“As humans we tend to focus on the immediate. Yet all the while, God is orchestrating the entirety of our lives, using specific details, specific people, specific circumstances, specific words. We tend to look at one piece of the puzzle, while God sees the whole picture as well as the detailed specifics within each piece. We see things in black and white, while God sees things in panoramic color.” John Hull and Tim Elmore from Pivotal Praying
Last night, I was watching the sky from my room around 9 o’clock. Since I’m on the 3rd floor, it is much closer to the heaven’s ground and I could see things clearer. As I searched the dark blue canvas, I was struck at how God’s mighty hands are still moving. The clouds were lazily rolling, the cold silver stars were glittering, and the colors were painted in different shades.
It was a comforting reminder to me that even though all of the things in this world go wrong, He, who is existed, has already drawn out the plans for our lives. And we just have to be submissive to His will by being obedient. While we’re performing the tasks He’s given us to do, we’re assured that God is actually the One who carries out those plans for His glory. I love the chorus from a song called “In Me” by Casting Crowns .
“Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind, You shine Your light on me
Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that you want me
So I'll stand on Your truth, and I'll fight with Your strength
Until You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me”
When we’re suffocating from the polluted sinful world and being caught in the whirlpool of busyness, it is the time God demands us to lift our bowed head up and inhale deeply the sweet fragrance of His love.
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
H-O-M-E
When I was young, when someone talked about home, my mind would suddenly picture a big white house with orange roof, an apple tree and a swing at its side. It's said that sometimes children's drawing speaks louder than their words. As a child, every time I drew a picture of home, in spite of different backgrounds (sky, mountains, beach, etc.), it'd always include a house, an apple tree, a swing AND 3 people.
As I grew up, the definition of home has changed from time to time. To me, and likely most of the people, home is where your heart dwells. Though I might be living in a shack or in a deep jungle, I could be home if my heart is there. Where is my heart at the present?
I'm not sure if heart and intimacy are the same, but at least there seems to be some related connection between these two words. One thing I'm strongly certain about, though, is that there can be heart and intimacy when one is engaged in another person's life.
Intimacy is defined as a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group (www.dictionary.com).As I've sojourned on this life of Christianity, I've experienced a lot of defining moments where I feel like home: munching the still-hot homemade cookies with friends, sitting cross-legged on the floor with children drawing pictures or playing games, laughing over the delicious Chicken and cashew nut at Mr.Sombats', snuggling in my mom's arms though it is 32 degree outside, fighting over a toy with my sisters, cleaning GES 2nd floor at 3 in the morning with the girls and almost nodding my head off while watching my friend washing her bathub, lying on my back while seeking warmth for my feet under my friend's cool feet under the cold starry night, getting so squished in a taxi that there was almost no space for air, discussing deep in bible study for 3 hours or simply worshipping God without any musical instruments. The list could keep going on. One thing I notice in all these things, again, is there's ALWAYS people involved.
My heart is in the people whom God created. It is where my home on earth is. Those memories, though not fancy or exotic, are the places where intimacy with another living soul was created. Paul Brand, a world-renowned orthopaedic specialist and leprosy surgeon, "expresses the guiding principle of his medical career this way: ' The most precious possession any human being has is his spirit - his will to live, his sense of dignity, his personality. Though technically we may be concerned with tendons, bones, and nerve endings, we must never lose sight of the person we are treating.'" (Soul Survivor by Yancey).
God sent His Spirit to be among His people. In you, in me, there is the heart of the Sacred Love that nothing in this world can seperate us from. I now begin to see a glimpse of the eternal home as my heart is entwined with His people's spirits. One of the most untalented gifts I have is drawing. And if you ask me to draw a picture of home again, it'd probably still be the same with the plain-looking white house with orange roof, an apple tree and people - only that it'll not be just 3 people anymore but it'd be added to 10, 50, 100 or even 1,000.
Mink
"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love." John 15:9-10 (The Message)
As I grew up, the definition of home has changed from time to time. To me, and likely most of the people, home is where your heart dwells. Though I might be living in a shack or in a deep jungle, I could be home if my heart is there. Where is my heart at the present?
I'm not sure if heart and intimacy are the same, but at least there seems to be some related connection between these two words. One thing I'm strongly certain about, though, is that there can be heart and intimacy when one is engaged in another person's life.
Intimacy is defined as a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group (www.dictionary.com).As I've sojourned on this life of Christianity, I've experienced a lot of defining moments where I feel like home: munching the still-hot homemade cookies with friends, sitting cross-legged on the floor with children drawing pictures or playing games, laughing over the delicious Chicken and cashew nut at Mr.Sombats', snuggling in my mom's arms though it is 32 degree outside, fighting over a toy with my sisters, cleaning GES 2nd floor at 3 in the morning with the girls and almost nodding my head off while watching my friend washing her bathub, lying on my back while seeking warmth for my feet under my friend's cool feet under the cold starry night, getting so squished in a taxi that there was almost no space for air, discussing deep in bible study for 3 hours or simply worshipping God without any musical instruments. The list could keep going on. One thing I notice in all these things, again, is there's ALWAYS people involved.
My heart is in the people whom God created. It is where my home on earth is. Those memories, though not fancy or exotic, are the places where intimacy with another living soul was created. Paul Brand, a world-renowned orthopaedic specialist and leprosy surgeon, "expresses the guiding principle of his medical career this way: ' The most precious possession any human being has is his spirit - his will to live, his sense of dignity, his personality. Though technically we may be concerned with tendons, bones, and nerve endings, we must never lose sight of the person we are treating.'" (Soul Survivor by Yancey).
God sent His Spirit to be among His people. In you, in me, there is the heart of the Sacred Love that nothing in this world can seperate us from. I now begin to see a glimpse of the eternal home as my heart is entwined with His people's spirits. One of the most untalented gifts I have is drawing. And if you ask me to draw a picture of home again, it'd probably still be the same with the plain-looking white house with orange roof, an apple tree and people - only that it'll not be just 3 people anymore but it'd be added to 10, 50, 100 or even 1,000.
Mink
"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love." John 15:9-10 (The Message)
Monday, August 18, 2008
Little by Little
A lot of times, as busyness has become a major part of my day, I tend to forget the main purposes of life. The initial passion for others died down while my selfishness increased. How pride and self-pitiness are the perfect mixture of a soul's destruction!
I've been inwardly suffering from the mentally paralyzed state. Before I came up to work at Compassion, I seemed to be one of the "key" people who was trusted to be involved in critical matters. I was there to help others, not to be helped. Somehow God has recently flipped my script upside down.
It's been very frustrating to me that I'm not in the place where I can do things as conveniently as I used to. As a matter of fact, I feel like I'm partly paralyzed. Everyday as I watch my professional co-workers perform their tasks, I can't help but feeling envious. Though it seems forever to me, it has been nothing but a month and a half since my first day with this organization. While other people are harvesting, I'm just beginning to learn how to plant.
Sigh.
God has His ways to discipline His children. Beloved we are, yet He'd rather choose the hard way. Undoubtedly, that is an act of love. My friend, Heidi Peters, and I used to choose the way to express our love by slapping each other on the back. Sillyness? Yes. But every time we did that, I always walked away feeling happy, and more importantly, loved. Maybe this isn't the best analogy of all, but I think our Father doesn't neglect this strategy either.
Sometimes we need a good "slapping-on-the-back" from God in our daily life so that we may not forget who we are and what we are here for. Some of us may aggressively pursue achievement in the fast-pacing world whereas to some time may have stopped long ago and they just doggedly labor only to feed their empty stomach day by day.
What would life matter then if we let ourselves be consumed by the ways of the world? He really had a big slap for me this past week. And though I don't claim that I'm enlightened, my eyes seem to glimpse the revealing motive more.
I'm pushing myself too hard.
There's no need to be able to run while you are still tumbling.I guess it's in my very own nature. Mom told me that when I wasn't even a year old, as soon as I could stand up, I'd just shoot off to the other side of the room and ran hard into the wall. It was too soon. Look at babies, they don't stand right up and race. Naturally, they take their time as infants learning how to sit, crawl, stand and walk. It's very foolish of me to think that I'd be able to run as fast as everyone now when I can barely plant my feet firmly on this ground.
It's a lesson of humbleness and perserverance. Step by step. Little by little. Day by day.
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
Whose confidence is in Him."
Jeremiah 17:7
I've been inwardly suffering from the mentally paralyzed state. Before I came up to work at Compassion, I seemed to be one of the "key" people who was trusted to be involved in critical matters. I was there to help others, not to be helped. Somehow God has recently flipped my script upside down.
It's been very frustrating to me that I'm not in the place where I can do things as conveniently as I used to. As a matter of fact, I feel like I'm partly paralyzed. Everyday as I watch my professional co-workers perform their tasks, I can't help but feeling envious. Though it seems forever to me, it has been nothing but a month and a half since my first day with this organization. While other people are harvesting, I'm just beginning to learn how to plant.
Sigh.
God has His ways to discipline His children. Beloved we are, yet He'd rather choose the hard way. Undoubtedly, that is an act of love. My friend, Heidi Peters, and I used to choose the way to express our love by slapping each other on the back. Sillyness? Yes. But every time we did that, I always walked away feeling happy, and more importantly, loved. Maybe this isn't the best analogy of all, but I think our Father doesn't neglect this strategy either.
Sometimes we need a good "slapping-on-the-back" from God in our daily life so that we may not forget who we are and what we are here for. Some of us may aggressively pursue achievement in the fast-pacing world whereas to some time may have stopped long ago and they just doggedly labor only to feed their empty stomach day by day.
What would life matter then if we let ourselves be consumed by the ways of the world? He really had a big slap for me this past week. And though I don't claim that I'm enlightened, my eyes seem to glimpse the revealing motive more.
I'm pushing myself too hard.
There's no need to be able to run while you are still tumbling.I guess it's in my very own nature. Mom told me that when I wasn't even a year old, as soon as I could stand up, I'd just shoot off to the other side of the room and ran hard into the wall. It was too soon. Look at babies, they don't stand right up and race. Naturally, they take their time as infants learning how to sit, crawl, stand and walk. It's very foolish of me to think that I'd be able to run as fast as everyone now when I can barely plant my feet firmly on this ground.
It's a lesson of humbleness and perserverance. Step by step. Little by little. Day by day.
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
Whose confidence is in Him."
Jeremiah 17:7
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Beauty
This morning, while I was sitting in church listening to the soft wind whispering outside (I know that I was supposed to pay attention to sermon...but...), my eyes came to behold the beauty of the arranged flowers in a basket. They were of orange, red, pink and yellow colors and of different shapes and styles. Laying aside the bouquet was a plate of grape-wine cups with 3 violet orchid flowers as a "decoration". As the congregation started singing, I couldn't shift my gaze anywhere.
Simple they were, the beauty of the Most High were gracefully displayed to the eyes of a sinner like me.
Though disoriented and out of place, His assurance to me will always be the same, "I AM in control". Though the earth may crumble or the sun be darkened, the same Voice that called me 5 years ago will always say, "You are My beloved, My creation. I will always love you because I do."
Simple they were, the beauty of the Most High were gracefully displayed to the eyes of a sinner like me.
Though disoriented and out of place, His assurance to me will always be the same, "I AM in control". Though the earth may crumble or the sun be darkened, the same Voice that called me 5 years ago will always say, "You are My beloved, My creation. I will always love you because I do."
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Third Week
The longer I'm here, the more I realized how weak I am. Let me just start with this story from Mark Hanlon, the senior vice president of sponsor and donor development of Compassion.:: I Shall Not Be In Want:: From the book, "Blessings of the Poor"
Little did I know how my life could change as I accepted this book from my friend's hand. Never before had I paid much thought and attention to the word "poverty". All I knew was that if I had no money, I was poor. Worry would cloud my heart, and make it inaccessible for Jesus to perform His miracle. I'd try in every way I could to get what I wanted. Seemingly, I won...but in such worldly way.
Since I began my work at Compassion, the organization's core strategy rings in my mind everyday, "Releasing Children from Poverty in Jesus' Name". My first reaction to the statement was "how?". What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to take action? I didn't even know what poverty meant. I imagined myself as a giver, a wealth-bearer, a stronger and more important person. It was always the subject "I" with an "active" sense. Yet as each day passed by, God started to reveal to me...It is actually I who are a receiver, poor and weak.
Living by myself with no support from family or church leaves me with ONLY one thing - God. Each day I find my soul crushed to the ground, crying out for love and mercy. Fear and loneliness tower over me with its vast shadows. Satan is mockingly laughing at me as I'm trembingly cowed under its wings. Slowly, softly came the whispering in the wind, "Call to Me and I will answer you..." (Jeremiah 33:3).
Jesus is the ONLY source of strength, hope, wisdom, love and all that I could ask for. It's the moment when I'm stripped bare...exposed to the glaring eyes of the world that I realize I need to make a choice: either to doggedly labor myself in the bitterness of the world - the realm of Satan, and believe its lie that I'm a frail and insignificant no-one or to have my pride and dignity as God's beloved back by calling out His name, and be set free.
The Lord uses poverty as a strategy to bend the back of those who are prideful. I always question God why did He often bring judgments on nations (whether Israel or others) by destroying them, putting them in ruin. Now I seem to understand a little better. As Paul O'Rourke shared in his story on worship from the same book, "In a materialistic sense, the poor do not have a whole lot of tangible reasons to worship, but they choose to worship anyway. They have taught me that worship is an attitude of the heart and not an emotional response to the right stimuli - an airconditioned auditorium with soft seats and plush carpet; a veritable orchestra and cast of thousands on the platform; good health; a full stomach."
I, we, have too often numb our bodies, minds and spirits with worldly objects that are unquenchable to our thirst.
God strips us bare, leaves us with nothing, so we can turn to Him where there is everything. His desire is for us to solely rely on Him as a child in his father's arm.
May we come to our sense, and know who we actually are.
Mink
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:3
"I'd seen lots of poor kids living in squalid conditions, and this was to be just another one. But a home visit in Haiti in 1995 left me unhinged.
An eleven- or twelve-year-old sponsored girl showed us through her home, which was not unlike many others I'd seen. It was a typical Haitian hut. The yard was decorated with rocks, there was no vegetation of which to speak, and the house was made of dung and mud sandwiched roughly between bamboo poles.
The dwelling had four tiny rooms. I remember that the walls were decorated with colourful magazine ads. There were no personal pictures to speak of. The ads were for plain things like soap, hair care products and the like. There was nothing thematic about the decorations; they were colourful and filled a space in the absence of anything better.
An open fire burned in the kitchen. The home was clean- spotless, to be precise. The beds were mattresses on the floor but they were made and not disshevelled. The clothes were hung or neatly folded.
I remember the little girl moving the dirt and collecting the odd leaf and piece of trash. She took great pride and joy in our visit. Amidst the poverty were pride and dignity, and a kidness and contentment that belied the harsh circumstances of their existence. It was an honour for us to be with them.
We asked her to share her favourite Bible verse. It was Psalm 23. I only heard the firsr verse, 'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want', before I began to cry. A mix of shame and anger welled up from somewhere. How could she not be in want? How was there not that huge desire to want more?
My constant and persisten though would be to get out, or get up, or get better. Not to say she didn't have aspirations, but she was content. She had a skirt and blouse and scuffed shoes. I had everything I could ever want or need.
The poor are so much stronger than I am or could ever hope to be. I visit the poor for a day or a week, returning each night to a nice hotel, clean shirts, a hot shower and safe food. They don't leave.
Just becasue they are poor doesn't make them less important. Their economic situation doesn't make them weak as people.
We don't say it, but sometimes we think they should be impressed to have us in their home. All I know is that I was blessed, and this little girl's home was holy ground."
Little did I know how my life could change as I accepted this book from my friend's hand. Never before had I paid much thought and attention to the word "poverty". All I knew was that if I had no money, I was poor. Worry would cloud my heart, and make it inaccessible for Jesus to perform His miracle. I'd try in every way I could to get what I wanted. Seemingly, I won...but in such worldly way.
Since I began my work at Compassion, the organization's core strategy rings in my mind everyday, "Releasing Children from Poverty in Jesus' Name". My first reaction to the statement was "how?". What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to take action? I didn't even know what poverty meant. I imagined myself as a giver, a wealth-bearer, a stronger and more important person. It was always the subject "I" with an "active" sense. Yet as each day passed by, God started to reveal to me...It is actually I who are a receiver, poor and weak.
Living by myself with no support from family or church leaves me with ONLY one thing - God. Each day I find my soul crushed to the ground, crying out for love and mercy. Fear and loneliness tower over me with its vast shadows. Satan is mockingly laughing at me as I'm trembingly cowed under its wings. Slowly, softly came the whispering in the wind, "Call to Me and I will answer you..." (Jeremiah 33:3).
Jesus is the ONLY source of strength, hope, wisdom, love and all that I could ask for. It's the moment when I'm stripped bare...exposed to the glaring eyes of the world that I realize I need to make a choice: either to doggedly labor myself in the bitterness of the world - the realm of Satan, and believe its lie that I'm a frail and insignificant no-one or to have my pride and dignity as God's beloved back by calling out His name, and be set free.
The Lord uses poverty as a strategy to bend the back of those who are prideful. I always question God why did He often bring judgments on nations (whether Israel or others) by destroying them, putting them in ruin. Now I seem to understand a little better. As Paul O'Rourke shared in his story on worship from the same book, "In a materialistic sense, the poor do not have a whole lot of tangible reasons to worship, but they choose to worship anyway. They have taught me that worship is an attitude of the heart and not an emotional response to the right stimuli - an airconditioned auditorium with soft seats and plush carpet; a veritable orchestra and cast of thousands on the platform; good health; a full stomach."
I, we, have too often numb our bodies, minds and spirits with worldly objects that are unquenchable to our thirst.
God strips us bare, leaves us with nothing, so we can turn to Him where there is everything. His desire is for us to solely rely on Him as a child in his father's arm.
May we come to our sense, and know who we actually are.
Mink
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:3
Friday, July 25, 2008
Second week
Ah, mom just left. She came up for a brief visit, but what a wonderful time! Her presence brought the warm air from home and comfort. I never realized how fun a meal can be until mom came. Most of the time, I simply grab anything that would quench my thirst or stop my hunger, and go on working. I pour down milk into a cereal bowl in the morning, order some fast food at lunch and ride my bike out in search of any food for dinner. But deep down in my heart, I've missed the fellowship around table, random conversations and noisy talks. This is what she said to me on the first night after I had said a constant nos for all the snacks she offered to me, "Mink, you've changed. You don't eat that much." I never noticed that at all until she pointed it out to me. Eating has been only an act of surviving, not an enjoyable habit since I came here. But now I'm gonna cherish it more, and give thanks to God for what He has blessed me.
Life continues. This week has flown by eventfully. I've become better at work and got well-adjusted with the ways things are. I began to feel comfortable being around my co-workers. I'm more familiar with the area, local people and culture. I'm settling in. :) But Mink is still the same - clumsy.
On Monday I got myself injured while I was walking to Carrefour. I didn't really pay attention to the road that I was walking on because my eyes were so focused on the newly advertised billboard, so apparently I didn't see that there was a pretty big hole in front of me. You can guess the rest of the story. My right leg went right into that hole, and got stuck. Surely no one could help me, so I had to pull myself out and got the wound dressed. Afterwards while I was trying to walk back, a guy on a motorbike approached me and asked me for money. He said that he was from Bangkok, and he lost all money (while he still had his wallet with him). Scared and exhausted, I asked him what he wanted. So he asked if he could "borrow" some 300 baht. Of course I couldn't give him that much...but I felt the urge to give. A scripture from Matthew 25 came to me when Jesus said to the righteous, " 'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me' "" (Matt. 25:35-36). Though I knew that it was stupid to give money to strangers, at least I did what Jesus may want me to (or I thought so). Money may be a need for me to survive, but when someone asked for help, should I just turn him away though I may be a fool?
Anyway, I also got to go on my very first trip to Chiang-Rai. P.Yui, my colleague, I and a sponsor from USA drove up to meet with his Karen sponsored child and her family. It was definitely a blessed trip. I really had a pleasant ride because 1) I wasn't a driver and 2) there were different kinds of trees and green hills everywhere. When we got to the project, we met up with the staff and were oriented. Then we drove to the child's home which was nearby but the road to her home was so difficult. It was a dirt and rocky road. Yet when we got there, the beauty of the location AND her beauty took my breath away. It was a small bamboo house snug in the vast arm of the hill. To the left, a cliff rose high to the sky. Right in front of me stood a stunning young lady with her traditional white robe smiling shyly and her good looking mom and dad. Their weather-worn brown skins gave us hints of their long labors under the sky. Yet their broad smile that showed all the broken jagged teeth just told me how content they are. So we were invited in and seated at the front porch. It was neat to see the reunion, if I could call this, of the sponsor and the child. They've been corresponding for 8 years but this was their first time of seeing each other. I was sitting there watching these two lives that are totally different and distinctly opposite. One is from a rich country, and money is not a problem while the other one is still trying to make ends meet each day. But again, I guess earthly wealth isn't what a soul is looking for. What I saw in the girl's eyes were the joy to meet someone she has come to love and gratefulness to what she has received.
On Friday night, mom and I just went to the night bazarre and had burger king! Hmm...happy meal it was. Well, I guess I must end here since the internet cafe is closing. Bonne Nuite!In Christ
Life continues. This week has flown by eventfully. I've become better at work and got well-adjusted with the ways things are. I began to feel comfortable being around my co-workers. I'm more familiar with the area, local people and culture. I'm settling in. :) But Mink is still the same - clumsy.
On Monday I got myself injured while I was walking to Carrefour. I didn't really pay attention to the road that I was walking on because my eyes were so focused on the newly advertised billboard, so apparently I didn't see that there was a pretty big hole in front of me. You can guess the rest of the story. My right leg went right into that hole, and got stuck. Surely no one could help me, so I had to pull myself out and got the wound dressed. Afterwards while I was trying to walk back, a guy on a motorbike approached me and asked me for money. He said that he was from Bangkok, and he lost all money (while he still had his wallet with him). Scared and exhausted, I asked him what he wanted. So he asked if he could "borrow" some 300 baht. Of course I couldn't give him that much...but I felt the urge to give. A scripture from Matthew 25 came to me when Jesus said to the righteous, " 'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me' "" (Matt. 25:35-36). Though I knew that it was stupid to give money to strangers, at least I did what Jesus may want me to (or I thought so). Money may be a need for me to survive, but when someone asked for help, should I just turn him away though I may be a fool?
Anyway, I also got to go on my very first trip to Chiang-Rai. P.Yui, my colleague, I and a sponsor from USA drove up to meet with his Karen sponsored child and her family. It was definitely a blessed trip. I really had a pleasant ride because 1) I wasn't a driver and 2) there were different kinds of trees and green hills everywhere. When we got to the project, we met up with the staff and were oriented. Then we drove to the child's home which was nearby but the road to her home was so difficult. It was a dirt and rocky road. Yet when we got there, the beauty of the location AND her beauty took my breath away. It was a small bamboo house snug in the vast arm of the hill. To the left, a cliff rose high to the sky. Right in front of me stood a stunning young lady with her traditional white robe smiling shyly and her good looking mom and dad. Their weather-worn brown skins gave us hints of their long labors under the sky. Yet their broad smile that showed all the broken jagged teeth just told me how content they are. So we were invited in and seated at the front porch. It was neat to see the reunion, if I could call this, of the sponsor and the child. They've been corresponding for 8 years but this was their first time of seeing each other. I was sitting there watching these two lives that are totally different and distinctly opposite. One is from a rich country, and money is not a problem while the other one is still trying to make ends meet each day. But again, I guess earthly wealth isn't what a soul is looking for. What I saw in the girl's eyes were the joy to meet someone she has come to love and gratefulness to what she has received.
On Friday night, mom and I just went to the night bazarre and had burger king! Hmm...happy meal it was. Well, I guess I must end here since the internet cafe is closing. Bonne Nuite!In Christ
Monday, July 7, 2008
First Week
Greetings from Chiang-Mai
This is the beginning of my 2nd week here. Life goes by quicker than I first thought. I've made new friends, learned new facts and gone on a lot of adventures. It's amazing how my life could change so much: being on my own, having unlimited adventures, witnessing such eye-opening truths, being so close to the nature. Here it is in Chiang-Mai. Here I am in the hands of God.
My day usually starts at 6:30 if I could kick myself out of bed (but usually I'd ignore the clock...and go on sleeping...bad bad). There're lots of time to take a shower, get ready, pray and read and have breakfast because where I live is sharing the same wall with where I work. :) Everyday we have devotion "supposedly" for a half an hour, but most days we spend an hour. So I don't get to start an actual work until 9.
As to answer to the question, "what am I doing exactly?", I am positioned as a tour and visit specialist. I am like a representative, a front-line person for the organization. I'd be the one who gets in touch with the partner countries, sponsors or donors who wish to come visit projects in Thailand. Briefly, I'd do my best to provide as much convenience concerning the visit, and most importantly as much needed information and knowledge of the ministry, projects and children as possible. I act as a part of the advocacy campaign for children. My part is also to encourage the sponsors/ donors to play more important part - that is to be an advocate - by showing them what we, Compassion Thailand, are doing.
So that's briefly what I'm up and about. :) Please pray for my adjustment to the job, people and the living here. It's a challenge but I'm certain that this is where the Lord calls me. I'm also going to a church just a little bit out of town. It's a small church with 20 members, all kinds of people. They do college and prison ministries that I'm now interested in. This church was started by two of my friends since last December. And you'd be surprised if I told you that there're many churches and christians in Chiang-Mai, but they're mostly scattered and shepherdless. Hopefully I can tell you more in my next post. Stay tuned!
Be blessed,
This is the beginning of my 2nd week here. Life goes by quicker than I first thought. I've made new friends, learned new facts and gone on a lot of adventures. It's amazing how my life could change so much: being on my own, having unlimited adventures, witnessing such eye-opening truths, being so close to the nature. Here it is in Chiang-Mai. Here I am in the hands of God.
My day usually starts at 6:30 if I could kick myself out of bed (but usually I'd ignore the clock...and go on sleeping...bad bad). There're lots of time to take a shower, get ready, pray and read and have breakfast because where I live is sharing the same wall with where I work. :) Everyday we have devotion "supposedly" for a half an hour, but most days we spend an hour. So I don't get to start an actual work until 9.
As to answer to the question, "what am I doing exactly?", I am positioned as a tour and visit specialist. I am like a representative, a front-line person for the organization. I'd be the one who gets in touch with the partner countries, sponsors or donors who wish to come visit projects in Thailand. Briefly, I'd do my best to provide as much convenience concerning the visit, and most importantly as much needed information and knowledge of the ministry, projects and children as possible. I act as a part of the advocacy campaign for children. My part is also to encourage the sponsors/ donors to play more important part - that is to be an advocate - by showing them what we, Compassion Thailand, are doing.
So that's briefly what I'm up and about. :) Please pray for my adjustment to the job, people and the living here. It's a challenge but I'm certain that this is where the Lord calls me. I'm also going to a church just a little bit out of town. It's a small church with 20 members, all kinds of people. They do college and prison ministries that I'm now interested in. This church was started by two of my friends since last December. And you'd be surprised if I told you that there're many churches and christians in Chiang-Mai, but they're mostly scattered and shepherdless. Hopefully I can tell you more in my next post. Stay tuned!
Be blessed,
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