Two Weeks and Counting!

So, I'm leaving for YWAM in a little more than two weeks!  I'm so excited, yet there is a lot to do.  I have a few prayer requests that I would love for my fellow prayer warriors to stand in with me.

I have learned that if I mix my own tracks and just have it mastered, it will cost $100 per song.  This cost is in addition to flights, monthly staff fees, etc.  Please be praying and rejoicing over the provision

The CD is now 13 tracks long.  I have most of the instrumentals all finished up except for 3 tracks.  When I go to YWAM I will record the vocals and finish mixing and fine tuning the tracks exactly to how I want them.  Please pray for endurance, patience and strength as I finish this project.  I'm really excited about it and to be able to take it on the road with me.

Please also be praying for the other staff who will be coming to YWAM Tampa and the Sanborn family who run it.  I'm sure there are a lot of obstacles that will be revealing themselves to everyone as the enemy does NOT want this outreach to happen.

Thank you all so much for your prayer and financial support!  I pray the Lord continues to bless you and keep you as we continue to partner together to advance His Kingdom!

-Aaron

Anything worthwhile....

....is never easy.  I am learning this.  Writing, composing, recording, and keeping the vision alive all at the same time have proven to be harder than I originally expected.

I am currently in my third week of recording, while staying active in my church, helping my family with just basic little things, taking random job opportunities and getting ready for my return to YWAM.

May I just say, things as far as circumstances have been great!  But, I have been getting attacked in my thoughts more and more.  "You're not good enough to do this."  "You don't know enough."  You aren't talented enough."  "You don't have the skill."  All of these thoughts keep poking me in the back of my mind.  And yet, I am committed to making this CD project, to the best of my ability.

You'd think I would look at trying to make a worship album through a church, or through a studio.  Or maybe even trying to look at getting a record label.  Try playing a street corner or put some music out through a local pub or bar to try to get some attention.  There are a lot of options.  Yet, in my spending time with the Lord, I keep getting the hint that I'm not supposed to pursue those things.  I keep feeling like He's telling me to press into Him, and the music from His throne will surge through me.

I'm not trying to be arrogant at all when I say that the Lord is telling me, NO!  CHALLENGING me to believe that the music He wants to play and sing through me doesn't need a studio, a label, a financial organization to back it before it goes somewhere.  And to be honest, I don't really want all that stuff.  My heart is to see people worship.  My desire is to see the Lord's creation reconnecting with Him, through whatever gifts and talents He has given me to use.

You'd think there would be peace in this thought.  And there is.  Yet, my mind rages on in battle, telling me lies that I thought I had cast down before.  I thought I had taken these thoughts captive into the obedience of Christ.  Isn't "I have commissioned You, so DO IT!  I will provide for your lack," good enough of a hope and motivation to press on?  It is, if I choose to dwell on it.

Whatever opportunities arise I will test them to see if they are in the Lord's will, or just a distraction from the enemy.  One thing is for sure, I am in a battle of thought for confidence, motivation and faith that God is overwhelmingly more than enough for me.  I am challenged to use what I have to the best of my ability.  Whatever I don't have, God Almighty has more than enough to make up for it.

Therefore, "I press on toward for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus," just as Paul said in Philippians 3:14.

Nothing excellent comes easy.  And I am for sure not striving for "Good Enough".

NEW THINGS COMIN'!

Hey all!

I have not posted here in awhile, but I wanted to update you on what I have been up to since I got back from YWAM Tampa!

This past summer I was employed by the YMCA working with local kids at the YMCA Summer Camp.  It was awesome and I love both the kids and adults that I worked with!

I have been very busy getting involved with my home church Anastasia Baptist in Saint Augustine Beach, Florida.  They have been very good to me, welcoming me back and giving me opportunities to share my experiences in YWAM, Malaysia and Thailand, while letting me sell a sample CD that I've been able to put together called "In Process".

Well, now there are new things on the horizon and they are BIG!  For one, it's official-I'm going back to YWAM!  September through December we'll be working on music and the team's play "Judah Ben-Hur" and January we'll be heading on the road for a domestic tour.  Then in February- March we'll be overseas in Singapore and Malaysia.

Summer Camp ended Friday September 17th and Saturday I began recording for the album I will be taking with me to YWAM called "Throne Room".  I'm very excited about this, but I could use a lot of prayer!  Please pray for endurance and patience as I believe this CD will bring new, fresh revelation into praise and worship.  My prayer is that people will be awakened in their soul's and minds toward the spiritual realm and what happens when we worship God in "Spirit and in Truth" just as He called us to do.  Please be praying for financial provision as I will need it for both producing the album, room and board for YWAM, travel expenses and basic necessities.

Please also be praying for spiritual strength and protection as I record this album.  I have been getting hit hard with discouragement, fear, doubt, old temptations and even older attitudes.  As my father is about to drop a medication in a few weeks, this also increases the spiritual attack on our family.  Satan does NOT want us to keep living in celebration of what God has done and is doing.

Thank you all so much for all of your support!  If you would like an "In Process" CD for $5.00, just let me know and I will see about getting one to you!

Thanks again everyone for your prayers and financial support!  More updates to come soon!!!

In His Name for His Kingdom,
-Aaron

Thank You!

Dear Friends, Family, and Ministry Partners,

      THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU for your prayer and financial support in my YWAM training and outreaches to Malaysia and Thailand!

      Through your support, our team saw over 120 people accept Christ and almost 300 Burmese (Myanmar) refugee children were able to hear the creation story and God’s love in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia.  Not only this, but we were able to do spiritual warfare and help newly established churches become better equipped to share the Gospel and lead their congregations in worship and hear the voice of God in the villages of central Thailand!

      Many seeds were planted with the Gospel of Christ, including street break-dancers, skateboarders and dance competitors in central and northern Thailand.  We were also able to work at an orphanage, helping children and young adults understand the love of God through music, song, dance and drama.

      It is an experience I will never forget!  And, there are more opportunities presenting themselves for future ministry with YWAM-TAMPA, including album recording and national and international touring, all presenting the Gospel of Christ and leading worship around the country and throughout the world. 

      Thank you again for partnering with me in advancing the Kingdom of God in Southeast Asia.  As a thank you, I have enclosed a copy of some of the music that I have been working on (some of which was able to used in Malaysia and Thailand.  I assure you, there is much more to come and God is only beginning to tell the story!

In the Love of Christ,

      -Aaron

’Shackles Dance’ in Malaysia. (Almost 100 people came to Jesus this weekend.)

Ung-Tai (left) received Jesus after Justin (right) and I shared with him about God’s love.

*More updates on:  Facebook.com/Awaron1515

                       FB Group-Aaron Gray @ YWAM

                       Climbtoworship.blogspot.com

Prison Ministry and building the Church.

Hello all from Phitsanulok, Thailand!

Below is a view from the window at which I sit:

I must apologize as I was mistaken in my last update.  It is actually tomorrow we are heading for Ban Nay for 5 days- NOT last weekend!  Haha.

This past weekend we taught at an English Camp up in a national park on Saturday and Sunday.  A group of 6 believers in the area met together to pray, worship, hear our testimonies and learn basic English skills.  It was a great time of learning each others cultures and being refreshed in the Lord.  The landscape was beautiful!

But the people are even more so!  On Monday we were able to pray for a worship leader and His wife at their restaurant that recently opened.  What a great time of intercession, worship, prayer and encouragement.

But, yesterday we had one of the greatest ministry opportunities this whole outreach.  We performed our "Chains" drama, preached the gospel and I was able to share my Father's testimony and how it has impacted my life.  About 81 juveniles were able to hear the gospel of Christ for the very first time- all through drama, music, dance, preaching and testimony.

This Saturday-Wednesday we will be in another village to teach English and teach on hearing the voice of God.  Most of the people there will be Christians.

Please be praying as we have had some spiritual warfare.  Last week a team member fell ill with some food poisoning for a couple days.  Last night we found out another team member had a folding door fall on her foot as she was doing laundry.  We are waiting to hear how she is doing today.  The team, as a whole, is staying strong and in good spirits.

Please continue to pray for financial needs and provisions as some of us are still praying in funds for outreach.  I know I still I need at least $1500 excluding spending money for soap, laundry, and food for the long journey home.  But, God is faithful and He has shown Himself that way through all of you by your continued prayer and financial support!  Thank you all again for helping advance God's Kingdom.  Praying blessing on each and every one of you!

Love in Christ,
-Aaron

Phitsanulok, Thailand

Hey all!

I found some time to update you all a little more about what God is doing in Thailand, but the unfortunately, the videos are not uploading correctly.  I'm so disappointed because there are some great moments captured here on outreach!

We have been in Phitsanulok, Thailand since Monday and we have already been seeing some seeds planted.  On the train into Phitsanulok, we met a girl named Kat.  She spoke very good English and toward the end of the train ride admitted to having been very sad because of the news that her friends had passed away in a car accident that very day.  We were able to pray for her and later we were able to share Jesus with her.  We have been facebooking her and sharing Jesus with her and trying to encourage her.  She has not given her life to the Lord yet, but we are hoping to connect her with some local Christians that we have been working with.

Tuesday, we had an orientation and prepared to to spend a day and night in a village about two hours away.  That night we were introduced to some local breakdancers, one of which is Thailand's national champion.  His name is Heartbeat, or so that is what everyone calls him.  He is very open and interested in what we have to say.  We will be doing some of our performances tonight (Friday) in the same location.

Wednesday we headed up to the village, where a new church of about 10 people has been started.  There, we were able to meet the staff and pray over their brand new church building.  They are hoping to reach the surrounding villages with the gospel of Jesus.

That night we went to another village where a smaller group of Christians live.  We were highly entertained by the Thai boxing they enjoy doing.  A couple of students and I were able to lead worship with two of the locals.  Gong, the worship leader for the small church, is an awesome guitar player and really has a heart for God.  We were able to pray for him and his small team, encouraging them that their worship leading and singing has eternal effects on their village and those surrounding it.  They were really excited, especially with the fact that they were able to do music with "professionals."

Thursday morning, we prayed for a beautiful house and property that our contact has been wanting to purchase for a future YWAM facility.  It overlooks a river that flows into the 14 surrounding provinces of the area (over 14million unreached souls).  Our prayer is that in two years we will see a fully functional YWAM base running a Performing Arts DTS just like the school we are attending.  That  afternoon, we continued to fellowship with the village church by going to a waterfall, going for a swim and eating lunch.  They are such a great group of disciples and we are so excited to hear what God is going to do through them.

Last night we went out to a local park where a lot of skateboarder hang out.  A few team members were able to speak to them about Jesus, while another group met up with some dancers who were practicing for a competition in Bangkok at the end of May.  One of the dancers and her sister wanted to take a picture with us.  As we were getting ready to tell them about Jesus, it started to rain and we split ways.  However, this is not the last time we will be in this area.  We are praying we will be able to have more conversation with them at another point in time.

It has been a very exciting time here in Thailand.  Please keep praying for more opportunities for speak to people about Jesus.  We are also in some spiritual warfare, as the spirit of slander has tried to make several attacks on our team.  But, praise the Lord, we have caught it and faced it head on and seen victory.

Tomorrow we will be heading out to Ban Nay school to teach english, life skills and share the gospel of Christ with the school children over there.  We will be there through Wednesday and then heading back to Phitsanulok for a few more days.

Please continue to pray for provision and guidance as our team still has a few outstanding students fees we must pay (including myself).

Thank you all for your support in prayer and finances.  I could not be doing this without each and every on of you!

May God bless you richly in your giving and petitions.  Always advancing the Kingdom!

-In the love of our Lord Jesus Chris,
-Aaron Gray

Update from Bangkok, Thailand

Dear friends, family and supporters!

First off I want to say I am so sorry for not updating sooner.  WE have seen the Lord moving in so many ways and it has been hard to find the time to really sit down and update what the Lord has been doing here.  I haven't been able to catch up with my own family for about three weeks!

We saw amazing ministry in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia.  The first weekend we saw 100 people come to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.  We were able to minister to about 300 elementary age Myanmar refugee children and thirteen refugees ages 16-20, one of which we were able to lead to Christ.

In Penang, we saw 2 middle school children and 6-8 high schoolers receive Jesus through our performances.  We also crossed paths wtih the World Race through AIM and were able to have an amazing night of prayer, worship and intercession.  There have been many opportunities to prepare, encourage and equip God's church in Malaysia.

Please be praying for those who we have ministered to in Malaysia that God would be faithful to water and grow the seeds planted there.  Many of the youths have great promise to be warriors and ground takers for the Kingdom and they really see it in them to continue to seek Christ and His Kingdom first.

Now, we are in Bangkok, Thailand and the spiritual warfare is very heavy here.  We are pressing through with many headaches and weak bodies as we have been prayer walking through the streets.  One night we visited a night market next to a brothel in the red light district and without the proper prayer and spiritual prep beforehand, I do not think we would have been able to stay very long.  But, praise the Lord, we were able to sing through the streets, proclaiming the goodness of God and the demonic presence began to decrease the longer were there.

There people here in Bangkok are very joyful and happy on the outside, but you can see the spiritual oppression through their smiling faces on the inside.  Please be praying that we can remain strong as a team.

The Lord revealed to one of our directors a strategy that the enemy uses as she was studying Ezra (Which is the same book that several of the students, including myself, have been going through, as well).  We have passed two tests that the enemy will try to put us through as a team.  The first test was deception.  Through many of the churches in Malaysia we encountered people saying one thing, then doing another.  The second test was discouragement.  Many people on our team started getting lies into their head about rejection and began to feel ill equipped to carry on in their roles within the team.  The third test we must be ready to face is slander.  We have encountered this test before in our lecture phase, and experienced victory.  However, we believe that it will happen again.  We putting on the armor of God and believing the best about each other.  Please be in prayer as each attack seems to get worse than the one before.

WE are so excited to see what God is going to be doing through us in Thailand!  We are going to be leaving Monday morning for central Thailand where we will be based for the last three weeks of outreach.  Please be praying for safety and that we will remain culturally aware and relevant.  Being westerners, sometimes we can get a little LOUD for the asian culture.

Thank you all for your support!  One last thing we need to be praying for is that some of our outreach ground fees are not in.  Overall the school has about $5,000 left to bring in.  I have about $2,000 of that left.  We are all believing God that provision will be made.  Any support that you can give to help would be greatly appreciated.  I will try to upload some videos so that you can see some of the amazing land of Malaysia and Thailand.  Thank you all again!  I am praying the Lord will bless you richly as you continue to pray and support God's mission here in southeast Asia!