The Uncharted

Well, here we are in Chiang Rai… One month after our arrival, and the madness of clearing out our previous life is finally settling into all things new. A friend of mine described us as shedding our old skin. And yes, we can relate, in so many ways!

As a family, each day we experience adventure into the uncharted… We have been R-E-C-A-L-I-B-R-A-T-I-N-G to funky fragrances, twangy tones, new warrior friends, bumpy rides in the ute tray. Slowly putting together our Thai family nest (installing some mod-cons such as a kitchen sink, wall fans and mozzie screens). Not to forget, meeting the DR (Destiny Rescue) family… And what a mighty and extensive community it be!  

The children are so beautiful – and some sad… There are endless opportunities to release love! And we’re very grateful He has entrusted us here for this season.

THIS ONE IS FOR THE FAMILY

Relocating to an Asian culture has proven both fun and enlightening for our own kids. It has been quite endearing watching them enhance their charade skills by having to communicate with the locals when asking questions, or ordering food.

The other night we were eating rotee (the most divine crepe & condensed milk dessert ever) at the markets, and some entertainment came on stage.

'Lady-boys' dressed in glamorous evening gowns and heels were warbling out some show tunes. Armani took one discerning squint and declared, "They're just boys, dressed like girls!" Bailey wandered over, saw our grins watching for his reaction and shrugged, "Yes, I know! It's ALL fake... They're really only lip-singing!"

After waiting a few more moments, Carl dropped the revelation, "You're right, HE is only lip-syncing... And HIM. And HIM too!" Bay whipped his head around real quick, "WHAT?!!!... HE?!!!" Then turning back to his rotee, he said, "Kartoys!" (The local term.) Needless to say, our kids are getting an education we didn't pay for! We are praying they are also learning the message that Papa loves even the lady-boys and is calling them home to His heart for healing and restoration.

HIS SONG OF FREEDOM

As for Carl and myself, the sense of freedom from life-as-usual, has been utterly exhilarating. What an honor to loan our gifts and strength in whatever way we can to such a cause as rescuing and rehabilitating kids from perpetual rape-for-profit. We feel like we've only just begun on a huge journey, without any attachments holding us down. Everything we had was either sold, given away, or stored with friends and family, so now the Lord has us out of our suburban rut, the world is ours to explore! 

Can I just say that less stuff results in awesome acoustics! So, here's to releasing our songs of freedom!  

May I encourage you to shed whatever skin (including self-imposed limitations or fears) that might be holding you back, and bask in His love. Allow Heaven to empower you with it's courage and strength – to ready you for His next season.

A LIFE OF NO FRILLS

With the weather so sticky-warm, and Thailand’s afternoon torrential downpours, I am learning not to get caught out with our washing (we have no dryer). We also have no fancy furnishings, no dishwasher, no scales (ha ha), no hair dryer, no oven, and no cable TV (amazingly, no complaints from the kids yet either)! 

And we are all surviving!

Having said this, did you see the pictures of our new truck?! A 2007 Toyota Hilux! Now that's quite an upgrade from our old sedan! And it has got a champion's work out already – rockin' & rollin' up some weather torn dirt roads. It has also proven useful in the development of our kids debating techniques. If they argue, we just pull over, and they get to resume their negotiating in the tray-back. Ahhh - the serenity!!   ;)

In fact, we’ve had several ‘enhancements’, which have delighted us… Some of these, we’re interpreting as prophetic. First, our vehicle (symbolizing a release in mobility)… We also have a king-sized bed (an increase in His rest)... WiFi (a boost in global connectivity)... AND a porch (an expanded perception & horizon)... So we are focusing on HIS blessings abundant – remaining in thankfulness for what HE has done. And not surprisingly, these are really beneficial to us right now in this season of family life. Thank You, Lord.

Matthew 6 has been a real anchor to us throughout our transition:

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers

—most of which are never even seen—

don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 

What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, 

so you can respond to God's giving. 

People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, 

but you know both God and how he works. 

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. 

Don't worry about missing out. 

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Needless to say, the Lord is doing something way down inside me, where I have been deeply moved by His affection for us, and His attention to the finer-details of our life. He truly is turning the sacrifices we made into joy. Where I thought there would be voided places because of what we gave up, He is filling our lives with so much more. It's been an absolute pleasure to surrender to Him – and for Him… What a privilege to follow the mission of His heart, and to sense His favor from every side.

THE EYES OF THE ONE

The statistics of child prostitution are staggering, but when you walk the streets and look into the eyes of young girls on the arms of all shades of man, the numbers strike a reality that becomes more personal, and heartbreaking. 

But as I gaze out upon these wastelands of broken, I am called to remember His promises… I am commissioned to believe that beauty cometh... I am anointed to declare that the power of His Kingdom is at hand – that our Heavenly Father is ready and willing for inexhaustible restoration!

Every Friday fortnight, we come together with all the staff, children and youth from Destiny Rescue for games, worship and ministry. Really, nothing can compare to the fulfillment of being lost in a sea of latte – loving on our King alongside the rescued: "I believe You're my Healer..." A recent survey with the rescued girls revealed that for 97%, their favorite part of being with the DR family is the worship nights. Mine too! 

This is not to say there haven’t been challenges, and won’t be more – but crucial to our joy is our rest in His love for us… And His abundant peace.

Over the next little while, we will release more on what the Lord has been revealing to our hearts throughout the beginning stages of our time here in northern Thailand.

PRAYER PARTICIPATION:

1) Apparently, research statistics claim that at least 12% of girls in Thailand who are attending school are also prostituting by night!!!... Would you join us in praying for Heaven's strategies on how to effectively reach these beautiful daughters. We will need favor with the Thai educational system... Meanwhile, this is big on Papa's heart!

2) Destiny Rescue are attempting to hack through some bureaucratic red tape – to make available a HOTLINE number that entrapped girls can call for help / information / prayer & counsel / RESCUE. However, there has been some resistance... We believe this contact point with the girls would be extremely fruitful. PRAYER requested. Thank you.

3) Please join us in believing and decreeing this scripture, 

  

"Energy and insights of justice to those who guide and decide, 

strength and prowess to those who guard and protect." 

- Isaiah 28:6 

THANK YOU everyone for your prayers and support... We are definitely feeling carried within this season.

May your adventures into His wildly devoted heart be intensely satisfying...

AJ Butel

DONATIONS WELCOME

If you would like to donate toward our mission, then please click on the PAYPAL button at the top right hand side of this blog.

For all our Aussie friends, we now have TAX DEDUCTIBLE status! Please read below for details. And thank you!

YOUR SEED OF JUSTICE!

'Hands of Compassion' is a fund raising charity set up to assist ministries in gathering support. Our partnership with them allows us to have FULL TAX DEDUCTIBLE status. This is available for every donation over $100. 

If you would like to plant a TAX DEDUCTIBLE seed, then follow these two simple steps...

STEP 1...

Deposit your donation to this account:

ACCOUNT NAME: Hands of Compassion Inc.

BANK: Westpac Capalaba

BSB: 034080

ACCOUNT: 381952

IMPORTANT: include in the deposit process your name PLUS our name - ‘C & A Butel’, for accounting / admin purposes.

STEP 2...

Send an Email to: aj@ajbutel.com

Please also CC peter@hoc.org.au

IMPORTANT: include in the message...

• The amount you donated (min $100 for each individual donation)

• Who your donation is for - ‘C & A Butel’

• Your Personal and/or Company Name

• The Postal Address you want your Tax Deductible receipt mailed to.

NOTE: Tax Deductible Receipts will be sent to you at the end of each month.

We thank you for your seed of LOVE... rescuing & rehabilitating children from the sex trade.

Heaven's Plunder

So, 'The non-Plan' is set in motion... We are now buried beneath a gaaah-ZILLion sorting piles, packing boxes, To-Do lists, questions and options!! Then there's the non-tamed toddler... who UN-does everything I have carefully organized, in one explorative whirlwind!! Bless him.

Any resemblance of order that was once in our lives has definitely been turned upside!!   :\

However, despite the challenges of ruthlessly culling away our life's accumulations, we have been thanking God-the-Faithful for a fortnight of supernatural breakthrough:

    • Stepping into prophetic promises = FULFILLMENT!

    • Jace's infected eye (leaking since birth!) = HEALED!

    • New client for our graphic design business = PROVISION!

    • Medical Centre discounting travel shots = FAVOR!

    • 4 more under-aged girls recovered = REDEMPTION!!

And aside from all the doing and going, the Lord continually reminds me, that this journey is about LOVE. Loving Him + loving others... 

My gaze is once again steadied upon His desire for me...

My struggling dissolves into His peace...

My hope swells within His – rising toward the beauty ahead...

And my faith is anchored to the rock of His heart – our ALL-the-time GOOD Papa.

I heard a breathtaking summation this week: "The core of Christianity is the story of a Dad, who lost His kids in a garden, and wants them back." - James Jordan

WOW! But then my mind turns to the multitudes – still lost – searching for Him... perhaps hiding from Him. I'm reminded again of Thailand, and her brokenness... of her Father wanting her home. I imagine her children trapped behind bars, inside brothel walls, suffocating with anguish. I think of young destinies, destroyed and discarded.

 

THE STAGGERING FACTS

Statistically, Thailand is in a quandary... a complex entanglement of darkness and pain. Some say this is only perpetuated by a cultural predisposition of corrupt politics, deceived religious beliefs, dishonor within family life, a lack of education, and poverty.

Although prostitution in Thailand is illegal, in practice it is tolerated and partially regulated.

*  A 2004 estimate gives a total of 2.8 million sex workers, including 800,000 minors under the age of 18.

*  Thailand’s Health System Research Institute estimates that children in prostitution make up 40% of prostitutes in Thailand.

*  Among many Thai people, there is a general attitude that prostitution has always been, and will always be, a part of the social fabric of Thailand. This cultural milieu combined with poverty and the lure of easy money have caused prostitution in general and sex tourism in particular to flourish.

*  Both politicians and police have been supporting and indulging in the prostitution industry openly to the point where police utilize the services of the prostitutes to gain 'evidence'. Viagra has been given out to elderly voters in exchange for their votes.

*  In the type of Buddhism practised in Thailand, women are viewed as naturally inferior to men. Buddha made clear to his disciples that women were “impure, carnal, and corrupting.” This is also evidenced by the belief that women cannot attain enlightenment.

(This information was harvested from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Thailand)


THE ONE

There's a question that keeps popping up... I was asked it again yesterday: "WOAH! That's a massive problem. What a daunting task... How are YOU going to make a difference?"

I paused, and then responded, "Well, I'm not... We can't, by ourselves. But with Him ALL things are possible. Overshadowed by His Spirit, cannot a nation be saved in a day?"

As I continued, I felt the heat of His Presence burning through me, "We can make a difference in the life of ONE... and then another... and then another."

I sensed He liked that... Because He SEES the one! He KNOWS them. And He LOVES them. He wants that not even one would perish.


A REVOLUTION

Therefore, despite the overwhelming 'numbers', we believe a revolution is coming to the entire region of South East Asia.

By definition, a 'revolution' is a counter response to a particular culture / system. Or an active influence to a current culture / system...

Can the Church truly become what is prophesied throughout scripture? Can we really make a difference against such seemingly insurmountable odds? We believe we can! God's restorative breath always invokes healing. But beyond that, we believe Thailand can become a brilliant beacon of His grace, a testament of His redemptive power to the whole world!!

Kris Vallotton poses the question, "What does it look like when the Kingdom is superimposed over a society?" Well, we are determined to find out, not only for our own lives, families and communities – but abroad!! Our desire is to discover what it will look like as we continue to release the Kingdom of God into the brokenness across the earth.

Painting by Claire Hollywell

All it takes is the equipping and mobilization of the Body of Christ to go into all the world, into their particular spheres of influence – to see His Kingdom come! And all that awaits is the revealing of His sons and daughters!

We believe a movement of impassioned, anointed, courage-infused revivalists, lifting up the name of the Lord in the most despairing of places, will tear down the strongholds over these nations and release His sweet Presence, His LIFE, and His solutions into these issues and the people involved.

Heaven is brewing a REVOLUTION that will completely transform cities, and cause nations to bow their knee to Christ... It's a revolution of LOVE! And it is plundering even the most violated areas of the earth – for His Glory.

I believe both you and I can make a difference.... as we abandon our personal agendas and surrender to His.

Beautiful Church, arise and shine for your light has come... May His sunburst Glory break over and through you, bringing hope and restoration to the devastated and dying.

Rushes of Heaven's refreshing to & through you.   :)

Selah.   XO


CONTACT US:

Carl  -  carl@deepimage.net.au

AJ  -  aj@ajbutel.com

Facebook - Amanda Jane Butel

Walking Out The Dare-Dream

Well, we have the most exciting news to share... It feels like we've won the lotto, because we're finally packing up life-as-usual, and following a dream. We are moving to Thailand to work with 'Destiny Rescue' – rescuing and rehabilitating young girls who are trapped in the child sex trade.

Yes, that's right! We are heading off to Chiang Rai, a rural town, near the borders of Laos and Myanmar – wherein lies the base of operations for Destiny Rescue.

For anyone who knows us personally, you would understand that this is a journey over a decade in the brewing. Throughout this time we have visited, and wept, and prayed for the hearts and lives of millions of young children and teenagers enslaved in the darkest of places.

Can you imagine, girls as young as four, being forced to service the spirit of lust... Yes, it's shocking! And we refuse to remain numb and inactive.


THE PULL... 
Seriously!!! I've read hundreds of motivational books, watched reel upon reel of inspiring movies, heard many prophetic words, and received multiple impartation – enough for a lifetime of release! Ha ha... I've even written copious interviews and articles about others living out their dare-dreams. To be honest, I feel like somewhere along the line our deep desires became stuck – inert – spinning in suburban survival mode... Sure, we were raising a young family... just awaiting the "huge windfall", the "business breakthrough" that was going to fund our mission trips to and from this secure and comfortable Gold Coast lifestyle.

But then came the call... '"Will you give up what you know, and follow Me?"

WHAT?! Give up our control and opinion on how this should play out, and take a plunge into the unknown?!

However, God's heart is weaved through the world's desperate pain and despair... And we can't ignore it!! There is such a longing to introduce those from devastated backgrounds to ongoing encounters with His Presence and healing power.

More than ever, we feel compelled to contribute Heaven's solution to the plight of the helpless and the voiceless. And so begins the season of our front-line involvement.


THE PLAN...
Well, the plan is forming, and evolving. It's outline currently looks something like this:

     - Sell some / Store some / And raise support like crazy...
     - Fly to Chiang Rai mid-year...
     - Support the team at Destiny Rescue...
     - Bring encounters of the Lord's heart wherever we go...
     - Love. Love. And Love!
     - Oh, and be flexible.  ;D

At the moment, the aim is to commit to 12 months. But only the Lord knows where this adventure will lead.

THE PERSONAL...
I have to admit, I'm not all bravado!! I'm discovering that stepping out into the 'What If' is really illuminating the sincerity of my faith – and the entrenchment of some underlying fears and binding familiarities. Truthfully, I'm embarking upon these uncharted waters with several anxieties skidding across my thoughts. Mostly maternal, to be sure. But what greater legacy could we impart to our children than following the Lord's call as a family, and seeing His Kingdom come in and through our lives.

We realize this choice will present it's challenges... (For one, I don't think Thailand will have enough hand sanitizer for my liking!) But I have never felt more invigorated and focused as right now... dreaming of young lives experiencing freedom – and safety – and love... for perhaps the very first time!! Now THAT'S worth me getting over myself!!

Or as Kris Vallotton would say, "One of the main reasons people don't act is because of an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. It is so easy to inventory our weaknesses and disqualify ourselves from the historic exploits God has assigned to each of us." 

Seeeee... It's time to look beyond ourselves and all the limitations that may include, and focus on He who is immeasurably abundant in every way! It is HE who gives us the grace, the strength, the wisdom. It is HE who empowers our journey.

The expenses for flights and essentials are substantial – but the need on the field, even more so. And our God... well, He trumps all! His heart envelops the broken, the lost and the downtrodden. He is THE Rescuer-extraordinaire! Redeemer of all. So we know He will make a way. After all, He dwells in the realm of the miraculous!

ARRRRRGH! Yet, at times, I can be so painfully cautious, so contained, so controlled. Here's to new seasons of FREEDOM, and courage, and making a difference with Him!! What an honour to partner with Heaven in this way.


THE PROCESS... 
We have received several prophetic words that this move aligns with, but we are also mindful that their fulfillment demands our faithful participation. I think Bill Johnson summarizes this principle perfectly:
"A promise from God is not a magic coin for us to cash in at will. It is an invitation to a process. When we embrace His promises we say yes to a process that prepares us for fulfillment. Some promises reach their maturity rather quickly, only requiring us to say yes and express a confidence in God's word. But other’s require that we offer a bigger container of character, refined and developed through perseverance." 

GOSH! Considering we conceived this desire over 10 years ago, we must have needed much refining!!! And I'm certain the Lord is not yet done. ;)

What comes after the initial 12 months? YIPES!! We don't know! More surrender, I imagine.
Please, whenever you think of us... pray:

     * For our family – His Presence, protection, provision and power...

     * And for 'Destiny Rescue' – a continual increase of Heaven's fruitfulness – from every side.

For more information on 'Destiny Rescue', visit www.destinyrescue.org, or follow them on FB: http://www.facebook.com/destinyrescue

Thank you SO much for your support. Oh how we will miss those whom we dearly love. We truly do have the most incredible friends and family around us. YAY for SKYPE!!! But hey, we will bring all y'all along on the journey... Lots of transparent updates and fun pics. And you can always come visit!? YES!!

Most excited, and in love with the One!


AJ and Carl

P.S. If you are interested in partnering with our mission, and contributing to any of our initial or ongoing costs, please feel free to give a donation using the 'Donate' button to the right of this blog. There are small and large requirements for this endeavor – none of which we can do by ourselves. Your involvement in any way is most welcome.  ;)