I Can Wash These Clothes!

As my family and I left Thailand to travel to Australia this past July, I realised that it was not just people in Thailand but all over the world, who sat clinging to news reports updating the progress of rescuing 12 young boys who were lost and stuck in a flooded cave in Chiang Rai.

Even in Australia, the story was being followed on every radio and television channel and it felt like, across the globe, thoughts and prayers were focused on bringing those boys out to safety.

During the cave rescue mission, sadness and shock set in whenthe news came that Petty Officer Saman Gunan, former Thai navy diver, lost consciousness on his way out of the Tham Luang cave and died. He will be forever remembered and honored for his heroic efforts in the rescue mission.

There were many other heroes too, who the world may not remember or even know their names but who, behind the scenes, did their “one thing” to help. 

Rawinmart Luelert is a name you might not recognize. I stumbled upon her story quite by chance. Rawinmart has a factory with 14 washing machines and 15 dryers, and a business, which provides laundry services for hotels in her area. When her friend showed her photos of the rescue workers wearing dirty uniforms, she knew there was a way that she could help. Collecting the uniforms of rescue workers every night at 9pm, she gathered a team and worked for 10 straight days, returning the uniforms at 4am after cleaning them at her laundry.  

She shared her appreciation for her employees, volunteers, and friends who helped her work through the night to get the job done. One man, Suwan Kankeaw, who helped to wash the uniforms of the US Navy divers said,

“I don’t have the ability to 

get the kids out directly, 

but what I can do is 

wash these clothes.”

As I read about Rawinmart and Suwan’s stories along with other volunteers who for 12 days prepared 400 boxes of food for lunch and dinner each day… Or who provided foot massages or haircuts for the rescue team… the stories of these people stuck in my mind.

Recently at ZOE, the Next Gen team, who lead our children and youth, carefully planned their camp theme along the lines of “Out of the Darkness”. It paralleled the events surrounding the flooded cave rescue with the message of God’s love and His plan to bring us into His marvelous light. 

There were some powerful testimonies of children who chose to follow Jesus for the first time and others who recommitted to live out their faith boldly.  

At ZOE, not all of us directly rescue children from slavery. There are so many people working in many different teams with a range of tasks, but each of us has an area that we use our skills in to support the work of rescue and make a difference. 

Just like Suwan, who knew he wasn’t the one to get the boys out directly, we can take encouragement from him and so many of the other lesser-known heroes, by discovering what we CAN do – and then making a difference!

The Power of Three

Have you got a favourite number? 

I don't really. 

For some reason though, the number 3 seems to come up a lot. 

I am one of three children. 

I have three children. 

And, strangely I often find myself at the supermarket subconsciously buying things in threes. 

Of course, for people with a Christian faith, the number 3 has significance. God being three in one (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
Peter denying Jesus three times (Luke 22:54-62). Jesus asking Peter three times if he loves him (John 21:15-17).

That is just to mention a few examples from the 467 times the number 3 is mentioned in the Bible!

When I recently heard a song by Hillsong, Young & Free from their newest album - named Three, the words of the song impacted me greatly and I was, once again, reminded how this significant number is in my life.

  

Maybe you know the old song, 'Jesus Loves Me'. 

Jesus loves me this I know, 

For the Bible tells me so. 

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak but He is strong.

For me, its one of those of songs that feels like it's been a part of my life since before I can even remember. And as a parent, I can recall bed times when my children were much smaller - times when I had no words of comfort left of my own and all I could do was to stroke their hair gently and sing those lyrics quietly over them.   

Those beautiful words first appeared as a poem in the context of an 1860 novel, spoken as a comforting poem to a dying child, but the tune was added in 1862. After publication as a song it became one of the most popular Christian hymns in churches around the world, especially among children.

And now, this new version of the song is bringing fresh reminders for our family of those comforting and life-changing truths, speaking life and love into our lives during both the best and worst of days.

 

Jesus Loves Me

Hillsong Young & Free

It was just three words

But it changed my life

Just a childlike truth

That consumed my mind

From my life's first breath

Till the day I rise

All I need to know

Is this age old line

Jesus loves me this I know

Jesus loves me this I know

I won't forget the Bible says

That He loves me so

It was just three nails

That held Him on that cross

But God was not restrained

For He was there by choice

As He gave His life

For a world He loved

So the earth replied

In this age old song

Jesus loves me this I know

Jesus loves me this I know

I won't forget the Bible says

That He loves me so

It was just three days

But it changed our world

For when there seemed no way

From the grave He rose

Jesus loves me this I know

Jesus loves me this I know

I won't forget the Bible says

That He loves me so

As a parent, I have days when I feel like most of my conversations with my children involve, "You need to change that...", "More of this...", "Less of that...", "Don't do that...", "Do this..."

But at the end of the day when my advice, warnings, recommendations, commands and instructions are left ringing in their ears - all I really want my children to know is one thing... that I love them. 

When they're all grown up, more than anything else I want them to reflect back and know that they were loved. More than helping them with homework, more than baking yummy treats, more than the toys and clothes I bought them, more than the lectures, more than the acts of service, words of encouragement and physical affection... my heart cries out, "I love you!"

Three words.

I think that's what so special about this old song is that those three simple words sum everything else up, "Jesus Loves Me".

Maybe for some people, this message may be hard to accept. For some, it may seem inconceivable or unbelievable.

And if that's you... would you test it out this week? 

Simply, ask Jesus to show you His love.

It could be life changing... I know it has been for me. 

The power of three!

Read more here: https://www.kansascity.com/living/religion/article1319649.html?x_cw_context_provider=safari#storylink=cpy

As 2016 'caves' in...

Have you just walked through the greatest year of your life? Like an open field of daisies planted in soft green grass, fresh air, dew drops glistening on petals and birds chirping in the trees? 

Or maybe it was more like a deep dark cave with dangerous twists and turns, slippery surfaces, damp musty smells and little-to-no light to guide your path?

Our family recently went on a mini road trip to the Chiang Dao Caves. After proceeding into the caves we were faced with a decision. There was a short track with open spaces and lighting that you could easily walk along, or a more adventurous path that involved exploring an unlit part of the caves and a much longer trek. We would have to hire a guide, carrying an old-fashioned kerosene lantern to go with us on the more dangerous path, but we were all keen for an adventure so we picked the harder option and set off excitedly.

The kids followed along right behind the guide and I ended up at the back trying to capture memories and take pictures on my phone. What I soon realised though was that the further I lingered behind, the less I could see. Each time I tried to take a shot, that few seconds that I stopped, meant that the light from the lantern would disappear and I was left in complete darkness. As I tried to catch up with everyone else, I stumbled and strained to see where to put my feet and where to duck my head down and not a hit stalactite but it was extremely difficult outside of the circumference of the lantern's light. Pretty soon, I learnt that I had to stay close by the guide and in the light for my own safety!

I couldn't help but reflect, as I stumbled along at the back, at how much it was so much the reflection of life.

I was reminded of one of the first Bible verses that I had learnt as a child. Psalm 119:105, Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Inside the cave, without the lamp for our feet and the light for the path, we would've been in a lot of danger. Danger of slipping, falling down a hole, hitting our heads or going the wrong way. It was a good reminder to me that it is in the same in life. 

It also made me think how in life there is real darkness. When I get to hear news reports, I often wish I hadn't. They are just so devastating and sad. How can humans treat each other with such hate and evil intentions? If we just sat and listened to the news all day, I'm sure there would be feelings of hopelessness that would hang over us, dark clouds of despair.

But if we think about God being the light, all that is good and perfect and... real love. To keep ourselves from being caught up in the world's despair and devastated by hopelessness, we need to stay close to the source of light. We can find hope... even in the darkness. We must draw near to the source and stay close by the light.

As we head into another year ahead, I pray that whether 2016 was like a field of daisies or the darkest of caves, that you and I would know where to find 'the light'. That we would know that 'the light' is there for our benefit, our safety and to give us hope in the darkest of times. May we not be too self sufficient this year that we forget our need for 'the light' or walk with too much distance from it.

I also pray that in 2017 we can keep on the right track.  That we would have endurance to stay the course and not be easily distracted by other things that would draw us away from 'the light'. May we also reflect the light, the peace and the hope that the world so desperately needs.

Happy New Year from the Cross Family!

YOU!

Well, firstly a belated Happy Australia Day to our friends and family down under.  We had a great day celebrating in our local park with lots of Aussies this year which was fun.  We all pooled our "Australian food stock" and managed quite a nice spread including Tim Tams (and Tim Tam ice-cream), Vegemite sandwiches, lamingtons, Milo bars, Barbecue Shapes as well as some delicious local Thai food too.

It's been so wonderful having Tammy staying with us.  She even minded our children overnight so that we could get away for a night and celebrate an early wedding anniversary.

This week she will finish her intensive Thai language course and work with Dave and I on some ZOE Foundation Australia planning projects.

Recently, ZOE hosted a team from Rockford First Church in America.  These guys were so energetic and fun.  It was a pleasure to have them here.  Their warmth, generosity and sense of humor will be surely be remembered.

I hit a bit of a low yesterday after teaching my ten o'clock English class.  Bogged down by the enormity of just what some of my students have been through coupled with a deep yearning to connect with them and show them God's amazing love through my life and actions.

This song "YOU" by Hillsong really spoke to me today:

Invading all my weakness 

You wrapped me up in grace 

The worst of me succeeded by the best of You 

My heart is overtaken

My soul is overwhelmed 

The worst of me succeeded by the best of You 

My dreams have found their purpose 

My future in Your hands 

This life would have no meaning if it weren't for You 

Lord make my life transparent 

Your life in mine displayed 

And let every earthly glory 

Go back to You

And so I pick myself up and I remember that it's all about Him and not about me.  Any little thing I can do is only through His power.

As His servant, my job is to continually and diligently be in prayer and obedience, remembering, that it is God who breaks the chains.  

Please join me in praying this week.  Sometimes all we can do is to fall down on our knees with overwhelming conviction that we have no where else to go.  That our efforts, whilst important, feel so inadequate in comparison to the problem.

When we feel overwhelmed and we just don’t know what else to do, we can join in prayer on behalf of those who suffer. 

Together, we will make a difference.

Update on Spencer's Elbow

Last post we asked:
*Please pray with us for Spencer's arm to heal properly.  The doctor  will x-ray the elbow on Tuesday night and let us know whether it is healing correctly or whether a pin needs to be surgically inserted (we are believing this won't be necessary).  It's been very difficult to keep him from jumping and running around in his usual manner!!

Well praise God!  The x-ray on Tuesday showed that the bone is healing really nicely.  Spencer had the full plaster cast put on to which he lay there cracking jokes and amusing the medical staff (a pleasant change to a week ago).
He'll have another x-ray this Tuesday and will probably need the plaster on for another three weeks.  Thanks so much for your prayers.  God is good!

Then Wednesday morning I was back up at the hospital waiting to see a different doctor.  Poor Tobi got food poisoning on the weekend and was showing very slow signs of any improvement.  After seeing a wonderful doctor who prescribed him just the right medications, he was a different boy within 24 hours.  And was back at school on Thursday.

As you can see here, by Friday night, both boys were back in the game, full of energy and taking each other on in a semi-friendly game of soccer.  
It's so nice to have them both able to run around again.

Oh and lastly, during Chapel on Friday at the school/ preschool Eliana and Spencer attend (the preschoolers, Grade 1 and 2 get together each Friday morning for half an hour or so) Spencer won the Star Student Award!  He was so chuffed and I think I may've even wiped a tiny little tear from one eye.

An Answered Prayer

I remember listening to the school counselor explain how every time he’s moved to a different international school, students always ask one question early in the opening conversation and that is, “How long are you here for?”

I can see now after living here for over two years how insecure thoughts like, I’m not going to trust you/ spend time with you/ invest in you or let you in to my life can easily arise when defenses go up and worries creep in that someone might only 'share life' with us temporarily.

It’s hard to love and open your heart to someone who you know won’t be around for very long.

And there lies one of the challenges of living in a transient community.

I prayed a pray a while ago {okay many prayers} for some more friends.

I have a lot of friends in Australia- like really really good ones.  But those friendships have developed over many years.

Some of my friends I have known since primary school and it didn’t take me long to figure out that you don’t just “make” friends like that overnight.

And so, last August, just as my lovely friend Jessica was heading back to the States for two months, God sent me another friend.  

In walked Kaylee Wolf all fresh faced and bubbly from sunny California and I was so thankful when we instantly got along.

 There was just one catch… she was only staying for one year!

And it would have been easy to keep her at arms length.

To protect my heart.

Knowing that in August 2012, this friend that I’d made would be leaving.

But instead I chose to enjoy.

To be grateful.

To laugh.

To share.

To open up.

To risk the heartache of saying ‘see you later’, not ever knowing if or when “later” would ever be.

And selfishly I don’t want her to go.

But I know that she’s listening to God.  And I know she will always follow what He tells her to do.  Just like when she packed up and left home to come to Thailand.

And above all else I’m so glad that she opened up her heart and her life to me.   I feel privileged to have met her.

And, oh, so very grateful for the richness of her friendship over the past 12 months.

I’ll never forget…

When she came to keep me company while Dave was staying in a village and our conversations at 3am quickly turned to muffled screams as we tried to fend off the biggest cockroach we’d both ever seen.

How she became my 6am walking partner for many months protecting me from stray dogs by carrying pepper spray on a key chain.

Her teaching me how to make chai yen (Thai cold tea) and spoiling our family with her delectable chocolate chip cookies that she’d baked.

Her shared love of coffee and shopping and planning parties.

Our trip to Bangkok.  For the adventure it was and the emotional challenge we both faced after visiting the slum.

The bible study we took at the local café and the discussions we had around the topic.

Swimming, bowling, teaching English together, the driving lessons, having a pedicure, eating rotis, sharing Thanksgiving recipes and the funny times we had out and about in Chiangmai getting lost and mostly-

Sharing a lot of laughs!!

I’ll always remember Kaylee as a real girly-girl.  She fitted in perfectly at Eliana’s Fancy Nancy party.  She LOVES flowers, glitter, bling, dressing up, painting her nails and all things sparkly.

Thanks Kaylee.  It’s been so great having you in my life- worth it even just to have you close by for a year and you were most definitely an answer to my prayer!

You’ll be missed. x  

That Wasn't Meant To Happen!

Have you ever had anyone tell you that everything will be okay?

Perhaps that God has a plan for your life?

It’s easy to agree with this when we actually like the plan, right? 
But what happens when the plan isn’t going quite how we expected it to?


I have just finished reading the book, 'Raising a Soul Surfer' written by Cheri Hamilton whose surfing daughter Bethany Hamiliton lost her arm in a shark attack.


I am also reflecting on the life of a graduate student and previous employee of ZOE named Mimi, who with his young wife had his whole life before him and then suddenly became ill and passed away right before our eyes last week.


Maybe your plan involved having children and it never came to be.
Maybe a certain job just never quite worked out.
Or a friendship, a family relationship or marriage ended up in tatters, broken and seemingly non-repairable.  
We are led to face a difficult but undeniable reality. Sometimes God’s plan is different from what we expected.  So what happens then?

What do we do when God doesn’t answer our prayer in the way we wanted him to? How do we keep hope alive when life itself seems to be heading in the wrong direction? What if all we own is suddenly snatched away, if everything that's familiar to us is removed, if our friends desert us, if our job is gone, if we no longer have our health or if death takes away those whom we love the most.   And these things do happen ... to people ... everyday. 

Well, as a Christian one thing that I know about God is that he is a trans-generational God whose purposes span the centuries.
He does not work on the same 'time' that we do or limit himself to our tiny minds trying to understand what he intends to do.  We may not be able to see through our current troubles or fully understand why He has allowed something to happen and sometimes we may not even fully understand in ten or even twenty years from now. Because God is God, he doesn’t work on our timetable, and he doesn’t obligate himself to explain his purposes in advance.

No matter how long I wrestle with these tough questions, I think there is some truth in these three things:

(1) Life is like a tapestry by Michael Hyatt
Life is like a tapestry.  As it unfolds in real time, it’s like viewing the backside of a tapestry. It appears to be nothing more than a jumble of thread—tangled, frayed, occasionally knotted, and seemingly random. Nothing really makes sense. It’s no wonder people lose heart, give up, and abandon their commitments.

But things are not always what they seem. It’s only when you turn a tapestry over that you see the art: the rich colors, the texture, and the patterns that can make a tapestry a thing of astonishing beauty.

Likewise, occasionally God gives us a glimpse at what He is weaving into the fabric of our lives. That momentary peek at glory gives us the courage to soldier on, knowing that nothing happens by accident. No thread of experience—good or bad—is wasted. When it appears to be that way, we just have to remind ourselves that we are simply looking at the backside of a tapestry. And the One weaving it together, knows precisely what He is doing.

(2)  With or without hope by Ray Pritchard (paraphrased)
If we focus on our current troubles, we are likely to be discouraged, disheartened, confused, angry, frustrated and depressed. Many people have done exactly that. They have pondered their own suffering and the pain of the world around them, and that has caused them to give up their faith.

We all hurt every day. No one is immune from the sufferings of humanity. 

 There is no respite from the pain and suffering of this world. But on a daily basis, either you live with hope or you don’t.  

When we hurt, we have two choices:

We can hurt with God,
Or we can hurt without God.

There will be times when we can’t read the Bible. Sometimes we won’t be able to focus our thoughts on God at all. Often we will not even be able to pray. But in those moments when we can’t do anything else, we can still trust in the loving purposes of our heavenly Father.


(3) My hopes and dreams were too small for God by Cheri Hamilton
Before the [shark] attack, I had so many plans for my future and dreams of how my daughter's amazing talents could affect the surfing community.  But my hopes and dreams were too small for God.  He always had much grander plans.  Now I am sitting in a movie theatre knowing that our story would go out and reach people who maybe have never even seen an ocean.  My plans were way too small.  It took a tragedy to shatter them and recast them into God's plans.  Bethany's story of faith will be seen in faraway places where she may never get to visit herself... it will go to people and places that would never have heard of Bethany if she had merely become the world champion of women's surfing.
When our plans unravel, when the fear and the tears of tragedy collapse our safe and petty world, we can only turn to God who works all things for good to those who love Him.   The frayed fabric of our pain becomes a work of beauty in His hands.


(Back to me now)
And finally I am reminded of the story of Job that despite his immense loss he says, 

The LORD giveth and the LORD taketh away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.

And so I choose to see life as the tapestry... not yet fully revealed, to understand that even through painful experiences that I can accept God's comfort and not have to 'do it' alone and thirdly, I can live knowing that God's plan for my life is so much better than what I could try to plan on my own.

My hope is that if you are going through a struggle at the moment, that you can find some comfort in the words in this post.

If you have a story that has helped you move through pain or difficulty, I would love for you to share it. Leave a comment below!

A Prayer

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient.” Abraham Lincoln 

January 11th, was Human Trafficking Awareness Day.  Many people all over the world made pledges to re-abolish slavery and bring attention to the fact that human trafficking remains a serious problem world-wide.

According to www.change.org, "Slavery is more affordable, more widespread and more entrenched in 2011 than it was in ancient Rome or the antebellum South of America. Modern-day slaves, also called human trafficking victims, can be male or female, from any country or representing any ethnicity."

Human trafficking is a multibillion-dollar industry worldwide.

The worst rates of the problem are in Asia, where the U.N. Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking estimates that more than 50 percent of slavery victims are found. The State Department says that in Asia, there are three human trafficking victims for every 1,000 people -- three times the rates elsewhere. 

... if you do nothing else this week, please... join with me in a prayer.  

Sometimes all we can do is to fall down on our knees with overwhelming conviction that we have no where else to go. 

That our efforts, whilst important, feel so inadequate in comparison to the problem. 

When we feel overwhelmed and we just don’t know what else to do, we can join in prayer on behalf of those who suffer.  Together, we will make a difference.

Please join me in praying for the following:

Poverty

• Pray that those living in situations of poverty will be able to procure a sustainable income, without having to accept offers which look helpful but secretly involve trafficking.
• Pray for governments having the responsibility of making decisions which have the power to increase or alleviate poverty in their country.
• Pray for children in families where there are few resources. Pray that they will be protected from the lure of traffickers

Greed

• Pray for those who seek to make money out of the trade of people. Pray that God will open their eyes to convict them that this is sinful.
• Pray for those who operate or control networks of traffickers. Pray for exposure and an end to their schemes.
• Pray that decisions made by governments will be based on justice and equality rather than greed and financial implication.

Demand

• Pray that the demand for human trafficking will diminish and dry up.
• Pray for the demand for sex workers to end, and that this will stop people being trafficked into sexual exploitation.

[Prayer: Salvation Army, Ireland and UK web site]

Photographer: Mike Thompson, Sanctuary Haven short-term team 2010

"Evil prevails when good people do nothing."

Burmese Refugees Fleeing to Thailand after Violent Clashes

I don’t know how much news you get back home about what is happening in Burma.  It’s hard to comprehend that civil war can go on for such a long period of time that it just become part of every day life. 

Can you imagine a civil war that began in 1948…..and continues today.?  It was happening before I was born, and before my mother was born! 

The political climate and policies of our neighboring countries has a significant impact on the work we are doing here with human trafficking. 

There are a number of elements that make people easier prey for human traffickers.  Poverty and drugs are two of them, but there are two other major factors: war and illegal immigration. 

War forces people into situations that separate them from family, reduces their ability to earn income, destroys farm land, houses and livelihoods.  

Some reports estimate that 250,000 people have fled from Burma and now reside in Northern Thailand.   

The estimated total number of illegal immigrant in Thailand is 500,000.   They are people just like you and I, except they were born into a political climate that sees them grow up consumed in a civil war they didn’t start. 

I won’t write more on the political climate, however there is plenty of news articles on the situation in Burma that you can read online. 

 

In the past two days 20,000 people have fled to Thailand!

Tobiah’s school (Grace International) organized to take blankets and clothes to assist  these displaced people.  This morning before school. Tobi got out a few t-shirts and added them to the pile of Andie and my clothes and we delivered them to his school this morning.  

It’s such a small thing to do! It really feels like it is not nearly enough to give a bag of clothes to help 20,000 people.   

I can’t possible comprehend the situation these people are faced with, let alone explain it to Tobi.   So I just simply said to him that some people needed help and asked was he willing to give some clothes of his to some people that didn’t have any or just needed some assistance?

I am so proud of Tobi.  He sure has difficulty sharing many items in our home!  Many times he thinks he is the centre of the word (as young children often do) but today he showed kindness and compassion.  He willingly gave something of his to someone he doesn’t even know, just because they needed help.   

Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers, 

Dave

PS  I encourage you to read up on the situation in Burma. 

 

Photos from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2010/nov/09/refugees-burma-election-violence-thailand-video