(inspiring orchestral music)
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- Hello, and welcome
to Jesus for Asia Now.
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I'm Natalie Wood.
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Today I have Kasey Norton,
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and we're going
to be talking about
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how God is leading her family
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into full-time
service in Thailand.
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Hi Kasey, welcome to the show.
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- Hi!
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- It's such a
privilege to have you here,
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- Thank you.
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- and talk about
how God is leading.
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I know it's been quite a
process already for you all.
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(laughs)
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- That's for sure. (laughter)
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- So we wanna start with
how did you become interested
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in going to
Thailand, or I dunno,
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maybe in your
personal experience,
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you wanna start even before that
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where God started
preparing your heart
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for mission service at all.
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- Yeah, I was not interested
at all in mission service.
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My husband comes
from a missionary family,
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and he has been
interested for years.
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And I had, you
know, I just said no.
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Back in July, I started,
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we had a series of
meetings at our church,
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and I started to walk around
the perimeter of our house,
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praying every
morning for about an hour.
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And I was basically
dedicating our family
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and our house, our property,
our cars, everything to God.
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We have been seeing,
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especially as our
kids have gotten older,
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how, sort of, the
world is pulling at them.
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And so I pretty
much just promised God
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that I would do
whatever he asked,
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if it would bring healing,
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and I was claiming the
promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14,
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and then your ministry
came to our church in September,
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and I was pretty appalled
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that I could sit and
listen to the stories
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and I felt nothing.
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Like, I didn't have any
kind of emotional response
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to what you were saying.
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I was praying about that.
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You know, why?
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What is missing in my experience
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that I can listen to
other people who are dying
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who know nothing about Jesus?
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So the last meeting, we went to,
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I think it was the
Sabbath afternoon meeting.
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I don't even remember,
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honestly I don't
remember what it was about,
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but I felt this,
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I dunno, I sensed that God
was asking us to do something.
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And so, I said something
to Hannah, my daughter,
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in the car on the way home.
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We were driving separate cars.
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And when we got home, Robby
and I passed in the living room,
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and I said, I feel
like we're supposed to go,
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and he was like, yeah, me too.
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And that was all it was.
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And we ended up, you
know, deciding to pray about it,
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sort of put out a prayer fleece,
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which was very,
very clearly answered.
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I didn't, the desire
didn't come from me. (laughs)
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- Wow.
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So how has this
affected your life
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and the lives of your children?
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I mean, as a mom.
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How many children do you have?
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- We have eight.
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- Okay. - Yeah.
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- So how has this
affected your lives?
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- I feel like in every aspect,
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it's affected
everybody differently.
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So obviously, the
preparation to go is, you know,
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total upheaval to
our lives as we know it.
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But also realizing that in
order to be able to be used
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that we need to
truly be entering
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into personal
experiences with Christ now,
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not waiting until we get there.
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And I think redefining
what missionary actually means.
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And then helping each of
the kids sort of navigate that
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on a personal level.
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- Right.
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'Cause you have
children from what age?
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- 21, our oldest is 21.
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We have a 21 year-old, a 20
year-old, and an 18 year-old,
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all boys,
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and then a 15 year-old and
a 14 year-old girl, two girls,
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and then three younger
boys, twin seven year-olds
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and a four year-old.
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So yeah, all of the ages.
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- That's a broad range of ages.
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- Yes. (laughs)
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- And I'm sure with each
of them it's very different.
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- Yeah, and it's
different from day to day.
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'Cause the girls were
very excited initially,
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and then as
they've gone through it,
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what that looks like,
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walking them through it
has changed dramatically.
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- And the
realization of what's changing
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is becoming more real.
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- Yeah, more
what they're leaving.
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They're excited about
what they're going to,
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and they're very hesitant about
what they're leaving behind.
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- Yeah, friends and family.
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That's the
hardest thing, I think.
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- Yeah, very hard.
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- So are all the children
going with you to Thailand?
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- Not initially.
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When we first go,
it'll be the younger six,
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so from 18 years old down.
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And the 18 year-old has
committed to six months,
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so we'll see what that looks
like after six months time.
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- Right, wow.
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So it's very
different for every child.
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So you're constantly
praying, I'm sure, for wisdom.
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- Yes, because it's difficult
for the ones who aren't going.
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Their lives are
changing dramatically too
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because we won't be right there.
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And you know, I think
there's some grieving for them
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because they feel like
they're losing their family.
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- Yeah, when my husband goes,
especially for a long time,
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I'm always so thankful for
Skype and for FaceTime now,
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and stuff like that,
where we can see each other,
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you know, and talk.
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It's such a
blessing, it's a privilege.
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I mean, we've been
reading about Hudson Taylor,
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and they didn't
have any of that.
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They had to write a
letter and then wait, you know,
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sometimes three
months was the cycle
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for the letter to get
home and a reply to be written
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and get back to them.
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We're so privileged.
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It's hard. -
Definitely a good time
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- It's definitely
hard. - to be going.
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- But it's definitely
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a blessing. - Hard
in a different way.
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- Right, it's definitely
a blessing that it's now
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when there's more technology
to help with those things.
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So it's really made
a lot of changes now,
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as a mother, and seeing what
your kids are going through,
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I'm sure that's... (laughs)
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- It's changed everything.
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It's changed what we're
doing in our home school,
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what we talk about at
worship every, I dunno,
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it's seeping into everything,
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which is sad, that it
took making this decision to go
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for that to happen.
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But I think we're going
as much to save ourselves
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as to help anybody else.
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- Okay.
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Now, I was gonna ask you,
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have you had
challenges along the way?
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I mean, aside from the
experiences within the family,
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figuring out what is
being gained and lost,
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what about challenges, you know?
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Is it easy road
or hardships, or...
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- The obstacles that we had
in the way, God has cleared,
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just one after the other,
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in such a way
that we couldn't choose
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to do anything different.
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We would, he's
proven himself so clearly
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that it would be
absolute disobedience
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for us to change our minds now.
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- Wow, so you know
that he has arranged
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each of these answers.
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Wow.
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- We had, most of our
obstacles have been financial.
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We, right now, make less
than probably we ever have,
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and with more monthly expenses
because of kids in college,
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and just, the kids are
older and they cost more.
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And we've been able to pay
off all of our medical debt,
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which we had considerable debt
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because of one of
our seven year-olds.
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And a vehicle that we wanted
to give to one of our sons
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who isn't going,
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and we weren't sure, you know,
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you can wanna
give a gift sometimes
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and it's not
necessarily good for the person
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you wanna give it to.
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So we prayed and asked God
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to help us find
a way to pay it off
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so we didn't have to sell
it to get out from under it.
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And we would use that--
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- To know that you
were supposed to give it.
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- Right.
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And so, Robby
dropped it off at the dealer,
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an auto-body repair
place for an estimate
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because we were gonna fix
just some, it wasn't wrecked,
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but we were gonna
some exterior body damage.
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And they totaled it.
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The insurance
company totaled the vehicle,
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which, it's not
wrecked, it's not, you know,
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terrible body damage.
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There's no reason
for it to be totaled,
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but it got completely paid off.
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And you know,
that doesn't happen.
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So it's just been--
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- So does it have
a salvage title now?
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- No, in fact, that's what
they said, we could buy it back.
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It was gonna be $500.
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We had no money at that point.
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And by the time
we got off the phone,
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I think it was $150
to buy the car back.
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And they said, that particular
make and model of vehicle,
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they don't issue
salvage titles for,
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so it has just a
normal title. (laughs)
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- Well that's like,
you never hear of that.
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- No!
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And that's what
it's been the whole time.
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So all of those obstacles,
we haven't worked hard,
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we haven't had to work
hard to get to where we can go.
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And I think the
harder part has just been
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fielding questions,
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and people who, you
know, who care about us
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and our children have
just questioned the wisdom
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of what we're doing.
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That's been harder.
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- Mmm.
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So this has done
what for your faith walk?
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- Um. (laughs)
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I think it has
introduced me to what it is
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to even have faith
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because if I were left to
myself to make the decision
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whether to keep going
forward or to just be like,
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never mind, this
was a crazy idea,
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I would totally abandon it.
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But knowing that God
is asking something of you
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and that he, no
matter what we're giving up,
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he's got something
better planned for us.
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And that grows my faith,
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really digging into scripture
so that we can help our kids
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has definitely,
helping them has helped me.
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And so, God is so
creative how he uses the people
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that he puts in
our lives to grow us.
00:11:03.83\00:11:06.29
But yeah, so it totally, just
totally different experience
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right now.
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- Wow.
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Now, I know you have
a blog that you've been,
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you're a writer,
and you enjoy that.
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And so you've had
this blog for a while.
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Do you wanna share any of
that journey with our viewers?
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- It's funny to me,
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when I see something
that I wrote a long time ago
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and I know where I
was when I wrote it,
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and I feel like a
fraud, like, I wrote that?
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Having that sort
of, almost a journal
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to look back on, -
Yeah, kind of a record.
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- Yeah.
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It's almost
embarrassing to me to see.
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But I know that God accepts
us in each phase that we're in,
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and so, you know,
he's not hiding his face,
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like I just wanna, I don't,
I don't wanna see that stuff.
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- Yeah, he's not ashamed of you.
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- Right, he's okay
with the path that we take,
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and the progress.
00:12:00.98\00:12:02.15
But the writing
has been good because
00:12:03.82\00:12:06.32
I think sometimes
things that I internalize,
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writing about it helps me--
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- [Natalie] Process, maybe?
00:12:13.73\00:12:14.56
- Yeah, yeah.
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That's a good word,
yeah, process the things
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that I don't even
know are going on up there.
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- Okay, 'cause they come out
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- Yeah, in writing for
me. - Through the fingers.
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- I can't talk about it.
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If I try to tell you
something that I'm gonna write,
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it won't come out.
00:12:28.24\00:12:29.51
- Wow, that's neat.
00:12:29.51\00:12:31.51
That's a talent too - (laughs)
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- That God has given.
00:12:32.91\00:12:34.25
We'll look forward to
hearing your stories then.
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- Yeah! (laughs)
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- From over there.
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- I'm excited to
share from over there.
00:12:40.82\00:12:44.23
- Now, when Robby
went, 'cause he got to go
00:12:44.23\00:12:47.36
after you decided
that this was the direction
00:12:47.36\00:12:50.20
that God was leading you,
00:12:50.20\00:12:51.30
he got to go and see everything.
00:12:51.30\00:12:53.27
How was that for
you being at home,
00:12:53.27\00:12:55.60
knowing that he's
scouting out the land
00:12:55.60\00:12:57.71
and you're just gonna
have to do it vicariously.
00:12:57.71\00:13:00.18
How was that for you?
00:13:00.18\00:13:02.14
- I think it was good because
I tend to want to try to,
00:13:02.14\00:13:06.51
I mean, if I'm
just being honest,
00:13:07.85\00:13:09.35
I like to, I'm a female, I
like to control my environment.
00:13:09.35\00:13:14.26
I'm the one raising the
kids, so a lot of times,
00:13:14.26\00:13:17.06
I'm the one that's
making a lot of the decisions.
00:13:17.06\00:13:19.93
So something as big as
moving to another country
00:13:19.93\00:13:23.97
and not even
being able to see it
00:13:23.97\00:13:25.37
and just trusting
that God is leading Robby.
00:13:25.37\00:13:29.07
I think it was good for me.
00:13:29.07\00:13:30.27
I wanted to go.
00:13:30.27\00:13:31.54
But setting aside the
need to control everything,
00:13:33.04\00:13:38.11
I think that's one part of
this process (laughs) for me.
00:13:40.08\00:13:44.65
- A growth experience.
00:13:44.65\00:13:45.75
- Yeah.
00:13:45.75\00:13:46.79
And he came back
with so many pictures
00:13:46.79\00:13:48.42
and detailed reports of
what he saw and did over there.
00:13:49.79\00:13:53.03
So I'm very
comfortable with, (laughs)
00:13:53.03\00:13:56.40
with where we're going.
00:13:56.40\00:13:57.50
- Wow, well praise the Lord.
00:13:57.50\00:13:59.57
So there was an
experience, I know,
00:13:59.57\00:14:01.27
that was challenging for
you on several different levels.
00:14:01.27\00:14:04.97
Do you wanna share that with us?
00:14:04.97\00:14:06.64
- Back at the
beginning of the year,
00:14:07.81\00:14:10.05
I had agreed to meet
one of my sons for dinner.
00:14:10.05\00:14:14.98
He'd been really
struggling with some things,
00:14:16.22\00:14:18.85
and I felt strongly
that I needed to go.
00:14:19.99\00:14:23.12
I was sick.
00:14:23.12\00:14:24.63
But I went.
00:14:24.63\00:14:25.99
I got in the car, and as
soon as I got in the car,
00:14:25.99\00:14:28.56
I started praying,
00:14:28.56\00:14:29.66
number one, 'cause
I felt so terrible,
00:14:29.66\00:14:31.40
but also because I felt
like it was such an important...
00:14:31.40\00:14:36.47
- Time in his life, maybe?
00:14:37.84\00:14:38.97
- Yeah.
00:14:38.97\00:14:40.18
And I didn't want, you know,
00:14:40.18\00:14:42.88
you can be an
overbearing mother.
00:14:43.91\00:14:44.98
He's 20, or at the
time, he was still 19,
00:14:44.98\00:14:47.52
but I wanted to offer
advice without being pushy.
00:14:47.52\00:14:52.09
So I was praying.
00:14:52.09\00:14:53.42
I got only a minute
or so into the drive,
00:14:53.42\00:14:56.96
and my body just felt like lead,
00:14:56.96\00:15:00.50
everything, I couldn't move,
00:15:00.50\00:15:02.40
to try to move my
leg to work the pedals
00:15:04.37\00:15:07.40
because I was driving a stick,
was, it just felt impossible.
00:15:07.40\00:15:11.94
My thought was that maybe I
was sicker that what I realized,
00:15:13.27\00:15:16.41
but you know, I didn't have
this feeling at all before then.
00:15:16.41\00:15:20.92
And so, I kept
driving, and I would tell,
00:15:20.92\00:15:23.65
like, as I was on the mountain,
00:15:23.65\00:15:24.75
we live on a mountain
and as I was going down,
00:15:24.75\00:15:27.79
when you get to the
bottom of the mountain,
00:15:27.79\00:15:29.12
you can pull over and sleep,
which is such a bizarre thought
00:15:29.12\00:15:31.96
because I would
never pull over and sleep.
00:15:31.96\00:15:35.40
I got to the bottom
and I couldn't pull over.
00:15:35.40\00:15:38.23
I was physically unable to.
00:15:38.23\00:15:40.67
So I pulled onto the road
00:15:40.67\00:15:42.27
that leads into town,
00:15:43.94\00:15:45.44
and the feeling,
00:15:45.44\00:15:47.61
I dunno if it really intensified
or it just didn't let up,
00:15:48.91\00:15:51.71
but just felt wooden.
00:15:51.71\00:15:53.55
So there's gas
stations up ahead,
00:15:55.48\00:15:56.85
and I, again, I was like,
I'll just get to the gas station
00:15:56.85\00:15:59.59
and you can pull over.
00:15:59.59\00:16:00.72
And I was having
these weird thoughts
00:16:00.72\00:16:02.39
that if you pull over,
00:16:02.39\00:16:03.46
you're never gonna
make it to meet your son.
00:16:03.46\00:16:07.23
They're gonna find you
unconscious in your vehicle,
00:16:07.23\00:16:10.50
just really bizarre,
00:16:10.50\00:16:11.83
and I knew, like, I
knew that what I was thinking
00:16:11.83\00:16:15.67
was weird,
00:16:15.67\00:16:16.81
but I couldn't do
anything about it.
00:16:16.81\00:16:18.77
- You couldn't
control your thoughts.
00:16:18.77\00:16:20.11
- So I took the
last turn into town,
00:16:20.11\00:16:22.58
and there was
this voice in my head.
00:16:22.58\00:16:25.81
It sounded like, at the time,
00:16:25.81\00:16:28.18
it sounded like it
was my own voice talking.
00:16:28.18\00:16:32.65
And it just was saying,
00:16:32.65\00:16:34.52
throw yourself into
the oncoming traffic.
00:16:34.52\00:16:37.09
I panicked at that point.
00:16:38.43\00:16:40.03
And I got my phone
and I got a hold of Robby.
00:16:40.03\00:16:42.56
I don't know what he heard.
00:16:43.70\00:16:45.73
I wish that I
could tell what my voice,
00:16:45.73\00:16:47.80
'cause to me it sounded like
00:16:47.80\00:16:49.50
the words were
being dragged out.
00:16:49.50\00:16:51.27
Really slow and low,
00:16:51.27\00:16:52.91
and it didn't sound
like my voice at all to me.
00:16:52.91\00:16:56.01
And he just said, I'll pray.
00:16:56.01\00:16:58.18
I had been
trying to pray out loud,
00:17:00.78\00:17:03.08
and I couldn't
string words together.
00:17:03.08\00:17:06.49
I don't even know
how I conveyed to Robby
00:17:06.49\00:17:08.49
that this was even happening.
00:17:08.49\00:17:10.53
So not very long after that,
I like, forced my voice somehow
00:17:11.93\00:17:16.80
and I prayed
something very simple, like,
00:17:20.14\00:17:24.24
God, help me, what is this?
00:17:24.24\00:17:26.24
And there was this,
it felt like a blanket,
00:17:26.24\00:17:30.88
like a heavy blanket.
00:17:30.88\00:17:32.25
And it pulled off of me.
00:17:32.25\00:17:34.65
Like, to the side.
00:17:34.65\00:17:36.62
And it was the
weirdest sensation.
00:17:36.62\00:17:40.72
I'm in the car by
myself, and I just screamed,
00:17:42.46\00:17:43.93
what was that!
00:17:43.93\00:17:45.49
Then I realized, like, my body
was light, and I was so hot.
00:17:48.16\00:17:52.20
I didn't realize it until it
came off and cool air hit me,
00:17:52.20\00:17:55.90
it felt like.
00:17:55.90\00:17:57.27
So I was bouncing
in my seat. (laughs)
00:17:57.27\00:18:00.44
I felt normal again.
00:18:00.44\00:18:02.64
And I truly believe
that, for whatever reason,
00:18:02.64\00:18:07.72
Satan didn't want me to
meet with my son that night.
00:18:09.22\00:18:10.89
He didn't want that
conversation to happen.
00:18:10.89\00:18:12.85
My son really opened up.
00:18:12.85\00:18:14.39
So yeah, that...
00:18:16.42\00:18:19.26
- Wow.
00:18:19.26\00:18:20.53
Yeah, he didn't want
you to meet with your son,
00:18:20.53\00:18:22.83
but he also
didn't want you to live.
00:18:22.83\00:18:24.07
He wanted you to throw
yourself into oncoming traffic.
00:18:24.07\00:18:27.17
Wow.
00:18:27.17\00:18:28.20
He was trying to stop you.
00:18:28.20\00:18:29.57
Not just for that
day, but permanently.
00:18:30.64\00:18:33.17
Wow.
00:18:33.17\00:18:34.54
- I've never experienced
anything like that before or
00:18:34.54\00:18:36.64
since. And I don't
ever want to feel that close
00:18:36.64\00:18:40.12
to that kind of darkness.
00:18:40.12\00:18:41.78
- No. - It's awful.
00:18:41.78\00:18:43.08
- That's a good encouragement
to keep close to Christ,
00:18:43.08\00:18:46.22
to keep praying and keep--
00:18:46.22\00:18:47.62
- Yeah, force it.
00:18:47.62\00:18:48.76
'cause sometimes,
you know, he does.
00:18:48.76\00:18:50.29
He tries to make it
so that we can't pray,
00:18:50.29\00:18:52.33
and just forcing, pushing
through that and praying anyway.
00:18:52.33\00:18:56.73
- Yeah, what a
powerful testimony.
00:18:56.73\00:18:59.37
And you know, it's
neat to see, sometimes,
00:18:59.37\00:19:02.40
God lets us have a
glimpse behind the curtain
00:19:02.40\00:19:05.64
that he keeps us, you
know, the hedge of protection
00:19:05.64\00:19:08.61
that he keeps around us.
00:19:08.61\00:19:10.38
And I think you saw
that so clearly. (laughs)
00:19:11.45\00:19:14.12
- Yes, for sure.
00:19:14.12\00:19:15.65
- The power of evil.
00:19:15.65\00:19:17.15
And you know,
it's a spiritual battle
00:19:17.15\00:19:20.52
that we often
don't see in America.
00:19:20.52\00:19:22.66
Had you ever had that
kind of experience before?
00:19:22.66\00:19:24.83
- No, never.
00:19:24.83\00:19:26.23
But it does make very
real the verse that says
00:19:27.30\00:19:32.13
that we battle not
against flesh and blood
00:19:32.13\00:19:35.27
but against
principalities and powers
00:19:35.27\00:19:37.04
and the rulers of the
darkness of this world,
00:19:37.04\00:19:40.24
and spiritual
wickedness in high places.
00:19:40.24\00:19:42.81
We read that or
memorize it or whatever,
00:19:45.45\00:19:47.92
but it doesn't really,
you don't really realize
00:19:47.92\00:19:51.55
what it is until you
encounter something like that.
00:19:51.55\00:19:54.59
- Yeah.
00:19:54.59\00:19:55.59
And overseas, though,
00:19:55.59\00:19:57.09
where we've been in
the Buddhist countries
00:19:57.09\00:19:59.53
and the Hindu countries,
they see it so much more.
00:19:59.53\00:20:04.30
And so, I think
maybe God allowed you
00:20:04.30\00:20:06.33
to have that glimpse behind,
00:20:06.33\00:20:07.70
knowing that
you're going to Thailand
00:20:07.70\00:20:09.34
and you need to have an
understanding that it is that
00:20:09.34\00:20:13.24
real. It is that real.
00:20:13.24\00:20:14.61
And it not only looks real,
it sounds real, it feels real.
00:20:14.61\00:20:18.38
You know, your own
voice was used against you.
00:20:18.38\00:20:21.12
And that weight, I
mean, it was all real.
00:20:21.12\00:20:23.99
It was all real.
00:20:23.99\00:20:25.29
- I shared at church
about what our plans were,
00:20:25.29\00:20:28.72
and a man that we
had never seen before
00:20:28.72\00:20:32.06
was there with two ladies.
00:20:32.06\00:20:33.19
And he came up
afterwards and he said,
00:20:33.19\00:20:35.73
I have a message for you.
00:20:36.87\00:20:39.43
He said, what I'm gonna
tell you won't make much sense
00:20:39.43\00:20:42.50
until you're over there,
00:20:42.50\00:20:43.87
but when you need it,
00:20:43.87\00:20:45.24
God is gonna bring
my words back to you.
00:20:45.24\00:20:48.84
And he said, you're
going to encounter evil
00:20:48.84\00:20:52.91
that you can't imagine.
00:20:52.91\00:20:54.42
He said, you know,
you obviously have a clue
00:20:54.42\00:20:57.82
of what goes on from, I
guess from what I had shared,
00:20:57.82\00:21:00.69
but he said, you're
going to encounter things
00:21:00.69\00:21:04.03
that you haven't, you
can't imagine right now.
00:21:04.03\00:21:07.93
And he said, God
wants you to know,
00:21:07.93\00:21:10.27
no matter what
circumstance you're in,
00:21:10.27\00:21:12.67
that you're not to be afraid.
00:21:12.67\00:21:14.17
You know, that's
a little bit freaky
00:21:16.84\00:21:18.07
to have somebody say
(laughs) such a thing to you.
00:21:18.07\00:21:21.41
I'm like, what are
we gonna encounter?
00:21:21.41\00:21:22.44
But then, that
promise at the end,
00:21:22.44\00:21:25.41
God wants you to know,
you are not to be afraid.
00:21:25.41\00:21:28.38
Like,
commanding you, don't fear.
00:21:28.38\00:21:30.32
- Not to be afraid.
00:21:30.32\00:21:31.72
He's there, he's always there.
00:21:31.72\00:21:33.39
- He's more
powerful than the evil.
00:21:33.39\00:21:35.32
- Wow, amazing experiences
the Lord is giving you.
00:21:36.69\00:21:40.53
Wow.
00:21:40.53\00:21:42.06
And to have the reassurance
that you're going to do
00:21:42.06\00:21:44.17
what he wants you to do.
00:21:44.17\00:21:46.90
- That's the only
reason I'm going. (laughs)
00:21:46.90\00:21:48.17
- [Natalie] And he's
there, yeah! (laughs)
00:21:48.17\00:21:48.90
- For sure.
00:21:48.90\00:21:50.01
- Wow.
00:21:50.01\00:21:51.27
Well, we wanna
talk to your daughters,
00:21:51.27\00:21:52.74
and then we'll
talk with you again.
00:21:52.74\00:21:55.54
Well now we have
Hannah on the set with us.
00:21:55.54\00:21:57.48
Welcome to the show, Hannah.
00:21:57.48\00:21:59.05
- Thank you.
00:21:59.05\00:22:00.18
- [Natalie] It's
nice to have you here.
00:22:00.18\00:22:01.22
- It's nice to be here.
00:22:01.22\00:22:02.32
- Just had a
couple questions for you
00:22:02.32\00:22:03.72
as you're getting
ready to go over to Thailand
00:22:03.72\00:22:05.92
with your family.
00:22:05.92\00:22:07.06
After seeing some
of your dad's pictures
00:22:08.19\00:22:10.26
from when he went there,
00:22:10.26\00:22:12.19
are you excited to go
00:22:12.19\00:22:13.29
and see some of
these places for yourself?
00:22:13.29\00:22:15.76
- Oh yeah, definitely.
00:22:15.76\00:22:17.10
I think it looks really,
really beautiful over there,
00:22:17.10\00:22:19.90
and the people.
00:22:19.90\00:22:22.20
I dunno, I'm just excited
to see the different culture.
00:22:22.20\00:22:26.34
- Okay.
00:22:26.34\00:22:27.38
Anything, any
place in particular?
00:22:27.38\00:22:30.51
- Not that I've thought of.
00:22:30.51\00:22:32.15
No, not right now. (laughs)
00:22:32.15\00:22:33.98
- Okay.
00:22:33.98\00:22:35.52
And what about
learning the new language?
00:22:35.52\00:22:37.69
Have you listened to Thai?
00:22:37.69\00:22:40.32
- Yeah, it sounds a
little insane. (laughs)
00:22:40.32\00:22:42.96
- Oh, really?
00:22:42.96\00:22:44.03
Yeah, it's a tonal language,
00:22:44.03\00:22:46.23
and so it can be
difficult to learn,
00:22:46.23\00:22:48.16
but I'm sure you
can do it. (laughter)
00:22:48.16\00:22:50.17
- I hope so.
00:22:50.17\00:22:51.17
- Wow, so that'll be a
good challenge for you then.
00:22:52.60\00:22:55.00
So where are you in school?
00:22:55.00\00:22:56.17
Are you homeschooled?
00:22:56.17\00:22:57.24
- Yes.
00:22:57.24\00:22:58.77
- Okay, so you're gonna be
taking schoolwork with you.
00:22:58.77\00:23:00.21
- Mhm, yeah.
00:23:00.21\00:23:00.88
- Okay, all right.
00:23:00.88\00:23:02.54
Well that'll be fun.
00:23:02.54\00:23:03.61
- Yeah, I think so. (laughs)
00:23:03.61\00:23:05.68
- Well, I
appreciate you being here
00:23:05.68\00:23:07.05
and sharing a little bit of
what you're looking forward to
00:23:07.05\00:23:09.92
and maybe the
language challenge.
00:23:09.92\00:23:12.75
- (laughs)
00:23:12.75\00:23:13.86
- But God is
good, he'll help you.
00:23:13.86\00:23:14.52
I know he'll help you.
00:23:14.52\00:23:15.62
All right,
thanks for joining us.
00:23:15.62\00:23:17.13
- Yeah, thank you.
00:23:17.13\00:23:18.09
- And now we have Abby with us.
00:23:18.09\00:23:20.26
Hi Abby, welcome to the show.
00:23:20.26\00:23:21.90
- Thank you.
00:23:21.90\00:23:23.03
- And we wanted
to ask you a question
00:23:23.03\00:23:24.73
about going over to Thailand.
00:23:24.73\00:23:26.40
I asked your sister already,
00:23:26.40\00:23:28.07
but what is it that, having
your dad go to Thailand already,
00:23:28.07\00:23:32.87
what is it that
you've seen, like,
00:23:32.87\00:23:34.11
in his pictures or
heard about in his stories
00:23:34.11\00:23:36.24
that you're, in
particular, looking forward to.
00:23:36.24\00:23:38.65
- Well, I'm excited to
see how the people live there,
00:23:38.65\00:23:41.82
and, I don't
know, their culture,
00:23:41.82\00:23:45.95
taste the food,
see what it's like.
00:23:47.12\00:23:50.19
- You've eaten
Thai food in America?
00:23:51.26\00:23:52.93
- Yeah.
00:23:52.93\00:23:54.30
- So you kinda have an
idea, but tasting it over there
00:23:54.30\00:23:56.13
is different, it is different.
00:23:56.13\00:23:58.80
So what about
learning the language?
00:23:58.80\00:24:00.90
- I'm excited.
00:24:00.90\00:24:02.04
I've always wanted
to learn a new language,
00:24:02.04\00:24:03.41
but I've never actually
followed through with it.
00:24:03.41\00:24:05.31
So I'm excited.
00:24:05.31\00:24:06.37
- Okay.
00:24:06.37\00:24:07.38
And you've heard some Thai?
00:24:07.38\00:24:08.98
- Yes.
00:24:08.98\00:24:10.21
- So has it been a
comfortable experience for you,
00:24:10.21\00:24:11.35
this growth of
faith that you're seeing.
00:24:11.35\00:24:13.75
- Yeah.
00:24:13.75\00:24:14.98
- Yeah?
00:24:14.98\00:24:16.32
Is it hard to make the
decision to go, sometimes?
00:24:16.32\00:24:18.72
- Sometimes.
00:24:18.72\00:24:19.79
- Is it the friends and
family that you're gonna miss?
00:24:21.09\00:24:23.02
- Yeah.
00:24:23.02\00:24:24.43
- Do you sense that this is
what God's asking you to do?
00:24:24.43\00:24:26.59
- Yeah.
00:24:26.59\00:24:27.86
- Well, thank you so
much for sharing with us,
00:24:27.86\00:24:30.23
and we're excited
to see what happens
00:24:30.23\00:24:32.27
and how the Lord
works in your life
00:24:32.27\00:24:35.10
and in your
family's lives over there.
00:24:35.10\00:24:37.24
Thank you.
00:24:37.24\00:24:38.34
Well, it was neat to
talk to your daughters
00:24:38.34\00:24:40.38
and ask them some
difficult questions.
00:24:40.38\00:24:42.71
They were cheerful. (laughter)
00:24:42.71\00:24:45.08
And they answered
willingly, which was nice.
00:24:45.08\00:24:48.02
So as the mom, and as the wife,
00:24:49.42\00:24:52.59
watching how God is growing
00:24:54.92\00:24:56.16
your family's
faith and everything,
00:24:56.16\00:24:58.03
I wanted to ask you, what
kind of obstacles still remain
00:24:58.03\00:25:01.90
as far as what you
have to get through,
00:25:01.90\00:25:04.33
or what you see that
your family has to get through
00:25:04.33\00:25:07.54
to be able to go to Thailand?
00:25:07.54\00:25:09.84
- I think really the only thing
00:25:09.84\00:25:11.91
that's still standing in the
way is the sale of our house.
00:25:11.91\00:25:16.08
It's been on the
market for a couple of weeks,
00:25:16.08\00:25:18.31
and we're hoping
to be able to leave
00:25:18.31\00:25:22.32
by mid-August or September,
somewhere in around there.
00:25:22.32\00:25:26.35
We're just trusting
that this is how God has led
00:25:29.22\00:25:33.40
and where he's led us to.
00:25:33.40\00:25:34.73
And so, we're trusting that
the house will sell. (laughs)
00:25:34.73\00:25:37.93
- Right, at the
right time. (laughs)
00:25:37.93\00:25:38.73
- Yeah, at the right time.
00:25:38.73\00:25:40.20
Hopefully not too soon,
00:25:40.20\00:25:41.70
but also in time
for us to leave by then.
00:25:41.70\00:25:45.34
We really wanna be
able to get in Chiang Mai
00:25:45.34\00:25:48.28
for the language study
00:25:48.28\00:25:49.64
and leave before that smoke
that we keep being told about.
00:25:49.64\00:25:54.02
- Yeah, they
burn the rice fields.
00:25:54.02\00:25:56.18
It was really bad this
year, it was the highest ever.
00:25:56.18\00:25:59.42
- Levi doesn't show
any signs of asthma,
00:25:59.42\00:26:02.46
suddenly, just in the last few
months, it's completely gone.
00:26:02.46\00:26:05.59
But there's still
this little part of me
00:26:05.59\00:26:07.13
that doesn't
wanna have him there.
00:26:07.13\00:26:09.26
- Tempt it, right.
00:26:09.26\00:26:10.57
Right, yeah, no you
don't wanna take chances.
00:26:10.57\00:26:13.20
Foolishly, anyway.
00:26:13.20\00:26:14.60
So as a mother, to a mother,
I appreciate, you know, I know.
00:26:14.60\00:26:19.01
I took my kids to
India and Thailand
00:26:19.01\00:26:22.48
when they were very small.
00:26:22.48\00:26:23.61
My daughter was
four and my son was six.
00:26:23.61\00:26:25.78
And so, I know it's a challenge
00:26:25.78\00:26:27.18
to take the
little ones over there.
00:26:27.18\00:26:29.52
And then, when they're teens,
now they've traveled so much
00:26:29.52\00:26:32.89
that it's easier for them,
but there's still challenges.
00:26:32.89\00:26:35.96
Well, we look forward to
hearing more from your family
00:26:35.96\00:26:39.89
and seeing how God leads
and what the next steps are,
00:26:39.89\00:26:43.73
and what happens, you know?
00:26:43.73\00:26:46.07
What the ministry looks like
00:26:46.07\00:26:47.84
that he's feeding to
you. - We're looking forward
00:26:47.84\00:26:49.14
to hearing that too. (laughter)
00:26:49.14\00:26:51.61
- Because we know he has a plan.
00:26:51.61\00:26:52.71
It's very obvious
that he is leading.
00:26:52.71\00:26:55.41
So if people would like to
read your blog posts or stories,
00:26:55.41\00:26:59.81
whatever you end up
sharing from over there,
00:26:59.81\00:27:02.62
how would they
be able to do that?
00:27:02.62\00:27:04.19
Is there a place
they can do that?
00:27:04.19\00:27:05.99
- Yeah, I share from
walkingredeemed.com, the
00:27:05.99\00:27:11.06
website. But recently,
I've mostly just been sharing on
00:27:12.39\00:27:15.43
Facebook, and that Facebook page
is just called Walking Redeemed.
00:27:15.43\00:27:18.73
- Okay.
00:27:18.73\00:27:20.04
All right, well thank you
again for sharing with us today.
00:27:20.04\00:27:22.20
- Sure.
00:27:22.20\00:27:23.44
- I would like to
invite you to be a part
00:27:23.44\00:27:25.27
of the Norton's
ministry, to pray for them.
00:27:25.27\00:27:28.11
Pray that they will
know and see the steps
00:27:28.11\00:27:31.51
that God wants them to take,
00:27:31.51\00:27:33.35
to follow him into the ministry
00:27:33.35\00:27:35.18
that he has
already prepared for them.
00:27:35.18\00:27:38.02
And if you would like to
be a part of supporting them,
00:27:38.02\00:27:40.62
you can contact Jesus for Asia
00:27:40.62\00:27:42.56
at PO Box 1221,
Collegedale, Tennessee, 37315.
00:27:42.56\00:27:46.96
Call us at 423-413-7321,
00:27:48.50\00:27:52.53
or visit our
website at jesus4asia.org.
00:27:52.53\00:27:56.17
Please remember to pray
for the missionaries out there.
00:27:56.17\00:27:59.01
The Nortons are
going to an unreached city
00:27:59.01\00:28:01.64
called Sukhothai.
00:28:01.64\00:28:02.98
Pray for the
people that live there,
00:28:02.98\00:28:05.11
and may God bless you richly.
00:28:05.11\00:28:06.92
Until we see you next
time, on Jesus for Asia Now.
00:28:06.92\00:28:10.12
(inspiring orchestral music)
00:28:10.12\00:28:13.96