Alive and Kickin

Hello faithful followers of the Life of Frase. Good news. I am alive. Bad news. I am really bad at keeping contact with you and for that I am truly sorry. Change is coming followers. Amongst super busy schedules, traveling from Bangladesh to India to Montana, and computers crashing on me I am finally here ready to recap all that has been happening in the Life of Frase.

So a lot of time has passed and a lot of exciting things have happened since my last post from Bangladesh.. so I will start from where we left off

King's teaching in Dhaka, Bangladesh:
We had the awesome opportunity to help the Bangladesh SBS (School of Biblical Studies) by teaching the books of 1st and 2nd Kings. Thank you for all prayers for our study time because it was very effective. We got a week to prepare for teaching which was much needed for teaching the books of Kings and the opportunity to help out some Ywamers there by doing some mercy ministry with them. One day we went to a library and made balloon animals for all of the kids. They all got either a dog or a hat because sadly that is all that I could remember from my science teacher Mr. Ganter's balloon animal making classes. But nonetheless there were a lot of happy kids with dogs and hats. The second day we got to go with the IPHC (Introductory to Primary Health Care) team and did some house visits. We went around to make sure people were taking their medicine and giving more medicine to them if needed. We also got to pray with those people that we visited which was awesome.
So back to the Kings teaching. It went really well. We taught the book as a team. I got to teach on the Kings of Israel, Russell took on the United Kingdom and Judah, Sam taught BRI (Basic Required Information) or in better words the historical background of the book and also the message of the prophets through the "harry one" Elijah and the "bald one" Elisha. There was a total of 5 students in the SBS and it was so worth it. All of these students are going to make a difference in Bangladesh through either staffing in the SBS or going out and planting churches.

Ywam Staff Training:
So we left the capital Dhaka to travel by train to a city close to the border of India called Rajshahi. Here we had a week to train the Ywam staff in the Inductive Method of studying the Bible.We lead them through the books of Philemon and Jonah and Sam squeezed in a lecture on the different genre's of the bible. This was an awesome time being able to teach the Inductive Method to a staff that was so hungry for learning God's word. They were an amazing group and they picked up so quickly. As a team it was a very encouraging week for us and a great finish to our month in Bangladesh.

The 5 Hour Border Crossing:
Yup...it took us 5 hours to cross from Bangladesh back in to India. It took us longer to get out of Bangladesh than it did on the other side in India. Apparently there is a travel tax that you have to get a receipt for in order to get a stamp on your passport. That would have been a good thing to know before we got there. Russell being the awesome man that he is took off to a bank 2 Kilometers away to get the stamp while Sam and I watched person after person have to pay bribes in order to get their passports back from the corrupt border people. It was a sad sight to see for about an hour, person after person getting ripped off for no legitimate reason other than the border people wanting to fill their wallets. Luckily by the grace of God we were the only people in that hour that didn't have to pay the bribe and we finally got out of Bangladesh and into India. O 5 hour border crossings so much fun.

Kolkata India:
Finally back in India a place where we were all excited to get back to. We were in Kolkata for 10 days where at last we had some time off. PRAISE GOD. It was much needed. We took 5 days off to take some much needed rest where for the first time on our trip we were finally tourist which was quite nice. We enjoyed the delicious coffee at Barista and Cafe Coffee Day, the tastes of home at Pizza Hut, reading fiction books and we got out to see a couple movies (which I was the only one that liked) at the infamous South City Mall. We also discoverd Chicken Rolls which was one of the best things that I tasted in India. The other 5 days we started preparing for our last task, Teaching the SBS Seminar at the Ywam Base in Lonavala, India where I did my Titus training time.

Lonavala India:
Back to where it all started at the Ywam base in Lonavala. FYI I love this place.
Task: SBS SEMINAR
The SBS seminar is the first 3 weeks of the SBS where the Inductive Method is introduced and all of the lovely 12 steps of the method are introduced that the SBS'ers will have to do for the next 9 months. This is huge. This is the foundation. If this isn't taught right the SBS'ers aren't going to make it. Nope no pressure here. Nothing to worry about. JOKES!!!!
God has a good sense of humor bringing me here to teach something that I was just learning exactly a year ago.
Amidst the hours of study, not having enough time to prepare and feeling unable to teach this stuff God did it and I survived and Praise God Russell and Sam survived. It was the most stretching time for me on outreach by far. Being given the responsibility for the success of someones entire 9 months is a lot for me to handle. But again God did it. It wasn't my teaching that made the students learn or Russell's or Sam's it was the greatest teacher ever. GOD. I would much rather have him teach than me. And that was my story on outreach. God taught. He taught every time and for some strange reason He decided to use this guy for his plans and purposes for these people at this time. I am amazed at what he did during my Titus time. I did things I never thought I would do in my life, I was stretched so far, it hurt but it was awesome. He is so good.

This is an article I wrote on my second to last day in India that describes my whole experience

"I sit here in Café Coffee Day a famous Indian chain and I have officially finished Titus Project after I finish this letter by the grace of God. I am here reflecting on the last 3 months of my life. I had just finished my 9 month SBS studying the word of God and 3 weeks later I am here in India preparing to attempt to teach the word of God. What a quick change, from studying the bible for 9 months to traveling to India to teach it. If I can put this last 3 months of my life into one word I would say “privileged”. I sit here on the verge of tears thinking of how privileged I have been to be doing what I have been doing with Titus project for the past 3 months. Not only did I get to study the bible for 9 months but now I had the privilege to pass on what I have learned during my SBS. I knew the need for bible teaching. It was quite evident to me. I knew of the hunger of people all over the world to learn God’s word and to be able to study it for themselves. I put this experience into one word “privileged” because that has been my life for the past 3 months. I have been “privileged” to be used by God to meet the need of teaching the bible in the countries of Bangladesh and India. I have been “privileged” to be used by God to see people fed and nourished in giving them the tools to learn and study His word for themselves. What an experience to see the need of someone and then see that hunger fulfilled in their lives. God has been so good to me the past 3 months. He has been so faithful and he has been my strength this entire time while he has called me out of my comfort to try to teach his word to those who want and need it. God called me to India and Bangladesh for these 3 months overseas. God called me to teach these people for this time. I am overwhelmed. I am privileged."

Man God does some crazy things in us and through us when we are obedient to him. He just wants us to be obedient so he can absolutely blow us away with the amazing things that He does with our lives. O that the creator of the universe counts us worthy to use and love. The creator of everything uses us and loves us. That is unreal when we are so unworthy of all that He is and all that He has done.

The Trip Home:

So I had to say goodbye to Sam and Russell my compadres for the last 3 months and I had to say goodbye to India which was not fun at all. It was definitely a sad time and don't tell Russell and Sam that I told you this because they would make fun of me but I cried pretty much the whole taxi ride to the airport.

My first stop was in Bangkok, Thailand and I had a 12 hour layover there. Luckily Thailand gives out 30 days visas like people give out candy on Halloween so I spent 8 hours in Thailand with a couple of my friends Milk and Ja who met me at the airport. I got some delicious Phad Thai and got to experience Thailand which I have never been to. I am definitely going to do ministry there someday. Not at all a bad way to spend a 12 hour layover!!

The rest of the trip consisted of flying to Taiwan then to Sanfransico getting in at 7 at night having to wait there 12 hours until my final leg home from Sanfran to Salt Lake City the next morning and then finally to Montana. What a long couple of days. But I made it to Montana finally and was so relieved. I got to see my girlfriend and finally end skype dating, I got to see another Titus team from Montana heading out that day to go to Nepal for 2 months and teach, and I got to receive a huge wedgie from Scott and an orange thrown at me by my friend Rudy. Man as much as I missed India it was so good to get back.

Whats that Haps now?

Well I had 3 days off to relax and rest and then it was right back to it. A bit of a quick turn around but I am used to that.

Right now I am on Project staff here at the base. I work in facilities in the morning from 8:30 - 12 with Scott and others keeping the base running. Like tearing out old heaters, Building new rooms where old heaters used to be, fixing sinks, cleaning dryer vents at houses, drywalling and many other awesome projects. Then in the afternoons from 2 - 5:30 I work in the kitchen on our dinner prep team. We have 8 of us in there making food for 160 people a night and that is great. It is awesome to not be the student right now and serving the base that has taken such good care of me the last two years of being here.

The reason I am on project staff:

I don't know if you all remember but I was planning on going on a tour with my friend Allison Stayer right when I got back from India but obviously that didn't work out because I am still in Montana. The reason we are not on tour is because our Guitar player Wells and his wife Erin got pregnant. They just had their baby last week so that wouldn't work out if we were on tour now. So we decided instead of touring we will record a new album instead. So I get the awesome opportunity to record the drums for the album. GOD STORY!!! We are going to record in our awesome studio that we have on base and I can't wait for you all to hear it. Here is a taste of Allison Stayer she rocks. www.myspace.com/allisonstayer

What's after recording?
I have been accepted for DTS Staff (Discipleship Training School - The first and foundational school in Ywam) here at Ywam Montana. So I will be here for a long time. I have committed for two years of staffing this school. I am so so so excited to do this. This is something that I wanted to do right after my DTS but God wanted me to do SBS before staffing. So I did that and here I am. I can't believe it, I am in God's will getting ready to see students see their true God in a new way and see them set free from anything that holds them back. FREEDOM. There is nothing greater than the freedom that we have in Christ. REAL, TRUE, FREEDOM. I get to spend two years serving these students and see their lives changed and see them experience this. I am excited to see what God is going to do, in me, through me, and in them.

So that is what is happening in the Life of Frase!!! I will keep you updated on all that is new and exciting.

Here are some prayer requests if you don't mind

1) That I will stay focused on God and how he can daily change me. That I will seek him with all I have.
2) That Annie and I will continue to be driven towards God in our relationship
3) That God will provide the support that I need for my two year commitment here at Ywam Montana
4)That my computer can get fixed without paying a ton
5) That God will provide a plane ticket home for Christmas to see family and friends...MY ABSENCE FROM NEW YORK HAS BEEN TOO LONG!!!


Please Please Please write me back to let me know how you are doing! I truly care and I truly want to know. Thanks for reading if you have made it this far!! I love you!!! Frase


P.S. Pictures from India will be up as soon as my comp is fixed