Yes I'm really home!

Many of you may have wondered if I actually made it back or if I was taken hostage and was being held at gunpoint, but I am happy to report none of the like has happened. I have been held hostage, but only by my own crazy summer schedule. Alas, I digress...

I wanted to "end " this blog on a brief recap of my experiences while in Thailand and what all God did through me and to me. This truly is the brief part, I have a 40 page journal that if anyone is interested in reading, you may contact me.

Two years ago I was exactly where many of you are...knowing the Great Commission, knowing He told us to go, but being scared out of my beejeebee's to actually do it. In my mind, going on a mission trip was either going to some place like Africa and living in a hut for two weeks eating who knows what and simply going up to people and telling them about Jesus OR going just because I felt pressured into it OR going because it "sounded like fun." However, last year when I turned 40 I wanted to do something significant at at our Global Missions Banquet I got one of my first taps on the shoulder from God that it was time to step up and accept the challenge, knowing He would be with me. I didn't know what that meant, but I was open and willing to do whatever He wanted me to do.

Many different things happened over the course of the next few months and at our "You're a Doll" banquet last year when we collected scrapbook supplies for a "mission trip" it smacked me right in the face...Hello! Scrapbooking! Mission Trip! This was something I could do! I didn't know any details of the trip except that it was scrapbooking and Thailand, but I knew He wanted me to go. Well, long story short (if that is possible with me!) because I was faithful despite the many roadblocks Satan threw in my way, my life will never be the same. I want to take a few minutes here to share some of the experiences I had.

The first one was Easter morning in Singapore. The host church had set up a huge tent on the beach and it was full and overflowing. I believe there were two churches that went in together for this, but it was open to whoever was walking by. It was a two-language service, done in English and Mandarin Chinese. The worship -- singing, praying, dancing, etc -- lasted about an hour and it was just amazing! There were no time limits or constraints or lunch plans to worry about and it just felt so free! God was so present there! (Not that He can't be in the time limits and constraints too....) I was really struggling again with so many things ~ my weight, outward appearances, worthiness on the trip so far, pressure of what kind of pictures to take when I just wanted to worship, etc. But God met me there -- I got on my hands and face in the sand and just prayed and prayed and prayed to be free ~ to be released from all of it. I just cannot even describe what it was like ~ so surreal! When I felt like I had prayed enough, I got up and stood for a while, then went back to my chair. All this time people were singing, dancing, music playing, etc. Not five minutes later Angela came up to me and put her arm around me and said (with strong conviction) "You are stunning! You are so beautiful to God!" Wow! Here I am struggling with those very issues and she comes up to me and tells me that! So powerful...I have never experienced something like that before.

The next amazing thing God did happened on Wednesday after our one-day event in Thailand. We also did a scrapbook workshop there with many non-English speaking ladies. I was nervous as a dog about it, but God just so provided so many things in that 90 minutes I almost had to laugh my head off. After the session was over it was quite funny because all the girls who did the scrapbook session were jabbering to the others and showing off their layouts. Everyone was like, "Wow, Melissa, it looks like your session was a big hit...it was the bomb!..." etc. That is totally opposite of how I was feeling, because I struggled so with "But we didn't event talk about Jesus. How could my little scrapbook thing be pleasing to God?" So I went to the bathroom and all these destructive thoughts were just pouring into my head. Well, I just remembered what David had shared that morning in team devotions and I said, "NO! I am a DAUGHTER OF THE KING!" And it was so freeing to not feel bad about not talking about Jesus or any other "religious" thing I thought I should be doing! They just needed the fun part too!

We had three different events over the course of the two weeks, but the "big one" was a 3 day event for missionary women and it was such an incredible experience that I am not sure I may ever have words for. During that event Mendy and I held a workshop on scrapbooking and those ladies just ate it up. They never, never, never get to just hang out and scrapbook and they had the time of their lives for that short hour and a half. None of them wanted to leave when it was over. They got to visit with other ladies, get a few pages done in a little book we had put together for them, and got tons and tons of free stuff. Over and over I heard, "I can keep this? I can keep this? You'll really give this to me? This is just like Christmas morning!" It just thrilled my heart to be able to do that for them. They are the ones out in the field and to think that I could do one small thing to make them happy just overwhelmed me.

After the evening session on Friday, we had a Hospitality Room where the ladies could come for snacks and more talking with each other. We purposely bought snacks that they rarely would, things like cookies, chips, Goldfish, Cheetos, dip, granola bars, soda, etc. When they came down and saw all that spread they nearly fainted. One lady I overheard said, "My child would die if he knew I had a Cheetos in my hand." POW! That really knocked me between the eyes. Yes, we don't eat Cheetos all that often, but when they are on sale at Kroger I don't mind buying them because they are cheap. I will never be able to eat Cheetos again for a long, long time. The Goldfish were also a big hit, but ladies sneaking some back for their kids! And we get them for $1 a bag! My heart was just breaking for these ladies and their families. It made me want to get all their addresses and mail them some every month! I mean, here I am in my comfy Spring Hill address, able to worship freely without fear, buy most everything I want, wash my clothes and dishes in machines, and buy Cheetos and Goldfish without even thinking about it! Here they are, following the Lord's commands, making sacrifices at every turn, and they can't even get Cheetos? It was huge to me to chew on that, no pun intended!

But, as many of you know, and have often heard, going on a mission trip is not just about what you do for Jesus, but also what He does for you. Sometimes I wonder if I even did anything for Him while there and I truly think the whole reason I went was because of what He needed to do to me. During the course of the trip I learned so many lessons, so many truths, was stretched way out of my comfort zone, and took a huge step to being freed from a stronghold that has held me for over 20 years! That alone was worth every penny I spent and every grief I endured to go. I truly, truly was changed forever from one mission trip and now I can't wait to go on another one, to see what else God has for me!

Last words before we leave....

Well, my friends, here we are on the eve of the most exciting thing ever to happen to me. Not even childbirth or the night before we found out what sex of our last child was or the Christmas I got my Donnie and Marie Barbie Dolls could come close to what is happening now. I am totally frazzled (with this suitcase weight issue!), totally excited, totally at peace, totally everything. I almost don't even have any words anymore, which is very strange for me.

I have not done everything on this blog I wanted to by this date, and for those 2 of you who have been breathless awaiting my next blog entry (ha!) I am sorry. At this point, 5:30 pm on March 17, there is not more I can do. It is, however, my intent to update when I can while we are over there. And when we return I want to document every little thing that happened over there! All the people, all the places, all the cool things God does that I get to witness, experience, partake in.

Before we go, I wanted to share the words of a song by Kelly Garner, who was originally supposed to go on this trip with us. I thought I might be able to download it here too, but I can't figure out how and it's probably illegal anyway!

God Will Provide

Isaac walked up the mountain
His father by his side
Never realizing
He would be the sacrifice
And when Abraham raised his hand
To take his child's life
In his heart he must have wondered why
Sometimes God will take us to unexpected places (like Thailand and Singapore!)
But in every situation we will find

chorus
God will provide
Beyond what we imagine
So much more than we can fathom
He will supply
God will provide
When we trust in Him completely
And take each step believing like a child
God will provide

On another hill called Calvary
A Father's only Son
Was offered as a priceless gift
Of faithfulness and love
Admidst the cry of all mankind
God reached down from above
And covered us with Christ's atoning blood
No matter what our need is, God will always meet us
I know His grace will always be enough

(repeat chorus 2x)

God has done so much for us, girls and guys, and I know now He is cradling us in His hands and will keep us safe on the journey over and will strengthen us for whatever work He has already prepared for us.

It will be a joy to finally meet face to face in the next few days.

O:)
Melissa

Preparation Time

I can't believe it is six days and counting! I keep packing and repacking my suitcase trying to get it the right weight and I am having no luck! I really want to take a bunch of books to a missionary friend I have in Chiang Mai that she asked for, but dadgumit if they don't weigh a ton! Being a passionate booklover myself I so want to bring these to her, so I just keep taking more stuff out. You guys won't mind seeing me in the same outfit everyday, will you? Ha!

I wanted to share some pictures from our preparations.

Two are from our Packing Party on the 9th. Tim and Joel were awesome about stuffing and stuffing the supplies into suitcases. Their big strong muscles were handy when we went to weigh the bags with our hanging scale! Also, poor Renee has so much makeup and hair stuff she wants to bring for her workshop, her suitcase weighed nearly 80 pounds the first time! Luckily we divided it all out and somehow got it to fit. I think she said she was bringing 700 lipsticks?!? She is also in charge of all the door prizes and treats in the seats. Due to so much generosity, we have almost too much to take!

Our worship leaders have also been busy practicing on Wednesday mornings. Today I got the privilege to sit in for a while with them while taking pictures. We are going to sing some great stuff! Mendy and Jennifer were sitting on the floor looking over the notes, while Debbie and Joel were belting them out. I'm so excited for you all to meet Joel and find out what an awesome man of God he is, yet funny as heck too! There will be a lot of laughing I think going on too!

I will write more in the next few days as our time draws so ever close!

O:)

Melissa

Images of Thailand

I have much I want to share before I leave, but I wanted to add this link to give you a visual of some of the things we may see and do...defintely the elephants!!!

O:)
Melissa

Sweet thoughts

Ok, I will confess that what I am fasting is sweets/desserts. I have been claiming our verse Angela gave us in 2 Sam I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God that which costs me nothing! It has been good to cling to, especially over my daddy's birthday chocolate cake (which I made!) and now with Valentine's Day coming up!

But I wanted to find another verse involving "sweets" to claim, to make it more personal. Here is what I found and what dear Charles Spurgeon has to say:

Psalm 119:103

103 How sweet Your word is to my taste— [sweeter] than honey to my mouth. (HCSB)

103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (NIV)

Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them to the best home cooking. (Message)

103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (KJV)

Spurgeon

Verse 103. How sweet are thy words into my taste. He had not only heard the words of God, but fed upon them: they affected his palate as well as his ear. God's words are many and varied, and the whole of them make up what we call "the word": David loved them each one, individually, arid the whole of them as a whole; he tasted an indescribable sweetness in them. He expresses the fact of their sweetness, but as he cannot express the degree of their sweetness he cries, "How sweet!" Being God's words they were divinely sweet to God's servant; he who put the sweetness into them had prepared the taste of his servant to discern and enjoy it. David makes no distinction between promises and precepts, doctrines and threatenings; they are all included in God's words, and all are precious in his esteem. Oh for a deep love to all that the Lord has revealed, whatever form it may take. Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. When he did not only eat but also speak the word, by instructing others, he felt an increased delight in it. The sweetest of all temporal things fall short of the infinite deliciousness of the eternal word. Honey itself is outstripped of the Lord Widen the Psalmist fed on it he in sweetness by the word found it sweet; but when he bore witness of it became sweeter still. How wise it will be on our part to keep the word on our palate by meditation and on our tongue by confession. It must be sweet to our taste when we think of it, or it will not be Sweet to our mouth when we talk of it.

However, on March 4, when this is over, I'm starting with a white chocolate mocha at Saxby's and bringing chocolate cake to share for anyone who wants to join me! Ha!

God is so sweet!

O:)
Melissa

More Ezra thoughts

Although most of Monday night was spent on everyone sharing their own Why? answers, there was one incredible thing I wanted to share from Ezra. In Ezra 3:3 it says They set up the altar on its foundation and offered burnt offerings for the morning and evening on it to the LORD even though they feared the surrounding peoples. This tells us that when the people were afraid, the worshipped. Back then it meant offering sacrifices as a means of worship; but today, since Jesus was our sacrifice once for all, we can worship Him through songs, prayer, etc. Angela has had a visual of this that she shared with us in regard to this about our trip. (Forgive me, Angela, if I don't get this exactly right!) She sees us inside the city walls at the gate and she sees an enemy approaching to defeat us. But inside the city, instead of lifting up weapons to destroy the enemy, we are singing praise songs and worshipping the Lord. HE is our weapon and HE is the one who turns back the enemy. Over and over in the Bible we read of times when the LORD was the one who fought the battle for His people and they were always victorious. We, too, will be victorious!

I wish so much I could share everyone's Why answers; it was such an incredible night to learn so much about all of us there and to see what each person feels he/she will be doing there. As Angela said, we were speaking prophecy about what is going to happen while we are there. Some of it sent chill bumps over us! It will be so exciting to come back and share how and when it happens! I will share one thing Ann said....she said this whole trip actually started in 1999 when God placed the desire on her heart to minister to these missionary wives and others who have no one to help them when their husbands are so busy with mission work. They have their own set of friends there, but sometimes you just need family and family is always 1000s of miles away. It will be such a joy to love on these women and give them a Word, whatever that may be that the Lord lays on our hearts.

The days are getting closer and I am getting more excited!

O:)
Melissa

My Why Answers

Don't get too excited thinking I have figured out the Why questions of life, because long ago I decided that although Jesus will one day answer all of our Why questions, by that time the answer won't matter anymore. (you know, like why on earth does a baby scream her head off if she is so tired?!?!?)

Alas, this week in Bible Study we were asked by Angela to answer some Why questions about this trip and I wanted to share my answers.

1. Why am I on this trip?
The short answer is, because God told me to go! I would never in a million years have thought I might actually go on a missions trip, especially to the other side of the world, but when God tells you to go, He not only fills you with the desire, but also with the peace that all the plans will work out. Besides one short breakdown, I have not worried about how this would all work out. I knew God would provide, because He has been in charge of this all along.
At the same time, I could not be doing with this without “the hand of the Lord upon me, [from which] I took courage…” (Ezra 7:28). To sign up for this trip not knowing hardly anyone going was a huge step for me.

2. Who am I targeting?
I know our goal is to love on and encourage these women at the REST retreat and that is what I enjoy doing, so I am hoping for the opportunity to do that. I want to be open to do what the Lord will have me do there. However, the other week when Mendy and I were putting together all these scrapbooking kits and I was thinking about the low attendance issue, I thought, “what are we going to do if so few people show up to the retreat and no one chooses to come to our workshop?!? “ I wasn’t really disappointed like we had worked so hard for nothing, for I knew it was the Lord’s will for us to be doing this. But then I thought, “maybe there is someone else who needs all this stuff, or maybe if there are only 5 people who show up at our workshops, we can bless them by giving them all this extra stuff. Maybe they have wanted to get into preserving their families history and events and just have not been able to get the supplies to do it. I just want to be open to whomever and whatever I need to do, I want to “boldly and without hindrance….. [teach] about the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 28:31)

3. What is my purpose on this trip?
Not only to be faithful and obey the Lord when He says to go, but also to be open to what He wants me to do. As Matthew Henry says, “when God's time is come for fulfilling his gracious purposes concerning his church, he will raise up instruments to do it…” That would be us; that would be me.
I also want to expand my understanding of missions, to see it “live in action”; I want to finally after 40 years do the great commission; I want to have a deeper love for missions begin to build within me. I want to take a step of faith and let God show me what He can do for me when I totally trust Him, to enlarge my simplistic understanding of Him.

4. What is God telling me about my role on this trip?
Be open to what I want you to do for Me. See where it may go. Hang on!

5. How I came to know Jesus….
At the tender age of 7 ½ I asked Jesus into my heart and was baptized, but all I thought that meant was that I got to drink the juice and eat the cracker. I have been in church since I was 4 weeks old, so I had heard and learned the wonderful Bible stories and memorized scripture, but it wasn’t until I was in high school that I really began to understand and grasp it all. Then, while in college, I actually got rebaptized. Not because I thought I needed it, but because I felt like I understood it more and wanted to experience it again.
I have no wild conversion story since I have pretty much been goody two-shoes all my life, but that does not mean life has always been easy. I may appear to have it all together on the outside, but inside there are many troubles that nag at me and beg to drag me down. However, through the years of being married and having children I have continued to grow and grow in my understand and love of Jesus and that has helped me in my battles that I fight.


I'm anxious to see what everyone else has to say tonight!

O:)
Melissa