1. "I am not in a hurry". The team learned "The Pilgrim's Creed" together: "I am not in a hurry. I am not in control. I will take only what God gives me. I will greet everyone I meet with peace." On the way to Chiang Mai we had a 45 minute layover in Seoul, during which we had to go from one terminal to another, including the security check. Needless to say, we had to move fast. On the plane, I read this:
Hurry is an inner condition that is fear-based... If I have only ten minutes to get from one end of the airport to another, I can move quickly without hurrying…when I walk in step with God I learn to say, "If I don't make that plane I'll be fine. God is with me. Things will work out. Meanwhile, I'll move my legs as fast as I can…"As we learned to walk in step with God, we were often tempted to hurry or to take control. But the Pilgrim's Creed made us more aware of how God was orchestrating things.
2. What can we offer kids in villages in Thailand? We brought a large suitcase full of arts and crafts. We found that Thai kids like Rice Krispies treats (made with coconut oil instead of butter) but weren't so taken with finger Jello ("It's pretty good if I don't have to eat much of it." They're very polite.) But the most important thing we brought was love and attention and a sense of hope for a future beyond subsistence farming. We were the first group to include teens, members who were close in age to the kids we worked with. And we were the first group to spend entire days with them, even eating lunches with them and lunch and dinner on our final day. As a result, this was the first time that the Thai kids cried when they had to say good-bye… and we were crying, too.
3. God uses faithfulness in small things. A missionary family's life can be very ordinary. We spent time with three missionary families in Chiang Mai that Grace Community supports. A frequent topic of conversation was where to buy groceries. Yet the work that these missionaries are doing is life-changing for so many. And that reminded me that back here in the US, it's the same. God wants to change lives around us, yet he wants us to be faithful in the everyday stuff. A lot of life is about things like where to buy groceries. But that doesn't mean that there aren't greater purposes for why God has us living where we do. Treating a grocery clerk with respect can be as important as leading a Bible study.
At the same time, there are unique challenges faced by missionary families. The transitoriness is hard. Missionaries' kids (MKs) have to say good-bye too often, especially when they're on "home assignment" (and they often don't feel that the US is "home"). And the missionaries themselves feel pressure to have "successful" ministries on the field, just as Christians in the US want to participate in a "successful" church. And "success" is often interpreted to mean "big". The transitoriness and pressure can lead to a sense of isolation. So missionaries need emotional support just as much as Christians in the US. One suggestion we heard was to send out a missionary's best friend for a week: a small thing that supporting churches can do to provide emotional support on the field.
Even if you don't go to Thailand, God is active where you are. May we be able to see what God is doing in our own neighborhoods and may he give us the grace to cooperate with him.
No comments:
Post a Comment