Participants:
Series Code: MTK
Program Code: MTK000012A
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:05 - [Mary Ann] We've grown up in the church 00:06 and have always been somewhat involved in outreach. 00:09 But how can we get involved in missions overseas? 00:13 My name is Mary Ann. 00:15 - [Lilyann] And I'm Lilyann. 00:16 We wanted to find out. 00:18 Join us on our journey 00:20 (bell gonging) 00:22 to discover the culture, the lifestyle, the need, 00:25 and the mission in two 00:28 of Southeast Asia's least-reached countries. 00:31 Welcome to MissionTREK. 00:37 - Hello and welcome to a very special 00:39 episode of MissionTREK. 00:41 - You'll remember that in the last episode 00:43 we visited the Atwells and we got to see 00:45 their Center of Influence. 00:46 Then we met up with our good friend Jim Castor 00:49 and we took a cooking class. 00:50 - Jim Castor is a missionary whose whole ministry 00:53 revolves around the power of prayer. 00:55 - After the cooking class, he joined us 00:57 for a prayer walk through the city of Bangkok. 01:00 - Obviously we couldn't go everywhere 01:01 in this huge city of about 12 million people. 01:04 But we could go to a few places. 01:06 - A lot of people, even some Christians, 01:09 think that prayer is a waste of time 01:10 and that we should do something tangible. 01:12 But Jesus Himself told us to pray. 01:14 He would often spend whole nights in prayer with His Father. 01:17 - In Luke 10:2, Jesus said, the harvest truly is great, 01:22 but the labourers are few. 01:23 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, 01:25 that he would send forth laborers into His harvest. 01:28 So Jesus' solution to a huge mission field 01:30 without laborers was to pray. 01:32 - And Jim's message is based off of that. 01:34 - So we met Jim at the General Conference session in 2015. 01:39 And we immediately thought 01:40 that he was a very unconventional missionary. 01:42 - He's very spiritual, but at the same time, 01:45 he's still a lot of fun. 01:46 - Yeah. 01:47 - And I can't wait for you to meet him 01:48 as we pray for Bangkok. 01:51 (soft music) 01:59 - We're hanging out with our friend Jim Castor 02:01 who for the past six years has been a missionary, 02:05 mostly involved in prayer ministry. 02:07 So he travels around doing prayer meetings. 02:10 And he's got a lot of really exciting stories 02:12 that are really inspiring and... 02:14 - He lives completely by faith with no salary. 02:17 So how did you get involved in the prayer ministry? 02:20 - I was not a prayer person before. 02:22 My prayer life was just like five minutes per day. 02:25 And I was thinking that 02:26 that prayer is boring. 02:29 And the moment I called on the name of God, 02:33 the moment I seriously got down on my knees, 02:36 and all the walls just come tumbling down. 02:42 Then I began to see, wow, God is a faithful friend. 02:48 From that time on, I began to somehow open up to Him. 02:53 Like trust Him the way I've never trusted Him before. 02:55 - So what is it like living everyday by faith? 02:57 - Oh, at first it was scary. 03:00 Not knowing where you're going 03:02 after a few days, or a few weeks, 03:04 and not knowing where the funds will come in. 03:07 But God is just so good that when you trust Him, 03:09 the more you have that confidence, 03:11 the more you have so many things to look back on 03:14 and say wow, God is taking care of me. 03:18 And why should I be afraid? 03:20 So now it becomes more exciting 03:23 and it's more like an adventure. 03:25 - Lot of people think that, that being a Christian 03:29 is a lot of work and boring stuff, 03:32 but you seem like you're really happy all the time. 03:34 Is being a Christian really as boring 03:36 as people make it seem? 03:38 - You know what, Mary Ann, that's what I thought at first. 03:41 And I was, at first, afraid 03:43 of giving my heart to the Lord. 03:45 But then I remember that the truest joy 03:49 only comes in serving Him. 03:51 And that sounds like a cliche, 03:54 but the promise of the Lord in Psalms 16:11. 03:58 It says Thou wilt show me the path of life 04:03 in Thy presence is fullness of joy, 04:06 at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. 04:10 That joy only will come in 04:13 if you are in the presence of God. 04:15 When you are with God, you'll have that joy. 04:18 So that's why I'm happy. 04:20 (laughing) 04:21 There's no reason for you not to be happy 04:23 when you are serving God. 04:24 Yes there are some trials, 04:27 there are some obstacles, 04:28 but the moment you get through the obstacle, 04:31 when you see how God has been faithful, 04:33 how God has brought you out of that difficulty, man! 04:37 There's just this joy that's overwhelming. 04:41 - Wow. 04:42 - So do you regret giving up your job, 04:44 'cause like you were a photographer before 04:46 and now you're full-time in prayer ministry, so... 04:50 - You know what, one thing that I regret 04:53 is that I did not quit my job sooner. 04:55 (laughing) 04:56 Because all the while I thought that I'd be the happiest 05:02 if my dream is fulfilled. 05:04 And my dream is to become like somebody who's really big 05:09 in the industry. 05:11 And this is one thing that I dreamed before, 05:14 like having a huge office 05:17 on the top of the building 05:20 like looking at those people like hey you little people. 05:24 (laughing) 05:26 But then you know what? 05:27 That dream compared to what I'm experiencing 05:30 right now is nothing. 05:33 I somehow had a foretaste of what my dream would be 05:38 and I didn't like it. 05:40 It's not as exciting as you thought it would be. 05:45 And now I remember that God's dream for us 05:49 is way, way, way better. 05:51 Because His dream for us is way, way, way bigger. 05:55 And I remember one pastor that says 05:58 if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your dreams. 06:02 So I could just image like I was telling God before 06:05 I want to be the best photographer. 06:07 (laughing) 06:08 and then I could just picture God said, 06:12 you want to be the best photographer? 06:15 I want you to be a missionary. 06:17 And to see the joy in the lives of people 06:20 when they accept Me. 06:23 This is one thing that money can't buy. 06:25 Just imagine going to heaven 06:28 and seeing all those people come to you and say 06:31 thank you if it were not for you, 06:35 I would not have been here. 06:37 Just imagine that. 06:39 Regrets? Not at all. 06:43 - What advice could you give to young people 06:46 like us who want to help but don't really know 06:49 how to get involved? 06:50 - First of all, pray. 06:53 Give your heart to the Lord. 06:55 Do not hold back. 06:57 Give it all to Him. 06:59 Because the sooner you give 07:02 your life, your heart, your all, 07:05 everything to the Lord, 07:06 the sooner that God can show you 07:09 how wonderful He is. 07:10 And that is one regret that I have 07:12 that I held back from God. 07:15 Only satisfaction that I experience is when God 07:19 take full and total control 07:21 and that is awesome. 07:23 - We're excited we get to spend a few days with you. 07:25 - I'm excited to get started as well. 07:28 Are you ready to get on your knees? 07:29 - Yeah. 07:31 - Are you excited to be used by God? 07:33 - Yeah. 07:34 - And to see amazing things that only God can do. 07:37 - Yeah. 07:39 - We might not see the result now 07:41 but we will see the result in heaven for sure. 07:44 So let's do it. 07:45 - Okay. - Let's go. 07:47 - Okay. 07:48 (happy music) 07:53 - We're getting on the river taxi 07:56 to go to the Taksin BTS stop, 07:59 and then we'll get on the sky train. 08:01 And we're heading to MBK. 08:02 We're gonna kinda do a prayer tour today 08:04 around the city. 08:05 So with Gem, so yeah. 08:08 (happy music) 08:10 (speaking in foreign language) 08:19 (happy music) 08:41 - So we're here at MBK Center in Bangkok. 08:43 - And I heard that this is the biggest mall in Bangkok! 08:46 They have 2000 shops inside or more than 2000 shops inside. 08:50 - We heard that over 100,000 people visit everyday. 08:53 - Wow, so we'll add to that 100,000. 08:56 - Yes. - Let's get inside. 08:57 - Okay. 08:59 (happy music) 09:08 - Do you like the mall? 09:09 - It's okay for a bit. 09:12 - I heard that Bangkok is one of the most visited places 09:15 in the world. 09:17 Why do you think people come to the mall? 09:19 - To buy stuff. 09:21 - To buy stuff, okay? 09:22 Do you like to buy stuff? 09:24 - Yeah. 09:25 - How about you? 09:26 What stuff do you like to buy? 09:28 - Clothes, shoes. 09:29 - Why do you want to buy clothes and shoes? 09:32 Do you have clothes back home? 09:34 - Uh. 09:35 - You have clothes back home. 09:37 You have shoes back home, don't you? 09:40 Why do you want more shoes? 09:42 - So you look cool. 09:43 - So you look cool. 09:44 Why do you want to look cool? 09:46 - So that people like you? 09:48 - Why do you want people to like you? 09:50 - It makes you feel good. 09:51 - It makes you feel good, it makes you feel happy. 09:55 So in the end, you just want to get something 09:57 to make you feel good, to make you feel happy. 10:01 How long does that happiness, or that good feeling last? 10:06 - A little while, 'cause it becomes old clothes 10:09 and old shoes. 10:10 - And it's an old happiness. - [Lilyann] Yeah. 10:12 - And old happiness doesn't work, isn't it? 10:15 So this is, I guess one thing when you look around 10:18 just imagine, how many people? - 100,000 10:22 - 100,00 people looking around in the mall 10:26 trying to look for things that will make them happy 10:30 that will make them feel good. 10:32 And you know in the end 10:34 that it will not make you feel good 10:36 because who do you need? 10:38 - God. - God. 10:40 - You need God. 10:41 There is the God-shaped void in your life 10:44 that only He can fill in. 10:46 So when you look around the mall right now, 10:48 what do you see? 10:49 - Busy people. 10:51 - People who are empty, people who are trying 10:53 to fill in that void and they don't know 10:56 that only God can fill that in. 10:59 Isn't it a huge, a huge, huge burden 11:04 and a huge opportunity when you look at these people. 11:06 These are the people who don't know what they want 11:08 who don't know what they need. 11:11 They don't know that only God 11:14 only God can fill it. 11:17 So when you look at these people right now, 11:19 does the burden grow in your heart? 11:22 Huh, does the concern grow in your heart? 11:25 They will not find what they're looking for 11:27 because what they're looking for is not God. 11:30 I guess this gives me the burden to pray for these people. 11:33 - Yeah. 11:34 - Not just for MBK 11:36 but for the whole Thailand. 11:39 Do you wanna spend time praying for these people? 11:42 - Yeah. - [Jim] Okay. 11:46 - Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you today at MBK. 11:53 We're at the most visited shopping mall in Thailand, 11:55 in Bangkok and we ask that You would send 12:00 Your Holy Spirit here to show these people 12:02 that what they're looking for or what they need, 12:06 they can't find it here - Yes. 12:07 - and they can't find it in material things. 12:10 We ask that You would show them 12:14 or send someone to show them that 12:16 that they need You to fill the hole 12:19 that they're trying to fill with other things. 12:22 So we ask that You would 12:26 help us to have a burden for them. 12:29 - We pray for these people that are all around us 12:31 that are here shopping and 12:35 as we are here that we would be a light for You 12:39 and that they can see You through us 12:41 that we could be a blessing on these people. 12:44 - We praise You and we thank you Lord 12:45 for helping us to see the opportunity 12:48 to look at things in Your perspective. 12:52 Every time we go into a mall right now, 12:55 we see people who are looking for something 12:57 that they don't know. 12:59 What they don't know, dear Father 13:01 is they needed You. 13:05 These are people who needed you 13:07 and yet they are just going around lost, 13:09 straying here and there 13:11 because they are not looking for You. 13:15 Dear Father, I pray that You please 13:17 do everything in Your power to take their attention 13:21 and help them look up. 13:23 Help them to have an opportunity to see You, 13:25 to get to know You. 13:28 And dear God I pray, everything that we do 13:30 we'll be reminded as well that every time we buy stuff, 13:36 every time we look at something and we crave for something, 13:39 help us to ask ourselves am I doing it 13:43 for my fulfillment's sake or am I buying that stuff 13:48 to glorify You? 13:50 So Lord be with us and help us dear Father 13:53 and help these people here, 100,000 people each day, 13:59 looking for something, who's not realizing 14:02 that they should be looking for You. 14:05 Be with them Lord, guide them. 14:07 Bless them, bless them in a way that they will have 14:12 a sense of the need of their Savior. 14:15 For we ask this in the loving name of Your Son, Jesus, amen. 14:20 (upbeat music) 14:23 It's a different experience huh? 14:25 Now you'll see the mall in different way. 14:28 Every time you see people, you'll see that there's a need. 14:32 So I guess let's go on. 14:36 Let's keep moving forward 14:37 onto the next place. 14:39 (upbeat music) 14:50 - I pray to the Lord, Lord I need 1500. 14:53 (laughing) 14:54 (speaking in foreign language) 14:55 'Cause if you don't trust Him with all your heart. 14:57 (speaking in foreign language) 15:00 So how was your Sabbath experience? 15:02 What's your favorite part here? 15:03 - I like the singing. 15:05 - In two different languages. 15:06 (laughing) 15:07 - Yeah, how about the kids? 15:09 - Yeah the kids are awesome. 15:11 - The kids are awesome and I guess 15:13 this is his favorite part as well? 15:15 The worship for the kids. 15:17 So how long have you been working here? 15:19 - I've been here for about a year and a half now. 15:22 - So what's the most rewarding thing 15:23 that you have experienced so far? 15:25 - It was really rewarding just to see them 15:26 sit there calm and listening and just paying attention. 15:30 Because when we first came here, I mean, 15:33 we couldn't do anything without the kids fighting, 15:36 biting each other, biting you, punching you. 15:38 You know they were just really uncontrolled. 15:41 - Yeah. 15:42 - And the work that God has done in them. 15:44 And how much they listen and behave now, 15:48 it's just really rewarding to see them have structure 15:51 to see them have 15:53 just to be calm, it's just really rewarding for me. 15:56 Because we thought it would never happen. 15:59 - So if there's one prayer request that you would like 16:03 to lift up to the Lord and we would want to join in 16:06 with you, what would that be? 16:08 - The kids. 16:09 - The kids. 16:11 - The, just change the things that they value. 16:14 - Please pray for the slums. 16:16 Please pray for Josh and his team that somehow 16:20 God will use them as the light in this dark world. 16:23 There's so much darkness here 16:25 and there's so much potential for these people 16:27 to see the light. 16:28 Let us pray. 16:30 (calm music) 16:36 - Dear God in heaven, we thank You 16:39 for the opportunity that we have to be here. 16:42 And we ask that You work through Josh 16:46 and his team and that they can impact the children's lives 16:50 and that the kids can be changed. 16:54 - We are in the slum here in Bangkok. 17:00 We wanna claim Your promise, ask 17:03 and I will give you the heathen for inheritance. 17:06 And we ask that You will bring light to this dark place. 17:13 Bring Your Holy Spirit to these kids' lives 17:16 and may You continue blessing their work. 17:20 - Lord we praise You and thank You for showing us 17:24 the huge potential in this place. 17:26 How this place will see You, 17:28 this dark environment dear Father 17:31 is about to see their Savior. 17:34 Lord we pray right now that may Jesus 17:37 be so attractive in the lives of Your missionaries, 17:41 in the lives of Your members 17:43 that whatever they do, that whatever they say, 17:46 it will all be about Jesus. 17:48 The most attractive being in this whole world. 17:51 We pray in a very special way for Josh's burden, 17:54 Josh's burden for these kids. 17:56 Lord may You lead, guide and abide in Josh 18:00 that in everything that he does 18:03 will bring this young people into the knowledge of You. 18:06 That they will just continue to focus 18:11 on the face of their Savior. 18:13 Lord, Josh could not change them. 18:15 The songs, the doctrine could not change them 18:18 except by their beholding upon You. 18:22 So Lord I pray that You please help Josh, 18:26 help Chitty that they will teach these kids to behold You. 18:29 And Lord we pray that You please 18:32 use these members. 18:34 Give them the passion, give them the hunger 18:36 that they don't have before. 18:38 That they will begin to see 18:40 that the real joy, the real happiness in this world 18:43 is not found in the world 18:45 it's only found in You. 18:46 And Lord we'd like to ask for more outpouring 18:49 of Your Holy Spirit. 18:50 - Lord we pray that You would just work 18:52 inside of this community Lord, and the parents 18:54 and the children Lord. 18:55 We pray that You would just show them Your way Lord. 18:57 That You would just show them Your love 18:59 and that You would just show them Your light. 19:01 Lord we pray for the members of our church 19:02 and that there are kids in our church Lord. 19:04 And we pray that we would just be able to show them 19:07 You every week and everyday Lord, 19:08 and we pray that You would just take this on Lord 19:11 that You would just take it for Yourself 19:13 and that You would turn all these people to know You 19:15 and to see you Lord, and we pray that they would be able 19:18 to stop their addictions 19:20 and stop the things that they're doing Lord. 19:22 Give them the power to overcome. 19:24 We just pray that You would just pour out the Spirit 19:27 on this community Lord. 19:28 And that they would know You fully. 19:29 Lord we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 19:33 - Amen. 19:36 - Thank you for giving us this experience Josh. 19:40 I'll surely be lifting - Thank you. 19:43 - This ministry up in prayer. 19:45 - As much as prayer as we can get is what we'll take. 19:46 - There we have it. 19:47 Let's keeping on praying for the slums. 19:49 Okay, Lilyann and Mary Ann, onto the next place. 19:52 - [Lilyann] Alright. 19:54 (calm music) 20:02 (upbeat music) 20:09 - [Lilyann] Wow, we're here at Baiyoke Sky Tower, 20:11 like this is amazing! 20:13 - It's the second tallest tower in Bangkok. 20:15 - [Lilyann] You can see forever. 20:18 - [Jim] Wow. 20:19 - [Lilyann] For a long ways. 20:20 - Look at that that, it looks like fire ants. 20:25 It's like an exodus of fire ants going around the city. 20:30 And you can see the 360 degree view of Bangkok. 20:35 - Yeah. 20:37 - How many people here in Bangkok? 20:38 - 12 million people live in Bangkok. 20:41 - Just in the city alone. 20:43 - Just in the city alone. 20:44 - Just in the city alone. 20:45 And how many Christians are there? 20:46 - 1200 Adventists in the city of of 12 million. 20:50 - Wow, 1200 in a city of 12 million. 20:54 99% have not known Christ. 20:58 They don't know about the Bible. 21:00 They don't have Bibles in their hands. 21:03 Just imagine that. 21:04 Doesn't that break your heart? 21:06 - Yes. 21:07 - The more we go around, the bigger the scope, 21:10 the bigger the scale and the bigger the burden. 21:13 We were walking around at MBK mall a few days ago, 21:17 and 100,000 people were visiting that mall 21:20 in just one day. 21:22 It's already blowing our minds. 21:24 100,000 people going around not knowing Christ. 21:26 But this time, this is what? 21:29 - 12 million. 21:31 - 12 million doesn't know Christ. 21:35 What should we do about it? 21:37 - Pray. 21:38 - We should pray. 21:39 And you know for a fact that there's this power in prayer. 21:43 There's power in the God who we ask 21:47 when we come together in prayer. 21:49 So what should we pray for? 21:52 - For the Holy Spirit to come into this city. 21:55 - Why do you want the Holy Spirit to come to the city? 21:58 - So that the few Adventists that there are can become 22:01 like on fire to share with others, and it will grow, 22:05 the work will grow here. 22:06 - They will light up the city 22:08 because this is a dark world. 22:11 It seems like it's bright. 22:12 There is a lot of light but Christianity here 22:16 has been dimmed. 22:17 If the Holy Spirit empowers these people 22:21 1200 Adventists here wherever they are, 22:25 the city will be lighted up. 22:27 They could be lighted up with God's glory. 22:29 So let us pray. 22:32 (calm music) 22:37 - Dear Father in heaven, thank You for this opportunity 22:40 that we get to be here 22:43 and we pray that Your Holy Spirit would be poured out 22:46 on this city. 22:47 That Your people here in this city would become 22:49 on fire for You, that they would share with all the others 22:54 that know nothing about You. 22:55 We're just requesting that people can know more about You. 23:01 - We thank You that we can be here 23:03 and be able to see what is here, what needs to be done, 23:06 and how many people there are that have no idea 23:09 of who You are. 23:12 We ask that Your Holy Spirit would be sent 23:19 to light the people who are Adventists here. 23:25 Spur them into action so that they will have a burden 23:28 for their other brothers and sisters who are lost. 23:34 We pray that You would also spur us into action, 23:35 that we would also have the burden 23:39 and we ask that You would claim these people 23:43 for Your own. 23:45 - We pray that You please give us a bigger burden 23:49 for these people. 23:50 Give us more sincere desire to win these people to You. 23:56 Lord, 99% does not know You. 24:00 More than 12 million people 24:03 have not been introduced to Christ, 24:06 have not known about the everlasting life 24:10 that You're offering. 24:13 Oh, dear Father, we pray that You please 24:15 pour Your Spirit upon us. 24:18 Pour Your Spirit upon the city. 24:20 I know for a fact that there are a lot of people 24:22 who are searching for You, 24:25 who are on the verge of conversion, 24:29 but they don't know where to go in this web of buildings. 24:33 And Lord, I pray, that as You pour out the Spirit, 24:36 Lord, I pray that you please lead them to You, 24:39 lead them to us, 24:41 lead them to our brothers and sisters 24:43 but before You lead them, dear God, 24:45 I agree with my sister's prayer 24:47 that You please pour Your Spirit upon us. 24:49 Pour Your Spirit upon our church here 24:54 that these tiny churches would become 24:56 the brightest churches here in Bangkok. 25:00 Lord, I pray that You please, 25:03 oh Lord captivate our hearts. 25:05 Help each and every member to see 25:07 that there's nothing, nothing to lose 25:10 if we give our all to You. 25:12 There's everything to gain, 25:14 there's 12 million people to gain for Your kingdom, 25:18 oh Lord, awaken this burden. 25:21 Awaken this desire that we may plead before You 25:25 as a church, as one body. 25:27 Lord we ask this in the loving name 25:29 of Your Son, Jesus, amen. 25:32 (calm music) 25:36 So I hope and I pray that wherever you may go, 25:39 wherever the Lord will lead you, 25:41 every time you visit the city, 25:44 every time you see a traffic jam, 25:47 every time you see buildings, highrises, 25:50 think about people who does not know Christ. 25:54 And Christ is coming soon, so soon. 25:58 And they need to know, they need to know. 26:02 I guess, for our viewers, what do you want them 26:05 to have in this prayer walk that we have been having? 26:09 - That even if they can't do anything else, 26:11 if they feel like they're too young, 26:13 or they don't have money to send to missions 26:16 or something, they can always pray. 26:18 - Amen, and I guess they could go to Google. 26:21 They could Google places, like how many 26:23 population are in this place? 26:26 How many people are in the city? 26:28 The best thing we can do is what? 26:29 - Pray. 26:30 - Pray, and I wish all the young people are like you. 26:35 People who are looking at the city 26:37 and saying I want them to know God. 26:41 I want them to know Christ. 26:43 It has been a pleasure hanging out with you. 26:46 - Well, we're very glad that you took the time 26:48 to come and help us out and... 26:51 - Be a part of this show. 26:53 - Oh I'm glad to be part of this show. 26:56 Especially I'm glad to be part of this prayer walk. 26:59 - Thank you. 27:00 - Thank you, high five. 27:02 (soft music) 27:08 - That was such an incredible experience. 27:11 And just being there to pray was so moving. 27:14 - It was one of the highlights of the trip for me. 27:16 - Definitely and it really gave us a new burden 27:19 for Bangkok as well as the other cities in the world. 27:22 - Mm hmm. 27:23 - Like just to stop and take a minute to pray 27:24 for the people that we would normally ignore. 27:27 - Mm hmm. 27:28 - We can't possibly hope to make a difference on our own. 27:31 But with God's help through prayer, we can. 27:33 - Prayer is such a powerful tool. 27:35 Yet we often waste this gift by using it selfishly. 27:39 Join us as we continue to pray for God to work 27:41 in mighty ways among the million of unreached people 27:44 throughout the cities. 27:45 - We'll see you next time on MissionTREK. 27:47 - Remember to pray for the unreached cities. 27:49 (upbeat music) |
Revised 2019-11-11