Last night we went back to the Old Town to do more street evangelism! I was so excited and hopeful that I would get to talk to G again. Last time Ria spoke to him, he said that he would be thinking about what he had read about Jesus.  I saw him there on his bench and went up to make conversation, he told me how he had thought about what we had said and how he had skyped with his mom but how because she was buddhist she didn't think or want him to follow Jesus, he then said maybe in the future and that he would keep thinking about it.  I wasn't hurt or sad, because I know things like this take time and I already see the hand of God at work in his life, the fact that even he would think about accepting Jesus was a huge step in the right direction. I told him it was completely fine, we weren't here to force anything on anyone, we just wanted to share the love of Jesus and make sure people know how loved they are by God.  We then walked away and started to pray, Johanne and I, we were walking up and down the street and I really felt like we needed to go back and ask if we could pray for him. God really opened the eyes of my heart for the love He has for Gai and I was filled with such joy and couldn't help but smile, even though G was lost in the darkness of sin, God's love for him was stronger than ever, His love for him overflowed, and I that gave me an even clearer picture of how God see's the men and woman on the streets.

We started walking in his direction when I glanced to the right and saw a Starbucks, right then the word "giftcard" popped into my head.  I immediately asked is this from you God?  The response back I got was "How would you feel if people only gave you something when they wanted something back from you?"  I really felt like this would be a simple way to share God's love with G, to give him a gift, even if it was only one cup of coffee. We bought the gift card and went back to G, we asked if we could pray for him and he said yes! We prayed over him blessings and that God would reveal Himself and His love for G in a big way! I then handed him the gift card, and I could tell he was a little skeptical. I said "it's for you, to get a cup of coffee!" and then he told me he didn't like coffee, "well" I told him, "You can get juice and tea and cake and cookies there too, it's just for when you are free and you want to do something nice for yourself." He finally accepted and I was able to tell him "God put it on my heart to give you this out of His love and kindness, a gift just for you where no one expects anything in return." When I said that and he looked up at me I swear I could see his eyes water, and he said "Thank you very much." Before leaving we just told him how much God loves him and how valuable he is to God.

It was such a special moment of God revealing His heart to me, and to be able to show someone kindness, someone who probably only receives kindness when people want to use him. Please join me in praying for G, that God would reveal Himself in a huge way to Gai and that more people would be placed in his life that would encourage him and lead him to Jesus, pray also for protection over him physically and mentally.

God is doing great works here in Chiang Mai and changing one life at a time! Please continue to keep our team in your prayers!

Herren Velsigne deg og bevare deg! May the Lord bless you and keep you!

We went out in the center of the town where all the tourists stay, eat, shop. But on the other side is a row of benches and on those benches sit men and woman, who have searched for love and have only found judgement, who sell themselves so that they will be able to eat that day, children of God who are so longing to know about their Father. They are used, abused, judged, mocked. But whenever I see these beautiful people, because they are truly beautiful and made in Gods image, I think "that is somebodies daughter, someone's son, someone's sister, all of those are Gods children" How devalued they must feel, how unworthy and shameful. The people who don't want to use them look down at them in disgust. But why?! Why as Christians would we dare to roll an eye in there direction. Why don't our hearts break instead of our faces turning into a look of disapproval? Jesus died for them just as much as He died for you, Jesus loves them just as much as He loves you and me. He looks down at them with a brokenheart, weeping, stretching out His hand, longing for them to come to Him. They are precious in His sight, they should be precious in ours. 

I watched as a man sat down next to a young girl, flirting with her, grabbing her, they eventually got up and started walking in our directions. I saw the girl, I saw him, saw him leading her away, how could I just stand there and watch this happen? Two of us from the group got up determined to share Gods love with the girl but also with the man she was with, we caught up to them and started to make conversation, trying to tell them how much Jesus deeply loves them. The man didn't want to hear any of it and they started walking away.  

My heart broke at that second as I watched that beautiful daughter of the King, a princess, be led away to be used for her body. I felt helpless. God revealed His heart to me, and I wept. I wept for the girl who doesn't see how beautiful and valuable she is, I wept for the man who is so lost in sin, I wept when I saw how much God longs to know her, to comfort her, to show His love to her. 

It was the biggest reality check I have gotten. This world is filled with sin. We live in a world where the human trafficking industry is bigger than slavety has ever been. It's an injustice. But we have a God who is bigger than this, who has a love that conquers over all, a God who can do the impossible. I challenge you to consciously be aware of what is going on in the world around you and pray into how you can be part of Gods plan to make a difference, to share His love and to help rescue the lost. 

Yesterday we had a prayer meeting for 2.5 hours, worshiping God, praising Him, discussing the best ways to reach the people in this community. The pastor whose church we are staying at, said that the best way is to build friendships, which is so great and what we really want to do, but the challenge is we are in Chiang Mai for only two more weeks. Our prayer request would be that God would open up doors to build friendships that we can carry back with us to Norway.  That we could invest in peoples lives now but continue discipling, praying for them, encouraging them, even after we leave.

That evening we went out on the streets for a couple hours to do evangelism. We also were able to host an English class last night to help teach basic phrases. A lot of us on the team have a heart for reaching out to prostitutes, and it just so happens the area we live in has a lot of brothels.  The only problem is the girls are not on the streets, they are almost always in the room, so that makes it really difficult to reach them.  Please join us in praying that we would have an opportunity to reach some of the girls who have been trafficked and be able to share of God's love for them, and their value in Christ.

Today we will be going on a prayer walk to the Shan temple, the people group that is one of our main focus's this outreach, we will then be doing street evangelism, and then split into two groups where one goes to work in a local children's school, and the other will do house visits to Shan families to pray for them and give them encouragement!

Please continue for Unity in our Team, and for the spiritual warfare that is going on in Thailand, pray that we would see a breakthrough, and that we would not only plant seeds but see the harvest reaped.

May God bless you!

Eliana Joy

This evening we went to visit a local Shan family here in Chiang Mai. The mom  "Sang" warmly welcomed us with homemade traditional Shan food and a variety of Coke products. We all sat around on the floor in their one roomed house, smaller than most average sized bedrooms. It was so 'koselig' as we sat around and talked. We heard of how She and her husband, Kom, crossed the Burmese boarder 15 years ago. They have one daughter, Chompoo, who is 7 years old and adorable!

It was such a humbling experience to be in their home, having them serve us food when they ate nothing. Giving their best to people they had just met, to strangers. They are the only Christians in their community, but I could see that they will be a light that will illuminate the darkness. 

We were able to read aloud from the bible and in the end pray over Sang and Kom. I felt my self tearing up, not from sadness or from joy, but for pure realization of how truly blessed I am, and how true joy really comes from our Savior, Jesus Christ.

My home for the next 9 weeks! :) We arrived in Chiang Mai on the morning of the 15th! As a team we were pretty worn out, 11 hours of in and out of airplane sleep as well as the ever so delicious airplane food! But through our exhaustion we were so excited to be in the place God had put on our hearts.

The last three days we have been learning about the culture, immersing ourselves in it, eating at local food stands, eating local cuisine which includes crispy meal worms and fried larva! ;) We also had a time of worship and prayer, giving thanks to God for what He has done and for what He is going to do through us during this time.

It has definitely been fun being a tourist, but I am ready to be a missionary.  Tonight we will be attending a Ywam meeting, and tomorrow we will be preaching, giving testimonies, performing dramas, and singing a Norwegian song for the local Ywam Church.

Please continue to pray for our team! Prayer that we will be protected, that we will step out in Boldness, and  that we can be a blessing to this nation!

Sending my blessings and love,

Eliana

As I have been crying out to God for my financial situation I kept remembering a song that says "He is Faithful till the End, He will finish what He started."  And what an encouragement it has been for me these past few weeks. I now have 3 monthly supporters and only need $775 more a month to reach the necessary amount.  It is so amazing to me how God has opened up the doors, and really has provided for me.  I was talking to Laken just last night, sharing my discouragement with her and how scary this new step was.  She kept reminding me how faithful God is, and told how faithful He was to her in her first years of missions, and even when she moved to Norway completely based on her faith in God, and He provided for all of her needs.  I constantly remind myself of the families who live off of faith, Ywam leaders who don't even ask for support and they are able to make down payments on a house.  There are 20,000 full time staff in Ywam, 20,000 people who each month, rely solely on God's promises to provide and there faith that He will. If God can give families enough money for a payment on a house, or a car, or provide for someone to minister to 14 different countries when they are living on less than $300 a month, then He can and He will provide the $775 I need.  He will provide the money I need for my plane ticket back to Norway, and the plane ticket to Brazil.  He is so faithful. He will provide. He is the provider.

As scary as these past few weeks have been, I have seen my faith in God growing.  I know that God has lead me to Norway for a reason, He has called me to help take part in Justice Dts, He has lead me to missions. And what a comfort that is to know He has got me in the palm of His hand. Not only that, but what a Testimony of how faithful God is, when He provides in impossible situations.  Or like the song I sang while walking across the fields in Kenya with one of my favorite locals, Abendigo, "He will make a way when there seems to be no way, He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me."

I know this school is just the beginning of my missionary journey, I know God will lead me to other nations, other ministries, but I can rest in Him, because He is faithful. And Great is Thy Faithfulness.

How blessed we are to know the wonderful Creator, the skies are his canvas, this sunrise a masterpiece. Praising God tonight for all that He is. 

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind, so many things going on as well as so many emotions and thoughts running through my head. I had a wonderful New Years, serving at the festival for youth all around Norway, as well as a wonderful but busy weekend afterwards with the annual Workers Gathering here at Grimerud. All the staff as well as the students from each different school come together for teaching, fellowship, and to worship our Lord.

After that we had a week to continue preparing for our outreach! We had a time of fasting and praying to see what God would reveal about the strongholds of Thailand, and to give us revelation for this outreach.  It was so wonderful to hear what God was speaking into my heart, and the picture that He painted.  I first received the words "Multiply the Harvest" and then got a beautiful picture of rolling wheat fields with workers gathering it into bales, however the harvest was so great that the workers could not see the end" I then received the words "The labor is hard but the reward is great"  It was so encouraging to hear clearly from God and to see His plans for Thailand. I believe that many people will come to the Lord during these next 2 months in Thailand and that even though we may struggle with culture difference, tiredness, when we press on we will see the fruit multiply and more people come into the Children of God. Thailand has come up so quickly and with the pressure of finances still upon me, God really has been faithful.  I had looming decision to choose which travel insurance to go with and the one that covered me the whole time and also for the rest of the year was $633, way out of my price range.  I then found another insurance agency where I could get it for $111! Praise God! When I received the receipt email I saw that they had taken 35% off for a team discount! Something I was not expecting! It just shows how faithful God is! 

I am so excited for Thailand and cannot wait to share with you the amazing way God works! 

As for my financial situation, I only have 2 monthly supporters which comes to about $150 a month. I still need $850 in support. $500 for room & food, laundry, & internet, $30 for communication, and around $300 to put into savings for my outreach to Brazil in May, As well as leading a youth team to a t.b.d. country in Europe this July, as well as for our big outreach next winter. I know it seems like a lot of money, and there can be skepticism about Christian Organizations and the constant need for money.  However, we are living off faith, completely putting our trust in our Lord, because we want to honor Him in all that we do, we are living our lives for Him, so that others may know Him.  We wouldn't be able to travel to unreached nations while holding a steady job, or lead teams to share the gospel among the poor and feed the hungry.  Living off faith and support is the only way for full time missionaries to fulfill their calling.  Norway is an expensive country, things can cost double the price they do in America, but I wholeheartedly believe that this is where God wants me to be.  I have been praying about where God is leading me for the past 4 months, and I found He isn't leading me anywhere, He is asking me to stay here, in Norway, helping to lead the next Justice Dts. 

Sometimes I feel discouraged, but I know, I believe, I serve a incredibly big God. I have full faith that He will provide for all of my needs.  He has perfect timing, and He has the perfect plan. 

Please prayerfully consider becoming one of my monthly supporters, I challenge you to support me $5 a month if that is all you can do.  It is still possible without you, because I believe God can do what seems to be impossible, but it would give me a great peace and comfort to know I have friends and family who stand by my side and support me and my call to missions. 

Also, Let me know how I can pray for you so we can support each other!:) I pray God's blessings over you in this New Year! Tusen Takk for alt! Thank you for everything!

Klem! Norwegian Hugs! 

Eliana Joy