Austins in Thailand

Don’t forget to check the blogs on the right. There are some great ones! I just added Doug Murren’s site. He’s a great guy with some powerful insights. Check it out and join the conversations. . .

I recently watched this movie with my two sons. It was delightful to laugh, be intellectually engaged and spiritually enriched without having to cringe at the bad words and sexual content. Can Hollywood make good family films? Yes, and Evan Almighty is one of them. . .

Several weeks ago the following resolution was unanimously passed by 240 delegates at the General Conference of the Free Methodist Church of North America:

“Slavery and human trafficking in all their forms are unjust, destroy human dignity and devalue human life. We denounce and resist all forms of slavery and human trafficking: indentured servitude, trade slavery, sex-slave trade, and the forced sale and/or transport of people (forced adoption for profit and mail order bride for profit) in all its forms. We actively oppose slavery through establishing local and global networks in conjunction with existing Free Methodist ministries to combat slavery through prayer, education, advocacy, rescue, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of victims, and the call for application of justice and opposition to the people and organizations responsible for human trafficking.”

The Free Methodist Church sides with the poor and oppressed in the world. Once again, we have embraced the call to act on behalf of the weak, vulnerable and oppressed.

Let us rally around this call and act with boldness and hope.

You can now give electronically to us and our ministry in Thailand. . . Just look up to the top of the screen where it says, “Austins in Thailand”   Just below are four words the last of which is, “Give.”

Thanks for your support!

This week my family and I are attending the General Conference of the Free Methodist Church of North America. General Conference is held once every four years. Delegates from both clergy and lay sides of the church gather to worship, fellowship, refocus and work together to find the best way to follow Jesus.

Some of the sessions are discussions and debates about a variety of issues - how we do interpret scripture, how do we best organize our structures, how do we respond to modern slavery, to name a few.

I’ve been impressed by the power of democracy and the loving unity of the Free Methodist Church. We don’t all agree. That’s o.k. However, we all have a voice and we are united behind a shared vision. What is this vision? To see Jesus glorified and the Kingdom of God expanding through all the world.

It’s strange to not really belong anywhere. I live in Thailand - but I’m not Thai. No matter how hard I try or for how long I try, I’ll never be Thai. I’m an American, but after being out of the country for six years now, I’m not sure what that means.

This is a bit destabilizing. It also brings some things into sharp, culture warping perspective. I’ve now been back in the United States for 2 weeks. I’m in culture shock, and I hope I don’t get over it. Here are a couple of my more recent culture shock moments:

I can’t bear to spend $3 on a latte knowing that $3 is equal to a week worth of lunches in Thailand or approximately 2 days worth of pay for the average Cambodian.

What’s up with all the stores where trees used to be? Do we need 300 Target stores in the North Seattle area?

I’m not against shopping, lattes, eating good food, etc. But the materialism will eat away at the our souls until we are hollow. Moderation is a good thing. Living simply so others may simply live is a good thing.

I don’t want to be a materialist American. I want to be a Christian like John Wesley:

Making as much as I can to give as much as I can.

Living a life of enthusiastic outreach, helping all I can.

Doing everything from a heart of love.

Eternity is drawing everyone. What is life all about? What is an authentic life? These are the themes of the beautiful movie, “The Fountain”. While God is not a character and the major religions are absent, the spiritual quest is there. We are captivated by the questions the movie asks.

The acting is superb. The music enchanting. The cinematography is beautiful. The story is romantic, exciting and moving. I give it a solid A.