Sara

Whitehurst


Serving in Thailand, Asia Pacific


Sawatdii kha! Hello!

I serve in Thailand. I teach English at an after school community center in a Buddhist village outside of Chiang Mai. The center exists to invest in the lives of the children in the community. We teach English and life skills and help them to know the value they have because they are loved by God. Tuesday - Friday we have short English lessons after school. I also teach English at the local school near the community center. It is a good way to build relationship with more of the village and to connect with more students. 

I am so excited to share with you that we have started Bible study on Saturdays! This is an opportunity to build deeper relationships with students and their families.

It is such an honor and so humbling to be part of this. We get to disciple first generation Christians, share communion, and create an environment for unbelievers to explore Christianity. 

Under the resources tab you can find my new and improved website! There you can find updates on all the goings on here in Thailand. 

Looking forward to connecting with you!

Thank you for being part of #MissionThailand! Together we are bringing Hope to the hopeless!

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I’m not a farmer or a gardener or even a “plant mom”. But that doesn’t deter the Lord from pruning. He’s pruning me. Throughout the Bible there are references to fruit. Bear much fruit. The fruit of the Spirit. They will be known by their fruit.

Just like plants and trees need to be pruned, we too need to be pruned. Pruning is necessary for health and growth and a greater yield. I desire to know Jesus more and to be more like him. At times that requires pruning. There are people and things and habits and ways of thinking that God is asking me to cut off or cut out of my life. It is difficult. It is painful at times. But I know that it will bring more glory to God and will produce more abundant fruit in my life.

I’m finding the closer I get to Jesus the more narrow the road gets. Probably because “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” When I see Jesus face to face I don’t want to wish I had done more or tried harder. We only have this life to live for Christ. There will be no need for sacrifice or evangelism or discipleship in heaven. We will be living in the reward of the fruit of our labor this side of heaven.


Past, present, future

December was full of great things.

My youngest niece’s adoption was finalized! I can’t go into detail but, my sister and brother in law endured many hardships over the course of adopting my niece. Though there were many failures by those that are meant to uphold the law to serve and protect, God was the true hero. His sovereignty can’t be thwarted!

My niece will get to grow up with her biological sister that was also adopted into our family. Not many adoptees get to grow up with their siblings. Another blessing from the Lord that they will get to be together forever.

I also got to share at my home church, Canyon Hills. It was such a blessing to get to say thank you and to update them on all that God is doing in Thailand.

Christmas was interesting this year. It didn’t feel like Christmas at all. Because most of my family got together for Thanksgiving everyone decided to stay home for Christmas. My parents flew to TX to be with my brother. I spent the morning with my sister and her family and had dinner with some friends. All in all it was a good day.

January was full of opportunities.

I shared about Buddhism in my life group. I attended the SoCal Leadership Conference. So good! I met with supporters. And, I got to share at Bakersfield Christian Church. The first time I’ve done two services in a row. I’m still growing in my public speaking skills but I had a great time. The Lord is so faithful to use our obedience for His glory.

February is just about full!

I will be sharing in a sunday school class. I will be doing a service in Colton, CA. I will be in AZ. Twice. Meeting with supporters and potential supporters.

March is open.

Next month is pretty open. I’m hoping to book more services and to continue making progress on getting the last bit of my funds raised. I’m really hoping to be in Thailand in May.


I’m almost there!

I’m getting closer to getting back to Thailand! I can feel a shift in my heart and my mind. I am starting to make lists of what I need to buy and what I need to pack. I’m starting to think about what part of Chiang Mai I want to live in. It might be premature of me to do that since I don’t have a departure date yet lol! But I know that a lot goes into moving to another country and I want to be as prepared as I can be. So when I get the green light I’ll be ready to go.

I still need about $1,700 in monthly support. Here’s a breakdown of what that looks like at different amounts. Any amount is a blessing! Click on the graphic to donate. 


Lastly

Lastly, I would love to partner with you in prayer. Choose a day of the month that works for you and we can pray for each other. You can respond to this email or message me with a date and I’ll add you to my calendar.


As always, thank you for all that you do to join me in making Jesus known in Thailand!


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We’re a ragamuffin bunch but we sure do love each other lol!

We almost always go to Tucson or stay in Bakersfield for Thanksgiving. But this year we went to Stacie’s in Nevada. Only about half the family could make it. It was a great time and a nice change of pace. While we were there I started thinking about traditions.

As a kid we would all go to grandma and grandpa’s house. My grandma’s birthday was the 26th so sometimes we would celebrate her birthday and Thanksgiving together. Good times! Then as we started getting older we would celebrate at my parents house. Now, as my siblings are spread across the country and I mostly live in Thailand, traditions are changing yet again.

Changing traditions is not always easy. There’s a comfort in knowing what to expect. There’s a comfort in knowing that you’ll hear the laughs of your loved ones. Sadly, over time things change. Family member pass away, new members are added, people move.

With all the things that have changed over the years there’s one thing that has remained the same. Love. I’m so thankful for my family. We all get along and look forward to spending time together. We pray for each other. We cry together. We help each other in times of need. My great-grandparents and grandparents might be gone but their legacy of love lives on.


What’s been going on?

October was a very full month! I finished the last class for the licensing requirement. Yay! I went to Tucson for my niece’s quinceanera. So fun! She was beautiful and everyone had a great time. I did a church service at Bethany Church LA. The pastor and his wife are wonderful people! If you’re in Alhambra and don’t have a home church I highly recommend Bethany Church. I went to NV for a week. I had meetings throughout the month. It was non-stop!

November we less busy but went by just as fast! The Saturday with Sara event went really well! It was so good to be face to face with friends and family that have partnered with me. I shared about how my time in Thailand has been going and my time in the US and when I plan to get back. They asked some great questions. Thank you to everyone that came out!!

This month is a bit slower, kind of. Is December ever really a slow month? I won’t be traveling out of state. I don’t think. I’m going to soak up my last Christmas in the US, for a while, with my family.


You make it happen!

I’ve mentioned before that I get to help sponsor a student to go to a christian school. She’s started her second year there and is doing well. I’m happy to share with you that I get to help sponsor another student!

He has had a rough life so far. Filled with abuse and abandonment and criticism. Last month he started attending the christian school. Now he, along with the other student, get to learn and explore their faith in a safe environment.

Your faithful generosity allows me to invest into the lives of these students! Thank you!! As the Lord provides, I would love to sponsor more students.

Would you join me in praying for this young man? He’s been living with one of our Thai staff which has been a safe, secure home for him. The staff member is getting married this month so this young man must find a new place to live.


Prayer partners needed!

I’m still looking for monthly prayer partners. Pick a date and we can pray for each other that day each month.


I’m so grateful for your love, prayers, and support. I hope you have a very merry Christmas!!

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How is it October already? Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Before I get too ahead of myself, I want to share with you what has happened the last couple of months.

In August I got to travel to San Diego to share at Faith Chapel church. They have been supporting me for about a decade now. It was so good to get to update them on what is happening in Thailand because of their support. Of course I always enjoy the conversations at my table after the service. The Pentecostal handshakes aren’t so bad either ;)

My 5 yr old niece wanted to tag along with me. She told her mom that she wants to be a missionary one day. That’d be awesome! On our way down to SD we stopped by downtown Disney for lunch and dessert.

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In September I did a church service in Barstow, CA. This church has also been supporting me for nearly a decade. I’m so humbled by the faithfulness of my supporters. Most churches give me 3-5 mins to share, but this church gave me the whole service. God hasn’t gifted me with public speaking skills lol but He is gracious to use me. God is setting a foundation to build his church in Barstow. Be ready!

After the church service I drove down to Santa Monica. I used a reward night to stay there and spent Monday at the beach. I needed a mental health day and the beach was a perfect place for that. I walked from the Santa Monica pier to Venice beach and back. One of my favorite things to do! One thing that kept going through my mind was, “God really did tell the ocean how far it can go.” I was so in awe of God the whole day.

If any of you are familiar with skateboarding, I saw Eric Koston! He was literally a couple feet in front me. I’ve always had a draw to skating. I sat and watched some guys filming tricks on the basketball court. Then all the sudden Eric Koston rolled up. So fun!!

Later in the month my sister and her husband went to HI for their anniversary. My mom, another sister, and I are watching the kids. She left us money to take them to Disneyland! The kids haven’t been in years. It was so fun to see them have fun! I ran into Mary Poppins while we were there. I had to show her my tattoo. It was a little embarrassing but mostly funny!

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Let’s pray for each other!

I did this a few years ago and stopped along the way. Sorry about that. I’d really like to do it again. It keeps me connected with you and you with me. It also lets me know that I’m covered in prayer everyday.

Here’s how it works. You pick the day of the month. Then you and I will pray for each other that day every month. A seemingly simple thing but it is very powerful!

James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”

If you’re reading this on the website you can respond in the comment section below . If you’ve received this in your inbox you can reply to the email. You can also text me.

Let me know which day of the month you’d like to pray for each other!

Prayer requests and praise reports.

You might remember the elderly lady that fell a while back. While I was in Thailand we took her an audio bible in her native language. Her eyes lit up as she listened to the songs and stories. She later fell and was in the hospital for a few months. She recently passed away. I’m not sure if she got saved or not, but because of the love and care from the Christians at the community center, her niece got saved!! We have been loving on this family for two years. The niece is experiencing a lot of pressure and opposition from the people in the village now that she is a Christian. Please pray for her to have a strong, bold faith in Jesus.

One of my students has been experiencing abuse at home and at the temple. He moved in with one of our Thai staff that is a Christian. The young teen is being bullied and criticized by his peers and teachers at school for not living with his family. So, myself and the other staff are going to sponsor him to go to a Thai Christian school. There he can grow in his faith and learn in a safe environment. Pray for him to become a man of valor. A man of influence in his community.

I thank God for your continued support that allows me to bless and serve the spiritually impoverished in Thailand. By meeting their physical needs their hearts are open to us meeting their spiritual needs. You help make that happen. Thank you!!

Coming up…

This month is going to be crazy busy! I will be going to AZ for my niece’s quincenera. Not sure how she’s 15 already. She was just 2 not that long ago. While I’m in AZ I will be meeting with the missions pastor at my childhood church. They’ve been supporting me for a long time. I’ll update them on all the happenings in Thailand. I will be speaking at a missions conference in Alhambra, CA. I’ll be traveling to NV. And a few other things. Please be praying for me!

I will be dropping some new merch soon! A limited supply. I will be posting it on my instagram so be sure to follow me.

Thank you for all you do to partner with me in bringing the Good News to Thailand!

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So, what is a missionary’s favorite question? “When are you going back?” As often as others ask that question we probably ask ourselves even more.

If you can believe it, 4 August will be the one year mark that I’ve been back. I am struggling to wrap my head around that. How has a year gone by already? It feels like much has happened and not much has happened at the same time.

My original goal was to get back to Thailand in July. Obviously that didn’t work out. My next goal is to get back by the end of the year. That leads me to something I need to confess.

I got so caught up in the money side of missions. My budget became an idol of sorts. I was so focused on how much I have to raise that I became overwhelmed, bitter, and wanted to quit. I’ve been a full time missionary for 12 years. I’ve experienced some difficult times but never once thought of quitting. So for me to get to that place was disappointing and enlightening.

My life and my conversations began to revolve around the budget that I have to raise. A few months ago I was given a 20% increase in my budget. So, that’s more money that I have to raise. I began to be consumed by how much money is required to do what I do. I can’t get back to Thailand until all of the money is raised, but there’s so much more that God has planned for my time here.

The money appeared to be bigger than God. More than he could handle. Then I went to Missionary Renewal.

I was surrounded by a couple hundred other missionaries that are on the same path as I am. I am not the first missionary to have to figure out how to raise funds and I will not be the last. Being around people that are in the same situation that I am allowed me to lay it all down.

In one week’s time God prompted 3 different people to give me significant donations. God provided for me in ways I wouldn’t have even thought to ask him. He saw my desperation and graciously reminded me that HE is my provider. Inflation and all the things of this world do not hinder him. He is outside of the faults and strains of this world.

Over the weeks I was traveling, the message of the birds and flowers from Matthew 6: 25-34 kept coming up. The birds don’t sow or reap yet they are fed. The wild flowers don’t toil or spin yet are clothed. We are worth more than them. God knows my needs better than I do. That includes all that I need to raise to get back to Thailand. If I seek Him first He will, not maybe or probably, he will provide all that I need. He is faithful.

Now that I have the Lord, and my needs, in the right order I am not going to quit! There’s such a need for the gospel in Thailand. I cannot ignore the burden that God has given me to share the Good News!

I am currently finishing up a class then I’ll have two left! Praise the Lord! After that I will need to do a test and interview to officially be a licensed minister. I am also booking services at churches and small groups. Doing what I can and trusting God to work it all out for my good and his glory.

Thank you to each and every person that has come along side me on this journey. Some of you have been with me for a decade or longer. Some of you maybe just a few days. Together we are bringing Hope to the people of Thailand!! I cannot do what I do without you.


7 weeks. 5 states. Lots of memories.

In the middle of May I drove to Tucson. My sister had a hysterectomy and I went to help as she recovered. Destroyed my nephew in Monopoly. Then he annihilated me lol! I also had the opportunity to share about #MissionThailand at Way Family Church. I was there for a month then I drove to Missouri. On the way, I got a flat tire in New Mexico. A couple of older guys helped me out and I was back on the road. I met up with a childhood friend and a few of my supporters in KC and Lake of the Ozarks. After that I was in Springfield for 8 days for Missionary Renewal. Then I went to Nashville to see a long time friend and supporter. I just love the south! TN is one of my favorite states. On my way back to CA I went to Texas to spend a few days with my brother and nephew. I loved being able to celebrate the 4th of July in America! The littlest nephew loved it, too! I stopped in Tucson for a night or two then finally got back to Cali the second week of July. Such a long but fulfilling trip! There’s so much more I could tell you but this is already getting too long :)

Below are some pics. 
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I’m back on Instagram!

Well, I’ve been back, kind of. I was using a social media manager for about 6 months. But now I’m back on it myself! I changed the name to @chagrinstateofmind. (If you know the definition of chagrin, you’ll know that describes me well lol!) I’ll be posting more personal things along with ministry things. Click here to follow me!


Coming up…

I will be at Faith Chapel church in San Diego on 13 August. If you’re in the area you should bring a friend and join us! I will be updating the church on what’s been going on in Thailand and I’ll have a table in the lobby before and after the service. I’d love to connect with you!


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I’ve been a full time missionary for the past 12 years. The only qualification I have to do what I do is simply obedience. Jesus told me to go, so I go. I have no special training or skills. I have never risked my life. I do what all Christians are called to do, go and make disciples.

I’m telling you this because I hope it helps you to understand the most humbling handshakes I’ve ever had. 

A few years ago I was visiting my grandma. A lady she was having lunch with was telling me about how she served in World War 2 along with her late husband. She worked on the aircrafts. She was responsible for the aircrafts to work properly and to fix them if something went wrong. A lot of lives depended on her to do her job quickly and accurately. 

Pointing to me my grandma told her, “She’s a missionary.” This war experienced woman reached across the table and said, “I need to shake your hand.” She looked me in my eyes and told me that I’m doing a great thing. 

I have never been more humbled in my life. Who am I for her to want to shake my hand? I still can’t talk about it without tearing up. 

Another humbling handshake happened more recently. A lady at my church was on hospice. Let me back up a little. Her grandson and I were in youth group together. We weren’t close but we knew each other. I’m not sure how she knew me but she had been praying for me for many years. When I would be home on itineration she would let me know she’s praying for me. 

When I found out she was on hospice I went to visit her. As soon as I walked in the room she grabbed my hand and said, “I pray for you!” She held my hand as she asked me about Thailand. “It is an honor to pray for you”, she told me. She was an integral part of my spiritual covering and she was honored to do it. I’m on the verge of tears as I write about it. She went to be with the Lord the next morning. So humbling to have had her in my life.


I’m not entirely sure why I’m telling you this. I think in a way it is part of my processing loss. Part of it is me trying to grasp the fact that Jesus sees me. He used these women to show me that he sees me. I’m not special. I’m not doing anything others can’t do. But my obedience matters to Jesus. He’s worthy of so much more than I can offer him. A thousand lifetimes wouldn’t be enough to express how worthy he is. Yet my simple obedience honors him.

If you’re like me you might think you aren’t doing much for the Lord. 1 Samuel 15 teaches us that obedience is better than sacrifice. More often than not sacrifice is easier. We can sacrifice our money or our time or resources. To walk in obedience means to sacrifice ourselves, our desires, our will. Your obedience is the greatest offering. It allows the Lord to work through you. That doesn’t make it easy but it does make it worth it.


Just like that May is over and June is here.

Thank you to everyone that gave for my birthday! It was a great month! I’m a little closer to getting back to Thailand. May might be over but the opportunity to partner with me is never over. If you would still like to make a monthly commitment or a one-time donation you can do that today! Click the button below to give.

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June is jam packed!

I’m in Tucson, again. My sister is having surgery. So I will be here a few weeks to help her out. While I’m here, though, I’ll be taking two more classes. I’m almost done!! Yay! And it is always nice to spend time with the nieces. (The nephew is out of state right now.)

Thai tea!

I love that my nieces love Thai tea as much as I do :) These are the memories I cherish while I’m in Thailand.

June 17th I will head to MO. I’m driving so it will take a couple of days. I’ll be in KC to visit friends and supporters. Then the following week I will be in Springfield. I will be going to Missionary Renewal. It will be 7 very full days. It will be nice to see some fellow missionaries and to have some intentional time to be renewed.

From there I will be driving to Nashville to visit a long time friend and supporter. I’m not in TN often but I sure do enjoy it! Looking forward to a Nehi Peach. If you know, you know :)

Then I’ll be making the long drive back to CA. If you think of it please be praying for me.


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