Friday, September 26, 2014

"One Of a KIND!"

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14

Hanging Out with my friend the BIG C Bear at the Market

God has made each and every one of us in a special way.  He has given me different skills, talents, physical characteristics, and experiences than He has given to you.  He has also given to each of us different hopes, dreams, desires, and callings that make us each who we are today.  As I look around at the people of North Thailand, I can see many differences.  Right off, you notice that I am nearly a foot taller than most, my skin is white, I have light hair, and blue eyes as opposed to black hair and brown eyes.  Not to mention, I always wear my COWBOY HAT AND BOOTS!

It is these differences that make us unique and interesting. 

I was in the market selling milk yesterday, when it hit me, just how UNIQUE our opportunity is for connecting with the people in the community where we serve.  As I look around the market, I took in the sights, smells, and noise of the activity around me.  It had just finished raining and was hot and humid nearly to the point of unbearable.  Hundreds of sales people in the market were bustling to prepare  goods for the evening sale.  Fires for cooking were being started, Stands being set up, and products being arranged.  Some of the smells, include wonderful things like grilling meats and toasting fresh waffles … To awful smells of rotting trash and vegetables from the morning before and sewer water flowing in the drain nearby if the breeze blew just right.  I could hear the hurried sounds of traffic … motorcycles, cars, and trucks whizzing by, horns honking, police whistles blowing, with the occasional ambulance.  Even louder than all of that, is the sound of salesmen yelling and hawking their goods followed by the shuffling feet of customers as they walk along looking for their evening meal.  At six o’clock … All the noise abruptly stops, as the vendors and shoppers alike stop at attention while we all sing together the “Thai National Anthem.”

View From My Milk Cart Yesterday

Why do I tell you this?  Because the fresh markets in Thailand are like no Supermarket or Farmer’s Market you could imagine in America.  It is filled with people literally 24 hours per day, and it is the hub of the local community for food, clothes, housewares, and even for news from local gossip or the announcements on the loudspeaker.

When you come to Thailand… and I hope you will, you will see and experience these same things.

As I was standing there last night watching this,  I even saw several other foreigners with their cameras and shopping bags taking in these same extraordinary sights…

BUT …!  I was not just watching IT!  I AM IN IT!  In it every day when I roll my milk-cart into my stall to set up and sell our goat milk products to the people of the community.  I am living and doing something that only God could make possible.  He has called me to have a farm in North Thailand, and bring our milk to the local market so that we can be a part of the local community like few missionaries will ever have a chance to do.  While taking it all in last night, I realized that this is what God has prepared our family and our farm to do.

The Market in Baan Duu

Be a PART of the Community where we live…

Evening Food Vendors in Baan Duu

We have been praying for this at Narrow Gate Asia for more than 8 YEARS and just now our local project is Uniquely prepared and positioned for a time such as this.

I wrote this mission / vision statement 6 ½  years ago, and it is happening today …

It is our mission to glorify God by living our lives incarnationaly among His people, and by seeing lives changed when they receive the opportunity to enter through the “Narrow Gate” that leads to life.  It is our Goal to operate a farm business enterprise that is not only self-supporting, but also a model for the agricultural and business community in Thailand that utilizes the people, resources, and relationships of the organization to open doors to the community that will allow for us to demonstrate God’s love for his people. 

The Famous Narrow Gate Milk Cart

Over the past several weeks, I have returned to the market to sell and interact with our customers.  It has been good to reconnect with so many other vendors in the market and to know that they have missed me and have been worried about me. When we sell our goat milk and cheese in the market, we explain to our customers about the health benefits of Goat Milk, about how we have our own farm and raise the goats and process the milk ourselves.  Sometimes we even get to share about our methods and technology with other farmers and livestock raisers in the local market.

My favorite question of all though, is … “What does Narrow Gate mean?" 

Standing on the front corner of the Evening Fresh Market in Chiang Rai, God faithfully opens the door for us to answer this special question.  I don’t have to hand out tracts or brochures ,  I don’t have to broadcast it on a load speaker,  but rather God brings to me, the people He wants to hear.  Time and Time again, alongside my unsuspecting little milk cart, I get to share the name of Jesus.

Manning My Station

Pray with us, if you would, for Opportunity to Share.  Pray for boldness to share. And pray that the ears, hearts, and minds of the people of North Thailand would enter the “Narrow Gate that leads to LIFE.”

The Brittan Family wants to thank you for your prayers, and financial support for our ministry and its projects.  Remember that all contributions to Narrow Gate Asia are tax deductible.  We are currently raising support for our monthly personal needs, as well as funds towards the remaining principle for the land at our ministry project site.  Please continue to be in prayer for these as well.

God Bless, and Thank you.
Harry, Pattie, Hattie, Emma, Harry V, and Nellie.
 
Send Letters and Tax Deductible Contributions to:

Narrow Gate Asia
P.O. Box 260275
Plano, TX 75026-0275 USA

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Contact us on Facebook, or at hbrittan@narrowgateasia.org 

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