The Dedication Service

 It was May 12, 2013 at 9:00a.m.  Words cannot do justice to the love I felt in my heart for the people of BYT, WaSueTah, GeGhah, MooDooKee, MeDaLaGwee, NeLaGwee, LaGlah, BlahGlow, KwiCo and others, as they streamed into the meeting hall.  All the preparations, and all the contortions, we had gone through leading up to this date was more than worth it! Here are the dear people that we had treated for so many different illnesses and injuries! Here are some whose lives have been saved.  Here are the ones who have fed us so many meals and given us so much rice.  Here come the dear ones from LaGlah, with smiling, radiant faces and nice clean clothes, so anxious to hear more about Jesus. Here are the little children that we had stitched up, cleaned up, given breathing treatments, taken to the hospital and given balloons!  Each one so precious with the sweetest smiles!PERSONAL THOUGHTS:I thought about all the answers to prayer and miracles leading up to this dedication day.  I thought about the day they let us drive over wet concrete to get our supplies home.  It was providential that an army truck full of important soldiers had just "happened" to be coming from the opposite direction at the very same time.  I thought about the day that God did not let the rain spoil our truckload of concrete, and later how God kept our truck full of concrete blocks from falling over the cliff when it slid in the rain. I thought about the day I had taken the truck in for repairs, thinking the four wheel drive had a problem, which it did not, but instead they found the steering mechanism underneath broken, and told me that at any minute it would go, and there would suddenly be no more steering!  I thought about the road we had just driven - sharp turns on steep, rutted descents.  I thought about how God had linked the hearts of the builders with ours.One of them was particularly interested in our God, and even now they are coming! We were so happy to be together again!I thought about the people in America that were praying for this occasion, my Mother, my Sister, Breck and you!!!The thought of this lifts my heart and gives me calm assurance. I thought of my agonizing prayers in the jungle as I poured my heart out to the Saviour asking God to prepare hearts ahead of time, for His words to be put in my mouth, and for His Spirit to be poured out.  I thought about the immense importance of this worship.  Never again would I be able to talk to all these people together at one time.  All our work so far had pointed to this specific day and I knew God wanted to do something big!   Oh these dear dear people, "May all see and know Your power and Your love today dear Lord." I whispered, "This is the great longing that You have placed in my heart.  Oh please bring streams of brightness from heaven to dispel the darkness inside the hearts of these people.  I know it is Your will. I know You will do it!"  Gratefulness to God floods my heart that He had sent me here to this very place at this very time!!  What a privilege to work for God!  What a joy to see the different situations He puts you in so that you can glorify His name!! THE STUDENT CHOIR:Another miracle was in getting permission from the soldiers to transport the students from Sunshine Orchard all the way up to BYT. You can only understand this if you live on the Thailand border! If we couldn't get permission in TAK province, we would not be able to take them.  Once again I felt the power from heaven as permission was granted.  The soldiers took photos, and the next day, Friday, three trucks transported the students in the choir along with the cook and many teachers.  Praise the Lord!  Because not only did they sing many beautiful songs with all their hearts, but they helped cook, serve the food, clean up and do anything and everything that needed to be done!  We would have been a disaster without them!THE FOOD:Talking about the cook? Truly the cook was a prized possession!  She had ordered all the food, and we had taken it up to BYT ahead of time.  As soon as she arrived she got the students to lay the rocks down for the pots, find the firewood and start the fires.   She fed us every meal, and then on Sunday, May 12 she cooked a huge meal enough for 400 people. We had no idea how many would actually come. It turned out there were about 200 people not counting the students and teachers from Sunshine Orchard. After the worship service those students did something wonderful.  I had no idea how they would go about feeding all these people, it seemed impossible to me, however, they placed all the plates of rice in 2 long lines on the mats, then they put the different bowels of curry down the center.  People came and sat opposite each other in long lines.Some of them were disappointed that there was no meat, but when they ate of the cook's delicious vegetarian dishes they were delighted and couldn't believe a meal without meat could taste so good!  There was lots of food left over, so we bagged up large quantities of curry and sent them home to every village.  The people were so delighted to take it.HERE IT IS - FULLY DEDICATED TO THE LIVING GOD! This building occupies the highest spot of the village.  A light on the hill to all who come for help!  We join our prayers with King Solomon,  "Lord God of Israel, there is no God like Thee in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with Thy servants that walk before Thee with all their heart. ...Moreover, concerning a stranger, that ...cometh out of a far country for Thy name sake.  For they shall hear of thy great name, and of Thy strong hand and shall come and pray toward this house, hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for, that all the people of the earth may know Thy name to fear Thee as do Thy people Isreal."  1Kings 8:23, 41-43Preston Meyers has videoed this entire dedication service and we will post it here on my web page as well as on their web page as soon as he has edited it!