So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees me,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” ~ Genesis 16:13

As I walked around observing and taking pictures at the temple I found this area where people came to bless their loved ones and make prayer requests. They would purchase incense sticks, light them then go to a designated to pray for their loved ones. Afterwards they would stick them in one of a number of huge sand filled urns. In this area there was a kios that you could put your money into and the machine would kick out a number for you which you then took over to the interpretation key on the wall to see what blessing it/the machine/the spirit gave to you or your loved one (like a horoscope).

I was watching all this taking place when my friend Dave came over and explained to me what was going on. He also told me that when praying to the spirits they would have made sure to clearly state their names and even their home address so that the blessings they purchased and requested wouldn’t accidentally land on their neighbour. The reason? The gods don’t know them at all. They don’t know their names. They don’t know where they live. There is absolutely nothing personal in the connection attempting to be made — it is merely a transaction in which the person hopes they have done enough, paid enough, prayed enough to please the/a spirit so that they would be sent results.

My friends have been in the mission fields for years and have observed that when people from different religions learn that God not only sees them but knows them, they are utterly astounded. When they learn that God also WANTS to have a relationship with them it is extremely difficult for them to even begin to comprehend.

It was a good lesson for me to take in and reflect upon. I so often take for granted God’s desire to know me and have a relationship. As our discussion turned towards scripture we talked about how Hagar was amazed that God would see her, talk to her, and care about her plight (Genesis 16) calling Him ‘a god who sees her.’ I think of the Samaritan woman at the well who Jesus purposefully travelled into Samaria to see. Zachaeus in the tree. The disciples Jesus called from the fishing industry or him seeing Nathanael under the tree before Philip came to bring him to Jesus. All throughout scripture God sees people…people not seen by others…people in back yard threshing floors, people plowing their families fields, ones considered dishonourable by society and cast aside to the outer fringes. This personal God of ours who sees us is so rare, so unique, so compelling!

People today still desire to be seen. I still desire to be seen but how often do I believe the lie that God not only doesn’t seem me but doesn’t care? Yet scripture, over and over and over again declares God’s heart desire to know us and be known by us. Even more so, that this desire comes from a deep heart of love. Love doesn’t even enter into the relational contracts that Buddhists enter into when they offer their gifts and prayers. O God, forgive us when we begin to see you as a purely transactional God instead of a relational one. Forgive us when we start to think you really don’t care and our lives are simply a game for Your amusement when all You want is the best for us…and the best for us is offering Yourself to us. Thank you for Your love…and for seeing us.

I cannot believe that the time is almost upon me to head to the airport and begin the adventure in Thailand and two of the surrounding countries! A huge ‘thank you!’ to everyone who contributed financially to make this dream become a reality! And thank you for all of you who will pray for me while I am over there.

We live in such a surreal time. Technology has taken our world and has made it a very small place in a number of ways. Through the technology of travel I will be able to literally travel halfway around the world in 21 hours. Through the technology of our phones I will be able to record and post parts of my experience and share what God is speaking to my heart with people halfway around the world! I am feeling very aware that without that ‘in-person’ connection we can still remain pretty removed from others’ lives when there is not only that large geographical separation but also a cultural separation.

I am reading articles about the cultures I will be entering into, trying to familiarize myself with the basics because I want to show they honour and respect and not accidentally offend. It certainly has me pondering my reality with what others’ lives are like. Countries still feeling the after affect of the Vietnam War that struggle to rebuild even now…possibly for generations to come. Youth being sent to the city to find work to send back money for the family to survive. Predators preying on such easy targets who aren’t there for their own advancement but the survival of their family. I think of Thailand and the warnings about being approached by sex workers and how to spot restaurants which function as fronts to this prolific business that communicate with red or pink lights OR can also be identified by the large amount of male tourists gathered inside. I reflect on the Buddhists monks that I will meet and their temples I will pass by. One question sits in my heart: How can I be Jesus as I have divine encounters along the way through this experience? I already know that my heart will be even more softened for the incredible people of Asia and even broken for the stories I will hear, the realities I will see and the lostness of religions that offer no hope. To me, this is a blessing. Exposure to situations and stories that expand ones world view is always a good thing that bears fruit.

Please pray that as I progress through my time there and process as I go, that I will be open to learning and have spiritual insight in translating this in such a way that I can communicate what God is teaching me when I arrive back home with opportunities to share. When I was last in Asia I truly began to love the Nepali people and my heart was broken for the Rohingyas – a people without a country and vulnerable to abuse and slavery. Who will I encounter this time and what will their stories be? How will I see God’s hand moving and His Spirit saving and transforming?

Also, please pray for all of the international workers that are coming to the Global Gathering. Pray they are well cared for and are refreshed with a new vision for the future of missions in the world. I will have the privilege of hearing their stories and praying for them and it is such an honour to serve them and be peers in ministry.

All glory and honour and power to the One who hears and sees and loves and moves with transformative power in our world. Amen.
More updates to come!