It is 3:15 in the morning and I am laying on my sleeping pad next to a bunch of ants who seem to have made their home near me. I should be sleeping, but I just can’t because Jesus is so good. Today was just an all around amazing day. Nothing too special happened, but Jesus was in it all. This month we are building relationships. That is our ministry. We have so many different venues to do that through, but we get to live life with all the people around us. Just doing life with people is the greatest ministry ever. I feel the most myself in it. I get to wake up and go get amazing iced coffee from my sweet new friend across the road. I will get to talk to her every single day while I am here. After coffee, I made my way to the beach where our ministry is literally making friends. Today, my new friend was a sunglass sales man and a dude who was interested in the hanging hammocks. Then I got to hang out with my newfound family for the month (my ministry contacts). We played some pool games in the ocean and then went and had lunch/dinner at their house. Thai food is amazing in case anyone had any questions on that one. I know I did! I got to worship with my team while meeting a new girl who saw us sitting in the church and now we get to be her friend an practice English.
Tonight as a team, we went to explore Bangla Road where we will be doing bar ministry. I got dressed up to go out and just make some more new friends. We hung out as a team with our ministry contact for the month and went to a bar where I met the sweetest 53 year old bartender who played lots of games with me and is now my new friend as well. We chatted about life and love and other normal everyday things. I had some of the best laughter I have had in a while. The kind that brings you to tears, all while meeting new people. Then I got to go to a Bible study with Nepalese people who were so kind and so welcoming. Bible study was a midnight, but such is life here. We worshipped and prayed at 1:45 am I was served some of the best chicken and rice for dinner that I have eaten in a long time. You better believe I got that recipe.
Now my point here really isn’t to recount all my days events. it was an amazing day. Filled with lots of incredible moments where I reminded myself that this is my real life. My ministry is my life. It is to be Jesus to every person I meet and to see Him in everything. Ministry does not need a label. Ministry is what you make it. It is living life with the people all around you. It is leaving room for Jesus to move every minute of every day and being so in tune with the Spirit that you don’t let those moments pass you by. Ministry and missions does not have to take place overseas. You are a missionary right where you are. Your ministry starts the moment you get up in the morning and goes until you put your head on your pillow at night. Don’t miss any opportunities because ministry is not contained in the confines of an organization or church program. Let Jesus move people. Let Him blow you away on a daily basis. Many of my favorite “God” moments come when I least expect them outside of my scheduled ministry time.
