Outreach 2010!

On July 7th, we started our long journey. We flew from Calgary to Salt Lake City, then Tokyo, then Bangkok. We stayed in Bangkok for a few days to get over jet-lag, which wasn't as bad as we thought. God really had grace on us there, and that theme was hugely apparent on our trip.





In Bangkok, we prepared for our Bible teachings.




We then flew from Bangkok to Yangon.




First, we went to the market and the guys bought longhis (lawn-jees) - essentially man-skirts. Our friend taught us how to fold/tie them on so they don't fall down (it's one big tube-fabric-thing).



Then, we settled into our guest house. We spent some time to continue preparing for our teachings. One school had about 15 students and the other only had three! So those of us preparing for the smaller school (Sherry, Evan and I) had to change our lectures up a bit to better suit a smaller class.


We also worked with a church which ran an english club, bible study, and a church. Our timing (God's timing) was great, as we happened to come the few weeks in which all but one of their pastors was around. And since they ran an event almost every night, plus the sermon, it was really good that we could help. I personally helped with two of the bible studies we did (on Thursdays), and shared my testimony (in ten minutes or so) on a Sunday.



At this church we made most of our friends, who were happy to practice English and even share about their own struggles with being a Christian in such a primarily Buddhist place. One friend I met became a Christian a few months ago, but hasn't told his parents, and probably won't until he moves out, because they would kick him out, he believes. But his excitement for Jesus, and this is true with many young people we met there, was fantastic! Here's a picture of him (the one next to me).



Most of our preparation during our time in Yangon was for that church. All the preparation we did before going was for the inductive SBS teachings we did. I taught the book of Philemon with Steph's Colossians; Sherry taught Philipians and Malachi; Evan taught Hosea; and Nathan taught I Thessalonians. These were between two SBSes there - one with YWAM (the one with 15 or so students) and one that was separate from (though closely tied with) YWAM (3 students). Here's the first one during Steph's teaching.




The third and final place we did most of our work in was the smaller SBS. The students were very kind and generous (highlighting the awesomeness of their culture). Every time we went, we were served with a wonderful lunch. The students (and even the staff) were very respectful. Once, one of the students started fanning us while we ate lunch (after someone's teaching). THEN, a staff member came and she took over for him, fanning us. I just wonder how much I would do for visitors to our base...




This was the school I taught Micah in. I was so excited for my teaching, it's almost no surprise that the moment I was waiting for came with an unexpected twist... In the extreme heat and lack of electricity, not helped by my light-colored shirt, I perspired all too noticeably.
Before it got too far:

After it got too far: (enlarged to show grossness)



Soon enough though, the teacher, an older and rather blunt man, stopped me and kindly asked if I wanted to change into one of his shirts! So I rolled with the punches (the sweat helped with the rolling) and I taught in a Karen shirt for the rest of the lecture (I still had almost three hours left). Ah, outreach. :)



There are other stories of course, and they're all worth telling. So ask me sometime, or I'll throw one up on here now and then. Our focus was in Myanmar on this outreach. But we ended the trip with 8 days in Thailand, and they were good days! We stayed at an awesome, jungle-like guest house in Chiang Mai and went to the zoo.



Next we took buses to Chiang Rai and visited a family from Turner Valley. We had fun riding elephants and long-boats, but probably more fun spending time with our friends and their two kids.


Thanks for all your support, friends! It would have been too hard without you all supporting me, with finances and with prayer. A few things I learned were: I desperately need quiet times; that is, time spent with God, in order to be myself; I need to be more patient as well as communicate better; And that I have a lot to offer and am capable of encouraging others. I was also challenged by the hospitality and generosity of Myanmar people.

The next chapter of my life has been planned! I am returning to Turner Valley, AB, Canada to staff DTS! I have committed to two years of service. This job, like all the YWAM things I've done so far, is not a paid position. So I must depend on you, my friends and family, again. Though the staff fees are only $200 CAN, they ask that I raise as close to $500 a month as possible. (This is so that people don't come on staff and run out of money.)

As a DTS Staff member, I will help disciple the young people who come to do our school; help them get to know themselves and God better, and then lead them on an outreach to one of our targeted people groups. Each school is a little less than 6 months, but I'm sure I won't do four whole schools in these two years, as the intensity of discipling and leading is a lot to go through.

Paypal: If you'd like to donate, you can send the money electronically to jamesthellama@hotmail.com
Me: You can donate directly to me, using checks or other means.
For a tax receipt: You can donate to New Hope Christian Fellowship at 300 Trask Lane, Modesto, CA, 95354. The check must not have my name on it, not even in the memo, but please include a note saying it is for James Harrison.

If you'd like to support me monthly, please use YWAM Project Funding. As of now, I still have to set that up. So soon I will post the information as to how to do that, but I would like to hear if you decide to support me monthly.

If you have any questions, lemme know! Thanks for reading, and the peace of Christ be with you!
James

This task has been appointed to you, Frodo of the Shire...

This is my task; the Lord has given it to me. He has given me and will give me the strength to complete it.

The Pros? God has orchestrated this mission, he's written this chapter, he's organized this adventure, and he's composed this song. He is sovereign and in control.

The Cons?

Yeah, they don't matter. This is going to happen, I'm going to Myanmar to teach the Word with my friends, and it's going to be good. My God will make it good.

I've got peace. Beat that.
James

That's my King!

I was taking communion at a prayer night last night and something hit me like never before. I've always known that the bread and wine represented what Jesus did, and he even commanded us to do it physically, to remember exactly what he physically did.

But this time, I felt something I've never felt; I really felt like I KNEW who Jesus was, that I know what he likes and doesn't, what he has done, does, and will do, and how he feels about me and everyone who believes in him. I stared at my bread and Kool-Aid and realized that I AM A PART of this. I'm in this story, I can and have joined this club, and I'm part of this team. This is all REAL. I've always known and loved Jesus since I was a boy, but I've never quite felt this reality, that Jesus died. For me. And Jesus was raised. For me. For us. For his name.

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul is addressing what looks to be an abuse of the Lord's supper. "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord." Paul has compared the bread and wine of communion to the actual body of Christ. Now I'm not saying this is proof of transubstantiation (not that I'm against it), but clearly this event, even if it is symbolic, of remembering the Lord's death is VERY significant. Blood-guilt in the Old Testament was NOT something you wanted on your head. My point is this: Jesus' body and blood, my bread and Kool-Aid, they remind me that I am alive, I am a REAL PART of Jesus' ministry, and that I have the power to love others. I then looked around the room and couldn't help from telling a guy there how Jesus feels about him, because of how Jesus had shown me his love.

This is real, and it has real implications of life and love. These have been given to us by Jesus the Life, and God who is Love, to pour into others and join this battle on earth, knowing that the God is our Lord of Hosts and that victory and salvation belong to the Lord.

"Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and BY YOUR BLOOD you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped."

That's my Jesus! He's worthy to take the scroll from the Father; he ransomed us for God by his blood! He's made us a kingdom and priests to our God. This is a real story, with real people. God is REAL, Jesus is REAL. Our part is REAL. This is my Jesus.

What the Heck!?

So I need 3200 dollars for my outreach fees; that would pay for just about everything. I had 100 of that by Monday, and the rest was due a week later, on the 14th. On Monday, our YWAM base here at Turner Valley had a giving night for the SBS (mine) and DTS outreaches. We had a basket for each person and a couple hours of worship and hanging out while anyone could donate into the baskets if they wanted.

At the end of the night, some of the staff left and counted the money and came back to tell us how much had come in. Now, there were about 20 or 25 people there, all missionaries like myself. Evan announced that over $7,000 had come in! And, over 2400 was specifically for me!!!!! What the heck!?

And then, because God never does seem quite finished, I finally, after celebrating for a while, returned to my room only to find an envelope holding $200 on my door!!

SO, now I only need about 500 (there are some shots I need to get before outreach).
BAM! Yeah! God is soooo awesome, and that's that.

Peace to you all

Southeast Asia or Bust!

Hello friends!
First, I'd like to thank everyone who donated to me so I could finish my school! That was one of the best weeks of my life, and I really saw God answer prayer through you guys.

So, I have decided for some time now that I'm going on a mission trip after my school is over. My Bible School ends on July 2nd, and we will leave a week or so later for a four week outreach to Thailand, but we'll be spending significant time (3 weeks) in Myanmar! There is an opportunity for our five man (three men and two women) team to teach the Good Book there. For those of you who don't know much about Myanmar, this is a special opportunity that I can't wait to be involved in it.

We will be strengthening believers there by teaching in-depth on whichever books they need us to teach for them as they go through the Book in their school, which is an adapted version of the school I've been doing for eight months.

We will be returning to Canada in mid-August, and afterward I'll be coming home to Escalon, California!

This is one of the major reasons I decided to do this school; for the outreach. It will be a privilege to apply what I've learned and to serve and love others, and I need a lot of help to get there. The cost for each of us, including airfare, housing, food, and everything I'll need for this trip is $3,200 CAN. I'm not starting with very much at all, so I need the Lord to provide, and ask that you, my friends and family, join me by donating and by praying for me, specifically that finances come in and that we are kept safe on this outreach.

-If you'd like to send a check to my church for a tax deductible receipt, you can send it to: 300 Trask Lane, Modesto, CA, 95354. (However, my name cannot appear on the check, so please attach a note saying, "For James Harrison's Outreach."
-Another way is to send the money to YWAM Turner Valley, Box 730, Turner Valley, AB, T0L2A0, Canada, noting that it is for James Harrison's SBS Outreach.
-If you'd like to donate online (without a tax-deductible receipt), you can send it through Paypal to jamesthellama@hotmail.com

We have a few fundraising ideas, which will help a lot, I think. The money is due, so that we can buy plane tickets, by the 14th. :)

Thanks for reading!
James L.

Thanks a Bunch!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord Jesus.
You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God.

You came to establish your throne as a king, but the way you did it was so different. You did not come as a violent revolutionary or as some conquering king. You did it by teaching and healing, by silently dying, and by being raised.

When you taught, it was on how to love God and our neighbors, and how to gain eternal life. When you healed, it was beautiful and touching, and a shadow of the restoration you promise to those who believe.

When you died, it twas to take our sin with you. Our flesh, full of sin, can die with your death, so you can peal away selflessness and throw away pride and sin.

When you were raised, it was to breathe life into our spirits, to foster the new man, to adopt him and make him your own. It was to show that we will die once, but not twice, and will have life and life abundantly.

Thank you, very, very much.
-Your Friend James

Epiphanies while going in circles

Lately I've been seeking God on some stuff and haven't heard anything super specific yet. I still haven't, but that's not what this is about. As I went down by the river to pray because I felt a little too frustrated about this thing, I started thinking, (and I think this is how God speaks to me), and I figured, and this resounds through Scripture, that God really wants me to spend time with him, he loves me more than anybody does, and he listens to me. And in a really big way, this resolves a lot of my issue.

But about this issue, I make a decision about this thing, wonder and wonder about it, and then change my mind. (I know I'm being very vague, but don't worry, it's nothing that'll kill me or anything). Because I've gone through this process a million and one times with this specific thing, wanting in my brain to act appropriately, and then like a kid runs after a twenty blowing in the wind, I chase after what I want and forget that I decided to trust God. As I was pacing very small circles in the prayer shack and getting a little dizzy, wondering why I had as much resolve as a dog being called by two kids each with a treat in their hands, I realized/God showed me that these countless failures aren't so much failures as they are God's hand working in me so that I COULD walk laps in the prayer shack, asking him what was wrong with me, and spending time with him.

This was freeing, believe me, but my next thought was that if God wants me to spend time with him, I'll do that. And then, that will crack the safe of my issue and all difficulty will go away. Yay! ...But an instant later, I realized/God showed me that he's not an equation, prayer isn't a key, and my problem isn't a safe. He is a jealous God, knit me to have relationship with me, sent his Son to make me clean, and adopted me. In light of this, my thought was ridiculous! I need to spend more intentional time with the Lord, believing with child-like faith that he's got everything taken care of, but not for a key... It's more like getting clues to a really big mystery that evolves, but never goes away. And the clue-giver keeps giving them so that you ask for more. Or, he doesn't give any clues so that you keep pursuing him, asking for more.

These "epiphanies" didn't bring answers, but they brought peace, and that's what I want more than anything. Not only the read-a-novel-in-a-field-of-flowers peace, but also the peace that makes you want to climb a tree. The peace that makes a cold lake look inviting - your eyes water because of the beauty and widen because of the adventure ahead. The peace that stirs your heart to feed somebody with food, a smile, or an open ear and ten minutes. But most importantly, the peace that tells you God is not angry with you anymore, but is pleased with you because he's forgiven your sins and made you righteous, for his name's sake, so that all will know that he is the Lord.