Reblog: Over the Mountain & Into the Valley

I just couldn’t resist reblogging this! Here is a post from a friend where she poetically summarizes the 5 highlights of her most epic journey to pray for the unreached in Laos. You can visit her blog here: The Afterglow

The highlight of March was going on a prayer journey to The So People.  It all started with one Facebook comment about a visa run either to Laos or Cambodia.  BOOM!  One comment later there was an invitation to join an upcoming prayer journey over the mountains and into the valley. I returned from my experience of Laos with 5 words from the Lord that pierced my perspective.

1. The Gospel will go forth on dry land, and today we are the carriers of God’s presence.

The Lord will always provide a way.  Before I left Bangkok, I had just spent my quiet time in Joshua 3.  This chapter is about Israel crossing the Jordan River into the Promise that the Lord had for them. He sent His presence (the Ark of the Covenant) before the Israelites, and there they had crossed over dry land.  Today, the pictures below illustrates carrying out kingdom thinking, carrying the presence of the Lord, intercession battle, and the Gospel going forth on dry land.

After two flat tires, hours of praise and prayer along rocky dry roads, we finally made it down into the valley.  I realized that as we motorbiked down the roads singing songs of praise and prayers in our hearts that seeds of the Gospel were being planted and will continue. (talk about a challenge to pray down a rocky road for hours with aching knees and 2 flat tires).  The challenge of endurance and patience; it was a joy.  The other part of the lesson is realizing that as humans we are gifted and privileged with a very special task as being the only living beings with the ability to carry the presence of God.  Just as God had commanded the Levites to carry the Ark of the Covenant rather than taking short cuts and easing the labor with oxen and cart, the same as the ancient days, today the Lord has commanded us to go and make disciples among the nations.   (2 Samuel 6, Matthew 28:16-20)

2. The Lord is looking for our “sacrifice of praise”.

I was thinking about this on the way home…..we yearn so much to reach our 10% tithing, what we can exponentially potentially do with our physical resources: money, materials, animals, house, skills…in the end He asked us to live with thanksgiving, without worry about tomorrow, to rejoice, to love our neighbor as ourselves, to love Him with all our hearts soul, and mind.  I realized that we can’t always be physically present with those who want, thirst, and yearn for him as they come to know Him.  BUT we can challenge their worldview with what it means to bring the sacrifice of praise to Lord.  To me it became apparent that it is much easier to sing songs of praise, speak out the things that I am thankful for, and to express out my joy and happiness than to give up my physical materials.  I saw that for The So people that one chicken or oxen to sacrifice for healing or for release of debt is actually a really great cost.  Isn’t it a big change that telling that the Lord simple wants our LOVE and our sacrifice of praise.

3. Laos is not what we all imagined it to be.

We see the many countries that surround Thailand as very poor and lacking.  We relate words such as poverty, underdevelopment, disconnected from the world, politically corrupt, damaged, tragedy, slow, war, closed, etc…and yes 260 million bombs were dropped on this country during the Vietnam American War.

I have been to Cambodia it wasn’t like what we perceive, and when I went to Laos I again realized that everything in this country is nothing like our westernized worldview.  If I could use 3 words for Laos:  Unearth, beautiful, and peaceful.  There is a simplicity here that is so refreshing.  And out of desperation for better, the unearth land is in its prime to hear the piercing Truth of the Gospel.  Lack of better words they don’t need materials, they need more meaning.  The land is ready to receive the worth and meaning that they are the Beloved of the Father.  If they had the materials like what is here in Bangkok, they would be completely blinded by the wealth and destruction of selfish living.  But as it is and honesty, it is quite possible that they will be blinded by the glory of the Father that looks down upon them.  (A very good thing).  The people are ready to run from the dark spirits and are more available and ready to run speedily into the arms of the Holy Spirit.

4. Faith as small as a mustard see will demand the mountain into the sea.

There are the many parables in Matthew that we all know.  Today, I can physically say that I experience what it may mean to have faith as small as a mustard seed and that if it was that small, that faith would allow us to command the mountain to throw itself into the sea.  (Matthew 17:20)

The team that I was with has been riding over the mountains and into the valley for 2 1/2 years.  Prior to doing so they were trying to provide the physical resource of clean water with sustainable filters.  Eco-friendly.  Yes.  Resourceful.  Yes.  Strategic.  Yes.  Economical.  Yes.  Reaching people. No.  So that big risk of changing their strategy and redirecting their core values to be centered on prayer riding and discipling through relationships was definitely a test of faith and devotion to the Great Commission and Father.  As I was riding with them, I could feel the physical risk of riding down these dry, dirt, rocky, sometimes steep, and in many times dangerous path (dependent on which village and season).  This requires the Fathers eyes.  The story that they are caring to tell to the people.  This requires boldness, endurance, courage, and the confidence of the Lord.  These are acts of faith.  And I honestly don’t have any measure to say their faith is as big as a mustard seed or not.  BUT because they have been doing this steadfastly and faithfully I realized that their little faith is going to change the entire So Valley in Laos.  It’s spreading like wild fire as families gather to see people released from spirits of oppression, darkness, sickness, paralyzing, and chaos.  Neighbors tell neighbors, and somehow the entire village knows that there is a man named Jesus.  And each time someone’s life is changed, joy takes over.  This is what love does.  It travels and it is contagious.  It moves mountains.  I’m seeing that praying is a form of loving.  And it is ultimately victorious.

5. I knew that Southeast Asian food was good.

I know only a few Laos Americans less than a handful.  And I was just introduced to Lao dishes just within the last 2 years.  BUT I will never forget how good Lao spicy sauce is, their noodles, and papaya salad.  Their way of eating lunch and dinner is very beautiful too.  😀  Check out my instagram for those photos. But wow!! I will definitely give a shout out to my sister Panya, cuz you’re going to have to teach me when I come home to LA.

In the end…I felt like I experienced the core of MATUL in one weekend. And I hope to return on another journey with them soon again. Check out how you can be praying for the So Villages at Mekong Kingdom Movement. Pray for the transformational movement that this small team is faithfully working for.