Re: Chiang Mai, Thailand--Prayer request
As said earlier-My son is going to Chiang Mai. Here is his 'update' with some explanation. Please keep him (and Lisl) in prayer. Thanks!
Dear Friends,
It is far too late in 2007 to consider this an annual update, but since I've written so little to so many of you, I'd like to share some highlights from the past year. Many of you have blessed me via face-to-face conversations, phone calls, and emails—thank you so much!
Almost exactly a year ago, I came back home to Minnesota, after attending Sharon Mennonite Bible Institute for three months. I had a wonderful time: Studying, singing, and sharing with young people passionate about serving Jesus. I learned all sorts of fascinating things: from the mundane (the history of oral liquids, how to serve a volleyball, conducting a choir with the right hand rather than the left) to the life-changing (the importance of "closet time", how to develop a Christ-centered hermeneutic, and how to sing not-quite-so-loud). God has blessed what I learned there in countless ways.
After spending a couple months in Minnesota with my family, I moved down to Hayward, Wisconsin, where our Church is. Living with the Elv Graber family and working for a log-home builder, I was able to help start a children's outreach on the Indian Reservation where I lived.
I wish I could share the incredible ways God has worked through my time in Wisconsin, and especially through the Northwoods Beach Children's Club, but please take my word for it: God is a gracious God, eager to show Himself strong on behalf of those who hearts are "perfect toward Him". (Actually, don't take my word for it; take His Word!) So often, there is a discipline problem to which we have no solution, but He comes through. I have found myself countless times clueless as to a lesson for the evening, and He gives me one. From finding a place to meet with the children and people to help with the activities, to giving us a Flannelgraph and children eager to come, God has taught me much of His faithfulness.
Even beyond the children's ministry, I've been blessed. It has been good to be in construction again, especially with such a great boss and coworkers. The Graber family is (as always) incredibly gracious to adopt me into their family as they have this year. Also, after living two and a half hours from Church, I've enjoyed living ten minutes away—it makes it much easier to get to prayer meetings and get-togethers! J
I also was able to spend more time with my family this year, even though it feels as if I never got up North enough. It is always fun to make bread with my sisters in the morning, split wood with Noah in the evening, and tackle a building project with Daddy and Ben. Of course, often I'd end up just hanging out with everyone and being horribly unproductive!
This winter, I had the thrill of taking Mama (and Dad) to Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis to hear one of the most incredible baritones ever. Going to hear Jubilant Sykes with my parents was amazing, but his being accompanied by the classical guitar virtuoso, Christopher Parkening, compounded the joy. This had been a dream for me, and I shall have fond memories for years to come.
This season of my life has been precious, and I am deeply grateful for the blessings my Father has heaped on me. But I haven't even told you about the biggest blessing yet! On March 6th, 2007, Lisl Graber and I began a courtship. We are both very happy, and amazed at the way God led us together. We have been good friends for several years, and look forward to deepening our friendship in the months to come.J If you want more details and pictures, you can go to my website:
www.xanga.com/druseth
So, now that I have a good job, a wonderful family, a special outreach, and Lisl, now would be a perfect time to go overseas for up to nine months, right? Maybe it sounds strange, but that's what I'm doing! As many of you know, I've been seeking the Lord about going on the foreign mission field for several years, and He has opened a door to study and serve in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with an organization called Institute for Global Opportunities. (IGo) This is a hybrid missions training/short-term missions program, in which we will spend time both in a classroom and in various work throughout Asia.
The IGo training program consists of two four-month semesters; I may stay for one or both. We will alternate between three weeks in Chiang Mai—studying on campus and reaching out in the "neighborhood"; followed by two weeks "on the field"—traveling in Asia and witnessing, and possibly sharing Bibles, holding Bible camps, working with a children's ministry in Cambodia, prayer walks in Vietnam, as well as other activities. I'm especially looking forward to the training and experience I'll get in language studies, and teaching English in a foreign country.
I have been planning on going to Thailand for almost a year, and again, God has guided and provided every step of the way. I desperately need God to continue to go before me, and desperately need prayer. Jesus commanded us to pray to "the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest." (Luke 10:2) If He calls us to pray before we go, how much more critical is prayer when we are actually in the field!
So, could you pray for me? I know many of you have been praying as we've reached out on the Rez, as well as for me specifically as I've sought His will. And it has made a huge difference. I am looking forward to seeing God continue to work—now as I'm in Thailand—but need your prayers just as much there as we've needed them here in Wisconsin. Thanks so much!
As I make the last-minute preparations before I fly over, here are a few specific ways you can pray:
· Pray for health and safety in traveling
· Pray as I move in to Chiang Mai—it will be exciting learning to know the people and culture, but also challenging.
· Pray for me, as I pack. If you know me at all, you know that I can be horribly absent-minded and forgetful. There will be many details that I know will slip through the cracks, apart from the grace of God. J
As I shine for Jesus in Asia, and as each of us reflects His glory where we are, I want to do this with both my words and my life. This is how Christ did the will of His Father: by teaching, living in holiness to all men, and ultimately giving His life for us. Let me share this little story to illustrate…
Once, there was a great violinist. He was very particular about his instrument, but most particular about the strings on his violin. He would spend hours tuning and retuning the glorious instrument. He spent thousands of dollars to find the best strings.
Sadly, he became so obsessed with having the correct strings and the perfect tuning, that he decided to throw away the body of the violin. Now he had the perfect strings, but there was no wood chamber in which the perfect sounds of the strings could vibrate. The best strings were useless without a humble wooden body.
Once there was a great luthier. He gave his life to creating the perfect violins for the greatest violinists. He had one quirk though: He had no concern for the strings of the violins. He threw whatever wires were laying around his shop on the beautiful instruments, tightened up the tuning pegs, and sold the otherwise perfect instrument to his customers. The perfect wooden body was useless without the right strings, tuned to the right pitch.
Now, this is how we sometimes view Truth. Like the silly violinist, we like to make sure we have all the Truth. We may spend hours studying how to most effectively express the truth. However, if an expression of truth has no life in which to resonate, the beauty will never be heard. Without real, solid holiness, the Truth will move no one. No matter how eloquent the words are, they will just be another twanging philosophy in the cacophony of ideas.
Maybe we are more like the careless luthier. We make sure we have good, clean lives, but neglect Truth. We can make a lot of noise since we have such high morals, but we lack the beauty of Truth. We focus so much on getting the externals just right, we have no divine message.
Once there was a Man who desired to create beautiful music. He fashioned for Himself a violin like no other, because he was the Master Luthier. He carefully wound strings that could produce sweet, perfect pitch. He spent hours tuning the instrument to match the perfect vibrations of Heaven itself. Then He took the violin and played. The beautiful music changed the world.
Thanks again so much for your encouraging words and prayer support—you may never know how much difference it made—both in my life and others.
Resting in Jesus,
Dru
