I Left BYT for 2 Months!

That two months turned into 4 months! This is how it happened:

July 4 I flew into Seattle Washington in order to join Jesus for Asia team for Faithcamp in Idaho. That was the largest Faithcamp because it has been going since 2007! After that I travelled with the team all the way across the country to Tennessee, where we had Faithcamp for 9 days. During one of those sessions, I came in late and sat in one vacant chair near the front. I had no idea who I was sitting next to! It was Melissa, and Sam Saggio with their 2 children! I was totally thrilled! Here is the history to their wonderful story!!

I gave a whole series of Bible studies to Melissa’s family when she was just 19 years old, that was over 25 years ago. She sat in my Bible Studies expresionless and silent. I felt she had no interest whatsoever, but she sat there week after week. At the end I gave Melissa the entire Dough Batchelor satellite DVD series Finally I moved to Montana, home schooled my boys and 9 years later became a missionary in Thailand. Somehow Melissa made contact with me and let me know that she had become a heavy alcoholic, and went deep into the world. She later went through rehab but failed. In all her hard times she never forgot our Bible studies together because they kept pulling on her heart. Some time later she gave her heart totally to God and He helped her overcome alcohol for good! Her husband joined her in seeking the Lord, and later their family became lovely Seventh-Day Adventists, inviting groups to their home for Bible studies. Several years later they were trying to sell a large piece of property, but for 8 years they could not sell it. Finally they made an agreement with the Lord, that if He helped them sell it, they would give all the money to my project. Well, you guessed it! It sold in just one week! I was invited to their home that year, 2014, and as I entered the door they handed me a card with $25,000!! How I cried, - the gift totally touched my heart, as I was in desperate need that year! This visit was just the day before I would fly back to Thailand. It had become harder and harder for me to leave my mother and return to Thailand because she was in her 90’s. However, after that experience my mother said, “We have every indication that God wants you there in Thailand, and I’m the happiest mother in the world to know you are working for God in this way!”

You can watch the testimony that Melissa and her family gave during my presentation in Tennessee entitled; “Enlarge My Coast,” by going to YouTube and entering: (14 Mon 6:30PM - Gayle Haberkam - FaithCamp Tennessee). These people are such a blessing to me and everyone else!

I could only stay 6 days at Faithcamp Tennessee, because on the 26th of July I was scheduled to present in Canada’s British Columbia Camp Meeting at Camp Hope! This was a big deal because I had never been there before, and I had refused 3 years in a row, but this year I heard God say, “Go!” What a blessing it was. They treated me like a queen with a gorgious air BnB house by a river and mountains behind! It looked like the Garden of Eden. I had 7 presentations prior to the main 2 speakers. - Dr Shin and Anil Kanda. Such excellent, awesome speakers! I could listen to them all night long! There were 2 main locations for the BC meetings, ours was in the Lodge and it was packed with over 500 people. Fifty or more had to watch the TV downstairs. The people were so beautiful. I felt more love from them every time I went forward to speak! They laughed when I laughed and cried when I cried. I had such freedom of speech and a blessed time with these people, I shall never lose my love for them! The singing group from Fountainview and Australia really touched my heart. (The Fountainview senior class want to come to my village for their senior class trip! Marleta with her group from Australia became life-long friends! Please look up Marleta Fong on YouTube and listen to her inspirational singing)! Praying we all see each other in heaven. While at that camp meeting I was able to speak spontaneously to several groups of beautiful children! Praise the Lord.

After this I returned to Tennessee and went with the JFA team to Greensboro North Carolina. The pastor there is very active and enthusiastic! He has led his church to be missionary minded. On Sabbath afternoon, a congregation of Karen people meet in another assembly room at that church. It was a surprise to me that they came and got me that afternoon, telling me that I would speak for their divine worship service right then! I quickly arranged my pictures for that group and tried to connect with their internet, but did not know the password, plus I learned that it rarely worked at all. It was then I experienced God’s miraculous power because as I struggled and prayed to get my pictures to connect to their projector, it just instantly connected to internet and worked! I presented to those lovely people with an excellent interpreter. All my pictures and videos worked wonderfully. It was only God who did it all (As usual)! These Karen people responded with so much love and generosity that I was shocked. They have the least of this world’s goods, yet they gave the most. People would shake my hand and press $100 in my hand. They were so impressed that I had given my life to their people over there in the mountains. Precious Karen people that I sure do identify with them. I hope you dear people receive this letter for I am showering you with gratitude, love, and prayers!

Next, I had time with my sister, Lynn and my boys. I had planned to return to Thailand September 5, but here’s where my plans went out the window. Two unexpected things came up. I discovered that my nephew and family really wanted me to stay and do my presentations for their 4 girls, plus Jon and Natalie Wood asked me to join them for FaithCamp in Europe! (It is so unusual that I had not purchased my return ticket to Thailand yet.) The Holy Spirit led me to  say “YES” to both these things. I can surely see why now!

 I am so blessed to be with my sister and her son’s family! After one of my presentations, they asked me what they could pray for in my mission work. My request was to pray for a pastor to come to my village for evangelism the first week in December! Usually when I travel and speak in America, God opens the door for the perfect person to come to BYT. But this year every door closed! So we prayed. During that prayer, unbeknownst to me, my sister heard the Holy Spirit say to her: “You could do that!” She was shocked that she would have such a thought. It was not from her.  That same evening, I was talking to BletJhaw on the phone. I told him all the doors had closed for other people to come. I still did not know who could come to BYT this year. Then BletJhaw asked me something startling. He said, “What about your sister?” I was speechless at first because she is set in her mission field here, and for many reasons I knew she wouldn’t come, even though she is a powerful, talented speaker for God by His grace. The next morning at breakfast, I told her about BletJhaw’s suggestion that she come. My sister was suddenly stunned and shocked! I could feel the electricity!! She then told me about the Holy Spirit’s thought during prayer that same day! I saw her really struggle with that decision. But my sister puts God first before any other consideration. Certainly, this would be a big sacrifice for her on many counts, but God’s will has become clear to her. Her tickets have been purchased! She will fly out November 25 and return December 9. Please pray for her as she takes this long tiring journey. She has earnestly prayed and prepared her sermons. We are so encouraged to see God work in this unexpected way – and really this would not have happened if I had not heard God’s voice to stay and to do my presentations and then go on to Europe! What an enormous privilege to be in partnership with Jesus and let him take full control! I know that God will do great things for my people in the jungle this year! I am so encouraged be able to do evangelism with my beloved sister!

Stay tuned because the following stunning story is all about the next 5 weeks in Europe! This is the amazing reason why it took me 4 months to return to Thailand!

Pictures will be added later. I cannot figure out how to add them in this new blog set-up!