Young Leaders Camp 2011 - Part 4

Unforgettable view.

Saying goodbye to Koh Larn.

Taxi!  Time to head back to Pattaya.

Another mini-concert on the boat ride back!

One last session back in the Baptist Camp.  Seth teaching us that God brought us all here for a reason.

Finishing camp by taking communion together.  We renewed our commitment to one another and now renew our commitment to Christ.

Back home, and what better way to end the weekend than to join together for one last meal at our beloved Athen restaurant!

Young Leaders Camp 2011 - Part 3

Sea food is fresh on an island!  They even cooked one of the squid the guys caught in our breakfast the next day.

Gathering for the Saturday evening session.

Mix sharing his story with the group.

Seth tries to get John on Skype as we start worship together.

Greg teaches about the enemy within, with Boyd translating.

Young Leaders Camp 2011 - Part 2

After spending Friday night at the Baptist camp in Pattaya, a few hours southeast of Bangkok, we took a forty minute boat ride to Koh Larn, an island where we spent Saturday and Saturday night.  Here, Bat leads the boat in worship songs.  Many people applauded after the Young Leaders sang.

Nut, looking stylish!

The first activity of the day was being taken out to go snorkeling!

Steve-O stepped on a sea urchin.  Imagine stepping on a porcupine in salt water.  He had ten "quills" lodged in his foot.  Ouch!

Bat, trying not to drown.

Getting those sea urchin quills removed from Steve-Os foot.  He is one tough guy!

Young Leaders Camp 2011 - Part 1

A HUGE thank you to all who prayed for us as we headed to Young Leaders Camp 2011.  It was a fantastic weekend and I am sure your prayers were a big part of that.  Enjoy the images from the first ANNUAL Young Leaders Camp!

After all the planning and waiting, it is finally time to head to camp!

Bank shares his story on Friday night.

Ike did a wonderful job teaching on our first night.  Ahjan Greg taught the middle three sessions, but we also asked two of our Young Leaders to do some of the teaching at camp and they did SO well!  Ike taught us about how Satan likes to try to attack us and tempt us.

Starting Saturday with prayer.

Thank (pronunced "Tank"), sharing from the Word of God.

 

Now it is Rainny's turn.  Later in the weekend, Rainny would share his story with the group, and it was a powerful, honest testimony.

Ahjan Greg Brown helped start Young Leaders.  He has returned to the states and is now in school, but agreed to return to be our camp speaker.  He shared a strong series of messages about the enemy without and the enemy within that tries to prevent us from being our best for God.

Plants and flowers in Khao Lak

Rubber trees are one of the main forms of 'farming' in the area. 

Basil.

Scenes from Khao Lak

Scenes from a day of going out into the outlying area to visit church members.

Their water collection system.  As close as they get to running water.

Khao Lak Christmas 2010

Just returned from Khao Lak in southern Thailand.  We put on a number of Christmas parties for kids in the communities down there.  While we were there, we were also invited into three public schools, where we were allowed to share the true meaning of Christmas.  As a result, over three hundred kids indicated they understood our message and that they wanted to invite Jesus into their hearts, so they prayed with us to do just that!  You read the number right, well over three hundred...  Amazing grace.

Kids opening their hearts to the call of Jesus on their lives.

Preparing to share with one of the public school groups.  My translator, Wali, is standing in front of me.

Wali and I share about the greatest Christmas present ever.

Trying to pass myself off as a fourth grader.

Games to start our time off right.

The Bank Is Open!

One more answered prayer! 

As great as Young Leaders Group has been this year, we have been missing something.  For over a year now, I have been so much hoping to see a young man named Bank join us.  Bank is a regular at church and a member of the worship team, playing guitar.  He is in a serious dating relationship, though, and between that and a full time job, has been busy and we just could not get him to come join us.  I have been praying for him to just come one time, for over a year now.  Well, while I was in the US, John and Isra and I joined Young Leaders by Skype over the internet and I was shocked to see Bank sitting there with the other guys.

That is all it took.  Since then, Bank has been so excited about Young Leaders and just being with his church brothers and taking part in everything.  Last week, he helped with the slum Christmas party, where he was tremendous with the kids.  I am SO happy and blessed to see what is going on with him.  One of the best parts of the last two or three weeks are the emails and facebook messages I get from Bank, simply saying things like, "I am so happy!"  Well, so am I, buddy!

Bank is going with us to Young Leaders camp in two weeks and I have asked him to share his story with all of the guys.  He was happy to agree.  God is good!

Young Leaders and Knot's Birthday

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer... They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people." From Acts 2. They broke bread and ate together with GLAD HEARTS. They had fun. This was the church as it was intended. So many unchurched people think church is about rules and regulations and seriousness and boredom and... death. The early church had favor with all people and grew like wildfire because they liked what they saw and wanted if for themselves. Kind of like what is happening with Young Leaders Group...