April 2008
Dear Friends and Family,
The life that Tim and I have been called to comes with a unique blessing that we are only now beginning to truly feel and as the time for us to leave comes and we are living on the field we will truly experience. This is the blessing of dependence. This blessing comes at a cost, it is so contrary to our nature, and is filled with uncertainty and waiting. The blessing comes as we stare down insurmountable challenges and lift up our hands saying we are too weak but these will be overcome. It often looks and feels like foolishness to believe in the impossible. It is here however where the blessing lay, at the end of the day when we have been praying and waiting and trying our best not to worry we will see God our father come to our aid and overcome these odds. We will get to experience the God of the universe entering into our lives and lovingly caring for our smallest needs! Jesus does remind that if you ask for bread you will not be given a stone, and we should look at the lilies of the field who are dressed in splendor and know that our Father will give us much more.
This perspective though is certainly a challenge and will continue to teach humility. As we are living overseas we will be totally dependent on those called to support us in order to live daily, we will be alone in a foreign country depending on the Thai Church to find a family of Christians to form bonds and work with, and we will come up against what seems to be impossible odds in liberating women and the helping the poor. The sex industry is a global force spanning every country and making millions or even billions of dollars off of the lives of those bought and sold. This is not something that we can come up against on our own. Poverty feels as old as time itself, Jesus said the poor will always be with you, but we are called to fight for justice, to stand against it's dehumanizing effects. This again is impossible, how can we make an impact on the largest slum in Bangkok that has been in existence longer than I have been alive. I can't stress enough these things are impossible.
However the hope and the blessing comes as we pray together and see miracles happen! How many Christians have said they would love to see the fire pour down as it did for Elijah as he came up against the prophets of Baal, or the blind see, the lame walk…we want to see this. We believe we will. We believe that Gods hand is moving over Bangkok. We can see the fire pour down from heaven against the sex industry enslaving millions and the poverty that robs people of their value.
This will happen through prayer! There are so many ways that you can pray. As I stated earlier this life of dependence is challenging, as we are preparing to go and raising support we are in a constant battle to remind ourselves that everything will happen in God timing and to remind ourselves to be okay with Gods timing. It feels so natural to lay out our timing and our plans and so unnatural to have an idea of our calling but know that daily we are dependent. It does feel at times like our hands are tied. Once again I feel I can't stress enough, this is the blessing, when we see great things accomplished while our hand are tied, it is then that we know it was God and He receives the glory. So please pray for us in this, as we battle our natural inclination and just totally rest in God and allow him to take the lead. Please also pray for the process we are in; that our Visa's go smoothly, that we find a place to live in Bangkok, that we are able to smoothly connect with the hospital in Bangkok, that I would remain healthy and strong throughout the pregnancy, that Elijah continues to grow strong and healthy, that she will transition to living in Bangkok well. Please also continue to remember those we hope to serve the poor and the women. As we are faithful and as we pray these individual challenges will be overcome and begin to make the impossible happen and we will see Gods will be done in Bangkok.
Updated prayer requests are posted on the Word Made Flesh website on our staff page. Just visit the website click on the countries link at the top of page, click on Thailand in the left hand countries listing, click on staff, click on Tim and Amy Hupe, then click on prayer requests. This is also a great way to read past letters. From now until we leave there are two months. We want to challenge all of you to commit to prayer, there is no better way to be sent out than bathed in prayer. Print our prayer requests, post them on your fridge, email them to friends who are committed to prayer, have your Sunday school make it there prayer projects, there are so many neat ways that you can make praying for us a project and a commitment over the next two months. We thank you so much in advance for these prayers, they will be felts. Please also communicate with us any words of wisdom you feel as you are praying, as well as ways we can pray for you. We feel so blessed by all of you that as we would also love to be lifting up your needs.
Thankyou So much
Amy and Family
714-318-8835
714-313-9100