Chon Buri, Thailand Video Overview of the Bridge Bible Church Missions Trip November 2012

     https://vimeo.com/54685366

 

     This is the video that Eric Simpson, our Bridge Bible Church pastor, pieced together of our missions trip to Thailand from November 8-18, 2012. He led our team, and in this video, you will see eighteen people from California who gave their blood, sweat, and tears for over a week to serve God and the beautiful people and children of Chon Buri, Thailand...ONLY to come away to be more blessed than we could have ever imagined. The playground we went to build was finished in a week, but more than that God worked his work in every one of our hearts and lives, and in the lives of the missionaries and the people of Thailand. He has left an lasting imprint upon each and every one of us. If you have never been on a short-term missions trip, I encourage you to "go," sometime in the future, as Jesus commanded us to do. It will change your life!!!

ALH Playground, Angsila, Chon Buri, Thailand

Our whole goal for this trip was to complete a playground for the orphanage, making it the only one in an eight-mile radius.  Even though Thailand is in its winter season, it is stinkin' hot there! In fact, I had never, ever experienced heat on this level. The insane thing was it was only in the nineties, but with the humidity, I am sure the heat index was in the one hundred twenties. I GOOGLED it, but never could locate this info. Anyway, that being said, we would sweat through our shirts dozens of times a day; it literally poured off us in buckets!
The first couple of days were overcast, and it actually rained on Monday, so we got a lot done. Our foremen, Rick and Paul, thought we would finish on Wednesday...then came the heat wave. No clouds, no rain, fifty more holes to dig, piles of gravel to move to get to the level dirt where we needed to dig, plus a relocation of our sleeping arrangements, and lastly, our foreman, Rick getting food poisoning, made things look pretty bleak. We had to take more frequent breaks to prevent heat exhaustion AND drink even more water. We ran through it so fast, it kept running out.
Those gravel piles loomed around us like Goliath, with our shovels as the slingshots.So I asked about a Bobcat to move the gravel, and Karen got right on it. When the tractor got there Thursday afternoon, I cried as I heard a cheer rise up all around me, and we all did a happy dance. God showed His love to us all with the most simple answer to prayer that day, when I asked him to send a Bobcat. We got a Kubota, for Thursday AND Friday, and the playground was finished on schedule, at 9 AM! Praise Him! He is truly a personal and most kind and awesome, loving Father.

Vacation Bible School Thai Style

For four days, we did a VBS at the Angsila slums. Two of the sweet widows, whom Ricky and Karen have helped, loaned us their patio areas, so the kids would have a place to sit down and tables to do crafts and coloring on.  Our stories were of Jesus and how much He loves them.  They were as follows, chronologically:  "Jesus Calling the Disciples to be Fishers of Men, "The Good Samaritan," "Jesus Washing the Disciples' Feet," and "The Cross and Resurrection."  Each day we did color pages about the story, along with fun crafts, from bookmarks, foam sticker visors, and beaded cross necklaces.  The kids loved all the games too. They "fished for men" with magnet fishing poles, jumped rope, played soccer, blew bubbles, hit beach balls, hula hooped, threw bouncy balls, and just had fun being kids.  The songs were a blast as well, and by the second day, the kids were doing all the motions and singing a lot of the words.  We ended each day with a healthy drink and snack for these beautiful children who live in such dire straits.  The living conditions are the worst I have ever seen, although I have been told it was not so bad here, compared to third world countries. On the last day of VBS, the children were coming up to the translator and asking how they could receive Jesus as their Savior.  So we sat them in a group, and she reviewed the Thai salvation tract with them.  The most amazing experience of my trip was standing in the middle of nearly thirty Thai children listening to them all pray aloud at the same time and ask Jesus to forgive their sins and save them.  Thank you, Jesus!

Thai Longtail Boats

<p>Ever been on a longtail boat? It is quite the experience! Actually, we got to go sightseeing in Bangkok with Ricky Sanchez yesterday, He and his wife, Karen, are our host missionaries. Anyway, Ricky took us on a power tour. We saw the Grand Palace, which is the King's home and the most famous Thai temple (with one of the oldest jade Buddhas in Asia on display), did the longboat ride, then hit the Siam Paragon Mall (one of Bangkok's largest), and we even got to all experience the "squatty potty"a couple of times (just 3 baht and 2 extra for toilet paper)! What is great is that we achieved this by way of six forms of transportation, in this order...truck, van, taxi, longboat, train, and bus (not to mention our feet). Ricky said he was sorry he didn't have time to squeeze in a scooter and a tuk tuk, which is another story. You should only be so lucky to have such a caring, congenial, and totally refreshing host. Whodda thunk a missionary would ever be part of Raider Nation? GOOOOOOOO Broncos!!! Sorry, Ricky. Horses, are after all, practically royalty!!!

Bangkok, Thailand

<p>Nearly fifteen million people all searching for the truth make up this city of old. For those of you who have ever enjoyed the movie, The King and I, Thailand used to be called Siam. The storylines depicted on the outer walls of the Grand Palace are truly amazing works of art, and the giant guardians called Yai, in front of the palace temples are fearsome. It all ends in Nirvana, which, sadly, is impossible for the common man to attain. Thank you Jesus that no matter the likes or differences of cities (I found that Bangkok has many similarities to LA and Chicago and New York.), or the beliefs or unbeliefs or the agreements or disagreements of mankind, Your truth is everlasting, your love is unfailing, your gift of salvation is free to anyone who chooses to accept it. I love you, Lord.

Our Transportation for the Week.

This truck is our transport for wherever we need to go. Michelle and Wicus got lucky and have a scooter they get to use for the next eight days! Tons of fun, folks!

First Church Service at Chonburi, Thailand

<p>Ricky and Karen Sanchez, the missionaries we are partnering with, have been instrumental in planting several churches here in this coastal town. Today, we had the privilege to worship with one of these churches, and participate in their baptismal service. Two of our own, Jess and Andy, were baptized in the Gulf of Thailand, with other fellow Christians. Karen told the audience that they had been praying for six baptisms, and with God moving on the two men from our group, it brought the total up to seven.  When these beautiful Thai  people make a decision to be baptizyed, they are cut off from their families, who are Buddhist. This is a huge decision and sacrifice for these dear brothers and sisters in Christ.  We ended the service by laying hands on the ones being baptized, and asking God to honor and bless their step of faith. Thank you Lord for saving us and loving us, Dear Jesus. Your gift of salvation is the ultimate and absolute everything!

We Made it to LAX!

ENTER:  Much juggling of suitcases and people; Pastor Jeff then saw us off from the Bridge with a prayer asking God to use us for His glory, AND to bring souls into His Kingdom. After following Lawrence on a wild goose chase down the "To stay alive, stay off the 5," and walkie-talking some lame jokes between the van and truck, we FINALLY stopped to eat a masterfully made burger at the airport In-n-Out Burger. Checked 31 bags filled with stuff for the orphanage , waited an hour in line at the ticket counter and the security checkpoint, and, POW! We were at the gate with nearly thirty minutes to spare. Our adventure begins, God.  :)

Q & A Day

Well, we are down to the wire. Our team flies out at 2330 hours on the evening of Nov. 8, 2012. We fly to Taiwan, and then on to Thailand, for a total of thirteen hours on two different planes.  God, go before us and pave the way, so that Jesus will save many souls to someday be ushered into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Thank you for saving us and giving us this privilege to spread the Good News!

PACK IT!!!

Kids Around the World, the missions organization, not only puts playgrounds in third world countries, but also partners with another organization (Feed My Starving Children), to provide nutritious rice packets to the children and people of those countries, as well. This week, on Saturday, November 3, at the Bridge, we are "packing!" In an assembly-line fashion, our church people will line up to fill as many bags as we can, in four hours, with rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables, vitamins, and added chicken seasonings; then vacuum-seal them, to send over to Thailand and beyond. Each packet costs $1.32. One of these bags will feed one child for six days. All that has to be done is add water and cook over a heated stove. The pictures on the back of the package are very self-explanatory for a child or an adult, and the food inside is super nutritious AND life-saving. Paul, our Kids Around the World liason, challenged the people of the church to just eat this rice packet ONLY for an entire day. Many of the people who tried it couldn't do it, which shows just how entitled we have really become in America. Although I didn't get to participate in this task, because I was out of town helping my mom after her surgery, I am going to do my best to do it for a day before leaving on our Thailand trip. We will see!!! If you ever want to donate to a worthy cause, this actually works, because instead of sending the money to an organization, you are actually sending a real, live package of food to a child! Contact Kids Around the World or Feed My Starving Children to see what you can do to get involved!!! (www.kidsaroundtheworld.com[/email:]mobilepackinfo@fmsc.org/)

Oct. 21, 2012 1240 Hours For today’s Thailand meeting, we were supposed to bring red Solo cups that revealed something about who we are. On the outside of my cup was a picture of a vortex, which is basically the state of my life at this time, with a request for God to fill my empty cup during this new journey. Eric brought along another empty cup and asked each of us to write one weakness on the outside of it in black Sharpie. Then, he read a couple of passages from II Corinthians and reminded us of the apostle, Paul(II Corinthians 12:8-10—“8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.),and how he asked God to take away his weakness, and how the Lord never removed it from him. When he read from the second passage, II Corinthians 4:7-12, Eric told us that these would be our theme verses for our Thailand mission trip. They are as follows: "7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." What came next was an object lesson, before which Eric read each one of our weaknesses from the cup where we had penned them. You can notate them in the pictures below, and at the end of this blog, I have listed them alphabetically (Since I am a fourth grade teacher!). He then asked us if we believed that this flimsy plastic cup could hold his weight. All of us but Matt didn’t think so, and of course, Eric and Carrie, who were in on the secret. So he held up the cup and said something to the effect of, “Look at what a motley crew we are! In order for God to be able to use us in spite of our weaknesses, we have to allow Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit,” upon which he poured sand into the cup and filled it to overflowing. Then, he literally stood on it, and short of causing a few wrinkles in its sides, it actually held his weight! But, Eric went further and asked our leader from the missions organization, “Kids Around the World,” Paul (Whose 60th birthday it was today), to stand on the cup. Without any more visible damage, it held Paul’s weight, as well. Lesson learned. God can use any of us, as long as we, His children, surrender all to Him, and it is through our weaknesses that He shines His light through us in the brightest fashion. Here are the weaknesses of The Bridge Bible Church Thailand Team 1: 1. Being alone 2. Being right 3. Confidence 4. Faith 5. Fear 6. Fear of Region 7. Finances 8. Hurt Back 9. Pride 10. Public Speaking 11. Sarcasm 12. Shy 13. Spelling 14. One was an "unknown," as the cup got too squished!

Dear Bridge Bible Family and Friends, Yesterday, my best friend, Tina, sent me this Daily Bread entry. It is what I have been asking God to give me in my life, and I wanted to share it with you! In His Love, Denise Trone Quaking Aspens October 1, 2012 Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn READ: Philippians 4:6-9 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. —2 Thessalonians 3:16 While I was visiting Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, two trees caught my attention. Though the leaves on the surrounding trees were not moving, the leaves of these trees were fluttering with just the slightest hint of a breeze. I pointed them out to my wife, and she told me they were called quaking aspens. I was struck by the visual effect of those shaking leaves. While all the other trees appeared calm and steady, the quaking aspen leaves shook, even with only the faintest breeze. Sometimes I feel like a quaking aspen. People around me seem to be moving through life without issues or concerns, apparently steady and secure, while even the slightest issue can unsettle my heart. I see others and marvel at their calm and wonder why my own life can so easily be filled with turbulence. Thankfully, the Scriptures remind me that genuine, steadying calm can be found in the presence of God. Paul wrote, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thess. 3:16). Not only does God offer peace, He Himself is the Lord of peace. When we enter the disturbing, unsettling seasons of life, it is good to know that real peace is available in the God of all peace. —Bill Crowder Prince of Peace, teach me to find in You the calming power of Your presence. Strengthen me today with Your peace, and grant me the stability I need in this turmoil-filled world. Amen. Peace is more than the absence of conflict; peace is the presence of God.

After spending a couple of weeks helping my mother after her full shoulder replacement surgery, I was greeted to this beautiful sunset, as I was nearly home from an eight hour drive between Phoenix, AZ and Tehachapi, CA, or as my children so lovingly call it, "T-town." It made me thankful for my home there, my family and friends, and for my family at Bridge Bible Church, but mostly for my Savior. I have received a few encouraging emails from all of you about your prayers for my mother and also encouraging words for our upcoming missions trip. God is surely going before us, and He will guide us in His way, because He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. This last year,I have seen His wonderful and loving hand guiding my life as never before, and I am excited for the journey He has set before us! Godspeed to you all. In His Love, Denise

Sep. 16, 2012 21:41 hours Chonburi ชลบุรี Chonburi is literally translated from Thai to English as "City of Water." Located on the northeast corner of the Gulf of Thailand, it has a population of nearly 35,000 in a little over a 4 square mile radius. Put that up against Tehachapi, California, for example: We have nearly 25,000 people in our community and surrounding areas, but our square mile radius is 25 miles. That averages out to 1000 people living per square mile, and that is probably pushing it, because I don't know if places like Hart Flat, Sand Canyon, Stallion Springs, and Bear Valley were included in the census information. In contrast, 35,000 divided by 4 equals 8,750 people crammed into a single square mile, which amounts to OVER an 8:1 ratio! It is truly amazing how differently the rest of the world lives compared to the U.S., isn't it? I think this Google Earth map picture of Chon Buri says it all! I kind of wonder if God is looking down on this desparate city the way He looked down upon Ninevah. He loves those people, and He wants them to believe in Him. All they need is the chance to hear the gospel. I believe you must be feeling like I am right now, when I think of

how my Savior died to save me from my sins, just like He did for the entire rest of the world. I want to say, along with all of you who have the same desire to serve your dear Jesus, "Pick me! Pick me!" This is how God's love works. He places it into our hearts when we become His children, and then He asks us to give it back to others, so they will want to become His children, too. May God rain down His love on Chon Buri, Thailand!!!

Sep. 16, 2012 16:40 hours ครอบครัวลูกเห็บ sanchez จากคนรับใช้ขององค์พระเยซูคริสต์ (khrxbkhrạw lūkh̄ĕb sanchez cāk khn rạb chı̂ k̄hxng xngkh̒ phra yesū khris̄t̒) Hail, Sanchez Family, from the servants of our Lord Jesus Christ!!! Dear Ricky, Karen, and beautiful family, We, at the Bridge Bible Church

cannot tell you how excited we are for the imminent opportunity and the true privilege we will have to serve alongside you in reaching Thailand for Christ. It seems appropriate to start this letter out with a greeting similar to that of Paul's opening statements in his letters to the church. He considered being a servant of his Savior and his Heavenly Father to be the utmost honor. We thank you for allowing us this opportunity, and are already praying for God to do a mighty work in the hearts of the people of Chon Buri. Our verse for today's first "official" meeting was from I John 5:10-12, where, in short, John penned, "Whoever has the Son, has life; whoever does not have the Son does not have life." How simple, and yet how profound! When it comes down to what you are all about, this is the brass tacks of it, isn't it? We want every single person in the world to know Jesus Christ as his or her Savior! Godspeed, as you continue to serve Him, and know that our hearts and prayers are with you always. In His Love, The Bridge Bible Family Thailand 1 Team