My journey in applying for my Thai visa in America has always proved challenging. Apart from the fact that the Thai Embassy could not find my passport in their own office last year for 2 days, this year the Post Office intercepted it - apparently illegally - and then seemingly lost it!
If my passports does not pitch up by Thursday, this week (23 July) I will have to apply for an emergency passport.
Getting a one year visa this time round has taken 7 weeks by now, with a lot of interesting things along the way like: “sorry we cannot process you” “Oh, no sorry, you cannot appear in person either” “sorry we do not do one-year anymore” “sorry we lost your envelope”
The emergency passport will need clearance from Pretoria first which is not super good news seeing that they usually take a long time. Last year they did not want to grant me a new passport saying I did not pick up the previous one… which was the one in my hand already full… They granted me one at the end, and now 1 year later I apply for another maxi passport - not looking good!
I do find, that this time round, I have incredible peace. More than usual. It is as if this whole ordeal just does not do to me, what it usually does. (great amounts of stress) Once I have my emergency passport, I will have to mail it again to the Thai embassy on the main land…
From Thailand I will have to fly to South-Africa… and most likely skip the historic UofN YWAM gathering in Townsville this year. Something I don’t think I am going to be too happy about. A 1000 YWAMers have signed up by now! But then again… move on and don’t grieve Holy Spirit in the process. Regardless of human element, or the enemy trying to ruffle my feathers… God is sovereign. He can transport me if He liked. So I sit back, drink coffee… and slam Tim-Tams with my roommates while I keep working.
Thank you for praying for me!
I really appreciate it.
In the midst of all of this, I had a lovely time being with the Frontier Missions School this week. Calvin and Carol Conkey from Create Int’l were the speakers, doing “Equip2go.org” Most of you know they were my leaders for over 7 years and I have been part of Equip2go when it was pioneered. Penny and I went to teach it in quite a number of places including a few bases in the UK. It was wonderful to see the fantastic update and I cannot wait to share some of this with churches in SA next year! I think the topic of contextualisation is going to be a huge challenge for many but it is something I want to see being talked about and understood.
This week reminded me of the time we went to Turkey to film the Iranian Evangelistic film. It was one of my scariest moments in missions… holding that sound-boom, standing in the open where any Muslim at any point could have come up the stairs to his flat… exposing us. DID YOU KNOW that at least 100 000 copies have been distributed since we finished the production. Praise God!
KONA AND BEYOND
I was asked if I could help with a strategic project with a clear beginning and end. It was a project I enjoyed, simply because of who I am and the potential outcome it might have. I completed what I came to do and it was an enjoyable learning curve on many levels.
On the Strength Finder test a while ago, I came out: “Strategic, Maximiser, Command, Deliberate and Competition” (Someone here on base whispered in my ear: “We can be glad you are saved!”
I replied: “oh yes I know!!” (If you have not done it, it is really neat :-)
“It is not just about the gifts God give you, but the ones He chose NOT to give you, that makes you unique.” Needless to say, this sentence brought some healing to my heart because on the DISC test, I still lack the “S” (the nice person who keeps the peace with everyone!) It’s kinda like a zero on my chart. My mind just never goes that way (hence my gratefulness having an S as a housemate who very often reminds me to… you know… To smile. To be nice. To keep the peace!
If you have never done DISC - here is a link for you: http://discpersonalitytesting.com/free-disc-test/
Helping out with an area that needed strategy, was very fulfilling to me. This is also why I love doing the books - and that is my next task as I await my 2 passports. I will be in touch with 6 coaches on the field, helping me and giving me input as to how to put together a new training tool in book form for a specific audience in YWAM.
While I wait for the news of my documents, I am reminded of my #1 favourite movie… “Patton” I also recently read a biography on him, and enjoyed it even more than the movie. There is a scene where Patton is seemingly fired / dismissed. What he did not know, is that it was part of the strategy to mislead the Germans. In the movie Patton paces up and down, a soul in turmoil. He shouts at God and to himself: “Dear God, this is what I was born for! If I cannot be in this war and beat Hitler I want to die”
(I am paraphrasing of course) Patton actually saw quite a few miracles of answered prayer - especially when it came to the weather. He had a deep respect for God as his ultimate Commander in Chief. He did the unthinkable with his troops. The war was swung for the good.
Patton had this strange saying that he was General Napoleon in his previous life. He stands in the field where Napoleon brought great victories. I feel like this at the moment. If Patton was Napoleon, then I was Patton! (Of course this is hogwash! but the cry of the heart is the same. There are quite a few victories I want to see take place - in YWAM, in the University and most of all - among the unreached where 2 Billion have no access to hear the Good News of Salvation and a Personal Relationship with our Wonderful Creator.
What the price tag will be, only time knows… but in the mean time… I move forward in Him with this graph on my mind… and the question: “how do we maximise for best impact?”