Ongoing Opportunities

So, this is what happens when i finally get a few spare hours - i get to add heaps of things to my blog :)

There were a couple really exciting opportunities opened up this week for me and other blessings which came really left field. Before i left Sydney, there was a possible opportunity to work with some thai's here who are wanting to put together a Thai bible for the deaf - much like the Auslan Bible in Australia. I finally got round to meeting with the head of the project on Thursday. He's a really lovely guy who happens to also know my sister and brother-in-law through other means. When we met, we both realised pretty soon, that the filming of the project was not something that would happen in the next year (which was what i was expecting anyway), but he had a few other opportunities for me to help them, initially with marketing. The aim - to come up with ideas of how to excite and mobilise thai's to want to share the Gospel and provide the Bible to those who might never get the chance to hear it. So a new challenge - not only come up with ideas and recommendations, but to also work out what the Thai 'market' is like and what would appeal and work in this culture. Hmmmmm...... i'd really appreciate your prayers on this - for wisdom and insight. If you've got any ideas as well, shoot them through, i'd love to hear them.

But the thing that came really left field was that not long into the meeting, Chuum suddenly started talking about visa's and essentially offered me a visa to stay here long term if i so desired! For those who don't know, often a visa is the thing that can be the cause of much stress in working out how to obtain and maintain one. I know it's still early days in me being here, but it's such a comfort to know that if i find that God is wanting for me to stay/come back here for the long term, then the door is wide open for that.

The other exciting but daunting thing is that my Cell group asked me if i could share with them basically 'anything'. from the bible, or how god is working in my life or whatever. they asked me to do it next week, but unfortunately i'm not able to go to cell group next week, but i'm hoping that i'll be able to do so in the near future. in some ways i'm disappointed, but relieved at the same time it's not next week. disappointed cos i know it's such a good opportunity for them to get to know me more and to push me in trying to get more of my thai downpat so i can share on deeper things, but at the same time relieved, cos i don't think i'm quite up to it all just yet. the did say i could do it in english, but i'd prefer to try and do as much as i can in Thai. given that, i don't think that a week's notice would be enough as i've also got a bit of work to do this week.

For those who are praying:
- pray for wisdom as i try to understand the thai culture
- pray for insight and inspiration as i try to help thai christian organisations try to get christians excited about the gospel
- thank god for his constant provisions beyond my imagination
- pray for opportunities to share 'deeply' and for language - so that i can