Jacob's Journey

Jacob Simonis 2010

2010-12-24T22:13:00.000-08:00

2010-11-02T03:47:00.000-07:00

fish massage

2010-07-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

Testimony from View

2010-06-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

This is a testimony from View. I taught View the inductive method through the book of Philemon after which she turned around and taught it to her friends at her church. I Hope you enjoy!

After I had been saved, I still wondered why all believers needed the Bible. Until I finished my DTS in 2009, I thought the way that I usually spent time with God by getting experienced from famous speakers speaking, books, and doing whatever other believes do in general, I consumed much enough to live like that. In March - April in 2010 I was on my summer break and I had an opportunity to ask Jacob Simonis, who was an SBS staff in YWAM Chiang Rai, to teach me on inductive method. I was taught on the book of Philemon and the book of Acts 10 which I learned how to do observation, interpret and application. Later on I decided to teach 5 university students in YWAM Campus Ministry, how to work on inductive method. Anyway they really like it a lot and the most of them still continue working on inductive method by their own.
Now the inductive method enables me to understanding the roughly cultural and historic background of these 2 chapters, helping me to memorize the incidents and interpret the relation between the incidents, people and God in that time. As though inductive method establishes the truth or correctness of my believe and will be difficult for me to fall into wrong teaching, I realize. I am pretty much excited about doing this and I could not imagine how strongly excited I would be if I had finished the whole Bible. I wish that the ones who overlook the Bible, they would try at least one book and they would see how much they need the Bible. I will let you know when I finish the whole Bible or either finish my SBS!

P.S. Thank Jacob Simonis very much for working so hard and put his heart into the extra job (ministry) which he is not working with.

Book of Hosea

2010-06-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

update june 1st 2010

2010-06-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

Jacob's Journey

2010-05-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

The book of Amos and God's heart for injustice

2010-05-07T06:54:00.000-07:00

May, 7, 2010

2010-05-07T06:04:00.000-07:00

pictures of street ministry, Karaoke thai stile, and songkran

2010-04-20T03:15:00.000-07:00

some pictures of ministry down town at the market and some karaoke thai stile

2010-04-20T02:42:00.000-07:00

some thoughts I had while teaching 1 John.

2010-04-14T04:04:00.000-07:00

1 John 3:9-10.
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

But wait… Mai khaw Jai (I don’t understand) I thought everyone was God’s chilled? Isn’t it funny how we grow up believing certain things and then we come across passages in the Bible that completely don’t fit with what we believe? You might say but Jake this is just one verse.. Well what about Paul who says in Ephesians chapter 2 that we are born children of wrath. In John Jesus himself says in 8:44 when he is talking to the Pharisees you are of your father the Devil and your will is to do your fathers desires. I’ve been thinking about how there are so many things I grew up believing and being taught at church, at home, from friends, from the world. It seems like every book I study to get ready to teach I come across a passage like this one in 1 John 3:9-10 that completely challenges what I believe. Usually we as humans do 1 of 2 things when this happens.. 1 we either leave it and go on to the next verse or 2 we just interpret it with what we’ve been taught or how our own culture tells us to interpret it. I’m always praying and telling God/Jesus how I love him and I’ll live for him for the rest of my life no matter what, I mean look at me God I’m hear in Thailand for you. I left home, Family, Friends, a career everything that was my comfort to come and serve you and other people. I find it funny how I can say all these things and do all these things but still I can be so full of pride and really stupidity that I wont even admit when I’m wrong, when I believe something that just isn’t Biblical. When I’m reading the Bible and come across something that I don’t like or maybe doesn’t fit with what I believe I just tell the Bible what it means instead of allowing the Bible to tell me.. It’s like I tell the Bible what truth is instead of allowing the Bible to tell me what truth is. Or I just leave that passage and go on to the next because then I don’t have to think about it. I also remember growing up and hearing people say don’t pray for humility cause well…. Then God will give it to you. Ummmm Isn’t that way you pray for something so that God will give it to you? Also doesn’t the Bible call us to live in humility? My prayer now is God help me be humble to give up my beliefs; what I think is truth to fallow what you say is truth. Help me not believe and interpret your word through what I already know or what I’ve already been taught but help me, give me open ears and open eyes to listen to your spirit and to see your truth.

2010-03-31T02:45:00.000-07:00

So I just realized that it has been in forever sense I have updated this thing:( So I thought I would do a quick one. What have I been doing? Well right now we are working on bring the last week of the trimester to a close. This is the last week before our 2 week spring break/Thai New Year break. Nothing has really changed I’ve been studying, teaching and grading. Last week I got to teach the kingdom of Judah in 1&2 kings. It was allot of fun and also really challenging. One thing that I was really confronted with and challenged with was while I was looking at the kings and studying what Kind of King they were. I ask the question were they a good King or a Bad King? What made them good and what made them bad? After answering these questions about how God decided was a good or bad King I decided to apply it today and my life... When I look for a good political leader/president what do I look for? Do my standards line up with the God’s standards? Now I think there are somethings that are Biblical standards that a Christian should stick to and then there are the things that are more proffered standards. I by no means figured it all out except I realized that some of my standards that are a big deal for me and sometimes maybe even a deciding factor in my vote Biblically aren’t really that big of a deal. anyways like I said I have been really challenged with how do I vote and what do I use as my standard or deciding factor.. In kings it was simple... The good King took out all the other gods and lead the people back to the true God, the God of Israel.. while the bad King brought in all different gods and lead the people away from the God of Israel.. Something for you all to think about :) God bless

2010-03-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

My Nephew does the tongue thing just like his Father:) SOOO CUTE!

some pictures and No it's not actually a real wedding :)

2010-03-10T20:39:00.000-08:00

2010-02-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

Traditional Thai drums.

Worship at the conference.

2010-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

So I know it’s been awhile so I thought i really needed to update this thing.. 1,2,3 John went pretty well. Well I guess as well as it can considering I taught all 3 books and some on Gnosticism in 1:40 min. I felt like I really flew past everything and prayed that at least something would stick out to the students from the lecture. Studying Gnosticism I really realized that there is allot of Gnostic thinking in west. I mean I”m readying about how Gnostics say the body is bad and the Spirit is good and I thought hey... Thats what I was taught wasn’t it? Then I read the Bible and I see how I am the temple of the holy spirit, not just my spirit, not just my flesh but all of me. I was talking to another SBS staff member about this and he said something that really started making me think.. He talked about how we always separate our flesh from our spirit but with out your spirit your not Jake, and also without your flesh your not Jake. It takes both to make up who you are. You are not 2 or 3 or 4 or however many different parts but you are one. It’s like the Trinity. Their is God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are one you can’t separate them and say that one is bad or one is better then the other. This really made me think how we grow up (or at least I did) learning that our flesh is sinful and that it was our flesh that fell and our spirit didn’t. It’s like our spirit is pure and clean but just trapped in this fleshly prison which is fallen. But the thing is that is Gnosticism! Gnostics believed that the flesh was bad and that the spirit was good, that’s how Docetism and Cerinthianism came which was the start of Gnosticism which simply deny that Jesus was fully man and fully God. They say the flesh is bad and the spirit is good so Jesus/God could not have been completely man and completely God at the same time. In 1 John, John attacks this teaching and says no Jesus is completely God and completely Man all at the same time, John even says the one who deny’s this is the Antichrist. My conclusion is this... I need to quit separating my flesh and my body because without one I am not Jake. At the fall it wasn’t just mans flash that fell but it was mans complete being spirit, soul and body. JUST SOMETHINGS I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE. Anyways.... Tomorrow I head down to Chiang Mai for the 50 year anniversary of YWAM. Yes that’s right ywam has been around that long.. Lauren and Darlene Cunningham (the ywam founders) will be the quest speakers. It will be a 3 day conference, starting with worship and dinner, we will look to see what God has done in the past and we will also be looking and seeking God together to see what he is doing and what he wants to do in the future. It should be really fun and a great break to go and worship God with fellow co-workers in Christ. Well enough of me preaching eh:) Everything ells is still kicking along. Worship, grading students work, prepping for my next teaching (Joshua the beginning march) and everything ells that seems to come up.. Which reminds me I should get grading:( God bless.

christmas break

2010-01-08T02:28:00.001-08:00

So Yes it has been a long long time sense I have been on here and updated this thing but now I have regular access to the internet. YAAAAAAA! I'm not even sure when the last time was that I updated but I know it was sometime before Christmas so I'll start there. I had a 2 week break for Christmas where I hung out here in Chiang rai and tried to relax, key word tried... If you know me it didn't take that long and the next thing I know I have the whole time all ready planed. 2 days after the break started I took a motor bike trip with my Thai teacher P-Thoom (Toom) and a couple girls from Astraila. We went 3 hours up in the mountains to a Akkaa Village. This village was literary in the middle of now where. We arrived about 6:30PM to sit surrounded bye candles for light because there was no electricity and we fead on an Akkaa traditional dish...... DOG! Yes that is right I said it we eat dog and let me tell you it was good! No joke they also gave us a dish with beef but it was everything from the beef meat, liver and intestine. The dog was so good though that dog was all I eat:) after feasting on the fabulous meal we went to bed on in one room on the floor to wake up at 6:30 freezing to get up and head back home. It definitely was a memory that I wont forget and I wish all of my friends were here to go with me. I got back on the 23rd of December and just hung out with friends. Christmas eve I went out with Rob and Liz Lumkes and their 2 kids Samuel and Aimee for dinner then went and hung out with some other friends until way to late. Christmas morning I went back to Rob and Liz's house for breakfast and to open presents which was an experience as well.. Here in Thailand people don't celebrate christmas so to all of Rob and Liz's Neighbors it was just another day. Oh ya they showed up to visit right before we opened the presents and they stayed for it seemed like 3 hours. So we talked to the or I more less tried with the little Thai I know.. We put on a cartoon movie about Jesus watched that and then 3 hours later they left and we were able to open presents. I was incredibly blessed for christmas with cards in the mail from kids in church at home in Oregon, Thai worship CD's from Rob and Liz, presents from family and other friends here in Thailand. Christmas night I went to the church ministry I go to and hung out with all of my friends. In Thailand Christmas is a huge time for outreach so most or all of the churches and ministries here do some sort of outreach for christmas and the Idea of hanging out with family is church family not so much immediate family. So the Church ministry did an outreach. The church is a University ministry focussed on the university students in an university town called Mai Fa La Wang. We had food games and music. YES I did get involved some how, not quite sure how but I was talked in to doing the Chipmunk christmas dance. Oh ya it was funny! I had no Idea what I was doing I just figured the stupider I feel the better I'll look right? Lets just say I felt pretty stupid. Anyways after Christmas I really just hung out around the base here and tried to enjoy my break. Which I did!:) So now SBS has started again and we are up and running. We are now going through the book of Hebrews (wich is an amazing book by the way). So I' back to life as SBS staff. Grading work, leading worship, tutoring students and prepping for my lectures. In a week and a few days I teach 1,2,3 John and Gnosticism. So there's lots of work to do to get ready to teach. Please be praying that God will multiply time and that I will be able to teach what he has for the students. I get 2 hours to teach all three books which is no time at all so I'm more in a place of what do I teach because there is so much I could teach. God bless.

2009-11-20T01:37:00.000-08:00

So I know I know it’s been a while sense I have last updated this and everyone is wondering what is going on eh? I’ll try to make this short and just straight to the point of what I have been doing. In the Last 2-3 weeks I have been busy teaching, preaching, leading worship and as well all of my other SBS staff requirements. I ended up co teaching the book of Acts with Peter one of the other staff members because Cy the school leader ended up with a mouth infection and couldn’t teach. So that was Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Then Saturday I preached at church and Monday and Tuesday I finished prepping my 1&2 Thessalonians. Wednesday I taught 1 Thess in the morning, lead worship and preached in the evening for community meeting. Then Thursday I taught 2 Thess. All together in a matter of 11 days I lead worship 4 times, taught 4 time, and preached twice. I was incredibly stressful and crazy but I really learned how to just surrender everything and trust God in my weaknesses. On Wednesday I taught in the morning then in the afternoon I had to prep worship and a sermon. My computer quit on me, it wouldn’t turn on then I got it to work but I could get my overhead program to work for worship. So I finely put everything on power point so I could get working on my sermon. I wrote my sermon and saved it only to go back and not be able to find it. But no worries because I finely found it in my recycling bin (don’t ask how it got there) then it was time for worship practice and here I am leading worship and preaching and I’m in a terrible mood… I don’t even want to worship let alone lead others into worship.. When we started worship practice I spent the first 15 min just playing my guitar not singing not speaking to anyone just thinking God I need you… I’m pretty sure the others doing worship with me were thinking how crazy I am trying to figure out what I was doing but to be honest I had no Idea what I was doing.. I finely got to the point where I was like God I just surrender everything to you. I don’t even care if tonight completely sucks! Right there everything changed. My attitude and my heart, I had this random peace and joy and attitude of just whatever.. to make a long story not so long God showed up. Worship was one of the best worship times I have had sense being in Thailand and God showed up and moved not just in me but in other people that where there. I ended up taking my 45 in sermon and having to cut it down to 20 min and we still went late.. God is so good! He really showed me in this time how really I am nothing. Everything that happens in my life, everywhere I have been, everything I have done, even just being her in Thailand as a missionary is not by my own strength but it’s all by God’s strength. Sometimes I think why me? I mean in my eyes I am so not worthy of being here doing what I am doing, there’s so many more people out there that are way more qualified.. God showed that it was nothing to do with me because without Him I’m nothing and as long as I keep relying on him to be my strength I’m good to go but it’s when I think I’m strong enough without him that I really run into trouble. There’s way, way more than this but I’m afraid people are probably already skimming through this update because it’s too long so I’ll end it there. God is good!!!

For those of you who are still readying this My computer has been acting up on me. Sometimes it wont turn on and then now my wireless isn’t working so please being praying that it is healed or that I am able to get a new one. I use my computer not only for internet and keeping in touch with people but all of my studying is done on my computer as well. I spend least 5 hours a day on the computer prepping teachings and worship and working so without a computer life really wouldn’t be fun.. Please pray that God heals it. Thank

2009-10-30T07:41:00.001-07:00

Last week from the 18th-23rd we had a team from Canada that came to teach the book of Luke and as well for 3 of the days in the afternoons we hosted a kids ministry with the local kids around the base. It was sooooooo much fun! I think we averaged around 25-40 kids. I got the job of playing games with them which I think is the best, the only thing is it’s so stinking hot that I would change my shirt at least 2 times a day. But I also lost about 10 pounds:) It’s funny how 30+ kids can bring so much joy eh? I tried using my Thai with some of them. The word for a white person is folang and the word for guava is folang as well, pronounced the same. So I kept asking the kids. Khuun choop folang mai? (Do you like folang) HA HA HA! They would say choop gin! (I like to eat).. Then I would say baaaaa! Crazy! Your crazy you like to eat folang? HA HA HA! Yes it was allot of fun and I’m pretty sure they think I’m weird.. Oh and the other thing I like to say is. Khoo mii khaw pad miaw ru khaw pad maa? (do you have fried rice with cat or fried rice with dog)? Ya people love that one.. I actually went to the coffee shop close to the base and as soon as I walk in the guy started asking me and the person I was with if we like fried rice with cat. I guess he’s already heard of me:) As you can see I’m having allot of fun learning the language I only wish I could spend more time studying Thai.
This week the SBS leader has had a mouth infection so she has been at the doctors all week and she was supposed to teach acts. Sooo that meant the other staff person Peter and myself got the privilege of teaching for her. I got one day to prep historical background for acts and then I got one day to prep another hour on chapters 13-28. I think it went pretty well considering the time we had to prep. (these are pictures of me teaching) Also I lead worship on the Wednesday night meeting. Worship is allot of fun! I have some friends helping me out with singing and playing which is allot of fun cause their all really good and flow with the spirit really well which makes worship all that much better.
So now I’m prepping yet again.. I teach/preach at church tomorrow morning then on Wednesday and Thursday I teach 1&2 Thessalonians and then Wednesday night I lead worship again and as well preach for the community meeting. So if you read this please be praying for me for wisdom, discipline to study, strength, sleep and pray that the Lord will give me what’s on his heart for the people not whats on my heart. I want who ever I am teaching to have an encounter with God and Jesus not me.
Thanks :)

2009-10-16T02:52:00.000-07:00

So I guess I haven’t updated this for a couple of weeks now my bad…. These last few weeks have been really busy as the students are still learning how to studying the Bible using the Inductive Method. But they are all catching on really fast and they are all having a blast and that’s not just me saying it but that is what they are all telling us staff. I think for the book of Titus and Galatians each student ended reading the book around 15 times by the time they were done.. I know I know your thinking what that’s crazy! ! but really come on you can read the whole book of Titus in like 15 min. So in reality it’s not that bad I mean how many hours dose the average person spend watching tv a week? Ya see not that bad:) Anyways as for me I’ve been grading students work, tutoring, leading worship twice a week which next week it goes to 3 times a week. I’ve been trying to get ready for my 1&2 Thessalonians teachings which I’m not ready for but I have 2 weeks till I teach. What ells? I’ve been asked by the leader of a college ministry or really it’s a church and not just any church but the church I am trying to make my home Thai church.. Ha Ha home Thai church… Love the way that sounds eh? Anyways she has asked me if I would willing to help out the church worship band in spirit lead worship. Not quite sure how this looks yet it might be a onetime thing or it might be a long term thing.. I’m really excited about it though because ever sense I got into worship about 7 years ago I’ve always wanted to teach worship and mentor people in how to not lead but how to flow with the spirit in worship. I feel like this is the start of a dream that’s coming true. Next week we have a team from Canada coming. They will be teaching Luke and as well they will be doing some kids ministry with the kids in the area around the base. SBS students and staff will be helping out with this so please be praying that God shows up and touches the kids life and as well be praying that not only students but also staff will be able to get everything done that we need to for SBS. Well I should really get back to studying.. Yeeeehaaaaa!!

1st week and worship

2009-10-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

This last week was the first week of SBS.. This week we spent the first 2 days getting 2 of the students their Thai drivers licenses and then helped all the students go shopping getting the last minute things they needed before school started. Wednesday was the first day of class and we start the school out with the book of Titus. All of the students are so excited and hungry for God’s word and get into the Bible to see what God has for them and their all catching on so fast. Even though it was a really good week it was also really busy. With class, taking care of work duties, worship and tutoring students I have found that I didn’t have any time to study this week on 1&2 Thessalonians, WHICH I TEACH IN 4 WEEKS. Hopefully this week eh? Something ell’s that was really encouraging was I was asked to lead worship at the regional ministry leaders meeting. This was such an awesome time we didn’t have a time slot to fit into or you know start with this song and then end with that one. I think to start with we had about 16 songs for 1 hour and we only ended up doing something like 4. God showed up big time and touched people’s lives, what more can you ask for eh? I also feel that this opportunity was very important for me because over the last year and allot these last few months I’ve really been trying to figure out if I even have a calling in worship and then if I do what is that calling? I know I have a heart for worship and I love to lead others into a life changing encounter with God through worship but is this something I’m called to or just something I enjoy? I know this last year was incredibly hard for me because I went from being highly involved in worship in YWAM Canada to being involved hardly any when I went home to Oregon. After a year of being home I really felt like I didn’t even know how to lead worship any more. Some doors did open up at home for worship with a good friend and his church which was amazing and God taught me allot through it but I still found myself asking is worship a calling in my life and then if it is how does this calling look? I look back at my life and see how I’ve never really been involved at all with worship in a church setting I mean there’s been church’s in Canada and in Oregon that I’ve tried to get involved with but for some reason it never worked out. Why is this? I’ve had churches ask me to come and do worship at their church but those aren’t the churches I’m going to and I don’t really feel I should change churches just because I could lead worship at the other ones. Is this God telling me I’m not called to worship and shutting the doors? Or maybe it’s him trying to teach me something about my worship? Or maybe this is the enemy trying to keep me frustrated and not walking in my gifting? After this week and leading worship for the meeting I feel the Lord has answered some of my questions and showed me where my calling is in this gift called worship. So here it goes:) I don’t think I’m called to the traditional worship leading roll of the church and what I mean by that is showing up on Sundays doing these songs for the time frame I have and then ending and getting ready for the next week. I don’t want to lead a structured worship service of singing songs but I want to lead a time of a life changing encounter with God. I want to lead a time of just showing up and saying ok God what do you want to do? I want to help others step out of the boxes they are in, trapped and enslaved to fear and bandages and through worship I want to set people free to worship God the way their heart desires. I also want to help others step into their calling in the area of worship. This became evident when Paul the regional leader introduced me to everyone as Pook’s mentor. (Pook is a DTS staff and a translator she is incredibly gifted in singing and playing guitar but just needs some confidants so we have been working together at the base and she also helped me out for that meeting) This really made me think as well about how I really like and love to mentor and bring others up in worship seeing them step into the calling the Lord has for them in worship. Through worship I want to reach the world.

school is starting:)

2009-09-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

School starts tomorrow!!:) Today we have our last few students showing up and then tonight we are doing a welcome to SBS night with a BBQ at Peter’s house. I am so excited cause 1 I cook tonight. It’s been so long sense I’ve cooked and I’m finding that I really, really do miss it. 2, the school is starting! This is what I’ve been waiting for over the last 6 months. It’s about time eh? So now to let you all know a little of what I’ll be doing this year. As staff I have a few responsibilities. Teaching, As of now I will be teaching 1&2 Thessalonians as well during these books I will be teaching introduction to eschatology(end of times) this will be the first week of November. Then the first week of January the book of James, March 8th the book of Joshua, April 23 the book of Hosea, May 21 the book of Daniel and June 9th the book of Ezra. As of now these will be all the books I will be teaching however we still have about 15-20 book in the Old Testament with no teachers so if we are unable to get anyone to teach these books then I will be picking up more books to teach as us staff will have to teach them all. Other school duties will include grading students work, reading every book of the bible 3 times along with the students, planning activity and community days/nights, I will be helping out with all the tests for the school, and I am in charge of all hospitality for the school and guest speakers and work duties for the students. As well I have been taking over the worship at the base and will continue to do so which means worship on Tuesday mornings and also SBS worship on Friday mornings. I do have a local Thai girl or really a lady she’s 28, Pii Pook who is helping me out with worship for the base which usually looks like I sing a few songs in English and then she sings a few in Thai. I am really excited with taking over the worship! If you know me you know that I love worship and leading others into a life changing encounter with God through worship. Oh something ells I’m really excited about!! This week I was ask to go lead worship at the Chiang Rai ministry leaders meeting. The regional leader is looking to push the other leaders out into more of a spirit/free worship creating an atmosphere for them to step out and sing a new song and really just worship God without being told how to do it by the worship leader, so he has asked me to lead the worship for this time. In worship this is what I love to do… when I lead I don’t just want people singing the words on the wall but I want to create an atmosphere where people can step out and sing what on their heart to worship and express their love for God however they want weather singing, dancing, yelling, kneeling or crying. So yes I am very excited for this:)
I know there’s lots more stuff I’m forgetting but I guess you’ll just have to learn what they are as I do. HA HA HA!! It will be like hey who was supposed to do that? Oh it was me, my bad!:( Well take care everyone and I’ll talk to you next week:)

staff training

2009-09-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

So these last 5 weeks we have been going through staff training. For those of you who don’t know what staff training is I’ll try and give you a week by week what we did to give you a better understanding.. The first week we spent time going over some logistics as in who’s teaching what book and a little on who’s doing what for the school. The first week we also went over the YWAM foundational Values and talked about how we as staff can implement these values in our school. The second week we had a guest speaker Phil Porter who is the YWAM Thailand national director. With him we went through strengths and weaknesses. We had an hour long test that we got to take which gave us our strengths as a leader and then we spent time with Phil looking at what these strengths are and then how we as staff can work together as a team helping each other in their weaknesses and helping them step out in their strengths. For weeks 3-4 we spent time studying the bible. We went through the books of Titus, Galatians and mark leaning how the school leader wants the students to study and we also learned how to grad students work. Also during all these weeks we had meetings throughout the week praying for students, doing more logistical things like who is going to do what during the school.. Who’s going to be over all the tests? Who’s going to be over all the work duties? Who’s going to be over all hospitality? Yes and lots, lots more!! This last week, week 5 was an amazing week! We had a guest speaker again this time being the northern regional director Paul Wilcox it was an incredibly busy but rewarding week. We had class every morning 9am-1pm then in the afternoon 2:30-4:30 and then yes you guessed it meetings from 4:30-5:30 and then we had home work every night to get done by the next morning. I’m not sure what to call this week so I’ll just try to explain what we did… Paul had us make a timeline of our lives of key events not just of the good but also of the bad and then we would go through all the good and the bad and ask what was God trying to teach me or what did he teach me in this situation? How did God use this situation to shape me into the leader I am? We also asked questions like what themes do I see in my life and then why do I see these themes? We also went through different tests and workshops which help form who we are, what we were created for, and where the Lord is taking us… So by the end of the week we had written down our biblical purpose (what God specifically created me for), our personal vision in life, our ministry values (not being values that we prefer but values that we live out in an everyday bases), our mission statement and last but not least where we saw our ministry in 10 years or what we saw our ministry accomplishing in 10 years. As you can see there was allot to do with little time to do it all in, Paul said that he usually takes 3 months to do what we did in 5 days… I feel that after this week I understand way more now what I am called to in life and where my destiny is, with this mission statement, my purpose for life and everything ells that God gave me I have something to use as a guide in life that if something comes my way that doesn’t fit into these statement into my purpose then I know it’s not God and I can trust that if it is God taking me into a different direction for a season then he will make it known to me. I also understand that God might add to these things in the future but for now this is what he gave me. Wow I feel like I’m writing a book or something:) So I’ll just end with this….. This week was amazing and God is so good!!! I know you guys are probably wondering what these values and statements are…. Don’t worry I’ll be posting them on here soon but first I’m just making sure there finished and God doesn’t want to add anything ells.
Now we are going into our last week before the school starts. The first student shows up on Thursday this week and then the school starts next Monday the 28th. This week end I’ll be posting a schedule of all the books I’ll be teaching and some of my responsibilities for the year to give you somewhat of an understanding of what my life will be like. Until then I should let you all go I know how hard it is to read long letters:) May God bless you all!

1st month in Thailand and the conference

2009-08-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

So I have now been here in Thailand for 1 month and boy is time flying! When I first got here I had a few weeks of settling in, getting my driver’s license, phone and getting to know people.

My second week here I took a trip with some friends into Myanmar (Burma) for 4 days. It was a really good trip seeing people and meeting new people and there was also the food…. How do I describe the food? Word’s would not do justice, if you like Thai food you would love Shan and Burmese food! It’s not as spicy which can be a good thing and the flavors, I have 2 words. BREATH TAKING!!!! Oh yeah that good…

When we got back to Thailand there was a staff team from Turner Valley Canada that came to visit (turner valley is where I used to staff at). How I miss people from good old Turner Valley YWAM:) there were 3 people on the team and two of them I have been to Thailand with before so it was allot like a big reunion with great friends.

After that down south I went to Krabi southern Thailand for the National YWAM conference. This year in YWAM there are some changes that are happening. The national Thailand ywam director stepped down this year after 12 years of serving as director and so we have a new director now. It’s funny how YWAM is so different depending on where you go. All over the world, everywhere I’ve been in YWAM one thing is YWAM is like a great big family, it doesn’t matter what part of YWAM you come from or what you are doing in YWAM we’re all family. Here in Thailand I feel that this value of being a Family is even bigger, everybody knows everybody it’s not this base hangs out over there and that base over there but they all hang out together. Then there was the worship and the prayer just being in the same room with them while they prayed made me feel convicted. Their passion to see God come and change the nation of Thailand and how little passion I have in prayer in general at one point we were praying all 250 of us in one room all praying out loud or should a say yelling out loud:) then they get done praying and worship starts and they start a moshpit in the front. It was great!!! The night service was supposed to be done around 9PM every night but I don’t think I ever got out of there before 10:30 and even then they kept going. I was thinking man can you imagine this happening in the west? People would start leaving at 9:10 or they would just be really grumpy after. At the conference we had a guest speaker that came from the Kona Hawaii YWAM base Andy Byrd. He spoke on being hungry for God and how we need to be hungry, hungry not being to see people get healed or to go out and do works but hungry to just sit and spend time with God. He talked about a few different revivals in history and how the main thing that they all had in common where they all started with people coming together to seek God and his presence then they all got lit on fire and then that fire went on from there. Again I felt so convicted with how much hunger for the Lord I have lost in the last year and how I need it back. Over a year ago the Lord started showing me the same thing that Andy talked about how it all starts with being hungry for the Lord for his presence, to hear his voice but in this last year I have forgotten all that and lost allot of the hunger I used to have. I found myself just crying out to God. Make me hungry!!! I want to yearn for your presence like I once did, to hear your voice like I once heard. It was a convicting time but also just what I needed to get back into line:) The last thing that happened while I was there was the Lord asked me to lay down my life yet again. He asked me can I have your life will your life be a living sacrifice to me? At first I thought but God I’ve already been to Timbuktu and back for you:) HA HA HA, literally! The Lord seems to ask me this question at least once a year. So again I said yes Lord here I am use me send me even to the point of death. While I was still in Oregon in the U.S. before I came to Thailand the one thing I kept getting from the Lord was get ready cause this is allot bigger than what you think. At the conference the Lord again told me the same thing. He gave me a few verses one being Jeremiah 1:4-10. The Lord told me that this is just the beginning of what he has in store for me there is so much more. This of course is exciting for me but also a little scary because I can’t see the end result I can only see one step at a time. I guess we will wait and see what happens eh? All in all it has been a really good first month and I can’t wait to see what the second month has in store for me. God bless you all and may the hunger of God fall on you:)

P.S sorry there’s no pictures I kind of left my camera at the conference one night and when I went back for it well ya nowhere to be seen someone took it:(

I'm moving to Thailand

2009-06-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

I’m moving to Thailand!! YEEEHAAAAAAW!! After lots of prayer and a few emails it is now official. I have a one way flight out of Tri-Cities, Washington on July 6th. In Thailand I will be joining YWAM in Chiang Rai. Chiang Rai is in northern Thailand by the Burma border. There I will be staffing on SBS, (School Of Biblical Studies), teaching the Bible. The School there is an international English speaking school which will be great for me to be able to teach and also not have to worry about a language barrier as much. While working and teaching in this school at the Chiang Rai base I will also be looking into future opportunities with reaching out to the Shan people of Burma. The Chiang Rai base has accepted me knowing that I am looking into other opportunities to work with the Shan people, therefore, they have not required me to commit for any amount of time. I am committed to stay on staff with the Chiang Rai Base until the plans with the Shan people work out whether that be 6 months or two years. What plans with the Shan people am I talking about? While staffing with YWAM on SBS I will also be looking into opportunities for teaching the Bible to the Shan people of Burma. As of now nothing is set in stone on what this will look like so I’m not going to say too much about it, I just wanted you all to know that while I’m in Thailand my vision in being there is trying to reach out to the Shan people, teaching them the word of God and getting the Bible into Burma. I am very excited about this move. I feel like the last 4 to 5 years being with YWAM and working in missions has been a training time for this move and what God has called me to do in Thailand and for the Shan people. Ever since my first trip to Thailand and working with the Shan people in 2004, moving there has been something on my heart and really for the last 3 years it has been my goal and vision to move there. I want to thank all of you who have helped this dream come true for me whether that be through supporter financially, through prayer or just being my friend and encouraging me to live my dream out. Thank you all!!
God bless,

Prayer requests:
Provision,
Health
Safety traveling
That I will adapt to the culture quickly
Continual indwelling of the Holy Spirit
That I will learn the language quickly
Whatever else the spirit leads.

Titus school

2008-10-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Hello, I thought that it was about time I send out a quick update to let you all know what is going on in my life, since I know that all of you are just dying to find out! J I just got back from Youth With A Missions (ywam) training center in Montana where I just completed the training phase of Titus program. Titus is a three month training program training people in teaching the Bible, teaching others how to study the Bible through the inductive method both to literate and also to illiterate communicators. The first three weeks is a lecture phase that is followed by 2 months of outreach. During the three week training we sat through classes on how to prepare a lecture, how to give a lecture, how to preach a sermon, how to teach oral communicators, how to give an overview of the Bible and God’s redemptive plan, how to teach the inductive method and lots, lots more. During these three weeks each student prepped 3 teachings, 1 sermon and we all read almost 2000 pgs of literature. This was an awesome time to meet lots and lots of great people, fellow students and also teachers in the Lord. This was a great opportunity for me to continue to grow in teaching others God’s word and His truth. I really believe that this was just another stepping stone for what the Lord has called me to and where he is taking me in life. I really have a heart for others to come to know the Lord, His truth and also for those who already know the Lord to learn more and to grow in their relationship with God. I really want to help people in their walk with the Lord!

What’s next? Well as you can see I didn’t go on the 2 month outreach with the rest of the class. I am home know getting ready to work and continue to pay off the Bible school that I did last year. I am hoping to move to Thailand here next winter to teach in a Bible school. However, in order to go I need to get some experience in teaching. Between now and then I am looking at getting all the teaching experience I can whether here at home or somewhere else. I’m not quite sure how all of this will happen as of yet but I will keep you all posted. Thank you all so much for your support and prayers, I pray that the Lord will bless you all with his presence and the blessings of the Father.

Jacob,