Thailand Missions (2018) "The Challenge"
Hi all!
I can't believe it's already been a week since we've come back from Thailand and been thrust back into the normalcy of our days. Here are some of my musings from the past week!
1, Sharing
This past week I've been blessed to meet with a lot of people to share my experiences in Thailand despite having to work most hours of the week. I shared about a typical day, our activities in the Centre, some of the characters of the students and staff, my personal feelings, and "God moments."
Talking about Thailand sometimes feels like a dream, as if our transient stint at the Centre happened long, long ago, but discussing the experiences as a team with friends and family makes it real again. Not to say that the lessons from God aren't still present, but that the events that led to the teaching are even now growing fainter.
As I share with those around me, not only are the explanations grounding me in what we experienced, but also to those praying for us throughout the week. The encouragement brought by what our sovereign God is doing across the globe is so evident in their questions and responses, allowing me to understand even more the power of God's work on the trip.
2. Work
For those who don't know, I had only returned from a week long stay in Korea for a day before flying to Thailand for this trip, and after arriving back in Los Angeles from Thailand on Friday, I immediately had to return to Irvine for a week where I was the resident advisor for a camp teaching financial literacy for incoming, low income, first - generation 9th - 10th graders. Yes, the struggle was real with my body feeling like it was about to break down on some days without proper rest. But even then, I find that mindset is different. The high that I felt coming back from the Centre transformed into a set paradigm, and it manifested itself with my thoughts moving from "How can I help these students get into a university?" to "How can I be an older brother in Christ to these students while glorifying God in my work?" including the success of the students' futures. With that shift, I could speak to students and even my fellow RA's about what they believed after building trust through the week, and I could share my faith with them. Although there was no heart change with them, seeds were planted, and I pray that people go to water, and God grows them.
3. The Challenge
The paradigm shift I described before will hopefully be lasting. The challenge comes as I travel to Cambodia in 2 weeks to teach English and during the school year when it becomes so easy to selfishly push aside ideas of relational ministry and concentrate on academics. At the Centre, we could freely talk and play games with the students with the hope of building a relationship with them. With my last year as an undergraduate at UC Irvine, I hope to continue the lifestyle of giving my time and energy freely to those around me even as we study and work towards graduation, and I pray that God shines though me.
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