One might say SEAPC gets around, and thanks to open doors from God – we do! From working with children with autism in China, to providing spiritual training and physical care to orphans and at-risk children in Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Laos, to helping with relief and development efforts in the USA, SEAPC is involved! There is one area I am personally involved with that has allowed me to work directly with individuals from Cambodia, Mexico, and Laos, and I have never left Oakmont, Pennsylvania to do it! The nations literally come to us as we host international interns for a 2-3 month training program. The interns are carefully chosen by their in-country leadership, to come to Oakmont to gain training in the areas of spiritual-based leadership, micro-economics, and English language and communication skills. Each young person chosen is on a path to be groomed for a leadership position, and is actively involved in daily ministry.Together with co-worker Bob Rosswog, my part in the program is to help the interns increase their English language proficiency. This involves instructing them in the art of journaling, widening their vocabulary and grammar base, and sharpening their public speaking abilities.

Let me tell you about one of the interns I recently worked with. This young man is from Laos where there is a lot of religious persecution, so for the sake of safety I will refer to him as Timothy. One of my first interactions with Timothy caused me to rack my brain to try and answer his question. He simply asked what the meaning of “gun na” was. His question baffled me. Try as I might I couldn’t think of any English word that even resembled “gun na”, yet Timothy insisted that I had said it several times. Oops – the light bulb went on as I suddenly realized that my slang usage was a little over the top. In the world of proper English language usage, there is no way that “gun na” will ever convey the concept of “going to!”Timothy’s ability to comprehend grammatical rules and desire to learn as many new vocabulary words as possible made it a joy to teach him. Timothy’s quick wit came out as he freely joked, making it fun to interact with him. At the conclusion of his internship, Timothy’s ability to give a clear and comprehensive oral presentation of the ministry he works with brought tears to my eyes.In Laos Timothy is on staff with a Bible training school and agricultural center which is called The Garden of Hope. Students come from remote Laotian villages to take part in a 2-year program where they receive training in agriculture, Biblical theology, and worship. Timothy teaches worship techniques and helps students with their English language skills. Timothy’s heart’s desire is to see the school increase so that there will be more people to spread the Gospel to the 160 different ethnic groups within Laos.It is always a joy to work with our interns because without exception, everyone I have worked with has had a strong desire to learn as well as a willingness to receive instruction. Their dedication and discipline to sharpen their skills to do what God has called them to do inspires me. I feel as if I learn something from each intern I work with. I sometimes wonder who really was the student and who was the teacher! It certainly makes me look forward to working with our next group of interns.

As jackets, hats, and chocolates were passed out there was not a frown or stoic face in sight. Someone handed a sweet little boy the first jacket and when unwrapped from its packaging, a pink and black reversible jacket became visible. My heart sunk. Most boys in the States would cringe at the first sight of pink, but there was not a tinge of disappointment on this young boy’s face. He quickly put the jacket inside-out and tried it on.

There was another little girl who had wished for an orange jacket, but pink was the only color in her size closest to orange. After one of the other children helped her free the jacket from the plastic bag, she smiled with immediate contentment and slid her arms through both sleeves. Tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't help it. As I looked around the room, I saw precious, smart, and incredibly brave children. My thoughts began to drift off to why the kids were here and how they got there in the first place. I had to stop myself before a tear slipped out and rolled down my cheek. This moment was a celebration.After witnessing all of this, I quickly understood why Mendies Haven is called a family instead of a children's home. Each child exchanged gratitude like gifts and celebrated one another; I was especially delighted when one particular child celebrated another who had received the color they wanted. The oldest children helped the younger ones figure out how to put on their jackets and pretty soon everyone was wearing a new hat and winter coat. It felt like Christmas, and I unconsciously began to hum my favorite Christmas carol. Though a foreigner, even I felt at peace and at home amongst the children.

The warmth and love I experienced at Mendies Haven made it hard to say goodbye. These children won me over and while not everyone can visit, it is my deepest desire that this story will take you there if only for a moment. I hope that your heart will be as touched as mine was by their love for one another. And may you feel connected to this beautiful family despite the geographical distance.To learn more about becoming a SEAPC Raising Kids child sponsor, please click here.SEAPC is dedicated to changing lives through prayer. If your heart is moved and you would like to partner with us, you can donate here.

I looked through the one-room schoolhouse window where a group of elementary students sat at their desks doing work. There was no floor, and the students were working with mud up to their ankles. The metaphor wasn't lost on me as I pondered how these students could possibly rise up from this level of educational poverty.It was summer 2017, just a few months ago, and it was my first visit to Cambodia after wrapping up my last four years as a teacher in Shanghai, China. I was here to take a look at my possible future job. Having just left a metropolis of 28 million people and a classroom of students capable of running the world, now: all I could see was mud.Where does one start when there aren't even floors?The vision presented to me was undeniably enticing. Mark Geppert of South East Asia Prayer Center (SEAPC) had invited me here to join a bigger cause. The vision? To train 3,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teachers across a rural province of Cambodia in the English skills necessary to take back to their classrooms and influence a total of 127,000 students while creating a new mindset of hope.Impact? Mind blowing.Salary? $0.Working conditions? I looked back at that mud floor. Maybe "undeniably enticing" was too strong of a description in the face of this reality.There was no way I could say “yes” to this. But I also knew, deep inside myself that I couldn't say “no,” either.The next two months involved being jobless and living at my parents' house in Phoenix, Arizona and contemplating my life choices. I had worked in poverty before, for two years in Iquitos, Peru. I vividly remembered killing tarantulas and not having enough change one day to buy my fried rice for breakfast. I also vividly remembered my most recent lifestyle in Shanghai, overlooking the fancy cityscape from my highrise apartment window with not a spider to be seen. I had a lovely salary, phenomenal students, hobbies and city living galore. Was I really ready for this pendulum swing back to a difficult life?And then I realized that sometimes I'm just asking the wrong questions. How about this question: Do my difficulties even hold a candle to students learning ankle deep in mud in a language that Rosetta Stone doesn't even offer as a learning option?I couldn't say “no” any longer. So, I said my “yes” in the form of a long message to Mark full of fears, caveats, and reservations. But there it was. A yes.

Since saying that yes, I have been praying a LOT and working on curriculum that will not only teach English, but create a new mindset of hope. Through My Precious Book (a children’s Bible storybook in both Khmer and English), we will teach who God is, using new vocabulary that will open them up to both a globalized world and a new foundation of faith.Who. God. Is.I find myself picking out memory verses for our lessons, things like Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” And Psalm 118:1 “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; his love endures forever.”As I pick out these verses, the character of God as a good God, a God of love, a God who is our fortress and our salvation, it strikes me that this is a God they have not had access to. In a country that was ravaged by war and genocide less than 50 years ago, they have never been exposed to a God who loves them, a God who will protect them, a God whose love never fails.I am humbled by the pure audacity of our message. The audacity to say that behind their reality—their pain, their suffering, the PTSD that still plagues the older generation in their families, the poverty the new generation is still trapped in—is a different one, where chronos and kairos are lining up, one where God says it is truly the time for Cambodia to arise, one where God has never left them nor forsaken them.This goes beyond all English teaching. This is now about not only providing people with the language skills to break out of poverty, but the opportunity to believe in a different reality than the one they see with their eyes- one based on truth and the pure, unswerving character of God.Please pray that:- Mindsets are changed as both teachers and students get to know this character, God, through the My Precious Book, and come to know him as their personal, loving creator.- An overwhelming sense of urgency and determination sweeps across these teachers and students to take action in their part to help Cambodia arise by studying hard and staying committed to the English program.- Cambodian leaders rise up to lead this program, empowering Cambodians through Cambodians.- All our needs, financial and personal, are met through the Ultimate Provider. For more information on what is happening in Cambodia, please click here.We are still trying to raise 20k to make these English trainings possible.If your heart is moved and you would like to partner with us, you can donate here(Please use the "other" donation section, and be sure to enter BC ARISE ENGLISH in the designation box next to it).

Thank you so much to everyone who prayed for and gave towards the SEAPC Raising Kids Christmas Gift Challenge! It was a wonderful success.For those of you who may not have known, we have very generous friends who sponsor orphaned, abandoned, and at-risk children who live in partnership ministries in various countries. These sponsors very generously give each year to provide Christmas gifts for their sponsored children. However, there are always children/young people who are in need of sponsors and there are always sponsors who, although they may greatly desire to do so, cannot afford to send extra money for a gift. The ministries caring for these children always provide something for these children, but we wanted to give them an extra blessing.

When I reminded sponsors about the deadline for Christmas gift funds to arrive, one very generous sponsor family asked how many unsponsored children there were. They then put forward a challenge that if we were able to raise up to $2,650 they would match it. This began the Christmas Gift Challenge.Once again, you have risen to the challenge. Between the donations and the matching gift, $5,005 was raised to provide better Christmas gifts for children who are not sponsored. Thank you for bringing great joy to many children who may have never even received a Christmas gift in the past because they are new to the children’s homes. Thank you for showing the love of Jesus to them!To learn more about becoming a SEAPC Raising Kids child sponsor, please click here.SEAPC is dedicated to changing lives through prayer. If your heart is moved and you would like to partner with us, you can donate here.

I never realized how this small book, My Precious Book, with some painted pictures along with Bible stories could become such great source of blessings for so many kids in so many areas of their lives. It was only at the time when my friend, Tony, sent us the soft copy of the book and I started to open and read through the book for translation and came to realize that this book is such a great tool in many ways to uplift kids around the world spiritually and educationally (specifically their English skills).

The presentation of the book is very simple and attractive to the children. Our kids from the home at first didn’t show much interest in receiving the book but after reading a few pages they requested more books to give to their friends from school who are mostly Buddhist. Even my own kids (two sons and a daughter) really love to read the book. My eldest son would read the stories aloud from the book and his younger brother and sister would quietly listen and pay attention to their big brother.

I definitely believe that our enemy, Satan, is becoming frightened that this book will go and spread into the hands of children all over the country and world. I strongly recommended and want to testify that My Precious Book is greatly and specially anointed book by the Lord our God to save so many precious kids around the globe. I always bring some copies of My Precious Book with me wherever I go and visit, and give them to the kids in different areas. I would like to praise my Lord for letting me know that this book is very special and anointed by Him. I thank God and I also want to thank friends from SEAPC who helped us to get this book printed in Myanmar language. I will surely print more books and provide with more kids whenever I get a chance for the sake of God Kingdom.

When ordered in quantities of 500, My Precious Book costs $1.25/book. If you would like to give to this project, please click here (Click the green "give now" button at the top of your screen and give under "other." Please write My Precious Book in the designation box). We are excited to announce that these books will be handed out, during an upcoming January outreach, to children that do not yet know Jesus.

When hurricane after hurricane blasted the Southern US, people across the country ached for those whose lives had been affected. Relief came in the various forms of material, financial, human, and spiritual. SEAPC felt that we too should lend a helping hand, and the Houston Relief Team was formed.From the beginning this team has been against all forms of opposition coming in the form of itinerary changes, date changes, team members being added and taken away. At one point it felt as though this team wasn’t going to happen at all, but God in His infinite wisdom had a plan which we in our human sight just couldn’t see until we were there.The team went from approximately 10 members down to just us three young women. Plans for dry-walling and demo seemed to fly out the window when our Houston contact heard about this final change to the team. I’m sure he thought, “What am I going to do with them, God?” And God answered making His plan very clear.We three women—strong in body, mind, and spirit—landed in Houston with the purpose of doing something. We didn’t care what, but we were going to do something to help someone somehow. Throughout the week we floated and taped drywall, did demolition, volunteered at a hurricane relief food bank, and spent time organizing clothes for those in need. From the outset, we realized God’s hand was upon us as time after time things we thought we needed were divinely provided. Each time we bought something we needed, the next day the same thing was given to us for free. Needless to say, we made a lot of return item trips to Walmart! From peanut butter and jelly to housing and new friends to new prayer ministry contacts, God provided it all.If we learned nothing else, we learned that God always provides for those who earnestly seek Him, follow His ways, and treasure His Word in their hearts.

We were so blessed to be connected with this amazing man named Pastor James who lives to minister to the lives around Him through intercession and holistic ministry. He was our main point of contact through Community Transformation Church for the week and set us up with the various things we did in the community. We joyfully worked to drywall and demo with him, as he told us stories of how God has moved in His life! From prayer-walking the mountains of Colorado to creating a city-wide youth group we were regaled with stories and challenged to find what way God has destined you to prayer walk through life. What prayers has He placed in your spirit and in the Holy Spirit within you? What is the dream for His kingdom that God has laid on your heart?

Bible Way Fellowship Baptist Church has a food bank which they run once a week all year long, but when the hurricane came they were compelled to open their doors 3-4 days a week to provide for their community. It was heartrending to see the elderly waiting outside for some food and to watch preschoolers stand in line with their mothers. It was a stark contrast to how we on the team grew up in families that always had provision from God to afford groceries. But to watch and work alongside the women in this picture made the scene of poverty in front of us a little easier to work within. Ms. Jo was probably superwoman embodied. She never stopped. When she ordered us to rest and eat, she herself kept on working, and that work ethic rang true in everyone we encountered there. They were all older and exhausted from being there nearly every day of the week (so our “young blood” was an infusion of rest for them and they were sad to see us go), but they firmly hold onto the hope we profess and through it are driven to feed the poor, the orphan, and the widow. All this, so that the Lord of Hosts may be glorified.

During our last afternoon in Houston, we had the utmost delight of spending time with Ms. Donna, the sweetest Texan grandmother you’ll ever meet. As a grandma to 14, she loves to love. One of her grandchildren died nearly at birth due to a genetic disorder. They named him Grayson, and out of that tragedy and heartbreak “Grayson’s Closet” was birthed. From death came life. Ms. Donna collects children’s clothes and then provides them for needy children in the area. She was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of donated clothing (imagine an entire bedroom bursting with clothes) due to hurricane relief efforts, so God sent us to bless her and be blessed in return. As we emptied out her room, she filled our hearts up. She made popcorn and turned on Hallmark Christmas movies as we sat together and sorted clothing. Our last afternoon was filled with laughter and lots of advice about life. We walked away treasuring the words of joy and wisdom we had been filled with and thinking “I wish I could spend every afternoon with her.”To learn more about where and how SEAPC serves, click here.SEAPC is dedicated to changing lives through prayer. If your heart is moved and you would like to partner with us, you can donate here.

When the Christian community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania came together this past Black Friday, they put a new spin on typical Black Friday events. While many people swarmed the retail stores trying to land the “best deals”, over 3,000 people gathered in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to take part in the “Amen to Action” initiative. Amen to Action came about when a group of Pittsburgh church leaders and laymen and women contemplated a milestone year for the city of Pittsburgh. Not only is 2016-2017 the 200th birthday of the City of Pittsburgh, but it is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, as well as the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement in Pittsburgh.

Courtesy of Amen to Action

In a desire to create a platform of Christian unity, church leaders coordinated a very unique Black Friday event. The focus being within the city of Pittsburgh to amass spiritual capital that exceeds the material capital that Black Friday sales, coal in the hills, and steel in the mills typically bring in, and pave the way for Pittsburgh to become a spiritual power plant for the rest of the world. Things started with an inspiring prayer and praise celebration which included participants from the Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish communities. Church buses brought people from all over the Pittsburgh area. Testimonies of how Jesus made a way in impossible circumstances were enhanced by anointed choirs and soloists.Following the service everybody moved to a staging area that was set up for mass production of pre-packaged meals for those in need. It was a party atmosphere. A DJ provided tunes that some people danced to as they skillfully multi-tasked to keep up with their part of the assembly line. People scurried about as they balanced boxes, and each time a box was filled there was a lot of joyful yelling. But instead of the boxes being filled with games, toys, and electrical gadgets, they were filled with pre-packaged meals for those in need.Despite the large numbers of volunteers, people worked together like a well-oiled machine, resulting in over a million (1,014,336) meals packaged! How awesome it was to take part in something that furthers the foundations of Christianity! We came together to honor our Lord as we reached out to those in need, and enjoyed each other’s fellowship all at the same time.To learn more about where and how SEAPC serves, click here.SEAPC is dedicated to changing lives through prayer. If your heart is moved and you would like to partner with us, you can donate here.

About four months ago, I had a university student message me asking to study English with me. I invited him to come to my class on Saturdays. I left out the small detail that it’s a Bible study. He came to the class, and I gave him a Bible, so he would have the “class textbook”. I thought he would stop joining after he realized that the class was about God, but he came faithfully every week. After a few weeks, it was a holiday, and I only had two students show up to class. One of the two was the new student. The other student was my faithful disciple.I said, “Since there are only two of you, I am going to change the lesson for today.” During Bible study, we typically study the book of John and the life of Jesus. I said to the new student, “We have been studying about a man named Jesus, but do you know who this man is?”The student said, “No.” I proceeded to share the story of Jesus and ultimately the gospel message, starting with Adam and Eve in the garden. At the end of my on-the-spot gospel message, I asked if he believed and wanted to have Jesus take away his sins. He replied, “I don’t have enough information to believe.”I asked him if he had any questions. He didn’t. I asked him if he understood my lesson. He did. I honestly felt a bit defeated, but it’s not my job to do what only the Holy Spirit can do. I had my disciple share his personal testimony and what God has done in his life. I didn’t push the issue further, but I did explain to him what to do if he ever did believe. I told him to continue coming to class even if he didn’t believe.Praise God, he kept coming. The next week, he changed his Facebook profile picture to a photo of a Buddhist monk. I looked at it closely and realized that the monk in the photo was actually this student. The next week at Bible study, he was the first student to arrive, so I asked him, “Did you used to be a monk?”“Yes,” he said, “In Battambang, every high schooler becomes a monk for a week.” Battambang is his home province and the neighbor of my province, Banteay Meanchey.I thought to myself, “Ah ha! Now I can show him how bad Buddhism is, forcing him to be a monk!” I asked him, “In Battambang, they make you become a monk?”He replied, “They don’t make us. It’s an honor and privilege.”His reply shocked me. There went any opportunity I thought I had. Then he continued, “Battambang is not like Banteay Meanchey.” I inquired, “What do you mean?” He said, “In Battambang, we are strong Buddhists. We really believe in Buddha, but in Banteay Meanchey, the people don’t really believe in Buddha anymore.”This one sentence, from the lips of an unbeliever, put me on cloud nine. Even the unsaved could see that something was different in Banteay Meanchey. It was confirmation that the strongholds were being defeated and coming down!This student continued to come faithfully for months. I never pushed salvation with him again, because I knew that I had already explained it clearly.Four of my disciples had been studying with me for nearly a year and were all strong believers, but none of them had been baptized yet. I kept feeling a tug from the Holy Spirit to hold a baptism for my four disciples.One of my disciples was about to go to China for a year to study abroad. I held a going away party for him at the local swimming pool, but I also had an ulterior motive.At the pool, I had my pastor friend do a short lesson on baptism. At the end he asked, “Who would like to be baptized?” There were five students present: my four disciples and this new student. All five said they wanted to be baptized!I was shocked! So was my pastor friend. He asked a second time, just to be sure. Once again, all five said they wanted to be baptized. In the water, before baptizing him, we asked, “Who is your Lord and Savior?”He replied, “Jesus Christ.”To learn more about where and how SEAPC serves, click here.SEAPC is dedicated to changing lives through prayer. If your heart is moved and you would like to partner with us, you can donate here.

A blog post about “giving thanks” should be an extremely easy one to write, as I do have much to be thankful for. However, in the last few weeks, maybe months, I’ve been uncharacteristically unthankful. It’s not that I have been rude to anyone or unappreciative of help or gifts or love. Nothing bad has happened, no one died. Actually quite the opposite. Great things have been happening: I got a new job in the last year working with SEAPC where I get to coordinate missionaries to serve all over the globe. I fell in love with an incredible man who asked me to marry him. Family and friends all around me are having new babies. I’m in remission from my autoimmune disease. I’ve had the privilege of living with my grandma. I went to Cambodia. I had not one but two beach vacations with my family. I got a new car. I volunteered at my favorite place. I led worship at a conference. I met some really awesome people recently who will be lifelong friends. And the list goes on! So why in the world, or how rather, could I not be thankful?!

It seems like every aspect of my life lately has been revolving around the Holy Spirit. First, at work, the ladies in the office met every Tuesday for a few weeks with a wonderful woman of God to learn about being open to the Holy Spirit and being in tune with Him. Then, we then had an amazing couple come in and teach for weeks about prophecy. Then we had a pastor come in from Laos and teach for three days on who the Holy Spirit is. Then, at church. Our whole theme this year is about moving forward with the Holy Spirit. Plus, I’m in a class based on Beth Moore’s study, Breath, about the Holy Spirit. And as all of these teachings are being poured out into my life, it seems harder and harder to embrace.

Newsflash: spiritual warfare is real! The devil is not dumb. He knows when to push harder and what buttons to push. He feeds lies into our heads saying, “You’re not good enough,” “This won’t work,” “Look what they have,” “It won’t last,” “You could have done more,” “You don’t deserve this.” The powers of darkness know how to work their way in and take everything you have to be thankful for and turn it into shame, guilt, doubt, and feelings of unworthiness, inadequacy, and insignificance.

And as I’m speaking these next words over my own life today, I’m sharing them with you: I’M DONE! I am done listening to these lies and letting the enemy steal my joy! There’s a saying from a Texas Christian radio station that I have posted above my bed. “I need joy. And when I keep my eyes on Jesus, I have joy. When I lose it, I will choose it. I choose joy!” I clearly need to look up more often, and not just at that note, but at Him. He who is my true source of joy and my one thing to always be thankful for. Because of Him, I can be thankful for all of the other blessings in my life. So many of those things I listed earlier were a direct answer to prayer! He makes the impossible possible. He says that I am enough and I am His daughter. He gave me a Spirit of love and He casts out all fear. If I just fix my eyes on Him, it’s easy to be thankful.

If you can relate to my feelings of apathy and self-loathing lately, I challenge you to sit down and actually make a list of all the things you are thankful for this year. Writing this post today has definitely helped me. Maybe it’s time to start off each and every morning by counting our blessings and deliberately choosing joy? Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and guide us every step of the way.

And let’s allow ourselves to be truly thankful. After all, it is Thanksgiving and we really are “#blessed.”

To learn more about where and how SEAPC serves, click here.SEAPC is dedicated to changing lives through prayer. If your heart is moved and you would like to partner with us, you can donate here.

Most of you who read this blog already know that SEAPC is a worldwide prayer ministry, and that Operation Capital City is also a prayer ministry to mostly Latin America, with a concentrated focus on Mexico. Over the years I have led prayer teams in these nations utilizing various means.In the true spirit of SEAPC, in 2015, about 30 of us boarded a bus which took us on a three week prayer journey through the “Ruta Maya” covering Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. We prayed for, and ministered to the beautiful Mayan people, many who did not even speak Spanish.One team waded out knee deep to a waiting boat along the Pacific coastline in Guatemala to pray up and down the coast. We prayed for the protection of the country from hostile invasion. We prayed against storms and hurricanes. We prayed for the local fishing industry, and of course, for spiritual revival in the churches and for the Great and Final harvest. Aside from walking and praying, I remember hiring a horse-drawn buggy in the beautiful city of Merida, in the Yucatan Peninsula, to ride through the city and pray at all of the “pressure points.”

Cars, vans, boats, and now… a six-seater jungle plane! We just returned from one of the most awesome ministry trips ever, and one of the highlights was this prayer flight. A brother with whom we were fellowshipping mentioned someone he knew who had once done this. That is all I had to hear! My first words were, “how much does it cost?” He assured me he had no idea, but the little airport was just up the road about 5 minutes. (Everything is “only five minutes up the road” in Mexico!) I said, “Let’s go and check it out.”

One hour later we were in that little plane taking off down a bumpy gravel runway. It was one of those little planes that is used for carrying medicine and supplies into the depth of the jungle, where there are no roads. Believe me, we were praying alright. Once we got up in the air, we really began interceding for Comitan, Chiapas. We went back and forth, out to the surrounding areas and then back to the city. It was a truly remarkable and exciting prayer time. I can hardly wait to see what the Lord has in store for our next trip!