“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” ~Jesus Christ

This is crazy. The Holy Spirit has been so deeply stirring my heart for the last couple months now, and I was so curious, so eager, so excited to find out what He was planning. I prayed and prayed, seeking counsel from my wonderfully Christ-focused family, and from trusted friends whose aim is the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. After much thought and prayer on the matter, it has become clear to me now that the Lord is...calling me back to America. At least for now, I will be moving back to the U.S. My heart has been so incredibly burdened for the state of the American church and the Godlessness that so permeates the country. While I will most certainly be sad to leave this place and these people, I trust that the Lord is in control, and as we obey His voice and trust His sovereignty, He is glorified and able to better use His church worldwide for the good works He ordained for her. That said, I am looking forward to coming and serving alongside my brothers and sisters on mission in America, and can't wait to see just what Almighty God will do in this next season of life. I thank you all so so much for  your constant prayers and support as I've been here in Thailand, and I can look back on this past year and happily say that it was not in vain. The Lord has certainly blessed this time, and people who had never heard the Gospel of Jesus were brought to repentance and salvation. Hallelujahx100 for the manifold humbling opportunities I was given to serve our Master. I will be living in Bangkok from the 17th till the 27th, after which I fly for the Americas. I will start in Long Beach, staying with our dear friends the Moreys. I'll be there for ten days or so, after which I will spend a spell in Bend, OR and then a little jaunt up to Washington, Lord willing. As of right now, I am not exactly sure what specific mission the Lord has prepared for me in the States, but I am confident He knows exactly what He's doing. I do know that the densest population of Thais in America is found in California, and perhaps in the future the Lord will use me to work down there. We will see! In the meantime, your prayers and encouragement are so deeply felt and appreciated, and have been all the time I've been overseas. I do not see this as the end of mission in Thailand (we have a lot of brothers and sisters out here who need our prayer and support), but for this next season of life, however long, I am USA bound. Please continue to pray for this nation, and for the furtherance of the Gospel world-wide. Much love to you all, can't wait to see you again. Praise Jesus for all things.
Derrick

'...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.'

Hey saints! Are you rejoicing in Jesus?

Sorry it’s been so long since my last update. Things have been relatively as usual out here. Just finished up testing out my little English students for the month of October, won’t be seeing them again till November. It’s been great getting to know them (it’s hectic at that school but slowly but surely I’m getting a chance to build relationships with these kiddos.) I’ve been able to teach about the Creator and Savior, and so has Dave, but of course if you’re not for Jesus, you hate Him, and this has led to a bit of resistance against Dave and me teaching the truth at school. Of course, a school where the kids are required to pay homage to a worthless pile of gold shaped into a man is certainly going to resist the message of truth. We rejoice at the little chances we've had to preach there, and continue to eagerly seek those moments when we can preach Christ.

In other news, Dave and Oy have taken off for the States for a month, leaving me solo out here with the Thai believers. Excited for what the Lord will do with this time, it is clear He’s moving here in Thailand and I’m so stoked to be in the middle of it.

On that note, I’m seeking His will on whether or not I should commit time to helping out at a ‘special needs’ school about 20 miles outside of town. Naturally, I could not think of something I’d rather do out here. It is such a wonderful prospect, but I want to make sure I’m not just calling shots now that I’m ‘on the field’. Gotta follow the commands of the General. Interesting to note, my friend Neung was explaining recently that mentally handicapped people here are considered to be bad luck, bad people because in a past life they did bad things and thus brought their condition upon themselves. That’s what the religion of this place teaches. You tell me it’s working for this place, leave it be? I laugh at that. There’s a million reasons why this pathetic satanic religion is most certainly NOT working for this place, but the rejection of mentally and physically handicapped people is certainly near the top of the list for me. Damn Satan and his deceit. All that to say I am looking into working with these ‘rejects’, and would love your prayer support in seeking God’s will on this.

In my last update I mentioned a young lady who was considering Christ. Praise and exalt Himx1,000,000 as just a couple weeks ago she prayed with Oy and surrendered her life to Jesus, repenting and believing in Him. She is in the fold, and going hard for Christ. She’s in the Word and being discipled by Oy and some of the women in the church. Praise the Lord, He’s mighty to save.

There is also a man who runs the internet café from which I write this update. He has been consistently curious about this Jesus we serve, and both Dave and I have had some long talks with him about the truth, about Christ. He’s been looking into other religions, such as Mormonism, and recently told me that Christianity is the only thing he’s found that makes any sense. I think he may be close to surrender, and so I beg you saints to lift this man up in prayer, that Satan would not tear out the seed that is sprouting in his heart.

Other than that, I think I have no new updates. Pray for Thailand, and thank you for reading this, you have to know it blesses me to know of your interest, prayer, and financial support for this mission. Until next time, I love you guys and miss you, hope to see you relatively soon!

Derrick

'Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.' ~Luke 15:7

Goodness it's been a long time since the last update! Warm greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Advocate, who bled a path for us to Himself that we might have right standing with Almighty God. I have to say, this last stretch has been not entirely uneventful. To say the least. So many exciting things are happening here in Thailand, and I am so blessed and joy-filled to be able to be a part of it. 

To start with, the bar ministry that I mentioned in a previous blog update has been going swimmingly. God has blessed the relationships we've built in these places, and I do believe the gears are starting to turn for many of these people. As Galasin is a rather hopeless place, meaning hardly anyone here has any real hope (Jesus), it is not hard to find struggling people who've turned to the bottle, filling the Christ-less void with cheap beer and tobacco tar. That said, it has been a wonderful opportunity to present the real true hope of Christ Jesus our Lord, and to share with them that it isn't over, that they can be saved, and that they don't have to be miserable, apart from God.


Well, at one of the bars I play at, an Australian man stumbled in off the street and just sat there by himself, amidst a bunch of Thais. He doesn't speak Thai, he's middle-aged, and he looked a little worn out. So after the set, I went and sat with him, and we ended up talking for around an hour and a half. He's a philosopher of Jewish origin, and from a young age always believed in the Old Testament God, but never believed in Jesus as the Messiah. 'We Jews are not allowed to believe that.'  We reasoned and reasoned for a long time, and he left and I thought, well, I may have just offended a Jew, but hopefully I have shone the light of Christ into a place that's never felt its warmth. Well, a week later he came back, and he said he couldn't stop thinking about our conversation, and he was just unable to rest on the idea that Jesus isn't the Messiah. So we reasoned through the OT, from creation to Abraham to Isaiah to psalms to prophecies to God's sovereignty, all over the place, and at the end he said, 'I promise you I will look into the New Testament and see if it correlates with the old.' And then, about ten days later he came to me and said, 'Ryan,' (that's what he calls me, I have no idea why), 'Ryan! Yeshua, Jesus Christ, is the Chosen One, the Messiah, the Son of God, the recompense for all nations.' And we talked about repentance and salvation, and he accepted Christ as his savior and is now a believer! Please pray that his life would radically be changed and that the enemy would not interfere with this man's getting rooted. 

At another bar there is a young lady who spends much of her time in that place, where gather all manner of unsavory men. She recently expressed to me how empty and useless she feels ('I'm tired of living for nothing'). She told me she believes Jesus to be God, to be the Savior, and as we've talked more and more about Christianity, she now desires to go to church ('I want to be a Christian too'). At this point I have turned her over to Dave's wife Oy for discipling and a walk-through of the meaning of repentance and belief, as guy/girl outreach has definite limits before it becomes an entirely dangerous situation. Pray for this young woman, she is ready to take the plunge, and this time more than ever the enemy will be attacking her with doubt and all manner of difficulty to take her mind off Jesus.

So there are a couple absolutely exciting updates on the bar ministry side of things. God is so good, and it is such a magnificent privilege to be able to point these people to His salvation. Praise the Lord for the work He is doing!

Dave and Oy are doing well, enjoying marriage and settling into a rather normal routine finally. Dave has been faithfully maintaining contact/relationships with the teenage skate crew here in town, and there have been promising, exciting things happening as a result. It is a real blessing to have these godly people to work with. Dave has been teaching at a local middle school, where I have taken up one day a week to teach English. It's so gnarly working at a Buddhist school, where there at the front sits a big idol which the kids are expected to pay homage to daily. But we are allowed a measure of freedom in sharing the truth with these adorable little kiddos, and for this we rejoice. On a side note, did you know that Thai children are the cutest in the world?

Please pray for growth, maturity, and unity in our church here in Galasin. We continue the outreach in surrounding villages, Baan Sawang and Baan Nankung are primarily where we find ourselves when we go. At Baan Nankung, funds have finally allowed for the construction of a new church building. Hallelujah for His providence. At Baan Sawang, the kids are learning more and more about the Word of God, and are enthusiastic as we teach them the beauty of the Gospel. It's a wonderful thing to see them praying to a God they never knew existed. Please pray for the youngsters in these villages, they are so precious and open to hearing about our Lord. My heart aches to think of the millions and millions of kids throughout this region of Thailand who have not even heard the name of Jesus.

Indeed, Galasin is in the 'black hole' region of Thailand, meaning it's virtually unreached with the Gospel. 0% Christian. As I've come to find out, packing up everything and heading out to a completely foreign country is not nearly as insane as it sounds. God is God no matter where we are. That said, there are so so so few workers out here, and this harvest is so plentiful, and if you have a desire to get in the middle of a seriously wonderful Gospel-fire, I invite you to come alongside Dave, Oy and myself! Seriously. One month or one year or forever. Whatever. If you're a guy, you can live with me. If you're a girl, setting up accommodation is easier than saying 'accommodation'. God's got something big going on here in Galasin. Come see for yourself!

In closing, I will reiterate the prayer requests I've mentioned, which are:

• Pray earnestly for this new brother of ours, who was saved in a random bar in the middle of nowhere familiar.
• And this young Thai lady, who is so very close to repentance and salvation. The enemy will protest.
• And the kids at the school Dave and I work at, that we may shine Christ all over them.
• And the church body here in Galasin, for unity, maturity, growth, and singular focus.
• For the children at Baan Sawang, who are eager to learn about this God we serve.
• And finally, that the Lord would raise up workers to come out and help with this harvest. As Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (It cannot be stressed enough, Jesus answer for the current deplorable lack of missionaries is to pray earnestly to God, that He will send out workers. Prayer causes this to happen.)

Thank you all who pray and support this mission, it is a beautiful thing to see the church joining together to bring the message of the Gospel to these many unreached. Christ bless you all, I pray for you my church family. I love you all, which is made possible only by the blood of Jesus. To Him be all the accolade and honor and glory and fame in our lives. Hallelujahx100!!!

Derrick 

Here's a link for a quick little glimpse vid of Thailand. More to come real soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7oB26YfnTk&feature=youtu.be

'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'
~Jesus Christ


Hello sisters and brothers!


It's me again, with a quick update on the mission in Thailand. Over the last few weeks some very wonderful things have been happening. As Dave, Oy, and myself get used to the changes (Dave and Oy's marriage obviously changes things up a bit) God has been so faithful to lead us into the paths that He has, and I must say the transition has been almost painless. I'm reminded of Proverbs 3:6: 'In all your ways acknowledge [lit. pursue intimacy with, submit to, know deeply] Him and He will make your paths straight.' Sometimes life can be a bit overwhelming, and you begin to wonder just what on earth you're doing. But God has certain promises in place, and God cannot lie. He cannot lie. Therefore, it has been with great joy that Dave and I both have been leaning on such promises, trusting the Lord to direct our steps for the mission He has us on, and we have seen things happen in wonderful ways.


Just a couple of weeks ago, Dave was asked to start teaching at a local middle school. This, as you can imagine, is a very unique and excellent opportunity to reach out to Thai people, since he will have a long-term relationship with dozens of kids in the community. Praise the Lord for that! In addition, I will be teaching one hour on Monday and Tuesday at the same school, working in an after-school program. As every school is filled with Buddhist shrines and spirit houses, and as every child is expected to pay honor to the idols in place, you can imagine how excited I am to bring the light of Christ in. Please pray that lives would be changed--not just changed, but completely transformed in Christ.


So Dave has been getting closer to finding out what his weeks will be looking like, trying to balance his family life with his work in ministry, and the Lord has been faithful to direct him as he seeks His will. I knew that as he and Oy began their lives together, things would change a little bit, and the Lord would be mixing things up for me. And that is exactly what happened just two weeks ago, when my good friend and brother Neung (who is a part of the church body in Galasin) asked me to begin playing live music with him nightly at a couple bars in town. What a wonderful opportunity for the Gospel! So since then, we have been playing folk/old-style music in these bars, and because the populace generally does not speak English, I am free to sing any song I'd like, which means I get to play songs like 'Come Thou Fount' at a crowded bar for a ton of unbelievers. But the best part is the relationships built as a result. Because of the novelty of having a foreigner playing music at these places, the customers and employees are more than happy to talk to me, frequently asking me to sit with them after the music stops, and it is here that I have had numerous chances to share the Gospel and explain the Christian life to quite a few people. I figure, if they will give me the time of day, I will use it to tell them about Jesus. And it has been wonderful. I have had people shut me up, I've had people hate on me, but I have also had people ask questions, wanting to know more. One man expressed interest in staying in touch because he 'might want to know this Jesus'. So I thank Jesus for opening this new door, one that I did not at all expect a month ago. Please pray that the people reached through our playing music at these places would be brought to repentance and freedom in Christ.


As far as the church here in Galasin, I was very excited to visit the first new church plant I've seen come to fruition since I've been here. And with this new church came three new believers! Praise the Lord for these new saints, and please pray that they would grow strong and not be drawn back into the clutches of the socially excepted religion of demon and idol worship.


I haven't a lot of time right now, so I must be going. Much love to you all, remember the Cross, remember His blood.


In Christ, with love in abundance,


Derrick

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire.

~psalms 46:9

hello dear friends,

i apologize for the communication-less gap that the last month became. lately there’s been no small amount of goings on, and i have more or less been right in the middle of everything. and now, with your pardon, i will update you with what exactly has been going on, from a beautiful wedding to a frightening bus accident to tearing down idols in a new believer’s home. so without further ado…

this month has been an adventure to say the least. God has been so good, and so faithful and merciful, but that always goes without saying. among many things that Christ was lifted up in was dave’s wedding. yes, for those who did not know, my brother dave and his fiancée oy were married just a few weeks ago. it was a beautiful wedding, in which Christ was glorified, and people rejoiced. i am thanking the Lord for yet another incredible couple who will, i am confident, represent Christ in their marriage till the day they die. they are the ‘perfect couple’, so to speak. both so well suited to each other, both so completely focused on sharing Christ with the lost and found alike.

obviously, this does change the living situation a bit, to wit, dave and i will no longer be roommates. marriage changes things! the Lord has provided dave and oy with a wonderful little house, one well- suited to the needs of a newly-wed couple. thanking the Lord for the almost immediate answer to prayer regarding housing. i will stay in the house we’ve been in, which is another awesome provision that the Lord has blessed me with. it’s a lovely little two-bedroom house, complete with a sizable garden full of fruit trees. you are invited to come and stay any time! no really.

i also mentioned a bus accident, so let me tell you about that. it really was a miracle that it went the way it did. as i was traveling south via 15-passenger bus at four a.m., everyone on board was getting a little sleepy (including the driver). we were traveling at a pretty fast pace, highway speed, when suddenly the driver completely fell asleep, and we went careening off the road into the jungle. we barely passed between two huge trees, careening into a deep ditch, which served as a sort of launch ramp, catapulting us further into the jungle, now on the right side two wheels only, and then proceeded to scrape three cement pillars on the left side, before stopping six feet short of a huge palm tree. windows shattered, bus totaled, people tossed around the cabin like so many pieces of popcorn, and not a single life-threatening injury. praise the Lord. you have to understand, there was literally no way the wreck could have gone better than it did. i assure you, had the bus been to the left or right even six inches, i am certain there would’ve been at least a few fatalities. interesting to note, right before the accident, i felt prompted to pray for safety—and i wasn’t the only one. turns out, about six other friends were prompted to pray about our safety too, right around the time of the accident. our Father hears, thank God! definitely the most intense accident i’ve ever been in.

also on the agenda: a woman whom the church here in galasin has been reaching out to recently accepted Christ as her savior—hallelujahx100. it’s so exciting to see people coming to Christ. well, as is customary in most buddhist/animist/demon-worshipping homes, there is usually a room dedicated to idol worship, demon incense sacrifice, and the harboring of spirits. our new sister’s house was no exception, and had the whole get-up of idols and altars. we had the privilege of going to her house, where we all heard a message from pastor wenai on the greatness of God above all other gods, and then after prayer, our sister brought us to the idol room, where we tore down everything devoted to false gods and got rid of it all (at here behest). being a part of this was such a blessing, it is encouraging to see the Lord smack down what the enemy has worked so hard at preserving.

in other news, ministry here has been wonderful, as we adjust more to work here and what the Lord has planned for us. i have been able to visit home churches in surrounding villages, bring the message of hope to villages who haven’t got a single shred of it, and hit the streets of this town with the Truth. i have also been teaching music at the church, and there are a few non-believing soon-to-be-saints who are planning to start attending class, and so i request that you pray for them, the whole class, that they would be moved close to Christ.

and speaking of prayer requests, please continue to pray for galasin. there is so much need, so much hurt, and the prayers of the saints do not go unheard. God delights in our prayers, and we must be faithful to lift up those who have no concept of the precarious position they’re in apart from Christ.

i want you to know, i pray for  you, my friends, back home, and will continue to do so. just as i have many requests for prayer, so i want to let you know that even though oceans separate us, my love for you has never been stronger, and our relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ prompts me to tell you that if you need specific prayer, or if you want to fellowship with me via skype or some such method, please do not hesitate to get in touch. although i find myself busy here, i am not entirely unable to stay in touch.

alright, i think that sums up the events of that last month or so, i want you guys to know how much i appreciate your prayers, your support, and your keeping up on what the Lord is doing in thailand. pray for thailand, preach the Gospel, and praise the Lord always!

love in abundance,

derrick 

and it begins...

“sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day His salvation. declare His glory among the heathen; His marvellous works among all nations.”
~1 Chronicles 16:23, 24

hey guys and gals and everybody,

God is doing some great things in thailand. from simple things like basic provision to relationships built to abundant opportunity to preach, there has been no shortage of uplifting evidence of a loving mighty God. we just finished the move to galasin (or kalasin as google would say) and are stoked to be here. earlier this week we were able to meet with pastor wenai and get sorted as far as work goes here in town. we will be mixing in-town outreach with discipling and evangelizing in the outlying 1,500 villages. there is such darkness here. and it’s no wonder, as this has been nothing but a haven for the devil for so so long. in this province alone there are around one million unreached people, and virtually all of these people are involved in an animistic, buddhist, demon-worshipping religion that quite frankly sets a perfect stage for the enemy and his servants to wreak havoc. you can feel the oppression here, and yet we know that Jesus overcame satan and therefore we have nothing to be afraid of. still, it’s not without its challenges. as you might imagine, there is a lot of pain and death here in galasin, really in all of thailand. there are prostitutes, orphans, sick, dying, lonely, afflicted people everywhere, unaware that Jesus exists, biding their time until the grips of hell finally pull them under. it can be overwhelming to see the devastating need out here, particularly in this the poorest part of thailand. sin is rampant. std’s, particularly AIDS, are through the roof in galasin. these people need your prayer. their lives depend on the healing that can only come through Jesus Christ by way of His saints. don’t neglect to pray for them.

some of the thousands of kids in the villages

in other news, language studies go very well, and God has given me more grace than i deserve in learning thai. it is an incredibly difficult language, but He knew this when He called me here and i am confident He will continue to give me understanding. there are around six total english speakers out here among the million, so our language is basically obsolete. if you think to, prayer about language and communication for dave and me is so appreciated. as far as the place of galasin itself, it is just gorgeous. poor, yes, but abundant in natural beauty that screams the name of its Creator. lakes and rivers and jungles and purple plants that don’t look quite real and cobras and toads and elephants and sunsets that look like nothing i’ve ever seen are all to be found out here. the cuisine is very good as well, although it might be a bit intimidating to the western palate (it has been for me, that’s for sure.) we’ve had the…pleasure…of eating crickets and grubs and silkworms and fat little larvae things and ant eggs and five-inch praying mantises and raw beef and raw squid and a host of other strange things. these things are quite the norm here in galasin. fortunately, there is far more ‘normal’ food (according to our western way of thinking) and we have been happy to partake of more simple dishes, like rice and pork and veggies. in fact, that’s about eighty percent of what we eat. but i’m rambling

dave repping well near the town center

as it turns out, i am planning on living here indefinitely, whether that means three years or twenty i do not know, but i most certainly feel called to stay out here for as long as the Lord will allow. with so much need, so many lost people who might otherwise never hear the message of salvation, i have decided to stay and work as the Lord allows. i do plan on returning to the states for a few months at the end of this year in order to tie up any loose ends and to raise support, but other than that it looks like i’m in this for the long haul. and for this i rejoice. sure it will be difficult, but God is bigger than difficulty and He sustains. so i thought it important to let you all know.

certainly God is moving, and the response to the gospel is very favorable out here. one sister has led thirty-two people to genuine relationship with Christ in the last two months alone. as we work out here alongside our brothers and sisters, the plan is to disciple the young believers to go into their villages as evangelists, and to plant home churches as well. it is such a privilege to be a part of this movement, and to see first-hand the deeply effective working of the Spirit on these people. please continue praying for them.

my backyard

for now, that’s all i got. thank you all for reading, thank you for your interest in all this, thank you for your prayers, thank you for your support. i pray for you guys, that God would continually work in your lives and the sweetness of Jesus Christ and the joy of His salvation would never once be taken away from you, and that you would be encouraged and moved to reach the lost as you go about your lives. to Him who has done a perfect work in overcoming death and hell, rescuing us from our just damnation,  be all the adoration in our lives.

love you!

well hello everyone!
it's been a little while, so i thought it would be good to update you all on the situation here. God continues to be faithful (duh) as dave and i work and prepare for the move to galasin. we have been blessed with abundant opportunity to share the gospel with all kinds of people here in chiang mai, and have been mutually encouraged as we strive for a closer walk with Christ. your prayers are so coveted, so needed, and i thank you so much for continually making mention of us to God. it is a big deal, prayer causes things to happen.
just this last weekend, we were able to take a trip down to galasin to prepare things for the move down. after a twelve hour drive through winding jungle roads, we arrived safe and tired, but excited to see what lies ahead. and it looks to be quite an awesome, fruitful, difficult season we're jumping into. as far as the area goes, i fell in love with the place immediately. it is a little town, covered in lush jungle and fruit trees and rivers. a half hour drive outside of town brought us to a reservoir that is, i think, one of the most beautiful places i've ever seen. everything from the food to the weather to the topography is just great. i am very blessed to be able to not only enjoy the work God has prepared, but also to enjoy the place He has
prepared. but more importantly, the people are wonderful. we met a portion of the Body in galasin whom we will be working with and serving when once we've moved there, and they are such dear believers. ninety percent of the church in galasin are believers within one year, and have come from strictly buddhist families. keep them in your prayers as they strive to grow in the sweet knowledge of our Savior. the enemy would love to destroy what God is building there.
seeing the situation in galasin first hand was quite a thing. there are (as i may have told you before) fifteen hundred villages surrounding galasin, composed of around one million people, all unreached with the gospel. the isan province (of which galasin is a part) is considered to be zero percent christian. there are only a few hundred believers out of the million, and that is just overwhelming. continually pray for a radical movement of Christ in this area. pray that workers would be sent, and that the called would answer the call to come out here and serve. it is a dire situation, there's really no other way to put it. we found out that there is absolutely no youth/high school/college outreach whatsoever in galasin, but there are thousands and thousands of students. with that, the resident pastor wenai has made it available for dave and i to focus on this specific kind of outreach. we are very excited, albeit nervous, to be able to reach these kids with something greater than anything else they could ever know. beyond that, we have made ourselves available to serve as the Lord leads and puts different needs heavy on our hearts, as well as the heart of pastor wenai. for example, i learned that the church in galasin has virtually no music education, but musical worship is very important to the thai people. as a result, the church needs a teacher to help them learn keyboard, bass, guitar, and music theory in general. so as part of the mission work in thailand, i will be teaching and raising up worship pastors within the church, which, i hope, will then be passed on to others and others until the surrounding villages begin to see a trickle of resident believers leading their home groups in praise. hallelujah! dave, as many of you know, is a phenomenal skateboarder (though he'd tell you he's just ok), and he and i will hopefully be able to start a skate ministry near where we'll be living. (i am not good at skateboarding at all, but i have one, and will most likely be instructor dave's example of what not to do.) anyways, as we are so stoked to be able to work so much with youth, so we are excited to be able to disciple/be discipled by the body in galasin, and to help with church-planting throughout isan. besides youth outreach, church-planting is our main focus.
all in all, things are progressing both splendidly and rapidly, though the time here has been difficult already. please pray for both dave and i as we battle oppression in a hundred little forms. though God is very much at work and present, we remember that this battle is not against flesh and blood but principalities and powers, and friends, there is a raging battle out here. discouragement, loneliness, even doubt have all been hurled at us already--and we are just getting started out in galasin. but we know that God is faithful, and He has already shown Himself to be so in a dozen different ways, and so we pray to stand firm, in the full armor, knowing that we have absolutely nothing to be afraid of because we are the children of God. so we say,
'onward!' and pray for grace to serve humbly, faithfully, selflessly. thank you all for praying.
as far as provision goes, God has been so faithful to meet needs and open doors, from housing to transportation to visa issues. i am still seeking financial support and trusting God to put this on whose heart it must be, and i do thank you for considering sponsoring this work. there is so much need out here, so many lost people, and so few laborers, and any support you can send this way is an overwhelming blessing. to give you some stats, there are approximately 200,000 Christians in all of thailand, and there are 67,000,000 people here. 200,000/67,000,000. this means there are at least 66,800,000 lost people just in thailand, and roughly one million of these live in the galasin area, where dave and i will be living long-term.
so that is about the sum of the update for now. if i had more time right now i could ramble, but i hope this suffices for the moment. thank you all, i love you all, and i do praise the Lord for the strength you have been and are to me. i am blessed to be able to be on the frontline with an army of brothers and sisters back home interceding for this mission. God bless and keep you.
in Christ alone,
derrick

 

how then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?

~romans 10:14



a loving hello to you all,

reporting in with another update on thai missions. God’s mightily at work, i know and do believe that He has something in store for these hopeless people. all around us there is darkness like i have never seen. a reaching, yearning, helpless, hopeless spirit rests on the populace. a religion based on works and earning personal merit, on luck and superstition, has pierced its festering poisonous roots deep into the hearts of the people. i have seen idol worship just like it’s described in the old testament. idols everywhere, people bowing to graven deities, sacrifices to fake gods, massive golden ornate elaborate temples dedicated to lifeless powerless entities—this is the face of thailand.

and after seeing this, my heart and soul have been crying out in intercessory prayer for these people, knowing that Christ died for them but they don’t know it. ‘God, God, please for the glory of Your name, for the furtherance of Your kingdom, for the sake of these people, invade this place with Your perfect most Holy Spirit, open the eyes of their hearts to see what they cannot now see, infect and enrapture them with Your measureless perfect love. no one comes to You Father but through the precious, so so precious magnificent blood of Your Son.’ this has been my prayer, and i pray you pray it too, there is such deep need here.

with this in mind, i am rejoicing in the most recent update: dave and i have been updated on what things will be looking like for ministry in galasin (kalasin). isan province, wherein lies galasin, is a relatively small province. you can drive all the way across it in two hours. there are a couple towns of 30,000 people or less, but the main population resides in surrounding villages. just around one million people live in this province. 900,000 of them are in the villages, and are virtually and literally unreached with the gospel of Christ. we will be working with a local thai pastor living in the city. our focus will be discipleship and church-planting in the surrounding areas. we are immeasurably excited to be able to fill a void there as the Lord has opened doors. in galasin there are thousands of high-school age kids, and dave and i will have the unique opportunity of building relationship with them and sharing Christ. pray for soft hearts and open ears.

other than that, things are progressing well here in chiang mai. language studies, (by the grace of God i fully believe), are going much better than i thought they might. thank you for your prayers. we have had the opportunity to witness to kids, prostitutes, and everyday people, and we pray for more and more of this. please be praying for a group of four boys and a girl we have been spending time with, that they would hear the gospel and believe. we have been so stoked to be able to play basketball, soccer, ride bikes, goof off and just get to know these kids, and i do believe God has something planned for them. prayer is immeasurably important.

thank you all for your prayers and support, Lord knows thailand needs it. i truly am blessed to have brothers and sisters in Christ who are by my side, praying for me and the people here and sponsoring me and thinking of me and encouraging me. it doesn't go unnoticed. so much love to you all,

in Christ.

little update

hello brothers and sisters,

derrick here with a little update. i made it! after a couple days of intense travel and virtually no sleep, my plane landed safely in chiang mai. made a new friend on the flight to korea, a dear believer, and was able to reason with an elderly lady about the difference between a life of works and a life with Christ. her name’s joy, she is seeking something, praying for her. all in all by the grace of God things went very smoothly, except when i realized halfway through my first flight that i had somehow managed to get a knife past security. (they found out when i transferred in san francisco, and they weren’t too happy…pretty sure they thought i was a terrorist.) rabbit trails.

the last few days have been intensely interesting and rather overwhelming. i came excited and ready to share Christ with the unreached masses, and i still am, but things got very real for me as soon as i stepped off the plane. to walk the crazy streets, through markets and neighborhoods and such, is far more emotional than i was ready for. to see throngs of people, all under the grips of darkness, has caused my heart to break into slivers.  to see elaborate buddhist temples on virtually every corner, and to see every home equipped with tiny yard temples for the harboring of spirits and the offering of sacrifices is just crazy. painfully crazy. i was blessed to be able to spend the day today with a group of neglected and abused children, and if ever there was a sight that could break me down, this was it. i love these children, and have come to realize i love the thai populace. pray for them continually. they are lost and in line for their just punishment as mandated by the adamic nature, and Christ is the only hope they will ever have. please continue to pray that deep relationship with Christ would become common here. all this to say, it is achingly overwhelming to see first-hand the devastation of godlessness.

as far as the game plan goes, things are becoming quite clear and i am so stoked for the doors God has opened. for the next two months, dave and i will be studying thai in depth (tutors and such) and working with local outreach ministries. the family connection foundation, our ‘home base’ here in chiang mai, has a network of ministries in northern thailand that they support, and we are blessed to be able to participate as the Lord leads. after we have completed training (language and cultural studies, as well as thai-specific outreach), dave and i will be heading down to galasin. this town is virtually unreached with the gospel. there is about one believer for every 2,400 people. we will be helping with church-planting in the surrounding villages and preaching Christ with anyone who would hear. we rejoice for this opportunity, please pray that God will have His full will accomplished in the time we’re given here.

 dave has been an awesome support in helping me learn the language and understand people better. it is such a great blessing to have a brother here who not only provides accountability and fellowship, but who can help translate and communicate and introduce me to ice cream/wonderbead sandwiches and ride around on a motorcycle on the craziest streets i’ve ever seen and tell people that Jesus loves them. while we are in chiang mai, we also have a brother named tom whom we are fellowshipping and breaking bread with and this has also been a blessing. pray for continued deep fellowship and strengthening for the purpose of making His name more famous.

all this to say, pray for thailand. rejoice with us as we rejoice in Him and in His salvation, and celebrate with us as the darkness cowers at His blinding light. i love you all.

soon departing

my dear dear every friend,
soon i will be departing for thailand...in three days to be specific. i cannot tell you how blessed and excited i am to be able to go forth and share the name of Christ with the soon-to-be-saints of northern thailand. i have full confidence in the providence of God, and know that He will have His will accomplished in this as He leads dave and i in living out galatians 2:20. with this in mind, i speak for both of us in asking you all for your continued prayers, that we would be empty and used of the Lord, and that people would be saved discipled and freed. we seek intercessory prayer in a continued labor of love for the people of thailand. please please please keep them in mind in your daily lives, remember them in prayer, do not stop making mention of them to God as you go about life. prayer does indeed cause things to happen that wouldn't necessarily happen apart from prayer, and i cannot encourage you enough to be always mindful of this as the Lord moves. thank you all for being part of this.
in Him
derrick

answering a call

hello dear everybody, 

derrick reporting in. soon, very soon i will be heading off to thailand to meet my friend dave voetberg for a year of Christ-centered mission work. to be precise, i leave the states on february the 29th (leap year!). i am so blessed, excited, and privileged to be able to bring the sweet name of Christ and the message of His salvation to a people who have scarcely heard  the name of Jesus, let alone experienced His perfect love. to be able to help answer Jesus' call to 'make disciples of all nations' is such a wondrous, albeit weighty, honor. this trip will be, in every sense of the word, mission work. we will spend the first couple months in chiang mai (northern thailand), thereafter moving down to kalisan province for the rest of the year. this part of thailand is very poor (one of the poorest districts in thailand), and there is a huge need there--as there is everywhere--for the love of Jesus and the hope of salvation to be shared. as we will be on mission, working whilst abroad is not an option. in addition, as dave and i feel called to bring Jesus to the people of north thailand, we will be on the streets, in homes, in schools day in and day out spreading the hope of the Gospel. as thailand is a very dark place, we go onto the battle field in fervent prayer, knowing that the enemy of our God is at work and does not want them hearing of our Hope. already the enemy has been trying to discourage, tempt, and thwart me as i answer this call. the next year will not be an easy one, but God has promised His children rest and strength as they wait on Him. all this to say, as we won't be able to make any money while we are over there, we are both working very diligently to collect enough to get by for the year. on this end, i have been working whenever possible, selling possessions i do not need (pretty much everything), and of course asking for support. please understand that i do not take this lightly, and i have scaled down to the bare necessities for everyday living. i have been seeking the Lord on provision, and i know He has called me to be completely diligent and financially responsible to make sure every dollar is used for the purpose of making His name famous. i ask you, if it is on your heart or anywhere near, please consider donating to this mission. please understand, we are not going to thailand for a mission/vacation. we are not going to have a good time and share Jesus and goof off. we are ONLY going to share Jesus. that's all. this is by no means a fun getaway, it is a challenging, Christ-centered, intense labor of love for the people of thailand. derrick vachon, dave voetberg, we do not exist. this is for His glory, for His purposes, and not for our own. therefore we have resolved and are fully prepared to get by on the bare, basic necessities--food and raiment, as the Word says. we know He will carry us, He will sustain, and He will provide, and it is with this in mind that i have asked you, if you are feeling called to support this effort, please answer that call.

with much love, in Him, for His glory,

derrick

i had the privilege of sharing on 1 peter four last night, thought i'd post the notes i took on it. it's a wonderful, convicting chapter. this is rather long-winded, but i hope this blesses you.

Verse 1:

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh,

Christ died a painful death. He suffered a ton. His mind was entirely set on the work at hand, on the Kingdom, on God’s desires above His.

Arm yourselves with the same way of thinking,

I love this terminology. Not, think the same way. Not, be of the same mind. But, arm yourselves. Arm. It’s a call to action, a call to preparedness for whatever arrows the enemy shoots at us. A call to put on the full armor of God. Christ was equipped, armed with that way of thinking—total, absolute surrender to the purposes of God—and was thus able to face what He faced. I think it’s interesting, we face very little opposition for our faith. And yet it is imperative that we be armed with this kind of thinking. To be fully submissive and surrendered to God’s purpose for our lives, so that if and when the suffering hits, we won’t be shaken. We won’t be taken off-guard. I think of a man walking on a trail, and someone warns him, hey, there’s quicksand up ahead. This guy isn’t just gonna say well yeah, I know there’s quicksand but what are the odds I’ll hit it? And just keep moseying along. He’s going to be ready, prepared for the potential danger, watching his steps as he travels onward.

For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

Apart from Christ, why would you suffer? I looked forward to the next few verses and it talks about how the gentiles now revile those who walk with Christ, because they are different and no longer indulgent in the lusts of the flesh. Perhaps this is what he is saying. That if you are suffering for the name of Christ, it’s because you have ceased from sin, because you are focused on Christ’s will above your own desire, and are thus seen as servants of Him, and the enemy, the prince of this world, does not like those who are in opposition to his system.

Verse 2

So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

This is the result of walking in the spirit. This is the result of walking for the will of God. You exchange what you once knew in lust and lasciviousness and instead use your life for His purpose and glory. And that is the ceasing from sin. If you live your life for the will of God, you are no longer walking in the flesh. And that is what the world hates. This verse most definitely brings to mind Galatians 2:20. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ. Hallelujah! The flesh is dead. It’s dead. Over and done with. It is on this premise that we face suffering and opposition, not on the premise of the flesh. If you are living a life after the flesh, don’t worry too much about suffering because the enemy already has you where he wants you. No longer for human passions, but for the will of God. We must fully abandon the ways of the flesh, to hate even the garment stained by the flesh. Later on he talks about suffering for sin committed, but for this, the suffering he’s talking about comes alive when we are completely submitted to Christ.

Verse 3-6

For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

The times past more than suffice to satisfy a man after the flesh, it is all the same, all death, all dead, and there is nothing in it. But people without Christ have only the flesh, and when they see someone living for the living God, that frightens them because it threatens their self-proclaimed kingship over their flesh, their vaporous fleeting lives. They are shocked when you do not indulge, when you turn your back on the things of this world, and they are offended. Some will malign you. Some will hurt you. But they will give an account to the Righteous Judge of all things. I recall last week talking about suffering, and how even though we can be hurt and tortured and what have you, we cannot be touched, because to die is to be with Christ. Such a wonderful thought. And again, we don’t face too much opposition right now, but we are called to be prepared, and ready for it. You never know what the Lord has planned, and things can change so quickly. He sums up this thought by saying that this is why the Gospel is made available to all men, that whoever would cast off this mortality for the glorious life of eternity with God can do just that. That any of us who were once dead in sin can live this life not in terms of the flesh, in debauchery, but rather by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. This is the message of the Cross. This reminds me of Titus 3:1-11. Let’s check that real quick:

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,  knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

And this passage leads perfectly into the rest of this chapter:

Verse 7:

 The end of all things is at hand,

interesting to note, historically speaking this was written shortly before the siege of Jerusalem, when the Romans took control and began tearing apart the church and anyone in opposition to Rome. But it obviously applies to the battle mindset we must have, knowing that the end is near. Jesus said multiple times to ‘be on the alert’—because things are hitting the fan and we must be ready—armed—with that same mind of Christ, so that we will be prepared for whatever happens.

 Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

 Be alert! I think of 2 Timothy 2:4: No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. We must not be entangled in the affairs of everyday life; we must not be focused on our circumstances; we must be sober, temperate, so that we can be focused on and pleasing to the Victor of this raging battle. I mean, the only way to overcome is to understand that He has overcome—and to lean on His victorious arms.

Verse 8:

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Again and again in scripture we see that love is dominant, love is powerful, God is love, and love does in fact cover a multitude of sin. Forgiveness, Christ-like forgiveness, it bites the bullet and buries transgressions forever, freeing the debtor from that which he was bound to. There is perfect freedom in this, and so we are encouraged, exhorted to love perfectly and earnestly, with the mind of Christ.

Verse 9:

Show hospitality to one another, without grumbling.

It is only once we are armed with the same mind that we are exhorted to be armed with in verse one that we are able to show hospitality without grumbling. To not count wrongs or who owes what or merit or credit, but to simply take one another in and care for one another. Just as in chapter two, where it talks about how Christ did not retaliate, did not count wrongs suffered, but forgave and loved in spite of anything that He could’ve been upset about.

Verse 10:

As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

We are called to use all we are given to serve. I love that Christ came not to be served but to serve—that He is God, He is almighty, and yet He came and humbled Himself as a servant to all men. This is what we are called to—to abandon rank and title, riches and prestige, popularity and public affection, and replace that with a giving, loving, servant’s heart. The Pharisees were all about prestige, what they looked like, their own reputations, their own righteousness. But we are called to the opposite. To serve one another.

Verse 11:

Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in EVERYTHING God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. AMEN.

This further demonstrates the point about giving up self for Christ. Christ wants nothing of our own filthy righteousness. God cares not a bit about what we can do, about talents and good looks and humor and amicability and popularity. He wants and deserves ALL glory, and ALL praise, and we are to cast of the wickedness of pride and instead love and live as Christ lived. The original sin was pride, wanting to be like God, wanting to be elevated. Christ says no. God has said no. If there is anything praiseworthy in this world, I guarantee that it has nothing to do with us. It ain’t Derrick Vachon. It ain’t how many people you’ve led to Christ. It ain’t the number of attendees at your church. It is entirely Christ. Nothing else even comes close to praise-worthiness.

I love this little section, verses eight through eleven. It begins with ‘above all, keep loving one another earnestly’, because this is what provides the strongest testimony of Jesus Christ in a dark world. The end result is bringing God glory through love, perfect, agape, Christ-like love. ‘By this,’ Jesus says, ‘Shall all men know you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.’ He gave us a new commandment as seen in John 13, that we love one another as He has loved us. This pretty much sums it up. Love one another as He has loved us, and ALL MEN shall know we are His disciples. What an exciting promise and premise on which to conduct our relationships. To look at the young women in all purity, the young men not in envy or strife, our fathers and mothers with respect, and above all to love all with perfect sacrificial love. This, again, can only be attained when once we have armed ourselves with the same mind that Christ had on this earth. Love covers a multitude of sins. At the risk of redundancy, I will say again, we cannot love like Christ until our interests are completely made void—we cannot and must not ever be focused on our own image and self worth, we must simply love, LOVE in the way Christ did, not bearing malice or carrying the deadly weight of pride around with us. There is no room for Derrick Vachon in my relationship with others, and vice versa. It has to be Christ. Christ is EVERYTHING. And when we walk in that, what a powerful testimony of Jesus it is.

Verse 12:

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

Again we can look back at the earlier verses and see that Peter is saying, if you live for Christ, if you walk in His love and truth and have cast off the flesh, if you have grasped the victory we have in Christ, then you can expect at some point to suffer. I like this exhortation, do not be. Don’t be surprised, be ready.

Verse 13:

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s suffering, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.

Consider it all joy to suffer like Christ! You can rejoice in knowing that the enemy is trying to thwart you, to kill you, to hurt you, because as it says in the next verse, If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. When we suffer, we can be glad to know that His glory, His radiance, His very Spirit rests upon us. When we live our lives in complete surrender to Christ, He shines through us so brightly that it becomes only natural for us to have to suffer sometime, because the world is in complete opposition to Christ. Look at Christ, He suffered tremendously, He was beaten, mocked, betrayed, executed. That same Christ now lives in me, in you, and therefore the same enemy that wanted to rid the world of Christ 2,000 years ago is the same enemy who wants to rid the world of Christ today. So when you suffer, rejoice. Christ is being manifested through you. Praise the Lord for that, and no wonder we are told to rejoice in our sufferings! To think that His name is made more and more famous with each trial. Wow. And the end of verse thirteen, we rejoice now knowing that we can rejoice one day when His glory is revealed. It’s gonna happen, we have to be armed with the willing mind of Christ. We have to be armed with the willing mind of Christ in order to walk in the joy of victory, anticipating the day His glory is fully revealed.

Verse 15:

But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.

There is complete shame in that. What does it benefit anyone? No, it even tears down and destroys. If a believer is suffering for these things, he is tearing down what could have been the effectual ministry of Christ through him, and that is something to be terrified of, to be ashamed of. This verse is an ultimatum. It’s God or the world. There can be no living in sin. There can be no walking after the flesh. You have to decide, and if you profess to believe, you sure as heck better make sure you’re not suffering for sin. Again, Titus 3 clearly states the reasons why.

Verse 16:

But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

As you suffer for the name of Christ, there is no shame in that. The response of glorifying God only makes the testimony of Christ in your life more and more apparent. To praise Him in all things, this is the true mark of a mature believer. To not turn tail and run at the first sight of trouble. We are called to this. To be armed. A brother reminded me that Peter is saying this— Peter, a man who denied Christ three times to avoid suffering. He knew the pain of rejecting the Father, and when he finally had the chance to suffer for Christ, he knew the privilege of suffering for Christ.

Verse 17:

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Things are happening, the end is near, Christ will return, what are we doing with our lives? Are we in obedience to the gospel? I think Peter is specifically addressing wayward Christians. Not, what will be the outcome for those who don’t believe the gospel, but, what will be the outcome for those who don’t obey the gospel. We know the outcome of judgment for those who reject the gospel, who don’t believe in Christ—the outcome is death. But Peter is saying there is a severe judgment for those who essentially cling to a form of godliness but deny its power, who are not strong in the gospel, but who live lives of sin and debauchery even though saved from that very life. God has no use for the fruitless branches.

Verse 18:

But, if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?

Very powerful words, again, addressing the issue of ungodliness. There can be no ungodliness in the body. Ungodliness, sin, destroys the testimony of Christ if not checked and abandoned. It is this ungodliness that is so prevalent all around us. How sad to know that America is called a Christian nation. Look at the ungodly state of the American church. I’m by no means hating on the church, but look at the dire situation. Do you think other nations look at the American church and say, they are different! They follow Jesus. They love one another. They don’t do the things we do. What’s wrong with them? It is sad to say, but the inverse is dauntingly true.

Verse 19:

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

All that being said, if we are walking with Christ and as a result are exposed to suffering, we must entrust our souls to our loving Savior, and live uprightly in His love. This is the command given. To entrust our souls to Him. If He is for us, who can be against us? We can walk and rejoice and thrive in the comfort of His love, in the comfort of the thought that we suffer because He is within us, His spirit and glory rests upon us. To know that for certain! God’s full glory, the glory revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai, is upon us! When we are walking according to the Father’s will, we are covered in His glory. Look at Stephen, when he was martyred. God’s glory shone so blindingly, and there was no doubt that he was a man of God. The very Spirit of God indwells us! There is nothing greater than knowing that in this life, amidst suffering and temptation and trial and pain, the God of our fathers is living within us. And one day, one perfect beautiful amazing day, His glory will be revealed in its full splendor to us. Praise the Lord.