ.
One of the verses we talked about during the LIVE by faith day was Hebrews 11:6. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
This verse emphasizes that we should not be going through the motions but have sincere works to please God and show that our faith is real. Many of the kids have taken this class before during HMCC's previous visits, but they admitted to not following through on using these important tools. I helped create a vulnerable space during the small groups to show them how these tools can help them become disciples of Christ. I saw them take initiative in not wanting to simply go through the motions anymore. Instead, they practiced these tools with a gracious heart to become more disciplined in applying these tools in their daily lives.
We also went back to the Arunothai with this team. Instead of the normal day of VBS, we wanted to take the opportunity to create an evangelistic event, where kids could bring their friends to all come worship together and learn more about Jesus.
In the morning, we had worship, a mini-sermon, and crafts. After lunch, we had a Carnival with a jumbo slide, popcorn, cotton candy, and many different activity booths where the kids could win prizes!
Our hope in this event was to help grow the ministry there by showing these kids how amazing it is to be a follower of Christ, so that they can continue to return and learn even more.
Finally, we brought in the New Year, Korean-style by playing yutnori and making tteokguk.
Life Update:
There is so much to be grateful for in 2023, which brings me to a mini life update. I have loved being here at MH, and while reflecting on what God wanted for me after this trip, I felt that He was tugging on my heart to find ways for me to make this short-term missions trip into a long-term relationship. So, while I had originally planned to leave in March/April, I am hoping to stay a bit longer now! (around June-ish). I hope that by staying, I can keep connecting and ministering to these kids, so that I can continue the relationship even more after I leave. Stay on the lookout for an official update on when I am planning on leaving.
Prayer Requests:
For the ministry at the Arunothai border: That they can continue to grow their ministry and that the kids there continue to have a heart to learn more about Jesus Christ.
For the MH kids: That they do not simply go through the motions with their faith but instead serve with sincere hearts.
For the HMCC team: That they can grow together as a church (they are going through a transition right now back in Hong Kong!) and continue to have a heart to serve outside their walls as well.
For me: That I continue to listen to God's voice telling me about the rest of my time at MH and have an open heart to accept His wisdom.
Thanks for all the emails and messages of encouragement and prayers. I love hearing from you all.😄
See you next month!
In Christ,
Bri
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