O's Story

O was one of 15 kids in her family. O’s older sister had been married for nine years and when she still hadn’t conceived a child of her own, she began to think about adoption. O’s mother told her to just take O in as her own. When O was six, her brother-in-law began abusing her. It lasted for a year before O went back to her real family. When she was eight one of her brothers began abusing her. This time it lasted for 4 years. She was left feeling lost, broken and confused.

When O was 15 she was raped by a young man in her village. In Thailand if a girl is raped, she is almost always forced to marry her attacker. This was the case for O. They were married and two and half years later, O gave birth to a baby girl. O didn’t know how to love the baby because she had never been shown love. O’s mother told her that her husband was no good and that if O left him, she would take her daughter and raise her. O was so desperate for her mother’s approval, love and affection, she thought she would get it if she listened to her. When the baby was six months old, O left her husband and her family and went to work in a factory in southern Thailand. While there she met a man considerably older than her. They were married and had a son. Her husband died a few years later at the age of 74. O and her son went to live with her family.

In Thai culture it is the youngest, unmarried daughter’s responsibility to provide for much of the rest of the family and certainly for her children. It wasn’t long before O’s mother and sister began pressuring her to go to Pattaya to work in the bars to make money for her family. O didn’t want to go but her sister threatened to send her kids back to her if O wouldn’t go. After three days of crying and contemplating, O moved to Pattaya not fully knowing what to expect. She found a job in a bar but didn’t want to go with the men. She drank whisky every night so that she would get drunk and bear going with them. She had to earn money. It was a miserable time in O’s life.

A man from Germany bar bought O for a “long time”. She was with him for a year and he gave her hope. She thought he loved her. But soon it was apparent that he didn’t care about her children or her family. He was only interested in O. But she still had to earn money. He left, leaving O alone and heartbroken on the streets of Pattaya.

One day some of the Tamar Center staff came into O’s bar and invited her to English class. O went and learned of Tamar’s training programs and decided to be a part of the next one. The course lasted three months and included regular Bible studies in addition to the salon and bakery trades. One week before completion of the program, O accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She then went on to complete a DTS where she was able to forgive those who hurt her, especially her brother-in-law and brother. She found total peace and restoration. God even revealed to her that the attention she was craving from her earthly parents, He would give her. She saw herself laid over with her head in His lap and Him rubbing her head and playing with her hair. He told her she was safe with Him and He would be all she ever needed. He also told her to go back to Pattaya and work with the Tamar Center to help girls just like her.

O has been serving with Tamar for nine years, her children both live with her, now 18 and 13, and she has true joy and the most contagious laugh you’ve ever heard.

O's story is told over and over again by many different girls. Each has their own personal details, but the themes are very much the same. Most have suffered abuse, have children, have been married but those marriages dissolve, are pressured by their families to earn money and are encouraged to go to Pattaya to find that money. 

Pray that the girls would understand their value and the love that God has for them. Pray for FREEDOM!!! That they would be free from the bonds of slavery to money and their family.

Re-attempting this blog business :)

Ok, we have had this blog ever since we began our ministry nearly 3 years ago and I have been horrible at making posts! I feel as if this might be a good season to give it another go. Our family of 4 is currently serving for 4 months in Thailand and I will be recording thoughts, insights from God and adventures here. This is both to share God's glory and for myself to be able to look back on. You are welcome to come along :)

Arriving

Well we have officially been in Colorado for one week and it has been a whirlwind! We are trying to get settled and situated in our one room. I'm not sure the square footage but imagine an empty hotel room and that's what we've got! We were blessed to find a queen sized mattress on craigslist for $20 and the base had an old desk and tv stand with 3 drawers up for grabs that we're using to store mine and Savannah's clothes and Eric's are in stacks on the floor. The desk acts as a desk/kitchen. We've had to get REALLY creative and once we get some extra income, Eric will put his handy man skills to use and build some shelves and such. There have definitely been some frustrating moments but we try to keep it in perspective. We have heat, electricity, running water, plenty of clothes and toys, which is way more than most of the world has. Like the apostle Paul says in Phillipians 4, we are learning to be content in all circumstances. We know what it is to be in need and what it is to have plenty. It's definitely a season of stretching and growth.
 
  We are very excited for the School of Strategic Missions. We will be learning A LOT of incredible things that will greatly benefit us as our ministry continues. In addition to  lectures, we will be spending 2-3 hours in worship and intercession everyday. We are looking forward to implementing more prayer in our daily lives and for the daily opportunity to be praying for any requests that you may have. What better way to learn and grow than to talk to God Himself.

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Merry Christmas from our family to your's! May this holiday season be filled with joy and love as we celebrate the savior born to us and enjoy spending time with friends and family. We wanted to update you all on the latest in our lives. We first want to tell you this story: Because most of our donors won't begin donating until January we have been living off little to nothing. For the first time in four months we really had no money, even after working odd jobs when they were presented. YWAM receives our donations and allocates it to us twice a month like a paycheck. The first part of the month we only received $50. It shocked us! We were looking at needing around $855 to transition to Colorado Springs. Of course we went to God and basically said "This is scary and we need you!" we prayed and prayed and repented and worshiped. We wanted to lean fully on the faithfulness of God. Since that time we have had our trailer and trailer hitch($450) paid for by supporters so we could get to Colorado. We have also received $1,050 in donations since then. Thank you LORD! We can't be surprised when God does wonderful and amazing things because that's who He is. He is Faithful and so worthy of all of our praise! We are planning on pulling out of Georgia on December 31st, staying with friends in Kansas that night and arriving in Colorado late January 1st. Our School of Strategic Missions begins January 5th. Randi's birthday is January 8th :) We are 60% of the way to our support raising goal. We have our mentors, board of advisors and board of intercessors in place. Savannah is growing and having lots of fun this year looking for the elf every day and playing with the nativity. We are excited and a bit terrified as we make this leap of faith and we are looking forward to sharing the journey with you all!ing in tosharing !!.hh..Savannh is Don't forget to contact us with ways that we can be praying for you too! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Our Appeal

To our faithful supporters and loving family,

We hope you all are doing well as the season of advent is officially underway and we look forward to Christmas! We would like to get very transparent with you for a moment. The object of this letter is not to ask you for money (enter sigh of relief here!) but it’s to make clear the purpose and intent of our “missions” work. We also hope to shed some light into understanding missions as a whole. Since we started down this road a year ago there have been misunderstandings about who we are, what we do and why we do it. The following are those questions answered. As you read this please have your Bible and read along with our references so you can find our true heart in scripture.

Why Are You At Home and Not In The Field?

            In august we returned from Uganda and a Discipleship Training School. Our work was incredible and life changing. Both to those we worked with and to ourselves. We are using this time to support raise, invest in family, raise awareness and prepare to spend at least the next two years in missions. The next two years of our life we have committed to being full-time missionaries with YWAM. We leave the first of January to head to Colorado Springs, Colorado to the YWAM base.

 Where Do We Seek Guidance?

Our family of three, in partnership with many other individuals (Pastors, family, and friends of Faith), have been praying and continually pray about every step we take. (Proverbs 11:14)  We have come to be missionaries, not blindly, but by the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the teachings of Christ. We have stepped forth in Faith and obedience to answer the call. (Matthew 28:18-20/ Isaiah 6:8/ John 14:26) The easy answer to everything is simply that we want to Glorify God in all that we do. The Word of God is our structure. We aren’t perfect, but we are founded in Christ. (Paul says it perfectly in Philippians 3:12-14) We want to be so based in Scripture that our actions radiate the Glory of God. (Matthew 5:16/ John 8:31-32)

Why Be Missionaries and What Is Your Specific Calling?

We are missionaries because God calls us all to spread the Good News to all nations, and we are honored to go. (Matthew 28:19-20) We follow the Biblical Pauline definition of a missionary, which is to reach those that don’t know of the saving grace of Jesus. (Romans 15:20-22) Paul planted churches where people did not already know Christ. Jesus obviously has compassion on those that are ignored by the world. (Matthew 9:36-38) Indeed let us have compassion for those that are ignored in the world for they too are children of God. Our work focuses at the ignored 10/40 window (North Africa, Middle East, Asia, etc.). Less than a penny of every dollar given to missions is directed toward the 10/40 Window. Yet dollar for dollar and hour for hour, the harvest coming from the 10/40 Window nations outstrips that from the rest of the world 100 to 1. The top 10 countries with the largest “unevangelized population” are located in the 10/40 Window. 85% of the world’s poorest of the poor live in the 10/40 Window. We want to go where no one else is going because that is where Jesus would be.

What About People That Need Jesus In The U.S.?

            We understand that our own community needs help as well as the rest of the world. We believe 100% in helping others in any capacity, anywhere. We are excited when people answer the call to help their community or any other part of the world. Jesus said “make disciples of all nations.” That means our nation too. Believe me, when we aren’t overseas, we are helping our community however we can. It’s not either/or. It’s both/and. We choose to aim our focus at the 10/40 window because that is one of the most helpless areas of the world. Paul enlightens us in Romans 15 that it was his calling not to just stay where he was, but as a “missionary” to go to those that didn’t know of the saving grace of Jesus. The simple fact is that people in the U.S. have way more access to Jesus and organizations that will help them than anywhere else in the world. We have a world view that wants to level that playing field.

You can also look at it this way. Imagine the world has just been in a horrible bus accident. Any professional emergency crew performs triage. Meaning everyone in the accident needs to be attended to, but the most severe cases are treated with more urgency. In regards to the Gospel, most everyone in the U.S. has the opportunity to at least hear enough about Jesus to accept Him or not. Their diagnosis (just in regards to accessibility, not spiritual condition) is, say, a sprained ankle and some scratches. Now a person of the Qashqa’i people in Iran with a population of 1,750,000 is diagnosed with internal bleeding and a left arm that’s severed. Hundreds of them die daily without ever having the opportunity to have heard the name of Jesus. Who would you say is more desperate for immediate help?

Are You Committed?

            YES!!!!!! We understand that people want to make sure that their money and time isn’t going to waste. That’s what it comes down to. Who invests their money with a company that is known for losing money? We get it. That’s why we want you to know that it isn’t just your money that is going into this. Every dime that we have made since deciding to dedicate ourselves to missions is committed to our work. We have even picked up odd jobs here and there as opportunities were presented. Our money has gone before yours in furthering our work.

Often we are asked, “What if you don’t raise enough?” or “What is your Plan B?” We believe with our lives in what we are doing. We will not stop raising money in hope of reaching the unreached because Jesus Christ never stopped reaching for us. If it means we move to Colorado (Where our base is located) and continue to raise money until we have enough, then that’s what we will do. Do we believe that we will act out Plan B? No. We believe that God has, is and will provide for us always as long as we are acting in His will.

We would also like to be transparent and share with you the level of our commitment to Christ. Our dedication to this calling is not to be taken lightly; we have given up everything for this! We are leaving what we have called home for 24 years and selling everything we can’t fit in our car and small u-haul trailer. We are living at the mercy of God and are abandoning our “rights” to a traditional home and the “American Dream” to serve others. Please believe us when we say that we have and are giving up so much, but we’re not asking for your sympathy. We say all of this to make a point. Please don’t think for one moment that our family is in this for our own selfish desires. It is not easy to follow so closely after Christ that it conflicts with the rest of the world. It is very clear to us that Christ comes before all things. We would not walk through so much trouble for anything less than Christ. All of what we have done is SO worth it: that others may know Christ and His love. May His name be exalted above all things! (Matthew 19:20-21/ Matthew 10:37-39/ Philippians 3:7-11/John 3:16-17)

We work very hard for our money. How do you use the money we donate so that we don’t think you’re just getting a free ride?

            “Everything comes from You(God), and we have given You(God) only what comes from Your(Gods) hand.” (1 Chronicles 29:14) The money that is received from our supporters is honored and respected. We try very hard to be good stewards with all money because it is entrusted to us by God. If we misuse any money, we are not only disrespecting those that give generously to us but we are disrespecting and dishonoring God Himself. In addition we never want anyone to give us money that God has not instructed to do so. We want people to realize that money given to us is in actuality God’s money being given back to God and His purposes.

            By being a monthly supporter you are helping us sustain ourselves. We are in ministry, and as many know ministry is not a 9-5 job you can leave. Jesus never stopped working for us so we don’t plan on stopping work when 5 o’clock rolls around. We are required to work 40 hours a week by YWAM but it never stops there. Our work is 24/7. Scripture says that we are to “love our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.” And “whoever loses his life for My (Jesus’) sake will find it.” (Mark 12:30-31/ Deut. 6:4-5/ Matthew 10:39) We have given our lives to our work. So yes, let me be clear, you are paying us to change lives, to be missionaries. You do feed us, you do put a shelter over our heads, and you do clothe us. And believe us we aren’t going to Ruth Chris’ Steak House, or shopping at some expensive retail store. We have committed to a life living less, because to us it’s worth it. We know the work we do is worthy of every donation. And you know that we are proud not to live for material possessions but to be living for the Kingdom of God. “But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20-21) “There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” (Acts 4:34-35)

            We very much understand that we have to be one with God’s will for this to be “successful” because if it isn’t then we will be fighting against God. “Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go. For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find ourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39 This verse pertains to those for us as well as those against us.

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship does not. Worship is ultimate…Where there is no worship there is a need for missions.” –John Piper

"All nations you have made will come and worship before you,

O Lord, they will bring glory to your name." Psalm 86:9

Thank you for taking the time to read this and to better understand our hearts and why we’re making this wild leap of faith that so many don’t understand. Remember we couldn’t do what we do without you. Just like a bridge is only as effective as its supports, we too are only able to reach the world in regard to the strength we have in our support.

Please, Please, Please contact us directly with any further questions or comments. This letter is written as one part to a conversation, and we hope and expect to hear from you. We seek to end any miscommunication so if there has been any in this letter we trust that you can bring it to our attention to discuss. We are passionate about this and are excited to discuss anything about the matter with you. We welcome e-mail, Facebook, snail mail, smoke signals and phone calls.

Call Eric at 912. 313.7438 or Randi at 770.851.8953

7ericjohnson@gmail.com or randilynn.johnson7@gmail.com