Staycation in Bangkok

Normally in November Grapevine "gets away" from the stress of school and life and retreats to the mountains, or the beach, or just anywhere out of the city. This year we decided to change our approach to a weekend together - we had a staycation. We encouraged students to come and go as they had time, and instead of trying to pull away from our environment, we wanted to engage it. 

The devotions and discussions and games all emphasised the need to open your eyes and see the needs of people around you. At Grapevine we often discuss the idea of loving neighbours, but most of the time we don't look our neighbours in the eye. Especially in a huge metropolis like Bangkok, we get too focused on our next meeting, activity, or event and the crowd around us becomes a blur. The people around us become meaningless. This weekend we prayed that we would have the courage and insight to look at the crowds as people in need of our love.

Students enjoying the Duck boats at the park.

Nat - the "Two Thumbs Up" Angel

A crowded street in Bangkok

A photo of "Love in Action" for the Scavenger Hunt

Once Upon A Tuesday

We started out our new semester with a "Fairy" wonderful theme for our Tuesday night talks - Fairy Tales. When we choose a topic for discussion we often ask ourselves "What do the students want to know about?" When we decide on a message for discussion the question is more often, "What does God want to say to us?" When we choose a way to present that topic and message we say, "What do people love and what are they excited about?" 

Who doesn't love Fairy Tales?

Our discussions so far:

Once Upon a Party - Will your story turn out happily ever after?

Peter Pan - A childlike acceptance and faith

The Emperor's New Clothes - Being able to see, accept and speak truth

Cinderella - Choosing to love and serve people that hate you

Now, just because we're talking about Fairy Tales doesn't mean that A Child's Bedtime Stories has replaced the Bible. On the contrary, we're learning to see how the Bible can relate to all aspects of our life, and how all aspects of our life can be used to teach us about God.