Well! I am excited to officially announce some big news! Since Thanksgiving-time, I have been prayerfully considering extending my year in Thailand. One of my stipulations for staying longer was that I needed to be using my spiritual gifts to make meaningful contributions to ministry here. Being on the missions field is hard in this regard because ministry is not always quantifiable by stateside standards... so I came up with my own "working measure" of success: Am I continuing to grow personally in my relationship with the Lord? Am I specifically meeting needs and connecting in relationships with Thais? Am I finding ways and opportunities to vocalize the Gospel? After much prayer, I have decided that the answers to those questions are: Yes.
So, here it is: I will be extending my time in Thailand until December 2013.
However, I will be making a month-long trip state-side this summer to spend some time with my family, meet my adorable new niece, Addie, and catch up with many of the people who have prayed for and supported me. I'm planning for this to take place from the end of May to the end of June.
If you're currently sponsoring me, or if you have a very practical-detail-oriented mind, you may already be crunching numbers in your head and wondering where this extra 6 months of funding is magically going to appear from... well, I have more good news! God has already been working this out.
The BSC has offered to pay my monthly living expenses for my extension here. This means that I only need to raise money for my roundtrip flight (June-Dec), my first month (to tie me over until the end-of-the-month July pay-day) and my visa fees. These will total around $2,500. If you currently sponsor me on a monthly basis and would like to continue after June, you can, and that money will go towards these costs. However, if you would like to complete your one-year commitment in June, that is alright as well. God has been so gracious to provide everything (almost to the exact dollar!) for my year here, though the generosity and obedience of His people. Regardless of what you decide, I'd love to talk to you in person when I return in May/June to share what you've been a part of here and answer questions you may have. If you would like to go ahead and give a one-time donation towards my time here, there are details under the "Get Involved" tab!
And, since we're still on the topic of good news... One of the ladies I have had the privilege of discipling, Steph B, has also felt God's call to come to Bangkok to serve as a missionary. I first met Steph when she came to Spotswood's Collegiate Ministry, Encounter, while I was a student leader at Mary Wash. I've been able to see her grow in her faith and her love for the Lord the past few years. She's gone from being discipled, to also being a discipler. From being invested in, to also being an investor. From being content with being fed, to being hungry to feed herself. Suffice it to say, God is doing great things with Steph and she is being obedient to follow her Father in faith... first with a short term trip to Thailand this past August, and now for a longer commitment. You can read about her journey on her personal blog and also on her new Thailand blog! By extending my time here, I will also be able to help facilitate her adjustment... which I am very excited about :)
If you have questions that I haven't addressed, always feel free to shoot me an email (lizswauger@gmail.com). I have been and continue to be so incredibly blessed by your love, support and prayers. Thank you for being a part of taking Christ to the Nations. I couldn't be here sharing the Gospel without your partnership.
So, here it is: I will be extending my time in Thailand until December 2013.
However, I will be making a month-long trip state-side this summer to spend some time with my family, meet my adorable new niece, Addie, and catch up with many of the people who have prayed for and supported me. I'm planning for this to take place from the end of May to the end of June.
If you're currently sponsoring me, or if you have a very practical-detail-oriented mind, you may already be crunching numbers in your head and wondering where this extra 6 months of funding is magically going to appear from... well, I have more good news! God has already been working this out.
The BSC has offered to pay my monthly living expenses for my extension here. This means that I only need to raise money for my roundtrip flight (June-Dec), my first month (to tie me over until the end-of-the-month July pay-day) and my visa fees. These will total around $2,500. If you currently sponsor me on a monthly basis and would like to continue after June, you can, and that money will go towards these costs. However, if you would like to complete your one-year commitment in June, that is alright as well. God has been so gracious to provide everything (almost to the exact dollar!) for my year here, though the generosity and obedience of His people. Regardless of what you decide, I'd love to talk to you in person when I return in May/June to share what you've been a part of here and answer questions you may have. If you would like to go ahead and give a one-time donation towards my time here, there are details under the "Get Involved" tab!
And, since we're still on the topic of good news... One of the ladies I have had the privilege of discipling, Steph B, has also felt God's call to come to Bangkok to serve as a missionary. I first met Steph when she came to Spotswood's Collegiate Ministry, Encounter, while I was a student leader at Mary Wash. I've been able to see her grow in her faith and her love for the Lord the past few years. She's gone from being discipled, to also being a discipler. From being invested in, to also being an investor. From being content with being fed, to being hungry to feed herself. Suffice it to say, God is doing great things with Steph and she is being obedient to follow her Father in faith... first with a short term trip to Thailand this past August, and now for a longer commitment. You can read about her journey on her personal blog and also on her new Thailand blog! By extending my time here, I will also be able to help facilitate her adjustment... which I am very excited about :)
If you have questions that I haven't addressed, always feel free to shoot me an email (lizswauger@gmail.com). I have been and continue to be so incredibly blessed by your love, support and prayers. Thank you for being a part of taking Christ to the Nations. I couldn't be here sharing the Gospel without your partnership.
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