Drawing to a Close
My time at Global English School is drawing to a close. My time here started with human apprehension. I confess that I was forced into reliance on the Lord (something that I think not at all a bad thing). I truly love those times when human relationships are stripped away to the point of reliance on the Lord being an absolute necessity. I can’t say that I have in any way experienced this to the farthest extent that I could, nor do I mean to say that I dislike my human attachments. Much to the contrary; they can be so good to me and so encouraging that it is easy to forget to rely on the Lord. I knew I needed this time to strip away those relationships for just a bit, to be reminded that the Lord is my shepherd, my provider, my father, and my friend. He has provided for me in abundance during my stay here. He has offered me a time of reprieve while at the same time he has given me an opportunity to serve Him, to meet new friends, and to experience cultural expansion.
I am all too aware that I have not strength of my own. I have to say that I saw this yesterday. I failed to spend time with the Lord yesterday and the difference was weighty. I could see myself struggling to fight my own battles, build my own walls, and break free from my own prisons, finding every time that I didn’t have the strength or even the will. It is all God’s. I am glad we can’t do it on our own.
Friday I leave Global English School to meet my team at the airport. I am looking forward to seeing them, although I know that there will be a lot to do when they arrive. It will be wonderful to see some familiar faces. Please pray for their travel – safety, health, and unity. Please also pray for me as I wrap up my time here at GES. Most importantly, please pray for the relationships I have been able to establish with Thai university students. Pray that our friendship can be a field fallowed for the planting of the gospel. Pray that God would build in me a witness that is not my own but one that is directly from God, supported by His strength. Thank you so much for your prayers and for your support. Again, you have had a personal hand in the sharing of the Gospel, along with having a hand in opening up opportunity for students to find jobs that they otherwise would not be able to get. For you see, bilingual young people in Thailand are not nearly as common as in other places. Thailand was never under foreign control and they have not had much exposure to English. If a student graduates from university simply with the ability to speak both English and Thai, they are exponentially better off. Again, thank you, or should I say kòp-kuun-krup! Take care friends!
-Patrick
