I was sitting in prayer meeting tonight wondering what I should write about in my blog post. I didn’t feel like anything super major happened this week. Everything ran pretty smoothly. I sent a little prayer up, asking God what I should talk about. A few minutes later I thought, “Why did I come to Thailand?” Then the following thought, “Why don’t you write about that?”
This past January I went to India on a two week mission trip, where running a pop-up medical clinic and evangelistic series were the main focus. Our group worked pretty much every minute of the day, and by the time it was 8 pm, we were exhausted! I enjoyed the fast pace, and I felt that we were helping other people in a significant way! Those two weeks in India made me realize that I wanted to serve for a year in a different country.
We go on mission trips for a week or two, and the trip is crammed with certain projects that need to be done in a short period of time. These trips are definitely beneficial and very helpful, but they do not accurately portray what life in these other countries is really like on the day-to-day.
Sometimes watching the youngest three just feels like another babysitting job I had back home, or making sure the water jugs stay full doesn’t seem as purposeful and exciting as when we prayed over a demon possessed girl in India, but it isn’t about all the big things we can do. In Ecclesiastes 9:10 it says to do whatever work that is before you with all your might.
Life here is slower, and there isn’t loads of work to do, but there is a purpose in this place. The kids will not be here forever, and God has given us the opportunity to share His love with them. Yes, that does mean we talk about Jesus and ask them who made the stars and teach them Bible verses, but that also includes a whole lot more. It includes playing with them, helping them learn to ride a bike, pretending we can’t see baby Gauv when he’s hiding behind a bush trying to make us laugh. It includes letting them do my hair, jumping with them in the trampoline, or being super excited and impressed with Bpao when she shows me for the 8th time that she can jump rope.
It is super easy to overlook this work and think that it doesn’t mean much but the reality is that God views this work as precious and valuable. People need to be cared for, and the best way to show God’s love to others is through our kindness and love. Yes, it is easy to think the small acts of kindness or the smile given is super insignificant, but they are the building blocks to building a true connection with others through which God will use to reach His children throughout the world. An act of love might be the only glimpse of Jesus that someone could ever see, and when you put it in perspective, you start to realize how much it matters!
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