handmade gods

To whom would you liken Me and make Me equal and compare Me, that we would be alike? Those who lavish gold from the purse and weigh silver on the scale hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; they bow down, indeed they worship it. They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it; they set it in its place and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer; it cannot deliver him from his distress. Isaiah 46:5-7
Just over a week ago i was walking down the crowded streets of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Chiang Mai has incredible night markets that bring people out of the woodworks. me and 3 friends were browsing along with a sea of Thai people, sampling interesting foods, gazing at local art work, trying on jewelry, and marveling at interesting clothing trends. one could easily get lost in the chaos or feel overwhelmed at the sight of it all. the smells, the sounds, the sights...i felt swept up in the moment, thoroughly enjoying myself when my friend Aline grabbed my arm and softly said, "it's just like in the bible.." my eyes followed her gaze to find her staring at a man sitting on a stool hammering out the image buddha. my face fell at the sobering reality rolling before my eyes. it was happening right in front of me just like isaiah prophesied thousands of years ago. i wasn't sure what to do with myself. my friends continued on while i stood and watched, my mind reeling. i turned and caught up with my friends and we continued on our way, but my mind kept wandering back to that goldsmith...my heart felt sad.
I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. They will say of Me, Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength...Isaiah 45:23-24 We can only rest in God, in who He is and what He has said. His hand is mighty to save. pray that blind eyes might be opened to the truth of God.
ok, time to switch countries. we arrived in india a little over a week ago. we are staying on a catholic compound called the pastoral care center. this will be my home for a little more than 3 months. yesterday we visited GMH (government maternity hospital) where we will begin training on monday. the hospital grounds are large and teeming with people...lines of women with precious lives growing in their bellies, families of women waiting, doctors, nurses, birth attendants...my heart lept with joy at the incredible opportunity God has laid before us. so many people just sitting around, waiting, bored...so perfect an opportunity to meet people, speak with people, sit with people, to mourn with people, to be joyful with people, to laugh with people, to touch people, to love people. GMH, here we come....

elephants, sweat, and antenatal care in thailand!

hello friends!
wow, it is hot here! i get a little jealous when i hear of how fall and winter are right around the corner in Texas. i'm not sure just how hot it is getting here, but i break a sweat just walking to the 7-11 for water right around the corner. haha...

nonetheless, we are all being challenged and stretched in a good way. last week was an amazing time of refreshing and fellowship during the University of the Nations conference that we attended. we heard from an array of speakers and attended some really amazing workshops. youth with a mission staff gathered from all over the world to encourage one another, pray, worship, and seek God's face. some days i felt overwhelmed at the task that lies ahead. so many people die daily without knowing the love of our precious Savior. Thousands of children die every single day from starvation and preventable diseases. Thousands of children and women are trafficked each day into prostitution and the sex industry. shouldn't people have a right to hear about Jesus? shouldn't children have the right to go to school and have a childhood? i guess if i feel that these people have a right, then i have a responsibility. my faith must be an active one, not a passive one. God has not called the church to maintain the status quo, but to bring transformation! "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 when we see injustice in the world, there should well up from within a holy discontent. Sex trafficking, abortion, people dying from preventable causes...unacceptable. regardless of age, sex, race, or social class each human being has inherent value. Do we value life? What is our response? I pray that we would shield the wind of passivity that creeps through our churches and actively combat these issues that grieve the heart of God. my prayer has been so often of late, "Lord align my heart with Yours."
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." -Edmund Burke, 1770
"Our temptation is to look eagerly for the minimum that will be accepted." -C.S. Lewis
May we never find ourselves doing nothing or merely the minimum. Let us boldly push forward to fight for justice and kindness. Let us be peace-bringers! Let us be life-speakers! Let us be hope-givers! I pray that you would be the one to chase after God whole-heartedly even when all others choose to stay behind because the road is too steep or rocky or because it's uncharted territory...









on a lighter note we were able to get out of the city yesterday. several of us took a tourist tour of the country side. we did some amazing hiking, elephant riding, and bamboo rafting! we visited 2 different Thai hill tribes, which was interesting. i was reminded of how much i love the country...oh i miss it. this week we will finish up our lecture phase. wednesday we will be leaving for india!! we will be there for 3 months and will finally begin to volunteer in a hospital there! i'm excited to finally have the opportunity to put the things we've been learning into practice...

blessings
jill

i found elvis!!

i found elvis presley!!!! can you believe it? he works from 5-7pm in the mall food factory here in chiang mai, thailand! unbelieveable...
well we just finished an incredible week attending a missions conference. i heard so many amazing testimonies from missionaries working in places like indonesia, papua new guinea, nigeria, china...basically all over! anyways, hopefully soon i'll be able to post some of what God has been teaching us...
we'll be here in chiang mai for a week and a half, then we're moving on to hyderabad, india!!! blessings...