Team Thaibodia: Hephzibah

Outreach is really all that you make it to be especially because it only is short term. You can sit back and tag along for the ride, or you can put yourself in position to take a step out of your comfort zone and expect to see God move in that. There were six of us altogether on the team, Saana and I were on staff, and the students were Kelly, Yolanda, Sabrina, and Rachel. Honestly outreach would not be the same if they were not there with me. We were all so different in giftings and personality, but it worked! I was blessed with such a team going into heavy spiritual locations and they were all willing to step out.
Right before I left for outreach Robin emailed me with a verse that really touched my heart. God had been speaking a lot to me, and the DTS about worth and purity and this verse came at a perfect time. So, Robin thank you.
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kinds your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah. For the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." (Isaiah 62:1-5)
It was such an amazing picture of how we are restored in the image of Christ by God and how when we come to revelation of Him, he calls us by a new name (as a symbol of not allowing the past to label us), and rejoices over us. It is a picture of how we are not only renewed, but He considers us so precious and beautiful. As we were praying for the women that we were about to work with in the sex industry in Thailand, we were praying this verse over their lives. We must hold onto the hope that these women, despite everything they have gone through and are going through, can be completely restored and renewed.

January DTS 2008

After a short visit with my parents here on the Sunshine Coast, a quick spontaneous trip to New Zealand, and a Christmas with some birth family in Newcastle, it was time to staff another DTS. The January DTS was twice the size of the July school, with 29 students. There were two girl houses and one guys. I was in the "quiet" house, but to be honest, it was the sweetest house! I think we became more like family than roommates. They called me mom and they were my girls! We were all so different, and yet we had so much to learn from eachother. I am currently living in the same house and I miss them so much.
God did a lot of transforming lives within the lecture phase and it was so neat to be a part of God moving in that way. As we were praying for outreach locations I really wanted to hear God in knowing where to go. We were given 15 minutes, and I really felt like I was supposed to go to Cambodia, but it was not one of the options. So for a week I did not say anything. I told them that I was undecided. One of the other staff was talking with someone the next week and she said that she had a dream about going to Indonesia and Cambodia. That was my confirmation. Since there were so many girl students, we decided that I would take an all girls team to Thailand and Cambodia to focus on womens and childrens ministry. It was my heart to follow up on some of the ministries the base had worked with in previous years. So I had some old contacts and some new ones and went to planning the outreach.
The other outreach locations were Indonesia, Uganda, Phillipines/Australia, and Darwin (Australia).

Humbled

Because I was so humbled after staffing the last DTS and not having a clue what I was doing the entire time, I was afraid of what staffing another school would look like. I had thoughts about throwing in the towel a few times, but God showed me that it was all for good reason. When I finally got around to processing the whole time, God revealed something to me:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverence. Perseverence must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything..." (James 1:2-15)
God was revealing to me my pride, my selfishness, and my immaturity. He was purifying me to be more like Christ so that those who come to me I can point to Christ. God was developing me as a leader through humility. Mary gave me this verse the night we left on outreach and it ends the section in James 1 about perseverence through trials:
"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created." (James 1:16-18)
God's character never changes, he is always good, his intentions are always good, and in every situation or circumstance he is good.

Eunice

I know that I take forever before I can get on here and write something, but I think it's because I fear what would happen if I shared my heart. I guess it's because I don't like knowing that people just do not care. I'm learning to kick that habit, but bare with me as I attempt to update this page! Vulnerability is strength because it means that we die to ourselves and let God move. I have been humbled many times, and can say that through all those times I have much more confidence.
I hated Africa when I was there because I felt like there was nothing that I could do to see a nation change. This in a way is the truth, ultimately, God is the one who will change it. We are just responsible to make the most out of where He has called us to, and focus on the individuals he places in our path. We are called to love without boundaries and walk forward in faith.
I want to tell a story of a girl that I had met in Kenya who was a part of changing my life. Her name is Eunice, and she is 16. I met her at the Machakos School for the Physically Handicapped and she was in the eighth grade. I guess you could call her my hero (and yes I have many of those). She was born without legs, I will not give many details because, in truth, I don't know them. We stumbled on the school and fell in love with the children there. They had so much joy. Most of the children there had treatable handicaps. What I mean by this, is that if they were born in a first world country, they could be completely fine. For example, some of the children had limbs that were twisted in an opposite direction, that with a surgery and physio, could most likely walk almost normal. Instead they just live with the discomfort. Kids were in wheelchairs made out of plastic chairs and bike wheels, if they were missing a limb they just hobbled around. It was sad, but as I mentioned, they had such joy. Also I have never been so humbled in playing soccer with them (they were ten times better than me).
Eunice is most likely the strongest person I have ever met. She asked me first of all if I knew Christ, and I laughed and told her that He was the reason I was there with her. We immediately became friends. She started telling me about the revelations God had revealed through His word and all I wanted to do is listen. She told me how she wanted to be a lawyer, and her brother was becoming a doctor. She told stories of her mom. After a few visits, I met her mom and family who came to visit her. Eunice was so proud of them and they had heard so much about me. To them, I was family. Karoline (a girl on my team) and I went one weekend before we left to visit her family (cousins, mom, brother and grandfather) at their place. They were ashamed that they could not give me anything but a cup of tea and a bun... I told them that anything they had to give me meant the world to me. They cried when they told me of Eunice and how much they appreciated our friendship. I cried after I left that place. Eunice's mom was working two jobs in order to pay for their education. That family had nothing, and yet gave me so much.
One thing that I will never forget is something Eunice told me during one of our visits. We were talking about life, just small talk, and she turns to me and says, "Bethany, I know that God has made me this way for a reason. I know that I am stronger than most, and I will give Him the glory."
I gave her my shirt, a bible, my bracelet, but I think I also gave her my heart. She has no idea how much of an impression she made on me. I complain about the smallest things, and begin to question God when he brings me through trials. Then here is Eunice rejoicing in her struggles because she knows He is closer to her. She will always remain in my prayers.