Wrapping Up

I love being home. This past week has been full of sleeping, playing golf with my dad, going to a friend's wedding, and reconnecting with everyone. After coming back to the states there have been many things about Thailand that I have missed and other things I have NOT missed. Words cannot describe how much I have missed my Thai friends this week but nothing beats lunch at Five Guys with NO rice! Haha I learned so much this summer and it is an experience that I will never forget.

Missy came home from camp this afternoon so our whole family is back together!! We decided to have a big meal to celebrate but it all became very weird. All four of us sat at the dinner table and no one said a word. We were all thinking the same thought but none of us were bold enough to say anything without bursting into tears. "We miss Mom!"  It was so hard to come home and not be greeted with her beaming smile, but I know that she is smiling in heaven with the Lord!

This summer was so good for me because I was able to clear my head and do something I have never been able to do before. It was hard to leave two months ago, but looking back, I'm so glad that I did. When I was flying home from Japan to LA, I decided to spend some time with the Lord and as I was praying, this is a sentence that popped into my head: "To be used for his eternal purpose takes your mind off the heartache of the temporary situation." Kinda sounds like this verse:

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I am so thankful that the Lord used me for His eternal purpose because it reminded me that this life is not the end. Sure this life is hard and there are moments of pain, but they are only temporary. One day I will be in Heaven praising the Lord with all my fellow Thai believers and of course my wonderful mom! Thanks for reading.

For the King,
Tate

Home Sweet Home

Man it feels good to be home! It took me over 43 hours to get here but I made it. I ended up going with the first plan and as we anticipated, I got stuck in Japan. I was worried about traveling to another airport in Japan, but after living in Bangkok for two months, it was super easy. I was able to sit first class from Japan to LA so I was about to get about six hours of sleep. It was awesome! In LA, I was able to get the second flight to Atlanta and arrived yesterday around 10:30am. My granddad picked me up from North Springs Marta Station and we headed directly to Chick-fil-A for lunch! I was exhausted but I forced myself to stay up till 7pm and then I crashed for twelve and a half hours last night. I plan to stay at home for the rest of the week and then I have to move into another apartment in Athens on August 1st. Back to reality my dad always says! I might have one or two more posts on the blog just to wrap up what I've learned. I might keep blogging but I haven't really decided yet. I just want to thank you for all your prayers over the past few months. I had such an amazing summer and I'm going to miss all my new friends terribly. Thanks for following my journey.

For the King,
Tate

Here Goes Nothin

Well, I'm about to head back home, but at this point in time I don't know when I'm going to leave. I have two options for getting back and both will take a long time. The first plan is to leave Bangkok at 5am Monday morning and fly to Tokyo. I would then switch airports in Tokyo and fly to LA and then fly to Atlanta.  The second option is to leave Bangkok at 7:30pm Monday night and fly to Honolulu. I would then fly to LA and then to Atlanta. You then have to factor in the possibility of getting stuck somewhere, and then everything changes. haha Gotta love standby!

Even though I have no set plan to get home, I'm just going to be patient and enjoy the ride. It might take me a few days, but I'll be home soon! Please pray for safety as I begin traveling. I can't wait to see you all. Be looking for a mid-trip update if I can find some wifi!

For the King,
Tate

One More Week

Its crazy how time flies! I have under a week left in Thailand and I'm not sure if I'm sad or excited about it. Half of me wants to stay here forever, and the other half of me is ready to get back and see my family. Obviously, I have to go back, but I must "Finish Strong" as Big Jon would always say. There are many fun things planned for the week and I want to make sure I'm intentional with the people I hang out with. Please pray that God gives me many opportunities to talk about Him with my Thai friends.

This past weekend we had a retreat with Covenant Church. It was called "Fut Fit For Fun, Friends, and Forever!" I'm not sure what that title means exactly, but it was a great weekend. We took over seventy people and we had a blast playing crazy games, practicing English, and sharing the gospel. It was awesome! Here are some pictures.

I'm leaving Monday the 25th at 5am and I'm flying standby again. It was awesome how everything worked out so well getting here two months ago and I would love same going back. As of right now there are 15 seats available on the flight from Japan to Atlanta and I am number 10 on the list. Please pray that all my flights work out to get home quickly and safely. Also pray for this last week! There is still alot of work to be done! Thanks for reading.

For the King,
Tate

Quick Update

Our new American team came in last week and we hit the ground running! This past Friday we went to an orphanage and did some yard work. I'm trying to find the words to describe how hot it was. Think of how hot the first football game is in Sanford Stadium, and multiply that by ten. If you don't understand that statement, you're probably an Auburn fan. Just know it was as hot as blue blazes!! Anyways, my job was to cut the grass of the soccer field and all they had was an ancient push mower. It took forever but it looked real good when we were finished. We got to hang out with all the kids when they returned from school and it made all the hard work completely worth it! Saturday was our beach day! We traveled two hours to Sattahip which is the same city I visited last weekend with PakPao. Beautiful beach+great weather+awesome friends= one perfect day. Here are some pictures.

Sattahip

PakPao and I

Awesome Thai friends

Dinner

Please continue to pray for the Thai students we are meeting. Pray that they see the love of God in us and that we can have specific opportunities to share the gospel with them. Thanks for reading.

For the King,
Tate

Happy Fourth Of July

This summer is going by way too fast! I looked at my calender and realized, "Oh, its July 4th?!" Normally I'd be sitting by the Strickland's pool, but  in Thailand it's just another blazing hot day with no particular importance.

Now that I'm past the half way point of my summer, I'm much more aware that I will be leaving soon. I actually don't want to talk about that yet. haha This past week, however was incredible. Most of our time was spent planning for the next American team that will be arriving this Wednesday. There are 17 of them and it will be just as busy or more busy than the last team. We have been praying that God would use their presence here as a light for Him, because twenty something Americans really stand out in a crowd.

This past weekend was one of my favorites. If you have been following my recent posts you know that one of my best Thai friends is a guy named PakPao. Him and his friend, Nieb, planned a weekend trip to Sattahip, which is a beach South of Bangkok. So four guys, PakPao, Nieb, Chris and I, loaded up early Saturday morning and headed out! The first picture is of Pattaya, which is where we stopped for lunch.

Sattahip

Nieb's dad is a general in the Thai Navy and hooked us up with a super nice guest house at the Sattahip Naval Base. We were also treated to dinner at a fantastic restaurant on the beach which was by far some of the best food I've had in Thailand.  With all the beautiful scenery, I was given an opportunity to talk with PakPao about how God created all that we see. It is so exciting to share life with this guy and I can't wait to share the gospel with him when that opportunity comes my way. Please continue to pray for him.

This was at a sea turtle conservatory in Sattahip

Chris, Me, PakPao, and Nieb

The Lord led me to this passage Sunday morning in Sattahip and to me it really describes the struggle that I have had over my mom's passing but also of the great joy in God's blessings.

"For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance."          Psalm 66:10-12


For the King,
Tate

He Will Use You If You're Willing

Well this week flew by! The week was a little slower than last week but still very busy none the less. Basically we continued making new Thai friends and deepening the relationships we had already made. We taught English on two different campuses, had a sports day at one of those universities, visited a prostitute ministry (during the day) and saw where they made jewelry, played rugby, had team care (college small group), and we enjoyed a farewell party for the Perimeter team. That's mentioning a few things.

I've been learning so much the past few weeks and I can't even begin to write it all down. I will say that I am very thankful for the training I've gotten from Team United over the past few years. I can't tell you how often I think of the Redcoat Bible Study because there have been so many similarities. Living with the Wills continues to be a blessing and I'm learning first hand what it means to give your life to be a missionary for Christ. I think the biggest thing I've learned is that if you are willing to let God use you, He will!

I had the opportunity to share my testimony at our farewell party last night. There were around fifty people there total and if I were to guess, over half had never heard of Jesus. Honestly, I didn't want to share my testimony. Its changed so drastically since my mom passed and I wasn't sure if I could get through it. But God reminded me that my testimony is His story in me and this opportunity to share was about Him, not me. As I shared, I was filled with that same peace I experienced when I spoke at the funeral a few weeks ago. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8

I'm so thankful for all that God is doing. It's crazy how mom's story is touching lives here in Thailand. Isn't it crazy how God works? Thanks for reading.

For the King,

Tate

Two Weeks In

Well, things are moving along very smoothly and I'm excited to tell you that we have a new sister in Christ, Gloy! Her boyfriend, Nat, excepted Christ a week ago so I guess it was her turn. Both of them have been very excited to grow in their new faith and it has been very encouraging to watch. We took communion at church today and Nat and I sat next to each other. It was his first time and I was able to explain it all to him. It was pretty cool. I'm amazed at how God continues to use me. I was given the opportunity lead worship at our small group meeting on Thursday night and when we sang Mighty to Save, the Thais sang in Thai and the Americans sang in English! I can't really describe how cool that was.

I will be honest, this week has been frustrating in many ways. I haven't been getting enough rest so being on the go for 15 hours a day takes a tole after a while. Because I've been so tired, I haven't had enough time in the Word. So when you combine those two things, I get pretty frustrated pretty fast, but I was able to take the night off yesterday to re-fuel. Even though you are doing "ministry" you can't forget to spend time with the Lord. I learned that first hand this past week.

Today after church we visited one of the local slums and played games with some of the kids. You would not believe how these families were living. Trash was everywhere, their homes were made out of whatever they could find, and you constantly smelled human waste. But these kids need Christ and I couldn't help but smile as we interacted with all of them. Here is a picture of the group.

This post was a little longer than my previous ones but there has been so much going on, I only hit a few of the highlights. Please be praying for the week ahead. I've really connected with a guy named Pakpao. I met him at English class this past Tuesday and I've seen him everyday since. I'm looking for an opportunity to share my testimony with him so if you could pray for that I would really appreciate it. Thanks for reading.

For the King,
Tate

So Busy

Wow! The last few days have flown by! Our team from Perimeter Church came in late Sunday night and we haven't slowed down since. Our day begins at 9am and ends between 8pm and 10pm. It's exhausting.  Yesterday was our first day to teach English at a local university and we had around 40 Thai students attend. The whole purpose of teaching English is to invite them to join us on different activities like sight seeing, which is what we did today, and playing paintball this Saturday. Hopefully, we can love on them and share the gospel from there. The approach is much more relationship based but that is the right way to do it, in my opinion. Here are some pictures from today. We visited the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

Here is a verse that has been encouraging:
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

If you have time, check out the verses that are right before this one. This therefore is a big one. Anyways, the past few days have been long and uncomfortable but I know from this verse that if I labor "in the Lord" (in His strength, for His glory) that my work will not be in vain. Even though I'm tired, even though I might not feel like sitting in the baking hot sun wearing pants, or even if I can't understand a lick of Thai, my labor is for the Lord and is not in vain. Because I am in Thailand for His purposes, not mine, he has promised to use me in ways that I cannot even imagine. So basically, even if things are hard, all my hard work will be worth it.

Please continue to pray that he does use me in incredible ways. And pray that our American team can shine for Christ and that He would help us cross paths with people that need to hear about Him!

For the King,

Tate

Rugby Ministry

Bobby and I got a chance to help out with a ministry that teaches rugby to kids from different slums and orphanages around our province. If I were to guess, there were between 50-60 kids there today for a tournament against an international club. They were between the ages of 7 and 15. The missionaries that are involved go to the slums twice a week for each different group of kids to have one on one discipleship time. They teach the kids English, life skills, the Bible, and every Saturday from 9 to 1pm they play rugby. It was hot but awesome to watch the older kids battle it out. I kinda want to learn how to play now.

There was one girl named Mee who attached herself to me towards the end of the day. She liked to jump on my back and drive me around the field. Funny little kid. It's cool how a little love towards these kids goes a long way. It was a great day!

God is Working

The past few days have been very eye opening. Yesterday I got an opportunity to talk with a women named Panida who has recently given her life to Christ. She is a Thai language teacher and has been helping the Wills family learn Thai for around two years now. She shared her testimony and explained to me the struggles of being a Christian here in Thailand. She said that Muslims are taught to hate Christianity. If they were to even think about Christianity, they were told they were not true Muslims, so following Christ has many different challenges. Your family could disown you and there is potential for real prosecution or even death. Panida's faith was very inspiring and it showed me how the Lord is working in so many ways in this city.

So as I mentioned in my last post, there was a Hillsong concert in Bangkok! The concert was supposed to start at 7pm but there were some technical difficulties to the point where they almost canceled the concert. We ended up waiting for over two hours in 90 degree heat at almost 98% humidity. The wait was miserable but totally worth it. The Thais are known for their patience and I got to experience that first hand last night. There were probably over 4000 people that stayed which felt like alot but the Thai Christians are a very small percentage in a city of 12 million. We were able to run up right in front of the stage! You couldn't ask for a better night of worship!

As each day passes I'm exposed to the reality of life here. The Wills family have been such a blessing to me and even though life is hard here, God is still working! I can't begin tell you the excitement that comes from seeing what God does here and to know that He uses us to do His work, makes it even more exciting! We start working on a college campus next week running an English club so pray that God continues to use us in a powerful way. Thanks for reading.

For the King,

Tate

Getting Settled

Well, after about 34 hours of travel, I made it! It was amazing how I was able to get all the flights I needed and sitting in first class was just icing on the cake! After getting settled in my new room, I was able to get a good nights rest which was nice. I spent the morning talking with Bobby and Paula and catching up on life. We then took a bike ride to the market street to grab food for lunch. It's hard to really describe the experience. It's hot, you have to avoid getting hit by cars and mopeds, and you get all these different smells from street vendors. It was all slightly overwhelming.

I can't tell you how excited I am for the next few days. We're going to a Hillsong concert Wednesday night, and meeting Thai students all day Thursday. The first mission team comes in next week so I will be joining them most of their time here. Please continue to pray for me as I begin learning Thai and meeting so many new people. I know God has some amazing things planned.

The first picture is of a tropical fruit. I can't remember what it's called. It looks like a hairy strawberry but you peel the outer shell to eat a white, jelly center. Very different. The second picture shows Hank and I with our plates full of different kinds of fruit, soup, chicken, and rice. It was my first Thai meal. I will be honest, a few minutes after we took this picture I started to feel a little weird. I'm not sure if it was the food or jet lag but I started sweating and felt dizzy. I think it was that hairy strawberry. Haha. It went away after a few minutes. I guess my body is just adjusting to all this.



For the King,

Tate

Movin On

I'd like to start out by saying thank you. Thank you for the prayers, texts, calls, facebook messages, food, everything. Thank you for coming to the viewing on Monday where I think our family set a record for the most hugs in one night! And thank you to everyone who came to the service on Tuesday where we celebrated a life that impacted so many people. After all the buzz of the past few days, reality has set in and the hard part starts. It's weird, honestly. Even though there are many more hard times to come, God's peace has been the over-arching theme. I can't really explain it but I'm ok with everything because I know God will use the death of my mom to do something that only He can do.

The question now is: What's next? Where do we go from here? And the best answer that we came up with is to do what God wants us to do. Dad will go back to work, Peyton will enjoy her summer vacation, Missy will go back to counseling at Woodlands Camp, and I will be headed to Thailand. It's time for all of us to move on.

My trip will give me a chance to clear my head and go where He wants me to go. Plus, my mom and I talked about it in one of our last conversations last week. I told her that I wasn't going to go and she snapped in response, "Oh you will." It's almost as if she knew. Kinda weird. Thankfully, I have a buddy pass that gives me the flexibility to leave this Sunday. It's cool to see how God's plan worked out so perfectly.  Please continue to pray for our family as we do things His way. I will continue to update the blog so keep tuning in to see what He has in store next.

For the King,

Tate

Arrangements

Thanks for all the prayers and encouraging words for our family.  We are humbled by the out pouring of HIS grace and the love of so many friends and family.

Listed below are the various arrangements for Deb.  I was not able to submit these to the newspapers, so please feel free to pass them on. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Midway Community Church – Preschool.

Viewing – Monday – May 30 - 6:00 – 8:00

McDonald & Sons Funeral Home

150 Sawnee Drive

Cumming, GA  30040 

770-886-9899

www.mcdonaldandson.com

Funeral Service – Tuesday – May 31 – 1:00

Midway Community Church

3365 Francis Road

Alpharetta, GA  30040

www.midwaycommunitychurch.org

Graveside

Green Lawn Cemetery

950 Mansell Road

Roswell, GA 30076

770-993-4444

www.roswellfuneralhome.com

Family will return to the church following the graveside service.

Dan

At Peace

Mom passed at 6:00 this morning.  I’m speechless. Dad, Missy, Peyton, and I all sat around the table this morning crying, praying, and worshiping the Lord. Our family is stronger than ever and God is helping us every step of the way. We know that mom is with Him in heaven. Thank you for all the prayers. Please continue to pray for peace and joy for our whole family. 

The Smith Family

Big Change of Plans

Well, many things have changed in the last few days that I must inform you of. I will not being going to Thailand right now. To be as honest as possible, my mom doesn’t have much longer to live and I need to be home. That is a hard pill to swallow but it is the realty we face right now. I cannot begin to explain how I feel. My mom currently has cancer in her brain, which is causing memory problems, her lungs, which is causing shortness of breath, her liver, which is causing many other problems I can’t really explain and her lymph nodes. All we know is that her time is short and we need to spend as much time with her as possible. I know that God wants me to go to Thailand, just not now. Despite my frustrations, my pain, my tears, or my sheer hatred for this situation, God is still faithful. His peace has been overwhelming. I beg you to pray for my family as we face the coming days. Pray for wisdom, clarity, peace and a willingness to obey the Lord, whatever it takes. Here is a verse that I have found comfort in.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”- Isaiah 41:10

Tate

Prayer

I didn't mean to post twice in two days but I just can't help sharing what God is doing right now. This quote sums up what He has been teaching me today:

"So let me say loud and clear that I believe the proclamation of the gospel in Word and deed is the work of missions. Prayer is the power that wields the weapon of the Word and the Word is the weapon by which the nations will be brought to faith and obedience." -John Piper Let the Nations Be Glad

There are so many things here that I can highlight but I'll just do one. "Prayer is the power that wields the weapon of the Word." Piper is explaining that everyday on this earth is a battle and our ability to wield our sword (the Word) will determine the outcome of the battle. As I started to think about my wielding abilities, I realized my prayer life stinks! I have this massive sword (the Word) but I can't use it! I started to think about how I can go about developing my wielding abilities and there is only one solution. Pray through memorized verses of Scripture. I've heard different preachers tell me to do this but I have never actually done it. I need have a verse memorized so that when I have to fight, boom, I whip that verse out to shut down the enemy. I've got some memorizing to do.

For the King,
Tate

Just Jump

Have you ever had the feeling that you were about to be part of something much bigger than you expected? It’s weird to explain, but I’ve had this feeling this week just thinking about all that God is going to do in the next two months. It’s exciting!

I have three weeks between finishing finals and my departure, so I wanted to make that time count. The first two weeks I’ll be in Athens finishing up work at Chick-fil-a for the summer and then packing all I own. The last week I’ll be hanging around the house, spending some quality time with the family.

I wanted to use these three weeks to prepare myself for what God is going to do in my life. As I began reading different books and talking to friends I realized that every aspect of my life will be affected by this trip. It will take more faith, more trust, more prayer, more humility, more everything. I began to realize that there was no way I could be completely ready and that is exactly how God wants it to be.

This reminded of the time I went skydiving freshmen year. I had never been before so I was obviously jumping tandem. (attached to someone who knew what they were doing) There is not a lot of prep time. You have to watch a 15-minute video on the dos and don’ts, put on a special suit along with a helmet and goggles, and then just jump.  Could I have done this by myself? No way! I’m putting my life in the hands of a guy named Chuck who knows how to jump, knows when to pull the parachute, and knows how to take us to the ground safely.  It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done! This is a cool picture of the next two months. All I can do is make sure I know the dos and don’ts, put on all the needed gear (relationship with Christ, faith, prayer, ect.) and just jump. Can I do this by myself? No way! But I’m trusting that God has everything in control. Just jump and enjoy the ride!   

For the King,

Tate 

Lord, Have Your Way

This Easter weekend was pretty tough. My mom went through chemo treatment in Texas this past week and when she got back home, she couldn't breathe very well. On Sunday she had over a liter of fluid drained from her lungs. (Praise God for awesome doctors!) 

The trip home really took alot of me and on my way back to Athens, I was listening to a worship CD and there was a bridge that had this phrase: "Lord, have Your way." That's a hard phrase to sing and really mean. As I began to think through it this morning, I was reminded of Jesus praying in the garden before he was to be crucified. He prayed to God, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." Despite how Jesus might have felt, how hard the future looked, or how much pain he was about to experience, he says, "Not MY will, but YOURS, be done." Lord, have your way! Christ understood that His Father had a better plan and even if it meant suffering a little while, it was all going to be worth it, because God had a reason for it. (To pay for our sins!)

With my trip being a month away, God is using certain situations to teach me to trust him, completely. To say, “Lord have you way” means that you are giving up what you think should happen and putting your complete trust in God. Once you move past your pride and selfishness to do things your way, you see a God that is completely faithful in everything he has ever done. He’s never dropped the ball. Never let you down. His plans have always worked out (for his glory) and that is a God I want to put my trust in. Even if its hard now, I know he’s doing something great.

Please be praying for my mom and my family as we do things God’s way. I can’t wait to see what He does!

For the King,

Tate

 

God's Faithfulness is Humbling

I'm shocked! In two weeks after sending out support letters, I currently have 98% of my goal!! What a God we serve! Thank you all who gave to support this journey God has me on! I'm am so blessed, shocked, and excited to see what He has in store. I have a quick story and verse to share and then I have to start studying.

I currently attend Green Acres Baptist Church in Athens, and this past Sunday, the pastor, Buddy, asked me if I wanted to share about my trip with the congregation. It caught me a little off guard but I shared anyways. After the service I had multiple people come up to me telling me how they were praying for me, which was so awesome! Then a women named Susan Drinkard (who I had never met before) came up to me with tears in her eyes and told me how proud she was of me for being obedient to the Lords calling to go to Thailand. She handed me a check (a shocking amount) that would help me on my trip. I walked out of that church so encouraged at how the Lord was using people I've never met before to totally blow me away! Thank you Mrs. Drinkard!

This verse has become very real to me:

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.... Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."- Hebrews 10:22,23

This trip is a huge step of faith for me and it's not easy or comfortable. But God's Word says that by faith I can stand with full confidence and assurance because He who promised is FAITHFUL! Look at what He has done in two weeks! The Lord's faithfulness is so humbling!

For the King,
Tate

Focus

As many aspects of this trip are starting to fall into place, I'm getting more and more excited. This past week I sent out support letters and I was able to book the flight. Reality has set in! Over the course of this week, my mind has been going through every scenario I could possibly face. Basically, I've been thinking about how cool this adventure is going to be. I think most people would say, "He's just anxious and excited. That's to be expected." But last night the Lord reminded me why I'm going on this trip.

I'm not going to Thailand to see the sights, or to eat awesome food, or to have a crazy adventure. I'm going because of the gospel! Jesus commanded us to "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."(Mark 16:15) God has opened doors for me to go because HE has a plan for me while I'm there. There are specific people that need to hear the good news about Jesus Christ and God wants to use me to tell them about it.

So when I'm thinking about this trip, what is my focus? Will I be discouraged about sitting in the airport for hours waiting on a flight to open up or will I be looking for how God wants to use me while I'm waiting? Am I thinking about how God is going to move in Thai students or about how awesome lunch is going to be? What is my focus? Christ or something else?

My prayer is that I'm focusing on what God wants me to focus on. I can't wait to see what He has planned for me!

For the King!

Tate

The Process Has Started

So this is my first time blogging but I think it will give me a good opportunity to share what God is doing and will be doing in my life over the next few months. God has given the opportunity to go to Thailand for two months this summer to serve with World United Missions. I'm staying with Bobby and Paula Wills, who I met at Woodlands Camp a few years ago. Their family has been serving in Bangkok for past two years and has graciously offered me a place to stay while I'm there.

Bangkok, Thailand is a crazy place. It has a population of 12 million people with less than 1% Christian. Most people are Buddhist or what they call Folk-Buddhists which is a blend of spirit worshiping and Buddhism. Sexual sin is huge in Bangkok as well as sex tourism and human trafficking.

I have opportunity to help with college students at the local university of over 30,000 students. School starts in June so there are many outreach opportunities to give Thai students a chance to practice their English.  I will also be working with the slums and orphanages in Bangkok which will give me a completely different experience.

At this point, God has been opening up huge doors for me to be in Thailand. The craziest one is my traveling expense. A round trip is around $2000 but the Lord has provided another way. I work with a guy named Ryan Roberts who I've known for a very long time. Ryan and Bobby Wills met when  Bobby was working at Camp All-American. Ryan and his wife Michelle are one of the Wills' monthly supporters. To make it even crazier, Ryan's dad is a pilot for Delta and has offered me a buddy pass. This will cut my traveling expense from $2000 to around $400. After the Lord opened this door it was clear that He wanted me in Thailand this summer.

Please start praying for what God is doing in Thailand and how he will use me. I'm going to do my best to try and update on a consistent basis so you will know how to pray. I want to leave you with a quote that was very influential in my decision to be obedient to the Lord's calling for me to serve him this summer:

"Will we refuse to sit back and wait for some tingly feeling to go down our spines before we rise up and do what we have already been commanded to do? Will we risk everything- our comfort, our possessions, our safety, our security, our very lives- to make the gospel known among the unreached people? Such rising up and such risk taking are the unavoidable, urgent results of a life that radically abandoned to Jesus." - David Plat, Radical

For The King,

Tate