Na na na na... Na na na na... hey hey hey... Good bye!!!

Sawatdee Khrup (the good bye version) Thailand...

Hello.... Taiwan!!! (at least for until the fall!)

Hey Everyone,

Wow, long time since I last wrote... A lot has happened since I last wrote... Hmmm... where do I start... NewSong is still growing and evolving to understand how it fits in the culture of Bangkok and how it wants to serve this city. We've had several bombings here for New Years (all of us are safe). I've done a lot less traveling recently (only Korea, Koh Samet, and Penang)... My belly is growing even though I'm eating less (I hate turning 30)... Hyojung and I are doing well... And it's actually in the 80's over here in Bangkok (surprisingly)!!!

There are a bunch of other things that's been happening but I guess the main thing I want to let you guys know is.... I'm Done!!

After 2 truly glorious and adventured filled years here in Thailand, I'm finishing up my time and transitioning out of my job!! Wow! This has been a surreal journey! The amount I've experienced, grown, changed, poured-out, lived up, experimented, and traveled in these last 2 years have been nothing short of unbelievable. I was able to pursue, develop, and execute on a job that I absolutely loved (fulfilling my heart to finally do fulltime ministry after a 5 year wait). I got to travel more in this last 2 years than I've even traveled in my life (I think I took about 200 flights these 2 years, hitting about 10 countries) to truly satiate a bit of my wanderlusting. I met a truly amazing, God-blessed girl in Hyojung (I'm a lucky guy). I met sooooooooo many amazing people through my time here (a total of about 35 trips I did with all different peoples... and this does not even include the community I built here!)... And finally, I met God in ways that showed me once again, he is our most glorious God and I am not (Praise the Lord for his grace and for me learning more what a sinful man I am and how much I truly need him)!

I definitely want to say thank you to all of you who wrote, prayed, and cared in different ways! I really wish I can thank you guys more than I can! Hopefully I get to meet with you guys for the month that I'm back in the states!!

In anycase, my next stop as I wrote earlier... TAIWAN!!

This is actually been a dream of mind to come back to Taiwan for several reasons.

First of all, I will be serving with one of my best friends, Daniel with his church plant that he started over 2 years ago, The Pearl... Dan and I have been talking about ministering together for years now and finally an awesome chance has been provided by the Lord. Secondly, after years of shame of not being able to speak my native tongue of Mandarin, I'll finally be putting myself into a renowned Mandarin learning institute to study my mother tongue and to finally feel like I can relate to my relatives better and even understand my parents a bit more. Third, I always felt a heart toward the Chinese people. This heart grew when I did a short term trip in 2001 to Kaoshiung, Taiwan. I feel like this opportunity will give me a chance to really delve into my vision and dream as to how to serve the Chinese people (in China, Taiwan, or states) for the future! And finally, the last reason why I'm so happy to go is because of the FOOOOOOOD!!! For all of you who are Chinese or have been there, you guys know what I mean... Gobs and Gobs of delectables!! Haha!! Finally, it will be in my belly!!

As I said, I'm excited for this next step as I sense the Lord has open this time up. The Lord, has in this last 2 years truly met all my deepest yearnings of my heart. To the point, that I don't feel any sense of angst or pressure about the next step of life. More so, I just feel blessed to be able to be open to whatever next adventure he gives and I just want to go deeper with him!

With that, I'm heading to Taiwan and just asking God to provide as I do ministry and learn there. I have some savings that I'll live on but it will definitely be tight. I know that the Lord provides have and will continue to provide. This will definitely be a time that God is asking me to grow deeper in my faith and trust in him. Something I definitely need!

Well, I said enough! Thank you all for being there for me the last couple of years in Thailand. Please keep in touch!

Blessings to all of you!

Bryant

Krabi (retreat site)

COUP D'ETAT!!!

(now that's really cool!)

First off, I want to thank people for the care and concern for me and the rest of my bro's and sis out here in Bangkok! We are totally fine and life continues unabated in a good way!

Well, as many of you heard, there has been a military Coup D'etat and now the current Prime Minister and the current regime has been sacked! Though this sounds truly horrible and devastating, the effects of everyday life here hasn't been affected much. In fact, from my guess, it seems that the US press has made it a bigger scarier scenario than we are currently encountering out here. The US embassy here barely sent out a note to us US citizen just asking us not to go out on the streets too much unless necessary.

Though it was definitely interesting receiving a text from one of my friends all of a sudden saying, "Tanks are roaming the streets, a military coup is taking place, head home now!" We eventually realized that for the most part, this will be a peaceful coup. How can we be sure? Well, the key thing to take note in all of this is that the King has endorsed this military coup. Thus, anybody who is anybody in Thailand will know that this is a sign of total endorsement by the one person that people will trust and respect that this is the way it should be. Even the currently ousted Prime Minister will not challenge the King's authority in this regard as he realizes without the kings support, much less approval, he will not be accepted by the people.

All to say, we are good! We are conducting life as normal. We are back to our meetings. But just in case, I withdrew most of my money out of the Thai Bank and transferred back to the States! Just because we are safe, doesn't mean, things are gonna turn out peachy in all ways!

Alright, a real and full report is coming soon!

Blessings all! Much love from Siam,

B~

PS - Though this coup wasn't scary to me, here's a pic which really captured the ONE time in my life I was truly about to crap in my pants... Enjoy! 

ZZZZzzzzzz!!!!

Have you ever had times in which things are growing progressively tougher in life but you feel God extending more and more grace!

Well, that is where I am! Lots of things just being torn down in front of me. Dreams falling, foundations in my life cracking, and vision blurring. However, I feel more and more closer to our Lord... He is shining his light in this time to show his grace and never ending love and joy in me.

So, I feel and live out his peace in my life. May our God be praised!

However, the weird thing is that I think my sub-conscious has been traumatized... That is the only way I can describe it. I feel ok (for the most part) but it seems like something within me has been affected. How this has been manifested is a lack of an ability to sleep!

Psalm 127:2

...  for he grants sleep to ^[a] those he loves

Hmmm... As I think about all that is happening... And with work being at its peak of craziness, I feel Satan attacking one of my last areas of strength in my life to utterly break me down. And at this point, I'm too emotionally tired to fight... Thus I would love your help and grace!

If you can, please lift a prayer to implore for our Lord to help me find true rest in him... It would be much appreciated!

Blessings, y'all! 

PS - Oh yeah, I'll be with a 2 big teams from Newsong the next 2 weeks. We are going to build a walkway from our fisheries production site into the bay! It's gonna be an interesting time! Pray for the Lord's grace for us!

So, if people are willing to e

Jesus, Have Mercy

Three things are on my thoughts! Usually, we put these things in a certain order... but, it's reverse day for me! Bleh!

1) Ugly -

I AM SO SO BAD ABOUT UPDATING!! BLEH!!! I WISH I HAD AN EXCUSE!!  (well ok, maybe I do have a small one - scroll down to the bottom part of the entry)

2) Bad -

OK, this isn't really a bad thing but to go with the flow - Xealot is now in a transition phase! We have learned a lot in this past year and a half! Lord has blessed and has been faithful. We've seen about 200 people come through Thailand catching a bigger vision in their lives and having life tranformation through their own personal conviction! We've seen lives being touched of those all over Thailand. Whether it be un cared for people coming to our Community centers; business enterprise to fund existing work in impoverished areas; building schools to give resources and opportunities to kids; or giving basic facilities to women with AIDS, God has done so much for the Thailand through SDRF/Xealot. We praise God for his continuing movement and blessings and we thank you and all the supporters (Short term missionaries, Vision team people, prayer people, donators) for blessing his movement here! It's been awesome! God has been overly gracious

Now we are moving to a new stage! I am going to start preparing for the transition of others to take over. I have many of the processes and platforms set up but now it is time for the next group to eventually come in. I'll still be here until January but it is now time to mobilize the next group! The Thai nationals, the ex pats, and the Volunteer short term missionaries who will carry on the work!! God is continuing to do something great and exciting through this! Let's see where this leads! I will send more in the next update next week! Right now, we are in the midst of Short term missions team. We have 6 teams coming this summer doing a variety of things (construction, renovation, camps, teaching).

We are blessed! And May you continue to lift up prayers for us!

3) Good -

There has been one area of my life that I have neglected to talk about in this posting! The reason... well... partly I was waiting for the right moment... partly because as a real shy private person (who am I kidding), I thought it would be best that I don't mix ministry with my private life!

But I realized that I deprived you all in an area that has really blessed and enrich my life in a way that I never thought it would happen!!

I'm ENGAGED!

My fiancee, Hyojung Yoon, and I got engaged a week ago in Korea!

I proposed to her in Korea off of a mountain skyline that overlooked all of Seoul. It was the same place that her Father proposed to her mom!  

We actually met one month into my time here in Bangkok at our Thai Language School. Though my eyes and heart was totally focused on the mission that God has laid before me; And never in my wildest dream did I think I would find someone on the field. But lo and behold, after just one month into Thailand, God will bring the one girl who would truly capture me so convincingly that I am excited and joyful to eventually get married to her in the near future!

It's been an amazing, hard, but God filled journey! And I feel that I am one lucky man! So Praise God! If you guys can keep us in your prayers I would very much appreciate it!

For more information --> www.xanga.com/yoonooy

Well, that's it for now! I'll be updating more in a week! I have to run! Another team is here and we are off to another adventure!

Blessings to all!

Much love!

Bryant

Hey all,

Ever hit a stretch where God has been breaking you constantly... In that time right now... I'm seeing God so clearly but it hurts so much... Really would appreciate prayers of mercy for myself... I truly need it...

In addition this is my travel schedule for the next 7 weeks

(writing from Kuala Lumpur)

Week 1 KL for three days

Week 2 Vision Trip (3 places)

Week 3 Korea

Week 4 Vision Trip (3 places)

Week 5 US

Week 6 US

Week 7 (1/2) Team retreat in Thailand

I think I have a total stay of 5 days in my place for this time...

May God truly have more mercies during this time!

Love to hear any traveling that you guys have done!

Blessings