CCP THAILAND

This summer Kelley and I will be headed with a team of around 40 people (staff and students) to Thailand for an 8 week cross-cultural project. We are so excited about this opportunity because it will be a chance for us to engage Thai college students with the Gospel, most of them for the first time ever, and have our lives and marriage shaped dramatically by this priceless experience. Below are the some of the reasons why we would go to Thailand:

The need

1. Approx. 66 million people live in Thailand
2. 0.3% of them are evangelical Christians
3. 49 million of the people there are professing Buddhists
   
4. There is 1 missionary currently for every 47,000 Thai
5. 2 million people derive their income from the sex industry
6. 20% of 11 to 17 girls are sold into prostitution
   

The door

1. The Thai people are more open to the Gospel right now than ever before
2. Freedom of religion is guaranteed in the constitution
3. Thailand is surrounded by communist countries like Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and could become the catalyst for the Kingdom advancing in Asia.

Please begin to pray with us and our team as we gear up and ask God to do more than we could ever image in Thailand.

Jesus is the HERO again!

"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

As I take a look back on the past couple of months, it leads me to worship my Faithful Father because He is the ONLY reason that we as a team have seen grace advanced in our hearts, our community, and on the campus with students. We have failed numerous times, and we have been captivated by fear and insecurities at other times. Can I be honest? This job is not a glorious one. I hear so many people say that it is, and it makes me sick to my stomach. This job (calling) is a privilege and honor, but it will cost you your life. God is in the process of breaking Kelley and I down right, and it hurts. The wilderness is rough, barren terrain, but it is definitely God's classroom. He is breaking His servants in order to help us see the magnitude of His love and to teach us to trust Him. The cool thing though, is to watch God advance His Kingdom in our hearts, and take the sardine and stale piece of bread we have to offer and multiple it greatly. It is common theme for us to mess everything up and watch Jesus come in and be the HERO. But that is the Gospel isn't it? We mess it up royally and He swoops down to save the day. Thank you so much Jesus!

Look at how Jesus has been the HERO here at NC STATE:

1. 10 students have come to Christ since our time here at State.
2. Around 30 students are involved in Bible Studies (many of them opening the Word for the first time)
3. Around 20 students attended our annual conference in Atlanta, and were all exposed to a greater degree to the Gospel and the body of Christ.
   
4. Our single staff are maturing, and learning to embrace the Gospel at a deeper level.
5. Kelley's vision and desire for ministry, in particular college students, has grown vastly. She has been such a huge encouragement to me.

These are pictures of our staff team as we remodel the house that was purchased for ALL our single staff to live in near the campus. The 3 girls live on the main floor, and the five guys will be living upstairs. Also we will have the CO-Raleigh office in the basement initially, as well as a game room for students to come over and enjoy. Please pray that God would use this house to make His name famous at State.

Comfort: The Silent Killer
My favorite line in C.S. Lewis' novel The Loin, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, is one made by Mr. Beaver to Lucy when she asks if Aslan is safe. "Safe? Who said anything about being safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he is good. He is the King, I tell you."

Over the last 6 months I have been living a very comfort, safe life and trying to serve a safe God, but recently I have realized that God is calling me as He does all of His children to live radically. Radical is normal in the reality of the Gospel. I mean how could I not abandon everything for a Savior that lived a life I couldn't live and died a death I deserved, but the truth is that I do it often. In fact, if you want to know the truth I am a coward. I know all the Christian lingo and how to minister to students on paper, but diving into the dorms when I am 26 and with a ring on my finger is a different story. It scares the mess out of me! What do I have to offer? The answer is nothing a part from Christ, but God is calling me to give my life away and even make a plan to suffer as I love the broken and hurting students at State. Listen to Paul:

"And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:22-24

Comfort will kill your desire to get outside of yourself, and therefore, it will begin to slowly decay your soul. I (we) must continue to "get" uncomfortable for the Gospel. Not only do the hurting people around us need us to do that, but our very souls need us to do that. Are you comfortably dying? I don't know about you, but I am, and today I make the commitment to fight like heck to finish the race!

Home Is Finally Home!

No more tailgating chairs for us. After 10 weeks, Kelley and I feel like our home is finally complete. It was a fun time representing the WOLFPACK daily with our chairs, but I have to say I will never take having couches for granted again. The couches also allow us to have more people over, as we seek to build relationships and share the gospel. Please pray that these couches will see many people come to know Christ seated on them.

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