Last Update from Thailand Trip and Our Next Steps - Jan 28th

The last few weeks of Thailand were great and really impacting. After the main bulk of the missions team left to go back home Mollie and I along with another couple (looking to move to Thailand permanently) continued exploring what God had in store for us in Thailand. I got two separate words from God whilst in the Harvest School in Mozambique about Phuket (which a the time I didn't even know it was in Thailand) so we decided to go down to the South of Thailand where Phuket is and check it out.

In Phuket we met up with some different Christian ministries which were at work down there and met some really incredible inspiring people. There were also a few missionaries who were really discouraged and weary. We had the priveledge of being able to bless them and pray and prophesy over them and give them gifts. They were really boosted by this and it was really great to be able to bless them. 

Phuket is one of the three main areas in Thailand where the sex industry is at its worse, the other two are Pattaya and Bangkok. We got to have a look around and again the scale of the industry in Phuket was shocking. After spending nearly two weeks in the area and meeting lots of different ministries we were hoping that God would give us a clearer picture of what His plans were for this place and if we were to move to Thailand where we would be based. Instead all I kept getting back was that He was going to reveal things step by step and he gave me the verse 2 Cor 5:7 "for we walk by faith, not by sight". In hindsight I think I was getting a little too carried away with knowing the full plan of what God wants us to do for the next few years and therefore not trusting in Him to reveal it. I felt like He was saying He is going to reveal to us one step at a time and at that moment the next step was to come home and prepare for returning to Thailand for long term.

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Home has been great but not without its challenges, it has been slightly difficult adjusting to the UK and maintaining the same heart, and fire and outlook (perspective) in what is a completely different environment full of distractions, comforts, family, things to sort etc. For the first few weeks I (Steve) found myself not having any time to spend with God and then getting distracted and discouraged and then disillusioned by how different life is here compared to other parts of the world. Sometimes it literally felt like I had entered a different world in some alternative universe. After meeting up with some incredible Christian friends though and spending more time with Jesus he has given me back my focus. I felt like He was saying If we focus on the world and not Him it is so easy to lose track and then faith but I felt like over the last few days God has been saying focus on my Kingdom and seek myKingdom first. If I focused on differences between the Kingdom of Thailand and the United Kingdom or the difficulties of each I get discouraged. Alternatively when I focus on His kingdom things fall in place, I can not be distracted, and the difficulties of where I am cant stop me from walking in the purposes that God has for me whether I am in Mozambican bush, the streets of Thailand or the familiarity of the UK.

The plan at the moment is to go back to Thailand at the end of February for an Iris Mission trip with a large group of us who are seriously looking at long term missions. During that trip we will explore Thailand further and go into Cambodia to learn more about the plans God has for us. At the moment we are planning to stay in Thailand after the group mission trip, to find long term accommodation and enroll in language school.  

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That is unless during our time on the March trip Jesus reveals something different to us.Please pray for us that we continue to walk in the purposes of God and that we don't get distracted or miss the plans that He has for us.Thank you for sharing in our journey with us. We are both really grateful and feel really blessed by you.Lots of Love from, Steve and Mollie 

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