Posted in General Articles by Kelly O'Bar on 10/21/2007
Hi friends and family,
I just wanted to let you know that even though I'm not going on the World Race the Lord is doing great things in my life. If you'd like to read more please check out my new blog on my webpage.
Thanks
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Posted in General Articles by Kelly O'Bar on 9/17/2007
Dear Friends and Family,
This is a hard blog to write because I feel I have let many of you down. I have decided not to go on the World Race, and did not leave for Thailand last week. There are a number of reasons I made this decision, but the main reason is that I was lacking peace about it.
My week at training camp in Georgia was good. I loved my teammates, I wasn't disappointed about our Thailand ministry, and I didn't have a ton of fears, yet I still did not have the peace of the Lord. As training camp came to an end I sat down and told my coaches that I wasn't 100% sure I was supposed to go on the race and after they prayed about it they did not think it was a good idea for me to go if I was thinking I might leave a few months into it.
As I have been reflecting on why God closed this door the last few days, He's revealed to me some sin in my life. Somewhere along the road the World Race stopped being about God and started to be about me and my pride, (pride God has been breaking me of a lot the last week). I've been reading the last chapter of Joshua for the past few weeks and in verse 14 Joshua charges the Israelites to serve the Lord in sincerity and truth. I wasn't serving the Lord sincerely or truthfully.
I also realized that the initial reason I wanted to go on the World Race was to gain a heart of compassion. I see now that the people I need to grow in love and compassion for aren't people across the world and orphans in Thailand, but the people I am surrounded by daily and weekly.
Deciding not to go on the race was one of the hardest decisions I've made recently. I have a lot of fears about coming back home and letting my supporters down. I have no idea what I'm doing from here or what God has in store for me, but I am at the end of me and at the beginning of God.
I want to apologize to all of you and to humbly ask for your forgiveness. I would appreciate grace in this time of repentance and uncertainty.
I will post a blog when I know the details about the financial stuff. If you were a monthly supporter that will be halted. For tax reasons the money cannot be returned, however in many cases it can be transferred to another non-profit or church organization.
To Sarah B, "Leens", Danny boy, Jackie, KY and Lens': I love you guys. I will be your cheerleader, care package sender, affirmer, and prayer warrior this next year. I am rooting for you guys! Don't stop laughing. Praying for you guys to become LESS.
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Posted in ministry by Kelly O'Bar on 9/12/2007
It's late. I'm exhausted and still recovering from my cold (Praise the Lord that I was significantly better today and am still praying for full recovery by tomorrow), but I wanted to post our ministry assignment for when we are in Thailand. We just found this out today!
I'm very excited despite our extremely rural living conditions!
You can check out more at the website below.
Church Planting Ministry - Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi,
a province in western Thailand, became world-famous after the movie
"The Bridge on the River Kwai" hit screens in the 1950's. Today...Arun
and his wife, Pang, have now started a new YWAM Thailand ministry in
western Thailand in March 2003. While Kanchanaburi is still in the
development stages (limited cell phone coverage) the opportunities to
share Jesus Christ abound everywhere! Your team will have an
opportunity to teach English at a local school, as well as engage in
open air evangelism at the local market and various other venues. There
is also the opportunity to do prayer walking in and around the town,
visit with villagers, and even encourage the local Christians. Your
team will also be asked to help out every Sunday morning by sharing
testimonies, helping to lead worship, performing dances or dramas and
even preaching the morning sermon! Arun and Paeng also have a plethora
of goats that they own and your team will be asked to help with the
daily feeding, cleaning and upkeep! For all the latest information on
what God is doing in Kanchanaburi, check out the following link at -
http://www.ywamthai.org/kanchanaburi/
Our schedule for the next week is as follows:
Thursday- AM seminar, PM packing, repacking, sending stuff home
Friday- AM laundry, PM driving to Atlanta with stop at Walmart. Staying in hotel near airport
Saturday- Up at 3:30, flight leaves at 7:30 with stops in San Francisco and Tokyo arriving in Bangkok at 11pm on Sunday.
Monday- rest day/jet lag
Tuesday- Race day
Weds- Temple Tour
Thurs- head out to our ministry locations from Bangkok.
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Posted in training by Kelly O'Bar on 9/11/2007
Sorry that it's been a few days since I've posted anything.
I've come down with a pretty gnarly cold and all my free time has been spent resting.
Last night (Monday) we all went to a staff family, the Goode's, house for dinner, showers, and team time. It was awesome. I left the Goode's house to spend the night at the Livingston's house (another awesome staff couple). They were gracious enough to open their home to my germy self so that I could get a good night's sleep (which I did).
So I got 9 hours of sleep last night and then have been sleeping the majority of today in a dark office on a mattress. I don't think I've ever been this exhausted in my life. Please pray for MIRACULOUS healing. There is no way I can start the race like this.
Sunday we spent the afternoon at a lake nearby just relaxing and resting. There were some great team funtivities involving a kayak and devouring a large watermelon. I must say that my team is absolutely amazing! We know how to laugh at almost anything!
Some prayer requests:
• Supernatural health and rest (I've been praying that I'd feel 110% by Thursday!)
• That I wouldn't be missing too much while I'm sick and that my team would be able to catch me up quickly.
• For continued bonding and fun with my teammates.
• Homesickness- I really missed not being at Reality on Sunday morning!
• Continued peace in leaving despite all the spiritual warfare going on.
Mark, Christie, Traci and Colleen
Our coaches Jerry, Nancy, and Gary
Two of my small teammates: Colleen and Danny playing in the sand (red Georgia clay).
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Posted in training by Kelly O'Bar on 9/7/2007
The inside of one of the girls cabins. There is space for approx. 36 girls and there are 3 levels of bunks.
My bed... so comfy! Notice my use of the fire blocks as shelving/organization! Totally me.
A view of the girls cabins from the outside!
Laundry time (actually the September team will be heading to the Laundromat before we leave next Saturday!
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Posted in training by Kelly O'Bar on 9/6/2007
Well I made it. I'm in Georgia: land of humidity and red dirt. My flights went smoothly, my luggage made it (a travel miracle if you know me! And one of my teammates lost her luggage on the way here so she's having to replace EVERYTHING!) I must say I'm a fan of non-United airlines. I was planning on staying at a hotel near the airport Wednesday night but when I landed one of my teammates called and said they were on their way to the airport to pick up one of our training speakers as well, so I hung out for a couple hours and then we went back to AIM headquarters.
I was ecstatic to find out that we're not camping. They have build cabins since I was here in April so we're all in bunks. We are still using porto-potties and hose showers, but I'll take what I can get! Since I got in a day early I've just been resting and trying to get on the right time zone. Most of the seminars and activities I did back in April so it's kind of nice to just be here and relax before the rest of my teammates get here (they should get in tonight!).
I found out that we leave for Thailand at about 7am on the 15th (next Saturday) so Friday afternoon we'll drive into Atlanta and spend the night at hotels so we can get to the airport early on Friday! We have a little over a week left in The States. A lot of the January 08 racers are here too so that's exciting.
I plan on taking pictures of camp in the next few days and posting them so stay tuned!
Please pray for:
* Sweet fellowship as the rest of my team arrives tonight
* Supernatural rest and health (I just feel drained, I'm napping a lot, and I'm fighting a cold!)
* Continued peace (I've been feeling a lot better since Tuesday).
Love you all so much. Thanks for the prayers. Again, I have just FELT soooo covered in prayer the past two days. I love it!
Internet access and electricity are limited so the best way to reach me for the time being is still my cell phone (I don't have it on all the time, but check it frequently!).
More soon…
My Monday night prayer girls, praying with me and sending me off.
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Posted in communication by Kelly O'Bar on 9/4/2007
I just wanted to post my general schedule for the next couple days:
Today (Tuesday) I'm enjoying my last day at home and finishing up packing. Tonight I will meet with my awesome prayer girls for one last time of prayer together.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) my first flight leaves Santa Barbara at 6am. yikes! I have a really short layover in Dallas so please pray that I make it an my luggage makes it. I flying two different airlines tomorrow as well, so that complicates things.
I should arrive in Atlanta tomorrow around 3ish. The tentative plan is for me to actually get a hotel room near the airport for the night. The rest of the team doesn't fly in until Thursday so that's when I will have transportation out to Gainesville. I'm thinking this is probably best anyway, especially if my luggage doesn't make it. I'm actually looking forward to a night in a hotel, bed, shower for the last time! :-D It'll be a good opportunity to just fast and meet with the Lord.
Thursday late morning I will take the hotel shuttle back to the airport after check-out and hang out at the airport with all my teammates as they slowly arrive before we'll head out to AIM headquarters in Gainesville.
Please pray:
For continued excitement (I've gotten a little more excited talking to a teammate the last couple days, but I still just feel apathetic/apprehensive).
For closure/reconciliation here with relationships and friendships. And for a sweet time of prayer tonight!
For worry free travel (the good news is that I'm not flying United tomorrow, which greatly increases my chances of everything going right!!!)
For my family as we say goodbye!
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Posted in communication by Kelly O'Bar on 9/1/2007
Hey all,
I've really been feeling encouraged to make sure that my ministry and this blog is a two-way road. And by that I mean that my ministry is not just to orphans, widows and people all over the world... it's to you. One way I really hope to stay connected to all of you is by hearing what the Lord is doing in your life. I encourage you to respond to my blogs throughout this next year, click "contact me"
on the left side of this page and fill me in!!! I also hope to continue to communicate with you through facebook and skype- so even expect some phone calls.
Please don't buy into the lies that what God is doing in your life is any less significant or exciting than what God is doing in my life or anyone else's life. I want to be in prayer for you this next year even more than I have been this past year and just as much as I will be for the World Race!!
So lay it on me!!! Love you guys.
e-mail: kellyobar@mac.com
skype: kellyobar
phone: 805-452-3876 (I will be checking voicemail when I have internet access)
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