i love how God provides

Usually it's not actually very funny when you get a flat tyre while riding a motorbike with a passenger on the back just after midnight. But last friday, that's exactly what happened to me and Bron just after we left cell group last friday night. But in God's goodness, we didn't leave alone - there were 4 bikes that left together, followed by my friend Wood in his pickup. So, after passing everyone and beeping 'goodbye', my bike began fishtailing. As soon as it started, i knew exactly what had happened, so pulled over - only to have my 3 other friends stop and then Wood conveniently pull up in his pickup so we could load the bike onto the back of his car and he give us a ride home. What could have been a 3 km walk home pushing a bike with a flat tyre in the middle of the night, turned into a funny night where i was able to see God's provision in timing and great friends here who are more then happy to help out however and where ever they can. As i thought about it, even if it happened so that we didn't all leave at once, i know that they're the type of friends who i could call at any time of the day if i were in need, and they'd be there to help. It just made me realise how blessed i am here to have such good friends who really care about each other.

so what was the problem? well, it turns out that i probably didn't have enough air in my back tyre, so the valve ended up getting 'ripped off' the inner tube. check it out!

i am still a bit confused however, as the tyre had just been checked a couple weeks ago...but anyway. Thankfully new tubes cost all of 120bht (about $4) for the new tube and labour to change it. And i also got a bit of exercise out of the whole exercise too as i had to push the bike about 500m to the repair guy.

Funniest part about it all, was that my friend Kim was paying me out about not looking after my bike and having to get a ride home. So yesterday when we on our way to my sisters house, her bike broke down as well and she had to get Wood to go pick up her bike and take it to the repair guy as well! Poor Wood. That's 2 of us in 2 days!! :) haha oh well, god's got a great sense of humour!

But in amongst all the silliness of failing mechanics, this week has also been a week where i've seen God's hand at work in answering prayer, showing his sovereignty in our lives and helping Thai's to grow in their faith and belief of Him. Last week, i had asked for some prayer for my teacher who was trying to make some decisions about what to do for the future work wise. In short, she has now resigned so will be finishing up at the end of July which is sad for me to be losing her as a teacher, but at the same time, i'm rejoicing in seeing the way that she's just trusting God even more in her life, to provide for her needs, to want to come to church more now and to want to know God more too. I won't go into all the details, but there have been some difficulties for her at work of late, and i think it really is a good decision for her to leave. But in amongst the uncertainty, she was praying to God for answers, and God not only answered her once, but 4 times in the space of 3 days. to the extent she was saying to god 'enough, enough - i get it now! i know that i can trust you to provide for my needs'.

Over the past few months, her and her family also haven't really been going along to church either (for various reasons). It's something that i've been wanting to encourage her in, but have also been wary with in not wanting to make her feel guilty for not going. A few weeks ago, she was saying to me that she really wanted to meet my sister, so it just happened that John was preaching at church last week, so i invited her along - and she was REALLY keen to come. Short of it is, she really loved going along to church that week and is keen to come each week and this week brought her kids along to church as well. It's been really exciting for me to see the way that she's grown n her understanding of God in the past few weeks and to see her not worrying about the things of this world which would normally really worry her, but to see her trusting in God instead. For those who are praying, please pray for Pii Kwan and her family as they face the future, that they will keep on trusting in God and his goodness and provision!