Where do I begin to tell you about the pride and love this mama's heart has? Felicia is our firstborn child, and she has always dreamed of traveling and helping the hurting. At 18 years old, she is already fulfilling those dreams.
When I was looking for things to display at her graduation party this past year, I found all kinds of letters containing her writing about these dreams, as young as age 10.
Now, she has gone on a mission called YWAM that has bases all over the United States and throughout the world.
The base she signed up with is Eagle Rock in Colorado. Here she is with the leaders of the base. Mark and Donna have been so kind to her and have been wonderful to work with us as parents.
In September she started taking her DTS in Arvada.
I'm so thankful for all the friendships and growth she has developed through Jesus and this program. She is working on developing a blog to share her journey and testimony; I'll share the link once she has time to do more writing.
She got to fly home for a family wedding in October, then again for Thanksgiving. We tried to prepare her with the things she needed as much as one can. She went back on Thanksgiving with this backpack that she will live out of for the next two months.
This was one of her first pictures she posted when she arrived in Thailand--the view from her window where they spent a day resting from their day-and-a-half travels to get there.
They stayed at the YWAM base in Bangkok.
We were so excited to see pictures of her. Her Instagram is
She loves the coconut-flavored water and the
food is busting with flavors she loves. A meal there usually costs a dollar.
I'm so thankful that I can follow her and her friends on Instagram. Her friend Michael Stark is a photographer and takes amazing pictures. You can follow him on this link.
Everything looks so tropical
and I love the bright colors. Of course, other than the pictures with my daughter in them, these teal-colored doors are my favorite!
This was from the street of Bangkok.
Our time zone is 13 hours apart. So how Syd (lil sister) keeps track is they are a half-day ahead of us. If we are going to bed, like I should be now, she is getting up. In our part of the world, it is 11pm on Sunday evening, and in hers, it's 11am on Monday morning. That means she is now on her way to Pattaya to minister to women who are caught up in sex trafficking.
I will share a little about how God changed her heart and the ministry she thought she was going to do when she started this journey in September. She had plans of going to Africa and working with the children. As God reconstructed Fee's heart, so did he also change her plan. Long story short, she was feeling this strong pull toward helping these women in Thailand.
I'll share a little of what I've had to do in my own heart, along with cutting some strings. I've had to release her so she can fly. A week ago, she texted me while she was still in Colorado and told me she is fasting from her phone until she leaves. Selfish me thought of mostly about how I couldn't text or Facetime her until she flies halfway around the world.
So lil miss Lena cried a river and asked friends to pray for me.
Then a bell went off in my head alerting me to how I was only thinking of myself. If Felicia needed to do that to be stronger for her next leg of her journey, then, duh, why wouldn't I be okay with that?
Yeah, I've had my little moments, and so has her Daddy.
The best gift any child could ever give their parent is to be sold out to Christ, and Felicia has given us that. So, Girl, you change the world as He will lead you, and He will protect you:)
Oh, and by the way, the photo above was from when Felicia was talking to us this morning.
Blessed my heart to see her pretty face.
One of the things they did today was go into the Buddha temples to pray. She said there was so much she wanted to share with us, but we lost connection.
I appreciate all of you who have prayed for her or supported her with money and encouragement.
One thing Felicia has always been is grateful, so it makes it even easier to bless her.
She grew up never letting me buy her brand-new jeans, and, on the light side, she ran out of gas many times because she just hated to ask us for money. It came to the point that her Daddy would take the responsibility to keep her gas tank filled when she was sleeping so she wouldn't have to run on God's gas. Felicia really is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. This last journey of her life has just made her blossom even more.
I'm wondering what kind of fruit this is? What it tastes like?
All the food looks heavenly.
Hope you have enjoyed this visit
to Thailand with Felicia and her group of 26 (I think).
This is a picture of Pattaya where she will be now for two weeks.
I will keep posting blogs as I collect pictures and hopefully hear updates.
This is Fee in the background with the yellow headband.
After Fee asked us to pray for certain needs this morning, God spoke to me to send her these notes that I had picked up in church this morning. We are God's children, and women, I'm telling you, don't believe the lies Satan is trying to make you believe about yourself.
As I lay my head on the pillow tonight, my daughter is out furthering God's kingdom here on earth.
As she lays down her head tomorrow morning, I'll be here motivated to further God's kingdom where I'm planted.
I'm going to enjoy the ride and pray that bubble of protection over her, no matter where she may go.
Because I believe in him, I know she will be okay.
So, as you lay down your head tonight, I hope you are inspired to change the world no matter where you're planted.
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