With only 9 days to go until I leave for Thailand, I'm starting to feel the reality of my trip sinking in. I am not at all organised in terms of packing and paperwork but trust that it will all begin to come together this week.
I finished up at work on Friday which was a huge emotional challenge as I farewelled my amazing colleagues and the beautiful children who have become like family to me. This new season has officially begun. I'm trusting God for my next paycheque (and the one after that...and after that again...)
I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my family this week and Fi arrives from Melbourne on Monday for a fleeting Christmas visit. This time next week it'll be time to pack the bags and say my goodbyes.

So exciting. So challenging. So good.

There's still hope

This is a bit belated, but still valuable all the same. The release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. Post written by a member of the Partners USA team...

We had been waiting for this day for years.
by: Admin— Partners USA @ 3:36 am
Prayed for it, talked about it. Now the day was here. Aung San Suu Kyi walked out of her house arrest. It seemed too good to be true. Maybe it is too good to be true.

On Saturday November 13th the Burmese junta released Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from her illegal house arrest. The junta has detained Suu Kyi for 15 of the last 21 years, and continuously since May 30, 2003.

While thousands rejoiced in the streets of Rangoon and millions joined around the world, the military junta continued its offenses in the ethnic areas around the country. For the thousands who were forced to flee from their homes, the day was far from happy.

While the world is hoping, and believing, that this may be the beginning of change in Burma, we must not forget this: The government just conducted an election that they labeled democratic. It’s no secret that those elections guaranteed the military junta continuous power. While Aung San Suu Kyi walked out of her house arrest, more than 2200 were still sitting in Burma’s notorious prisons—imprisoned for their political views. While we sighed and let our shoulders down, feeling relieved that The Lady was free, tens of thousands of child soldiers carried weapons and burdens no child should have to carry. While we watched the news of a hero set free, hundreds of thousands were on the run—away from the brutal army.

Let’s not be fooled into thinking that the struggle is over; let’s not be fooled into thinking the children of Burma can now live free, full lives. Let’s be realistic and admit that the strong men of Naypyidaw still have an agenda, and it is not an agenda that includes freedom for the people of Burma.

Partners is pleased that Aung San Suu Kyi finally is released from her house arrest. But we also recognise that her release is almost meaningless unless there is a more substantial change in Burma. Unless the junta enters into dialogue with the National League for Democracy, with the ethnic groups in the country, and promises to restore democracy, life will go on as it has for more than 50 years for the people in the nation.

Please pray for a change. Please pray for Aung San Suu Kyi’s safety and health. Please pray for the more than 20,000 new refugees whose future is uncertain since their villages were attacked last week. Please pray for the political prisoners. Please pray for the thousands of child soldiers.

Aung San Suu Kyi said: “We have to work together. One person alone can’t do anything as important as bringing change and democracy to a country.” And this is what we believe too. That is why Burma needs you. This is why we at Partners need you.

- Oddny Gumaer, Partners Relief & Development

Political unrest

You may have seen in the media that Burma held it's national election on the 11th of November. This was predicted to be a rather meaningless event in termsof the outcome as the Burmese Army has been known to abuse its power to force locals to vote for particular political parties against their free will. But noone really expected the Burma Army rebels to launch a revenge attack on the Burma Army, forcing thousands of residents out of their homes and across the border into Thailand. Alhough most of these people will be able to return home safely once the conflict has died down, it is a reminder of just how dangerous their living conditions are and how violent the Burma Army is prepared to be in order to maintain power.

I cried as I saw these imagies taken by some of the Partners staff who were in Mae Sot to help out with the relief effort. My heart breaks for these people and the injustice they have, and continue to experience. It's scenarios like these that make me realise why I need to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus.

To market, to market...

I enjoyed a most delightful day at the KGUrbanVillage markets this past Saturday. Joined by my beautiful friend Lisa, we set out to sell a stack of pre-loved clothes donated by my generous friends as a fundraiser for my trip.

There's something wonderful about getting up with the sun and preparing for an exciting day. It was even more wonderful to have live acoustic worship playing courtesy of the local market busker.

I really sensed the favour of God upon my stall throughout the day. My prayer: "If you want me to do this thing, you have to provide every step of the way". And He did.

We were blessed with a gorgeous sunny day that also brought the slightest touch of sunburn, but was also the complete opposite of the predicted thunderstorms (I should mention God and I had stern words during the 24 hours prior).

We made more than any other stall in the vicinity and seemed to somehow draw people who seemed blind to the stalls around us. I had some amazing conversations with people who wanted to know why I was doing this and felt so priveleged to share the heart and mission my God has given me to fulfill.

A huge thanks to all of my beautiful friends who helped out:

*Trihn, Steph, Kimmie, MJ, Anna, Bec, Lisa, Sara, Jess HS, and Jess W for prying clothes from their wardrobes and getting them to me in time;

*Housemate Bec who sacrificed her Friday night to meticulously tag, size, and hang every item, plus being the Sing's runner;

*Lisa for giving up her Saturday sleep-in to help run the stall and being an irresistable 'date' for the Columbian stallholder next to us.

*Dad for going on wild goose chases to find elusive, invisible bags of clothes.

Mustard seed faith

God continues to pour out His grace upon me as I step out in faith on this journey.

I am someone who tends to be rather anxious when it comes to money. I try to be generous and trust that God will provide all that I need, but i often find myself crunching the numbers to see if I have enough for whatever the need. Recently God has been challenging me to be bold in my giving and fervently trust Him for financial provision.

Friends of mine who are in full-time ministry needed money for Visas to allow them to come back to Australia. I had money stashed away in a high interest account that I was intending to add to and use for expenses in Thailand. It wasn't much, but I felt God say "You need to give every cent you have". I wondered how I would pay for my accommodation and vaccinations, but believed I needed to wholeheartedly TRUST my God to provide. He promises in his Word that He will give me all I need.

And provide He has. Last week I got a cheque in the mail from my elderly Pop for almost ten times what I had given!




What a magnificent reward for my minute, mustard seed-sized faith. I pray that it continues to grow as I live in the fuit of God's faithfulness.

"I tell you the truth. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move. Nothing will be imposible for you."

[Matthew 17:20]

Micah 6:8

"...The Lord has told you what he wants from you:

to do what is right to other people,

love being kind to others,

and live humbly, obeying your God.

Micah 6:8

What maketh the man?

Do you ever find that the times when you need the most strength are when you feel you're at your weakest? Or you believe you're doing something great for God and suddenly you're confronted by Satan who tries to steal you away from all of that?

I can definitely resonate with both of these experiences and have found in the past month or so that I have come under attack as I prepare logistically and emotionally for my trip. I don't believe that attack is something to be feared - look how Jesus dealt with temptation from Satan (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). The Word of God cuts through Satan's grip if only we remember to utilise its strength. Ephesians 6:17 says "Take the helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God"

That kind of reminds me of those superhero cartoons - where would they be if they didn't access the powers they had been given to do the work required?

"Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105