Some of you may have heard the rumors, and they are true. :) By early fall of this year, if all goes as planned, I will be living and ministering in the slums of Bangkok.

Right now I know few of the details, so I'll just share my thoughts and my vision, and how in the world I decided this.

Really, this is all God's doing. Even just a few months ago if you had proposed a multiple-year mission trip to one of the poorest areas of Thailand I would have said "no" immediately. It wouldn't have fit into my plans for law school this fall, it would have freaked me out to consider being out of the country for so long, I would have considered fundraising for that kind of call impossible for me, and I would have raised an eyebrow at the mention of a country I know little about. I basically would have dismissed the idea.

But God likes to mess up our lives-- in a good way. My previous journal entry mentions a little of what God did in me at Urbana, which was the big work. I came home realizing I wanted to be immersed in another culture and language and to have compassionate understanding for the poor before I serve them with a law degree.

As I continued to pray and ask questions, I was led to the organization Servant Partners. It was founded by former InterVarsity staff and shares many of the same values. Their ministry is rooted in Scripture and community and reconciliation among different peoples. They believe in living and serving incarnationally, as Jesus did. They believe in holistic ministry, modeling Christ in serving people's whole beings. As I learned more about their vision I found everything in me agreeing and becoming excited about joining in.

I talked with the director of recruiting, who told me a bit about the sites that are heavily recruiting. Bangkok was the one that really grabbed ahold of me. Thailand is 98% Buddhist and experiencing intense social injustices, such as forced child prostitution and desperate poverty. My heart for both evangelism and social justice was stirred. I have also dreamed of working with International Justice Mission as a lawyer down the road, and they do much of their work in Thailand. Through this mission I will learn Thai fluently, which could be very valuable if I one day become a lawyer.

Servant Partners is working with a church in Bangkok that is working to plant cell groups in the slums, where there is practically no Christian witness. They are also working on tangible ways of helping people out of poverty, such as low-interest loans, small-business training, and an art program for kids who can sell their crafts in the United States.

For two years I would be primarily learning the language and building relationships with people in the slums, where I would live. Right now a team is being built, and there should be at least three other young missionaries along with the team leader and his family. After language-learning I would be more involved in the work of church-planting. I am extremely excited to learn another language and culture and to share the Gospel through friendship evangelism.

I will be sending out another prayer letter once I know more details, such as my budget and my next steps in preparation. But please be praying for me, and be praying about whether God is inviting you into this vision, too.