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Saturday, September 14, 2019

God Answers Prayer





Greenlight Team 2019

WOW! time passes so quickly.  We wanted to update all of you on what has been going on with us and how we have seen the Lord at work in the lives of those we are able to walk with on their journey. God has been so gracious to us and placed so many wonderful people in our lives. Many of whom are young and know God has a plan for them and are working to figure out how to live life and be a disciple maker.

Elephants in Thailand

Again this past summer we had the opportunity to lead a group of students to Thailand.  We call these trips Greenlight Gateway. They are a form of mission trip, but are designed for participants who want to know what international missions looks like, feels like and where to begin. These trips are more about being than doing. This past summer we had five students, one which participated last year and wanted to serve a leader this year. God has always been been present on each of these trips and this year was no exception.  We found out from one of our former teammates that a student that has been very active small groups and Sunday worship time had become ill. She was forced to return home from the government boarding school to Pattaya to stay with her mother. We learned she had some sores on her neck that had become open wounds and were not healing.  Not only were they not healing but she was getting weaker each day and losing weight. She was hospitalized and given a less than favorable prognosis. We began daily prayer for her that God would intervene and heal her.

Connecting with our teammates the Barbees
We asked a doctor friend if he could offer treatment alternatives for, but her mom didn't want to upset or offend her primary doctor. She was at the point of not being able to walk and barely able to eat. As we prayed for her, her situation began to change. Her appetite gradually returned, the sores on her neck began to heal, her strength began to build and her outlook began to brighten. In the five or so weeks we prayed for her specifically for the sores to heal, we experienced God's grace for this student and his healing power. Although she was not able to return to school before we left, she did make a visit and was on the path to having her life return to a more normal



Getting to See KingTower with our Thai friend and Graysen
There was also a friend that serves in Bangkok that was at the end of his current visa. Recent visa renewals for visas have been granted, but only for three months. This makes the process time consuming and expensive since you have to pay the same amount for a three month renewal as you do for a year long visa. Our Greenlight team knew this several weeks in advance and began praying that he would receive a one year extension. We were not the only ones praying for this because he had asked his support base, friends and family to intercede on his behalf. God was faithful again. He received a one year visa. We met with him a couple of days after returning to Thailand. He was so excited and thankful that God had allowed this prayer to be answered.


We saw many times the Lord respond with answered prayers. During our trip one of the students felt spiritual oppression in her hotel room. We gathered in her room to pray against the evil forces of darkness. As we gathered, another student felt a similar oppression. Through prayer we did not back down against those forces but prayed for God's protection and he answered.

Tallest building in Bangkok with a personal tour by Tool,  our friend, and architect of the top 2 floors.


We prayed for a student in Nepal on a mission trip. She found herself in a time of struggle so we asked our team to agin intercede in prayer for this young lady. Right after our prayers we received a message from her saying, "something just hit me like a burst of light and hope and I knew it was God."
God showed our group over and over that he is faithful if we believe and trust he is with us. The faith of our Greenlight team grew from these encounters and experiences. They truly saw God at work and how faithful he is to us in our times of need and everyday life. We pray that God will continue to grow our faith and the students who shared these experiences with us by giving us the courage and boldness to seek Him and ask him for help in all of our needs.  We are continuing to walk alongside these girls and many others as they journey.

Time with Brooke who attended Greenlight 2 years ago, now serving in Thailand in full-time ministry
We are spending this season preparing for next years trips, walking alongside individuals in discerning, going to universities and churches.  We are able to come to speak at your group or church as opportunities arise, sharing about how the Lord is working in Thailand as well as with the people discerning a call to serve him.  We have the opportunity to speak to the UMC Spartanburg District Youth September 29.  Please join us in prayer as we share about the faithfulness of God and how we all can join him in his mission in our daily lives.

We appreciate your continued love and support.  God is good and faithful, that we know.

Cooking with Kat, our teammate

Greenlight with teammate Patdy and her husband Boy



Bangkok in the Sky

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