Faithful

Faithful:
1. Adhering firmly and devotedly, as to a person, cause, or idea; loyal
2. Having or full of faith.
3. Worthy of trust or belief; reliable
4. Consistent with truth or actuality


Faithful. Be faithful. Words we hear so much, we forget what they actually mean. 
The God we serve-- the Creator, the Savior, Provider, Warrior, Prince of Peace-- He is Faithful. 


Psalm 111:7 "The works of His hands are faithful and just; all His precepts are trustworthy."
II Thessalonians 3:3 "The Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one."
Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations."

God has given me a heart for the children at a tiny refugee camp in Thailand. Before I even met them, I loved them and cried for them and prayed for them. Now they are my family. God was faithful to me-- beyond measure-- during my time at Shekinah Children's Home, and now I choose to be faithful to Him, and to you, my supporters and prayer warriors. You have put your faith in God's call for my life. Though I am weak, God is strong, and I know that what He began in me, He will finish.  

From February 23 to May 14, I will be in Thailand to teach, preach, play and love on these kids that God has given me the privilege of knowing. I have just purchased airplane tickets and things are falling into place. The joy in my heart is starting to make me feel like I am burst with excitement. 

Now I am putting my faith in you, my brothers and sisters. I have enough money to fly over, but not enough for living expenses, luggage, supplies and presents, unexpected expenses (ie bringing kids to the hospital, bribing soldiers, paying for meals, etc.). My banker, aka my mother, is requesting and praying that I can raise $1500. 

There are some changes with this trip that you should be aware of: I am not flying under an organization though I will be in contact with two. Therefore, if you feel called to support me financially, you can send it straight to me. I realize that some people are not comfortable doing this. I understand. Please pray about it and do what you feel God tells you. Most importantly I ask for prayer for me, the kids, the happenings across the border, the teachers who get a break due to my coming, the new people I will meet and make connections with, the problems we will face, the opportunities for growth, etc. 

This is a life-changing opportunity; I pray you share it with me so we can grow in heart together. 

I Samuel 12:24 "Only fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you."


Matthew 25:40 "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."


My contact information is: 
Kelsey Erickson
109 Alliance Way
Missoula MT 59803
erickson.kelsey@gmail.com
406 396 2958


Psalm 115:1 "Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!"

I was reading Lamentations this morning and couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with the burden people place on themselves through rebellion towards the truth. Lamentations 1:1b-2 says "She who was like a princess among the provinces has become a slave. She weeps bitterly at night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her..."
Hopelessness. It's heartbreaking. Loneliness and fear, feelings of worthlessness-- these are lies girls put on ourselves. These are lies Satan plants to keep us always feeling like we are incomplete without constantly searching for a man to finally love us and treasure us like we are the most precious gift in the world.
Yet there is no perfect man, and he cannot complete us. So we're left searching again, and sacrificing until we are too weak to keep a spark of hope.
When I was 19, I started helping in my church's youth group. I remember one Sunday morning sitting in church with some youth girls and one leaned up against me and put her head on my shoulder. It was an overwhelming feeling to know that someone could place their complete trust in me and feel safe in my embrace. God spoke to me in that moment and told me that this-- working with girls-- is what He wanted me to do. This was my purpose. And I was given a greater peace than I have ever felt. This desire to work with girls and teach them about their worth and their beauty has not faded. Rather than be remembered, I would rather have the lives of these girls changed by them seeing themselves through God's eyes and finding their worth-- their completeness-- in Him.
I am planning on flying out for Thailand on February 23rd to work at the children's home and refugee camp once again, this time for a three month term. There are kids here from the ages of 5 to 19, all who have been told they are worthless-- that their life has no hope.
Please pray for these people-- the millions of refugees who are persecuted for just being part of the wrong tribe, having the wrong accent, skin color, etc. Please pray that they feel the love of Christ poured onto them. Please pray for them so I can tell them that they are not forgotten-- they are not abandoned! That their American brothers and sisters love them and care about them enough to set aside time to pray for their health, families, lives.
Please pray for me that I can be the woman they need, and the woman God has called to me. That I don't get distracted by unhealthy things. That I see myself as God sees me so I can help these beautiful sons and daughters do the same.

I have recently been told about a Christian beauty shop/daycare opening up in the red light district of India. I want to go SO BAD. Being able to form a relationship with these women and teach them about the truth... give them light in their darkness... let them see how beautiful they are and how much God desires them to the point that He would send His own beloved Son to die for them... they they are wanted, loved, complete in Him.
There is a possibility I will get to at least visit, if not stay for a month or two, at the shop. Please pray that I can go, and if I can that I can learn as much as possible so I can return (Lord-willing for a long term aka 1-2 years) and be prepared mentally, spiritually, and occupationally.
I am so humbled that God would honor with these opportunities. My life will fade away, my name will be forgotten, but for as long as I am here on earth I want the name of Jesus to be glorified through my actions and my love.

If anyone would like more information or to ask any more questions you can email me:
erickson.kelsey@gmail.com

This is a song God has continually put on the radio whenever I am feeling worthless and alone. I pray it brings you the same hope and peace it gives me.

Days will come when you don't have the strength
And all you hear is you're not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart
They'd see so much

You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His
You're beautiful

Praying that you have the heart to fight
Cuz you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
But they are nothing in the shadow of the cross

You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His
You're beautiful

Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skies above
You're the one He madly loves
Enough to die!

You're beautiful, You're beautiful
In His eyes
(MercyMe) 

After talking to Pastor Wes Flint, a team leader of Vision Beyond Borders, I believe we have a plan. If I fly out on February 23rd with a group from VBB, I can be at the camp on February 25th and help out during March and April, pretty much doing the same thing I did last year. However, once April rolls around, I am hoping to stay for a few more months so I can help the woman who runs the camp with all of her many duties. Not only does this woman support the Children's home I work at, she spend at least 5 days a week traveling around Thailand bringing food and supplies to dozens of oppressed Burmese tribes. Last time I was there, she expressed a need for help and I would love to give it. 

In the future, I would like to move to Asia permanently in order to work with women in the red-light district.  Thailand is one of the leading places for prostitution (especially child prostitution). There are alot of organizations that have beauty shops that double as chrildren's homes. At these shops, they are able to create relationships with the women, take care of children while their mom's work, and, hopefully, teach them how to do hair and nails so they can be employed at the shop. For those who do not know, God has given me a bit of a knack with hair and I would be honored to be able to put it to use in this way. While I am spending this 5-6 months in Thailand, I hope to make some connections with people already doing this. Prayers that I can gain knowledge and connections would be GREATLY appreciated! 

A few things are going to be different from last time; I will be going under the organization Christian Far East Ministries instead of Vision Beyond Borders, since they are more set up for longer ministry. Also, I will be applying for a 6 month visa instead of a 60 day. I can get airline tickets for only about $1700 but will need about $200 a month for living expenses. I am trying to put at least $100-200 out of each paycheck towards this so I really think I will need about $1700 in support. 

Prayer Request: My little sister is getting married on January 31st, and I am unable to start anything until that is over, which means the next month and a half will be a bit stressful trying to get everything done in time. Please pray for peace of mind and finances to be provided. I know God has everything in His hand and control and this is so so small (even though it can seem huge to me). 

Thank you all SO MUCH for your prayers!! I cannot wait to share this next adventure with you! 

God bless you,

Kelsey

I'm Alive

Last week sometime I was filling up my ever-emptying gas tank. Don't tell my mother, but I still occasionally open my car door while filling up to put my wallet away-- despite the risk of blowing up my car. I did just that but was struck with a revelation. My car didn't blow up. I didn't die. I was alive. This may seem fairly obvious, considering I'm sitting here writing this now, but let's stop and think about. I could have died. But I didn't. Why? What purpose did I have left on this earth that kept me from dying in an unfortunate car-blowing up accident? 

It was then that I heard God speak plain as day to the depths of my heart. There are a million opportunities for me to die each DAY- a million freak things that could happen that could end my life. BUT none of them had happened. God was protecting me for a PURPOSE. Every day that I'm alive, that I survive, God has something in store for me-- EVERY DAY. Whether, I'm at home, church, work, the bowling alley, etc., everywhere I go, the fact that I'm there means that God is giving me an opportunity to glorify and serve Him there. Everywhere. Every time. Every person. Every place. Every breath that I breathe is a gift from God-- given that I can serve Him. What an honor.

This may be something most people have figured out a long time ago, but for me, it brought hope and joy and fear and adoration. That God would continually choose to use a fool like me blows my mind. My heart is overflowing with the love Jesus is extending to me-- the grace that I do not deserve. What an amazing God. I choose to surrender my life to Him and Him alone and never take this life for granted. It is not my to waste on selfishness acts and foolish behavior. 

Use me Lord. 

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; 
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my love, my God, I pour
At Thy feet it's treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 

II Corinthians 12:9

Update!

This is an excerpt from the Vision Beyond Borders newsletter I just received. This section was written by the woman I worked under about the children and people I know in Thailand. Please read! Please Pray!! I long for the day to hold those kids in my arms again! 

"We had two back to back trips to our orphanages. Just two days before we planned to go we got the final "okay" from our "spy" Thai-Karen soldier to cross the river. One week prior to our visit, a time bomb was placed on one of the boats to this camp. The boat was totally destroyed and so were other boats close by. Our contact planned another route to get to the camp, instead of doing the 2 hours boat ride and passing 4 Burmese Army camps, we drove 4 hours by four-wheel-drive truck through the jungle to the river. From here we carried the supplies to the boat and finally crossed the river to the camp. Our teenage boys were quite worried about our safety. They wanted to make sure their "mommy" and our co-worker were safe. I asked them what they would do if the Burmese would see us, their answer was: "We don't have weapons, but we can pray together with Mommy." They are incredible! All other kids were already waiting for us on the shore. We had a warm welcome with many smiles. We still need prayer to keep this camp safe. Two days before we arrived there was a lot of shooting and fighting between the KNU (Karen army) and the Burmese army. Shooting  and mortars were heard at our dorm. This was very frightening, especially for our girls and the younger orphans. Some of them were so frightened that they actually wet their pants. Our leader called all the kids together in the dorm and they all prayed while the fighting was going on. We thank God for His protection, there are more then 4,000 Karen refugees in this IDP camp inside Burma; these are mostly women and children. While we were there we had an early Christmas celebration and the children were thrilled to receive gifts and be prayed for. On behalf of our orphanage: Thank you for your love, support and prayers, Merry Christmas and Blessed 2012."

I'm ready to rumble!

To every thing there is a season: A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. A time to RETURN?

After much debate and delay, I have finally decided to pursue the opportunity to return to Thailand in March for a few months. There is the same need as last year for the summer months (March-April) to help out with supervising and aiding the kids-- as well as loving on them! I'm ready to see "my babies" as I commonly refer to them. It was so crazy to think that a year will have gone by; I feared they had forgotten me. Two nights ago, God blessed me with a call from Luke, one of the teachers at the Children's Home. He told me he still shows my picture to his friends and tells them about our time at KT. When I asked him to pray that I can return in March, he was ecstatic! I know the way the Karen pray and the excitement to join them grows by the day. 

Please pray for me!! I feel at peace with the decision to return, but my heart is nervous that I will not get the funds/skills needed in time. 

Please pray for the Karen and other Burmese tribes being persecuted by the government. Pray for an increase in their boldness and trust in Jesus in the face of persecution. Revival!! 

Please pray for those considering joining me as I return. Many have expressed an interest and it has been my heart's prayer that I could have someone to encourage me, aid me, speak English to me, etc. 

Please pray that God gets glorified through all our actions as we continue on this journey for Him! 

My friend Luke is the one in the middle in the blue and white shirt.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

To Be Continued...

            Why settle for an ordinary life when we serve an extraordinary God? The idea of living in America with the picket fence, baseball games, and work routine has lost all appeal. My life truly has been forever changed. Before my trip to Thailand, I thought I had God pretty much figured out—I knew all the verses, stories, lessons, etc. After living in the Shekinah Children’s Home for six weeks, it feels like I just tasted the smallest sip of all that God is and all He can do.  Jesus has blown my mind.

            There are so many stories, so many memories, it is hard to know where to begin. I came into the camp alone and afraid, and they accepted me in as family. I became a mother and sister and daughter and friend. The children stole my heart away with the first hug; they captured my spirit with the first giggle; they kidnapped my soul when they raised their hands to worship Jesus. I love them with every ounce of my being.

I journeyed to Thailand with a team that did work throughout Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. It was a pleasure and honor to get to know these servants of Christ. I was able to accompany them into Vietnam. What an experience to travel in a Communist country. The best part was being able to attend a church service of some Vietnamese people. It was very small and hidden, but the people sang out with all their hearts. The people are hungry for God’s word and are requesting 10,000 more Mung Bibles.

After Vietnam, I stayed in Bangkok with a friend while the team went to Laos before meeting in Chiang Mai to travel to the refugee camps together. Knowing I was so close to meeting the kids was driving me crazy and I could barely handle waiting in Bangkok. Even before I ever knew them, God gave me a love for these kids that I could not explain. I counted the hours until I could finally see their faces.

When the day finally came that we went to the KT (Shekinah Children’s Home), my heart was bursting with excitement. As we pulled in, all the children came running down the hill to meet and greet us with hugs. All my fears disappeared in that moment and I was ready to make this jungle mound my home. The team left to rest, and I stayed behind to play with the children. Within two hours of being there, bombs began to go off across the river (Burma), which was only about a football field away. The children were terrified and took off running in all directions. Eight children and I hid behind some large boulders at the bottom of the hill. In the moment it seemed surreal and I was not afraid, but seeing the fear in the children’s eyes—seeing them sleep two to three in a bed, wet the bed, have nightmares—it put it in perspective. This was their reality. Those same bombs had driven them from their homeland and killed their family. It was heartbreaking to be with them, where they were supposed to feel safe, and know that they didn’t. In order to help ease their fear at night, I slept with the girls, always sharing my mat with one of them and giggling with them until everyone grew tired. Bedtime was definitely something I looked forward to.

A typical day began at 6 am with singing, praying, and listening to a short sermon. Afterwards we would do our “morning duty” of sweeping all the leaves from underneath the mango trees into big piles to be burned. By the time we finished, it would be about 8:00 am—breakfast—which usually consisted of rice, eggs, and fish paste with chilies. Oh how they laughed at me as I tried to get used to the spicy food, and even more so as I tried to “correctly” eat with my hands. I was happy to make to them laugh, even if it was at my own expense. After breakfast the children would play outside before the sun would fully rise and make it too hot to function. At around noon, we would gather for a snack: a box of soy milk and a few cookies. (This would hold us over until dinner.) In the afternoon’s we would sometimes have a music or English class, while on others we would lay on the floor in front of the small TV and watch episodes of Tom and Jerry or Mr. Bean. The kids cannot speak English, but they loved to watch and laugh.(Astrid, the woman who funds the home, brought the new Karate Kid movie one evening. The kids LOVED it. It was so funny to watch each of them try to do their best Kung Fu moves on their friends. I think we watched that movie three times that week.) At 5:00 pm, we have dinner which is more rice, chilies, fish paste, and maybe some potatoes and some weird jungle veggie. Before 7:00 pm, we would shower while it was still hot enough to handle the cold water but cool enough to not sweat too much. At 7:00 pm, we would have worship again. I learned a lot of patience since every sermon was in Karen, but it was worth it because of the singing. By the end of my time there, I could sing almost every song with them in their language and do the actions. They LOVE to sing!! And I love to sing with them. After worship, we would watch TV until our nine o’clock bedtime so we could do it all over again.

            One of my favorite things about living with them in the jungle was how slowly the days past. Because it was summer in Thailand, the kids did not have school, so we were able to just get to know one another. The children and teachers loved to practice English with me while I loved to learn Karen from them. Right before I arrived, someone had donated a playground for the kids which included a section of three swings. One of the first words the children learned was “Push!” which beckoned me to push them on the swing. Rather than call me by my name, the children called me “Teacher” which in reality sounded more like “Tee-ah” or “Teach-ah.” After much persuading, I convinced the cooks and teachers to call me “Kelsey.” It was entertaining to hear them try to pronounce it (I never knew my name was so hard!). 

My responsibilities at the KT were to give the children with health conditions their medicine, bandage any “owies,” preach some sermons, teach some English, and discipline on occasion. To be honest, I really just felt like I was a Mom. When a child cried I would hold him and kiss him until he was ok. I would play with the kids and tickle them and tease them. We would praise Jesus together and pray for each other. I would worry about and miss them whenever we were apart—even if it was only for a few hours. My funniest “Mom moment” was during the Vacation Bible School weeks we had. The children from Pastor Jimmy’s camp joined us for two weeks which included his two daughters—Paw Paw and Mae Mae (ages 14 and 12). As I was sleeping in the girls’ dorm one night, I was awakened to the sound of CheeGay coughing (she is six years old and has severe asthma). I got up to get her inhaler and noticed that Paw Paw and Mae Mae weren’t in the bed they were laying in when I fell asleep. After getting CheeGay settled and back to sleep, I looked through the dark to see where they were. When I did not find them, I began to freak out. I ran up to the building where the women slept to see if they had moved up there in the night. As I searched, I woke three of the women up, causing them to panic as well. I decided to go back to the dorm and search—this time with the lights on. Of course, I found them sleeping safely and soundly in the far corners of the dorm. Everyone laughed at me at breakfast the next day when the three women told the story. I remember trying to sleep that night thinking “so this is what mothering feels like.”

I have so many more memories I would love to share with you—some good, some sad, some scary. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to hear more. I love to talk about it.

One afternoon at the camp, Astrid was sharing stories about the amazing things God has done during her 20 years of mission work. It was so amazing, I was moved to tears. She looked me in the eyes and said, “Kelsey, I can’t wait to hear your stories in 20 years.” She had mentioned the possibility of me coming back again for a longer term. I had already been thinking about it for weeks before she brought it up. Now that I’m back I can think of nothing else. I have kept in frequent contact with her, and am tentatively planning in December for a year-long term. I am excited, honored, and humbled to be part of something so much bigger than myself. Why God would choose to use someone like me—who knows nothing other than my own small work—to become a fulltime servant of Him is beyond my comprehension, but like I said, why settle for an extraordinary life when we serve an extraordinary God? One phrase that Pastor Jimmy and Luke (a teacher at KT) told me over and over again was “I cannot do anything, but God can do everything.” I am confident in God’s call and am pursuing it with a heart of joy. I am so excited to see what God has in store for me!! I know it is going to be far better than anything I could imagine or plan. My goal still is to make little of myself and much of my God. May my life bring glory to His name!

Thank you SO MUCH for your support and your prayers. This could not have happened if not for your love, prayers, and support. I am so humbled to be blessed so much. I pray you all may experience the joy I have received from your offerings. God bless you, my friends.  

A bondslave of Christ,

                Kelsey Erickson