Man's Yummiest Friends

Ifound this recipe on the door of Sarah's class cooking expo. I think i'll stay with some more pet friendly cook-ups!! But what if they served this at a small village...some people love dog here. Would I join in the meal, or paw my way out!!! What would you do...? Post your comments to the forum, 'dogs can be man's yummiest friends'.

Up a tree without a ladder!!

UP a very tall tree..

Up a tall tree...

Up a tree...

Up a tree without a ladder...

Country Men, Women and Children

What a great TEAM>>>>we managed to meet up with the team that came do last month. They did some Medical Work and some English teaching at a Village not far from town...We were very encouraged to have these Saints in our home..playing and praying. Thanks for coming mums, dads, kids and friends!!! HOpe to see ya before the Mango Tree Blooms!!!

We shall be jolly friends...under the mango tree!!!

The old MGS girls caught up in Lao recently and spent a lot of time laughing joking and eating...they also did renditions of 'CC my BAby...come on and play with me, we shall be jolly friends under the Mango Tree, slidedown the rainbow into the toilet bowl, we shall be jolly friends for every more, more, more!!

Teresa, the Super Mum who trooped with her daughter Caitlin, was a joy to be with. I think mum and daughter enjoyed most of theTuk, Tuk rides!! It was nice to be with our country ment!!!

The last day of School and a Beautiful Lao Dance...

Our Lao daughter was in a Lao dance recently...she was terrific! Fortunately I taught her I knew about Evlis moves and she was able to incorporate some twists and turns. So yep, went really well..

Kneeling Down to Look Up....

‘He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn…the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…’Ps 37:6

Some thoughts about fasting and prayer…

God’s word doesn’t teach us a whole lot about the specifics of why or how His disciples were to fast & pray. Jesus did say though that we are not to act as if fasting & prayer exalts us before God. And if this happened, He would humble the person with such an attitude (Lk18:9-14).

Nevertheless, Jesus was not cautioning his disciples. He was urging them to fast and pray with humility. Prayer with humble fasting is Biblical.

Jesus fasted. ‘For 40 days Jesus ate nothing’ Lk 3:2
Jesus expected His followers to pray and fast, Lk 5:35 ‘But the time will come when the Bridegroom will be taken from them [the disciples]; in those days they will fast’.

Fasting helps to center us on the ‘fact’ that the physical world we live in is very much a ‘spiritual’ world. When we fast we’re telling our body what Jesus told his body, ‘man doesn’t live on bread alone’ (Lk 4:4). What we see around us isn’t all that’s going on.

Through our actions (fasting) we withdraw from the material world to focus our body, mind and soul on the Spiritual world. Often during these times of shutting out worldly noise, we are able to hear the Lord better and know what and how to pray.

Jesus taught us that some work in His Name can’t be done unless we pray & fast Mark 9:29 [several reliable manuscripts have prayer and fasting. NIV has fasting in its footnotes].

With the above in mind, there seems to be ample reason for the Lord’s Body to fast and pray before the Bridegroom returns!

There are some very good modern fasts that can help us center on the Spiritual world- an afternoon free from the mobile phone; laptop or TV goes along way. Perhaps we could lay down a gadget during our food fast?

The food fast can also take different shapes- veggie or fruit only or perhaps a fluid only fast (e.g., juices or Milo). Whichever fast you choose over these next 5 Tuesdays, let the Lord lead you with lots of water!!!

Tuesdays

What are we doing? We are making a commitment to Kneel Down and pray for two groups of people living in hospitals:

1. Followers of the Way who have been wronged and mistreated

2. Poor people who are broken-hearted

Where are we doing it? Wherever it suits you/your gathering

When are we doing it? Over the next 5 Tuesday lunchtimes; or which ever day in the week that suits you and your gathering

What else? It would be helpful if you journal what the Lord said during your times of pray. Please bring or send these thoughts to share with others (at our usual Sunday meeting place) on the evening of the 24th of July, 7.30pm.

Possible Topics for Hospital Prayers:

Tue 26th June,

Topic: Pray for those who are wrongly hospitalised and for those who are mistreated in hosptial

Devotional Thoughts

There are a lot of God fearing people who spent time in hospitals. You may remember the young man Joseph. Joe was sent to a hospital because he stood up for what was right. Unfortunately, powerful people didn’t give Joseph a chance to defend himself and tell the truth. But even though Joe spent many years in a rather grotty hospital, God didn’t ‘forget him’. The Bible says, ‘But while Joseph was hospital…the Lord was with him; God showed him kindness and granted Joseph favor in the eyes of the hospital warden. So the warden put Joshua in charge of all those held in hospital, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did (Gen 39 20-23).

Isn’t that so like the Good Lord: turning bad situations into opportunities? …Protecting the weak & those who look to Him.

David was another mistreated. King Saul wanted him in hospitals all the time. Take the promises David wrote in Psalm 34 and pray them over the mistreated and Brocken-hearted

Psalm 34
1. I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be
on my lips.
2. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and
rejoice.
3. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.
4. I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me
from all my fears.
5. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never
covered with shame.
6. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved
him out of all his troubles.
7. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear
him, and he delivers them.
8. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man
who takes refuge in him.
9. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him
lack nothing.
10. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who
seek the Lord lack no good thing.
15. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears
are attentive to their cry;
16. the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut
off the memory of them from the earth.
17. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he
delivers them from all their troubles.
18. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves
19. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord
Delivers him from them all;
20. he protects all his bones, not one of them will be
broken.
21. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will
be condemned.
22. The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be
condemned who takes refuge in HIM.

Tue 3rd July,
Topic: Patient families…Spouses, Children & Relatives

Devotional Thoughts…

1 Kings 17.7-end…This is a story about a widow and her son who felt alone in the world. Without a husband or a community to care for her, this family thought they’d soon be dead v.12.

And yet, as we read through the story we discover the giving of care and love at every turn. The Lord heard the cry of this widow and her son. According to custom, if a woman was widowed her community was 'supposed provide for her needs’. This wasn’t happening. So God cared enough for her to send a great prophet to her door step.

The widow and her son had ‘one more mouth to feed’. But the Lord was going to do miraculous things. She would have people to love and respect her. She would have enough food.

Over several months the widow and her son encountered the compassion and TRUTH of the LIVING GOD through human flesh and supernatural faith. God used His servant Elijah to bring food, respect and love to the family. This family is transformed. We don’t know who else is transformed as a result of hearing what happened to the ‘widow family’, but it isn’t hard to imagine how the mum and son spoke to relatives, friends and ‘on-lookers’ about their living God. This story is set in the context of Israel's rich, powerful and doubting Kings. The Powerful men of the day had everything except ‘God’s powerful love watching over them and their families. This woman and her son were living in desperate times, but God’s great love did not look over them. God looks out for the vulnerable women and children in every generation.

The same Lord reigns today…for all generations!!! Spend time praising the Lord and lifting up spouses, children, cousins and friends of people in Hospitals.

Ps 146:7-10 says…7. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. 8. The Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 9. The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. 10. The Lord reigns forever, your God, for all generations. Praise the Lord.

Q: How can you bring ‘Elijah hope’ to widow families?

Tue 10th July

Topic: Hospital Workers and their Superiors

Devotional Thoughts

The movie reminded us that amazing things can happen when the Spirit of the Lord moves into lives of hospital workers and their superiors.

There’s a story in Acts that is quite funky. It makes you want to stand up, and in a loud voice say ‘that’s very cool’. You can find it in chapter 16:25. ‘About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the hospital were shaken. At once all the hospital doors flew open, everybody got loose.

The hospital worker woke up and when he saw what happened, he drew his needle and was going to do something quite nasty to himself (poetic license ok!) because he thought that all his patients had run off.

But Paul shouted, “Don’t jab yourself! We are all here!” The hospital worker called for the lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household’.

They then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour the hospital worker took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The hospital worker brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God- he and his whole family.’

This could happen in any hospital today. Do you believe that? Let’s pray it by faith. Prayer, worship and God’s sovereign power are the key to ‘doors flying open’. The hospital workers aren’t much different to the ones today. Many don’t want to be there and hospitals are lacking the most basic things:

Clean and enough food
Water, medicine & fans to stay cool
Many hospitals don’t allow visitors

Let’s pray that the Paul’s and Silas’ in hospitals will always seek to bless the hospital workers and be kind to them. Pray that more hospital workers will say, ‘what do I need to do to be saved’? And their ‘whole household gets saved’!!

Tue 17th July
Theme: Ministry of Justice and Hospitals

Change at the very top & change at the very bottom
Institutions reformed across the land
Socially just and ‘corrective’ health care in all institutions
Accountable and inclusive systems of governance

Two weeks ago the Minister of Justice Mr. Chaleun Yiapaoher affirmed the need for legal aid to support the poor and vulnerable in our society. Justice is on the heart of our Lord. God is at work. He has gone before us. Let’s lift up to our Father the Minister of Justice Mr Yiapaoher and his entire Dept and workers across the nation. We need to see where God has gone before us and not become ‘cynical’ when we don’t see justice very often.

Isaiah has much to say on Justice issues…lets pray that more will want justice on earth and there will be a healthy fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 10:1-10...Thoughts and Reflections

Jenny the Nurse from NZ update on Khampheng

Khampheng update: 18th June.

Since I last wrote about Khampheng he is still continually having skin grafting done over many parts of his body on a regular basis. This has been going on now for 6 months. Some areas are improving slowly while others are still being hampered by infection.

Unfortunately in Laos the techniques are far from ideal so hence there is a lot of permanent scarring from some of the donor sites due to the thickness they have taken for grafting.
He is still unable to walk due to the lack of care for several months initially with his feet so now he has severe foot drop and lack of movement in his ankles and feet.

The grafts done last Monday were to his eyes once again and shoulders. They are still trying to make eye lids for him to protect what little light he has coming into his right eye.
It has been a very long and hard battle over these past six months battling with the medical system here trying to get a ‘suitable level of care’ for him and many times it has been very inhumane.

All of his surgery done of course has been extremely painful for Khampheng to say the least as there is not such thing as pain medication used only what I can obtain through my sources which is still very inadequate for his level of pain. I am constantly in awe at how Khampheng and his father who never leaves his side, copes with this situation; of course there have been many occasions where he has just cried all night due to the pain but yet his heart remains so beautiful and humble.

He never once has complained about anything. Certainly a lesson in it for each of us.
I know that the girls from the skill centre that came out with me every Sunday to sing and pr with him were totally inspired and touched by him. They did not want to miss a Sunday seeing him. They loved singing with him and were also making cakes for him. Khampheng would always ask for more songs he too loves to sing with us which is so special. These are songs he has learnt from the tapes we have taken him.

Now that the course has finished and many of the girls have full time jobs they are unable to see him as often but still try to make the effort to come out when they can to see him.
The other area of real blessing is provision of funds for him. I continue to thank G for the awesome way he provides funds for Khampheng’s ongoing needs. It is around $600US a month to pay for is treatment, medicine, hospital room and food but each month these needs to date have been met. So thank you to all who have contributed towards his provision.

I must be honest in saying that many times I have pr’ed for G to relieve Khampheng of his pain and take him home but still he fights on and I can see why and that is because G still has a plan and purpose for his life and I see that in the way he is touching so many people from many countries now and how he is inspiring and blessing others through his life. So thankfully G is far greater and sees the bigger picture all we can do is continually support him in pr, provision of funds and make sure we continue to share with others, of the transformation of this young man’s life in knowing and following G, and how G chooses to use each of us in different ways to serve him for his kingdom and glory.

Warm regards

Jenny Ewing

Somethings we do the same and some different...

Some things in Singapore we didn't do...

we didn't get to swim in blue lagoons or visit crystal caves (only Crystal Jade)...

we didn't get to eat worms... and our chickens weren't pumped up with air...

we didn't get to sleep... anywhere we liked...

And we still get to drink our tea and coffee from plastic bags!

Makan and Cc is vely harpy!!!

Cc's eyes popped out when she saw the plunger and the packs of Chicken Rice and Mee Siam...We ate our first packet today...shoek! Thanks to any and all who brought stuff to make life more 'singaporean' for us....Bless ya.

On the topic of food...

Jed, Jesus and Kebabs

What does Jed, Jesus and Kebabs have in common? Let me tell you a little Ian story. One day little Ian was walking down a dirt lane in Laos when this bald headed Middle Eastern guy shoved a pamphlet into his hand. The pamphlet had the directions to the bald headed man’s new kebab restaurant. Sadly, the flyer was so poorly done that little Ian couldn’t find the Kebab restaurant.

Then one day little Ian walked passed the bald headed man’s restraint. Little Ian said ‘hi!’ and decided to come back on Friday night to get his family take-away (little ian’s family usually order takeaways on Friday nights. Usually they eat “OK 100” fast-food chicken). So last Friday Little Ian and Seth zoomed down in their little Jeep to order kebabs from the Middle Eastern man’s restaurant.

Little Ian found out that the bald headed Middle Easter man’s name is Jed. Jed is originally from Lebanon. He used to run a Kebab Restaurant in a little town called ‘Bethlehem’. That was until the Israeli authorities put a wall up in front of Jed’s kebab shop. Then the 600 tourists that were regularly coming to Jed’s shop stopped coming. Jed’s business closed and Jed ran away from Bethlehem.

Jed said that he went ‘half mad’. He divorced his wife and ran off to Asia. Jed met a new lady from Scandinavia. This lady has a child and now they all live together in Vientiane Lao. Jed’s restaurant is called ‘Samia’. Samia is the name of Jed’s first wife!

When Jed told this to little Ian, little Ian hit him on the shoulder in a friendly way and said, ‘mate, that must be so hard for you’! Jed smiled and laughed a bit, ‘I named it after her to show her some respect’. Little Ian has never divorced a ‘wife’ before but it seemed a good thing for Jed to do- show his wife some respect. Little Ian wondered what Jed’s new Scandinavian friend thought?

It turns out that Jed has big plans for his future. He plans to franchise his Kebabs restaurant all over Asia- Cambodia, Vietnam and Nepal. Little Ian doesn’t think Jed’s much of a business man because in Jed’s current shop it was quite gritty. It looked like a ‘backpacker’s house’. Jed’s was cooking his chips in a wok by the front door. And when little Ian walked in Jed was doing his washing in the restraint eating area. Little Ian didn’t say much but he was thinking, ‘eer…Jed this doesn’t look like a good start to an international Kebab Franchise’. But then little Ian thought, ‘don’t despise small beginnings’.

Jed asked little Ian what time does the boarder close. Little Ian old him it opens at 7am but I don’t know what time it closes. He then went on to explain that his visa (tourist?) runs out tonight. He’ll have to go across the board to get it chopped. I was thinking to myself, ‘Ok, but first finish my kebabs….i’ve got a hungry tribe waiting at home ready to much on those Kebabs and watch home videos!!

I do hope that Jed makes it big. I do hope he gets the wok away from the font door and he stops washing his clothes in the restaurant. I do hope that Jed stays open because he has tasty kebabs and it gives our Friday take-away choice good competition. And I do hope Jed discovers the SAVIOR of the world who was born in a stable in Bethlehem, Jed’s home town.